Emotional Commotion

It's almost the end of summer. I already miss it. In a few days, I'll be moving to a very cold place, and I am not a fan of the idea of leaving this perfect weather to go freeze my butt off. 

The end of summer always brings such sadness and regret to me. I don't often regret things, but I am filled with regret at the end of every summer. If only I had taken more walks, made more smoothies, swam more, played more.  This summer gets a little extra regret in particular because of the lack of work I have done, resulting in a lack of funds. I tried really hard to get a job, and then I got really sick, and by the time july arrived, I was done with trying at life for a while. I have done a few amazing things this summer, but it has been a very disappointing summer. If only summer could last longer here in northern Utah.

Nevertheless, I will list the good things i did do this summer:

1. Joined a fighting club. So, i didn't go regularly, and I still suck at sword-fighting, but it was really fun. And it was a new experience.

2. Did a lightsaber flash mob. It was so fun to play around at the park with lightsabers! 

3. Went to the midnight showing of Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince.  The pre-show party, the costumes, the food, and the great amount of pretending was amazingly fun. 

4. Star Wars birthday party.  Thank goodness for themed parties. This was the best birthday party I have had yet in my life.

5. Making accessories with my friends.  Getting together to listen to music and make cute things to wear, as well as talk, is excellent. And it felt like I had been shopping, without spending tones of money.

6. Going to Lagoon. I rode Wicked a couple times, and the whole day was just fun. Definitely glad I went.

7. Reading Harry Potter. I read books 4-7 all over again, and that was great. Reading in the summer is important.

8. Spending tons of time at Miche's and downtown in general.  It's always so refreshing to hang out with Miche and Jency, and I am glad for the times I was able to walk around and shop with them, as well as Megan and Kim, on separate occasions. 

9. My concert.  Putting together my own solo recital was a fun challenge I so needed and enjoyed. It went so well, and although I missed some people that weren't there, oh well, they'll just have to miss me. Because they sure aren't going to see much of me anymore. But, I sang well, and I made people laugh, which is what I wanted.

10. Becoming aquainted with the Zelda games. I had already played a little old school Zelda in my life, but this summer I got to try out Ocarina of Time, and Twilight Princess.  Awesome games. 

11. Watched, and introduced my friends to the movie The Sasquatch Gang. Such a hilarious movie! Also, watched Ponyo! Myazaki amazed me again.

12. Went all out for nicklemania. Craig and I saved up all our change for the summer and had sooo much fun! 

13. Mine and Craig's anniversary. We went and looked at some art, and then the next week had a nice hike and campfire.

Things I wish i had done:

1. Gotten a steady job. Well, obviously.

2. Learned to sew.  

3. Taken more evening walks

4. Gone to a water park.  Too poor for that though.

5. Played in more sprinklers

6. Had more campfires.

7. Went on more hikes. But at least I am going on one more before I leave.

8. Ate more popsicles.

I am starting to miss a lot of people already. Moving and saying goodbye makes me sad. But, on the other hand, I am going to say a lot of "hellos" soon, and that will make me happy.

Utah

A lot of people complain about Utah. They think it's such a dorky place, full of intolerance, annoying kids, and backwards viewpoints.

But I love living in Utah, even if the winters do kill me. (at least we don't have horrible bugs in the summer) And July 24th is the day to celebrate the settling of our state, I am going to write a list of reason I love this state. (yes, I stole this idea from Jill, if you read her blog)

1. The underground fashion community-yeah, Utah isn't one of the most fashionable places in the country...I mean Macy's is relatively new to us, but there are a lot of people here that have a very unique style. And our fashion community isn't full of competitive prissies, from what i have seen.

2. Our local businesses-This ties in with the fashion stuff, but Utah has some sweet little boutiques, restaurants, etc. And a lot of Utahans really like to support the local scene, which I think is really cool. And where else can you go to a Mexican restaurant, tell your waitress you'd like a virgin Margarita, and hear the reply, "Oh, all our drinks are only served virgin here."

3. Zoo, arts, and parks-Utah is full of celebration for education and culture. There are so many fun educational activities! I love it, because it adds so much variety to what i can go out and do.

4. The variety of the landscape-It only takes about a half hour to go into the mountains and see no signs of city life. You can go on a hike in the afternoon, and be back home by 6 to eat and change into something nice to go dancing! And if you want more of a desert feel, it doesn't take long to get to the desert. In fact, and hour drive to the salt flats will render the scenery completely treeless. Like water? There are some way fun lakes. all over the state. And if you want a cheap, warm vacation in the middle of January, St. George is a reasonable drive.

5. Snowboarding-Oh my heavens....snowboarding on perfect, fresh snow is one of the closest things you can get to independent flight. And there are tons of places to go. Some resorts aren't as cool and only allow skiiers... And then, you can't forget sledding! Our winters may have bone dry air, but our snow is perfect!

