Pray Always

"...pray always and be believing and all things shall work together for your good." - D&C 90:24

President Thomas S. Monson addresses the women of the Church. Watch it HERE

140
Did You Think to Pray?

1. Ere you left your room this morning,
Did you think to pray?
In the name of Christ, our Savior,
Did you sue for loving favor
As a shield today?

[Chorus]
Oh, how praying rests the weary!
Prayer will change the night to day.
So, when life gets dark and dreary,
Don't forget to pray.

2. When your heart was filled with anger,
Did you think to pray?
Did you plead for grace, my brother,
That you might forgive another
Who had crossed your way?

3. When sore trials came upon you,
Did you think to pray?
When your soul was full of sorrow,
Balm of Gilead did you borrow
At the gates of day?

More S%$@ Bart Says

It has been a while since I've posted more $%&# Bart says...I guess he just hasn't been that funny lately :)

B-Are you ready yet?
M- Why are you being so impatient?
B- Well.....because I'm sick of you.

B- Opposition in all things Meg. You wouldn't be able to smell roses if you couldn't smell my farts.

B- Just write me a list of shit you want me to do and I'll throw it away and then think about it.

B- Megan if I operated my life the way you did I would be a female. And I don't want that.

B- Do I really need to stand up the first day of class and say if you're going to throw up just get up and go. If you're going to shit yourself just get up and go and we will deal with it later.

B- (Talking to the TV) You're wrong dude. You're the man. You have a penis and she's hungry. You're going to be wrong.

B- You're not eye candy. You're more like eye vegetables. No one really wants a piece but they'll have some if they have to.

B- Get a hobby
M- Like what?
B- Well most people in Utah have children...why don't you try that?

B- I'm cooler than a hipster because I wear jean shorts.

USU, COMM & JCOM

Fall 2009. USU 1350-Integrated Life Science. Grade: B-

Another USU required class with too many people and not enough dedication on my end. I've never been good at science and this class was no exception. What does Integrated Life Science even mean?? It's a stupid name.

Spring 2012. COMM 4610-Magazine Writing. Grade: A

I would call myself a writer. I wrote news for Utah State's paper for years. That was of little help to me in this class. This class was all about creating images in the reader's mind. Using your own opinion and voice to tell a story. I don't have to use my own voice in news stories. My opinion isn't ALLOWED in news stories. News stories was all I knew...so this class was a challenge. My professor was a young guy who was the head of some new-age hipster magazine. He was pretty cool and I enjoyed our assignments.

I learned how to write Reviews and my favorite homework assignment ever was writing a How-To. (Side note...if you're writing a How-To...don't include How-To in the title.) Once I caught on that magazine writing is kind of like writing in my blog just more refined I started to enjoy myself. My final assignment was somewhat of a disaster because I wrote about sex education and let's be honest...that's a boring subject.

I've always loved to write and this class taught me how to be a better writer. I wouldn't be apposed to writing for a magazine one day...

Spring 2011. JCOM 2220-Intro to Video Media. Grade: A-

Let's be honest...the likelihood of a class sucking when it has the word "intro" in the title is pretty high. Intro classes are meant to teach you the basics but they usually end up being a boring way to spend a few hours and a few thousand dollars in college. I think some classes are made to weed out the kids who don't plan on taking their choice of major seriously. I would say this class was one of them. Taught by an 90 year old who was use to working with ancient equipment and refused to accept the new technology...this class was a train wreck...but I still learned something. (Funny how that works isn't it?) Looking back on some old blog posts...here are a few things I learned:

1. When you download something, that means you are taking all of the information that is jumbled up, and organizing it into the sequence it should be in

2. On the other hand, when you are "streaming" something, the information is being put in order as you go along so if it is "buffering" the information hasn't gotten there yet.

 

3. If you speak into a microphone the audio focus is on that person. If the microphone is further away it will make the listener feel like they are now listening to someone's conversation instead of being talked to directly.

2 Cents: Carb Free

THIS article on Cosmopolitan talks about stars starving themselves before award shows and how it's not fair to expect that of people blah blah blah.

