immediate sharing.

there is a particular boy in my life who knows me far too well, without even really knowing me. we have a beautiful friendship. and this is what he just shared with me via fbook and i have already read 4-5 times.

***please note: female readers do not just read drama filled, intense, fictitious novels.  thus the melodramatic side of the reader that Urquico describes, is not always present (e.g. "weeping at 2 AM"? i don't weep. i sigh and sniffle, and only occasionally).

Date A Girl Who Reads by Rosemarie Urquico

(In Response to Charles Warnke’s You Should Date An Illiterate Girl.)

Date a girl who reads. Date a girl who spends her money on books instead of clothes. She has problems with closet space because she has too many books. Date a girl who has a list of books she wants to read, who has had a library card since she was twelve.

Find a girl who reads. You’ll know that she does because she will always have an unread book in her bag.She’s the one lovingly looking over the shelves in the bookstore, the one who quietly cries out when she finds the book she wants. You see the weird chick sniffing the pages of an old book in a second hand book shop? That’s the reader. They can never resist smelling the pages, especially when they are yellow.

She’s the girl reading while waiting in that coffee shop down the street. If you take a peek at her mug, the non-dairy creamer is floating on top because she’s kind of engrossed already. Lost in a world of the author’s making. Sit down. She might give you a glare, as most girls who read do not like to be interrupted. Ask her if she likes the book.

Buy her another cup of coffee.

Let her know what you really think of Murakami. See if she got through the first chapter of Fellowship. Understand that if she says she understood James Joyce’s Ulysses she’s just saying that to sound intelligent.  Ask her if she loves Alice or she would like to be Alice.

It’s easy to date a girl who reads. Give her books for her birthday, for Christmas and for anniversaries. Give her the gift of words, in poetry, in song. Give her Neruda, Pound, Sexton, Cummings. Let her know that you understand that words are love. Understand that she knows the difference between books and reality but by god, she’s going to try to make her life a little like her favorite book. It will never be your fault if she does.

She has to give it a shot somehow.

Lie to her. If she understands syntax, she will understand your need to lie. Behind words are other things: motivation, value, nuance, dialogue. It will not be the end of the world.

Fail her. Because a girl who reads knows that failure always leads up to the climax. Because girls who understand that all things will come to end. That you can always write a sequel. That you can begin again and again and still be the hero. That life is meant to have a villain or two.

Why be frightened of everything that you are not? Girls who read understand that people, like characters, develop. Except in the Twilightseries.

If you find a girl who reads, keep her close. When you find her up at 2 AM clutching a book to her chest and weeping, make her a cup of tea and hold her. You may lose her for a couple of hours but she will always come back to you. She’ll talk as if the characters in the book are real, because for a while, they always are.

You will propose on a hot air balloon. Or during a rock concert. Or very casually next time she’s sick. Over Skype.

You will smile so hard you will wonder why your heart hasn’t burst and bled out all over your chest yet. You will write the story of your lives, have kids with strange names and even stranger tastes. She will introduce your children to the Cat in the Hat and Aslan, maybe in the same day. You will walk the winters of your old age together and she will recite Keats under her breath while you shake the snow off your boots.

Date a girl who reads because you deserve it. You deserve a girl who can give you the most colorful life imaginable. If you can only give her monotony, and stale hours and half-baked proposals, then you’re better off alone. If you want the world and the worlds beyond it, date a girl who reads.

Or better yet, date a girl who writes.

i would share the sports section.

i moved into my new apartment officially. everything is in it's place and i feel homey. but the other girls are still not here yet. i am excited for them to move in, we are going to have a lot of fun living together and it will be nice to have some company.

but i gotta admit- living with ladies (as fun as it is...) is starting to wear out its welcome. when do i get to do this:

what could be better than snuggling up on sunday mornings with the paper and your honey. as much as i don't want to, i really have got to add the word "boyfriend" into my life (i just hate that word...so committal. makes me hyperventilate just to type it). or i am gonna be reading the paper alone for a looonnnggg time.

note to self: no more blogging at 2 AM...

i owe him.

for reasons unnecessary for sharing, i owe arthur a personal blog post. or 5. and i am not allowed to delete it. 