6. The grid system. It makes life so much easier. Give me a set of coordinates and I will be able to find you. It's rare I actually need extra directions.

I honestly love living here!

p.s. Tonight I watched a way good fireworks show, and it made me think. Are people living vicariously through fireworks in order to express their joy/excitement? is that why fireworks were invented in the first place? I know that when I am excited about something, I wish I could fly around and sparkle and explode. Maybe that's why people cheer so much at firework shows.

Harry Potter

I went to see Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince a couple days ago at the midnight showing.

And yes, it was awesome, if you haven't seen it.

And yes, there are some things I wish they had made more true to the book. But that's not what this blog is about.

I just want to say how I think it is so awesome that there is a whole...subculture, stemming from the Harry Potter books. How there are bands that write songs about various characters and situations. Or how about the fact that you can get candy based off the snacks described in the books?

It was just so great to go to the theatre dressed up, and see like a thousand people there that were also dressed up in amazing magical costumes. And all those people were friends that night, because we were all pretending to be part of a made up magical world together

It's very important to experience something like that in life. To get into something wholesome and unique, and celebrate it with others.

Updates on an increasingly nerdy life

Harry Potter: Just finished re-reading The Goblet of Fire on sunday, and I am stoked for the Half Blood Prince opening. Craig and I are going as Ron and Hermione, so I am keeping busy embroidering a yellow "R" onto a maroon sweater for Craig. It looks crappy, but it kind of is supposed to, right? Also have watched 3 of the five current movies in the past couple weeks. Love it!

Fourth or July: I went boating with Craig and some friends for Independence Day. It was really, really, fun. Waverunners are now my new favorite. I also learned a lot about the nature of surface tension. We did some tubing, and most of the time I was just hanging on the tube with my hands, while my lower half bounces off the water. It hurt. I discovered that Utah Lake isn't really gross like it has been rumored to be, although i am sure it has it's moments. But I love it because it's so huge and the water was the perfect tempurature!

Singing: For the past month, I have had laryngitis, which means I had to talk and sing as little as possible in order to help the swelling in my vocal chords to go down. In this time, i have realized what a vocal person I am. I sing along with almost everything i hear, I have a sound effect for almost everything I experience. Not doing all these things has taken a lot of willpower that i have poorly excercised. But, finally, my voice is getting better, and I am resuming preparations for my upcoming recital! Yay! I think if singing were a horrible sin, I'd be running right down the stairs of hell, with a smile on my face. Thank goodness it isn't.

Fighting: So, I have reached the height of healthy nerdiness, and joined a medieval fighting club. You know, the foam and ductape swords, the costumes, the battles in the park....so far i really like it, even though i am horrible at it. Everyone is so nice, it's a great workout, and it's definitely better than sitting around at home.

Zumba: I have been working on a great Zumba workout routine playlist on Youtube in the past few days. I am pretty much addicted to Zumba, and there are some excellent workouts on Youtube! It's my broke way of going to the gym. Her are a couple favorites:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=THcyrCrahTs







My favorite styles in Zumba are Hip-hop and Cumbia. I also tend to go for the Reggaeton stuff, and my teacher when I took a class last did great Reggae choreography. But sadly I haven't found much good Reggae on youtube yet.

Last but not least: I am so broke. Because, I am trying to save up money for school in the fall, but I haven't been able to find a real job all summer! I have applied so many places I wanna die. Now basically I am just trying to do whatever little things I can. So....I just want to let everyone know that I am a great babysitter. And I have a LOT of free time. If you know me, please contact me!

The little things I like about summer

~Having time to clean my room
~The strong smells on summer nights. Flowers, cut grass, fabric softener, rivers, pond, and sprinklers...these aoll come out so beautifully during a walk arounf the neighborhood on summer nights.
~Downing Otter Pops when you get them at that perfect slushy stage.
~Going on walks at random places and parks around town.
~Little neighborhood kids coming over to play in the middle of the day and i actually have time to stop and say hi to them.
~Playing Dance Dance Revolution with Kristan at night even though it's sweltering hot. (so we open all the windows)
~Going out to check the mail and realizing how pretty everything is.
~Wearing shoes that are easy to put on
~Driving around at night with the windows down
~Free outdoor activities and not having to bring a sweater.

Things in my life right now.

~Unemployment. At this point, I have little more than a month and a half to actually, you know, work...so I am going to keep looking for a job, but focus more of my energy on making money in other ways, such as making and selling accessories, babysitting, gig-like stuff, (such as working at events) etc. This whole job hunt has been so frustrating. I can't even let myself think about it too hard, because I just start thinking of all the things I could've done differently, and wondering why I am not good enough. Every step seems to have had a roadblock with it, and it's been really hard.

~Laryngitis. I haven't been able to sing for 3 weeks, which drives me nuts. It's taking a long time for my throat to heal, and that's partly my fault, because I talk a lot. ugh I just like talking so much though. I like clear communication where everything is confirmed and everybody says their point. But how I long to just sing along with the radio.

