Not a bad day, just one I hope you never have...

So, I was telling my roommate about my day and she demanded that I write it down. Since I am well over two weeks tardy on my blogging, this will kill two birds with one stone (poor birdies...)

We will start at eleven o'clock last night with an emotional break-down. The usual, but also included my frustrations with a ten page research paper I am writing for Book of Mormon that is due tomorrow. Turns out I hated it. All of it. So, I hit the shiny delete button and started all over. Somewhere around two this morning, with the help of my father's amazing English skills, I shut my laptop with eight of the pages of my new essay done. Woke up this morning in time to realize that I didn't want to wake up. So, I didn't. I missed my first class (yes, I know I'm horrible), and got to my second class with little time to spare. Made it through my classes without falling asleep, although the concrete floor in the Benson was inviting enough that I succumbed to its wiles and ended up with a very sore neck. Then it was onto chemistry where we heard the delightful news that the class average on the test I am taking tomorrow is a 60%. Yes, that's right. And does this teacher curve? (with how this day is turning out, that is totally rhetorical) After chemistry I ran to the car to achieve the numerous things I had planned for the day. Things were going great on my hike to my car until said car would not start. Yes, my battery was dead. Called dad. No answer. Started crying. Called mom. Called dad. Got an answer. By some miraculous power, my car started on the seventh try and I drove around while a parts store was located for fear that parking would be the end of me. Went to Checker's in Orem and was helped by a very masculine, very large lady. In a mystery of fortune, she got called away and Trevor helped me select my new battery, pay for it, and installed it with his lovely set of tools, although I was totally ready to get the pink ones out of my trunk. I finally made it home, where I started working on my essay again. I worked until a lovely shift volunteering at the hospital where I only got lost in the ER once (room 2 is hard to find). I rushed home to get a calling, you know, the ones they make up in student wards so people feel special. I then finished my essay so I could get it sent of to my mother, so that she could use her English skills to make it pretty. I then had tithing settlement, a trip to Brad and Tim's apartment for help on calculus homework, and somewhere along the way, lost my phone in the expansive grass of Wyview Park. I located my phone and returned to my apartment where I read ten chapters of Mosiah, because fourteen were assigned between yesterday and tomorrow (thank you Brother Judd). I now sit typing away while waiting for my mom to call back to fix my essay, so I can then study my butt off to get a 60% on tomorrow's test. YAY!!! Not to say that isn't exciting, but maybe next time some chocolate and a warm bubble bath will suffice for my tomorrow's great day.

Halloween

Halloween was a smattering of running around this year. I didn't dress up for class, but claimed to be a sadistic serial killer who looked just like everyone else. At night, however, the party really got started. The two eighties twins are Emilie the blonde (whose make-up and hair I did) and Amy, my RA. In front of us were my roommate Taylor, and a girl from our building, Jessica. I was band security. This was our band picture. Taylor in the orange was the lead singer, Jessica in the leather was the drummer, and the Richard Simmons twins were the groupies.

We went to the stake dance and had a blast. After three hours of dancing and getting very, very hot with the crowded room, this was who was left. From the left, Amy, Emilie, me, Emilie, and Sariah. We had sooooooo much fun. Las Vegas isn't going to recognize me when I bust the moves I have learned here. Emilie is the president of RHA (resident housing association), so we had to leave for a little bit to check out Helaman and Heritage, and let me simply say that Wyview kicks...well...um...a word that I can't say cause I could get kicked out of college for using it. Suffice to say WE ROCK!!!!

This was me by the end of the night. Totally beyond sweaty, although I put my jacket special for those of you who see this. I had a total blast for Halloween and saw some awesome costumes. Here's hopin' next year is just as awesome.

SAC Triathlon

It seems like only yesterday I was trying to talk my mom into doing a triathlon with me. Turns out, however, that was over a year ago. The woman who swore she would never be able to do it has long since become my hero, not necessarily for how many she finished or how fast she goes, but for how many she starts. The most recent endeavor was the SAC triathlon in St. George, which she did with one of my friends moms, yet another one to jump on the triathlon bandwagon.This is Leslie and my mom setting up transition. It was a quaint, little, neighborhood triathlon, so I was even allowed in transition with them. They were a crack up before the race started.

I was terrified for my mom to do the swim. As far as I was concerned, I might have to jump in and rescue her with how well I thought she could swim. Of course, such is the purpose of parents, to prove their children wrong. MY MOM IS A FRICKIN' FISH!!! She was amazing and awesome.

Turns out I am a really sorry picture-taker-person, so apologies to Leslie for this being the only decent picture I got of her as she jumped out of the water. I tried super hard to get a picture of her on the bike, so if you want to pictures of her front and back tire, respectively, feel free to request them.

Here they are in transition one, mom just heading out and Leslie getting everything together. They both worked it in transition and kept T1 under two and a half minutes.

This is my mom on the bike during the second pass. My skills with a photographic a non-moving object are adequate at best, so I am extremely proud of this picture of my mom, even with the random guy in the middle.

This is my mom looking super attractive on the run. And yes, she knew this picture was coming, so it wasn't cruel of me. Congrats to both Leslie and my mom for an amazing race and consequent 2 and 3 finish.

My mom is the most amazing woman I know. She constantly inspires me every day to try harder and be stronger. For turning her life around and working so hard for every event, she is my hero. For being on the course next to me for my entire life, she is my best friend.

My Birthday

In honor of the one person who reads my blog, I decided to put up some pictures of the book I wrote as a previous post. For my birthday, I headed down to St. George and met up with my family. We spent a lot of time in the hot tub at the hotel, although a request was made to not post a picture of that. Saturday morning we went shopping and, true to tradition, we all shared a tiny dressing room, where Alyson wanted to try on this really cute turtleneck sweater that she swore was going to fit over her big ole' Martin head. She is actually screaming quite loud in this picture, but Kelly just couldn't resist a photo op in what has become my favorite picture of my darling sisters.

We went hiking in Zions, well, out of Zions, but it was listed in a Zions book. Anyway, we got lost on what my parents later found out was a loop, much to their chagrin. Alyson and I thought it was pretty fun.

It was like pulling teeth to get my parents to take a decent picture, they're like 2-year-olds (no offense, Samarrah) but they finally pulled themselves together long enough for me to hit the button. Of course, then my mom organized us into a four part round of Frere Jacques, but that is a story never to be told again.

P.S. My parents are the most amazing, wicked, awesome, perhaps even, most buck people ever.

My sister is my other half. The lone Martin siblings make quite a pair.