Happy Days...

Before I go any further, I feel like I should put up pictures of my room, because I keep meaning to and just don't because I am lazy. So here:

This is my room.... isn't it cute? The big heating mechanism on the side is particularly classy, if I do say so myself.

And this picture looks seven thousand times messier than the other picture, but I swear it's not. It's just an optical illusion...
My room used to be the dining room of this house, which is why I have a lovely china cabinet in here. I try and put very valuable and breakable things in the china cabinet just to remind me, such as an iron, nalgene bottle, and tool kit. And in case you didn't notice, I have no closet, so I use that lovely wardrobe box in the corner. WHICH, I might add, I painted myself. And my mom painted one door. Thanks, mom. My mom helped out A TON getting me all set up here and is the brains behind the decoration of this room. I'm too indecisive. Anyway. There is my room.

So who can believe that I've been here for almost a month? Crazy. I'm starting to feel like I have a little better handle on being a city girl than I did when I got here. Examples:

-My second week here I tried swiping my student ID to get on the T. And I just stood there trying it over and over again. Idiot. The T driver looked at me and just said, "Uh, I don't think that's going to work." I won't do that again anytime soon.

-Well, I was going to write that I've stopped being one of those obvious non-locals that falls all over the place when the T stops and starts. But, uh, I don't think I'll ever actually get over that one. I fell on a girl yesterday. Awesome.

-I gave directions once!!!

-I stop at the grocery store at least twice a week on my way home from school just to pick up two bags of groceries because that's all I can carry. I think this is going to start to get old pretty soon. Actually, it already is.

So anyway. Boston. Is. Great. I am so glad I am here. Nothing in my life is particularly incredible right now, but there is just so much going on here, so much excitement, and so many interesting people living in this place that you just have to love it. Yesterday was National Museum Day, so I went with a few of my roommates to the Science Museum downtown because we could go for free. And I'm going to say that the Science Museum is just okay. BUT the lightning show was pretty cool. I learned a lot about electrizzzzity. And then it took me an hour and a half to get home. Wasting time is a hobby of mine... except I try not to waste it by always having a book with me, so I feel resourceful. Oh and I saw a transvestite on the T. Super creepy and gross. :)

Since I haven't blogged about anything other than rodents lately, I feel like I should recap what I've actually been doing besides trying my hand at exterminating. I actually have a life! Imagine that. Some excellent news is that I now have two jobs. Count them. Two. I'm really grateful that I've found these two flexible and decent paying jobs that are on campus so I am free to go home for the holidays. They are both grad assistantships in the music school and I get to pick my own hours and it's great. Hooray for actually being busy, or at least getting there. I have two concerts next week and then my schedule will be turned on its head as I find out what groups I'll be in for the next 5 weeks. Wahoo.

Last weekend I went on a tri-ward campout up in New Hampshire. There is not much to say except that I had a blast, met so many cool people, froze my behind off, and didn't shower. It was kind of refreshing. I like camping. Especially in cabins.

And yesterday was National Pancake Day. I love to celebrate national things. Except National Talk Like a Pirate Day. Just plain weird. Sorry. Yesterday was just exceptional because it was National Pancake Day and National Museum Day! Here is what I ate:

I picked up a random whole wheat pancake mix at the store on my way home from school Friday night. Delicious. The pancake on the left has strawberries, bananas, and this really really REALLY good organic raspberry syrup that my mom got me when she was here. And the pancake on the right has peanut butter and bananas. It was a great breakfast.

I also went on a date to the House of Blues last week to see the 90s band Rusted Root. They were alright. No comment on the date. It was cool to go to the House of Blues, though. I loved getting to take myself to the date and end the date at the Kenmore T Stop. It took away the awkwardness of the doorstep... a little bit.

P.S. I love pasta. I got really excited in my grocery store yesterday because I saw they had a whole imported pasta section and went and stared at it for 2 minutes. And I was smiling.

P.S.S. or is it P.P.S.? Whatever. It's starting to get cold here. I will remain positive and clothed at all costs.

