Finals!

Well, finals are over! I am so happy to be done with everything! Now I get a short little break before school begins again . . . but I won't think about that.
I haven't written in awhile. Nothing too exciting has been happening. Wait a second, I lied. I did get a scholarship for next semester, so that helps out financially! I also found out that I passed the FSOT!!! (Foreign Service Officer Test - to become a Foreign Service Officer in the State Department). Of course, that means very little right now. All it means is that I could possibly go on to the Oral Assessment, but I won't even find out until March . . . That's a long wait. What they will do now is give my exam results and my application to the QEP (Qualifications Evaluation Panel) who will give me a ranking that will determine if I go on to the Oral Assessment. Once that is over, if I go on to the Oral Assessment, that isn't even the end of the process! Even if I pass the Oral Assessment, I am not guaranteed a job. It is quite a lengthy and involved process, but I am excited nonetheless. We shall see what happens. And, in about a month I am supposed to get the breakdown of my exam results. That may help me to know how big of a chance I have to go on to the Oral Assessment.
Also, I am in the Relief Society Presidency in my ward. As a member of the presidency, we had to do a skit at the Ward Christmas Party. It was quite fun. I wish I had the video to post on here. Maybe I can get it and then I will post it. There are 5 of us in the presidency. 1 was the narrator (Cheri), 2 were the arms (Rachel-not me and Jessica), and the other 2 were the faces/feet (me and Gina). If that doesn't make sense, imagine one of those skits that they do on Who's Line is it Anyway? where one person stands behind the other and sticks their arms through as if the back person's arms were the front person's arms. Then imagine them kneeling down and the front person's arms become the legs so you have a very short person with very short arms but a normal sized head. I am told that it was hilarious. Plus, people started laughing before we even started our skit. The narrator read the Night Before Christmas while the two short people "acted" it out. We just used our arms and our "legs" to do it, but it was a lot of fun, and we had several people laughing hysterically in the audience. It was great.
As for what is coming up, I will be working through the holidays (hurrah). My good friend Kalia invited Sara and me to do some activities with them during the holidays, so we will be doing that. Tonight we are going to Thanksgiving Point with her and her family. Sunday we are going to Brigham City to spend time with my mom's family. I'm not sure what is going on next week, but on Christmas Day, Sara and I are going to West Jordan to spend Christmas with Becky and my dad's sister's family.
I'm pretty excited. I just hope I don't go crazy at work with nothing to do . . .

Memories

"Now all that's left, pictures on the wall, memories and stories that are told. The more often told, the bigger they get, create a legacy, lest we forget. . ." - Goodbye by Plankeye


Memory game

Here are the directions:

1. As a comment on this post, leave one memory that you and I had together. It can also be a family memory - whatever comes to you. Anything goes! (Well, within reason...)

2. Next, re-post these instructions on your blog and see how many people leave a memory about you. If you leave a memory about me, I'll assume you're playing the game and I'll come to your blog and leave one about you. If you don't want to play on your blog, or if you don't have a blog, no worries. It is, after all, just for fun!

