Today I noticed a package on my table.
I ripped it open and found an Old Testament Student Manual and a bag of chocolate covered pretzels. In the cover of the manual was a note that said, "happy studying and munching!". I was so happy I wanted to cry. I squealed for two minutes.
Best mom ever? No doubt about it.
Thursday, May 26, 2011
Tuesday, May 24, 2011
hello, call me awkward.
Bad. Bad. Bad. Bad.
Sadly enough, these calls were the highlight of my day. About 1:00, big, buff manager (we shall call him Buffy) taps me on the shoulder.
"Hey, you need to go over to that table right there."
Enter: Random Drug Test
Without going into detail, I FAIL the drug test. Not because I'm on speed (come on guys, this is the girl who is scared to take Tylenol), but because I did it wrong. Poor nurse. I was the last one on the list so she had to watch me down way too much water in 15 minutes. We sat. And sat. And sat. She occasionally tried to make small talk, but what can you say to somebody you're testing for drugs?
After 45 minutes, we're all set to go when she clears her throat awkwardly.
"Because we have to do this twice, I'm required to watch you."
Enough said. My life is awkward.
In other news, I had the best weekend ever. Probably. I haven't experienced every weekend possible, so I guess I don't really know. If man first landed on the moon on a Saturday, I'm out of luck. But it was almost moon worthy. I...
- Ate pie on Friday, Saturday, and Sunday
- Went to a Farewell and a Homecoming (Pie!)
- Watch the Truman Show with a very confused mother. The Truman Show itself would have never made it on the list, but the confused mother pushed it over the top.
- Saw all of my girls. At the same time. In the same place. (This event hasn't occurred since...Spring Break)
- Ran a good 5 miles
- Stayed up wayyyy to late talking to the siblings.
- Saw the kid who still manages to make me smile from 78 miles away.
This list reminds me of how good I have it, even after a day like today.
Also it reminds me of how hungry I am.
Sunday, May 15, 2011
Bottle it up
I love too many things today.
I love the sunshine that makes my nose a little too pink. I love gazing at picture perfect clouds on my little deck. I love the fact that I have a deck.
I love lazy Sundays, falling asleep on this huge, brown, burgundy couch listening to NPR.
I love that I opened my phone after church and had a missed call.
I love that I my calves ache from running 30 miles last week.
I love new. New people, new grass, new memories, new job.
I love that the songs that float to me from neighbor boy, who can really rock a six string.
I love the smell of books. They intice me.
For no particular reason, I love today. I wish I could put it in a mason jar and store it forever. That way, whenever I was feeling summer lust I could open it just a crack and get a whiff of sun and lotion that smalls like orange creamsicles. And fire works. And Smithfield right after it rains. And a thousand other things I wish I could put words to.
I love the sunshine that makes my nose a little too pink. I love gazing at picture perfect clouds on my little deck. I love the fact that I have a deck.
I love lazy Sundays, falling asleep on this huge, brown, burgundy couch listening to NPR.
I love that I opened my phone after church and had a missed call.
I love that I my calves ache from running 30 miles last week.
I love new. New people, new grass, new memories, new job.
I love that the songs that float to me from neighbor boy, who can really rock a six string.
I love the smell of books. They intice me.
For no particular reason, I love today. I wish I could put it in a mason jar and store it forever. That way, whenever I was feeling summer lust I could open it just a crack and get a whiff of sun and lotion that smalls like orange creamsicles. And fire works. And Smithfield right after it rains. And a thousand other things I wish I could put words to.
Thursday, May 12, 2011
Blah, blah, blog.
I am officially 12 miles into my 400 mile goal. I have a blister the size of the state of Missouri, and every morning I feel like my legs are going to fall off, but hey. I'm running again. I've figured out the secret to life...if it gets too stressful (or UNstressful in my case), run away. Despite the implications, it works wonders.
You know that college bucket list that I made at the start of the year? I feel as if I should keep all you fine folks updated. I've been surprisingly successful in the past two months.
4. Become an editor at the Statesman ✔
9.Eat at Hamilton's ✔
14. Get glasses ✔
28.Get published somewhere besides the Statesman ✔
34. Kiss in the Rain ✔
I hate the glasses...but they became necessary. I'm blind, okay?
I ate at Hamilton's for the JCOM banquet (swanky, swanky). The food was mediocre, but the people made up for it.
