Quote of the Day

Mom: Is it normal for something like this to suddenly flare up?
Doctor: It's unusual, but certainly not unheard of.
Natalie [aside, to Mother]: Well, if anything is unusual, it's going to be me.
Doctor: You took the words right out of my mouth.

My knee!

Yesterday my knee was a little sore. Towards the end of the night it was hurting very badly. I woke up at 1:30 AM and couldn't get back to sleep because it was hurting so bad. This morning it still hurts.

I walk like Dr. House. Luckily, I quite like House. All I need now is the bad attitude. Oh wait...

Remember?

I got this from Nicole's blog. Actually, I copied it word for word from her blog because I couldn't have said it better myself (hope you don't mind, dear sister). And so, in the words of my big sister (I love finally having a big sister...)

"I put off doing this for a bit...because I don't want to look like I'm following the blogger crowd, and I don't want to look desperate for comments. I'm feeling nostalgic though, and would rather look a little desperate in the hopes of gathering some good memories.

So...yeah. Leave a comment with a memory, and I promise to reciprocate. It'll be like a reunion...only we're not actually together. I guess it's more like we're 80 and making phone calls to each other where every sentence starts with, 'remember that one time...'"

Come on, it'll be fun.

"We don't have good customer service"

Yesterday we had a "team meeting" in the store. Bev brought us really good muffins. The unfortunate part was that I laughed through the entire meeting. I have got to learn to control my laughter (my laughter should be blamed on Ryan-we have too many inside jokes now that I just cannot look at him when funny things happen).

Thomas Jefferson

"It is in our lives and not our words that our religion must be read."

"Do you want to know who you are? Don't ask. Act! Action will delineate and define you."

I tried to draw a picture of Thomas Jefferson the other day in Arts and Crafts. It didn't really work.

My finger looks like it's rotting

Darn leather stain...

*Clarification: My finger is not rotting, or anything of the sort. It's just stained black.

Disenchanted

This post will probably not be the most eloquent one you've ever read, but it's just something that is on my mind.

The other day on the local news (I don't know what channel) they did a "special investigation" report, where a news anchor went to Herriman to uncover some huge scandal of nepotism that was going on in City Hall. Or something. Anyway, it showed clips of the news anchor calling and interrogating officials on the phone, adding up all the bills for building, and doing various undercover work.

The main idea was that the city of Herriman hadn't had three bids to build their library and another building, instead they just gave the job to someone who already worked in City Hall. I am not saying I agree with what the city did, but I strongly disagree with the way the news anchors handle it.

I do not think it is the place of a news anchor to investigate something like this. Wouldn't this be considered "creating their own news"? Isn't there something wrong with that?

Call me crazy, but I think there would have been better ways to handle the situation. I don't like how the news people went and attacked the city of Herriman and made it sound like their government and administration was corrupt and then broadcast it across the state.

There are people whose jobs are to investigate situations like these. Sometimes it makes it to the news, but it usually doesn't start with the news.

Note to self

Next time, don't walk away from the table when annoyed. The dining hall doesn't have an endless supply of plates.

Tidbits

Here are a few random things that have happened in the store lately.

• We learned how to throw ice cream scoops high in the air and catch them in bowls.
• Ryan shoved ice cream in my face and it wasn't even Saturday night.
• Brandon frolicked through the store. Really.
• The boys force fed me a very frozen rootbeer float that had fallen on the ground and Brandon had licked and bitten off of the whole thing. I have Brandon's cooties!
• I was sprayed with Clorox Bleach. By Brandon.
• (Do you notice a pattern? The boys are mean to me!)
• We have been getting out unusually late. Once was because it was really busy. More often than not, though, we just get distracted by talking. Bev even checked up on us once.
• Someone was proposed to on a bottle of chocolate milk...hmm...
• The boys have very differing opinions on how our story should be. This results in interesting arguments. Brandon likes to kill off people and then introduce random new characters, whereas Ryan likes to develop the plot.This is how our arguments go:

Ryan: You can't kill Helga!
Brandon: Yes I can! I know! I'll introduce a new character who will come in and kill everyone else!
Ryan: Okay, but don't kill Pansy!
Natalie: No one kill Finnegan! If you kill Finnegan, I will kill you. I LOVE Finnegan! I want to marry Finnegan! Finnegan is the true hero of this story! He is going to save everyone! Wait...I don't know what's going on. What's the plot, again? I don't understand. I can't keep up with everything.

And there you have a slight glimpse of how much fun we have in the store.

PS: When we argue, we're never actually mad. We love each other. Remember the chocolate milk proposal I mentioned earlier? Yeah.

The unreachable star

I have a new hero, mainly because of the fact that he made me an awesome peanut butter and jelly sandwich today (seriously, that sandwich rivaled my own mother's) since I didn't get a lunch break.

Found in the Wal-Mart candy aisle

What?! That's terrible.

Dear family,

I hope you are having fun on your vacation. If I am correct in my thinking, today is river rafting day. I'm sure you will be fine-please don't die.

Love Natalie

PS: Next year, can we go to Disneyland or Nauvoo?

Love adds the chocolate

This is Grandpa Murray's parents. I think it's so cute.

Gray Days

I have been feeling like changing my hair color since about March--don't worry, I haven't died my hair. But the other day I asked my mom, "Mom, do you want to help me dye my hair red?" And she said (very emphatically) "NO! But maybe your Grandma will help you." Then she talked me out of dying my hair.

During this conversation, the topic of my grayness came to light. For those of you who may not know, I am going gray. I told my mom that I was just going to let my hair go naturally gray (mind you, this could very well happen in the next few years). She said to me, "No, you are not letting it go gray!" So I said, "Fine, then I'll cover up the gray with red."