Dun Dun na-NAH! (Don't pretend you don't know what sound this is)

I don't have much time, but I just want to post the scores from last night's game against our friends the mice:

People: 1 Mice: 0

That's right. This morning I went to the bathroom as soon as I woke up, which meant I had not put my contacts in (You may think this is useless info, but it is relevant). Upon exiting the bathroom, I looked at the mousetrap on the floor and thought, "Hmmm... I can't really see, but I think there is a large something with a skinny little tail sitting in that trap." Squinting doesn't really help and I didn't want to get up really close, so I called my roommate, Stephanie, to come check it out. She screamed. That was when I knew it was a victory! The scary part was disposing of it. I held a bag while Stephanie put it in the bag (with a rubber glove on). But we are brave. Mostly. Stephanie I think is still minorly traumatized. But I feel great.

So yeah. We caught a mouse! Bring it, mice. Bring it. I definitely don't think their side of the score board is going up any time soon, because, let's be honest, they aren't going to kill one of us. We, on the other hand, have launched a major offensive, and it is only going to get worse, so I am declaring victory!

Whenever I start to feel down, whenever I feel like these mice just might win, I think of what Winston Churchill would say:

We have before us an ordeal of the most grievous kind. We have before us many, many long months of struggle and of suffering. You ask, What is our policy? I will say; "It is to wage war, by sea, land and air, with all our might and with all the strength that God can give us: to wage war against a monstrous tyranny, never surpassed in the dark lamentable catalogue of human crime. That is our policy." You ask, What is our aim? I can answer with one word: Victory - victory at all costs, victory in spite of all terror, victory however long and hard the road may be; for without victory there is no survival."

V-I-C-T-O-R-Y.

That's right.

If you give a mouse a cookie...

....It will just run away and you won't catch it and it will come back the next time and eat all of your food and make you sad.

So here at the Nottinghill House we are playing the life size version of MouseTrap. We tried the little swively bucket coming down a stick and catching our mice but it didn't work...

About a week ago I was awakened at 4 AM by a scream that sounded much like an infant's scream, but, unless one of my roommates decided to adopt overnight, it was not a human. Long story short, it was a mouse caught in a snap trap and as we were trying to catch the mouse (we meaning everyone but me.... I was cheerleading from a distant place) it got away, sending me screaming and running into my bed. This has been an excellent reminder of my femininity. Also, every morning when we wake up there is mouse poop scattered throughout our kitchen, which is GROSS. And I already mentioned they've been eating our food. I've had to throw away several bags of food because the mice got into it. Stupids.

So the mice have not been taking to snap traps, glue traps, or poison boxes, and I decided it was high time somebody did something about it. So last night I set up exhibit A and B. Same exhibit actually.

Exhibit A. Paper towel roll with peanut butter and chocolate chip on the end. Stabilized by various cleaners/spices on both sides.

Exhibit B. Bucket filled with water. Oooooh.

So the plan was for the mouse to fall into the bucket because it was going to have to come off the counter to get the peanut butter/chocolate chip.....

And this is what we found a mere 30 minutes ago....

Exhibit C. Does anything look different about this picture???

Exhibit D. This exhibit is not for the faint at heart. Do you see a mouse in there?????

Don't freak out, people, there is no mouse in there. There is a paper towel holder that has exploded at the bottom where that STUPID mouse squeezed out once it was in the water so it could climb up the paper towel roll and out of the bucket. In case you didn't know, I live in Boston, and I'm pretty sure our mice go to Harvard. Wait no, I'm gonna go with MIT-- they seem like the engineering type. If you think I am depressed I am not. I ran around for like 5 minutes this morning screaming victory because the paper towel roll ended up in the water!!! This is a good sign. Tonight we plan on using the same offensive strategy, just cutting the paper towel roll a little shorter.

So, friends, the bottom line is...... don't do drugs. The end.

P.S. Big Big Big shout out to my cousin Casey who showed me the ways of mouse trapping.

Why does every post have to have a title? Blah.

Okay, just to appease certain people who whine about no pictures I have included 2 pictures of the outside of my house. My light in my room is completely burnt out and the landlords have to change it, so there will be no pictures of my room for a few more days. Sorry.

This is the lovely front entry.




And this is the view of our house from across the street. I live on the lower floor with my roommates. It's a pretty cool house.

So the good news is I have completed a week and a half of school! Hooray! I'm getting so close to graduating! Heh. This week was a great week. My life is good. A few things I've done since the last time I posted....

-Went to Kimball Farms with some friends last Saturday to have their famous ice cream. Holy cow (I know, I know, I'm so funny). Talk about amazing. I want more. It's supposed to be the best ice cream in New England. If you come visit me, and I have a car by that point, I will take you there. So I guess don't make any travel plans too soon because I don't have a car. But I hope to have one someday.

