Gosh you're such a BABY!

So it's noises upstairs that work as a great incentive for birth control.
But it's pictures like this one that make me can't wait:
















That's right. That's my little nephew Cohen. Could you GET any cuter? I get to see him in April!!

(He's my brother)

Gosh I had the weirdest dream last night that made me wake up at seventeen minutes before I was expected at work. I was only five minutes late! The main part of the dream I remember was that a bunch of us had returned to our elementary school (even though it really wasn't Crystal Springs. But it was. If that makes sense :) ) Anyway, the Longhurst clan was there, as well Wills and some other kids I attended some sort of public school with. All of a sudden I was backstage, being told it was MY turn to go on, and there's Gabe (and there was a third person on stage with us, but I can't remember who) next to me waiting to go on with me. So we march to the stage, and as the curtains open to reveal us, "He Ain't Heavy (He's my Brother)" by the Hollies come on. Yeah. I'm a little confused. So we kinda dance slowly (not really together) around the stage, and I keep waiting for the "he ain't heavy--he's my brother" part to come on the song so I can try to pick Gabe up to prove the point of the song, but either I miss it or it never does, so I never get a chance. Then that ends and the song after that was "You Can't Hurry Love" but we were all wearing kimonos and were expected to do some sort of Mulan-inspired performance, which I hadn't practiced for AT ALL. And I kept wearing glasses or sunglasses--even though I'd throw them off, or struggle to take them off, they kept appearing back on. GRR!!! Anyway, that went terribly as did the first, but people seemed to like it anyway.

I feel kind of nauseous this morning. Good times.

No, I'm not pregnant. So don't ask.

YEEEEEEEEEEEEESH!

Life is good! I just wish it were less noisy at home! This noise originates from upstairs--as in the neighbors. Not us. Which makes it a lot less fun and inviting. Sigh. But at least it's done after 7:30 every night. Until then though it sounds like a continual marching band upstairs. Are you sure these are only two kids ages 2 and 4? Shawn's been so sweet! I woke up yesterday (or the day before?) to find out that he had done a load of laundry, the dishes and the trash, and then yesterday I came home from class to find out that he had swept the kitchen, vacuumed, and made the bed! How's that for a babe?

Gosh, sleeping has been a nightmare this past week (ba-dum ching!)! Even when I'm exhausted, I'll get a crap song stuck in my head which prevents my ability to sleep for up to hours on end. Last night when I was finally able to get to sleep I had the craziest dream. We were over at presumably my in-laws' house, but it wasn't their house really. If that makes sense. Anyway, there were both a vampire AND a werewolf outside, trying to get in. As any self-respecting person who has caught at least one episode of Buffy the Vampire Slayer knows, a vampire can't enter a person's home unless invited--even under false pretenses. So I was TERRIFIED that someone would ignorantly let the vampire come inside and suck us all dry. The werewolf was a bit more tricky. I think myself and someone else actually went outside (AT NIGHT!!!!) to try to destroy it, but it kept coming back. YEEEESH! The next thing I know, it's Sunday and we're all at Fast and Testimony Meeting. Brady and Annalisa (My brother in law and his wife) both get up and bear their testimony (not at the same time), which was slightly painful since Annalisa kept trying to make herself cry and Brady ultimately went up TWICE. One guy whom I didn't recognize went up NEARLY to the front--he went down on his knees in the aisleway and started singing Natasha Bedingfield's "Unwritten." With A LOT of pizzazz. Um, what? So yeah, Shawn and I were exchanging major glances throughout the whole thing. And guess what song I had stuck in my head when I woke up this morning?

My 101th Post!!!!

Here's to my hundred and first post! A stunning representation of how much free time I have at work, and how much of it I choose to indulge in personal activities. Sigh. I've worked here for nearly a year and a half now, so it's not THAT bad, right? So, I had a pretty good winter break!
I...

• got married
• became Kari Wiggins
• had a great honeymoon but still exhausted from it
• don't have roommates any more! Just a cute husband. SO much better!!!
• we have our own cute little place!!! REALLY close to campus and work.
• we got a car!!! YAY!!!! TRANSPORTATION! OTHER THAN JANAY'S AND RACHEL'S!!! (bless your hearts, I don't know how you put up with us!!!)
• got loads of great wedding gifts. we have a deep fat fryer! and a kitchenaid!! and a toaster! yay!!!

Kay that's it for now. Life is good. Being married is good! Love you Shawn!

