New hero

I always knew this guy was top notch. I mean, pleading with the Lord and having him grant your wishes to keep your language in tact, successfully taking instruction to build water vessels, seeing His finger make stones shine endlessly...this is one seriously cool guy.

Now, I'm pretty sure building vessels that are tight like unto a dish cannot be easy. And, given that these suckers were the as long as a tree is tall...whoa. That probably seemed insurmountable to him and his brother at times.

Last night, however, a different part of the story hit me:

Ether 2:24 For behold, ye shall be as a whale in the midst of the sea; for the mountain waves shall dash upon you. Nevertheless, I will bring you up again out of the depths of the sea; for the winds have gone forth out of my mouth, and also the rains and the floods have I sent forth.

He knew how heinous the trip would be...but he still did it. In a completely submerged, tree length, air-tight boat. Hero.

(Ah the joys of daily scripture study...thanks for the pep talk M.M.)

The ballot is in...

Hmmmm. I have mixed feelings. For a Gaga tribute, it was relatively normal. In fact, I down right enjoyed the first number. But, seriously? A mother/daughter Poker Face? Weird. But gorgeous. As for the story lines...I'd have to agree with TE: enough with the highlighting Kurt's choices. Move on and just crank out the great music, please.

My fave line: "How'd your dads come up with the name Rachel?" "They were big FRIENDS fans." LOVE that my two favorite shows are linked.

(Bring on Regionals. Can't wait for it...next week looks all sorts of crazy.)

Some days...

"Some days, it doesn't pay to get out of bed." I've heard this said countless times in my life. Today, I'm living it.

Exhibit A: This is the sight that greeted me in P-town this morning, on the 24th day of May, 2010.


That's right. Three inches of snow at my house. What the? Should have walked right back into my house, marched up to my bed, and climbed back in.

Exhibit B: At 11:51 AM, I received an email that began like this:
"Dear Karen,

Your application has been reviewed. Unfortunately..."

Need I go on? Remember my snooty post a while back about formalities? Here we go again. Thanks for wasting my time again, Y.

Exhibit C: (no pic available) Today, I'm fighting with Comcast. They're doing a digital conversion next month, which is great and all, except they forgot to tell any of us what in the free world to do to prep for it. Sure, they emailed me two months ago, but have they done anything since? Nope. Then, on Saturday, the creepy warnings of TV death scrolled across the bottom of my screen. Whatev. I slammed the chat-room door in my virtual Comcast analyst's face about a minute ago. Completely unhelpful. Seriously. Maybe I should put Kate on the case...

So, here I sit, at 12:36 PM, comatose in my cubie. Revving up the neurons needed to turn the page on the DU paper today, I see this...


This kid, 13 years old, climbed Everest. Really? I'm pretty sure I was barely surviving simple conversations with boys, having finally mastered the urge to wear only full-on sweatsuits to school, and memorizing a list of prepositions for Austin's English class. Not climbing the highest peaks of the world. That's it. Where's my bed?

Today I'm about the videos...

Only one more, I promise. I just had to kick this one out there again. I know, I've already made it clear that I'm a serious Gleek. Here's proof that the music is what makes it worth watching. (Til you're hooked, and you start caring about the characters too.) This is one of the stars of the show, before it came out. She started in the roll of Little Cosette in Les Miserables at age 8, and then grew into the roll of Eponine until recently. Now, I know I'm also a broadway musical fan, but peeps...check this. Goose bumps. Every time. Hit it, Lea...

HILARIOUS neuropsychologist

I have forwarded this puppy around once before. But it is STILL hilarious. I wish I could see this guy in person...and I ain't even married! Enjoy.



Mark Gungor, I salute you.

Luuuv me summa dat

Idina Menzel and Lea Michele. Mmm. Mmm. Mmm.

Undeniable miracles

So, if you're in my life, you've probably heard me rant about the myriad of miracles I have seen regarding this stinking thesis. (I have decided to wait until the thesis is over to post about these momentous occasions en mass.) Well, yesterday, I forgot about them. I'm pretty sure HF and the blessed souls in charge of helping me through are thinking, "Seriously? Attention span of a gnat? That's all you can give us, 30 year old!?!?"

Sadly, sometimes, yes. Yesterday was one of those times. As I sat down to fail at writing my thesis for the I-don't-know-how-many-eth time, my spirit dragged. Really? It's actually going to be this hard? Bah. So, I moped my sorry can out to my car having stroked a mere three sentences in two hours. Tears began to threaten the cheeks as I cruised back down 900 East.

Some time later, while chatting with my mom, it dawned on me that I had been horrifically careless about my rings 3 hours earlier when I needed lotion during ward prayer. I'm particularly attached to one of them, so, naturally, my readily-surfaced emotions kicked in, causing my voice to quiver.

Moms always know when there is something wrong, but, for some odd reason, I always try to hide it anyway. I should know better than that...Dispirited Karen is a wuss. I felt like a 6 year old as I allowed her reassuring words of the increased likelihood of finding it tomorrow (when I might not be so riled) to flow in one ear and directly out the other. I continued to ransack my closet three times over, knowing I'd left the ring unceremoniously stuffed into the pocket of my now-hung-upside-down jeans...to no avail. I'd had it. The energy being spent on keeping the flood-gates in tact pittered out, and the tears prevailed. Sensing that I couldn't really be consoled, she offered what should have been an obvious choice: pray for help in finding it.

