RENO, NV

 This is a picture of the drive from Reno to Salt Lake. 

It is the most boring drive out there- I am convinced. 

It is all dead and flat. 

Then you hit the salt flats and you really feel like you are in the middle of no where, driving on what seems to be a treadmill. 

You don't feel like you are moving at all. 

But the eight hours goes by fast when you have someone else with you. 

I drove with my sister, and we listened to This American Life.

We learned about Apple, carnivals, Obama look-a-likes, and lots of other really cool stuff you can't find anywhere else. 

The highlight of the drive had to be when a car of three teenage boys drove up next to us

 holding a sign that said :

CALL ME MAYBE

Personally, I love that song. 

My sister laughed, but wasn't so flattered. 

We then had the awkwardness of making sure that our car stayed a good distance behind or in front of them.

They were adamant. They even gave us their digits. 

Neither of us really felt desperate enough to call them up, unfortunately.

We went home because my sister ran in Bay to Breakers.

It is a 10K that winds through Golden Gate Park. 

There were crazies galore! 

Needless to say my family has already made plans to do it next year; I think we will fit right in. 

I love my family, but weird doesn't begin to describe us. 

I think we are more dysfunctional than anything actually.

My mother is the main culprit, but we all inherited the trait. 

These were our Christmas pictures a couple years ago. 

Awful. 

My brother and Dad refused to join. 

My family is awesome.

Every time I go home the food is always amazing, but I start to remember what makes my family so much

"fun".

The top quotes of this past weekend were:

-"When do you leave for Ughanna?"

This was said to Jaclyn, who is spending the summer in Uganda. Close mom,

-"I just want a shirt that says run on it or something"

This was said by Elizabeth as we walked into Nike town.

-"Wow, when I put these on it's like I'm seeing the world through Instagram."

And, this would be by me after I put on my new sunglasses. 

San Fran was a blast, except I didn't find my knock off purse. 

It might be because I was going into the shops asking for their fake bags, I didn't realize they were trying to pass them off as being real. 

I probably disrespected their Chinese honor.  

the most random place to sleep

Today at work I came across a person asleep under one of the study tables. 

I work in a library... not a hotel. 

At first I was really shocked to come across someone completely zonked out.

 The shock wore off real fast.

My next rational desire was to pull out my phone and take a picture.

he woke up. 

I can imagine his shock; waking up to a girl staring and laughing at you with her phone out.

 I didn't know what to do next so I just kinda ran away and pretended like my services were needed elsewhere.

This is after we made full eye contact.

He had a look of disturbance on his face, can't imagine why...

unfortunately I didn't get a picture.
DEPRESSING. 

Seeing him under that table reminded me of all the random places my parents used to find me sleeping. The reason I had the urge to take a picture is because my parents used to take pictures of me asleep all the time: 

Falling asleep with goggles on is not the best idea one can think of. They cut my circulation completely off. My mom recalls waking me up and seeing that my eyes were completely swollen and some what purple, removed the goggles and simply let me go back to sleep. 

I don't know why I had them on even. Clearly I was not planning on going swimming anytime soon. I would've been fully equipped with my pool floaties if that were the case.   

This is just funny. I'm glad my mom got the camera out before attempting to cover up her immodest 5 year old daughter. 

I can't even tell you how many pictures my mom has taken of me while I am sleeping. She thinks it is really funny for some reason. 

I blame her for all of my socially unacceptable behaviors. 

My sister claims I am the worst bed sharer ever. 

To that I say, it isn't my fault I wet the bed.

Not anymore though!  

And it isn't my fault that I enjoy sleeping in an L position. 

It is somewhat displayed here. 

I love to have my head father forward than my knees. 

Prime sleeping position. 

One time when me and my sister were sharing a bed, I accidentally had an accident (wordy I know). 

I just kept telling her to scoot over every five minutes or so, until there was no where else to go and the bed was soaked. 

OOPS.

She got revenge by bringing her rabbit into our room and letting it play on the bed while I was asleep. 

The rabbit had an accident as well. 

It was aiming for me. 

I spent the next hour in the bathtub, waiting for my mom to come home and actually do something about this. 

I was six and would not stand for rabbits in my bed. 

15 things to give up

Here is a list of 15 things which, if you give up on them, will make your life a lot easier and much, much happier. We hold on to so many things that cause us a great deal of pain, stress and suffering – and instead of letting them all go, instead of allowing ourselves to be stress free and happy – we cling on to them. Not anymore. Starting today we will give up on all those things that no longer serve us, and we will embrace change. Ready? Here we go:

1. GIVE UP YOUR NEED TO ALWAYS BE RIGHT

 There are so many of us who can’t stand the idea of being wrong – wanting to always be right – even at the risk of ending great relationships or causing a great deal of stress and pain, for us and for others. It’s just not worth it. Whenever you feel the ‘urgent’ need to jump into a fight over who is right and who is wrong, ask yourself this question: “Would I rather be right, or would I rather be kind?”Wayne Dyer. What difference will that make? Is your ego really that big?