ladies and gentlemen, you all know him, sir arthur. he is my original literary buddy. the first night that we actually had together, i believe we stayed up until about 3 AM just talking about books. i was so captivated by our conversation, that i hardly noticed blake's thunderous snoring in the background. i was smitten. he has since become my book, foodie, yogi, climbing, cycling, movie, pool and whatever buddy.  his best friend once told me, and i quote,

 "beckie, you will never regret marrying arthur. he will be rich, we will own a private jet which you would have full access to and the man can wear the hell out of a suit."

never mess with a man and his iphone.

the other day we had a lovely afternoon discussing the ongoings of life and books. of course- books. i force fed him a copy of born to run and insisted that he would love it and must read it. this is one man that takes my book recommendations seriously.  

the next afternoon, message 1: "i just read the first 2 chapters. i am really tempted to cancel my date tonight."

few hours later, message 2: "only made it 100 pages, i'm tempted to not shower before so i can just read more."

one day later, message 3 "the book was sooooooo good"

me "you already finished?!??!!!?!!"

arthur " i would have finished it last might if it had not been for the date...i had to take a break yesterday to go on a 6 mile run followed by a half mile in my barefoot ted shoes."

i think that it was about this point when i threw my hands in the air and said "fine, i will stop fighting you. i will marry you...damn it."

what can i say, the poor guy needs a green card. i have since revoked my acceptance of marriage, but i will keep him for all other purposes. and ladies, he is still single if you are interested...
this is my favorite picture of us.

sometimes he makes me really mad. and he makes way too much eye contact for my comfort. and he can outclimb me and and kick my butt in scrabble. and he can knows how to win in our battles because he is so fully aware of my flakiness, my commitment issues, my pride, my stubbornness, my feminist attitude and my inability to sit still. i am definitely the underdog in this friendship.

but he has great political views (ok ok just the same as me), chris carrabba hair, the cutest nieces and nephews, a stellar mother, a questionable best friend, flawless style, an organic garden, cool friends, an addiction to chocolate, 2 bikes, a temple recommend, several aprons, bagillions of books, the sympathy of nancy (aka my mama who also is aware of aforementioned flaws that destroy men) an eco friendly car, a brain that just blows my mind, and he thinks that i am cool.

beckie "you got a new car? so green of you"

arthur "yep. i love it. i think that i will name her rita"

beckie "ah perfect. like lovely rita?"

arthur "i didn't even have to explain :)"

so there ya go, my little brazilian bff. i hereby promise to not delete this post.

revelation.

i am reading a book right now entitled, hearing the voice of the lord, authored by elder gerarld n. lund. i love reading books of a spiritual nature and expanding my knowledge and testimony of gospel principles. i generally only read books written by prophets. like i told my mama the other day, i have come to learn that "just because it is in deseret book, does not make it doctrine." she wholeheartedly agreed.

this book could not have been given to me at a more appropriate time in my life. it starts out with a quote from president kimball that says,

" the Almighty is with this people. we shall have all the revelation that we shall need if we will do our duty and keep the commandments of God...remember: if there be eyes to see, there will be visions to inspire. if there be ears to hear, there will be revelations to experience. if there be hearts which can understand, know this: that the exalting truths of Christ's gospel will no longer be hidden and mysterious and all earnest seekers may know God and his program."

president kimball's emphatic manner of delivering advice and counsel is unsurpassed to me. i love reading all of his talks and books. and i just love that quote. this book by elder lund is rather simplistic, but it is backed by biblical references and quotes from prophets of old and today. it is a beautiful outline of how we can have the hearts to understand and the ears to hear the revelations that the Lord has in store for each one of us.

there have been some things weighing heavily on my mind and heart for so long now. my amazing parents are well aware of this and they are always so careful in their addressing of these subjects with me. but luckily for me, they know how to listen to the Lord. and though we only briefly discussed the issue the other day, it was followed by a long heartfelt email full of love and wisdom to help me in my struggles and time of decision making.  i am so grateful to them and know that they are qualified to receive revelation on my behalf and that they are caring enough to tell me, no matter how sensitive the subject. 

later, i was able to go to the temple and spend some time there to more deeply ponder their advice and what the Lord would want me to do. sometimes it is just exhausting not knowing where to go in life. while in the temple i reflected on a lot of the counsel in this book, my patriarchal blessing and upon what my parents had shared with me. even though i have not sung the song "a child's prayer" in years, the lyrics came to me so clearly in their entirety and i was washed over with a comfort and love that only my Heavenly Father could provide. 

there are still so many uncertainties in my life and so many decisions that i have yet to make. but i am so happy  to know that i am blessed with such loving parents, caring friends, access to temples, and a strong, personal relationship with my Heavenly Father. all is well.
A Child's Prayer

Heavenly Father, are you really there?
and do you hear and answer every child's prayer. 
Some say that Heaven is far away, 
but i feel it close around me as i pray.