As of this afternoon I will officially be published by the Smithfield Sun (not so swanky).
Ah, Statesman. I jumped up and down for at least ten minutes after Catherine called me. Hello, assistant features editor. Sometimes when I think abut it, I still want to jump up and down. However, the people in the library might not consider this socially acceptable behavior.
And....a lady doesn't kiss and tell. ;)
You know that college bucket list that I made at the start of the year? I feel as if I should keep all you fine folks updated. I've been surprisingly successful in the past two months.
4. Become an editor at the Statesman ✔
9.Eat at Hamilton's ✔
14. Get glasses ✔
28.Get published somewhere besides the Statesman ✔
34. Kiss in the Rain ✔
I hate the glasses...but they became necessary. I'm blind, okay?
I ate at Hamilton's for the JCOM banquet (swanky, swanky). The food was mediocre, but the people made up for it.
As of this afternoon I will officially be published by the Smithfield Sun (not so swanky).
Ah, Statesman. I jumped up and down for at least ten minutes after Catherine called me. Hello, assistant features editor. Sometimes when I think abut it, I still want to jump up and down. However, the people in the library might not consider this socially acceptable behavior.
And....a lady doesn't kiss and tell. ;)
Tuesday, May 10, 2011
They call it summer
“I took a deep breath and listened to the old bray of my heart. I am. I am. I am.”
Sylvia Plath
(Poor Sylvia. An oven had to be a terrible way to die)
I'm taking a deep breath. The library is still and nearly empty. I hadn't been here since school ended nearly a week ago, so walking through those doors again was like getting a big warm hug. I didn't realize how much I would miss curling up in my corner with a textbook and a bag of crackers. When I tell people that I miss school, sometimes they think I'm odd. I love to learn. I always have. I like having deadlines to meet and places to be. I miss the people and the bustle. Most of all, I miss my classes. Alexandria was the Greek capital of Egypt founded by Alexander the Great. The bible dictionary says it was "an important center of commerce and learning; its library was the largest in the world.".
A temple worker told me that, and I've never forgotten it. It was the first time I thought my name was cool.
Yesterday, I got lost. You may ask how one gets lost in a lovely little town like Logan, but it's quite simple. Start running north and don't stop for an hour. My brain may have stopped, but those darn feet of mine just kept moving. When I finally stopped to catch my breath, I looked up at one of the most breathtaking sights that I've ever seen. Below me one side was the canyon. It had been raining for two days (bah!), but everything was green. On the other side of me, I could overlook the entire city.
My life is starting to settle into a pattern. I like patterns. I'll walk to work in the morning, occasionally grabbing a bagel along the way. I'll sit at a desk and write until the afternoon. I'll go home, eat a grilled cheese sandwich on a paper towel. I'll go on a run, or a swim (when the pool opens. Double bah!). I'll come home, shower, and go find somebody that will put up with me for a few hours. For a few seconds a day, I'll think about the people that I miss, but I won't dwell on it. I'll live in the moment and realize that it will only be a few months before I see them again. I'll watch the sun set. I'll bury my face in a book too much. Occasionally a tear might slip, but 99 percent of of the time, there will be a smile on my face.
Everyday, I'll wake up and say, "Live it up, Evensen. This is your time."
And that, it is.
Summer Goals:
Finish the Bible
Run, Bike, Swim, Hike 400 miles.
Practice being more assertive in all facets of life
Visit the temple weekly
Learn to love people more deeply.
Get to the point where instead of being like, "That was a spiritual experience," I can be like, "That was a human experience".
Read the ENTIRE AP Stylebook
Read 5 books from the classics list
Have too much fun
Sylvia Plath
(Poor Sylvia. An oven had to be a terrible way to die)
I'm taking a deep breath. The library is still and nearly empty. I hadn't been here since school ended nearly a week ago, so walking through those doors again was like getting a big warm hug. I didn't realize how much I would miss curling up in my corner with a textbook and a bag of crackers. When I tell people that I miss school, sometimes they think I'm odd. I love to learn. I always have. I like having deadlines to meet and places to be. I miss the people and the bustle. Most of all, I miss my classes. Alexandria was the Greek capital of Egypt founded by Alexander the Great. The bible dictionary says it was "an important center of commerce and learning; its library was the largest in the world.".
A temple worker told me that, and I've never forgotten it. It was the first time I thought my name was cool.
