There's just something about moving...

I have not been able to be on the internet ever since I moved back home last week. And my wireless is not working. (This is me being on the 'rents' computer). (And for those of you who did not understand that because I kind of talk/type weird on various occasions, I'm at home on my parents' computer :)

PS **TO ALL READERS OF MY STORY**
I had every intention of posting the next piece of my...piece...last night, but alas, my wireless is not working. And the document on which my piece is located is on my laptop. And I can't find my flash drive to transfer it. And I can't email it because...my wireless is not working. Thus, the next installment will happen when I can get this darn thing working again. My sincere apologies, all.
ALTHOUGH--I SERIOUSLY appreciate the comments. They are amazing and wonderful and I feel all LOVED. THANK YOU. YES, I'M FEELING KIND OF ALL CAPS RIGHT NOW, HOW COULD YOU TELL??? :)

Piece: Part VII

That night Matthew didn’t go out. He hadn’t in a while, but everyone had been expecting him to bounce back. Instead, he threw a frozen dinner into the microwave and flipped on the news.

The apartment was simple. Having had to work on and off to afford school, he was still finishing his undergraduate degree at Boston University in Broadcast Journalism. As a result, he lived simply in a fourth-floor apartment off the Charles where he only had to catch one train to get to school, one more to get to work. His room looked more like the studios you see that were the very first of somebody famous, with bare wood floors and whitewashed walls, with paint speckles on the windows. He had minimalist furniture and a kitchen that seemed too clean to be that of a man. Everything was black and white with Matthew Carter. His apartment reflected that.

He sat staring at nothing, eating his Hungry Man chicken and potatoes, when a story caught his eye. It was the story of the accident he had been passing. The anchorwoman introduced it as a tragic mistake, passing it on to the on-site reporter, who explained that a glitch in the brake system of the semi had caused it to lose control, slamming into and instantly killing a young girl in her car, which then rolled into three different cars, killing three more people. The girl had been eighteen and a college student, and had been going home to New Hampshire for the weekend. The other three victims were all business people commuting home after work, two older women and a young man. Four different families now had to go through what Matthew had just gone through.

He clicked off the television and stared at it, his eyebrows furrowed in thought. The semi’s brake system, the woman had said. That is exactly what had happened the night Elisabeth died. She had also been hit from behind by a “glitch in the system” and had rolled over other cars. A family of three, another young girl and an older man going to his son’s house had also been killed because of the accident. The details were strikingly similar.

But it was dark and rainy that night, Matthew thought. I should stop letting my imagination get ahead of me. He tumbled off the couch and shuffled back into the kitchen to dispose of the plastic plate and fork. Besides, how could the two be related? They were both accidents…only accidents…

Matthew shook his head and looked at the clock. 9:00, he read, too late to go back to work, to early to get out. But I didn’t want to go out anyways. He brushed his teeth, locked the door, took a couple of Tylenol to get him to sleep, and fell into bed. He fell asleep almost instantly.

I may have gotten home at 6:30 this morning...

Today was awesome. Church was great, life was great; I mean, it didn't even matter that I got home at 6:30 this morning. :)
Yes, I will tell the story of yesterday. Which was even more awesome.
It began when I got up at about 8:30 and began making food for a picnic. Mike came over and helped me get it together and in the fridge, and then we went to American Fork to go to my cousin's baptism (this cousin being Jessie, the older sister of baby Sophie). He met all of my mom's family (none of my immediate family was there), and Aunt Marlene talked to him for a half an hour about jeeping in the mountains before the food was ready. This was because I was in the kitchen making shishkabobs with Aunt Sarah :) It was way funny.
After the baptism, we took off back to Provo to change and get our stuff together, and then hit the road for St. George. We made chicken salad sandwiches (with pita bread), grapes, oranges, yogurt, vitamin water, and delicious other things, like...water.
We drove through the desert for like, three and a half hours (we made pretty good time, actually) and got to St. George at about 7:00 pm, where we walked around the temple and had our picnic sitting on the trunk of his car because the park was totally full of people. And I spilled stuff all over the ground because my pita broke. It was tragic.
After we ate and kind of goofed off, we drove out into the rocky desert to the Tuacahn Amphitheater, and saw Les Miserables! It was SO GOOD!!!! Oh my gosh, I loved it.
But there's more :)
When we bought the tickets online, there were only two left in the cheap seats section, and they were on the very very last row. When we get there, it turns out that we have ....drumroll please....the handicapped seating :) Yep, we were in the seats that have no armrests and are three feet apart from each other. Seriously. Mike was totally whining about not being able to sit next to me, and kept saying that we'd just wait until it started and then find some seats that hadn't been filled. What he forgot was that we had gotten the last seats...
Well, after a while--and after Mike had filled his whining quota--we were sitting there waiting for it to start, when the old couple next to us--in normal, close-to-each-other seats--asked if they could switch, because they both had replacement hips and such and needed to get in and out easily. Needless to say, Mike was all happy and holding my hand the entire time. It was pretty cute :)
The show was AMAZING. I was the only one in the area we were sitting in that knew the story at all (and I was mouthing the words along with practically all of the songs...:) so when intermission came, everybody around was like, "is it over?" and of course, at intermission the revolution hasn't even started and Cosette and Marius are just barely being separated, so if it had been the ending, it would have been the lamest ending in all of existence. I had to tell them all that it was only intermission so they would see the really awesome ending. And it was awesome, I assure you.
They ended the show with fireworks and such, since we were out in the red rock desert, but Mike and I kind of bolted at the end so we could get out before traffic. We watched the fireworks from the parking lot. :)
So we got out, and we were driving, and driving, and driving, and I was getting seriously tired. And I had told him that I would help him stay awake by staying awake with him, and it wasn't working. Soon enough, he was getting tired too, and neither of us felt safe to drive, so we pulled over at a rest stop, to get about a half hour of sleep, so we'd be awake enough to drive home. We wrapped ourselves in SEPARATE blankets with the ARM REST between us, and fell asleep.
I woke up really suddenly, and realized first that it was kind of cold. Then I looked over at Mike and noticed, past him, that the sun was coming over the mountains...
I kind of freaked out. I woke Mike up, he said "what?" then turned around and said "oh." We took off. It was 5:30 am. I was still wrapped in a blanket, but he was just driving for his life. We were both kind of freaked out that we had been asleep in the car in the middle of nowhere for three hours together, but I think we're okay. Can I just say that the fact that that happened and that Mike and I are still worthy and safe and alive means a lot? In fact, I think this one's a keeper :)
We got into Provo at about 6:30, and into my apartment at about 6:45. I was in bed by 7.
And then I woke up at 10:30 and took a shower to go to church at noon.
That is my story. Please don't judge. :P