Heavenly Father, i remember now,
something that Jesus told Disciples long ago. 
Suffer the children to come to me, 
Father in prayer i'm coming now to thee.

Pray, He is there. 
Speak, He is listening. 
You are his child, 
his love now surrounds you.

He hears your prayer, 
He loves the children, 
of such is the Kingdom, 
the Kingdom of Heav'n.

adios for now.

today was one of goodbyes. i said goodbye to school (took my last final) and i said goodbye to my friends leaving for summer sales and internships. this happens every year. it should be nothing new. but i am always a little sad to see them off. obviously, i survive the months alone, but not without a bit of a wistful longing for my closest friends.

when you go away for a summer it is great to really immerse yourself in your new surroundings and try new things but everyone needs that soft place to land from time to time. so whether that be a phone call or a skype date, it is just nice to know that someone is there.

i love my late night calls when they phone to tell me about their day and have someone to talk to on their long drives back home every night.  there are always funny stories to share, frustrations to vent about, moments of silence when it is just nice to know that a friend is on the other end caring about you, and then the, "ok...well i am home now." and we all can go to sleep comforted and happy.

here we go again.

ions.

i really appreciate positive people. but i should say that i also appreciate down to earth people. and i really admire those that have found the balance in being positive in all situations and realistic. i am grateful for the way that my mama raised me. there were no pity parties in our house.  if something happened, we got a,

"that is too bad and i'm really sorry that you are upset (a tiny shower of sympathy/empathy)...but (here comes the lesson part)...it's over. so what can you do better next time (of course as a teenager i felt that she was always telling me that i was in the wrong, but in hindsight i see what a great value of responsibility she taught me), it's over so no need to fester anger and dwell on it, you don't have control over everything (i still have a hard time with that one...), and so what are you going to do now?"

i have never been the most optomistic person in the world because i always wanted to be realistic and not be disappointed by anything. i think that i also fear coming off as "fake".  but i am learning more and more to be positive and to look for the good in situations and people. it allows me to find happiness no matter what is going on or what is not going my way. i may have a whine session here and there, but i know that i have complete control over how i handle situations. i am lucky enough to have some really pure hearted people in my life that are examples of this to me everyday. and i suppose with the world going up in smoke, my life is a cake walk. i am blessed.

spoke too soon...

the world decided to remind me that i forgot to knock on wood yesterday as i was relishing in all my blessings and awesome life. because i woke up late and as i was stuffing all my things into my bag and running out the door, i remembered to grab breakfast and feed sully...

sully was dead.

floating. gray. dead.

i know that it sounds a bit melodramatic to be saddened over the loss of a $2 fish, but he was more than that. we almost had a full year together.  he survived a lot of my carelessness, babysitters, soapy rocks, etc.  he was a great fish to have. sully was the best and one of the longest relationships that i have ever had. he never cheated, he never lied, he just swam around and was happy. and now it is over. when i first got him, ang and i sat at the kitchen table just watching him for really pathetically extended amounts of time. but he made me smile.  again, i know- he is just a fish. but it was nice to have some sort of life with me for more than a semester at a time.

luckily for my broken little pet owner heart, kenny was there to make it better (his 13 year old puppy just died last week- tragic...really...it made me feel bad for being so sad over a fish. but what's mine is mine). we took a nice, long, evening walk to the river where we let sully out to find his final resting place. breakfast will be lonely without him.  but ode to sully, such a great fishy. he will be missed.

best weekend.

this past weekend was without a doubt, one of the best weekends that i have had this semester.

it began on thursday: kyle came!

we went to the quarry and climbed for hours. we got cool t shirts. we tried harder courses. we choked on chalk. we caught up on the last year of our lives. it was wonderful.  there is something so spectacular about the sport of climbing.  indoor will suffice for now, but i cannot wait to get out into nature and attack some real climbs this summer. 

