quiero viajar, ay!

My latest dream, obsession, yearning, point of research, etc. is roadtripping to south america, or at least to guatemala. Then I could visit mi amiga monica on her mission, which is probably illegal in missionary rules but some things are just technicalities. But honestly, I just think it sounds like the greatest adventure. And DON'T go telling me how dangerous it is! I ain't no fool. See, i've found a whole assortment of travelblogs of people who have done the very thing. Reading them makes me wanderlustful. A trip like this may not occur anytime in the next few years, but there's always...the golden years of life. 

• This couple began their venture to the tip of south america last fall '08. I began reading the archived beginning of their trip and was enthralled, the wheels in my mind began to churn. They also created this website with useful info.
• Another couple is traveling from north carolina to buenos aires.
• And also, this couple (noticing a theme? we are so not reproducing anytime soon) is also headed towards the tip of south america, starting in canada.

Oh and hear this! Aaron had a dream the other night that he and a friend were out doing things and they needed to get away so they were going to purloin a vehicle and head down through Mexico, except one of his cousins was going to tell on him so they stayed in america, & that's as much as he remembers. Anyway point is, he dreamed he wanted to drive to mexico. A sign, no?

[the pan-american highway] 

Things I learned

[in college]

This is me bestowing my sapient wisdom. AHEM, here goes:

• very possible to graduate college without ever taking an 8:00 a.m. class
• dates don't count unless you can make it past #3...the 3rd date hump. it's vital. and rare.
• making your bed every morning gives some semblance of order to the day
• a bachelor's degree is often worth more than the actual major
• it's smart to choose your major based on the proximity of its main building to your apartment
• biking to & from class each day is a viable form of exercise
• Some boys are just creepy, despite their RM status.
  
• love your student discounts (e.g. $180 ski season passes, hola!)
• take lots of videos, not just photos (i wish i had done this)
• At the end of each winter semester, purge your closet and give trashbags filled with clothes to DI
• TRUST NO ONE.
• just kidding
• don't sweat the small stuff when it comes to classes and schoolwork...it really doesn't matter that much (unless you're trying to get into byu's nursing program)
• Dishes don't wash themselves. when cooking/making food, wash & clean EVERYTHING IMMEDIATELY. this even extends to morning cereal bowls. Or it will build up in the sink for days, weeks even. And everyone (roommates, not husbands) pretends it isn't their mess. [sorry, a rant; can you tell this was one of my biggest pet peeves?]
• selling plasma may seem desperate, but cash $$ is exciting.
• call your parents at least weekly, because you love them
• call your grandmother too
• [most] kids who make comments in class are brown-nosers (this one's from aaron)
• Stay at school in the summer (my happiest memories are from may/june)

That's all for now; after 4 years i should have more but i can't think of any.

p.s. one month until my fake graduation, boy howdy!
p.p.s. fake because i won't technically get my diploma til august

I have a girl crush

her name is fergie.



[we play fair, so aaron could have a boy crush if he wanted. but he doesn't, far as i know. alright i think i've revealed enough in this post. happy st. patrick's day.]

oh p.s. i was told that someone who doesn't know me well won't know how to take this, and so will just take it seriously. just in case-- i am often not that serious on this blog!! It's like tongue-in-cheek, if that's the right phrase.

things to anticipate

[highlights from the moleskine, in chronological order]

*Pi Day [because 3.14159 means pie]
*St. Patrick's day [because i love green]
*byu alumni etiquette dinner [because i need to learn some table manners & i enjoy 5-course meals]
*CHES prep class [because i want letters after my name w/o grad school]
*Holi [because india knows how to celebrate]
*a-dawg's mission reunion [because i will feel awkward and that's always fun]
*general conference [because i would choose that over real church anyday teehee!]
*the day after easter [because i will raid the grocery store sales and get a year supply of mini-eggs]
*fake graduating [because i will feel like a genius]
*moving to bountiful [because i will only have a 20-minute commute instead of 1 hour]

Did i ever mention I love blogging in list format? oh i do.