Three and a half more days! One more final! Have to move out! Then getting married!!! Gersh. I just want to skip the next three days and skip to Saturday. IS THAT SO WRONG?! IS THAT TOO MUCH TO ASK FOR!?!!??!!? To help you decide, please watch the following:


Well, I thought it was funny.

Oh yeah. Still don't have the car yet. Feel free to pray or at least cross your fingers!!!

Five days...

Gosh, I can't believe I'm getting married in less than a week! And I still have to worry about school. Although that's probably a good thing because it'll keep me out of trouble... Which sucks. Sigh. Five days. And four finals. Why am I going to school again? Can't... seem... to... remember...
I just hope I don't forget anything. And don't get sick! I feel like I've been coming down with something for about a week now. Running a mile and a half in the freezing cold and going to bed late doesn't help either. Gosh. I always get sick around Christmas time. Usually it's just with a cold, but I've had the flu with a BAD fever on Christmas day, too. This one time we had Danish relatives over, and I was so sick I ended up taking a hot bath (nearly passed out), and then I fell asleep in my bed with my towel still on, and a full plate of food just inches away. I still need to do better about drying my hair, especially when I'm not feeling well. Soaking wet today!!
I'll be taking two finals today, then one tomorrow and one on Thursday. And then good times on Friday and my wedding *GASP* on Saturday! That's the best way I can think to celebrate the end of another semester. We had a wedding shower on Saturday which was a lot of fun. Since it was for both Shawn and me, and with just his family, the dodgy presents were kept to a minimum (the only suggestive gifts we got were breath mints and a room freshener!), which was good. We got a lot of cookware and Christmas decorations. Hopefully we'll get to use them this year! Can't wait to get married. Hopefully this week will go by fast.

the cheek the CHEEK

So I'm not sure WHO is was, but someone put a sign up over the dishes asking very saccharine-sweetly for people to do their dishes immediately. EXCUSE ME?! I'm one of the few that consistently cleans up after OTHER people, excuse me very much if every now and then I let a few dishes build up. And it said something cheeky like "I hope that's not too difficult" or something along those lines. I told them last night (with their respective boy toys over) to please keep it way way down because I hadn't been feeling well lately (anxiety attacks and vomiting--kind of an understatement). They wouldn't even look at me while I asked them that. I felt like their mom. Two more weeks. Since they felt the need to put up a sign over something I'm just fine at thank you very much (only Meridith has the excuse to put something like that up about the dishes--Natalie's probably the worst, and Krista always whines that she always immediately does her dishes so she won't have to do anyone else's, too. Meridith is usually good about doing other people's dishes although I often find that she leaves pots and pans on the stove. Blech. I'm starting to feel the urge to put my own sign up, too. It'll look something like:


I know I'm overreacting a little bit, which is why this is on my blog, not on a wall at home. But when I don't get enough sleep I take EVERYTHING the wrong way and EVERYTHING sets me off on a rampage. Sorry Shawn. My chest hurts.
Two more weeks. Sigh.

My Auntie is a Zombie From Hell

I never tire of that line. Oh "Not Without My Handbag," how did I exist before thee? Anyway, my sister had her baby last week!!! Cohen Leif Cordell. Which makes me... AN AUNT! For the first time!!! Ever!!!! Here's a picture of my nephew (weeeeeird!!!!!!!)
Stacey ended up getting a C-section because of complications (Cohen didn't want to leave--apparently when they were pulling him out during the Caesarian he kept burrowing down into Stacey's tummy). Isn't he SOOO cute!??! That baby is less than a week old, and look how beautiful he is! And apparently he's got dark hair already. As you all probably know, I was sentenced to bonnets and hats until I was three because I was so bald. Itrysohard! Which is something I will probably pass on to my kids since Shawn as a baby was pretty similar. Minus the bonnets, of course :o)

Who Needs Sleep? Well, You're Never Gonna Get It!

