Texting Phrase-ology

At dinner we were discussing the dos and don'ts of texting the opposite gender. Hillaree thought I was so smart that I should write a book about it, but I'm thinking I will start with a blog post, and see if a book deal comes from this!!!

How to Start a Good Conversation Over Texts:
A lot of people think just saying, "hey" is a great conversation starter. I want to make it clear that this is NOT okay. This will confuse the other person like none other. Perhaps a, "Hey, how are things going?" or a more specific question "Hey, how was your test today?" are MUCH better starters. It will actually get the conversation going, instead of the awkward "hey" "hey back" "whats up" "nothing..." start. The best way to start a conversation would be to use an inside joke to make them laugh, or to ask them a specific question about something. Girls really like it when their name is included. A good example would be... "Tara, whats up! Have you seen the Hunger Games yet?" (P.S. I did see the Hunger Games today, and I LOVED IT!!!! Thats for another blog though...)

How to Keep a Good Conversation Going:
A lot of times phrases such as, lol, haha, or thats funny, can end the conversation prematurely. When you receive this kind of text, you have to make a decision. There are three options:
1. The conversation is over, and you are not going to text them back.
2. You don't want the conversation to end, so you text back a question to guarantee their response.
3. You don't want it to end, but you don't want to act like you have to keep texting them, so you text another "ender" to see if they will keep it going. This is called putting the ball in their court. It is now up to them to decide if they want to keep the conversation going. This is a good way to not come off too needy or desperate, but sometimes it leads to a never ending back and forth of "lol" "Ya haha" "Your funny" "you are too"...

How to Deal with Awkward Conversations:
Too many times the conversation turns awkward to the point of no return. The best way to get out of this would be to change the subject. You have to finish up the last thing you were talking about, but you can do that with a "lol" or a ":)" and then ask a new question or state something funny that just happened. "Lol, OMG, you would not believe what I just saw..." That would make the other person forget about what they were just saying and become interested in what you are about to say next. Only do this though if something funny actually did just happen, or you will look like a fool!

How to Manage the Fear of Texting First:
I saw something on pinterest that said, "I'm not ignoring you, I'm just waiting for you to text me first." A lot of times this is exactly the case, especially from the girls side. Girls do not want to feel needy or clingy. But most of the time, girls like to feel chased. If the girl starts every conversation you have, she will not feel chased. My rule is to never text first three times in a row! That might be silly, but its something I pretty much live by. If I have texted you first the last two times, then I'm going to wait for you to text me. (This only applies to people I am interested in dating, if they are already in the friend zone, the rule doesn't apply.)

How to Properly End a Conversation:
I feel like a lot of conversations just drop off. Sometimes this can be annoying to the person waiting on the other end for a text. If it is a short conversation then its okay to just drop it after you said what you needed to say. But if the two of you have been texting for more than an hour back and forth, I feel like it should end with a proper goodbye. Sometimes you need to point out that you are going to bed and you say goodnight. The worst is when you fall asleep before you say goodnight, and then you wake up and have a text from them and you feel like a jerk for not responding. If its not night time, but the conversation has to end, you can tell them that you are just going to start something and have to go, or a lot of the time it is okay just to say, "Talk to you later" or "See you soon". Those are polite ways to end the conversation.

How to Properly Use "dots":
From the mouth of Kelly Kapoor "3 dots means to be continued, 4 dots is a typo, and 5 dots means, "Woah, do not make me say what I want to say baby, but if I did it would blow your mind." Be careful with your dots, you do not accidentally want them to get the wrong impression based on your punctuation!

I hope you all found this to be very educational. Texting can be tricky business... I would say if you really want to talk to someone, call them on the phone. Talking is a lot less complex than texting, and it saves you time in the long run. There is no awkward time waiting for a response, and you don't have to think so hard about what you are going to say. And if you don't like talking over the phone, you could always just invite the person over to talk. Talking to someone face to face is probably the best way to communicate! But texting sure does come in handy when you want to talk all day long but have class and work getting in the way! I'm sure glad texting was invented!