modge podge

• i'm only blogging right now because aaron is blogging
• yesterday we saw Slumdog Millionaire and it was very good- i recommend to all
• We attended the great larry miller's funeral yesterday, but i believe a-dawg is writing about that
• i love little boys-- i think i want to have tons of boy children someday (and a girl for balance) I was reading about how there are ways to choose the gender of your children based on which days you conceive. Male spermies swim faster but live shorter lives; female sperm are slower, but have a longer life span. Thus, if you try to conceive near the beginning of your ovulation period, by the time the ovulation event occurs, the males are all dead so you're more likely to have a girl. Does this blog satiate your thirst for knowledge?
• I'm starting my job/internship tomorrow at the diabetes center in slc. i'll be doing pediatric research and it should be a good time! More details about the study can be found right here. And more details may follow once I've actually worked a few days. But let me just say that I am filled with good fortune to have gotten a paying internship in the public health field when we were pretty much told, 'don't expect to get paid.' wtheck? Who has 300 hours to just give away like that? Additionally, let me say persistence pays off. I almost e-mailed the man in charge of the internship, but aaron stopped me and said, "every girl is going to e-mail, you should call." And so I called, and I called again, and I found out that every other girl did e-mail. And now here we are, and soon I will be diplomatized. I am going to frame it, and Aaron's too, side by side. Special.
• I am craving a chick-fil-a kids' meal, with a larger fresh-squeezed lemonade in lieu of a toy.

the deepest yearning of the human soul

Dieter Uchtdorf spoke on the topic of creation at the last relief society meeting in the fall, and recently this video was produced, nay: created. Inspiring and stirring- his words resonate with me. look:

overheard

I'm sitting here in the RB listening to a lusciously pregnant woman argue with her husband on the phone about vaccinating their unborn child. Apparently she's a very passionate public health major.

"HONEY, i've studied this topic and I know more than you. So why are you even trying to disagree?"
...
"You want him to contract all sorts of diseases?? Then fine, I won't talk about this another minute."
[continues to talk for another 4 minutes]
"I don't sense any contention, it's called disagreement. Embrace it."
"Honey honey honey HONEY."
"Why won't you talk about it anymore??"
"You want me to pick you up from work and you won't even talk to me?!"
"FINE. don't talk. bah."
[hangs up]

Maybe it's the hormones, or maybe it's not.

tale of two oj's

Aaron and i always had dueling juices. He chose florida's natural, pulp free; i partook of tropicana, some pulp. and that's how it went. One day he decided to do a taste test, but it failed when we realized mine had pulp, a dead giveaway.

Things happened, tropicana went on sale at target, and we both came home with it, in varying pulp levels. "I think i prefer florida's natural", said he. I doubted.

And then the next day, florida's was on sale at smith's, and aaron bought some to stock up. (food storage you see!)

Fate had provided us with two juices of different brand, both without pulp. Baby cups (the 3-oz bathroom cups) were flourished before my eyes filled with juice of each brand. Taste time. I tasted. twice. i sniffed. I felt sheepish. I giggled, resulting in a snort, resulting in tears (i tear up when i feel any sort of emotion) and admitted the truth- florida's natural tasted the most Natural. the most like the juice of an orange. Tropicana seemed bland and watered-down in comparison.

"jenny! you like it!"

oh dear, defeat.



---

But there's another aspect to this story, it has to do with tropicana's packaging.


Classic right? The straw in the orange looks so refreshing, so pure. The old design.



But the new design? Terrible, sterile, unappetizing, generic.

---

Thus, stories combined, i am officially switched over.

Provo Treasures

Down on 200 east 100 north (or is it 100 east 200 north?) there is a nondescript little building that i used to pass on my bike all the time and never even notice. Until one day i did. It turned out to be the Provo Bakery, and it is just heavenly. Try the venetians, the sugar cookies, the no-bakes, the raspberry-filled something or other's, you probably can't go wrong. I hear the donuts are famous as well. Bonus- if you visit on your morning run, the extra calories will be guilt-free. Enticed yet??


