Little Things That Make My World Go Round

One of the signature elements of being in grad school is how disjointed my thoughts tend to be. There are definitely some class periods or nights spent doing homework where my brain seems to be bouncing between fifteen things. Or worse – my “to do” lists are unstructured – school things mixed in with people to call or bills to pay. What does this have to do with this blog post? Simply that the list is all over the place – no rhyme, no reason – just things that help make my world go round…

*This past week, we had our first dustings of snow on Timp. All the winter haters start panicking, and I start listening to David Archuleta singing “O Holy Night” – can’t help myself. This also means we’ve had lots of rain and I get to wear scarves again. It’s a good life.
*Lit Y – BYU homecoming week means that the Y is lit on the mountain. At night, you can see the Y from anywhere in the valley. I love that.
*Mad Men – this show is brilliantly researched and executed. The acting, the writing, the costumes, the…is superb. That said, it is set in masochistic 1960s corporate America (translated: boozing, sexing, profit-seeking existence) which makes for controversial plot lines. Two discs into season two, I cannot imagine a world without Don Draper. *Good mail days
*10-10-10 (I know I already mentioned this in another post, but I love when the dates do things like this)
*Empty laundry baskets (which means I’ve actually finished my laundry!)
*Pumpkins
*Someone to talk to about anything and everything
*Glee cookies as shown to me by Hillary on diamondsfordessert.blogspot.com *Some of my first years (I LOVE being team mentor and getting to know these new people in the program – they are incredible)
*We are reading “The Help” for a new book club that I’m in. I’ve already read it so I decided to listen to it this time. I love listening to the southern voices dripping like butter on a hot muffin while I drive the Alpine Loop or take the long way home just so I can hear a few extra minutes. (ps. They're making a movie of this due out next spring! And I get to go to brunch where Kathryn Stockett will be speaking in December at Sundance!!) *Finding a new indoor place to read at Sundance since it’s getting a little cold for the porch
*Having lunch with Ryan (we hung out twice in one week – a first in a long time for my brother and I)
*Giants baseball (it’s borderline obsession)
*Jenessa’s homecoming pictures (she looks so happy!) *Watching the end of the new “Emma” with Johnny Lee Miller playing Mr. Knightley six times in five days (Don’t judge me – it was a rough week and I needed ten minutes of positive existence to fall asleep to) *Walking the Provo River trail and passing the Raintree bridge (hello flashbacks)
*Making holiday plans *Maria saying “I feel like Bella here" about her facing the elements for a 10k mud run
*How happy Jewels and Mae are to have Brett home
*Actually connecting with people on the phone without playing phone tag (yes, miracles happen!)
*New Glee songs from iTunes
*The idea Julie Beck brought up of “breakfast w/ books” (a tradition she had with her family)
*Wedding pictures that were taken at Balbianello on Lake Como in a Martha Stewart magazine *Fall movie previews (so many good options!)
*The beginning chapters of “The Art of Possibilities” (such a good book so far!)
*Dinner with Corey, Patricia, and Caleb (such interesting conversation, such good people)
*Hitting my goal of 75 blog posts (that was a while ago, but I did do it)
*The team scene in “Miracle” where the individual players learn that they represent the United States (Dr. Thompson showed it to the first years in class, and I almost started crying during it – love that movie!)
*Making plans for my own apartment once I’ve graduated
*The chance to work with Dr. Thompson as one of his team mentors (more on him later – he is such a gifted teacher)
*Walking the canyon with Kirsten on Saturday mornings
*Being offered grapes during class and having them taste like childhood soccer games
*Sonic ice
*Jim and Pam
*Did I mention the Giants?
*This picture from an art blog. I’ve been looking at this picture all week as my computer desktop. I love it. *Finishing three papers in 24 hours (so many big things off the list)
*You (since you made it through this ridiculously long list)