Biggest Winner

I used to say, "I would do anything to lose weight, except diet and exercise..." I thought I was funny!

8 weeks ago from yesterday I had my first weigh in for the Biggest Winner thing my school does. Today I had my last weigh in. Ready for the results.............

I LOST 20 POUNDS!!!

Well, technically I lost 19.8, but I'm going to round up! I lost the most in February, I kinda slacked off since I got back from the wedding! But I'm still pretty excited about my overall results!

Counting calories is pretty tough, and not really all that fun at all. I had a friend tell me, "You know what is easier than counting calories... NOT counting calories!" Boy is he right! Not counting is 10000x easier. But counting calories is the biggest eye opener I have ever had. I used to eat WAY too much in a day. I learned through this program that I don't really need a lot of food to get me through the day. I need a cup of cherrios and a banana for breakfast, a sandwich and some carrots and and apple for lunch, and maybe a frozen Weight Watchers dinner for dinner! I don't have to have deserts, I don't have to eat snacks all day long, and I don't have to eat right before I go to bed.

My workouts have been really good too! I used to go to the gym for a half hour and hop on a bike and feel satisfied about my workout. Now I know how to really work out, and I'm excited to keep up a good work out habit for the rest of my life.

My take-away from this program is that living healthy is a life changing decision. If I can study my scriptures every day, then I can work out everyday. Its just one of those daily things! Eating healthy is hard, and I'm going to have bad days here and there, but I can't just stop eating healthy! I am determined to keep it up forever!!!

Now that I have said all that about healthy food, I really must admit that more than anything right now I want a soda. It has been... 54 days since I last had a soda. So I can't decide if I want to wait until next Wednesday and make it an even 60, or if I want to go to Horkelys right now and get a big ol cherry coke!

Happy Green Day

Today has been such a blast! I had to get up early which isn't my favorite on a Saturday, but what can you do! I tutored at 9 this morning, and it was so great! Honestly, I love tutoring! I hardly think of it as work, its more like fun! I finished tutoring just before 10, so I got home and changed into my running clothes. Today was the schools Lucky Charm 5K! I thought about going all out and getting a green outfit, but I just didn't have the time this week. So instead I just put on my BYUI workout clothes and put a green headband on. Then last minute I grabbed my iPod and decided to buy two new songs for the run today. Then I decided to make a whole new 5K playlist. My friend Mat came over and we went to the 5K together! And my roommate Kaitlin came to take pictures of us! She is so awesome! The run was actually fun! I didn't think I would ever admit it, but it really was! My goal was to finish in less than 50 minutes, since Monday I ran 3 miles in about 45 minutes, but that was indoors and easy. Today half of the race was uphill, and the wind was pretty crazy. I only walked a little bit of the up hill part, and I jogged the entire downhill part. In the end, I finished in 38 minutes! I was pretty impressed with myself! In January our first team workout was jogging for 40 minutes, and I barely could do 2 miles in that time! I would say I have improved a little! After the race I came home and got ready for the day, and then we went to McDonalds to get a Shamrock Shake. It was the only thing I could think of the entire race. I kept telling myself, only so much longer and I get a shake!!! Well we stood in line at McDonalds forever, and when we finally got there they said they were out of Shamrock! WHAT?! Today is St. Patricks day, you can't just be OUT of SHAMROCK! I was a little infuriated! And then after I was mad I was just really sad. But we went to DQ and got a mint blizzard. Both good, both favorites. Its just that Shamrock Shake is a little more favorite, but if they don't have that, its like, thats okay, blizzard is favorite too! (Sorry, sometimes I just have to go on Brian Regan tangents... lol)

This is my team before the race! Notice the awesome guy behind us! He took the whole "dress up for the event" seriously!