Last night was the first time in a LONG WHILE that I didn't have to try to go to sleep with ear plugs. Thankfully only one of my roommates was home at the time, and she was quietly making out with her boyfriend on the couch. THANK YOU EILATAN! I was still only able to manage about seven hours of sleep, going to bed a little before midnight and getting up at 7:10 am. Well, my alarm is set for 6:40, but I snooze it every five minutes until my brain works enough to be able to do more than press a button. Anyway, the night before last my roommates and their friends kept me up until at least midnight, (AVEC ear plugs mind you, and a pillow folded tightly around my head) AND THEN they woke me up at three! And yeah, of course I couldn't get back to sleep until around 6:00 (remember what time I have to wake up every weekday?). This is like the third or fourth time within the past MONTH that they've woken me up. It's a nightly event that I can't get to sleep because of them. And the thing is, they're really NOT that loud most of the time. They talk in their normal voices (which I still maintain is inappropriate after 10:30, ESPECIALLY IF PEOPLE ARE OBVIOUSLY TRYING TO GET TO SLEEP), sing, laugh, play music, watch movies... The walls are paper thin. And as much as I care about them, no I don't give a flying fig about ANYTHING they have to say if it's past my bed time. I need about eight and a half hours of sleep a night to feel at all functional. And so I don't fall asleep in class. The night before THAT I took some medication to try to help me sleep, only to throw up the next morning, and have to stay home from work and school. Because I can afford THAT. I had to take anxiety medicine yesterday (lack of sleep does wonders for anxiety) which I hadn't had to take in at least a couple of weeks. So yeah. I KNOW I need to talk to them, even though I only have to live in that stupid apartment for 17 more days. SEVENTEEN MORE DAYS!!! But this is me. Queen of the non-confrontational passive-aggressives. I have talked to them before about keeping it down, but they seem to think it applies to THAT night and THAT night only. And I feel dumb telling them to shut the effer up every night, especially in front of their friends. It's not very friendly coming in, saying hi as I pass by them to dump my stuff, and then to come back out and tell them to be quiet, and then go to bed. But by the time I get home, I'm shattered, and the last thing I want to do is listen to a bunch of 18-20 year olds chat and giggle. Was that snotty? Probably. They're really sweet. And they are fun to talk to. I really like them all a lot. Just not from 10:00pm-8:00am. I hate wearing ear plugs.
I'll talk to them. Really. I will.

LESS THAN A MONTH! HOLY CRAP! I just want to get married already! Shawn and I did Thanksgiving together this year. For the most part things turned out great! Shawn took pictures. More later.

D.A.R.E.

thirty eight days left
cute house! It's on the "tree streets" as they're apparently called. My aunt told me. Cedar Avenue. two seconds away from: the creamery, my work, subway, campus, a church, and the temple. This could get very dangerous. Or very helpful. Or both. We'll see!

up to four prescription medications now. Including a narcotic. Isn't that exciting? Remember that part when Meredith broke her pelvic bone and Creed started listing off all these drugs to see which one Meredith was on? Kinda feels like that. I'm talking about the Office, for those of you who aren't following. All this on a week with basically four mid terms. OH MY LIFE!! I missed work and school today, and it looks like I'll be doing the same tomorrow. This morning I woke up a few times gasping for breath, and having to really focus on regulating my breathing pattern. Sick, huh. Shawn was super sweet. He stayed home from school and work, too, made breakfast, lunch and dinner for me. Called the Health Center to see what we should do since it seemed I was getting worse instead of better (that's where the fourth prescribed medication, the narcotic, comes in, that's supposed to help me sleep), and basically catered to my every need. Is he a keeper or what?

Let's see if I'll be able to actually do any homework tomorrow. Today I was in such pain I couldn't even play my favorite VIDEO GAME. WHAT DID I DO TO DESERVE THAT?!?!

If anything, this whole experience has helped solidify my already solidified knowledge that Shawn is perfection itself for me, and I have made the best decision possible in the history of humans.

our house, in the middle of the street our house

We got the house we wanted! It's thirty seconds from where I work and forty seconds from campus. I know, right? And it has a washer and dryer and everything. The only thing I DON'T like about it is the sink is about the size of two small cups, but never mind. Good reason to stay on top of the dishes. The carpet is great. It's CHEAP. We live in a basement under a young family (two kids...apparently it's noisy between 5 and 7, hopefully not TOO noisy). We've got a backyard (I hope they clean up their stuff! YEEEESH!) which we can do some gardening in! Yay! So excited! That's such a huge load off! Here's Shawn's and my reaction when we found out:
I know. I'm ashamed of myself. I'll do better with a more decent picture next time, rather than a rip off pop icon one. Something like that. Anyway, at least that's ONE thing off my chest. Huzzah.

No Rachel, you don't get to know where we're moving to. Heh heh heh. Just kidding... maybe...

I'm freaking out man!!!!

