Hey Stranger...

So, it's been awhile... I have no excuse other than that graduate school is soundly kicking my trash.

I finished up Winter semester in a crazy whirlwind of papers and projects, with a little bit of rocking out and a lot of caffeine. Several family members came to visit, and Spring Term was well underway before I even realized it. Even today, I'm realizing that it's about halfway over, and I still feel like I don't know what I'm doing with my life. Rock on.

I am TAing for College Algebra this term, so that's a new experience for me. It's a lot of math that I haven't done for a long while (6+ years for some of it), and it's kind of nice to get back into it. I still LOVE working with students and helping them understand. But sometimes there are drawbacks. Like this morning, when I spent 5 and a half hours talking about exponential and logarithmic functions. And I didn't really think anything of it. And I found parts of it fun and exciting... That's when you know you're so far gone that you cannot conceal your nerditude. Nerdocity. Nerdiness. Whatever.

I'm also endlessly plugging away at my thesis proposal and data analysis. It's like the project that would never end. It goes on and on, my friend... And it's only just beginning. However, if all goes as planned, I should be finished and graduated by next April. And what I do after that is beyond me... That's what faith is for, right? :)

Anyway, I'll be adding a few more posts later today, with pictures to boot! How exciting! I'll try not to be too much of a stranger. :)

Look what I did!

So....yesterday I was really fed up with my hair. It's been growing out for awhile, and I was just sick of dealing with it every morning. I knew I was long overdue for a trim, but I decided to just get a nice big fatty haircut. Here is the before picture [in all its unflattering glory]:

Many many thanks to Elizabeth, my fantastic sister, my hair looks so much better now. Here is the [much improved] after picture:
Also, both of those pictures were taken with my flashy new red camera. :) I ordered it last week, and it came on Tuesday. It's awesome, and I love it. Pretty, huh?

A dream is a wish your heart makes...?

Last night I had a dream that both of my roommates were crack addicts. It was interesting, to say the least.

I really need to start recording some of my dreams. They are hilarious, and I don't want to forget some of them. Like the one where Ronald Reagan had a sleepover at my house and my dad got mad and punched him in the forehead... Or the one where I cut off my hands and put them in the microwave... Or the one where Melissa was eating a tuna fish flavored popsicle...

17 years ago today...

17 years ago today my brother and sister were born! Sweet! Happy Birthday, Rosemary and Remington!

Buuuut, and I think we can all agree on this, the more important fact is that 17 years ago today I was well on my way to coming down with Chicken Pox... Ahh, the memories.

Also, random AWESOME side note: President Monson announced a temple in Payson, Utah today. That's awesome.

More of an update [with pictures!] coming soon...

Guys, I'm finally feeling like I can do this. It's refreshing how much a breath and a step away can really change your perspective on things. [Where, in this case, "breath" refers to Christmas break with NO school, "step away" is a 2,000-mile plane trip to New York, and "things" is whether or not I'm going to fail out of college]...

Sometimes, it's so good to know that your hard work can pay off. I want to remember this feeling come March when I will, undoubtedly, have an unebbing desire to quit school, burn my books, and run away to Iowa or wherever.

PS - For updates, pictures, and emails from Jonathan in Brazil, check out elderjonsteele.blogspot.com...

I have to admit that despite all my complaints about the freezing cold and driving in the snow... I absolutely LOVE how everything glows at night when it's snowing. That's all. :)

Merry [almost-] Christmas, everyone!