Yesterday, I got lost. You may ask how one gets lost in a lovely little town like Logan, but it's quite simple. Start running north and don't stop for an hour. My brain may have stopped, but those darn feet of mine just kept moving. When I finally stopped to catch my breath, I looked up at one of the most breathtaking sights that I've ever seen. Below me one side was the canyon. It had been raining for two days (bah!), but everything was green. On the other side of me, I could overlook the entire city.
My life is starting to settle into a pattern. I like patterns. I'll walk to work in the morning, occasionally grabbing a bagel along the way. I'll sit at a desk and write until the afternoon. I'll go home, eat a grilled cheese sandwich on a paper towel. I'll go on a run, or a swim (when the pool opens. Double bah!). I'll come home, shower, and go find somebody that will put up with me for a few hours. For a few seconds a day, I'll think about the people that I miss, but I won't dwell on it. I'll live in the moment and realize that it will only be a few months before I see them again. I'll watch the sun set. I'll bury my face in a book too much. Occasionally a tear might slip, but 99 percent of of the time, there will be a smile on my face.
Everyday, I'll wake up and say, "Live it up, Evensen. This is your time."
And that, it is.
 |
| 2010 Logan Utah by David Densley. |
Summer Goals:
Finish the Bible
Run, Bike, Swim, Hike 400 miles.
Practice being more assertive in all facets of life
Visit the temple weekly
Learn to love people more deeply.
Get to the point where instead of being like, "That was a spiritual experience," I can be like, "That was a human experience".
Read the ENTIRE AP Stylebook
Read 5 books from the classics list
Have too much fun
Saturday, April 30, 2011
grateful heartache
Above my bed lies a cork board. It's the culmination of hundreds of memories, all slapped together and shoved into a tiny space.
There's the grotesquely distorted picture of me that Tisha drew. Under that there are at least 12 story assignments that I never bothered to take down. There are business cards, missionary pictures, and more than a few checklists that constantly remind me I have better things to do than blog.
Peeling it back layer by layer, there's a picture of Alyssa and I. She was in Logan less than two hours ago, but I already miss her. There is a list of goals I made at the start of the semester that I can't look at now, because I'm sure I failed all of them.
I feel nerves in my body are sore, like they've been stretched out and snapped back into place a few too many times over the past week, only to settle in a heap in the bottom of my stomach. Life is a funny thing. I got exactly what I prayed for, but it's only now, sitting on my unmade bed surrounded by my roommates suitcases that I tense with fear. For the first time in months I feel like crying out in frustration.
Oh, the irony. I prayed that I would be able to find a job, and I found three, two for summer and one for fall. I prayed that I would know what to do during summer, even if that meant going back to Salt Lake. Here I am, on the phone trying to get an apartment for summer. I prayed that the boy would understand when I told him I was young, and that I needed to find myself a little. Not only did he understand, but he agreed, kissed me on the head and gave me flower. My heart almost burst in gratitude, because I realized no matter what happens, he'll be one of my best friends.
I'm not sad or angry. I've always liked change because it forces me out my comfort zone. It lets me see myself from different perspectives.
Yet, sitting in this tiny room that smells of must and body spray, the fear and the doubt seem to be crawling all over me. Suddenly, all of my choices seem irrational. I don't want to live away from my best friend. I want to see my family. I want to go back and teach swimming lessons. I want to have the surety of waking up at 6 AM and running on the canal while the sun rises, then picking up a newspaper in my driveway on the way inside and sitting by the French doors, eating grapefruit and letting the warm sunshine seep into me.
I know I need to be here. I want to be here. It's the start of my own adventure. I just need to push forward, and realize that people have my back, even if they're living 100 miles away.
"Have not I commanded thee? Be strong and of a good courage; be not afraid, neither be thou dismayed: for the Lord thy God is with thee whithersoever thou goest."
This is not usually my thing, but I saw it on another blog and realized that I can't possibly thank every person who has touched my life this year. I wish I could write a note to each one of them. There are far more people who have changed me for the better than this. I could list out 1000. However, with pending finals I only had time for this list. In no particular order, here goes:
"Have not I commanded thee? Be strong and of a good courage; be not afraid, neither be thou dismayed: for the Lord thy God is with thee whithersoever thou goest."