after climbing we went to guru's for some late dinner (best veggie burrito in the world) and music by my friend john allred.  it was actually really good and the best- he ended singing hallelujah. one of the most tragic but breath taking songs ever.

kyle and i established our friendship over a decade ago. many adventures, letters, years, a couple financees, some crazy relationships, jobs, school, etc- we remain great friends. i am so glad that he came out to visit.  my life has been blessed by his kindness and friendship over the years and it is always great to actually see each other and just sit and laugh and talk like old times. 

 friday everyone was able to go snowboarding but i was stuck at work. boo.  though i find that on fridays, in anticipation for my weekend, i have extreme amounts of energy and i am ridiculously productive. so i was able to complete all of my tasks ahead of time and spent the rest of my time finishing:

my friend, andrew, brought this to me last week and i absolutely loved it. the writing, the information, the presentation, all of it- it was such an engaging read and truly enlightening. i highly recommend it. later that evening (after watching the byu game, of course), vale and i went to watch the "floating bagel bites" dominate their inner-tube water polo game.  it was intramural sports entertainment at its best.

saturday was the day that we actually really celebrated kenny king's birthday.  kenny is the king of my heart.

yes his legs are really that skinny but he does great at yoga...
few men on this earth can make me laugh like he can.  i cannot even begin to describe my love for kenny. he always a gentleman, a fun date, a good cuddler, a yoga buddy, a strong priesthood holder and great man all around. and just a little plug for his greatness-- one night we were playing pretty late and when i asked him to come play with me, he said that he had to study and would have to pass because "i love my future family too much to play right now". solid.
after dinner, we went and saw Tangled:

it was adorable. i had heard so many things about it, but just had not made the time to view it for myself.  i am so glad that he choose that movie because it was such a fun, happy movie and i left the theatre in a fit of giggles and smiles. ps: i love kenny.

today, sunday, was perfect. fast and testimony meeting was lovely, my sunday nap was rejuvenating and just in time to wake up for selection sunday. oh and i got a new book to read for the week which i am absolutely elated over.  then tonight was probably the most fun game night that we have had all year.  risk is my favorite board game, especially with kenny's apartment, they are just such a fun group of boys to play with (and they all give amazing amazing back rubs). it was a great precursor to this summer's upcoming evening activities. i have not laughed and played that hard in so long. i have such great friends.

i miss you.

there are some things that i miss right now.

1. my dad. he is so sweet to me. and check him out- he's cool too. but he is far away right now, eating citrus flavored bananas and being a medical assistant to my mama :)

2. my little sister. she loves arrested development (i miss that show too) with me, she sings songs to me, she asks me for advice, she snuggles with me, she gets annoyed with me, we used to do everything together.  but now we are in different states and i miss her.  thank goodness for gchat.

3. summer hikes/runs/bike rides. some people think that it is gross to sweat...but i kinda like it. it usually means that i am working hard. and even better when i am out in the summer sun (i also miss those girls because they got married last summer).

4. my churassco palta. (this picture does not do Pantruca's justice) I am willing to go non vegetarian every now and then for a bite of ricardo and margarita's amazing sandwiches. maybe i will go tomorrow.

5. my joely friend. someone else moved into his room. i have seen the kid twice. and bless his heart, i am sure he is great, but he is no half hippie, geology loving, bff like joely. nstant messaging and texting is always there and it is better than nothing, but i still miss my friend (and i miss our camping trips). he just informed me that reno is full of hippie people and that i would fit in well...road trip?

i guess i will just need to plan a visit home, fly to fiji, drive to reno and wait for the summer. and for now i suppose that i will enjoy the good friends that i do have here and the fact that i have a car and don't have to walk in the cold and that i do have modern technology to keep me in contact with my family and friends. 

someday? (relaxing evening part deux)

 Along with my relaxing evening came a bit of a deeper discussion about relationships (this always happens with us. scotty is very confused by me but patient...).  

There have been times when I thought that I was in love and perhaps, at the time, I truly was- but only in the immature and inexperienced way that I knew at the time.

I have never been jealous before. I have never liked anyone enough to be jealous. I have never liked anyone enough to really let myself get hurt by them. I have never loved someone enough to want to stay in one place. Oh, it is highly possible that there is something very broken in me, but I like to think that maybe I am just saving all my love for just the right person someday. This thought process led me to go home and listen to cheesy love songs. These are some of my favorites:

Anywhere But Here- SafetySuit.