I agree. They should be able to eat a carb the morning of an awards show. Unfortunately every TV/Radio/Magazine/Internet outlet would jump on the chance to show Julie Bowen with a food baby at the Emmys. So yeah...she skips carbs because people who take pics of her and write stories about her are crazy and would comment on how she looked if she HAD eaten those carbs.

It's a vicious cycle, I get it. But what comes first, the starvation or the media attention?

Responsibility is shooting me in my broken foot

I come upstairs to get started on homework. Because I'm responsible like that. Too bad my technology isn't on the same page as I am. My hard drive won't ready any of its files. NONE. The only way to do the work is to open up the video files on the hard drive. ...the hard drive that won't open anything. See the issue? I emailed my professors and the members of my group hoping someone else has their hard drive to lend me. So much for being an overachiever and getting things done early.

Plus...I may or may not have broken my foot. okay...it's not broken...but it hurts like hell and I can't walk much less run on it so it might as well be broken. I went out for a run this morning and 2 miles in Bart had to come save me. I was limping my way down 3200 West (and NO ONE stopped by the way. I was clearly in pain and NO ONE stopped. You suck residents of South Jordan) and luckily Bart was home to come get me. I've been icing it and limping on it all day. Who knows what happened...maybe it heard Bart and I talking about running a full Marathon and got mad at me. Low blow foot...low blow.

I am also taking offers for anyone who wants to come decorate my beautiful new house for me because I'm not crafty and have no idea where to start. 

2 Cents: Post-Baby Body

One of the things I love about my job and career is the chance I get to know what's going on in this little world of ours! I know Miley Cyrus and Liam Hemsworth broke up. Just like I know that Aaron Alexis was having a mental breakdown just days before he opened fire at a Navy yard and killed 12 people. I get to read opinion pieces about being supermoms (or NOT being supermoms) and watch little girls become YouTube sensations because they break it down on the dance floor. I realized this morning that if it wasn't for this job, I probably wouldn't know a whole lot. Being a hairstylist I was always up to date on celeb gossip because of the magazines at the salon. Luckily this job provides a broad spectrum of information. I'm going to start sharing that information (and my opinions on it) with you! While I get to pick the stories we talk about each morning, I don't get to share my own opinions of them. Until now :)

Today will be quick because I don't have tons of time to write. Today will be about babies. Specifically post-baby bodies.

This article, "4th Trimester Bodies Project Fights 'Unrealistic Expectations' For New Moms" and more specifically the photos with this article are beautiful. It's no surprise that carrying a baby inside your body for  9 months is going to change it. It's a surprise that everyone expects you to bounce back to your pre-baby body ASAP.

Since I'm not a mother or pregnant I can only say so much on this topic. First thing's first. If you have never had a baby then I don't think you have the right to judge someone's post-baby body (Men, especially you. Shut up. No one asked you. Until you push something out of your vagina, NO ONE ASKED YOU). More importantly if you HAVE had a baby then please don't put that pressure onto someone else, even if that pressure was put on you.

We are all in this together ladies. I already have to hear questions about when I"m going to have a baby (every freaking day I hear these questions) and once I do birth a child, I am warning you now: talk about my baby weight and I'll punch you in the face.

10 More Ways to Be Happier (not backed by Science)

I ran across this article today..

10 SIMPLE, SCIENCE-BACKED WAYS TO BE HAPPIER TODAY

Reading it I checked off the things I do well (hello 8 hours of sleep) and the things I could work on (meditation anyone?). It got me thinking of a few more things that might not be science-backed..but they make me happy

11. Keep chocolate at your desk (and let yourself eat a second piece if need be).

12. Drive to work without the radio. You appreciate the beautiful sunrise and fresh new day.

13. Kill them with kindness. Smile at the ass hole you work with and your day will be better. I promise!

14. Grab your husband's butt on a daily basis

15. Write in a journal and blog your feelings away

16. Visit the Humor section on Pinterest (seriously..it's hilarious)

17. Pat yourself on the back after you do something awesome. aka give yourself a little more credit for how amazing you are.