-Experienced my first Sunday in my new ward last week, second time today. Everyone has been so friendly and there are just so many interesting people in my ward! I love talking to people and hearing about what they are doing with their lives; people here just seem to have so much going on in a way that some people did in provo, but not too many. It's just fascinating. And I am the youngest person in my ward which is quite refreshing. I feel very vivacious if I may say so, and I feel good about that. It's nice to be around such a mature group of people.

-I've had two lessons with my flute teacher and think I'm going to like her. She, amazingly enough, seemed to pick out everything I am really bad at in my first lesson: throat noise, cracking my middle register, and digging into low notes. It kind of bugged me that she did that because I left feeling like a loser, but that's what I want right? I want a teacher who is actively trying to help me solve my problems. She's great. Funny story, I was playing a Piazzolla Tango Etude in my second lesson and she wanted me to be a little more saucy with the slow section... ya know sultry, seductive, all of that stuff that is not really a part of my personality at all. :) So she's like, "I wrote words to this part of the piece and I am going to sing them for you." So she starts singing all about trying to get a man to crawl into her bed. I thought it was hilarious because here I am, this little Mormon girl, being told to play like I want to fornicate. She sang the words, and then said, "Just play it with that in mind, okay?" Definitely does NOT happen at BYU. Pretty classic. I tried to play it as romantical as possible. :) Needless to say, Linda is not Dr. Clayton.

-While I'm on the musical vein, I love the flute players here. There are 20 and lots of them are grad students or DMA students. I think there are just 2 DMA students actually, and I know of at least 9 grad students. So there is only a handful of undergrads. We don't have an organized studio class because there are 6 different teachers that everyone studies with, so one of the DMA students is coordinating a weekly class on Friday nights for us to just get together and play for each other and share ideas and tips. ANYWAY. We had our first gathering this Friday and it was so fantastic. I was feeling kind of bummed about coming to BU because I didn't think it was that great for the flute, but every single person I heard was AWESOME. Seriously really talented. Everyone has been to different summer programs or spent time studying with different flute players, so it was just so awesome to talk to so many people who could share ideas that they've gotten from other players. I'm really excited to be here.

-I got a JOB! It's a graduate assistantship in the school of music working as the "audio archivist" for the recording studio. I feel so professional. So this is a great job. I get paid $350/month and all I have to do is put in 8 hours a week anytime between 5 and 10 PM. Pretty great, right? It's totally flexible and my boss seems really cool. Only problem is I'm not really good with anything electronic, but.... I'll figure it out. I'm going to start looking for another job this week so that I can have two because I am greedy. No, but seriously, living here is not cheap and I would like to be able to get out and do/see some cool things while I'm here. So since my schedule is so ridiculous I am going to try and get a job at a fitness center or a coffee shop, both of which are EVERYWHERE, so hopefully there will be some luck- I want to work the early morning shift. Working at a fitness center would be great, too, because then I could work out for free! Hooray! I'll keep ya posted on that one.

-So people keep asking what I'm liking and disliking about Boston so far and I'll just say that my definite least favorite thing is waiting to go everywhere. Drives me crazy. Public transportation here really isn't that great, especially the B Line that I take every day. It stops like every 10 feet and it is the slowest line. Yay for me. I had my first "runner" experience one morning this week where I sprinted after the T and didn't make it in time. Don't worry, I was really hoping to just stand there and wait for 10 more minutes anyway. And going to church takes about an hour, when the drive would really only be like 15 minutes normally.

-The great thing about being a member of the church is that wherever I go I have an automatic family and place to go where I just feel at home. There has been a birthday party, Institute, and two other parties this past week and I have met so many people. It has been really great. And this weekend there is a really big campout up in New Hampshire, which I'm looking forward to. Woohoo.

-It is already starting to get cold here. Saturday was kind of miserable because I was getting SOAKED and the library is freezing, so I was super super super cold. A lot of times I just stare up at the sky and say, "Are you kidding me?"

Alright, so this post is officially really boring, but I don't feeling like typing anymore and probably no one even read this far, so I am quitting. I blogged. Weeeeeeeee. Hopefully next time I blog I will have another job and acquired some rain boots. Cross your fingers.

