Word choice?

I got this email from BYU the other day...I wonder if this is really what they meant to say. Personally, I would have used a different word.

"Dear Students,
There has been a technical glitch in the registration of classes, which many
of you might have already experienced. We apologies for the incontinence
but want to let you know it will be fixed by tomorrow morning. Thank you for
your patience."

Mom and Dad think I should send this to Jay Leno. Maybe I will.

Our dance

Last night Mariel and I were having fun dancing to Michael Jackson's music. Oh yes, it's all fun and games until someone's pants rip! As SC put it, my "tight pants and MJ just don't mix". How true.

The Poem

Even though I only slept for about three hours last night, I decided to watch Glee before going to bed tonight. After I watched Glee I thought, I should really write a freestyle poem about that Asian man really fast. So here is my two minutes and thirty seconds poem. Don't judge it.

7:25am

Every day he stands. Arms folded, peering through thick spectacles,
Cutting through the morning gloom.
Always facing West,
Never a smile,
He waits.

It can't be your "bad karma"...

...because bad karma doesn't start like this.

I rest my case.

An Asian man

I have seen the same man waiting for the bus at 7:25 every morning since May. I really want to write a poem about him. Too bad I don't know how to write poetry.

I would also love to meet him. What is his story? Where does he go every day? Why doesn't he ever smile? He is usually standing with his arms folded and a slight glare on his face, but a few times I have seen him texting and once or twice he's been on the phone.

Who is this enigma?

The Merry Christmas Polka

At precisely six o'clock, the doorbell rang. My younger sisters dropped all their preparations for dinner and ran to answer the door. The arrival of Grandpa on Christmas Eve was probably the most awaited event of the year. His presence on December 24^th was a sign that the Christmas festivities could officially begin.

Although Grandpa wouldn't give us our Christmas presents until the next day, he never comes to our house empty handed. As he hands my sister a huge sack of oranges, I throw my arms around his neck and give him a Christmas hug. Grabbing his hands and pulling him out of the cold, frigid air into our warm house, my little sister shows him our Christmas Eve feast. My parents and brother join us as we make our way to the table. Now that Grandpa is here, we can eat.

Karen Carpenter serenades us as we eat, talk, and laugh together. Even after we've eaten to the point of satisfaction, no one leaves the table. For now, we're content to enjoy one another's company. After a while, we grab our scriptures and move into the living room. It's time to read the Christmas story.

Following the Christmas story, I jump onto the piano bench and start playing requests. My sisters readily comply and sing with gusto, because Santa Claus is watching. About a half hour passes before I start playing the Merry Christmas Polka. My family sings it through once, and requests that I play it again. The second time around, everyone gets up and starts dancing! After a while, my mom and I switch places on the piano bench, and my grandpa grabs my hands and pulls me into formal dance position. As we polka around the living room, the only sounds to be heard are those of music and laughter.

Immediately following the impromptu polka, my mom brings out a few brightly wrapped Christmas Eve gifts-one for each of the kids. On my sister's command, everyone starts to unwrap their gift. The wrapping paper isn't necessary-we all know that the packages contain matching pajamas. Running to our rooms, we quickly change into our new pajamas. One by one, we model them for Grandpa. After the fashion show, Grandpa announces it's time for him to leave.

After kissing Grandpa goodbye, my sisters grab their sleeping bags and set them up in my room. Gathering a bunch of snacks, we bed down for the night. My sisters speculate about possible gifts, but after a time my room grows quiet, and we have a chance to reflect on our evening. No words are exchanged, but without a doubt, we all know we will never forget the night we polkaed with Grandpa.

Kisses in the elevator and a nice fall day

I just love getting this babe's kisses! But he's growing up so fast...leave him for a week and he's suddenly walking everywhere he pleases! And how could you resist a face like that?

Why my grandma is the best

On Saturday I was at home biding my time until the super night with SC. I was in my parents room talking to them when I heard Karly yell, "Natalie! Come here for a minute!" So I opened the door and all I could see was a man. It was really disconcerting because he was just standing there and obviously it wasn't my dad, and it wasn't Nathan, so who in the world?! All these thoughts ran through my head in about .5 seconds. Then I shakily looked up to meet the man's eyes and...well, it was Edward Cullen. Best surprise of my life! No, just kidding I was honestly so scared.

We all laughed about my reaction for awhile and then I had to inquire where we got such a delight. "Well, I came home from school one day and he was standing on the porch." Karly said. "Also, Erica found Jacob Black in her bedroom...pretty sure Grandma gave these to us."

My grandma is hilarious! And also my grandpa and my grandma both love Twilight.

Some more awkward

So, I know I'm an awkward person, and I love this about myself because "I personally believe" that I am hilarious in all of my awkward wonder. I love to recall awkward things, also, in case you haven't noticed. Anyway, these next two situations are kind of obscure so I want to write them down so I never forget!

Once, right after we very first met, I was on the phone with Mike (let me quickly clarify that he is probably the funniest person I've ever met. So clearly I laughed a lot when I was with him). He was telling me to meet him somewhere and he was giving me directions by saying "walk in the direction of the rising sun". It was really funny, but I had just been to the dentist. Laughing gas has a very profound effect on me. As soon as he told me to walk toward the sun, I started laughing and could not stop. The longer I laughed, the harder I laughed. It was really weird.


The second memory also has to do with Mike. One day we were talking on Skype, and Abby wanted to say hi to him. She thought she'd just poke her head into the picture, but when she tried, unfortunately all that Mike could see was the inside of her nose.

While I'm at it, I would like to give my compliments to the jacket I am wearing in that picture. First, I accidentally washed it with my new jeans. It went from bright white to light blue. Then I wore it to the festival of colors (pictured) and it turned pinkish reddish Holi-ish colors. So I bleached it. It turned light gray. But...I am wearing it now and it is white! It looks like it did before I ruined it! I don't know if my mom bleached it again or something, but kudos, jacket, for being such a trooper.

I resolve

Well, this may be insignificant to the majority of my "Faithful Fifteen" readers (as I have taken to calling you) but I thought I would offer a resolution for some drama I have alluded to in previous posts.

Last Thursday Holly and I decided to go see Hannah and Noelle's instrumental showcase (which was great!). Holly and I had a fun reunion between the HFAC and the WILK and then we headed toward the Wilkinson so I could buy an apple from the good old bookstore. As we walked toward the wilk we saw Hannah exiting the big double doors. "HANNAH!" we exclaimed, but that's as far as I got because then I realized who was right behind Hannah. None other than Thaynius.

I ran up the two stairs to Thayne (he later told me he thought I was coming to hug him) but then I started to beat him.

Me: I am so MAD at you!
T: What is going on?!
Me: Why won't you return my texts? What in the world? I don't know what I've done to offend you but it makes me really sad! I even had a dream we made up! Why wont' you return my texts?!
T: I've been in the library!
Me: For THREE DAYS?
T: No, really I was just thinking that I really needed to text you.
Me: But...what did I do? What's wrong?
T: Nothing is wrong...I just thought I should let things cool down.
Me: Oh, and you thought how you acted on Sunday was a good way to "let things cool down"?
T: No, I was kidding! I thought you knew that...I thought you would pretend to be mad and leave and then come right back...but you never came back.
Me: Thayne, remember?...sometimes you have to be the one to follow.

Anyway we made up just like in my dream and it made me happy to have resolved something that was bugging me so bad. That's all.