Stupid homework killed my brain.

You wanna know what I hate? When teachers don't get me a syllabus until the last little bit of the semester even when I've been asking for one the entire stinking semester! This happened with my Spanish teacher. I asked her nearly every day for one. Her answer was always the same. "Oh I forgot. I'll get it to you tomorrow." Finally she gets me one and says that if I completed ALL of the homework by the last day of the semester, my grade would be raised. However, that was a boat load of homework. I had to complete 5 chapters of online practices. Those took me an average of 2 hours each even when I was slightly cheating...oops! but I seriously didn't have enough time to do them properly. I also had to make flashcards for every chapter so I could memorize the vocabulary before my final. Each chapter required about 100 cards, so that was 500 flashcards to study within a week. Then to top it all off, I had to write 6 essays in Spanish, 300 words each. That may not sound like a lot, but when it's in a foreign language, it's near impossible. I won't even get full credit for the stuff.

I thought I had been spacing things out like a should, but there were some days when I couldn't finish everything I had planned because I had math homework, and I had to study for my sign language final. Plus, I had to keep my sanity. I had tried to talk to the teacher about my work load. She was well aware of the fact that I was taking 20 credit hours. However, her response was, "I'm being extremely lenient by letting you turn all this in. I don't accept late work." But it was her fault it was all late. She didn't give me the stupid syllabus on time. I went home very frustrated.

By yesterday, I had only completed 3 chapters online and 3 chapters of vocab. My final was today, so I had to have it all done. I woke up at 5:30 am...the time I usually wake up for school, but I didn't go to school. I stayed home to work on homework. I was working ALL day. At one point I had a complete mental and emotional breakdown. I was in complete tears. I was so frustrated. I couldn't concentrate anymore. Finally I decided that I really need a priesthood blessing to get through it all. My family wasn't home, so my dad obviously was gone. I tried to get a hold of my uncles, but I don't have most of their phone numbers due to a new phone. So I called the uncles' number I do have, but there was no answer. I didn't know any of my neighbors number because my family took all the phone with them that have those. I decided that I could call my home teachers, but I didn't have their numbers. So I called a friend who gave me their numbers. But when I called them, they didn't answer. I later remembered that my ward is on a river trip right now. So I try to continue with my homework, but I couldn't think. I had managed to complete all my online chapters and vocab and 1 essay, but I still had 5 essays to go. My friend, *Jake* called me and asked if I wanted him to bring ice cream over. He came over and distracted me for a little bit while we ate ice cream and gave me a hug. After he left, I managed to write another essay. But then I couldn't concentrate again. I decided to take a walk. By this point, it was almost midnight. I decided to walk to my bishop's house to ask him for a blessing. While I was walking, I had my keys in between all my fingers and pepper spray in my pocket because I was all alone and it was dark and I don't trust some of the guys in my neighborhood, and I trust their friends even less. So I was probably quite the sight as I knocked on the bishop's door at midnight. His wife answered and informed me that Bishop wasn't home because he was on the river trip. But she invited me in and let me talk and rant about how stressed I was. She said a prayer for me. Then I went home. I managed to finish every single essay. It was a miracle. However, it didn't last long.

I was finally able to go to bed by 3:30am, but I had to wake up at 5:30. So I was running on two hours of sleep. I hurried to get ready. I was so desperate to stay awake through my final, I drank one of those 5 hour energy thingummies ...seriously the most disgusting things on earth! Then I went to print the essays that I had spent all night working on. Much to my dismay, I could only find one. The rest hadn't saved. I printed off the one I had and went to school, dreading the day. I couldn't concentrate all through math. Once I got to Spanish, I handed the teacher the essay and tried to explain what happened and that I had finished ALL of the essays. She didn't care. And she graded the one I had turned in VERY harshly. A misplaced coma was a point off. Forgetting an accent mark was 5 points off. She didn't do that for everyone else's essays. I managed to make it through my final, and I think I did good. However, I'm still very worried about failing the class.