2. GIVE UP YOUR NEED FOR CONTROL

Be willing to give up your need to always control everything that happens to you and around you – situations, events, people, etc. Whether they are loved ones, coworkers, or just strangers you meet on the street – just allow them to be. Allow everything and everyone to be just as they are and you will see how much better will that make you feel.

“By letting it go it all gets done. The world is won by those who let it go. But when you try and try. The world is beyond winning.” Lao Tzu

3. GIVE UP ON BLAME

 Give up on your need to blame others for what you have or don’t have, for what you feel or don’t feel. Stop giving your powers away and start taking responsibility for your life.

4. GIVE UP YOUR SELF-DEFEATING SELF-TALK

 Oh my. How many people are hurting themselves because of their negative, polluted and repetitive self-defeating mindset? Don’t believe everything that your mind is telling you – especially if it’s negative and self-defeating. You are better than that.

“The mind is a superb instrument if used rightly. Used wrongly, however, it becomes very destructive.” Eckhart Tolle

5. GIVE UP YOUR LIMITING BELIEFS

about what you can or cannot do, about what is possible or impossible. From now on, you are no longer going to allow your limiting beliefs to keep you stuck in the wrong place. Spread your wings and fly!

“A belief is not an idea held by the mind, it is an idea that holds the mind” Elly Roselle

6. GIVE UP COMPLAINING

 Give up your constant need to complain about those many, many, maaany things – people, situations, events that make you unhappy, sad and depressed. Nobody can make you unhappy, no situation can make you sad or miserable unless you allow it to. It’s not the situation that triggers those feelings in you, but how you choose to look at it. Never underestimate the power of positive thinking.

7. GIVE UP THE LUXURY OF CRITICISM

Give up your need to criticize things, events or people that are different than you. We are all different, yet we are all the same. We all want to be happy, we all want to love and be loved and we all want to be understood. We all want something, and something is wished by us all.

8. GIVE UP YOUR NEED TO IMPRESS OTHERS

Stop trying so hard to be something that you’re not just to make others like you. It doesn’t work this way. The moment you stop trying so hard to be something that you’re not, the moment you take off all your masks, the moment you accept and embrace the real you, you will find people will be drawn to you, effortlessly.

9. GIVE UP YOUR RESISTANCE TO CHANGE

 Change is good. Change will help you move from A to B. Change will help you make improvements in your life and also the lives of those around you. Follow your bliss, embrace change – don’t resist it.
“Follow your bliss and the universe will open doors for you where there were only walls” Joseph Campbell

10. GIVE UP LABELS

 Stop labeling those things, people or events that you don’t understand as being weird or different and try opening your mind, little by little. Minds only work when open. “The highest form of ignorance is when you reject something you don’t know anything about.” Wayne Dyer

11. GIVE UP ON YOUR FEARS

Fear is just an illusion, it doesn’t exist – you created it. It’s all in your mind. Correct the inside and the outside will fall into place.
“The only thing we have to fear, is fear itself.” Franklin D. Roosevelt

12. GIVE UP YOUR EXCUSES

Send them packing and tell them they’re fired. You no longer need them. A lot of times we limit ourselves because of the many excuses we use. Instead of growing and working on improving ourselves and our lives, we get stuck, lying to ourselves, using all kind of excuses – excuses that 99.9% of the time are not even real.

13. GIVE UP THE PAST

I know, I know. It’s hard. Especially when the past looks so much better than the present and the future looks so frightening, but you have to take into consideration the fact that the present moment is all you have and all you will ever have. The past you are now longing for – the past that you are now dreaming about – was ignored by you when it was present. Stop deluding yourself. Be present in everything you do and enjoy life. After all life is a journey not a destination. Have a clear vision for the future, prepare yourself, but always be present in the now.

14. GIVE UP ATTACHMENT

This is a concept that, for most of us is so hard to grasp and I have to tell you that it was for me too, (it still is) but it’s not something impossible. You get better and better at with time and practice. The moment you detach yourself from all things, (and that doesn’t mean you give up your love for them – because love and attachment have nothing to do with one another,  attachment comes from a place of fear, while love… well, real love is pure, kind, and self less, where there is love there can’t be fear, and because of that, attachment and love cannot coexist) you become so peaceful, so tolerant, so kind, and so serene. You will get to a place where you will be able to understand all things without even trying. A state beyond words.