Books Books Books

Attention. I finished my book and now I need another one so I don't get bored on my way to school. Suggestions? I'm up for pretty much anything.... except boring stuff. I'm going to go on a field trip to the public library tomorrow morning. Thanks. :)

Change of Address

So I live in a place that is not Texas or Provo. It is called BOSTON. Yikes. I've been telling people for about the last 4 months that I was going to move here, but now I'm actually here and it's weird/crazy/cool/scary/new/exciting/AHHHHHHHHHHH! Be kind, rewind.

Sunday my mom and I got in and I have an awesome cousin and his family who just moved here so he could start grad school at Harvard, so he picked us up and took me to drop my 5 suitcases off at my house before taking us to our hotel. Family is great. I feel so blessed not only to have a lot of family, but to have aunts and uncles and grandparents who made such an effort to keep us close! Anyways, so we walked into my room in my house and my roommates had left a bouquet of roses and a big poster that said, "Welcome to the Nottinghill House" on my floor. How great is that? Seriously, these are some really nice people. Incredibly nice. One of my roommates in particular is always asking what she can do to help. I'm not really the kind of person who just LOVES for other to people to help me, but she just walks in and pretty much makes me let her help me, so it's great.

Monday I took a theory placement test, and I am now taking a "Theory Review" (aka I didn't pass). My brain was hurting real bad. Then my mom and I went to Target and got stuff and then I had to go back for a pointless meeting and then we went to Ikea.... it took us over an hour to get there. Life lesson learned. Don't plan to leave Boston during rush hour. You will go pretty much nowhere. But we got to drive out of Boston and see how pretty the surrounding area is. How lucky am I to be living here for the next two years??!?! Ikea turned out to be a pretty miserable experience because we found all of the cute stuff we wanted to buy in the showrooms upstairs, and then went down to the place where everything is all boxed up and some of our main purchases were sold out. LAAAAAAAAAAAME. But that's pretty much how it was everywhere... When you are living in a serious college town, all of the "dorm stuff" and "college 09" stuff and "cheap stuff" is going to be sold out.

Tuesday I found out I failed the theory test, which was a lovely start to my day (actually it didn't really phase me... I knew I would fail... at least I answered German Augmented 6th or Neopolitan when I didn't know!), then we went to Bed Bath and Beyond and Costco and made a few really excellent purchases. Then I met with my counselor, who is a really nice old guy who said he had been to Utah once!!!!! CONNECTION! So Tuesday, the day before school started, at approximately 2:45 I had a schedule figured out. What planning... let's just say for an ex-peer mentor that was a little rough on my nerves. So I have 8 credits: Lessons with Linda Toote- 3 (yes my flute teacher's last name is Toote), Orchestra/Wind Ensemble or whatever I actually end up making it into- 1, Remedial Theory, which is online and doesn't even start until Oct. 26- 2, and Research Techniques-2. In case you didn't catch that... I only have one real class. Being a graduate student is amazing. Tuesday afternoon I had my audition for performing groups and it went well I guess. It was only 7 minutes and I played some Mozart, Debussy, and a lot of Firebird. I wouldn't say I nailed it, but it went well enough considering the preparation I put in, I thought. The not-so-wonderful thing is that we don't find out until Monday or Tuesday what performing group we are in. This is not-so-wonderful because I STILL don't know my schedule and would really like a JOB. Tuesday we went out to dinner with Casey, Amanda, and Co. to this cute little Thai restaurant over in Cambridge called Sugar and Spice (?). Delish. And then my mom was supposed to go home Wednesday morning, but considering how little we had gotten done, she was a gem and decided to extend her trip until Thursday morning. Thank you, mom. This also meant I got to spend one more night in a nice hotel, not in my house with a shower that is pretttttttttttttty creepy. Yep. Oh, and on Tuesday we went to the BU Bookstore, which happens to be a Barnes and Noble, and purchased BU paraphrenalia-- actually I just got a red sweatshirt that says Boston University on the front. I wore it Tuesday night because it was a little chilly and I just have to say, I felt like a traitor wearing enemy colors.

Wednesday was a day of freedom!!!! It was the first day of school at BU, but not for me because I am a really cool grad student. We went out to Ikea again and were a little more successful, spent a lot of time at my place setting up, putting things together, cramming things in places, and unsuccessfully hanging mirrors. It was a very good day. I always like going places with my mom.

