Singles Ward

I now understand why the phrase "singles ward" carries such baggage. I have been going to my stake's singles ward the past month and have met some awesome people. Most of which are girls who happen to go to church to learn.(Which I know, is apparently rare in a singles ward) And one or two normal boys. My personal favorite is someone we will call Bob. The first time I met Bob he was sitting in front of me in sacrament meeting and he introduced himself to me while looking around the room. I just assumed he was looking for somebody else and didn't think much of it. When he introduced himself to me for the second time a couple weeks later, was when I started to get suspicious of his people skills, or lack thereof. He sat down next to me at a table and started asking me all sorts of questions about what I'm in school for, how old I am, la dee da. And about 3 seconds into our conversation he started looking around again at who knows what around the room. I was confused, but he kept asking me questions so I kept responding until in the middle of my sentence he got up and walked away. I'm not exaggerating. In the MIDDLE of my sentence. I wanted to say "My 13 month old niece has a longer attention span than you, Bob. Feel free to go get that shiny object that so obviously captures your attention more than my droning" *Side note: I am fully aware that the "shiny objects" he is looking at are girls he finds more interesting. I look forward to the many more awkward encounters I will inevitably have with socially retarded people.

Don't quit your day job

Last Friday my niece Halle slept over. On Saturday morning we played games in the toy room and every time I would lie down she'd get mad and say "please play!" but then when I touched anything she would get mad. Go figure. After a little bit I suggested we watch a movie, Sleeping Beauty to be exact. (I've been wanting to watch it for a while...=)) I turned the movie on and then started singing "I know you, I walked with you once upon a dream..." and Halle said "Alyx! Don't sing!" I asked "why not?" so she covered her ears and said "noisy, ears!" Needless to say, I felt awesome. Later on her parents came to get her and everybody was in the kitchen except me beauase I was still watching the movie. I started to sing again and she yelled in "ALYX! Please DON'T siiing!!" Her tone of voice made it sound like she was saying "Seriously, I should not have to tell you more than once, can't you hear yourself?!" Good thing I'm not going into the singing business, I guess.

Senior Trip

This August I had the wonderful chance to go on a well deserved senior trip. We waited until August to go because I took 13 credit hours this summer at SLCC in order to finish my Associate Degree and get the New Century Scholarship. (Which, yay! I did accomplish) My mom and I first visited Barcelona, Spain to see all the cool architecture I learned about last year in art history. Then we met my sister Amy in Ireland which was definitely the highlight of the trip. It was one of the most beautiful places I've ever been, second only to Scotland. We found the perfect little place for tea and scones, which you will find a tribute to on Amy's blog. Here are some pictures, and to answer your question in advance about my mental capacities in these pictures, I do in fact have an iq higher than 7. I am just a weirdo and I don't really smile in pictures. =)

Ireland

Get Over It

About a month ago I was talking to my sister Amy about how stupid girls (and boys) can be sometimes with -exes (plural of ex?) She posted a blog about the phrase "single and loving it" http://clevercook.blogspot.com/search/label/Dating and how stupid it sounds. Some people may say this to prove to themselves that they are okay with being single, which is a good thing. But I don't think anyone believes that if they had the opportunity to be in an uplifting relationship with someone whom they could share their desires and feelings with, they would say "Didn't you see my status? I'm single and LOVING it! So no thank you." Other people may use the phrase to convince their ex they've moved on or maybe just to say "HA! I don't need you, you big jerk" I know this may make me sound crazy, but I think the best way to show someone you've moved on is by, well, moving on. Easier said than done, I know. But if you want to be truly happy after a hard break up, take the positive that came from it and look forward. Because let's be honest. Harboring negative feelings for an ex isn't going to bring you happiness, or them back. So let go of the hurt, forgive them, and serve others. This will make you truly happy; single or dating somebody new. (And you'll no longer feel the need to validate your happiness based on relationship status)

Economic Crisis makes for a boring work schedule!