Orlo-Vista

So, I went to Florida this past week for a few days. It was my first ever trip to Florida. I went to the ATA Conference in Orlando. (Left - at the ATA Conference in Orlando at the Disney Hilton. From left to right: Jennie, Carol, Laura, me, Eve, Yuko) The Conference was held at the Disney Hilton, although my group stayed at the Orlando Vista Hotel (Orlo-Vista as our taxi driver called it) which was within walking distance of the Disney Hilton. (Right - Disney World!! Actually, this was the sign we saw on our way to the Hilton every day) It was a great time, the sessions were interesting and helpful.
On the flight there, one of the flight attendants gave us the kiddy books. (Left - Downtown Disney, there were tons of lego creations. This was a lego family with lego dogs! They were really cool. I would like to have one of these some day) It was really fun and we got excited. She later came back and told us that she was so pleased with our enthusiasm that she wanted to give us a deck of cards. (Right - Pirates!!!)
The flight was long with a stop in Chicago. We didn't change planes, so we were stuck on the plane, but oh well. We got in to Florida around 3 pm. We got taxis to our hotel where we checked in, cleaned up, and got ready. (Left - me, fairy godmothers-in-training, and Jennie) We then went to the Disney Hilton for a networking meal. It was good.
The next day we were in conference sessions all day. We went to IHOP for dinner afterward. (Right - a playhouse at Epcot in the Innoventions area. What a tiny bed! Even I have trouble fitting in it!)
On Friday we went out to eat with Kent University, and university with a really good translation program. (Left - waiting my turn to get on a Segway. I wish I had one of these. They are really cool and easy to use) We ate at an Irish Pub. The food was good, but my table had to wait a long time to get our food. We think they burned one guy's (Phil) potatoes, maybe twice. (Right - Jennie, Chip, me, Dale, and Daliana. Somehow, I always thought Chip was taller . . . They fought over us, it was quite amusing) Because of that, we were late getting back for the after lunch session so we just took our time going back, taking pictures all over Downtown Disney. (Left - The Epcot ball . . . there is a ride inside of this, and it lights up with writing at the end of the night) It was a lot of fun.
When we got back to the Hilton, two of the three others from our table (Phil and Jennie) and I went to get a massage. It felt really nice. Then Jennie and I went to Epcot. The Hilton has a shuttle, so we went to wait for it. While we were waiting, I got a text message from Daliana saying she wanted to go. I texted her back telling her she would have to hurry because we were leaving in a few minutes. (Right - a green garbage man. It is a funny picture because it looks like I am wearing mouse ears!!) By the time she called me back, she had literally a couple of minutes to get there. I saw the bus coming, so I told her she should run. Luckily, the driver waited a little for her. So we were able to make it to Epcot around 4 pm.
The rest of the girls came later, but at first it was just the three of us. We got deals on conference tickets which were for after 4pm. (Left - Eve, Yuko, Carol, and I waiting to go to Mars) There I rode a Segway, made a velcro frog, got a picture with Chip and Dale, and several other fun activities. About that time the other girls arrived. We met them and decided what we wanted to do. (Right - Laura and I driving fast in a Corvette) We went on rides that took us to the past and to the future, spent a little time in various locations around the world, and also watched a fabulous fireworks show. It was a lot of fun. The park closed at 9pm, but we took our time leaving. (Left - a nice car) Then we headed back to the Hilton. Jennie, one other girl (Laura) and I decided to not go straight back to our hotel. We went to Downtown Disney where we took more pictures, looked in shops, and got souveniers. We were there until midnight when we decided to head back to our hotel. (Right - Epcot's Norway) On the way, we realized how tired our feet were, but we decided to stop at Denny's for some food.
At Denny's, we had to wait an extremely long time to be seated. Then we had to wait a while for our food as well. But, it was fun. We talked, and when we got the food, it was good. We didn't get back to our hotel room until 2 am. Then we had to pack. I got to bed around 3 am.
We were supposed to have another conference session the next morning, but of the 4 in our room (Jennie, Laura, Carol, and I) not one of us woke up. (Left - Melbourne, Australia. Do they really have giant balls for sale there?) I think we were all thinking that we couldn't go if someone else didn't get up (we were supposed to go places with at least one other person) and so none of us got up. (Right - Laura, me, Yuko, and Carol in front of a fountain somewhere in the world) I slept in until 10. Then we had to get up, get ready, and check out of our hotel.
We got a taxi to take us to the airport, but we got lunch first. The wait in the airport was long, but the flight was longer. We had a non-stop flight to SLC. (Left - Downtown Disney, Winnie the Pooh, Jennie, me, Tiger too, and Piglet) It was 5 hours in the air! It was super boring because we didn't even have a movie on the flight. Jennie, Laura, and I played card games the entire trip. That helped the time to go by much quicker. (Right - one of the most famous cathedrals in Russia, Moscow, made of legos! Now this I would love to have as a decoration! I wonder if they sell patterns for these?) One of our flight attendants was really funny. He also sang America the Beautiful as we flew into SLC. He had a great voice. (Left - riding a Harley. There was a Harley store in Downtown Disney, mainly for clothing and other Harley named items, but they did have two bikes on display)

We took a BYU van to and from the airport. The ride back was interesting because Laura, Jennie, Eve, and I talked about some interesting topics. It was mostly politically oriented, but it was really interesting. All in all, I had a great weekend. I was really sad to come back. I've decided that I would like to visit Florida again sometime.

A family that eats together, stays together

So, I've recently discovered that my cat Gizmo loves spaghetti. I don't know what it is, but every time we have spaghetti, he comes to the table and sits with us, watching us eat . . . willing us to give him our food. It is quite amusing. I'm seriously considering giving him his food at the dinner table with us. Maybe then he wouldn't stare so much.

