Cheat, Steal and Lie

A little history lesson from my life: Pollyanna

Pollyanna is a board game that my family plays religiously. In fact, it is the only game my family plays. Apart from a few failed games of Clue with Dayna when we were younger, Pollyanna is the only board game I have ever played. No Scrabble, no Monopoly, no Sorry, Trouble or Life.

Just Pollyanna. The problem with this is that Pollyanna creates contention, cheating and anger. Without fail somebody always throws the board, their dice, their Diet Coke or their chair. It's a violent game of cheating and lying, and I am not above any of it.

Not only do we play one game of Pollyanna, but we have double games. Twice the fights.

This is a terrible situation. Not only do we have a blockie (double pieces on one square which prevents all other pieces from passing), but we have a triple blockie. They are blocking blockies. Good game plan.

Annnnnnnd this is how it ends. Fighting, pointing and lying defenses.

This is why I don't play games anymore. I was raised to cheat, steal and lie my way to winning in Pollyanna. I've discussed cheating methods with my dad, and watched many boards hit the ceiling as pieces and dice rained down.

Moral of the story: Cheat, Steal and Lie

Christmas Cake Pops

What on Earth would I do without Holidays?! No Halloween Cake Pops. No Christmas Cake Pops. No Valentine's Day Cake Pops. It would be sad.

That's a Santa hat. Probably won't try that one again

I have an amazing block of wood with specially designed and drilled holes that fit the exact width of my sticks, but it's in my room, and in the words of Halen, "Carlie, your room is a mess!!" My beautiful wooden block is currently lost in the layers of mess. Halen told me the Toy Man will come clean my room for me if I don't do it every Saturday like he does. 5 year old with way too much sass.

And we only had 1 casualty. Mallory said it looked like it was shot against the wall. Baking can get pretty gruesome sometimes!

8 Cell Phones Later

I stuck the sticky note to the back of my door with makeup, straightener, toothbrush/toothpaste, cell phone/charger and blanket written across it. A few hours later I bolted out of bed. Today was the day I had been waiting 18 years for. I was moving out! I got ready, double and triple checked my sticky note of last minute things to pack and headed out the door. Four hours later, I was crying as I watched my mom and dad leave me all alone in a city, not twice the size, but 200 times the size of my itty-bitty Paris Idaho.

That was exactly 3 years and 4 months ago. I still write sticky notes and put them on the back of my door as reminders. I don't double or triple check my packing anymore--even though I should. Provo is not that big, but Paris is that small! I don't cry when I leave home anymore, well, usually not. And I, and I, and I....what the hell have I been doing for 3 years?!

A few days ago it dawned on me that the morning I described earlier, which is still so vibrant in my memory, was over 3 years ago! I still think of myself as this young, lost and naive freshman, but that's not true. In fact, the current freshman are the high school students I taught in my 276R teaching class! That was a weird moment looking across the Cougar Eat and realizing that boy, who was once my student, is now my fellow BYU student.

To be honest, this made me sad. I felt like I hadn't done anything in the last three years. Then I made a list...

1. I have not dropped out of college despite my longing to do so.

2. I have not failed more than 2 college courses.

3. I have had a total of 7 hair colors including purple, blue and blonde.

4. I have moved 5 times.

5. I have traveled past northern Utah.

6. I have discovered the wonderful world of online shopping.

7. I have loved.

8. I have lost love.

9. I have gone to Canada.

10. I have seen Mexico.

11. I have changed interdepartmental jobs 3 times.

12. I have lost my testimony.

13. I have gained a stronger testimony.

14. I have watched every episode of House, Dexter and Cupcake Wars.

15. I have written more papers than I could count.

16. I have baked more cupcakes than I could count as well.

17. I have taught 7th grade, 8th grade, 9th grade, 11th grade, 12th grade and Sunday School, which was by far the scariest.

18. I have had 5 minors and only 1 major.

19. I have come to love my family more than I can explain.

20. I have not stopped wearing my boots, Carhartt coat or my 20 year old sweater no matter how socially unacceptable they are for Provo.

21. I have come to like a lot more people.

22. I have come to dislike a lot more people.

23. I have expanded my bookshelf by 4 times its original size.

24. I have been called to the Service Committee 4 times. 4. I'm not joking.

25. I have, at times, been entirely happy.

26. I have talked to God. Yelled at, laughed with, sworn at, followed closely, ignored completely, cried honestly and loved God. We have a roller coaster type of relationship.

27. I have never doubted that I want to teach.

28. I have gone through 8 cell phones.

29. I have completely trusted. Once.

30. I have had 3 good years.

Not-so-Patiently-being-Patient

“The two hardest tests on the spiritual road are the patience to wait for the right moment and the courage not to be disappointed with what we encounter.” ― Paulo Coelho,

“The two most powerful warriors are patience and time.” ― Leo Tolstoy

“Adopt the pace of nature: her secret is patience.” ― Ralph Waldo Emerson

“No, no! The adventures first, explanations take such a dreadful time.” ― Lewis Carroll

“Patience is bitter, but its fruit is sweet.” ― Aristotle

“Face your deficiencies and acknowledge them; but do not let them master you. Let them teach you patience, sweetness, insight.” ― Helen Keller

“Patience is power. Patience is not an absence of action; rather it is "timing" it waits on the right time to act, for the right principles and in the right way.” ― Fulton J. Sheen

“Do you have the patience to wait until your mud settles and the water is clear?” ― Lao Tzu

“Patience – A minor form of despair, disguised as a virtue.” ― Ambrose Bierce

“The Lord did strengthen them that they could bear up their burdens with ease, and they did submit cheerfully and with patience to all the will of the Lord.”

“She was always waiting, it seemed to be her forte.” ― D.H. Lawrence

“Cooking is an art and patience a virtue... Careful shopping, fresh ingredients and an unhurried approach are nearly all you need. There is one more thing - love. Love for food and love for those you invite to your table. With a combination of these things you can be an artist - not perhaps in the representational style of a Dutch master, but rather more like Gauguin, the naïve, or Van Gogh, the impressionist. Plates or pictures of sunshine taste of happiness and love.” ― Keith Floyd

“If we could look into each other’s hearts and understand the unique challenges each of us faces, I think we would treat each other much more gently, with more love, patience, tolerance, and care.” ― Marvin J. Ashton

“How many a man has thrown up his hands at a time when a little more effort, a little more patience would have achieved success? ” ― Elbert Hubbard

Part-time

Today I realized my job is amazing. I love it. Sometimes, like today, when I can barely get myself out of bed and I feel like throwing up or crying (I can't distinguish between those two emotions), my job makes it better.

Don't get me wrong, sometimes my job causes me to want to throw up, but most days, it is my happy place.

I work with 20 someodd guys and a handful of girls, and I like/love them all (some more than others, and some barely at all, but I still like them).

They give some of the best advice ("If you love someone, you'll fight to make it work"), and some of the worst ("You have something called a conscience, listen to it as little as possible.").

At 7am this morning I felt like crawling up in the fetal position and not moving for several days, but by 8am I felt happy. Thank you, Patrick.

Times when I seriously consider dropping college or at least transfering, it is my job that keeps me going. At these times it usually the paycheck that makes me get back up at 5:50am the next morning.

I pull cables. I enter data. I create asset tracking bases. I pick up Steven's coat. I shut Justin's locker. I bring a little culture to their city ears with my country music.

I attend meetings. I cook turkeys. I troubleshoot internet connections. I clean the fish tank. I wear hard hats and steel toes. But the most important is . . .

I make friends.