[photo from last april]

Blast to the Past: 2003

(*A forgotten post from Feb '09: typed and left in draft form for 6 months)
So i've been seeing all these people on facebook doing their "25 Things About Me" list and I decided not to do it. But I also thought to myself, "25 things? That is so pansy!" Because, and here's why, when I was an awkward age 16, I had a blog (true story) and I often filled out those dumb surveys that get passed around (they've been around for decades). And once, I wrote out 101 Things. That's right. It was April 23rd, 2003. I was 16. I had recently been on my 1st date. I had my driver's permit. And I was confused about life. I think filling out those surveys was an attempt at understanding myself better. Here it is in all it's special glory:
101 Things: (as of 6 years ago, i make that point cause many of these are VERY different now, most notably my political views)
1. Socks drive me crazy
1.5 I eat my french fries plain
2. I am a Capricorn to a T
3. I’m religious
4. I don’t like talking to people online very much, but I do it anyway
5. I’m thinking of when a good time would be to leave xanga.
6. I like camping
7. And hiking
8. My favorite thing to partake of is chocolate.
9. I like cream soda.
10. And orange juice.
11. And cranberry juice also…
12. I’d really die without my watch---we have a special relationship.
13. When I can vote I’ll vote Republican
14. And I guess I could even be considered a conservative…
15. My impulse purchases are always either chocolate, lip balm, or flip-flops
16. I like campfires.
17. One of my passions is walking in the rain.
18. I’ve always really wanted to be a plastic surgeon….until 6 months ago.
19. I still would like to be one….but I also have other ideas.
20. I have a dog.
21. And 3 birds including a parrot…..but let’s not go there.
22. I obsess on color (art, walls, etc.).
23. I love foreign films.
24. I like movies with nebulous endings
25. I eat tofu.
26. I’m learning to cook things with tofu that taste good.
27. I really really dislike playing basketball.
28. I was born in massachusetts.
29. When I was younger I used to try to be lefty.
30. I own a lot of flip-flops, but only wear about 3 different pairs right now.
31. I have never had a broken bone.
32. But I sort of sprained my ankle in 4th grade…
33. I am 16….I wish I was either 10 years younger or 10 years older sometimes.
34. I love yoga.
35. I want to get a professional massage.
36. My name is Jennifer….it’s slowly finally starting to grow on me a bit.
37. I almost never watch TV.
38. I’ve never really done anything illegal.
39. Nor have I been in trouble with the law
40. I once had a stalker, he was a creepster
41. I took a 6-week cross-country road trip last summer.
42. I really enjoy huge, roaring thunderstorms when the weather’s warm.
43. My all-time favorite movies are moulin rouge, ever after, forrest gump, this one foreign one that I can’t remember the name of, and I just can’t think of more now.
45. I have a ton of money in my sock drawer… at a certain amount it’ll be put in the bank.
46. I don’t know what to spend my money on.
47. I have no desire to visit Germany because they eat a lot of meat and I didn’t enjoy 8th grade German.
48. But I want to see South Africa.
49. And Italy.
50. I am an herbivore
51. I never wear pink.
52. I love jazz music, playing and listening.
53. And some rock & roll
54. I like most music except rap, pop, and some other stuff
55. I used to have my ears pierced but I let them close up since I don’t like earrings.
56. I like the smell of rain and mint
57. I love English class.
58. I live for new vocabulary words.
59. I don’t believe in Hell
60. I’m pretty sure I’m of sound mind.
61. I don’t drive very fast.
62. Probably since my mom would freak out. Because…
63. I just have my permit.
64. I don’t do drugs or drink or smoke.
65. I’m really looking forward to my 30’s…sounds odd but it’s true.
66. I play flute in band…and only in band.
67. I love lying on my trampoline on a sunny day when I have nothing to do.
68. I would be 100% happy if I could wear jeans every day.
69. I love black-and-white photography
70. In my family we each have a color for everything: calendar, toothbrushes, etc…and I’m purple
71. I got 1300 on the psat.
72. I’ve got 2 little brothers
73. I wish I had more!
74. I went rollerblading today for the first time in a while…
75. Although I really do love to rollerblade.
76. I’ve gotten what seems like hundreds of letters from obscure colleges lately
77. I’m a procrastinator to the max, and I don’t like it.
78. I write in 3 different journals (on paper)
79. Wednesday should be spelled Wendsday.
80. ½ French, ¼ Italian, and ¼ Irish.
81. My grades aren’t too good this year and that makes me nervous about next year.
82. I hate geometry…I had it a semester ago and it still gives me nightmares.
83. I never swear…
84. Unless you count: Flippin’ Shoot Gosh Darn it to Heck
85. Because of #77 I got 4.5 hours of sleep last night.
86. I think I’m anemic…not sure though.
87. I don’t eat the crusts on sandwiches.
88. I’m scared of the song "I’m a Little Teapot" because of the movie "Storm of the Century."
89. I’m also scared of Trig next year…
90. My room is yellow.
91. I like going to the dentist.
92. I never had braces.
93. I like kids.
94. I want at least 3 someday.
95. Can I make it to #101?
96. I’m having a piano recital for my students in june.
97. Hmm..I like Godiva, and treat myself when at Barnes & noble
98. I can get ready for school in less than 15 minutes.
99. Jeg taster inn et språk I ikke vet fordi I ikke har noen mere ting si.
100. Desidero che ho saputo come parlare il Russo.
101. La fin…Si j'ai appris le russe, pourrais-je truquer un accent russe
----
Fun huh? I still love plain french fries, hiking, color, foreign films, yoga, rainstorms, little brothers, & cranberry juice. Some things just don't change. Three kids sounds just fine too.