I know, I know, don't say it

So, it has been an incredibly long time since I have posted. Part of that is described in the picture posted here. I've been so hecticly busy these past many weeks. In fact, I barely have time to sleep, much less even think about posting about my experiences. The main things I've been doing include work and school, and I have a calling that takes a lot of time. Plus I've actually been working on my future. I've applied for a job posting for after I graduate and today I took the FSOT (Foreign Service Officer Test). Now that all that is done, I feel a little more able to take some time, but I still have lots going on in the next couple of weeks.
I am going to Florida this week for the ATA (American Translators' Association) Conference. I've never been to Florida and it should be an interesting experience and an opportunity to network a little.
I've also been working on a programming project for one of my classes. At first I was wondering what I had gotten myself into, but I've figured it out and am close to finishing. I guess that's about it for now. I'll try to be a little better about updates in the future, but I can't promise anything.

HURRAH!

So, I haven't posted yet, but I have really good news. I have an apartment!!!! Sara and I moved in to our very own 2 bedroom apartment. It is nice, but unfurnished. Luckily, we have relatives who have extra furniture that we can get. We moved in on Tuesday and it was pretty much miraculous how it worked out. Let me explain.
Tuesday, after I got off work, Sara and I went to see an apartment. This place was great because it was 2 bedroom, not too expensive, and allowed pets without extra cost. We went to see the place, though I was ready to take it without seeing it. After viewing the place, I asked the landlord if we could pay the deposit immediately and then pay the rest after he checked our references. He said, the thing is, I need to decide who I'm going to rent to. He said he had already showed the apartment to 3 people and had several more coming to see it later that day. He then asked me if I had looked at other places. I mentioned the cat and he got this look on his face that I thought, oh no, now he won't rent to us.
After asking several more questions and informing us that he would prefer to have tenants who would stay at least 2 years and that it is always risky renting to younger people, he told us, I've made my decision, I'm going to rent to you because I know it will be difficult to find another place when you have a cat.
So, we paid last months rent and a deposit. He went home to make up the lease. Later that day we went back to sign the lease and pay first month's rent. He gave us the rest of August free in exchange for doing the extra cleaning and we were allowed to move in that night. Sure, we don't have furniture, but at least we have a place to live.
Also, my car is being worked on. Hopefully it won't be too expensive and will be fixed soon. In the meantime, I am still driving my cousins car. Things are finally coming together for me! Hopefully it won't change for a long time!

What a nightmare!

I haven't posted in a while, but that is mainly because I kept hoping for something good to happen that I could write about. Instead, it seems like I am living Murphy's Law, everything that can go wrong, is going wrong, and all at the worst possible time. Most of it you already know, but here is a recap from my nightmarish summer. Though it probably began earlier, I will begin with breaking my foot at the beginning of July and having to go to the emergency room. That pretty much killed all the rest of my summer plans. Then I had a quiet time while I was recovering until my sister called to say that she would soon be homeless. Then while waiting for an apartment application to be approved, my other sister and I actually became homeless. We are staying with family and hoping to impose ourselves for as short of time as possible, but then that housing option fell apart and we were basically left at square one, except for now me and Lizzy were homeless and Sara was fast approaching that deadline.
Now I get to the new stuff. Yesterday, I drove up to Ogden with Sara and Lizzy to look at an apartment possibility for Sara. We checked it out and determined that it wasn't worth it. Then we stopped at the mall to get some lunch before heading back down. When we came out of the mall, I had a very difficult time getting my car to start. Finally it started, and we left the parking lot, but after getting it into the turn lane, I could not get my car to go anywhere. As soon as I put on the gas, it would die. I saw a car shop up to the right, not even a block away, so I wanted to try and get it there. But my car started steaming and a passer-by thought my car was on fire. So he called 911. We had to wait for first the police and then the fire department to come and tell me that, no, my car was not on fire. It was really amusing, but also really embarrassing. I managed to get my car to the shop, with a police escort (he was going to push my car if we couldn't get it to the shop). The shop eventually got my car in to look at it. The mechanic replaced the fuel filter and the fuel pump before he determined that it was probably the carburetor and that I would need to replace it. He told me it would cost $800. That is for a new carburetor, but he wasn't even willing to try and find a refurbished one.
By the time he came to this conclusion, it was 8pm even though I had told him earlier that I thought it was the carburetor. He charged me for the parts, but not for labor (that was nice, at least) but there was nothing else that could be done. I had to call my cousin to get a ride. She called my aunt who drove down to Ogden to get us an then drove us to SLC where my cousin met us and drove us back to Provo. It was almost midnight by the time we arrived. Now, my cousin is letting me drive their extra car. I feel like a real nuisance, but I am grateful that I am learning what real family does. Other family members (I won't mention who) have treated me and my sisters pretty much like crap, even when what help we needed was of very little inconvenience for them. THIS was a MAJOR inconvenience and not only did neither of these family members act as if it was inconvenient, they said they were happy to help, and I believed them, too. This is how I've always felt family should be, but never had evidence to back it up.
So, I guess the moral of my story is that even though everything in my life right now is falling apart, it is nice to know who I can count on for help.