So for the past several days, I've been becoming increasingly short of breath, and my chest has been feeling tight and painful. Finally, Shawn talked me into contacting the Health Center (which I did by E-mail. Of course.). They said I should make an appointment with the doctor. Bleh. I called finally, and they suggested I go right into urgent care, rather than wait for an appointment today. So I went in and started describing my symptoms, and right away the receptionist calls over a nurse, who starts firing different questions at me (does it hurt here? here? here? if you do this?). Most of the time the answer was no which seemed to relieve her. Anyway, I finally saw a doctor (thanks Janay for driving, and for you and Shawn being there!), who also asked loads of questions, checked my pulse among other things, did this breath force thing (is around 300 really low? he made me do it twice because it didn't seem too accurate to him), and decided to have me get chest x rays. After he said that my heart and lungs looked great (well that was the gist of it among all this medical jargon--yay), and had me step up and step down thing with a measuring thing on my finger, and said that was fine, too. Guess what his diagnosis was?




I have six months to live.



No, not really.



I probably have a mild and hopefully temporary form of anxiety. I know, right? I nearly puked in his face. So I'm on drowsy-causing (as a side effect) medication. I've taken two so far, but I've only felt fatigued, the breathing/heart difficulties are still there. Hopefully those'll scoot soon. Good times.

GOOD TIMES!!

And another example of people not thinking...

Girl, 13, gets detention for hugging two friends

Illinois middle school bans public displays of affection; parents urge change

MASCOUTAH, Ill. - Two hugs equals two days of detention for 13-year-old Megan Coulter.

The eighth-grader was punished for violating a school policy banning public displays of affection when she hugged two friends Friday.

“I feel it is crazy,” said Megan, who was to serve her second detention Tuesday after classes at Mascoutah Middle School.

“I was just giving them a hug goodbye for the weekend,” she said.

Megan’s mother, Melissa Coulter, said the embraces weren’t even real hugs — just an arm around the shoulder and slight squeeze.

“It’s hilarious to the point of ridicule,” Coulter said. “I’m still dumbfounded that she’s having to do this.”

District Superintendent Sam McGowen said that he thinks the penalty is fair and that administrators in the school east of St. Louis were following policy in the student handbook.

It states: “Displays of affection should not occur on the school campus at any time. It is in poor taste, reflects poor judgment, and brings discredit to the school and to the persons involved.”

Parents urge change in policy
Coulter said she and her husband told their daughter to go ahead and serve her detentions
because the only other option was a day of suspension for each skipped detention.

“We don’t agree with it, but I certainly don’t want her to get in more trouble,” Coulter said.

The couple plan to attend the next school board meeting to ask board members to consider rewording the policy or be more specific in what is considered a display of affection.

“I’m just hoping the school board will open their eyes and just realize that maybe they shouldn’t be punishing us for hugs,” Megan said.

OH MY LIFE!

the search for housing continues.
46 more days. Might as well be 46 billion gazillion. That's what it FEELS LIKE.
The end.

i sentence you to... eat bleach. and die. in any order you'd prefer.

So the truth came out last night. On Sunday I had confronted my roommates about the report about me breaking the honor code. All of them denied it, which I expected. I didn't really think any of them had reported me. I had assumed it was one of their dates. The subject changed quickly, so I didn't press the issue on who they thought had reported me. Gosh.
Then the plot thickens.
Yesterday Shawn and I went over to my house for a couple of minutes because I couldn't find the combination to my lock on my storage unit. Natalie was the only one home at the time. Shawn made a joke that he was just going to stand in the doorway of my room, and not go actually inside it, so please don't report him, and that's when Natalie came over (who has had boys in her room on several occasions with the door open, so she was the last person I suspected) and said that after I left on Sunday, MERIDITH had mentioned something to her and Christa that was to the effect that it was her that had said something to the front desk. So not only does she narc behind my back, but she lies about it and then tells my roommates. As if they wouldn't tell me.

And no, I'm not planning on doing anything about it. Some people's children!

I had to create a constellation and write a story about it. Here it is:

The Praying Mantis

The Praying Mantis is known for devouring the male after love-making. The legend follows that if someone accidentally wishes for love on one of the stars from this constellation, he will be first blessed with a great love, but then it will go horribly, horribly wrong, often in creative and surprising ways. It pays to double check the constellations of the sky before you choose which star you wish upon—even if you desire to wish on the first star you see. Some nights it’s best not to wish at all, and be happy with what you are given!

The Praying Mantis is noted for its unique and skinny body, and entreating arms. Many centuries ago, the female mantis was praying for a mate. He eventually did arrive, and they fell immediately in love. One night she woke up to find that he had gone for the night. She fell back asleep and that morning she saw that he had returned. The female knew in her heart he was cheating on her, so that night, after they made love, she ate him. And never felt better. Decades later, when she died, her spirit rose up to the sky and became a constellation and the bane of all hopeful lovers everywhere.