This was me at the starting line! I was so excited!!!

Me and Mat before the race...

Me and Mat right after the race. Seriously though, I think I had finished 2 seconds before this picture was taken. They didn't even let me drink water yet! So gross!

Mat finished like 20 minutes before me, but when he saw me at the end he ran the last part with me!

Then he decided to silly string me. :(

Yay for somebody not running out of mint ice cream on St. Patty's day!

After all of this I went back to the library to tutor again, and then I stayed and did my own homework for a while. Then I thought about taking a nap, but couldn't fall asleep, so I thought I would blog instead! Tonight my roommates and I are going to iCover! Its like guitars unplugged, but instead of letting bands play original songs, they all do covers. I loved going to guitars every semester, so I'm hoping that iCover is just as good! Then I'm off to Gaby's because it is her BIRTHDAY!!! Happy 21st birthday Gaby Judd... Bowen! (I swear I'm never going to get used to her married name!)

And to everyone else who wasn't born today... Happy St. Patricks Day!!!!!!

Distracted

Today I finished the last part I can do for my mission papers. The only thing left is my physical on Friday and my dental appointment on Monday. I guess you can say I have been a little distracted with other things to focus on school. And let me tell you, school is the LAST thing I want to be thinking about right now. This has been the worst week because my health program is due. We have been working on it all semester and its due on Friday, and I'm kinda freaking out! But hopefully we will get it done tomorrow! And I have a big Calc 2 exam this week, and since I missed two lectures last week, I should be spending my time studying what I missed and figuring things out, but I just can't focus.

My roommate took pictures of me today so I would have a cute one to send in with my papers. She is like a professional photographer, and wouldn't let me pay her, so I took her out to pizza. Since it is pi day, we decided to go to pizza pie cafe! So clever, right?!

Then after that I came home and decided to start working on my huge to-do list of homework. But here's how it happened. We put in August Rush to listen to while we all do homework, I do about 6 problems, and then our FHE brother comes over. Then he leaves, I do one more problem, and Bri comes home. Then she leaves, the movie ends, and we put in The Day After Tomorrow. We wanted something with action and a cute boy! While trying to watch this movie and do homework, this thought popped into my head...

Look at your homework, now look at Jake Gyllenhaal, now back to your homework, now back to Jake. Sadly, your homework isn't Jake. :/

When I said that I laughed and decided that I was so funny and that it was worth blogging about.

Sadly, my homework isn't Jake :(

Next on our list of movies to watch is October Sky, Prince of Persia, and Source Code!!!

FREEDOM!!!

Today I feel that a HUGE weight has been lifted.

About 28 months ago (or just over 2 years ago, for those who don't like counting in months), I saw a posting for a job at the Student Health Center as a receptionist. So I applied, interviewed, and was hired! For a year and a half I was the best receptionist the health center has ever seen (at least I like to pretend I was!) Then they had an opening for an internship working 40 hours a week. Same process, I applied, interviewed and was given the internship! Being a receptionist and the Operations Director have both been great experiences for me to grow and learn more about the health field. But at the end of last semester, I told them I didn't want to stay in management as I would be taking classes and didn't want a huge work load. I wanted to be a receptionist again as I went back to school this semester, but they wanted me to do something more than a receptionist. They created the position of HR manager, and offered it to me. Since I felt like I should, I chose to take the job as HR manager. I helped create job descriptions and interview guides for the student postions at health center. Basically, it was so boring, and I really didn't like it at all. I feel bad, but I started to dread going to work. Its not like it was when I got hired two years ago. Being a receptionist was a ball! And I'm so glad I had that job for most of my college experience.