This is not usually my thing, but I saw it on another blog and realized that I can't possibly thank every person who has touched my life this year. I wish I could write a note to each one of them. There are far more people who have changed me for the better than this. I could list out 1000. However, with pending finals I only had time for this list. In no particular order, here goes:
- Carla and Shaun Evensen
- Brayden Evensen
- Hunter Evensen
- Mattie Evensen
- Savannah Evensen
- Gram and Gramps Evensen
- Tisha Santana
- Andie-Pants Grant
- Kinsey Wilson
- Sarah Pugsley
- Rhett Wilkinson
- Mariah Noble
- Jake Norr
- Kasey VanDyke
- Jen Millet
- Alyssa Littell
- Shawnee Smith
- Kellyn Neumann
- Ben Wood
- Amy Braithwaite
- Jessica Beauchamp
- Scott Daniels
- Shaun Anderson
- Katie Brammer
- Anna Armas
- Catherine Meidell
- Rachel Scott
- Megan Bainum
- Brenda Cooper
- Tyrell Morris
- Michael Dephillips
- Ricky Nope
- Dan Smith
- Chelsey Gensel
- Kisti Christensen
- Stephen Thorup
- Jeannie Tran
- Korrine Ivory
- Taylor Halversen
- Cody Robbins
- Stanford and Ann Hamilton
- McCall Parrish
- Tyson Mears
- April Ashland
- Brenna Allen
- Courtnie Packer
- Belen Moyano
- Rob Jepson
- Seth Edwards
- Mitch Steed
- Jason Bluemel
- Seth Gardner
- Elisabeth VanWagoner
- Eric Walker
- Laura Walker
- Lincoln Rico
- Amanda Mears
- Morgan Powell
- Tamra Lee
- Tori Jensen
- Kristen Gardner
- Nate Hansen
- Andrea and Terran Church
- Lindsley Miller
- Andy Lyman
- Brad Mears
- Carlos Murillo
- Debbie Olson
- Erika Norton
- Nicholas Lauritzen
- Nick Berlin
- Becca Muniz
- Solomon Gardner
- Lisa Schwartz
- Bishop May
- Dustin Crawford
- Diane and Ken Mears
- Ryan Mears
- Kristen Gardner
- Jesus Christ
If you're on this list and you don't know why, there's a good reason. If you read this and say "Hey, this girl is a creep!", you're probably right. At least I'm a grateful creep.
Wednesday, April 27, 2011
We should get jerseys, 'cuz we make a good team....
...But yours would look better than mine because you're out of my league. That has nothing to do with what I'm about to write.
In the past two weeks I've worn more pencil skirts, filled out more applications, and been interviewed more than I have have been in my entire life.
My ENTIRE life people. That's almost 20 years.
Tomorrow is the day that decides if I stay in Logan over the summer. It's the day that will determine my position on the paper next year. It's the day when I'll know that all of the articles, meetings, interviews, schmoozing, councils, positions, blah blah blah, will pay off.
It's a pretty big day. Wouldn't you say?
I've had the time of my life the past few weeks. I haven't slept, but I'll take the advice of Steve Shelton (A.K.A coolest toy store owner ever. I got to interview him) :
"I'll sleep when I'm dead."
Three things:
1. I really miss editing. I like writing. I love editing.
2.I need a good outfit.
3. I don't want to mess this up.
PS. I know it's annoying to add this five hours later....but as of today, I never have to go to kick-boxing again. Kick-boxing almost ruined my life at least 6 times. I'm still not sure how I passed...
In the past two weeks I've worn more pencil skirts, filled out more applications, and been interviewed more than I have have been in my entire life.
My ENTIRE life people. That's almost 20 years.
Tomorrow is the day that decides if I stay in Logan over the summer. It's the day that will determine my position on the paper next year. It's the day when I'll know that all of the articles, meetings, interviews, schmoozing, councils, positions, blah blah blah, will pay off.
It's a pretty big day. Wouldn't you say?
I've had the time of my life the past few weeks. I haven't slept, but I'll take the advice of Steve Shelton (A.K.A coolest toy store owner ever. I got to interview him) :
"I'll sleep when I'm dead."
Three things:
1. I really miss editing. I like writing. I love editing.
2.I need a good outfit.
3. I don't want to mess this up.
PS. I know it's annoying to add this five hours later....but as of today, I never have to go to kick-boxing again. Kick-boxing almost ruined my life at least 6 times. I'm still not sure how I passed...
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