~Swine Flu. Craig (along with a few other friends) had it, which means I didn't get to see him for like a week and a half. I missed him. But now we get to hang out again, and it is really fun. It's always so fun with Craig

~Hair Accessories. Last night I had Miche and Jency come over and along with my sister Alyssa, we made tons and tons of cute stuff to wear in our hair. Making accessories feels so great to me. And now I have cute new things to wear!

~Support. I have had a few people be way more supportive and kind to me than I ever expected lately. This is good, because recently it seems like it has been one disaster after another for me, but I have such great friends pick me up off the ground and say, "Hey, people don't like you to be sad. Have some encouraging words and compliments, on me." :)

Six of my Favorite People

A list of a few of my favorite people, celebrity, fictional, and local. Not all of course. I think I should make a new list every month, in order to tribute all the awesome people I know. (or know of)

Tim Gunn: He's the smartest man in fashion. Not only is he impeccably stylish, but he has a great sense of humor, is kind and polite to everyone, and is passionate for what he does. Basically, I wish he was my uncle.

Sonic The Hedgehog: The reason I like Sonic so much is that he's got that

confidence everyone wishes they had. You know, the confidence that enables you to do what ever you want, have confidence in others, and actually seem generally nice and humble. And he follows through with this confidence by have the time of his life doing what he loves. How could you not like someone like that?

Kelly: I won't put up a picture because I don't have one, but Kelly is the wonderful mother of an amazing family I have been privileged to babysit over the years. How different my life would be without these people! They are the ones that got me into Studio Ghibli, and my favorite video games. They have truly become some of my best friends. The thing I look up to Kelly for is that even though raising kids can be exhausting and time consuming, she manages to do fun activities with her husband and friends. (like dressing up in crazy clothes and going out to eat!) She hasn't gotten stuck in the "stressed out, boring grown-up" mindset that I see so many people get trapped in. I hope I turn out like that.

Miche: She is such a great example to me! In fact, I actually told a story about her in testimony meeting. One day, I picked her up from trax, and she was worried because she accidentally left her phone on the train! So, I called it to see if anyone found it, and no one answered. A few minutes later however, I got a call from her phone! And who was on the other side? Her mom! Her mom had happened to get on the exact same train a few stops away, and found her phone. And Miche's reaction? "I am so grateful my Heavenly Father loves and blesses me!" I am always reminded by her to be grateful for everything, even though she doesn't know she's reminding me. Another reason I love her: She is what i call a "lazy friend". You know those friends you don't see for months and they like you less because of it? Or they feel like you aren't pulling your weight in the relationship, so they get mad? Miche is not one of those people. sometimes we go a while without talking (we are both very busy people) but when we talk, things pick right up where they left off, with no awkwardness. We pick up each other's slack, and we are cool with it, because Miche knows that friendship is about having fun and caring for another person, not personal benefits. I am lucky to have her as my best friend.

Kristan: I have been waiting for an opportunity to put this picture on the Internet. Anyway, Kristan is great because sometimes she unknowingly gives me a slap in the face and reminds me to not sweat the small stuff. Laughter is important to this girl, and she'd much rather laugh than hold a grudge. If she's angry, she just says what's bothering her, and gets over it. No silent treatment, no catty remarks, just back to the fun and action.

Briar Rose: What can a dog teach a person? Well, I think Briar Rose has been a great teacher or humility and forgiveness. She is so sweet and loving, and doesn't hold back. She wants everyone to be happy, and lives to give her support and service. I am not even kidding. Just pretend to be sad around her and watch her reaction. She's the most sympathetic...person...that I know, and i think we all would be better people if we followed her example.

Craig: Oh man, where do I start? With a story. Yesterday I of course, was kinda grumpy, tired, and had a headache. I wasn't very nice. While I was attempting to microwave some teriyaki chicken for Craig and I to eat for dinner, I said something snippish and he just said "Why are you so grumpy today Brynn?" And I told him...I am tired of being sick, I want to go to sleep, but we have to go watch my sisters choir performance, etc...and he replied with "What can I do to help?" He could've taken the whole situation in another direction, but he is great at choosing the peaceful way. Then as we were leaving (late) to the concert, I reached into my purse to find all of the contents of my purse wet and sticky. I then pulled out my now-opened and upside-down bottle of precious cough syrup to see most of its remains spill onto the driveway. This was too much for me in my half asleep, sickly state, and Craig knew it. So he took me inside, helped me wash off my lip balm, wallet, etc., and filled up the sink to soak the lining of my purse. He did all this without being frustrated at my stupidity of not checking the lid, not minding how late we were. That's just one of the great things about Craig. He knows how to deal with problems without drama, moodiness, or stress. He's always rescuing me from the little disasters I tend to have. In a way, he's a bit like Briar Rose, and now you know that that's a great compliment to his character. I love my boyfriend.