my coworkers and MTV Julie at the ill-fated reception


Me, Ben, & Abby at the NCAAW booth

This was National Collegiate Alcohol Week at UNLV, which I planned. I'll sum it all up with a quote from "Elizabethtown," my favorite movie of the week... "A failure is simply the non-presence of success. Any fool can acheive failure. But a fiasco is a disaster of mythic proportions. A fiasco is a folktale told to others to make them feel more alive because it didn't happen to them."

Yes. A fiasco. We planned major (and by major, I mean expensive) activities all week long, and the only one which drew a crowd of more than two people was our keynote speaker reception for MTV's Julie Stoffer. She was the BYU gal who was on the New Orleans season of Real World.

Originally, I had booked Harry Reid, thinking that the senate minority leader would be a good choice. But then I got in huge trouble because apparently public universities aren't supposed to have partisan speakers. So the next obvious choice, of course, would be to book a girl from an MTV reality show, right? Haha. So we booked her and she came to speak, drawing a crowd of mean-spirited frat boys who heckled her the instant she got up to speak. She didn't help matters much by talking about how one of her favorite high school past times was watching people get drunk. Let's just say it got really ugly really fast.

Basically, the whole week was mega-expensive with meager results. The activities I planned wasted thousands
of university dollars. Not only that, but there was a major public backlash against alcohol-free activities. I'm not saying that UNLV needs to be BYU, but it was just... sad. But the week is over, we learned from it, and life goes on. I'm staying positive.

***********

Also, Blair was in town for the SPJ conference. We had a good time on Sunday. Tuesday evening, however, involved uncharacteristic drama-rama... my car battery died in the Harrah's parking garage, while I was temporarily parked in a handicapped space. Then, a big scary drunk dude stole my CIE 658 notebook. Lovely.

Poor Blair. All he wanted to do was ride the dangerous rides at the Stratosphere and visit the Diesel store. And all I wanted to do was hang out.

I was listening to recordings of my old band today. As the drummer, I never really knew all of the lyrics, especially some of Jeff's intricate and detailed lyrics. So today I discovered that a line from Jeff's song was "me and Joni Mitchell have a date".... not "me and Joey had some better days," like I previously thought.

People I'd like to get back in touch with:

1.) Michael I. Collins. We were on the camera crew for the 2002 Winter Olympics. We were super-pals until I left for my mission.
2.) Faith Fearing. Great roommate. Lost touch while on my mission. She got married, so now I don't even know her last name.
3.) Kim Moore. same as above.
4.) Bobbie Robinson & Gabe Caruth. same as above, minus the married part.
5.) Elder Jacob Contor. Elder from my MTC district.
6.) Anna Kearl. MTC teacher.
7.) Camilla Alleman (possibly Argyle, by now). Nauvoo Mission housemate.
8.) Matt Jacklin. high school chum. fellow percussionist buddy.

There are more, I'm sure, that I'll think of later.

Well, it looks like my number #1 buddy, DaveyDaverson is getting married. Today he told me he just got engaged, and they will be getting married on December 31 in Salt Lake City. He's only been home from his mission for a few months. Way to go, Dave.



In other news, it's been a full weekend for Heather.
Friday:
* worked from 8-5. Had a successful meeting with the ADAPT committee where people actually opened their wallets and gave me cash.
* met a fellow Utah-expatriate at the ADAPT meeting who likes the same music as me, is a good musician, has his own equipment, AND is looking for a drummer to start a band.
* spoke on the phone with Brian from 5:00-6:30
* had girls' night with Kate. We visited the temple, which was good because the temple will be closed starting today until January. We also had dinner and did other stuff.

Saturday
* gym
* movie and shopping w/ Ruth
* dinner with "P"
* went to Bryce's play with Colleen.
* hung out with Colleen until after midnight
* more gym

I just saw this documentary on PBS about Albert Einstein and his first wife, Mileva. Wow. It was beautiful and heart-wrenching. Mileva was a brilliant German scientist who broke ground for women who sought to seek education in Europe in that time. Mileva and Einstein met in college, they shared a love for science and became close close friends. They eventually got married. To make a long story short, he ended up leaving her, moving to the United States, and marrying some other chick within a year after they divorced. She sacrificed her career to raise their family, and ended up taking care of their schizophrenic son until she died... alone.

This is what the PBS website had to say:
"Decades after Albert Einstein's death in 1955, love letters revealed a long-concealed secret. When Einstein came to America in 1933, his second wife, Elsa, was well-known to the public. But almost forgotten was his university sweetheart, scientific collaborator, and first wife-Mileva Maric, who helped him win the 1921 Nobel Prize. Follow the life of a brilliant mathematician, now seen as Einstein's soulmate, in this engaging documentary."

Not to be a pessimist, but sometimes I wonder if that's all there is. You love someone in that self-sacrificing way and you give everything you have... and then one day they just walk away.

She woke from a dream
Her head was on fire
Why was he so nervous?

He took her to the park
She crossed her arms
And lowered her eyebrows

Some day somebody's gonna ask you
A question that you should say yes to
Once in your life
Maybe tonight I've got a question for you

She'd had no idea
Started to cry
She said in a good way

He took her by the hand
Walked her back home
They took the long way

**"Question" by the Old 97s." This is the best song ever. Thanks Ross N. for sending it over.**

I have this raw ache; butterflies are fluttering and I feel like I'm going to vomit. I have a major, life-altering crush on this boy who I have been close friends with for a long time. What do I do? Do I tell him and risk a future of awkward interaction and divying up of mutual friends? Or do I not tell him and regret it forever and ever, condemned to the depths of hell occupied by "Rachel" and "Ross" from "Friends?"