I'll Appreciate It When I'm Older, I'm Sure...

I've always known that I look younger than I am. I'm 20 right now, and when people are asked to guess my age, they usually guess somewhere around 15 or 16. However, I recently had an encounter that made me think that I look even younger.

I was at my brother's jr. high school dropping off some change of schedule forms. As I came out of the school, a boy came toward me. I had to stop myself from laughing because he had the whole strut thing going on. When he reached me, he gave me the whole little head nod and said " 'Sup?" He tried everything to get a conversation flowing.

Finally, I couldn't bear it any longer. I asked, "So just curious...how old are you?"

He had a very proud look on his face as he replied, "13."

"Okay, now just curious, How old do you think I am?"

"Wait! Are you older than me?!" He said this as if it were the most absurd thing he had ever heard. "Are you 14? Cuz we can totally make this work if you want."

"Did you just ask me out?! I'm older than 14."

"Are you seriously going into high school?"

"Nope, I'm past the whole high school bit."

"You're 18?! No way!"

"Yeah, no way! I'm 20."

"Are you serious? Um...well...uh...my I'm supposed to meet my friend, so I have to go."

Do I seriously look that young?? I got hit on by a 13-year-old! That kid is younger than my little brother who is 6 years younger than me. That's just weird. I do not look younger than my little brother!

My Boy Boycott

*(names have been changed)*

It's official! Guys are dumb...or at least the majority of them are. There are a few exceptions hahaha! Now for what led me to that announcment:

I have been on a boy boycott for the past little bit simply because I'm not certain I want to deal with all that goes along with dating. I have made this a well known fact especially to the guys in my ward that keep asking me on dates. Some managed to get the hint and leave me alone...others seem to get the hint and think they're the exception. I have two examples that will illustrate my frustration...one more so than the other.

Guy #1: *Billy* has been trying to work in a date ever since he met me. He's asked me on quite a few dates, actually. However, I quite honestly have no interest in dating him, or pretty much any other boy for that matter. I have told him to his face that I am boycotting boys. I have told him this several times. Well, the other day he called me and said, "I was wondering if you'd like to go out and do something this weekend. I know it would mess up your boycott, but it would be fun." So he straight out acknowledged my boycott. My reply was, "I'm sorry, but I am really serious about my boycott right now." Then the conversation ended.

I always feel really bad when I turn down a date because I know that it takes a lot of guts to ask someone out, and I appreciate that effort; I really do. So I hate it when a guy that I have no interest in going on a date with asks me because chances are, I'm going to feel terrible and give into the date and end up being miserable. Now that I've promised myself to say no, it's been terrible because I feel like I'm the worst person on earth for rejecting them. So these guys have really been putting me in hard places.

Guy #2: *Fred* and I have known each other since 6th grade. We haven't always been in contact with each other for all that time, but every time we have come back into contact after those various years in between, he feels he need to make a move. In 6th grade, it was a well known fact that he had a crush on me. I got teased for it. In 8th grade, he went and told the entire school that I was his girlfriend. I got teased for it. Now that he is in my ward, and I see him on a regular basis, you can probably guess what is happening. He is pestering me for a date. A few months back, I had a boyfriend, and Fred gave me a big, long lecture on how I shouldn't date him. Thankfully, the people in my ward, as immature as they may be, are at least mature enough to not tease me about him this time.

One Sunday, I sat next to him in Sunday School. I pulled out my notebook to doodle, but before I could, Fred took it from me and decided to use it to pass a note back and forth like we were in jr. high. Once he gets the "hello, how are you" thing out of the way, the first question he asked was, "Are you still going out with Mark?" I could immediately tell where that conversation was headed. I replied with, "Nope! I'm boycotting boys!" So he went on to inquire about my reason for the boycott, but he then made a comment about how it's okay for me to boycott boys because I needed to experience a date with a man. Give me a break! The first thought that popped into my head was, "Ha! You're not a man!" But then I went on to specify, all males. He kept arguing with me. And finally he ask what he could do. I said, "Just concentrate on being my friend and nothing more." He agreed to that. But then later on, my friend, *Chad*, was teasing me, and Fred came over and said, "You need to be nicer to her, otherwise her boycott will go on longer and I'll never get a date with her." What happened to the 'okay-i'll-only -be -your-friend-and-nothing-more' thing that we had agreed on? Hate to break it to ya, Fred, but you're not ever going to get a date with me!