18. Eat another piece of chocolate

19. Clean out a messy drawer. Throw away those old tshirts or extra pens you NEVER use. It makes you feel better!

20. Buy yourself something nice. It doesn't have to be pricey. Just get something for YOU.

Stay Happy everyone!

Crazy Chick

My clubhouse key is going to turn me into a crazy chick. Or rather, the lack of having a clubhouse key is turning me into a crazy chick.

Each month Bart and I pay an HOA fee. Most of that fee goes toward the beautiful clubhouse with 24 hour fitness room plus pool and park and other things I don't care as much about as the fitness room. We are up to date on our HOA fees. In fact, we are 6 months AHEAD on our HOA fees. And yet here I am, sitting in my home we bought TWO WEEKS AGO without said key.

I have contacted the idiot HOA lady who has repeatedly lied to me. She first told me we would have to pay $50 if we wanted a key since the previous owner didn't leave hers. I then informed her that since it's not OUR FAULT the previous owner didn't leave the key there was no way in hell we would be paying that $50. She said okay fine I will put one in your box tomorrow.

That was 10 days ago.

Every other day since then I have called and emailed inquiring about my key. Each time she says she will put it in the next day. So either she has put 5 different keys in some mystery mailbox or she's been lying to me to get off the phone.

Well guess what biotch. The claws are coming out tomorrow. Watch out.

JCOM, GNDR & ENGL

Fall 2009. JCOM 1130-Beginning Newswriting for Mass Media. Grade: C+

This was one of my first JCOM classes at Utah State. It was taught by the one and only Jay Wamsley. The AP Style Book became our bible and the daily quizzes were kind of a biotch. I had it with a few people who eventually would become my college friends. The AP Style Book came in handy when I joined the USU Statesman newspaper staff and learned things like "Wal-Mart Stores Inc. when referring to the corporation, and Wal-Mart for an individual store." and "Capitalize fashion week in an official name: New York Fashion Week or London Fashion Week." I remember having to be current on the daily news and I usually failed miserably. Jay was one of those professors that you never really knew where you stood in the class. he's a nice guy...does that mean I'm passing? Harsh quiz score...does he grade on a curve? Let's just say that C+ was a surprise at the end of the semester. It also goes to show that grades aren't a reflection of what you learned because I learned a heck of a lot!

Fall 2011. GNDR 4630- History of Sex in America. Grade: B

This class sounds as interesting as the name implies. It was my first semester after I transferred to the University of Utah. Since I had transferred so late I couldn't get into many Comm department classes. Instead I took high level courses to fulfill other requirements. This was one of them. The first day of class we wrote every dirty word and or sex word the class could think of on the board. From blow job to vagina and everything in between. Things you heard in the Jr. High halls wouldn't have been as inappropriate as the things we had written on the board. I left that day feeling a little dirty and wondering if I should morally take the class. I have standards, but I also have a desire to learn. In the end I'm glad I stayed.

The professor was a lesbian liberal with very interesting views. My eyes were opened to a new way of looking at things. I appreciated these classes throughout my education because they tested my own beliefs...and made them stronger. I came out of this class with a full knowledge of the history of gay sex and prostitutes and in the end I still believed the things I believed going into the class.

One of the notes she made on my quizzes was that I needed to speak up more in class. I didn't speak much because I didn't feel like I had anything valuable to add to the discussions. I remember there was a 60 something year old man in that class. I appreciated his presence and his desire to learn a few things too!

Here is a post I wrote about a few things I had learned that week in school...

Spring 2010. ENGL 4200-Linguistic Structures. Grade: A

If I had a top 10 list this class would be on it (Maybe at the end of this college thing I will make that list). Linguistics was one of the most fascinating topics. I learned that babies' brains are designed to pick up as many languages that they are exposed to. I learned the phonetic alphabet. We talked about the importance of language in general. The reason I wanted to take this class was because of my love for language. My love for writing. I felt that if I understood language at a deeper level it would make me a better writer. I don't know if that's what happened, but it was fascinating either way.