Today I was approached by my boss about a meeting next week, and I straight up told him I wasn't going. I have already told them I wouldn't be working next semester, and I didn't think I needed to go to the meeting next week as it was going to talk about the changes we have gone through and what we should do better for next semester. Anyway, about an hour after I told him I didn't want to go to the meeting, he asked me to talk to him in the office. Tara, we've noticed that you.... Thats when I said, "Hate working!" He said, "Well, ya!" I told him that I didn't think my job was useful and that I hated it. He said that they weren't firing me, but if I wanted to released of my responsibilities it is my choice! I think I almost started to cry I was so happy! I'M DONE!!! No more health center for me! I just started a new job last week as a tutor, and I was only able to tutor a few hours a week because of my other job, but now I can tutor more often! Plus, think about all of the things I can get done in the middle of the day when I'm not at the health center. I might actually have time to do homework, or laundry! (Yesterday I was out of socks, and didn't want to do laundry, so I went to the store and bought new socks!)

Basically the next three weeks of this semester just got insanely better! I have never been so happy to stop working somewhere in my life!

On a side note, my new favorite song is We Are Young by Fun. I have been listening to it on repeat for a few days now! Its so good!!!

My Best Friend's Wedding!!!

This weekend my very best friend in the whole world got married! I was lucky enough to be able to skip town for the last four days to be there for her! I left Thursday morning at about 8, got to the airport a little before noon, and got on a 2:30 flight! Just as soon as I got to my house I took my mom's car and met up with Amy to go get our nails done. We took her little sister Becca and had lots of fun! Then we went to her house and ate some dinner, and back to the church to get everything set up! Staci met up with us, and we were handed the napkins, and may I just say, we put the napkins on the table like we have been placing napkins our whole life! They looked amazing! This was us that night setting up!

Staci and I hung out that night, and Amy was going to meet up with us, but she ended up not being able to. Staci and I went to Someburros that night, which is my favorite, and then we had a sleepover! We stayed up sooooo late, like until midnight! I know, it was crazy! Then the next morning everything was rush rush rush to get ready to go. We put on our bridesmaids outfit and decided it would be better not to play "who wore it best." Then we finished up and were on the road. We were still pretty early to the temple, but it was such a nice day outside I didn't mind waiting! But I did actually get sunburned from spending so much time outside!!! Dang my fair Idaho winter skin! Then the moment we were all waiting for... Amy and her new husband Sean came out of the temple! They looked so happy and so cute! Amy's hair was done by my cousin, and it was so gorgeous! Her dress was made by her mom... and OH MY GOSH, it was beautiful! She was just stunning all day long! I stayed at the temple with them for a while and took pictures around the grounds. I can't wait for those to be done, I think we got some really cute ones! The temple grounds were gorgeous too! I love flowers WAY more than the snow! Just another reason Arizona > Idaho.

Then we headed over to the luncheon. My parents were there but they didn't save me a seat by their table, so I sat with Kirsten, Amy's roommate, and then a few of Amy and Sean's friends from Tucson came and sat by us. It was a really good lunch, and the company was really fun! Then Amy and Sean got there after taking hundreds of more pictures!

After lunch I hung around home for a while before the reception. I took a nap, and then my dad and I went out and saw the Gilbert Temple grounds, and went over to the mall, and then to Target. Then we got home, ate dinner, put our nice clothes back on and were at the church within minutes! Kyle and Nat came too with cute little Abby! Amy had never met Abby, and she thought she was pretty cute! The reception was lots of fun, tons of goodies to eat, and really really good Italian Soda. I was only going to have one, but my new friend Justin insisted I have three! In the end I only had two! But if I wasn't supposed to be on a diet, I probably would have had one in my hand the entire night!

The next day was pretty fun too! I went running with my dad, and then he insisted on buying me good running shoes. Then I played a few games of Settlers with my parents, went to Bahama Bucks, had In-n-Out for dinner, and then watched a movie. It was a great relaxing day at my house!

I really really really didn't want to come back today. I had such a fun time and I know school is going to be heck this week. (Actually if I'm being honest, its going to be heck for the next four weeks!) But then it will be over and I will get to go on another vacation! Next time to Ohio! Can't wait!!!