Friends, I'm here to testify that He is there, tirelessly waiting for you and I to turn around and greet Him. What happened next can only be done justice in very precise form:

• I scanned the closet floor one more hopeless time to be sure I hadn't missed anything.
• I turned and walked out of the closet.
• I said to my mother, "You're right, I should pray about it."
• I turned back around and blinked repeatedly as I stared at the ring on the floor of the closet, EXACTLY where I'd been looking not 3 seconds earlier.
  

I began to sob. I hadn't even had time to form the thoughts of a prayer in my head before my loving Heavenly Father, once again, took a simple moment to show me that He is there. He is in charge. He is watching over me. He cares enough to give me my ring back. I should remember that He cares enough to help me write my thesis. It is something He wants done, and happened to choose me to make it happen. Buck up, Karen Ella. He is on your side. Stop letting the adversary cloud your memory of that all-important fact. Onward.

No need for words

All commercials should be this great...



I'm sure I don't have to point out to all of you that it hails triumphant praise from all who see it because it is centered around the family. Though blind ones may bleat about artistic beauty in ignorance, family is that inexplicable heart-string you feel being tugged. Not art.

Formalities

Inextricably linked to the unending, red-tape adorned political mayhem of higher education: formality. I understand the origin, and even the necessity in some situations. But... My dear colleagues, must my precious seconds be ticked away by the nonsensical musings of this ever-present tradition? I'm certain at some future moment my feelings will morph into gratefulness for such a learning experience, but, at present, I am simply down-heartened by the consequences of this so-called "formality" seeping into these relations, planting seeds of discord among us that may quite possibly sprout trust-damaging issues in our lives.

(Plain English: Position open at work. Application submitted. Interview conducted. BUT, it seems, at this point, that this first-round interview was simply a formality held-to for all in-house applicants. Gee, thanks. You know, I have a lot to focus on right now. If you simply did that because I already work here, a little heads-up would have been nice.)

Bring it

The great music is back! Finally. WHEW. I hope they keep it this way from now on...no more selling out to crazies like Madge. I challenge you to find any other show that rocks Springfield, Mellencamp, U2 and Sammy Davis Jr. in one shot...AND manages to mock Miley Cyrus in so doing. HA! Much enjoyment, fo' sho'.

C.R.E.A.T.E.

Stumbled upon this video today. Thought I'd share.



Amen.

Proverbial Plateaus...never a good thing

Sure, heaven-made mesas are lovely to look at:

(Don't steal this picture from this guy. It is lovely, and he very kindly embedded the necessary attributions for me.)

However, today it dawned on me that life's plateaus are never good. Case in point:

Research plateau--invisible until within millimeters. As my nerdy friends can attest, these suck! Not much more can be said. Except, gratefully (there isn't really an adverb that does this emotion justice), HF keeps providing ways to bust through mine.

Personal improvement plateau--stealth, unhealthy. This could be in any aspect of one's life, whether at work or (heaven forbid) in the social world. In this context, I believe that stagnant = stale. (Exhibit A: South Provo...) Whatever you need to/should be working on, get on it! (I know, I know..."Hello, Kettle? This is Karen. You're black.")

Spiritual plateau--possibly eternally lethal. While many believe that this type of personal flat-line exists, I do not. I believe that you are either rising or slipping backward. Stand-still is not in Ella's vocabulary in this context. Pause. Let me just say: it is worth every effort it takes to continue to rise, friends. Every effort. Now, game on.

Which brings us to the reason for this post today:

Weight-loss plateau--extremely unwelcome. As has been mentioned in previous posts, health is now MUCH farther up on the priority list than it has been in the last.....ever. In my quest to reign in the negative affects of the last 10-12 years, I have conquered many a mountain. Kudos to me (and, most certainly, to those to have encouraged/dragged me along the way). However, while foraging through this uncharted territory, I happened upon my plateau. Boo. It's there, staring me in the face every morning. Evil number.

As I stood at the drinking fountain, my refilled, 1-liter water bottle overflowing everywhere (oops), my fervent motivation to endure slowly reformulated, recalculated, and rejuvenated. I invite you all to reset your mind as well (if you are in need)....

Who cares about that stupid number? The fact of the matter is, I'm healthier than I have ever been in during the entire last half of my life! Throw out the energy-busters that flow readily when your dreaded plateau number stares back at you. Healthiness prevails, no matter the number. In fact, I'd go so far as to say, healthiness prevails IN SPITE OF the number.

Health. THAT is the goal. THAT is what actually matters. Period.

(Ok...now how do I get down off this big ol' box? Sheesh...I dont' recall climbing up here...)

Glory Hallelujah...

My faith is once again restored. Last night's rendition of "Total Eclipse of the Heart" laid the musical smack D.O.W.N. Finally. I've been waiting for this good of a song to come along for four weeks now, peeps.

Don't get me wrong. I got my old school swerve on with the best of them during "Ice Ice Baby" and "Can't Touch This"...please raise your hand in solidarity if you 1) danced to those songs when you were little, 2) did those exact moves at some point in time, or 3) owned Hammer pants. (Thank you 80s dancing childhood.) Mucho cackling.

But. Rare emotions were stirred during that freakin awesome final song. Rachel Berry's voice ROCKS. Pair it with Finn, Puck, AND Jesse....there's no stopping this show...

(Sorry non-Gleeks. You're missin out on some great music...)

(PPS. Note the lack o' shout out to Ms. Newton-John...can I just say, what the H?)

Bad News Bears

Note to self: do not mix any of the following ever again:

1. Amoxicillin
2. Lortab
3. Aleve
4. Laughing Gas
5. Dental deadening medicine...whatever that is...

Just a reminder. Good riddance to today, here's to tomorrow and less drugs to make it through!