Other than criminology, linguistics was the other topic I would consider majoring in if I did it all over again. I thought this class was going to teach me how to diagram sentences and explain why diagramming sentences matters. And I think we spent some time on that. But the thing I remember most about this class is realizing how incredible language is. Every civilization has a language. Some are different from what we are familiar with. But everyone communicates. Everyone.

My Football Coach

2 years 3 months and 29 (ish) days ago I married a football coach.

Football season in our house doesn't start in August, it starts in April. With early morning workouts that turn into summer workouts that turn into football camps and 2-a-days and finally GAMES. Friday (and Thursday) night games.

After hours of practicing it all comes down to Friday night's game. Which is a shame sometimes. The loss of a game makes you question why you put in all that work during the week. It can be frustrating, not fun. But it can also be fun. Football can be the rain coming down and an interception pass that turns into a touchdown. It can be watching the new little freshman cheerleaders learning their routines and messing up. It can also be fun.

And then other days it's just long. It's raining...the team is losing and my butt hurts. I can't eat anything from the snack shack so I sip on water...I'm sick of listening to the stupid cheerleaders spell.

I'm by myself watching my cute husband with his khakis that are too big and his determination which is just big enough. Sometimes he yells..sometimes he pulls a kid aside and gives him a pep talk.

Sometimes it's fun. And sometimes it's just long.

2 years 3 months and 29(ish) days ago I married a football coach and I have loved every second of it.

Day 160

As my treatment gets closer to ending I can't help but think of the past 5.5 months! I was just put on my final round of supplements that will be addressing my brain/mental side of things. Brain fog and haziness has never been a major issue which is why they have waited until the end to fix it. We started with the biggest problems and now we are just finishing up! I'm almost there! I have said it before, and I'll say it again: It's amazing what a few months can do!

Here was my update from Day 6:

.  There are many different ways to eat chicken...learn those ways

. carrots for breakfast? why not?!!

. It's amazing to have a best friend who is going through exactly the same thing. What are the odds? God knew what he was doing when he put us together all those years ago.

. Quinoa is still nasty. I invite anyone to cook me "tasty" quinoa and bring it to me so I can learn what it's supposed to taste like.

. Apparently 80oz of water a day isn't enough...potty breaks anyone?

. a week of being sugar, dairy and process food free and my skin is breaking out like a teenager. Where's the justice in that??

. the "I feel full" feeling only lasts about an hour.....I miss you carbs....

. Coconut Milk and Almond Milk mixed together kinda sorta tastes like Fat Free normal Milk

. I felt super healthy at the grocery store. helllloooo produce aisle. 

Here is my update from Day 160

• There are still many ways to eat chicken. I have become the best at grilling it. Even Bart is impressed with my skills.
  
• I now have an egg, turkey bacon and corn tortilla burrito for breakfast. it's amazing the progress I've made in choices :)
  
• I still love my bestie who has supported me through all the hard days when all I wanted was some candy and a hug
  
• Quinoa is STILL nasty. The original bag is in my pantry...every time I use it I end up throwing most of it away.
  
• My water intake has definitely decreased...probably not a good thing but oh well!
  
• 5 months of being sugar, dairy and proccess food free and my skin is AMAZING! The justice came.
  
• The "I feel full" feeling still only lasts an hour..but the "I feel hungry all the time" feeling isn't here anymore either.
  
• My new found love is the dark chocolate Almond Milk
  
• I still spend all my time in the produce aisle. I haven't decided which store has the best food..

13.1 Miles and a Whole Lot More

The craziness has finally subsided! We moved into our beautiful new home and have most everything unpacked. I am back to producing just ONE show a day instead of TWO. The half marathon is OVER and school is in full swing.

I can finally breathe!

Bart and I have been internet-less the last 10 days since moving in and it's been interesting to say the least. I spent most of my evenings/afternoons on Campus (40 minutes away from home) and Bart has been going to work early to make his lesson plans. Who knew we needed internet so much?? Hopefully we will have it by the end of the week. 

