Winter Fun!!!

So, instead of writing my paper (which we were trying to get out of, but have not heard back from our professor yet), I have decided to use my frozen hands to type a fun little post, as it has been quite awhile since my last, and my goal is to make this sentence as long as I can, but I can't think of anything else to write in this paragraph, so I'll end it now.

Anyway, today started out ok with work (it was quite busy). However, all throughout the day, I kept thinking about my delicious pork roast sitting in my brand new crock pot (thanks Santa Claus!) at home cooking away :). I was very excited to come home and when I did, the fragrance permeated the entire apartment (how about that sentence?!) Anyway, I made some potatoes and gravy (for the very first time--the gravy that is!) I was quite proud and I believe my abilities would have made Chef Ramsey's mouth water! The taste was even better!

As I was cleaning up my mess like a good roommate, I smelled a strong pungent smell that reminded me of natural gas. In my attempt to be cautious, I went down to the management office to tell them I thought there was a gas leak and to see what they could do for me. Management told me to keep an eye (or in this case, a nose) out to determine if the problem resolved or got worse. Ten minutes later, when the smell intensified, I went back down and told them the situation was escalating. Management then told me that the real management was out-of-state and maintenance had gone home and would not be available until tomorrow. I was then told to wait until then to ask for assistance.

At this time, I must note that the office employee is not to blame as she was probably as unsure of what to do as I was (I had to call my mom and sister to find out who to call/what to do. I know, I know...a graduate student and I don't know how to deal with a gas leak!)

Back to the story...

So, I was thinking that if nothing was done about this situation tonight, I would not be here tomorrow to report it, so I called Questar to report a gas leak. They sent a representative over (who was great!) to investigate. His findings resulted in a discovery of Carbon Monoxide gas in the apartment (there was not leak...I wonder where the gas smell came from. I am convinced that CO is NOT odorless!) Anyway, the Questar representative investigated our furnace and he said he was surprised it was still working. Aparently, the pilot light was not combusting the natural gas completely, so it was charring the inside of the furnace, making a huge mess. He declared the furnace as unsafe to use, shut off the gas, and told us to contact management quickly to fix the problem.

So...the result...we get to spend the night with no heat! Don't be jealous of us (I know you are...STOP IT!) However, being Mr. Prepared, I have situated my electric blanket on my bed, turned my space heater on, and will be bundling up for bed. However, before that, I must now type my paper for tomorrow (again...don't be jealous!) Let's just hope that my babies (their names are Cilantro, Basil, Parsley, Chives, and Thyme) will survive the harsh environment we have been forced to enjoy.

To all of you who have to suffer through a heated home this evening, I apologize that you do not get to enjoy the winter fun that our apartment will be enjoying this frigid evening in January.

Before ending this post, I want to give a shout-out to the Presidential Inauguration tomorrow (8 am at www.cnn.com). Whether you love or hate Barack Obama, it will be a historical moment that I think all should experience.

My Life Between Semesters...PURE HEAVEN!

So, there have been many people that have told me to enjoy school because I will miss it. At this point in time, I don't believe it. Since my last final, I have done nothing but sleep in, read (for pleasure), and play games. Not once have I thought about school (only the dread of having to return for one more semester. To those of you wondering why I chose to continue school, I am one of you and I have no answer. All I know is this better be worth it!)

I normally have the tradition of reading the Harry Potter series every Christmas. I don't think I will ever get tired of those books (it hasn't happened yet and I've read them 6 times so far!) However, I have been missing the suspense curiosity that comes with a new series, one that I don't know the ending to. In my quest of finding a new series, I talked with some friends and was told of three:

1. Percy Jackson and the Olympians by Rick Riordan
   
2. Fablehaven by Brandon Mull
3. Leven Thumps by Obert Skye

Percy Jackson and the Olympians topped my list because it's about a modern-day greek hero (part human, part Olympian). In this series, Rick Riordan combines Greek mythology with modern-day adventure. It's fantastic! I was able to borrow the books from the library and read through them in a week. Now, I'm awaiting the final book (The Last Olympian, due in May 2009). Even though the story line is very juvenile (and there's nothing wrong with that), it has been a page turner because I am extremely fascinated by Greek Mythology. I think these books are a must-read for any avid Greek mythology lover!

Fablehaven and Leven Thumps sounded interesting as well and, I must say, have always caught my eye every time I enter a bookstore. I just started reading Fablehaven, only because I'm still waiting for the first Leven Thumps book to become available. I wanted to wait with Fablehaven because that series still has two books left to be published (and I really hate waiting for books to be published!). However, I did start and I like what I've read so far.

Other books on my I-Want-To-Read list include, but are not limited to,

1. The Mayor of Casterbridge
2. Paradise Lost (in the middle of this one, fabulous!)
   
3. The Return of the Native (also in the middle, read previously, also fabulous!)
4. Beloved
5. Don Quixote
6. Cien Anos de Soledad
7. War and Peace
8. The Idiot
   
9. The Koran
10. The Apocrypha

I am also open and looking for other good books to read (it's so much more entertaining than watching tv!) I also have a pretty lengthy list of previously-read material that I really enoyed! However, this post is already a novel, so I will postpone my list of top reads! Until then, stay tuned :)

Irritating or Insightful???

We are all aware of the most interesting Chrismtas song "The 12 Days of Christmas". As annoying as the song is, it is surprising to me to hear so many different versions of the song (each version seeming as though it will never end). Luckily, there have been some versions that are quite enjoyable and hilarious, but they seem to be few and far between.

So...where did this song come from (and how drunk was the writer?) I researched my query (oh my goodness...I've been in school too long!) and this is what I found out. To properly cite my source, I found this information in Stories Behind the Best-Loved Songs of Christmas by Ace Collins.