Still- Matt Nathanson.

Ready When You Are- Trapt.

I Never Told You- Colbie Caillet.

Then You Look At Me- Celine Dion.

the end.

tonight...i relaxed.

One of my most beloved ways to unwind:

It just makes me so happy.  I have been oddly secluded as of late. I do realize that I could probably make time to be more social, but I am completely exhausted from everyday life!  Yesterday, however, after much convincing, my good friend Scott was able to persuade me to go out on a long overdue S and B night.  This was us last year:

 Tonight was the Jazz v. Bulls game. Neither teams were really all that spectacular (except for a few amazing blocks...but the 11/21 free throws? ew).  Yet, I had SO much fun. I relaxed. I was in my element. We talked, laughed, shouted, and just sat. I ate nachos, I forgot about my jerk boss, I didn't think about homework, I didn't worry about the gym, I just had fun. We did lose the game (barely) but it was an exciting one. I hadn't yelled like that in a while.  It felt damn good (maybe there were subconsciously some other emotional frustrations being secreted...).

We sat 6 rows behind the team. I had never sat there before and it was exhilarating!!  I had never been that close to the entire team and staff. I have sat closer in the past, but never near the team. They are all so...big. 

It was exactly the diversion that I needed. And now it is after 11 PM, I still have to do my laundry, do my chem homework and be up by 5:30 AM.  Cool.

But it is amazing what a little bit of good company, entertainment and laughter can do for your overall wellness. Thanks, for reminding me to chill out, scotty :).

golden bday.

today is josh's bday.

some people- ourselves included- are puzzled by our friendship.  

we sure have our ups and downs.

 but he remains one of my very very best friends and has done so much for me.

we have our own way of doing things and we have a lot of fun.

i am proud of you puppy.

thank you for always making me laugh and being my best friend :)

ang wag war

once upon a time i met one of my favorite and few girlfriends. her name was angela.

she could run really really fast. she was the bee's knees.she liked adventures and talking and sports and eating and other cool things. we would do everything from sledding to skinny dipping to craft nights.

we were just meant to be friends. she napped in the middle of the floor during rock band and broke a sled with me. perfect match.

but then one magical night a total dreamboat came bowling with us and it was history from there.

next thing I knew, I had two new roommates.

but he was clean, sweet, patient and coached tennis. Eventually it turned into forever and me with no roommates.

so now, sadly, the most recent picture i have (because married people disappear) with my buddy is

But today is her bday. And she is super great. and sometimes we do still play just like old times. and she is probably one of the coolest married people that i know. she has seen my weird eating, sleeping, working, schooling habits.  she has watched my cycle through a bagillion men.  she sings country music super loud. and she still runs uber fast. and ang, for your bday, i owe you some yozone and chat time.

happy bday, love you!

hey there gramps.

There has been some confusion. Monday was not special because of black people stuff.  Much more importantly, it was Gary's 31st birthday (which really is not that old, but it sure is entertaining to make fun of him anyway. He just bears it so well!).  

he is a sports enthusiast and a happy birthday boy.

What a night. He had started out the day snowboarding (sadly I missed out on the mountain fun, being responsible and doing homework) and then we went to the his first Grizzlies game which, though we lost, it was a great time.  Lacy was her typical awesome self and hooked the group up with second row tickets.  There was minimal fighting, but we got to see the Grizzlies give em hell a couple times.

when you need this many candles you stop buying multiple boxes and just go with the actual numbers :)

The old man nearly had a heart attack when we got back to his little surprise party with some of his family and good friends. Games, eating, arguing (we are all somewhat competitive) and laughs ensued and overall, in my opinion, he had a pretty good bday.  But Gary is on my top five for Best Guys in the World.  He has blessed my life with friendship, support, laughs, honesty and so much more for several years now.

Things about G:

* His eyes are two very different colors (but he is not immune to zombies!)

* Is obsessed with the Yankees (he is flawed, but forgivable).

* Loves the number 13.

* Is a great cuddler.

* Served his LDS Mission in STL (has since gained quite the appreciation for the Cardinals and wonderful people of the midwest).

* Has a ridiculously huge shoe and hat collection (and he always coordinates the two).

* Never sleeps in his bed (even though it is huge and super comfy).