15. GIVE UP LIVING YOUR LIFE TO OTHER PEOPLE’S EXPECTATIONS

Way too many people are living a life that is not theirs to live. They live their lives according to what others think is best for them, they live their lives according to what their parents think is best for them, to what their friends, their enemies and their teachers, their government and the media think is best for them. They ignore their inner voice, that inner calling. They are so busy with pleasing everybody, with living up to other people’s expectations, that they lose control over their lives. They forget what makes them happy, what they want, what they need….and eventually they forget about themselves.  You have one life – this one right now – you must live it, own it, and especially don’t let other people’s opinions distract you from your path.

http://www.purposefairy.com/3308/15-things-you-should-give-up-in-order-to-be-happy/

tortilla chips

Today I was working.

Like I always am.

I wasn't hungry before I went to work so I didn't make food.

But then five minutes before I had to leave, ravenous hunger struck my body.

I was too lazy to make something and I have no food to even make so I grabbed my whole bag of

 tortilla chips. 

Simple solution.

Until it back fired. 

I got down to the bottom of the bag-no i didn't eat the entire bag right then and there- so naturally I opened wide and created a ramp with the bag for the chips to gently cascade into my mouth. 

It wasn't so gentle. 

They got all over me. 

Some did get in my mouth though. 

The worst part is that their was a law student standing in front of me the entire time this took place. 

When I opened my mouth to say HI,  chips fell out.

Again getting all over me. 

She walked away laughing really hard. 

I sat there still hungry.

Dang it.

childness

I was a weird child. Let's just get that out in the open. There are so many times when I hear stories a or look back, and I ask myself,
WHY WAS ANYONE MY FRIEND?

Some parents try and cover up the fact that their kid was fat or something by saying, "no, you were so cute."
My family, on the contrary, just rubs it in my face.

They have been telling me since I was little that I was adopted. 

They also told me that Jack from Jack in the box was my real father because I had somewhat of a larger head.

I've grown into it. 

Or, so I would like to think.

There was a reason my head was so big; it was filled with all these crazy ideas that the older generation just hadn't thought of yet.

My first "brilliant" idea was pretty dang good for a first grader. 

I think at the time I had been hearing a lot about the cost of electricity.
I was determined to find a way to eliminate the need for lights completely. 

My room had a semi-circle window that was uncovered.
At night I could see up into the sky.  

It always amazed me how bright the moon was.
It was so far away, yet it shined right into my window and made it possible for me to see everything. 

One time, I remember coming up with the idea to go to the moon, take some rocks and bring them back down to earth.

These wouldn't be just for collecting.
We would use them to light our entire house.  

See in my mind, I though the moon was made of glow in the dark rocks.
I thought they would look somewhat like this:

Or this for the high class type:

My mom was really supportive of my ideas, apparently, cause she never corrected my logic.
(Thanks for not crushing my dreams)

I don't think it was until sixth grade that I finally figured out the moon didn't glow on its own... the sun lights it. 

I was pissed. 

I remember walking home down Mayberry Rd. with crushed spirits. 

I walked inside and asked my mom if she knew that the moon glows at night because of the sun?
She said yes (obviously) and looked at me like I had three heads.
It was at this moment that I started questioning all if my other ideas to fix the world.

And one by one, they all fell apart.

Another real winner was my idea to photo copy paper and POOF you had another sheet. Then we wouldn't have to cut down trees.
I eventually figured that one was going to work. I didn't even need adult intervention that time though!

I also didn't understand why everyone spoke different languages.
Don't they translate it into English in their minds to understand?
The answer is no. They don't.

After all these failed attempts, I simply gave into the fact that our world is flawed and I can't fix them.

One day I will put a moon rock in my room, just to make me laugh, and to soak up how ridiculously brilliant I was in first grade.

be neither afraid of achieving or failing, strive to fall down, commit to standing back up.

some one very dear to me always says,
THERE ARE ONLY SO MANY TOMORROWS.

new summer goal:
do things because they feel right not because they are logically right.
 in a sense, live off of impulse.

i am far too logical of a person.

also, stop putting off for tomorrow what can be accomplished today.

i think that sometimes i am afraid to achieve things because then it means i myself, will take on new responsibilities, or meaning.

that in itself could be me lying to myself and making excuses for being afraid of failure.

new summer goal 1.1.0:
be neither afraid of achieving or failing, strive to fall down, commit to standing back up.

To the best friend a girl can ask for

This is to the best friend I have ever had. 

Jaclyn,

You are the definition of loyalty. 

