Forks

So, I wrote this blog post once and then deleted it, because it was so fan geek I almost couldn't stand it, but well, (since I sat at my computer all day fiddling with stuff for a curriculum project map and re-writing stuff I'd already written) I don't have anything more interesting to say, so what the heck.

I bought the Twilight movie last week and, after watching the vampire baseball scene about 10 times and deciding that the kid who plays Jacob Black is so good I can almost forgive him for not actually having much of a Native American background, I've been on a renewed Twilight kick. Last night my friend Becky and I were talking about it, and it reminded me that Tracy and I had driven down Highway 101 between Port Angeles, WA and Seaside, OR on our honeymoon. Now for those of you not Twilight crazy this meant I had been to Forks (the town where Twilight is set).

Now I didn't remember Forks, but on a lark I dug out the video from that trip and, for no explicable reason other than that I was playing with the video camera at the time, there was Forks, WA in all its tiny glory. It's was a sunny day, which sort of ruins that whole Pacific Northwest vampire ambiance deal, but still it was fun to hear myself vaguely mocking its small size and then declaring it "kind of a nice little town."

Maybe the reason I think this is so fun is because so many of the novels I like are:
A) Set in places that don't exist, like Robin McKinley's Damar, or Shannon Hale's Bayern
B) Set halfway across the word, like Jane Eyre and The Count of Monte Cristo

Anyway, it was kind of fun.

Oh, and as an example of the universe's sense of humor, I know Stephenie Meyer started writing the book at the beginning of June 2003, which was the same time we were there on our honeymoon - and the book has a minor character named Mrs. Cope :)

Exams

I finally have dates for my comphrehensive exams, my written exams will be April 27th and my oral exams will (probably) be May 13th. I'm fairly nervous about it, especially with finishing up my preparation in the midst of all the other craziness that's going on, but I'm glad to know what the deal is.

Redesign

I liked the vintage feel of the brown, but it was starting to give me a headache. Plus, in the land of March snow and sagebrush, I needed the reminder of oceans and green things.

Procrastination for a good cause

One of my favorite sites is http://www.freerice.com/ ...because I can goof off for a few minutes and feel like I'm supporting a good cause. One of my favorite new things is their Famous Paintings quiz. I've discovered I really like J. M. W. Turner and that I really really am not a fan of Van Gogh.

And the adventure continues...

I think that heading is more exciting than my life actually is, but some cool things have happened lately...

-Tracy and I had the chance to be ushers for the Draper Temple Dedication on Sunday, and President Monson (and several other General Authorities) walked right past me two different times...definitely not something that happens every day.

-Tracy had a phone interview today so keep sending prayers and good thoughts in our direction

-We had a great trip to Boise, and on top of that, Tracy's mom came by to see us today. Family is definitely a great thing!

Interesting quote today

This is kind of a long story, but bear with me.

I'm usually not one for turning sports figures into heroes (in fact a person I work with and I were complaining about Salt Lake's John Stockton Blvd. just this week), but before I married a guy who didn't like football and before it was slightly painful I was a huge San Francisco 49ers fan, and as such, a fan of Steve Young. After one particularly brutal game with multiple nasty injuries, the commentators began to talk a little trash about Steve Young. At the time I was writing lots of poetry and the game got me thinking about the way in which our society sometimes looks at failure or adversity as a sign that someone isn't really worth looking up to. So I wrote this poem, and while the poem came to be about much more than some football players, it was originally inspired by that game:

The Hero

Heroes are human,
The dismal conclusion
They come to when he’s been knocked down.
He’s broken and bruised,
Tired, confused and
Picking himself off the ground.

But it isn't on victory, on pride, or on glory
That the title of hero should rest.
For it’s easy to shine when you win all the time
Triumph’s no true heroes test.

So when he climbs to his feet
When it seems he’s been beat.
Don’t say, “He should give up the fight.”
He’s got class under fire, courage, desire
And a vow to champion the right.

In spite of the pain he’ll commit once again,
Even though he has his doubts.
And he’ll give you his all
Come win, lose or fall,
Because that’s what a hero’s about.

I've been thinking about this poem a lot over the last few weeks, as Tracy and I deal with different challenges, reminding myself that hard times give you a chance to really see if your as faithful and hopeful as you claim to be.

Then today in an article about Steven Young speaking at some sort of business gathering here in Utah, they quoted him saying this, "Those of you that own businesses, those of you that have professions, in this tough time, find out if you're a pro and see how good you can be. Because I can tell you, over time, looking back on my whole career -- in business, in sports, in family -- the real, true test is I will find more about what I did in adversity than I ever did in success."

March Madness

Nothing earth shattering on the home front, Tracy and I are both job hunting and we still don't have word on when his job is officially going to be over. Both my exam studies and the Curriculum project I'm working on are in crunch time, so I'm generally either shackled to my desk, running around the U for meetings or library books, or numbly re-watching Gilmore Girls in the hope that my eyes and brain will recharge.

Tracy has been busy constructing and painting (for those of you who don't know our back windows had a problem which necessitated replacing the back interior wall in three rooms), and the room is starting to look really great. It was an ugly green before and now is a pale, but still cheerful blue. It makes me happy!