Today

while standing quite alone at the top of a steep mountain at 8500 feet with the thick snow falling, my skis covered, and the dense fog creating eight feet of visibility, i pushed myself over the edge, and i learned a little thing about faith.

Le Critique de Film

Last night, after the cookies were baked, we watched Paris, je t'aime. What a delight! It's a collaboration of 18 diverse directors who came up with 18 5-minute short films that take place in paris and center around the general theme of different types of love. Then the 18 were sewn together into one long movie. I decided that I enjoyed 11 of the 18. 11 were really watchable, 7 were just alright and/or hard to understand. mais oui! fenetre zut alors je ne parle francais. ahem. where was i?  

 Oh yes- I liked these: #2, Quais de Seine 5, Loin du 16e 7, Bastille 9, Tour Eiffel 10, Parc Monceau 12, Place des fêtes 13, Pigalle 14, Quartier de la Madeleine 16, Faubourg Saint-Denis 17, Quartier Latin 18, 14e arrondissement

Anywho, it's heartwarming, sad, comical, scary, etcetera and aptly portrays the depths of human emotions. Elijah Wood even falls in love with a vampire. {And, potentially good news, a similar movie entitled new york, i love you is being released} Now, as for the rest of my recommendations-- I'll have to get to those another time. But let's just say mi husby y yo be fans of the foreign. <!--[if gte mso 9]> Normal 0 false false false EN-US X-NONE X-NONE

the old soul is getting older

I see all these cute little children who I used to babysit and teach piano lessons to on facebook- forming complete sentences, adding edward twilight applications, entering relationships, watching dr. phil, using slang, taking geometry, applying to COLLEGE. And i feel old. But gosh darn, they are still so cute [especially the ones who still play piano].

someone needs their ears checked

After dropping Meagan off today after class, Aaron and I were driving back home and he looked out at the falling snow and said, 

"Let's get naked and build a snowman." 

At least, that's what I thought he said. 

"Um...ok but that sounds cold! And illegal"

“Huh?" (Said he)... "I said, let's get Meagan and build a snowman." 

Apparently Meagan sounds like Naked to me. Sorry meagan. 

 --- 

 p.s. mi esposo updated his blog!

Reflecting.

Marriage is lovely, and I've decided I wouldn't trade it back for single-hood. I feel at home in my life and it’s a beautiful thing. 

Just had to throw that out there.