Later that night, I was at Chad's apartment, ranting to him and his roommate, *Jake*, about how frustrated I was. And they came up with a plan. Wahaha! Chad sent Fred a text saying that I have a boyfriend. Jake is posing a my boyfriend. He's going to start coming to my ward and sitting next to me and all that jazz to make in convincing. Jake and Fred know, and loathe, each other. It's going to be great! I feel so mean, but at the same time, I can't help but laugh. I'm really going to have fun with this!

Just another day....Hahahaha! not happening.

I expected today to just be another day same as any other day. Hahaha! no. My mother woke me up this morning at 6:30 to have me move my car out of her way so she could head off to work. I groggily pulled on my coat, boots, and gloves and headed outside. However, I couldn't even get the key in to unlock my car. I sat there for 10 mins. slowly chiseling through. Finally, the key was in, but it wouldn't turn. I wanted to cry. My pj pants aren't all that thick, so my legs were freezing, and my gloves were all wet from the snow, so my hands were freezing, and my boots were soaked through because they're not exactly waterproof, so my feet were freezing. I was out there another 20 mins. fighting with the key. It wouldn't budge. Finally, my mother came out to see what was taking me so long. She got impatient and completely scraped all the ice off my windows (Thank you, Mother!). Then she came to try to turn the key. It wouldn't budge for her either. She went inside to get my daddy. He came out, and tried to turn the key to unlock my car, but nothing worked. He sprayed WD40 all over, but to no avail. Mother called my Nana to ask her what to do because it used to be Nana's car. Nana agreed to give Mother a ride to work. My dad propped a heater in front of the lock and left for work. I went inside and almost fell back asleep as I was trying to warm up. However, I finally pushed myself to get ready because I had to go to school. When I went back outside at 8:30, the stupid door still wouldn't unlock. My Nana suggested hot water because that worked for her once. So I went inside and got a whole big pot of water boiling. Then I went and dumped it all over my door...all the surrounding ice instantly melted. However, the key still would not turn. So I boiled more water and put it in a spray bottle to attempt to attack the lock directly. It didn't work, so I melted my name in the snow on the trunk. It was 9:30 by this point, so I knew I wouldn't make my class. I decided to start walking to work because I had to be there by 11:30 and it takes me 2 1/2 to 3 hours to walk there. I borrowed my brother's mp3 player to help me walk faster. I pulled on my backpack...that way I wouldn't get annoyed with my purse as I was walking and headed out. Keep in mind that my boots are not waterproof, and Murphy's law made me come across several puddles. I had been walking for about 20 mins, making really good time, when a lady stops and asks if I want a ride. She seemed vaguely familiar and nice enough, so I agreed. She dropped me off at the library because I was now running very early. I read my book until I had to go over to the school I work at. I get through work easily enough, but on an empty stomach. Yes, I am idiotic enough to attempt to walk for three hours in the snow on an empty stomach and with no water. My mother told me that Nana was going to pick us up after work. I decided to make it easier on Nana, so she'd only have to go to one location, also I had nothing to do until 4:00, and I walked to the school my mother works at. Thankfully, she works really close to me, and it took me 15 mins. to walk there. Nana came and took us home, and Mother called for a locksmith to open my car. He pried my car open and unfroze the mechanisms; however, I don't trust locking my car. It's a good thing I don't have anything valuable in there...the car itself isn't valuable. Hahaha! So today turned into quite the adventure. But hey, at least it wasn't boring!