How to Know You're Growing Up

It's been a year (and a little more, but let's not split hairs) since I started college.  I've learned a few more things.

1. Everything has loopholes.  If they say you can't have pets in the apartment and then take the time to specify what they consider to be a pet, anything they don't point out is therefore not considered a pet.
2. The only cooking supplies I like are the ones my mom has.  Unfortunately, they don't make them anymore.
3. Do the extra credit.  Those little bitty points will mean a whole lot more in the end.
4. There are a lot of people in the world that really do not know how to cook.  I'm finding out that a lot of them are women.
5. Washing someone else's dishes is much easier than washing your own.
6. It's okay to be nerdy.  Almost everyone is, anyway.  Just don't take it to hipster levels.
7. Try new things.  Ice blocking is terrifying, but you'll be glad you at least tried it.
8. Friendships are fleeting and usually last only a semester.  Solid friends are hard to come by.
9. You don't have to share everything.  Still, it's nice to leave cookies for your roommates.
10.  There really are some bad teachers out there.  Not sure what it is...they're just bad.
11.  There's also some amazing teachers that really get you psyched for lecture.  They somehow make up for the other teachers' inadequacies.
12.  No matter how small your kitchen is, you can always make beautiful things in it.
13.  It's okay to let other people help you.  Sometimes they can save your bagels.
14.  Bacon is delicious and good with maple syrup.  It is also sharp.
15.  One of the greatest tools you can have in your kitchen is a pastry cutter.
16.  It's okay if people don't hire you.  It's okay that they don't even tell you they're not going to hire you.  Keep looking.
17.  Changing your major is okay, too.  Those classes for the other major do come in handy.
18.  Some classes, like public speaking, aren't required.  That doesn't mean they aren't useful.
19.  Sometimes the desserts you put the most time, effort, and planning into won't be as fawned over as the mess of peanut butter and marshmallows someone else threw together at the last minute.
20.  Of all the people I see in a day, I don't remember what any of them were wearing or how their hair looked.  I remember what they smelled like.  Focus on what's important.

Why (for a moment) I Felt Like Dean Koontz

     See, I have this thing.  

     There are some tasks where I do only what's necessary or expected, nothing fancy.  Just...enough.  I don't go for anything spectacular, jaw-dropping, or even worth a glance.  This is usually how school assignments go.  I do what the teachers want, and that's good enough for me.

     Then there's times where I go all out.  I have an inspiration, a vision, and I do what I can to make that dream a reality.  Provided it's relatively quick to do.  In this case, about four hours is quick.

     It all started in my science class, where my teacher and TA have a shared fixation on dinosaurs.  Every class has a picture of a dinosaur in it somewhere.  Every week, I learn of a new dinosaur. (And a new shark, but that's irrelevant here, even though it's cool.)  Dinosaurs dinosaurs dinosaurs.  It's awesome, but there are some unforeseen side-effects.  Especially since it's approaching that time of year when pumpkin carving is accepted as a pastime.  Yes, that's exactly where I'm going.

     Behold, the mighty T-rex!!

     And here's a candle-less shot...

     A friend of mine and I shared in the carving experience.  We picked out our pumpkins in a grocery store after a football game, arranged the New York Times on the floor of his building's lobby, and set to work at about 5:30 on Saturday.  He was done at seven.  I was done at nine.  I told him I'd take a long time.  He took the opportunity to add some extras to his already thrilling pumpkin.

     Anyway, we set them outside by moderately frequented walkways so people could see our pumpkins in all their glory.  There were questions like "What is that?  Is that a dinosaur?  How long did that take you?  (and my personal favorite:)  Are you an art major?"  We let them sit out there overnight, and, sadly, Mr. Jackson some ended up on the ground in pieces...but this is BYU, so I'm going to pretend that it just fell.  Very hard.

     Worried that Alan (it was suggested that I name it) might face a similar challenge, I moved him to the bench in front of my building.  Sunday afternoon, I was hesitant to see gourd shards littered on the sidewalk, but I had to know if Alan survived.  I was pleasantly surprised by what I found instead.

My favorite part is the end...

     My mind was boggled as well.  I moved it back to that original moderately frequented walkway spot for the day (the worst stuff always seems to happen at night, you know?).  Later, Sunday evening, as I happened to pass it on my route, I noticed someone sitting in front of it, sketching.  The conversation went something like this...

Me: "Hi..."

Him:  "Hi.  Cool pumpkin, huh?"

"Oh, uh...thank you."

"Wh-...you me-...you carved this?"

"...uh huh..."

-stands and offers his hand- "Wow, it's really good.  I'm [John or Jared or something]."

-hesitantly follows through with the handshake- "Um, thank you.  Are you...drawing it?"

"Yeah, yeah, I'm a graphic design major.  This is really good."

"Wow, um...thank you [again]." -starts to leave-

"Oh, what's your name?"

"I'm Zoe..."

"Right, well, have a good night!"

"Yeah, you too..." -ohmygoshohmygoshohmygosh-

     It was like being a famous author or something.  Completely caught me off guard.  Luckily, it hasn't really happened since.  Alan was reported to still be alive this morning, but as of this afternoon, he's disappeared, along with the note.  There wasn't shrapnel anywhere, so I'm thinking it was just the BYU landscaping crew cleaning up, something like that.  Some have suggested that it might have been stolen.  Who's to say?  On one hand, I'm glad the "popular" days are over.  On the other, it makes me want to carve another pumpkin.  Something a little more anonymous.  Something a little more...school-spirit-y.  You'll see.

Stay crafty, my friends.

Frankly, my dear...

I've learned a few things since moving from California to Utah.  Most of these things have to do with altitude, and the weird stuff that comes from it.  The other bit seems to be cultural, but may just be college.  Here's a nifty list:


20 Things I've Learned Since Joining the Bubble

1.  You get dehydrated faster than the locals.

2.  So you have to drink more water.

3.  Therefore, if bathrooms were airplanes, I'd be a frequent flier.

4.  Your hair dries faster.  Sooner than you'd anticipate.

5.  Tissues are good to keep on hand in case of sudden nosebleeds.  Like on Sunday mornings.

6.  A flight of stairs at home is a lot easier than a flight of stairs here.

7.  You can buy individual eggs.

8.  You have to bring something to carry them in if you do.

9.  Cookies are flat.  There doesn't seem to be any way around this.

10.  If you have a muffin pan, loaf pans are a joke.  So are cake pans.

11.  Chocolate milk is of the gods.

12.  Western Family makes EVERYTHING.

13.  Shoes wear out reeeeal fast.

14.  You can't dress according to the weather.  You're just going to have to suck it up and get used to it.

15.  Anything you need should be within a fifteen minute walk.  If it's farther than that, it's not that important.

16.  Jaywalking is like breathing.  Everybody does it.
17.  When people ask you where you're from, you have to name the closest major city to your actual hometown.
18.  It's important to go to football games with people who know practically everything about football.  This makes for a much more enjoyable (and knowledgeable) experience.
19.  Vending machines are a wonderful thing.
20.  And lastly, naps are like chocolate milk and jaywalking.  Of the gods, and everybody does it.