Someone please save me before I become that pathetic.

In speaking with Kyle today, he offered some useful advice. He said I should buck up and tell dude how I feel before my crush hits the gossip fan and dude catches the news in some incorrectly translated way. Kyle is so smart about stuff.

However, I am not the kind of girl who pursues dudes... which is probably why I will be single for a long, long time.

People who think I should quit skirting around the issue and tell him how I feel: IIIII IIIII IIIII

People who think I should continue being a freaking pansy: I

So I know it was a week ago, but I'm finally going to post some pictures from my adventures in Utah. So here's how it went down...

Friday night:
Zach, Kate, Margaret and I drove to the Motherland. They dropped me off at Dave's house in Provo. Dave and I relished in nostalgia, hit some pine cones with golf clubs in cul de sac, and hung out with Pete, Liz, & Darcy. At almost midnight, Dave dropped me off at Amber's house, where I would be spending the night. Amber and I had some good reflection time. She's one quality gal. Later, Tony came over, and because of the BYU Honor Code (you're not allowed to have people of the opposite sex in your house after midnight), we almost froze to death outside. We were both wearing flip-flops. We sat on the porch and talked until nearly 4am. It was great to spend time with him again. Tony has had some crazy luck with roommates, and it looks like the 'crazy roommate fairy' dropped another load off on him.

Saturday morning:
...had a super breakfast with Amber and her roommates. Tony was going to Ogden to spend time with his family, and he dropped me off at my aunt's house in Syracuse. We meant to leave Provo at, like, 8am, but didn't end up leaving until 11:30, mostly because we stayed up until 4am the night before. On the way up, we hit up a used record store in Layton, just like old times, where we made the following purchases: Beck CD, Bjork CD, 2 Violent Femmes CDs, About a Boy, and Hollywood Ending. Can you guess who bought what? Probably not, because Tony and I both like the same stuff. I let him have the Beck CD. That's what friends are for.

Saturday afternoon/evening:
I spent some quality time with the fam. Steph and I watched conference, and then hit up the good ol' Layton Hills Mall to buy bday presents for Jill. We met the rest of the Smith women at the Layton Hills Cinema, where we saw a less-than-cinematic film starring Morgan Freeman, Robert Redford, Camryn Manheim, and (here's the kicker...) J-Lo. It also featured a bear who mauls people. Later, we met up with Julie and we all went to dinner at some new restaurant called "Roosters." I loved spending time with these great gals and I miss living so close to family. Featured above is a blurry picture taken by a busboy on his way to the restroom, outside of Roosters.

Sunday:
Stephanie and Karen dropped me off at the Taylors' in the morning for the mission reunion. It was freaking awesome to see everyone all in one place. The last time most of us were together was at Kyle's wedding, back in May. After Zach & Kate and I left the Taylors,' but not before we got on the freeway, I realized that I left my laptop there. Oops. Brian called to say he would meet us by the freeway and drop it off. Some things never change.

Pictures above include:
a) So we exchanged the snare drum stand for a laptop case...
b.) Heather R. & Heather H., former companions with the same first name.
c.) The entire Nauvoo crew (or at least some of those at the reunion). ((Top, L-R: me, Megan, Heather H, Kate & Zach. Bottom: Kyle & Melissa, Lindsay & Bracken, Bill, Brian))
d.) Brian & Heather

He drove a blue car around Bloomington
He was a thin boy, but he had substance
He said that most girls who come to Bloomington
Only come here to find husbands.

And the existence of God was confirmed
By the way he unfolded his soul alongside
And I tried to harden my heart
But he wouldn’t let me

Bloomington Bloomington
When the rest of the world is over and done
You’ll still be the only one I’ll ever love, Bloomington

In a park that doubled as a parking lot
There was music it was free
The boy in pink took a sip of my drink
And sat down next to me
The way he unfolded his soul
Was an earthquake, a hurricane, tidal wave, flood
This is love, baby, this is love.

Bloomington Bloomington
When the rest of the world is over and done
You’ll still be the only one I’ll ever love, Bloomington

Thanks**Old97's**

Gavin was born this morning at 5:16am. He weighed over 9 lbs. and was 21 inches tall! His parents are thrilled (especially his mom) and big brother Corbin was eager to welcome his new brother into the family.

As I hunted for a parking space amongst the miles and mile of parking lot this morning at UNLV, I had an epiphany. I was about to settle for a parking space in the b.f.e. region of the parking lot, closer to the Wynn Resort than to UNLV, and literally two miles from my office... and I thought to myself, "I DESERVE A GOOD PARKING SPACE." I decided then and there not to settle for a comfortable space in the back row of the Thomas and Mack. Soooo I dredged along into (gasp) the first few rows of cars. It took a little effort and some shrewd driving maneuvers, but sure enough, I was able to wrangle a sweet space in SECTION ONE of the parking lot. As I gathered my belongings and walked to work, I discovered I could easily draw a paralell to the rest of my life. Never again will I settle for less-satisfactory circumstances, no matter how comfortable they might be, whether in career moves, dating, etc... I really am a good person, I work hard, I'm nice to other people, and I feel that I really work hard for a satisfactory life.

I searched the UNLV website for an image of the packed parking lot, but I could not find one. Apparently miles and miles of congestion and road rage is not a good selling point for an urban university.

So instead I will post photos from Nauvoo. I largely thought I had moved past the time I spent serving in Nauvoo, but this weekend's reunion has renewed my gratitude for having had the opportunity to serve in such an amazing place with so many wonderful people who I love very much.