I totally played hookie today

And went with Heather and her friend Julianna (from Kansas) to Salt Lake. We showed her Temple Square and saw the Joseph Smith movie, and then went to the Gateway Mall and spent all day shopping.
And I didn't find anything. Really depressing.
And I got totally sunburned. Extra depressing.
And now I have to write my Frankenstein paper without the counterbalance of a new thing that I found. Extremely depressing.
Thanks for listening to me whine.

Piece: Part VI

*Author's NOte* I'm making this a Tuesday thing now. Every Tuesday, there will be an installment of my piece. But I want opinions. If you read it, tell me what you think. All of you. *

“That was the stupidest thing you have ever done.”

Ethan slowly opened his eyes and turned his head to see the doorway, where Matthew stood with his hands behind his back.

“And I know some pretty stupid things you’ve done,” Matthew continued. Ethan relaxed a little when he saw that the tiny smile lingering on his friend’s face. Matthew was having trouble hiding his relief, still remembering how he had felt when the nurses had come out to him in the waiting room to tell him that his friend would pull through. He noticed the tray of mostly-eaten jello, half a turkey sandwich, and an untouched salad sitting next to the bed. “Well, you’ve been able to eat. Guess you weren’t as lost as you thought,” he chuckled.

Ethan blushed sheepishly. “Listen, Matt, I’m really sorry. I…I mean, that was really stupid.” He lowered his eyes. “I loved your sister, but it’s not worth going to hell for.” He let his head hang, not daring to look up at his friend. Matthew just looked at him, his face expressionless.

“No, Ethan, it’s not,” he finally agreed. He sighed loudly and ran a hand through his hair. “Listen, I just stopped in to see how you were doing, but I have a meeting I have to get to. Looks like you’re doing just fine,” he eyed the baseball game running on the television, “so I’m just going to go. See you tomorrow?”

“Yeah, sure,” Ethan slowly raised his head and looked up at the game, watching Colorado cream Los Angeles. Matthew left silently, knowing that he wouldn’t get any more from him. He went straight over to the nursing station and gave the older woman behind the desk a questioning look. She smiled knowingly and shook her head.

“Compared to most attempted suicides, he’s pretty happy. I don’t see what would have made him want to kill himself,” the nurse looked back at Ethan’s room with a perplexed look. She shook her head and looked back down at the paperwork in her hands. “Well, at least he’ll bounce back okay.”

Matthew smiled. “Yeah, sure, he’ll be fine. Thanks for all your help.” He walked slowly away from the desk and toward the elevator.

The freeway was a mess on the way home. He sat in line behind a guy in a giant diesel-fueled pickup as traffic inched past an accident involving a semi and a three-car pileup. The paramedics were darting around, the firemen trying to find ways to get the victims out of the burning cars. Matthew could see several stretchers that had bodies on them, sheets pulled over their heads. To the side of the accident, a young-ish looking woman with dyed blonde hair sobbed uncontrollably into the shoulder of a young, very uncomfortable-looking police officer. The man looked as young as Matthew, yet still had to be a part of such a tragedy. You and me both, man, Matthew thought bitterly. As he finally got past the accident and down the off-ramp, he shook his head and tried to forget it.

Can I just say how much I love babies?