I just started a new clinical rotation at South Towne Surgery Center and I love the people but it is really slow. The facility does a lot of plastic surgeries usually, but because nobody can afford to have cosmetic surgery only the necessary cases are done. On Monday I did hemorrhoidectomies ALL day. And two knee scopes. Tuesday I actually got to do an abdominoplasty/liposuction which is so crazy looking. On Wednesday I did knee scopes all day. And then on Thursday as I'm driving into the parking lot, absolutely NO cars were there. I walked into the facility puzzled and realized that we only had one surgery to do. As we were about to start the nurse came up to me and said "I just talked to the patient and she's not comfortable having a student in the room, so we can't let you scrub in" so instead I got to watch a doctor stimulate back pain to diagnose patients in order to treat them correctly. It was both boring and terribly sad to watch. For 5 1/2 hours I wanted to slit my wrists from boredom. And today when I explained to my instructor that I wasn't learning anything he didn't say a word. Not a word! All I can say is, I can't wait for the next 6 weeks to be over so I can work at a facility who is actually performing surgeries! (It may seem like I'm angry, but in actuality I just like to point out how ridiculous things are sometimes)

Alice In Wonderland meets Wolf Creek

Last night I watched a scary movie with my friends called Wolf Creek, (which was really stupid by the way) It wasn't jumpy or scary at all but creepy because it was basically like BTK so technically people really are tortured like they were in the movie. I got home at like midnight and considered sleeping in my mom's bed, but I decided that I was a big girl. I figured I would have nightmares but woke up relieved that I didn't. Until I was talking to my sister Amy and something reminded me of a part of my dream. Me and some people were being chased and we came into a cave where we had to sneak past a goop spitting man inside of a rock wall. He became our friend so he kind of let us by easily but each of us still had to dodge his green goop as we passed. And then at the end of the tunnel we met Marry Poppins who took us down an elevator into her hideout for people like us who were being chased by bad guys. Wow...

Hole In The Wall

There is a new reality game show that aired last night. It is a copy of a japanese game show where the contestants have to try to fit through life size tetris shapes that are cut out of a moving wall. IHence the title, Hole in the Wall. Basically it's like human tetris, and if they can't fit through they are pushed into a pool of yellow water. (It looks like pee, seriously.) Why I was so intrigued is because about a year ago my friend Spencer and I found videos of the japanese version of this, they are much funnier. Here's the link, http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=58MXpUsyOa4 (the last clip is my very favorite!) Anyway, so in the American version as each player has their first try the host would introduce them. He introduced one of the guys by saying "This is [so and so], and he proposed to his wife in the shower" I couldn't stop laughing. It was obvious by the rest of the introductions that the contestants were asked to give something interesting about themselves. I guess this guy confused creepy with interesting.

Clinicals

I am currently working at Salt Lake Regional Medical Center. It isn't really a job though because I don't get paid, I actually pay tuition to work 8 hours a day. I love it though. There is the occasional crazy doctor though. I worked with one surgeon yesterday who is definitely the most inappropriate old man I've ever met, aside from my grandpa, but I won't get into that. Anyway, he was arguing with all of us in the OR that he is metrosexual. He is anything but. It was hilarious though because all of us were just laughing. The anesthesiologist pointed out that metrosexual people would probably not wear cowboy boots. (He wears them every day) He then agreed and said "My wife says if I was a metrosexual I would have my [inappropriate wrinkly body parts] removed" His actual quote was much more descriptive and inappropriate. He then asked what the exact definition of metrosexual was and the nurse explained "I would say it is a person having many of the gay qualities without actually being gay" To which the doctor replied "I would like to think I have many of the positive gay qualities" Later he was telling me that after he got divorced he was "against girls for like 4 1/2.....hours" and then he met his new wife at Lake Powell. He used his son to hit on her and yelled over to her while she was in another boat to say she had a nice body. She replied "Thanks but I need to lose about 10 pounds to look my est. To which he resonded "You should only lose five!" Which of course he thought was a compliment. It was kind of a you-have-to-be-there type of moments but all of us were hysterically laughing.

My Blog

I've decided to start a blog so I can talk all about myself and not seem selfish. =) Actually, I made it so I can post all my cool travel pictures and communicate with people. "They're communicating!"