You Scream Like a Girl!

So, last night I had my first encounter with a Haunted House. Yes I know what you all are thinking: this girl is how old and she's never been to a haunted house? Well, it's true. None of my friends did stuff like this in hike school (or if they did, we didn't go with them).
My sisters Melissa, Erin, and Darby, friend Tara, and I went to Rocky Point Haunted House. It was a pretty scary experience and my true colors definitely came through the dark mists of the house. Just about any time a creature jumped out at us, I would scream at the top of my lungs and fly almost to the ceilings! I am such a jumpy person and I gave the girls a good laugh I guess.
Anyway, Darby absolutely loved it and I can say that it was entertaining. The other aspect that was amusing were the two guys behind us: "Safety in numbers!! Safety in numbers!!" I think they were more scared than us and one of them almost constricted Tara's entire airway by clinging for dear life to her vest. No worries, she got out just fine ;)

Happy Halloween!

The Wonderful World of Baseball

America's Favorite Pastime...Baseball. I LOVE LOVE LOVE baseball! Anyone who knows me, knows I LOVE to watch baseball...live, on TV, a motion picture feature (such as The Natural, Fever Pitch (see the provided pictures), For the Love of the Game, etc.), whatever, it doesn't matter. I have spent many a Saturday parked in front of the television watching double plays, diving catches, home runs, and strike outs. My favorite team is the Baltimore Orioles (even though they haven't done very well the last few seasons) and my all-time favorite player is Cal Ripken, Jr.
I believe in sticking by your team, through good times and bad. My cousin Mark is the same, only with the Angels (I can't remember which city they play in now, they keep changing it). He is a die-hard Angels fan and when they went to the World Series he was there and even took our Grandpa with him.

If I were a band-wagoner, I would have donned a Red Sox or Yankees cap long ago and probably purchased some Detroit Tigers or St. Louis Cardinals apparel in the last few weeks. However, I don't do that. If I were that vain, I would have transferred to the U (YUCK!) during the Fiesta Bowl year (LAME!). The Aggies are not the best team in the NCAA Football rankings, obviously, but they are still my team for college athletics, win or lose. Dedication is where it's at.

I have enjoyed watching the World Series this year. Growing up, the Cardinals were (and are) a favorite team. My first ball cap was a St. Louis hat my dad brought back for me and I wore that cap just about every day of my young life. I still have it and although I probably wouldn't bring it out (I don't know if it is sanitary), I like to know that I have it. Anyway, I hope you have enjoyed the World Series as much as I have and whoever wins, I LOVE baseball!

"Alright, go Sox!" ~Fever Pitch

The Tradition Lives On!

That's right! Bean Dip Night is going to be continued in the City of Salt. We are transplanting from Logan to the big city to bring the enjoyment to those who have not experienced this magic known simply as Bean Dip Night. This Saturday, the Green Street No-Nonsense house will play host to the many Bean Dippers. We, as the hostesses, are hoping for a great time and for the entire Bean Dip to be eaten!

I hope that all will be able to attend. See you then!

Friday the 13th! Moohawhawhaw!

Today, I realized when I put my phone on vibrate this morning is FRIDAY the 13th! I love the superstition that goes along with this day. But why is it the number 13 and Friday? This is some stuff I found out:

Friday the 13th is an unlucky day in much of Western Europe, North America, and
Australia. Many people avoid travel and avoid signing contracts on Friday the
13th. Floors in tall buildings often skip from 12 to 14. And while the superstition is believed to be fading, it nonetheless has deep roots in both Christian and pagan culture.

The Day Jesus Was Crucified?

Many Christians have long believed that Friday was unlucky because it was the day of the week when Jesus was crucified. The number 13 was believed to bring bad luck because there were 13 people at The Last Supper. Since there were 12 tribes of Israel, that number was considered lucky.

Roots in Norse Mythology

Thirteen was also a sinister number in Norse mythology. Loki, one of the most evil of the Norse gods, went uninvited to a party for 12 at Valhalla, a banquet hall of the gods. As a result, he caused the death of Balder, the god of light, joy, and reconciliation. Loki tricked Balder's blind brother, Hod, into throwing a sprig of mistletoe at Balder's chest. Since mistletoe was the only thing on Earth fatal to Balder, the beloved god fell dead.

Literature and Folk Wisdom

During the Middle Ages, the superstition against Friday the 13th grew. On Friday, October 13, 1307, King Philip IV of France ordered the arrests of Jaques de Molay, Grand Master of the Knights Templars and sixty of his senior knights in Paris. Thousands of others were arrested elsewhere in the country. After employing torture techniques to compel the Templars to "confess" to wrongdoing, most were eventually executed and sympathizers of the Templars condemned Friday the 13th as an evil day. Over time a large body of literature and folk wisdom have reinforced the belief. In the 18th century, the HMS Friday was launched on Friday the 13th. It was never heard from again. Since then, ships are not usually launched on that date. (Click here for other mysterious ship disappearances.)

Dinner With 13

It is considered especially unlucky to have 13 people at the table during a meal, such
as in Agatha Christie's mystery novel, Thirteen at Dinner. During the 1880s, a men's
group that felt superstition was an unhealthy influence on public life held Thirteen Club dinners. Those diners would have doubtless deplored Triskaidekaphobia,
which is a fear of the number 13. They would also have looked askance at
Triskaidekamania, which is an excessive enthusiasm for the number 13. (Take our Phobia Quiz (part I) on Triskaidekaphobia and other scary phobias.)

So there you have it, some reasons why people are paranoid of Friday the 13th courtesy of Dave Johnson (http://www.infoplease.com/spot/friday13th.html)

Coming Home!

It was a wonderful weekend!! I got to go Logan for homecoming and it was so nice. I love Logan and miss it more than I can say. I have not been up there since April for "A" Day. The big city is okay, but nothing beats the feeling of Logan. Darby, Erin, and I attended the Leadership Reunion and it was fun to see people who were involved in the same things as us. Student Alumni Association was the highlight of my college career and I loved being a part of that organization. So many good times, one-liners, awesome people and great memories. It truly made my college experience.

We ate dinner at Cafe Sabor and that was a good time as it turned out to be one of our favorite restaurants in Logan during our tenure there. After dinner, we headed to Romney Stadium to witness a miracle! The winless Aggies no more! They finally won a game and it was really fun to watch. 13-12 over Fresno State! A slim victory but a victory nonetheless. Aggie fans needed a win and the team finally delivered for us. It was the cherry on top for homecoming week.

Utah State Hey! Aggies all the way! Go Aggies! Go Aggies! Hey! Hey! Hey!

Passports, VISAs, Letters of Good Conduct...

Oh my heck, I have had my mission call for almost a month and I am realizing how much I still have to do. I have all of the most important things taken care of...I need a Passport, VISA, certified birth certificates, a police letter of good conduct and these need what's called an Apostille from the Secretary of State of Utah. Wow, that was a lot of stuff to get. I have most of it taken care of, so that is a relief. I can't believe how much stuff you need to get. Argentina among other nations wants to make sure they are letting in good people.

I'm getting really excited to go. Today I figured that I would leave for Argentina around the beginning of February (hopefully somewhat fluent in Espanol). So about eight more weeks and it's hasta luego para mi.

General Conference Baby!

Once again, like every six months, we had the opportunity to "come listen to a prophet's voice." I love conference. I didn't so much when I was little, but I was a little oblivious to what was going on. Anywho, I loved, loved, loved Elder Bednar's talk on being offended. He has turned out to be one of my favorite speakers at conference since he was put in the Quorum of the 12 Apostles.