* He likes to hang out at the mall (hence the huge shoe collection).

* Has near death experiences a few times a year (totally serious...it is ridiculous).

* I have been told he is a great kisser...

* Is much better at taking care of people than accepting people's help (he refused to plan anything for his bday or ask for any gifts. too bad).

* Drinks dinosaur servings of Vitamin C.

* Has admirable taste in music (we have many of the same pandora stations...yes, that means he has good taste).

So those are just a few things about my gary friend.  I am so glad that he has survived all of those deathly experiences and is there to keep ample supplies of laughter, winks, and sarcasm in my life. He makes the other boys be nice to me, he keeps me full of snacks, he is humble in his spirituality, tells me the BEST stories, tells old man/dad jokes like a seasoned pro and though some may think this bad- no one understands my commitment and ridiculous dating life like him. He is the one of the most down to earth and giving men I know. And yes he is single...but I could only possibly recommend him to the very very best.

Happy happy birthday, Gary. Hope that it was wonderful "neurogasmic"!

study secret.

I do not mind studying. I do not mind taking notes. In fact, I like my notes to be perfect so I usually take them twice (once in class on paper and then again at home, perfectly, in my notebook...ocd, I know).  But sometimes I get a little bit bored. I cannot listen to music while doing schoolwork very well because I tend to start writing or thinking about what I am listening to and then it is all just a mumbo jumbo mess of chemical equations and Band of Horses. While both are lovely, they just don't go well together.  But you know what does?

mini bags!  natural! salty! spicy! wonderful!

I can chew on some kernels, think over my information, and stay focused. It is great. And they make just the right amount! (ok, being honest, I could eat my body weight in popcorn. but this offers some portion decency).

Oh and on the topic of semi healthy eating- this vegetarian thing is going great.  I love it. Let's just say that Mother Nature paid a visit last week and for the first time that I can ever remember, she didn't bring bloating! I have energy, I feel healthier and more slim all the time.  And I am realizing that it is not just because I have cut out meat.  It is because of everything else that has fallen by the wayside with it.  What happens when you go to Carls Jr? Burger, cheese, mayo, bread, french fries, a drink, etc.  Those calories, cholesterol, sodium and preservatives add up!!  So I don't stop for food at all. I have been more creative with my eating and with all the substitutions, I just find it easier to replace fatty foods with healthy ones.

i love gary. even if he is a yankee fan.

For example, last night Gary had a party and there was tons of food. There were all sorts of dips and meats for chips and sandwiches, mini smokies, pizza, etc (typical game day food. mmmm yum).  But being the sweetheart that he is, he made a vegetarian dip just for me and there were plenty of fruit and veggie trays.  I ate a lot, but felt good.  Not heavy and fatso (no need to really mention the razzels, sour punch, and mambas). 

All in all, it is going well. I like this and I cannot wait to try more recipes.  Oh and I love love love my boys for supporting me in this lifestyle change (by supporting I mean they have stopped teasing and forcing meat at me....for the most part).

oh and I LOVE this shirt :)

my friends are the coolest.

1. Angela, you all should recognize her by now, as she is girlfriend 2nd in command, ran in the Mountain West Conference and did AWESOME. And I mean, she killed it, even with a broken hamstring. Ang you are my hero.

2. Speaking of running, Mr. Stephan Shay did pretty spectacular as well at the Bay Breaker...running the huge race in San Fran, while bungee'd with 12 other stalwarts.  Now that something cool has been accomplished in SF, it is time to come back :)

3. Ty's toy store finally opened!  It was a utopia of all things nostalgic for the older ones and there were penguins, candy, choo choo's, and tons of other fun things to bring out anyone's inner child. I just wish that Bubby and Pie could have been there with me, but I got 'em a couple treasures. 

4. Dacia graduated the other week and she and Dave are in the Bahamas right now. i had not seen her in months and so it was so fun to get some Dac and Becks time before she jet set off again.  Luckily with school being FINISHED, I might see her face again soon!  But of all people (no offense Dac...) she graduated!!!!

5. A few people got engaged, 3 couples actually married,  several have been losing weight, Lily has been running, Hillary is job hunting,  J broke the APX record for installs, and G survived surgery. 

Wow, my friends are just so cool.

