Labels

. . . are not good to put on people, but wonderful to put on blog posts.

If my blog looks different (aka, if I messed something up), that's because I decided to add labels to all of my blog posts.

Hopefully it will make my blog a little more user-friendly.

Enjoy!

What's the Story?

Remember how I'm really seven-years-old?  Yep, still am.

Case in point:

I get giddy every time I hear that intro. And I got even more giddy when I found out that I can watch, like, almost all of the Wishbone episodes on Youtube now!

The Count of Monte Cristo, The Tempest, Great Expectations, Pride and Prejudice . . . who needs to read the books when you've got Wishbone?

(False. You really should read the classics.)

But it is true that part of my English major foundation was built on Wishbone. So don't mind me as I bask in nostalgia for a few episodes.

Oh, Wishbone, how I love thee.

Life in Bullet-points

Hello, dear reader. I do hope that you're doing well and that the rain hasn't brought you down.

I know you've all been on the edge of your seats, wondering: What has Megan been doing the past few weeks? Well, no need to fear. I'm going to tell you. With bullet-points.

• School. I'm taking spring classes right now, and they're going well. Nothing too exciting, except that President Uchtdorf's twin grandsons are in one of my classes. And guess who just talked to one of them the other day?! That's right. Score. Now I just need to talk to them auf Deutsch.

• Crazy temple trip adventures in the rain. With shoes with holes in them. :( And ankle-deep puddles. Yes, I screamed. Yes, my roommate laughed at me. 

• Movies with roommates. Namely "Newsies" in the Varsity Theatre and "The King's Speech" (PG-13 version) in the Dollar Theatre. By the way, "The King's Speech" is a.maz.ing. Amazing. 

• Wedding receptions! It is the summer of weddings. Seriously. (But let's be honest . . . what summer isn't the summer of weddings?) But it's good, because I've realized that I absolutely love weddings. They make me really happy, which some would say is weird for a very single girl, but I love them. The hopeless romantic in me gets all giddy at wedding receptions.                                                               Recently, I went to Christina's wedding reception (a very good friend from Cambridge), and McKenzie's wedding reception (a very good friend from high school). Both were beautiful brides, both had beautiful wedding receptions, and I'm very, very happy for both of them. :) Below are pictures from Christina's wedding reception (all photos taken by Michele Trichler): 

The lovely bride and groom. 

This is me pretending to be Lucy Pevensie. In Narnia. Yes, I have a very active imagination. 

We love to laugh. 

The cake! It's made to look like Christina's dress. 

Hello, face. 

Dancin', dancin'.

I don't have any pictures from Kenzie's wedding reception, but it was beautiful, too. AND GUESS WHO CAUGHT THE BOUQUET?!  Yep, you guessed it. It's another sign. 

• Writing Center internship. I've been interning at the BYU Writing Center for spring term. It's definitely been a learning experience, and I'm enjoying my time there. I hesitate to put too much on here, because now my intern profile on the website links to this delightful blog, and I never know when Big Brother is watching. . . . (answer: all. of. the. time.)                                                                                                                                       Not really. But I might blog more about the Writing Center in the future. I probably will. It's part of my life now. And it's turning out to be a really fun part of my life. 

So there you have it. My life for the past couple of weeks in bullet points. I can't really think of a clever way to end this blog post, so I think it will just end . . . 

now. 

Only at BYU . . .

. . . would you come home after class and find this sitting on your couch:

And, it's the DELUXE edition!

I honestly have no idea where it came from.

It's most likely a sign.

Worst Case Scenario

In light of recent natural disasters—the tornadoes in the South, the earthquake in Tokyo, etc.—I’ve thought a bit about what I’d do if a natural disaster occurred here. (I might as well be prepared. There’s supposed to be a flood coming . . . well, any day, really. Kinda like the earthquake we’re due for. Except we have a better idea of when the flood will come.)

Well, since it’s true that “if ye are prepared, ye shall not fear,” here’s what I plan on doing if some big ol’ nasty natural disasters strike BYU:

·         Earthquake.

Possibility: Very likely. Problem is, it could happen tomorrow, it could happen in five hundred years . . . I just don’t know.