Thursday morning my mom left and I had my first class. On Sunday at the dinner table I asked my family how many breakdowns they thought I would have this first week and my dad said to hope for none. I only asked the question because I think somehow I am notorious for having breakdowns in my family, which is SO WEIRD because I don't really think I have them that often. Anyway, back on topic, walking away from my mom was the closest I got to a breakdown, but I stayed focused and kept walking toward the T stop with only a few minor tears making it out despite my attempts to keep them from crossing the huge dam of my lower eyelid (is that even called an eyelid?). I can't live in Boston and be a sissy. People don't walk around crying. So I went to my first class in this ancient library and it was nice. My teacher is freaking awesome and said that since the class was only a 2 credit class and the class was scheduled to meet twice a week, an hour and a half each time, we would only come once a week for two hours. How cool is he? So I now officially only have class on Tuesday (until I find out audition results). And the BU library is much lamer than the BYU library. The end. Thursday afternoon I went with my roommates to Costco and some other places, one of which was the BU food court for lunch, and this man came up to me and handed me a Kaplan flier and said, "Someday, you'll go to grad school," and I said, "I'm actually a grad student, thanks." Some things never change. P.S. It is 6.50 for a sandwich in the cafeteria. What do they think we are? Loaded?

That all brings me to today. I slept in, sort of, then woke up to organize my room and paint my wardrobe thing. Then I practiced, went to a meeting, practiced, and went to flute class, and now I am back here at 10:00 on a Friday. First, I have to say, I am REALLY excited about my new flute teacher. She is awesome, and I have my first lesson tomorrow morning. I don't know what I will play, but I hope my lesson will be awesome. All of the other girls in my "studio" are really nice, too. One girl came up to me and was so friendly and nice and I have made friends with a few other flute grad students this week and they are all just so fantastic. I really like them. When we were leaving flute class they were all talking about how they loved my little Texas accent and I was like, "I don't have a Texas accent!" Seriously. I really don't. So my lesson is tomorrow at Symphony Hall downtown (where the BSO plays-- she plays a lot in the BSO), and it is going to take me probably 45 minutes to get there. Crazy. It takes me about 30 to get from my house to school. About 5 minutes to the T stop and 17-25 minutes on the T or waiting for the T. It's a party.

A few things I want to say. #1: People have been so incredibly nice and helpful to me since I have moved here. There was a really nice man in the T station today who helped me buy my monthly pass and even showed me how to swipe it without taking out my wallet, a really nice lady at BU who helped me find my counselor's office, a nice orchestra conductor, a nice teacher, super nice roommates, nice people at the hardware store, and the list GOES ON. I'm just going to pass my judgement now and say I think people in Boston are nice. I'm reading this book The Alchemist right now and it's kind of strange in some ways, but the book is about this boy who is trying to achieve his "Personal Legend" and a wise king taught him that when he is trying to achieve his personal legend the whole earth conspires to help him achieve it... or something like that. I just feel like that is totally happening here. I don't really know what my "Personal Legend" here is (cheesy, I know), but so many things are just falling perfectly into place and I feel really good about being here and feel like I'm really being watched over. I've had a lot of really awesome conversations with people already where I've been able to express my beliefs and truths that are important to me, and I feel like I'm here for a reason and that I'm needed here. It feels good. But, if the earth wanted to conspire to help me a little bit more it could help me find a job and I wouldn't have any hurt feelings.

That being said. It is now 10:15 on a Friday. I got home from class at 9, my roommates are all out at various activities and I'm just chillin.... I feel a little bit sad and like I kind of wish I had all my old friends here for me to hang out with, etc. It's just the truth. It's going to take me some time to make friends. BUT. I listened to a devotional by Elder Holland on the plane on Sunday about Lot's wife and not living in the past but living now and living for what is to come, and I've decided that I will do that for the next little while when it is going to be a little hard to stay positive and optimistic about the future when I kind of miss some aspects of the past. Wishing for my old friends will only make it harder for me to find new ones. So I am preparing for optimism. Hooray.

And lastly, I really want to get a job... and soon. And one more lastly, I would really like to play in the Symphony Orchestra for the concert they are playing at the Kennedy Center in Washington D.C. in November. I don't have any really great feelings about that happening, just saying it would be neat. Alright, more updates to come soon, including pictures of my room and my house and an exclusive look at my first day in my new ward. Heh. Should be fun.