In Britain, during the sixteenth century, the Church of England was the only legally recognized Christian church. Practicing any other religion was punishable by law. To protect themselves from legal recourse, people began preaching in secret and in code. This included teaching their children.

In the song, the "true love" is a heavenly love. The meaning of each gift is as follows:

1. Partridge in a Pear Tree--"Courage and devotion above what man ever showed on earth"
2. Two Turtle Doves--Old and New Testaments (also, doves symbolize peace and truth)
   
3. Three French Hens--Expensive food items...a meal fit for a king. The hens implied gold, frankincense, and myrrh.
4. Four Calling Birds--Represent the books of Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John.
5. Five Gold Rings--Five books of the old testament.
6. Six Geese-a-laying--Represent the six creative periods of the world.
7. Seven Swans-a-Swimming--Gifts of the spirit ("prophecy, service, teaching, encouraging, giving, leadership, and mercy")
8. Eight Maids-a-Milking--Milking cattle was the lowest job possible and having a lady do that meant she was of little worth. This represents Christ's humility. The number eight also signified the beattitudes.
9. Nine Ladies Dancing--Represent the gifts of the Spirit ("love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control").
10. Ten Lords-a-Leaping--Represent the 10 Commandments.
11. Eleven Pipers Piping--Represent the 11 apostles who preached the Gospel after Christ's resurrection.
12. Twelve Drummers Drumming--Represents "The Apostle's Creed":

"I believe in God the Father, maker of heaven and earth, in Jesus Christ, his only Son, our Lord, conceived by the Holy Spirit, born of the Virgin Mary. Who suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, died, and was buried, descended into hell; the third day he rose fromt he dead, ascended into heaven and sits at the right hand of God, the Father Almighty. He shall return to judge the lviing and the dead. I believe in the Holy Spirit, the holy catholic church, the communion of saints, the forgiveness of sins, the resurrection of the boyd, and life everlasting."

Looking at "The 12 Days of Christmas" from this perspective, it is actually an amazing song. However, it might be better as a poem instead of a song...I don't know. Either way, it is brilliant!

I Am GRATEFUL for CHRISTMAS (and EASTER)!!!!!

So, I have heard (from many sources) that they feel that the Thanksgiving Holiday is ignored because of the Christmas hype. I understand their argument, but...I have to respectfully disagree. I see Thanksgiving as the beginning of a wonderful time of year. People are nicer, happier, and more pleasant to be around (well, most people). Thanksgiving is a time of year when people are more likely to recognize things they are thankful for, blessings they have received throughout the year, and miracles that have happened. It also is a time when people begin to recognize how important family and friends are. This is very similar if not identical to the Christmas Holiday. As with Thanksgiving, families come together, friends realize how important their friendships are (old and new), and people recognize how their lives have been blessed. The major difference I see between Christmas and Thanksgiving is the celebration of the birth of our Savior Jesus Christ.

Now, for those of you who share in the ideology that Christmas must wait until after Thanksgiving, please understand I respect your decision and this post is not meant to be demeaning or disrespectful. This post is merely an explanation as to why some people enjoy Christmas "a little too early". In my mind, Thanksgiving is a great time to allow the Christmas Spirit to begin to grow. Additionally, can you think of a more appropriate time to express gratitude for family, blessings, opportunities, protection, and above all, the birth of our Savior. The only thing I see missing is a little Easter celebration, recognizing the Atonement, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ, the greatest gift and miracle given to the human race!

I now step down from my soap box and give thanks to those of you who read this post. As a prize, you get to vote for your favorite Christmas song! (I know, I know...I'm so generous :)).

Newsflash

Unfortunate news...my good friend Celine is dealing with a nasty bug and has had to reschedule her Salt Lake concert until Feb 22 (so far away!!!) To everyone out there anxious for a detailed description of the concert will have to wait just a bit longer. The silver lining in this terrible news...there might be more tickets available for those unable to attend the later concert. More good news...you still have time to save money for tickets :). Good news for me...the concert is now more of a prelude to and celebration of graduation instead of motivation to help me get through school and stupid papers (as I do not foresee this next semester to be extremely difficult).

As for me, I will be viewing Celine's A New Day DVD to help me endure yet another long period of waiting.

Too Much to Contain

It is official...I can no longer contain the excitement (that and it has been awhile since I wrote a post and I figured this would be a good one). Yes, yes, as those of you who know me well, you know of my little crush on Celine Dion. Also, as you may know, she is finally coming to Salt Lake City! Being Mr. Prepared and Mr. On-Top-Of-Things, I signed up for tickets last November (like I said, it's just a little crush) and have been holding on to them since that time. I bought two because I wanted to take a date...and I had no idea who the lucky girl would be (double lucky...she gets to see Celine Dion live and she gets to see her with me!)

I had a couple of options of finding a girl to go with me. The most creative way that was suggested to me (by my internship supervisor) was to put a listing on KSL, Ebay, or Craigslist for one free ticket to the concert (and a free date). After much deliberation, I figured I'd be safest and most guaranteed to have a fun time if I chose who I took.

Anyway, the big day is November 21 at the Energy Solutions Arena and it's going to be amazing!

This Was Inevitable! (Cont'd)

So, I tried to put a few of my favorites on the post, but it would only let me upload so many (I guess), so I'm doing a second post to put the rest on (I couldn't leave any of these out!) These albums come highly recommended, especially by myself. By the way, the picture inside the LDS Conference Center is there to represent the Mormon Tabernacle Choir and Orchestra on Temple Square (I couldn't find a satisfying picture). That picture also represents the concerts given by Sissel, Bryn Terfel, Audra McDonald, Frederica Von Stade, and Angela Lansbury, along with the Mormon Tabernacle Choir. They were absolutely fabulous! ENJOY!