An apocalypse... with Pizza Hut and Kiwi Loco!

Story Time! (I was told this week that I'm actually very good at telling stories, who knew right?!)

Thursday night I am sitting on my bed talking with my two roommates Hillaree and Kaitlin. Then Bri comes home in quite the little panic asking if Kiwi Loco had been delivered to us. (Kiwi Loco is the new Twizzleberry) (I just realized some of you may not even know what that means, um... it is a frozen yogurt place where you fill your own cups with whatever kind you want and whatever toppings you want, and then they just charge you by the weight. Oh and they also deliver.) We told Bri that no kiwi loco had come, and asked her why.

Apparently while Bri was working at the Hut (which is slang for Pizza Hut, which is where she works), she got a call from her mom. Her mom was ordering pizza to be delivered to our apartment after Bri got off work. Then her mom told her that she also was having Kiwi Loco delivered, but that we couldn't eat any of it until 11:00 tomorrow. When Bri asked her mom why she said we would find out later. Bri told us all of this and we were all so confused, so Bri called her mom and begged her to tell her what was going on. So while Bri was on the phone with her mom, the doorbell rang, and our Kiwi Loco was here! I wish I had taken a picture of it. We had 5 huge cups full of different frozen yogurt, and three little containers that had toppings in them, cookie dough, reeses, and gummy bears (which was my favorite). One of the little topping containers had a sticky note that said "Do Not Eat Until 11:00". Not five minutes had passed until Bri's friend from work brought us the pizza that her mom had ordered. So here we are, with a box full of pizza, breadsticks, and cinnamon sticks, and 5 different things of fro yo, and we aren't supposed to eat it until 11:00 the next day. The majority of us had class at that time anyway.

Bri kept asking her mom what on earth was going on, and her mom said that in her research (she is an online student and was writing a research paper about something, she wouldn't tell us what) she came across news that wasn't supposed to be shared, so she wouldn't tell us. The only thing she did tell us was to "Follow Directions!" Which meant we weren't supposed to eat it for another 12 hours! We talked about this predicament we were in for only about 3 minutes, we decided the pizza just wouldn't taste as good tomorrow and the fro yo would have a different texture after it was in the freezer all night, so we started eating! While we were eating, Bri had an epiphany about what her mom could have been talking about. You know those patience videos we have all seen where they put a marshmallow in front of a five year old and tell them not to eat it for a while. Well, in this case, the five year old is five college girls, and the marshmallow was pizza and ice cream. We totally failed at this test of patience. Bri then calls her mom to let her know that we figured out what the whole purpose for the food was. Her mom told us we were wrong.

None of us could sleep that night. You should have seen how crazy our roommate Kassie was going! All of us were worried that something terrible was going to happen Friday at 11:00. We were thinking some sort of apocalypse ending the world would take place and we would have just enough time at 11:00 to enjoy our last minutes eating pizza. That was only one guess, we made probably a hundred others as to what could happen.

So Friday morning comes along, slowly but surely, and Bri and I start to count down the hours. I leave for class at 9, reminding her we only have 2 more hours... then at 10, I text her... ONLY ONE MORE HOUR... Then at 10:55, I can hardly focus in class. Something huge is about to happen, or so we thought. 11:00 came, 11:01, 11:02, 11:03... nothing was happening. I get out of class and have a text from Bri. "The person my mom interviewed was the director of security, he told her that there was going to be some big evacuation drill so we would be in our apartment to eat the food. Sorry for any due stress, or lack of sleep! I kind of was freakin out! lol"

And that is pretty much the end of the story! We finished what was left of the pizza that afternoon, and the kiwi loco has slowly been disappearing, with help from the guys in our ward of course! And ya, thats basically it. There was no apocalypse, but we did get free pizza! So thanks Bri's mom! You're the greatest! (Except for the whole freakin us out part!)