On a side note, we LOVE our new house. It's so big and quiet compared to our past apartments. Our bedroom echos because the ceilings are so high. We have an empty second bedroom and not enough stuff to fill up the space, but I love it. I know it will fill up eventually. We haven't seen much of our neighbors which isn't a bad thing since we both hate most people. Someone parked in Bart's assigned spot and he through a little bitch fit...but other than that there have been no problems :)

I was finally able to figure out how to log video from home (without a MAC computer and without internet) and to be honest I was almost more excited about that discovery than I was about finishing my first half marathon (which we will get to soon). Now I can spend countless hours logging video from the comfort of my own couch instead of paying $23974 for parking at the University of Utah library (F-YOU for raising prices BTW). This semester is going to be long and time consuming and honestly I have been making it a priority over work, but I just have 3.5 more months left...forever...so that is what I keep telling myself. 

Week 1 of my new responsibilities was last week at work and I thought it went really well! I have a good groove down and everything seems to be working out.

Now for the exciting part of my weekend...I ran my first half marathon! My official time was 2:27:11! It was really fun..until about mile 11 and then I just wanted to crawl to the side of the road and die. It was fun to have Bart run with me. Since we were running a few minutes/per mile slower than his usual pace he was fully enjoying himself and was a great cheerleader..especially toward the end. I sprinted to the finish line even when my body was all out of juice. I almost passed out after the finish line but I'm just going to take that as I really did give 100% to that race! We made a few friends along the way and I achieved my goal of finishing without having to walk. 

6 am it's-dark-outside-keep-me-warm pic

matchy shoes. matchy bibs.

WE DID IT!! I'm so happy Bart was able to run with me!

After I finished..before I almost passed out.

All done :)



It's amazing what our bodies are capable of! It never ceases to amaze me. I am so proud of myself and really happy training is over :) Around mile 10 when we were feeling pretty good we started talking about training for a full marathon...we may or may not start training when football season ends...stay tuned! We have the Dirty Dash this weekend which is always a good time! Who doesn't like to get dirty every once in a while??

Last Class

Sometimes I really hate school. And my sometimes I mean most times. I especially hate video editing classes that use us for interns and don't really teach anything. I also hate when it's expected to do 10 hours of homework each week (recorded) for a 1 day a week class. Screw you! Why do you think I'm taking a night class? BECAUSE I HAVE BETTER THINGS TO DO THAN GO TO SCHOOL.

They don't teach anything and then send us on our way. I had to figure out on my own how to dictate video into written text so I can log interviews. It's awesome. I've been at the library for 2 1/2 hours already and I will probably be here another 2. I hate video production. I'm not interested in doing this for my career. Waiting for things to load and render and hoping the equipment works is not my cup of tea. Maybe if it was my job to sit at a computer and wait for things to load I wouldn't be so upset. But it's not. And this is my LAST CLASS for graduation. Kill me now.

Also, don't bring your freakin' baby to the library. I'm sorry you got knocked up in the middle of your college career, that sucks for you, but don't make it suck for the rest of us. We're not interested in hearing it cry all afternoon. Take it outside and don't bring it back!

Did I mention I was upset? Because I am. I'm hungry, tired and upset. We have been fridgeless since Saturday when we moved in. Living out of a mini fridge. We have tortillas, cheese, turkey bacon, eggs and carrots. That's what I've been eating the last few days. Bart also made homemade guacamole so we enjoyed that the other night. But still, I'm starving and I need a damn fridge!

My first half marathon is this Saturday. I think my marriage will make it until then. I'm pretty sure every time I wake Bart up for an early morning run he thinks about leaving me. He has been such a good sport I try to pay him back :)

After three hours in the library it's clear I won't be able to finish my work. I don't understand Adobe Premiere and they didn't teach it to me. Is it expected that I understand it? Am I just out of my league here? That's what I'll be asking my professors tomorrow when I turn in a unfinished project!