Frailty, thy name is Me.

I wonder if my recent reading of several books by labelled, "feminist" authors has effected me. But, yet I think this experience would strike anyone. I was cruising around work yesterday, unusually busy, when an older gentleman came in enquiring about used boats. I told him that I would go get a boat salesman for him. When I came back with the salesman, the older gentleman said: "funny that you had to go get him..." "heh..." I laughed but really had no clue what he meant. After he had talked to CJ for a while, they both came and were standing near me as I feverishly tried to figure something out on the computer. I should have known that more was comming from him:
"You're the one that everyone is jealous of here, huh?"
"Why do you say that?"
"Because you are so thin."
"Well, it's not for lack of trying, let me tell you."
"Well, maybe if they didn't make you do all the work around here..."
"Tell me about it" (I said jokingly)
"You've got to stop running this place and eat some food every once in a while."
"I actually am not too stressed here...it's a good place. It's probably other things that stress me out."
Just as I said this, the other female worker walked by us.
"She could teach you!" He offered helpfully.
"Teach me what?"
"How not to let stress keep you from eating...she's obviously got it figured out!"
(Uh, Uuuuuuhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh)
and our conversation was over.
now, why did he not say that about CJ standing there the whole time!
May never know....

Selfishness II: Unselfishness

It has been good for me to start thinking about not thinking about the selfishness of those around me so much (did that make sense?). The best way to do that, I've decided is to think more about the unselfishness of those around me.
I realized, yesterday, that my roomate is a very unselfish person. Several times, now, I have come home semi-late at night to find her watching her show that she records and watches faithfully once a week. Now, sometimes I am in talkative mood late at night. She, on the other hand, is not a super talkative person. So last night, just like many other nights, I sat down and started chatting with her. Anybody else probably would have kept watching and tried to give me the hint that they were *trying* to watch an important show. She, on the other hand, turned her direct attention to me and turned off the show...not in an exhasperated way, or in any way that would give me the idea that I had interrupted anything important to her. She listened very generously to me and made comments, encouragement and even laughed where appropriate.
After it was well past her normal bedtime (and thus past a reasonable time for her to finish her show) I finally got up and went to bed. As I got ready for bed, I realized how many times she has done this for me...nary a complaint!
Funny thing is: instead of making me less selfish, it instead makes me appear *more* selfish as I hog my roomate's special time she set aside for her show. :(

Turn a blind eye....

Had a discussion with a group of friends over cocomotion last night about blind obedience. We were pretty well split down the middle over the question of 'how much are we blindly obedient in the church?' About half of us thought that it isn't really blind if you have a testimony of the prophet (but not necessarily of the principle he is preaching). But, if that is the case, is anyone ever really blindly obedient? A school teacher in our group thinks that her students are blindly obedient to her in completing homework (that they really don't understand the reason for completing). But, do they not have a relationship with her and trust that what she tells them to do is for the best? Is there a situation in life that doesn't include that sort of similar trust or faith? So what is blind obedience? Does it exist? the other half of our group felt that following the prophet with only a testimony of him but not of the principle you are following is what constitutes 'blind obedience'. So, if that's the case, a lot of what we do is probably 'blind', right?
hmm...for my part, I believe it isn't blind if you have a testimony of the prophet...if there is real faith involved, it can't be blind...because you 'see' the big picture. That is what I believe.
Let me know if I'm right :)

Oh so helpful

I visited Bethany, Tim and their new baby, Grace, a couple of days ago. For those who don't know, Bethany is a sister that I trained on my mission...It's always fun to pause and think that life seems to be moving ahead for everyone but me....
Ok, pause over.
Bethany and Tim were talking about Bethany's mom being there and how helpful she was. I started reminiscing about visiting my brother and sister-in-law right after they had their first baby....
"She would get up before us and make us breakfast," said Tim "and clean the house...."
"Hmmm," thought I, "I don't remember doing any of that when I went to 'help out'..." A sickening feeling came over me. Had I been totally ignorant, the whole time I was there to help, that I was there to help? Were they the ones slaving over the breakfast, lunch and dinner meals so that I would be able to eat? Were they worrying about how clean the house was for their 'guest'?
Why?
why, why, why, why, why did I not think about this before? I hope they have forgiven me by now....