I have never met someone who understands me so well.

Every time I am with you, I feel like I am the only person in the world that matters at that very moment. 

You are the best.

I am so blessed to have you in my life.

You have always been there for me through everything. 

Even though we are so far apart now, I know that I can call you and it is like we were with each other just yesterday. 

I know that I will be able to call you my best friend for the rest of my life. 

You are beautiful.

You are brilliant.

You are capable of doing anything your mind conceives. 

I have never met a person who is more driven and committed to being the best they can be, than you. 

I love all the moments we spent with each other just being stupid and laughing at one another.

I think if we added up the amount of laughing we have done, you could easily add 5 years to our lives. 

SO MANY GOOD MEMORIES.

I can't even list any of them cause they are way to embarrassing. 

Well, I hope your birthday isn't too filled with finals and papers. 

I hope you know that I love you and would do anything for you. 

I can't wait to see you when you get home! 

Love you dude! 

Thought I would included some pictures of us from our better looking days, notice none from our middle school days made the cut haha. 

LOVE YOU LONG TIME! 

<3 Allie 

HANGRY

I have a real problem. 

It comes about every time I haven't shoved, inhaled, or smothered food in or on my face in the last four hours. 

Us Jenkins refer to it simply as being HANGRY.

This is when I get so hungry that I become angry.

I think angry might even be an understatement....

My tolerance for stupidity reaches -50, where I no longer am just passive about people being stupid, but I now feel a desire to high five them, in the face, with a chair, for being SOOO smart. 

If you ever have experienced me in this state of mind, I apologize. 

Just slap me in the face with a quesadilla and I'll be fine. 

I still won't be able to fix you stupidity, however. 

Just simply overlook it. 

Shoe Crimes

I don't know what my problem is but the first thing I notice about any man, woman, or living figure, are their shoes. 

Well maybe not the first thing. I probably notice their eyes first, then the shoes. 

Either way, men need to understand that their shoes DO say a lot about them. 

For example:

Yes these are comfortable, and a child in Africa will get a pair, but it really isn't worth it for the judgments placed on the boys that wear these. 

Even girls who wear these when there is three feet of snow outside are struggling. 

Have fun getting trench foot. 

I personally can't justify spending $60+ on a pair of "shoes" that I see everyone's toes falling out of. 

Just last night I was at the gym and I saw this guy working out, getting ripped, lifting some serious iron, you know the usual. 

I looked down and he is wearing TOMS. 

Really? 

I didn't say anything, for all I know he was in Africa without shoes and toms saved his life. So now he has decided to try a modeling career for urban outfitters. 

Good luck with that hipster.

I wouldn't be shocked if I saw him leave wearing a scarf and carrying a murse. 

Oh the New Balances 623s. Trusted since 1974! But also haven't changed since 1974.....

 These make a statement all by themselves. 

Whenever I see these shoes I immediately think of my dad. He had three different pairs of these exact shoes. One pair was green from mowing the lawn, and the other two were a little less warn down. 

My dad swore by these shoes, but if you are under the age of 50 I strongly encourage you to lock these up, burn them, or donate them to your local senior citizen home. 

I don't know what it is about male BYU students, especially, but it is daily that I see a young man with a button down shirt, nice slacks, and these shoes. 

NOT OK.

I get it if you are actually doing something active, like hunting wild beasts. 

But, this is 2012. We have reached the stage where we have running shoes that are attractive. 

I must admit though, when I see a BYU student wearing these I know he is a solid guy. Something about the white of the shoes just makes them seem more spiritual. 

IT IS FUNNY CAUSE IT IS TRUE.

I must admit, I am a sucker for a guy in Sperry's. 

They are so nautical.

These are simple yet classy. 

I'm a fan. 

I wear them myself and I love them. 

With the right pants, these look DAAANG good. 

However, the responsibility that comes with owning these shoes is quite big.

I suggest often staring out into the sky so people think you are trying to measure and enjoy the blueness, swaying as if you are on a rocky boat,constantly checking the direction of the wind, and carrying a mister so that you can experience the sea breeze in any location. 

I would have to say the absolute no no for a guy to wear are solid white Nike's. Every time I see a guy wearing them I instantly associate them with these wonderful people that have contributed so much to our society.

The rumor on the playground is that The Situation is in rehab somewhere around BYU. Everytime I go to Gold's Gym I look for him at the Tanning place next door. Sadly, I haven't been graced by his guido-ness.

I do get graced with many other real winners sporting these shoes. 

I guess my conclusion is stereotypes exist for a reason. If you don't want to be associated with them, then don't wear the same shoes as them.

THE END.