Game plan: Find a table to cower under. After I stop screaming, grab my 72-hour-kit (yay!), and head off to the RB with my roommate to raid the RYCL equipment room (it’s okay, we’ll return the stuff we take. Besides, my roommate works there so I’d just check the stuff out from her anyway.). Hike back to my house. This plan would work especially well in the spring or summer. So please, earthquake. No winter strikes.

Game plan B: To be honest, earthquakes terrify me. The shaking, the crashing, the aftershocks, the fires . . . yeah, not a fan. So, I have always secretly hoped that I’ll be in Kansas or Massachusetts (at either of my grandmas’ houses) when the “big one” strikes. But you never know. In a perfect storm scenario, the day the earthquake hits the Wasatch Front would also be the day when a monster tornado decides to sweep through Eastern Kansas, and the day Boston decides to fall into the sea. Pick your poison, I guess.

·         Flood.

Possibility: Again, very likely . . . especially for Salt Lake and Utah Valleys this year. However, I’m not too worried about BYU campus flooding. Or my apartment, for that matter. I live on the 3^rd floor.

Game Plan: Eh . . . if worse comes to worse, I’ll roll up my jeans and place some sandbags. And eat things from my 72-hour-kit.

·         Tornado.

Possibility: You never know. With crazy spring weather, anything can happen.

Game Plan: Bad news—there are no tornado sirens here (imagine that). Good news—there is a cellar in my apartment complex I’ll hunker down there and hope that I don’t get carried off to Oz. Or my 72-hour-kit, for that matter. I don’t want the flying monkeys to eat my granola bars.

·         Hurricane.

Possibility: Not even.

Game Plan: . . .

·         Tsunami.

Possibility: Again, not gonna happen. Although, you never know. If Utah Lake decides to get a little rowdy one day . . .

Game Plan: Pray. Super hard. And hang onto my 72-hour-kit.

·         Blizzard.

Possibility: Could happen. But if it’s anything like the blizzard of 2010, I’m not going to worry.

Game Plan: Survive on my 72-hour-kit and canned goods in the pantry. Cover myself in blankets and every sweater I can find. Try to act like this woman:

See that woman? She is tough. 

 There you have it. My (somewhat sarcastic) preparation for natural disasters.

There are two morals of the story here:

1. I’ve decided that my 72-hour-kit is awesome and will help me survive almost anything.

2. Frankly, you probably don’t want to be with me when a natural disaster strikes. So, good for all of you, bad for me. I kinda have to live with myself. 24/7.

Out of curiosity, what natural disaster scares you the most? 

Hope of America

Every year, the Freedom Festival presents the “Hope of America” program. Six thousand 5^th-grade students from around Utah fill the Marriott Center with patriotic music and enthusiasm, and create a giant American flag (see below).

Not this year, but you get the picture. (No pun intended but you can laugh anyway.)

It really is quite stirring.

I’ve been to this performance a few times. I was never in it (I moved to Utah Valley when I was in sixth grade), but all of my siblings were. So, naturally, I know all the music. By heart. However, I don’t know the actions. Therefore—like my sisters tell me—I am a deprived child.

But anyway.

Tonight it was my brother’s year to perform.

While I watched the program, I was touched by the sincerity and optimism of the children’s patriotism. It is good to be reminded of the promise of America—of promises fulfilled, of dreams to come. I am not ashamed to admit that I did feel pride tonight: pride for my country, and pride for the children who sang.

There really is so much good in America. Goodness knows we’re not perfect. There is a lot to improve upon. There is a lot to remember. But there are genuinely good people who desire to hold up the ideals of liberty and justice. There are people who die for to preserve and uphold that liberty. And, there are so many people who live to uphold liberty. My limited, imperfect words can't adequately express my deep love for this nation and its people. 

The children who sang tonight truly are the hope of America. They are the next generation of leaders—those who lead by word, and those who lead by example. They were an example to me tonight. I hope to take their optimism, their willingness to serve, their enthusiasm, and their faith to heart. People say that children teach us the most important things. I believe they do this by helping us remember the important things.