[maybe i should frame the marriage certificate? do people do that sort of thing?]

scheduled re-post: Christmas Spirit

This Christmas, mend a quarrel.
Seek out a forgotten friend.
Dismiss suspicion and replace it with trust.
Write a letter.
Give a soft answer.
Encourage youth.
Manifest your loyalty in word and deed.
Keep a promise.
Forgo a grudge.
Forgive an enemy.
Apologize.
Try to understand.
Examine your demands on others.
Think first of someone else.
Be kind.
Be gentle.
Laugh a little more.
Express your gratitude.
Welcome a stranger.
Gladden the heart of a child.
Take pleasure in the beauty and wonder of the earth.
Speak your love and then speak it again.
Christmas is a celebration,
and there is no celebration that compares
with the realization of its true meaning
--with the sudden stirring of the heart
that has extended itself unselfishly in the things that matter most.
-Howard W. Hunter

The Dirty Post

The bridal shower held for me last month was very tame, or so i thought, until I finished opening the gifts (all kitchen-related). Apparently, while i was opening my presents, some of Aaron's women-folk had been writing down things I said about each one. Then, they listed them all under the title of, "Things that Might be Said on your Wedding Night." Oh dear!
Here's a sprinkling of some of the phrases:

"I think I know what this is..."
"What a nice, hearty size" (quart-size measuring cup)
"He's really good actually" (aaron, at cooking)
"Yes!"
"Aaron really wanted this."
"Holy cow that's so big!"
"Oh wow!"
"It doesn't slide." (non-stick mixing bowl)
"Hold on, I can't figure it out."
"I've never seen one of these before." (cookie frying pan)

Moral of the story! Next time, just say things such as, "oh thanks, this is very nice" and put it aside, rather than trying to be descriptive and exclamatory.

Good times.

Disease Dialogues: Malaria

Today i will blog about a terrible parasitic disease for my global health class. It's called malaria. Funny thing about malaria- it's not something you or I ever think about. Before i became a public health major, i thought it was only found in tropical jungles in africa. That's actually mostly true, with 80% of the cases today occurring in sub-saharan Africa. Other places of high infection rates include the Indian subcontinent, Southeast Asia, Indian and Pacific Ocean Islands, and the Amazon Basin. Yikes! That means that 40% of the world is at risk for malaria! These countries have on average a 1% lower GDP because of malaria, and in sub-saharan Africa it is the leading cause of missed school and work days.



You can't talk of the dangers of snake poisoning without mentioning snakes. Infection occurs when a person it bitten by an infected anopheles mosquito, and then the parasites enter the bloodstream and reproduce asexually. You heard me right, asexually.



Some quick stats:
*350 to 500 million cases of malaria occur each year
*approximately one death every 30 seconds due to malaria
*90% of malaria deaths are of children less than five years of age
*90% of malaria deaths occur in sub-Saharan Africa

While we may count our many blessings our feet are securely planted in healthy, safe, american soil...because speaking of which, on the glass-half-full side, malaria has been eradicated from the US, Europe, parts of Asia, and the Soviet Republics. But there's no reason it has to stop there...

This disease is dang preventable! These are some things I would do if I lived in sub-saharan africa:
*kill the larvae with insecticides...yes, the babies. They are death breeders in training you see.
*reduce human & mosquito contact by using insecticide-treated bed-nets & indoor residual spraying. Holy effective.
*Make people wear long-sleeved shirts and pants...i know it's africa, but lives are at stake
*advocate staying indoors at night (AC is preferred to keep mosquitoes from nestling)
*Visitors to at-risks countries can take chemoprophylaxis drugs to prevent infection

So there you go. Should you ever visit countries where malaria is present, remember this blog and perhaps you can train other people on ways they can stay mosquito-free. An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.

Things I look Forward To

[about being married] [in one month!]

• no more midnight drop-offs in the freezing car
• moving in to the condo
• no more washing my dishes in the bathroom sink because the kitchen sink is overflowing
• falling asleep with a warm bod in my bed
• infinitely more fridge space
• keeping the thermostat cool at night
• cooking healthy together
• taking charge of my fertility!
• having a man in the house to do...manly things
• gaining a whole new bonus familia
• putting a ring on his finger
• always having a parking spot
• no more bishop chastity chats
• midnight Smith's runs to bake cookies [well...we already do this]
• hyphenating my name, I guess is the plan ?
• working to meet our goals
• planning and dreaming and traveling and 

Seven, or, 2 Truths and a Lie

*The number of times remaining that I will attend a singles' ward. (140 sundays down, 7 to go
*The number of credits i have left to take in college.
*The number of children i will have.

[was that too easy?]