Well Janay thought it was funny.

a few misconceptions

I love my roommates. I think they're great. I feel grateful that I have them as roommates. I'm even setting up one of them with one of Shawn's roommates (on a double date with Shawn and me). I feel comfortable with them. They're all goofy and easygoing and approachable which makes things a bit more laidback and fun. Me just need sleep and me-time sometimes and me don't always get it. Wow, I apologize for that last sentence. But that's all. I just don't want you guys thinking I'm living in a state of hell. I'm just engaged. There's a difference.

Unless it WAS one of them that reported me. Then they'll have to answer to ME for it. Not really. I'm not exactly the confrontational type. OH MY LIFE. EVERYTHING IS WRONG.

Was it just me, or did the commercial Michael make last night in The Office break your heart like mine, it was so good?

Or how eye lurned 2 stop being a h8ter & luv da bomb

Right. So someone had the CHEEK to report me to Roman Gardens for breaking the honor code. What was the crime? A couple of nights ago I let Shawn come into my room for two minutes to kneel and say prayer together, with the door open, because a billion people were in the front room watching a movie. And I'm pretty sure they continued to do so past curfew (I'm not entirely sure because I went to bed at 10:30 and put in earplugs to block out at least some of the noise. A common occurrence these days). So I got a note last night posted to my door (I thought it was going to be a sweet note from my visiting teacher or something. Nope), from the office saying that I had been reported for breaking the honor code, and if it happens again, "they may be forced to start the eviction process." Yeah. I don't think it was either of my 20 yr old roommates. They both have allowed guys to go into their rooms to talk or look at their computer for a few minutes. If it was my room-roommate, she probably did it as just a passing comment without even thinking about it. Just some exaggerated side gossip for entertainment purposes as part of a larger conversation about something else. To a peer working at the front desk. She's not exactly the brightest crayon in the box.

And if I had been reported, I'd appreciate them going to me as well about it, to see if it was even a substantiated claim. That's hardly fair to have an anonymous complaint about someone and not go to them to see if it's even true. I HAVE MY RIGHTS!!!

I think most likely it was one of the stupid guys over that night. Gosh, if you have a problem with me like that, I'd appreciate if you'd come to me FIRST before making ridiculous assumptions. They probably felt so good about themselves for doing the "right" thing. Self-righteous #*$#*$@#$. I have no patience for people like that. The cheek THE CHEEK.

And this on the night my period starts and my cramps wreak havoc on my body. I was so upset I barely slept last night. And I may have squirted a few angry tears. WHERE DO PEOPLE GET OFF? I just want to be married already and not have to deal with idiots half my age any more.

For the record, Shawn has been in my room for any real length of time three times:
1. helping me move in
2. helping me with my laundry
3. praying together

Wow. We're just destined for hell aren't we? I hope whoever reported us, when they get engaged, they get evicted without prior warning or notice. You try to find two minutes of privacy to talk with God together. I know, I'm such a good person. They should erect a statue.

The least they could do is tell me who reported me along with their address so I can express my appreciation.





















Next time I'm going to ask everyone in the front room to kindly turn off the movie or to be quiet for whatever length of time so Shawn and I can pray and say goodnight.

Anxiously engaged

We're at T-less than two months now until take off. Yay. I wish it would happen NOWWWWW though. I'm so tired of having to share my room with someone I didn't pick. And someone that's six years younger than me. And someone the same gender as me. And someone that can't hear a lick. I mean... what? Basically I'm tired of loud people who continue to be loud late into the night when people are OBVIOUSLY trying to sleep (A movie full blast at midnight? really?) Or friends of roommates who come over when you're OBVIOUSLY watching a movie, and it's near the end where it gets exciting and then they sit three feet away and yell and laugh and talk really loud to each other and you want to die, but kill them first. Although that would defeat the purpose of trying to get away from them. Hmm... who to do in... It's a quandary! The loudness factor goes for both housemates and neighbors. I'm going to spell it neighbours. I'm sure it's a bit irritating for them having to deal with an engaged couple, where I'm either always over at Shawn's house, or vice versa, but STILL! GIVE US A BREAK! T-2 months!!! It'll be nice to have people over, too, that were invited by either Shawn or me, and therefore we know them and like them. That will be real nice. Gosh I'm cranky today! Sorry! Wait, no I'm not sorry. I'm TIRED.