Just wait. If I suddenly have red hair one day, you'll know why.

So there you go. A picture of me contemplating my prospective gray hair.

You know you're an Elison if...

...you think the following story is funny. This picture must have been taken at least 8 or 9 years ago. Look at how little everyone is! Anyway, we made Grandpa wear a wig for this picture (because we're a theater family. We do stuff like that). The next year, someone finally developed the pictures and we were all passing this picture around. When Grandpa saw it, he said (in all honesty), "Oh, is that my sister Ruth?"

At which point we had to say, "No, Grandpa. That's you in a wig."

Let me clarify something: Grandpa and Ruth don't really look similar.

Two things: Abby's face is my favorite part of this picture, and you can see someone standing in the window holding a baby. I'm trying to figure out who the baby in the window is. Also, who's in the carrier? Josh?

Olfactory observation and family history

I had been on some sort of a hiatus from the scent 'warm vanilla sugar' for the past couple of years.

Today I wore warm vanilla sugar lotion. It was about time, and it was good.

I found this picture today on the computer and I love it. Actually, I found quite a few that I love. I will probably start posting them.

PS

The Nauvoo Pageant started today. Why am I in Utah?

Regardless of what next summer brings, I am going to Nauvoo.

So many words

When I was very young, I did not speak. My parents tell me that I did not have a first word--I had a first sentence.

I hadn't spoken at all until one summer. My family was on vacation in Yellowstone. I was 2 1/2 years old. We had just bedded down for the night, when suddenly I started chattering and did not stop. My parents were shocked. They like to say, "You suddenly started talking and haven't stopped since."

Well, maybe around my family I have always been very chatty, but honestly, I feel like I have been very reserved around others. Sometimes I just don't talk. I'd rather listen. Well, this was the case until about March of this year. Suddenly, I started talking to anyone who will listen, and I haven't stopped.

Just ask the boys I work with. They will tell you how much I talk. Let me share a story to illustrate my point.

One day in the store I was playing with the stapler and accidentally stapled my finger (please don't ask me how this happened-I have no idea).

Me: Ouch! I just stapled my finger!
Brandon [smirking]: Maybe you should just staple your mouth shut.

Don't worry, it was funny. I didn't take offense. And I still talk to Brandon and Ryan as much as I ever have.

And because my blog is boring, I have included two pictures, because I couldn't decide which one I liked better. This is probably about the age that I started talking.

A reflection

April and May 2007 were very happy times in my life. Possibly the best two months so far. Come to think of it, summer 2007 was pretty great. It had its moments, but overall it was so much fun. Man, why are my friends all gone?

Maybe too true

Today at lunch we were talking about a myriad of things. Someone was saying that if someone was making you dig your own grave before they shot you, you might as well not dig the grave. What are they going to do, kill you?

Then someone else made the point that of COURSE you should dig your own grave...that will give your superhero time to come rescue you.

At which point Ryan turned to me and said something to the effect of, "Too bad your superhero would just be someone creepy."

"Mamma Mia!

Does it show again? My, my, just how much I missed you...just one look and I can hear a bell ring. One more look and I forget everything."

"Five hundred, twenty five thousand, six hundred minutes. How do you measure a year?" Or two?

There's no blue Monday in your swimming clothes

(Yes, I did slightly alter the lyrics)

In case you were wondering, my wonderful roommates convinced me to go to water aerobics this morning at 6:15. And it was great. I'm so glad I went! It was a great way to wake up and work out without having to go running or something! Oh, but it was sooo cold getting out. Yikes.

Also in case you were wondering, I have included a picture of the top half of my closet. If you look you will be able to see the funny note Alice left me, pictures of the people I love the most, some food, a small portion of my clothes, my floss, some of my shoes, and various other items.

Thoughts

This is a thought I had back in World Dance 270, but it just popped into my head...someday, a book will be written about my life (maybe I will be the author...I'm not sure) and it will be entitled "Awkward". Because awkward describes my life--especially during 270. Oh boy. Aren't TAs wonderful?

I sold Elder Groberg some Scope yesterday, and scooped ice cream for his wife. It was cool.

And have I mentioned that I enjoy teaching MiaMaids?

I was especially tired today

And this is why:

Last night, I didn't really sleep a whole lot. For much of the night, I was in that state where I was dreaming, but I wasn't quite asleep. Do you know the feeling? It's the kind of dream that I usually have when I get really sick. I knew I was in my bed, and I knew I was (sort of) awake, but I was having this weird dream that wouldn't leave. I was dreaming that I was in the store and people kept coming and coming and buying ice cream, and even though we were closed we were helping everyone. I was so frustrated because I knew I had just closed the store and I was actually in bed, but at the same time...I don't know; it was weird, and I was so frustrated with myself.

I think I'm going to bed.

The way is clear, the light is good.

I have no fear-no one should.

Today at Arts and Crafts, while we were making hemp and listening to Pandora, the song "When You Were Young" came on. Now I feel like playing guitar hero. This Friday. Also, I feel like putting on my shoes and dancing. I think I will.

The other day at A&C, a girl wanted to paint a ceramic lion just like the sample that we had out. The sample I painted. The one I didn't like. She brought it to me and asked me what colors to use. I gave her all the right colors and hoped that she could make hers look better than mine, because I don't think it's very good.

Sunday after my lesson in Young Women's, I had a girl come up to me and tell me that she was going through some experience just like the stories I had told from my own life during the lesson. We talked very briefly about how to handle it.

These two experiences made me think again about the kind of examples I'm setting for those around me.