Resolution

I hereby resolve that in 2012, I will clean my room every single day.

THE GYM

Dear The Gym,
I'm going to savor every day with you until January 1st. After which, I will still love you with my whole heart even though I might have to avoid you a tiny bit due to throngs of New-Years Resolutioners.
Love, Liz

Listen Nena

My friend Lisha used to work at a summer camp. One time, she was trying to get a group of little kids into line. "Okay, let's line up right here." A five year old Hispanic girl looked Lisha straight in the face, whipped her finger in the air, and said, "Listen, Nena, you don't be telling me what to do."

Merry Christmas!

Read this for Christmas. Trust me.

And remember the old Luke II video? I love it too.

Reddi Whip

Today James and I came home for the annual Dad's side of the fam Christmas party. There was some Reddi Whip in the door of the fridge. I couldn't resist. I grabbed the container walked down the hall out of earshot (Mom hates it when I do this) and sprayed some straight into my mouth. YUM.

Dear Katie,
Thanks times a million for introducing me to the word sketchtacular. It's probably like the awesomest word conglomeration ever.
Love, Liz

The Wordle of My Final Paper

Want to make one? Just click here.

Bearded Guitar Playing Men

Ask me how long I've been listening to this song on repeat.
On second thought, don't. But trust me, it's a long time.

I maintain that nothing in life inspires ambivalence like a bearded man.

Bright Red Fingernails

Dear Miss Carolyn,
Thank you for this and so many other exquisite postings on your blog. Today while reading, I got carried away in your delicious prose and the form of your words. I hope my future daughter will take an English class from you. Maybe we can even connive her into going out with your future son, who I hope will be at least as tall as girls of our height love our men to be.
Love, Liz

My Thoughts on Swimming

Went swimming yesterday for the first time since 1993. Just kidding, it's only been like a month or two, but that's not the point, the point is that I'm pretty sure swimming is the most therapeutic workout ever invented (alongside biking and yoga, of course). For me, swimming looks like staring down at the black line rocking the breathing (one for two or one for three) and keeping track of laps. When I lose track of my laps, I just drop it back down to the last number I remember while repeating the glide, power, glide, power mantra and thinking about whatever it is that needs to be settled that day. But since I am so busy gliding and powering and lapping and breathing, I can't think about anything long enough to get concerned about it. Rather, my mind settles itself into the water, and by the time I leave, I am a svelter, lither version of myself with a satisfied mind and slow, steady breathing.

Hey, It's Christmas!

Dear Reader,
My Christmas present to you: two free, fabulous Christmas albums to use as the soundtrack of your life for the next week or two. Merry Christmas.
Love, Liz.

Dear Liz,
I'd like to encourage you to fold your clothes as soon as they come out of the dryer and to hang your clothes up at night rather than allow them to amass in a pile on the floor. Hypothetically speaking, of course.
Love, Yourself

GRADUATION

I didn’t finish my project in time to graduate in December. 

It sounds kind of sad, I know. But it is not.

Consider this: 

I have a deadline extension. 

A lifting of anxiety and pressure

without the need to pay more tuition or take more classes or travel to Salt Lake. 

It is the best possible option, and I am very grateful that 

things have turned out even better than I had hoped they might. Mormon 9:27

Why I Love Google

Dear Gmail, 

Thanks for doing this for me: 

I love you more than words can tell. 

Love, Liz

(PS If you want to know the current status of my life/project, check the time on this post)

MmmmHmmm

The results of the tiny twisty bun hair from last night.

A Photo Essay Regarding my Current Use of Hair Tutorial videos on YouTube, pictures from Pinterest, and such

1. Lauren Conrad's VMA updo as seen on Let's Make It Up! 

2. Curly side ponytail as left over from some 40's-esque curls. (No makeup even!)

3. Upside down french braid as seen on Pinterest

(thanks to Heather for the braiding and Bekah for the adorable bobby pins)

  

4. And currently waiting to have big curls with tiny buns as seen on love Maegan

Witty Banter

I'd like to recount, in semi-accurate fashion, a particularly fantastic encounter I recently had.

Boy: I'd really like to go to a Brian Regan show at some point.

Me: He's coming in January. You could make that your New Year's resolution?       

Boy: Well, it's not really the sort of thing you can just go to by yourself.

Me: Are you telling me you can't find an attractive woman who appreciates good humor to go with you?

Boy: Are you applying?

Me: Should I send you a resume?

Boy: As long as you keep it to one page. 

Organizational Activities

Well, it turns out that I only did yoga today,
but...in order to multitask, I spent the day
listening to teleconferences from
The Center for Mindful Eating while
vacuuming, cleaning, doing laundry
and rearranging all the furniture in my room.
And I'm pretty sure that furniture rearrangement
is legitimately list-able in my work out log
as "lifting weights." Don't you think?

Thoughts on Cleaning My Bedroom After Midnight

I was talking to roommate Heather tonight about how lately I haven't been doing the things that I normally do, specifically:

1. Work more than one job
2. Clean my room to spotlessness every night
3. Bike, swim, do yoga, and occasionally lift weights

Instead, my life has looked like hours on my laptop editing and reediting my paper, my project, sending emails, taking a nap, biking maybe twice a week, doing yoga like once a week, and cleaning my room like, oh, I don't actually want to admit how not often that has been.

But tonight I decided to take matters into my own hands. I went downstairs to go to sleep a little after midnight, and instead of sleeping, I proceeded to clean my bedroom.

Was it worth it? Yes, I do believe it was. And tomorrow, I'll probably stat bike in the am, do yoga in the afternoon, and swim at night, because it's all about moderation, right?

Cereal

When you were little, did you ever just pull up a chair to the table with some milk and cereal and proceed to eat like 7 bowls full?

 Yeah, me neither.

Double Her Salary, and Give Her Some Chocolate

Raise your hand if you love my capstone chair,
Pam Hardin, because I sure do.
Someday when I am a Dr. Nurse,
it will be in large measure due to her unending ability
to be reasonable and encouraging and accommodating and fabulous.
In my university evaluation of her class, I wrote, and I quote,
"Give Pam Hardin a raise!" And I think they should.
Because she rocks.
That is all.

Utah

Dear Utah,
Thanks for days like today. I could be really sad about the whole 23 degrees thing, but instead I am loving the sunshine.
Liz

November 19, 2011. College of Nursing Lounge. HSEB. University of Utah Health Sciences Complex. Salt Lake City, Utah.

It is with a sad sort of fondness that I must bid farewell to this couch. 

Couch, I thank you for the hospital issue pillow and blanket,
your location by the window,
and every single lunchtime sunshine catnap
you've helped me capture during the last 16 months.
You will be missed. 

Nail Biting

So, I'm going to admit something embarrassing here.

I bite my nails.

I know, embarrassing, right?

The other day, I was reading about compulsions, and I learned that nail biting is actually classified as a diagnosis in the DSM-IV. It's an impulse control disorder along the obsessive compulsive spectrum. Obsessive compulsive spectrum? Puh-lease. I doubt that.

It's totally normal that I only use white plastic hangers in my closet, and that I always double check my car door to make sure that it really is locked, and that I sometimes run back into the house to make sure the oven is off and my straightener is unplugged.

Totally normal.