Yesterday, I went to a baby shower for Rebecca Sharp, my mother's cousin's wife. I was invited by my Great-Aunt Julia, and went with my Aunt Sarah (she's so awesome, I got to drive the mini-van :)
In the morning before the shower, I took the bus to American Fork because my cousin, Jessie, was having her eighth birthday party and Jeff and Sarah (my uncle and aunt) wouldn't be able to come get me from Provo. While I was there and Sarah was doing crowd control (besides Jessie and the swarm of little girls, they also have four boys, ages 2 to 10), I got to hold this little angel.
She was born on March 26. Her name is Sophie. Isn't she the most precious thing ever? This dress was the runner up to be her blessing dress. She was actually blessed in this really long dress with eyelet lace, but this one is pretty too. Oh my gosh, it was amazing. She smelled all yummy and had the hiccups, and I TOTALLY got the "baby-hungries", as my mama calls them. :)
The shower was great. I didn't know anybody besides Sarah, Aunt Julia, and a couple of my mom's cousins that I hadn't seen since...a long time ago. But we played all those great baby-shower games like guess that baby food flavor, the Price is Right with baby stuff, and we all had to cut a piece of pink yarn to guess how big around Rebecca's stomach was. I failed at all of them, as--in case none of you have noticed--I have never had a baby of my own ... :) I just sat there being the young, single, non-mommy there. It was fun.
Can I just say again how much I love babies ?

Piece: Part V

“No, Ethan,” Matthew groaned. “No…” He lugged the deadweight body out of the driver’s seat and pushed him into the back, then jumped into the front himself. His fingers were shaking as he turned the ignition and felt in his jacket for his phone.
“911? My friend…” he began, but stopped as Ethan slumped over and made a gurgling noise. “NO! Ethan!” He caught himself as he began to swerve off the gravel road, and then pulled to a stop. “NO!” He fell out of his seat and crawled over to get Ethan’s door open.
“Sir?” a concerned female voice said from the phone he had dropped.
He scrambled to pick it up. “Yes, my friend…he shot himself. I don’t know how he got the gun, but his chest…blood…” his words were interrupted by his heavy breathing as he felt for a pulse, made sure that Ethan was still breathing.
“We’ll send an ambulance right away,” the voice said. “Where are you, sir?”
“North Street Cemetery, near the entrance,” he managed to stutter. He slumped against the side of the car, letting the gravel get in his shoes and socks, the dust all over his fine black suit. He new they wouldn’t leave him alone, but he had no words. The hand the phone was in fell to his lap, and he just sat there, staring at the sky. What am I supposed to do, he wondered to himself.
He sat until he heard the sirens pulling in, and then allowed the paramedics to pull him up. He felt all kinds of hands checking his vitals, shining lights into his eyes, trying to ask him questions. He could vaguely see the bright white uniforms and the stretchers being rolled out of the ambulance. They tried to put him on one, but he shrugged them off and stumbled away.
“I’m not hurt,” he mumbled. The paramedics eyed him warily. “I’m not hurt.” He said it again, louder, trying to convince them. He knew they didn’t believe him, but they turned to Ethan, who was quickly losing blood. They got him onto a stretcher and into the ambulance. Several of the medical technicians looked back at him expectantly before they closed the door, but Matthew just watched them go.
As soon as they were gone, he stumbled back to his own car, blood-spattered and in shock. He slumped into the driver’s seat and put the key into the ignition, but didn’t turn it. Straight ahead of him, he could see the spot where the three headstones of his loved ones stood. He had somehow, in the terror and excitement, forgotten everything that had happened. Now, as it all flooded back to him, he let his head fall into his hands, then looked at them in horror as he realized that they were covered in Ethan’s blood. He franticly dug through his glove box to find tissues, which he used to scrub off the sticky red blood from his face. He scrubbed and scrubbed until his hands were red not from blood but from pressure, and his face felt raw. As he threw the wad of stained tissues onto the floor of the passenger’s side, his fear subsided, and he began to cry, great wracking sobs, as if he had never cried before in his life.

I think they're trying to get us married...

So, the boundaries for BYU-approved Single-Student housing are shrinking. If you're single, you have to live within a one-mile radius of BYU campus boundaries. Hmmmm, ulterior motives? I think so. :)

I climbed a mountain today

Literally. My ward decided to hike to the summit of Squaw Peak. Not the part you drive to and do scandalous things in the dark, but the hiking trail. We started at about 10:40 this morning, and didn't get back down the mountain until 4. We climbed from the base to the very very top. As in, we couldn't have climbed any higher because there was nothing left. We were at the very top.
The hike was beautiful. At the base, there was a river that the trail crossed back and forth across about five times, and all along the trail there are blue and yellow wildflowers that make everything smell delicious, and the birds are everywhere, and you're really annoyed at the guy a few yards beneath who won't stop singing really loud just to show off, even though his voice isn't that great. Then you stop, and it's just you and your boy and nature, and everything is so quite and still and you look down and ants are crawling all over your shoes, so you decide to catch up to the guy who has your water bottle in his backpack :)
At the very top, you are standing on large boulders, and you can see everything for miles and miles and miles in every direction. The wind is strong enough to blow you off the mountain, so you cling to the shrubbery and sit in the blazing sun that is twice as bright when you're several thousand extra feet up. The air is so thin that you can't breathe, and then it blows at you so hard that you can't breathe the air that is there. It was so beautiful.
I wish I hadn't forgotten my camera.