Another Victory...uh...Commeth?

yes, Easter is comming...and although this makes a good excuse for me to try posting a picture on my blog, it also serves as a reminder to those who dare to try and dethrone me that...they will probably be successful.
I mean, what are the chances I would be victor two years in a row?

help?

so...who can tell me how to put a picture on my blog?
it says it needs a URL? I can't just grab one from my computers files?

Deseret Services, Inc. (Ether 2:3)

I decided I'm starting my own business!
Looking get married? Date me and in 6 months or less, you will be engaged! Results are guaranteed or your money (the $20 you spent on each date) back! I know, in your head you are wondering how many men I can be engaged to at once, well I never said you would be engaged to me, now did I? What my services apparently provide is a realization of what you are NOT looking for, which helps you find what you ARE looking for that much faster! So, not only will you be engaged in 6 months or less of dating me, but that engagement will lead to a joyful temple marriage! Compare me side by side with the other girls you are dating and you will see their shining qualities!
For real life testimonials, I would refer you to J___ (getting my que's from Jon, here) before my mission (I found out he was engaged the day I went through the temple for the first time). Then there was N___ after my mission (he married about 2 months after I broke up with him). Then there was S___ who is most likely married now because he dumped me for the other girl he was dating at the time. T___ got married a couple of months after only going on one blind date with me! Now, there's E___ We stopped dating in November and now he is engaged! He is 35! I mean, how many other girls has he dated in his lifetime and I happen to the the second to last?! Coincidental? I don't think so....

Life rules

I read these last night in "I'm a stranger here, myself" by Bill Bryson. Thought I would share them:

2. People who wear articles of clothing on which the manufacturer's name or logo is prominently displayed must also wear a badge saying: "yes, I am an idiot."

3. If in the course of parking your car you are not able to maneuver the vehicle into a space in less time than it takes to undergo and recover from open heart surgery, it is not permitted to park in that space.

6. Martha Stewart is, with immediate effect, illegal.

9. Boxes of christmas cards that carry messages like "May your holidays be wrapped in warmth and touched with wonder" must bear a large label on the outside of the box saying: "Do not purchase: Message inside is embarrassing and sentimental."

16. Americans who intend to travel abroad in a group with other Americans must first clear their wardrobes with the author. British men must secure written permission to wear shorts outside their own country.

20. For an experimental period of ten years, smoking will be permitted in all those places where it is now banned and banned where it is now permitted. Nonsmokers who find smoke disagreeable will be permitted to step outside and loiter by the main entrance for ten minutes of each hour.

ok, so maybe I wouldn't vote for that last one...but here's a rule of my own:

--Those who buy Hummers must also be required to purchase their own parking lot to park them in and construct their own road-ways to drive them on since the majority of roads, except in Utah of course, are not wide enough for them to barrel down.

please add you own!

selfish

I wish I knew what to write.
The other day, I was talking to mom about her institute lesson and she asked me how we get rid of selfishness in ourselves when we are surrounded by selfish people? I immediately thought of all the people I know that are selfish...how selfish of me. She asked who I knew that wasn't selfish. My brother and father came to mind. I'm sure there are others....
So, later that day, that brother IMed me and the subject came up. "How do you keep from being selfish when surrounded by selfish people?" I asked. He immediately said, "I really don't think I am surrounded by selfish people." Right, I never meant to insinuate that his wife and kids are selfish. That'll teach me. What I meant was that the world, in general, is selfish. The natural man is selfish. At least mine is. Then the realization hit me. Not only does he not view his wife and kids as selfish, but he also doesn't view the world as selfish. That's why he, himself, is not selfish.
I believe the reason I am a selfish person is because I am constantly begrudging the selfishness of those around me. Don't they see how unselfish I am compared to them? Oh my, how ironc.
I still don't know how to go about not viewing others as selfish, though. Please, share your thoughts....