And I am just boring and me...but a happy me. This weekend I spent somewhat in hiding... the rest of the time I was working, running, camping, hanging out with the marrieds, hiking, reading and enjoying the sunshine. Today is ugly again, but I think that Summer is almost really here. Lily and I have put our St. George itinerary together (we are SO excited), Joel is turning me into Bobby Fisher (aka he lets me win...), work is awesome, I am plowing through The Alchemist (thank you ty roney), and I am a bronzed, happy happy girl :)

OH AND BIG PS: At 9:30PM Ang and I realized that we had a semester cleaning check- we turned up the tunes, busted out the clorox and made that place sparkle. And we passed with perfect marks, as always. We make a most excellent roomie team!

hey sister.

This time I am much more prompt on the birthday post! Tomorrow is my will be the celebratory day of my little sister's birth.  Her survival after birth in itself was a miracle. She is my best friend, the holder of all of my secrets, the best person to play with, creative, funny, caring, genius, short, a blogger, has an adorable laugh, a great smile, a huge heart and she is one of the most compassionate people that I know. For the most part we celebrated her birthday today. We went to dinner (twice haha fatties) and the Humor U show with my friends Matthew and Neal. It was very entertaining and fun to spend time with everyone. 

oh squister...

There really is just too much to say about the times that I have had with Hillary.  We have so much fun together. But I cannot wait until she gets married and has babies too, that will be such an adventure! 

Things about hilwawee woo:

*i really do love her laugh. (unless you tickle her, she gets pissed)

*her scream is even funnier. (she freaks about spiders...)

*I hate Mac computers but she continues to be a DIE HARD supporter admist my 

greatest efforts to sway her.

*she can play the piano. (she learned on her own)

* she is only 4'11".

* she loves dogs.

* sometimes she goes to the temple with me.

*her car is messier than mine.

* her DVD collection is immaculate.

*her obsession with Monk. (and germaphobia...)

* her pop tart feet.

*she survived the car accident.

*she loves our family.

*we never fight.

*she hates to exercise but openly admits it.

* she graduated with excellent marks and more from college, works at a job she hates, but continues to unselfishly be there for me and listen to me complain about silly things and make me laugh and talks to me about everything. She is a rockstar sister. too much i could say, so that is all. love you hilwawee woo. happy birthday. remember: 23- perfect number.

buddy.

just look at that face.

me and jordy beans. 

dear single or technically unattached lady friends:

Please date my friend Jordan. he is uber cool. he will take you to jazz games, feed you, run races with you, support you spiritually, tune up your sarcasm skills and lots of other cool stuff. his family is the bomb and he is super smart. ummm yes... someone please date him. (and ps he is by no means desperate and he might be mad at me for this, but we are totally platonic so it's not even weird and I just want him to be happy... and I just feel that I should be able to approve of who he dates, so feel free to contact me first. i am self entitling sometimes, sorry.)

xoxo.

beckie.

ode to my kk.

once upon a time I had a best friend. one of my first and only real female friends. her name is kk. I found some random picture someone had taken of me while I was driving (pic on the left) and it made me think of the picture that I took of katie (pic on the right) on our last One-Day-St. George trip.  We both drive with our left legs up, elbow on our knee, twirling our hair, deep in thought or singing to a tune (unless we are together, then of course we are talking or singing together).  no one can make me dance, laugh and get crazy like this girl.  she tells me when I am being stupid and tells me that I am pretty. she is an amazing cook and knows better than to let me help.  i cannot wait until she is a mama because I will love her babies and she will be so good at it, she has been taking care of me for years.  yes, she is my blonde twin. but once upon a time she met an awesome dude named Spud, and even though he is a super cool, cooking, triathloning, singing machine- he stole her away to matrimony and happiness... and we all know how the rest goes. ahhh love and miss my kk!

seems like it was just yesterday...

and other times it feels as though it was a whole lifetime ago that Robbie Hintze escorted me to the Prom.

Here we are 7 years later. I still cannot serve as well as Anna Kournikova and we are still buddies and he is looking more handsome and curlier than ever :)

Dear Robbie:

Thank you for being my dog walking, star trekie, baseball watching, reptile loving (and all other things dorky and smart) friend. Let's make it through another 7 years...you should be about finished with dental school by then!  Hope that you have a wonderful birthday because you are great and you deserve a day just for you :)

xoxo

beckie.