crazy roller coaster

Yay Phillies!!!!!
2008 World Series Champions

Today has been a range of emotions:
1) Philly won the World Series last night...I was excited and teary eyed.
2) I didn't sleep last night...I was grumpy today (but not too grumpy because the Phillies won)
3) I'm still 5 chapters behind in Statistics...I'm a little stressed
4) My computer crashed...I'm a little frustrated.
5) I FOUND A CHILDHOOD FRIEND ON MYSPACE!!! I'M SUPER EXCITED!!! (I have been searching for him for years...and finally found him!!!)

Utah fall colors

I went "hiking" with some friends. I walked ahead a bit and took this picture using the self timer. I thought it created a cool effect.


A sunset over Utah Lake

Mountains and fall colors


After the football game on Saturday, I took a nice walk up
to the Provo Temple in order to take some pretty fall pictures:

Pretty!

After lots of hard work, this is what I look like now.

life is grand

I'm much more content these days. I'm not really sure of the reason...maybe just a lot of people have been praying.

Tomorrow, I need to fill out my absentee ballot and mail it back in...I've been dreading trying to make the final decision of who to vote for.

OK, so I have yet to put my reasons for not supporting Prop 8 in writing. Things have been crazy. I haven't had much time to do anything. I did, however, watch the first game of the World Series tonight. Unfortunately, I was doing statistics homework at the same time. I wasn't able to concentrate much on either. BUT one of my roommates watched the last couple of innings with me. You have no idea how I excited I am about that.

College night sometime in Spring '07--it was cold!!

I finished a block class. I feel less stressed now. Even though I have a paper due tomorrow, I'm just using content from the paper I turned in last week for a different class ;) and I have a couple chapters of statistics that I should probably work on tonight. I need to hand in the stats lab tomorrow...I've been putting it off too long.

Well, I would just like to express my progress for some of my personal goals: it keeps me motivated and accountable.

So far, I have used 4 of my 5 personal training sessions. I think that I'm going to buy 5 more (well, more like my mom is giving me an early Christmas present) because it's keeping me in check with the resistance training--what I tend to avoid on my own. Since I joined the gym, I have lost 7 lbs so I'm excited. Hopefully my cute shirts will be flattering again by Christmas. (xcrossing fingersx). Speaking of the gym, I'm headed there now.

compliments

Sometime last week I went to meet with Dr. Stoker (one of my comm. professors) about a paper. Being Dr. Stoker, he asked how I was doing and if I was enjoying the program. I was honest: I love the program but am having a hard time with BYU itself. We talked about politics, my background, my family, and the huge adjustment I've had to make. He looked at me and replied, "Malinda, you seem to have made a lot of big adjustments in your life." Then he went on to list how I first went to Messiah College, how I joined the Church while I was there, how I lived in a third-world country, and then I came to BYU. He went to say that I "seem to be an adventurer" and continued to say how it's nice to have someone with a different opinion. I really needed to hear that. This Proposition 8 thing is making me feel like a social outcast. Sometimes, I wish I would have kept my mouth shut and my beliefs off of my Facebook profile. Yet, I know that in the end, I would have regretted not being true to myself. I'm not going to let the Spiral of Silence get to me.

I've been trying to write down why I don't support Proposition 8 and I've been trying to do so in a non-offensive way...it's hard. Maybe I'll take some time this week to do so (as well as work on my lyrics again). I think it would be beneficial to everyone (especially myself).

politcal stirring

I seem to be stirring up trouble all around me with my political views and personal opinions on Proposition 8. I like bringing a different opinion to the board. At least I feel like I can still think for myself. (I'm not trying to say that others can't...I just tend to get caught up in what others think that I don't take the time to figure it out on my own...whereas I can honestly say I've been doing so lately).

I am different than most BYU students, I'll be the first to admit it. For this reason, I was hesitant to come but I chose to anyway. The past 2 months has been a huge growing experience and I'm thankful for that opportunity.

lyrics

I've picked up my creative pen again (after a several year pause).
In attempts to write new lyrics, I came up with these:

With fear in our eyes
We walk down the street.
With fear in our eyes
We try to overcome these feats.
With the fear in our eyes
That only God can take away
He can heal these broken hearts
And help us start a brand new day.

OK, they're a little cheesy, I know. But it's my first attempt in awhile.