Being Homeless

I haven't updated in awhile. So here is a big update. I am homeless. I've been homeless for the past two days and the end isn't yet in sight. What makes it even worse is that after today, Elizabeth will be homeless, too. What to do? I don't know. I am running out of options. The nice thing is that I have a cousin who lives in Provo who will let us stay at their apartment this night. Hopefully that will be long enough . . . Wish me luck! And I still need all the prayers I can get!

Better News

So, I'm feeling a little less stressed then I was feeling yesterday, though not by much. I guess the reason I am feeling less stressed is because I have found a couple of options for the Gizmo situation. One, involves me getting my own apartment which has pluses of its own. I have to call about it to find out more information, but it's nice to know that there are options. I also now know that I will never rely on family members (except for Lizzy and Sara) to help me with a situation unless they first prove to me that they are reliable. Honestly, I got myself into this mess because I didn't take the hints of what happened with Elizabeth. I truly believed that things "would be different," ok, no, I just really wanted to believe that things would be different with Sara. But it's ok, because I've been wanting to get my own apartment and now I have a pressing reason to do so.

Stress, stress and more stress!

So why am I feeling stressed, you ask? Is it the fact that I am still walking around on crutches due to my healing/broken foot? Is it because finals are next week and I have to write a paper (in Russian) on euthanasia? Is it because I am graduating in April and that brings tons of things to think about and consider? Is it because I am preparing to take the FSOT in November which will determine my future career choices? Is it because I still don't know what I'm going to do after I graduate even in the event that I get hired into the foreign service (since I would have to have a background check done before I could actually start working)? Is it because I still don't have a place to stay come the end of August?
Although all of those things definitely give me stress, that is not the thing that has made me the most stressed right now. For those of you who don't know, I have a cat (you don't have to like cats to sympathize with me about this) and I love my cat very much. However, it is very difficult to find places here, especially as a student, where pets are allowed. So, my youngest sister was kind enough to agree to live with relatives and take care of my cat. Now, here is where the stress comes in, my sister was given an ultimatum that if she doesn't find a "decent job" within the next two weeks, they will "find her a ticket home." My sister's purpose in coming to Utah was to gain residency so she could go to school. Going back to Bismarck would completely defeat that purpose. So, there are other options. Unfortunately, those other options exclude my cat. We have many relatives in Utah, and one of those invited Sara to come stay with them in Brigham City. But, there, my cat, Gizmo (if you know his name, perhaps you will sympathize more), cannot go.I don't know what to do. I don't want to have to give Gizmo (see picture above) away because I love that cat and he loves me, but that may be the only option that I have. I'm afraid, though, that no one would take him because he's been getting stressed out lately . . . and that leads him to scratch and bite. He's not a vicious animal, he just needs human interaction and when he doesn't get it, he gets upset. I think my giving him up entirely would really stress him out.
As for me, this stress is exactly what I DON'T need right before finals . . . or really any time. It is one more problem that I have to worry about and it is vaguely reminiscent of the time that these same relatives evicted my other sister . . . I guess I should have taken a clue from that, but they told me it would be different. I guess I was wrong to believe that. And if, by chance, the relatives that I am referring to actually read my blog, I don't even care if they know how I feel. I will also say this: I feel like everything they have told me, especially in the past year, has been a lie. They told me that they don't talk to my dad about every little thing, but when they had a problem with my younger sister (the first one who stayed there for LESS THAN A WEEK) instead of calling ME and talking to ME they called my dad to complain about the situation and told him that they were concerned that I had just abandoned my sister there. Then they say that they don't judge me and want me to talk to them, but everything they do and say tells me otherwise. Now, (I won't go into every detail) they told me that it would be different with my youngest sister. I told them before she moved in that her biggest concern was being independent, that she was moving out of the house to be able to be independent. They told me that that was not a problem. But, they don't allow her that independence, and that seems to be one of the biggest things that they have a problem with.
So, I will say this, as well, I don't know if they are TRYING to push me away, but it's working.
Back to the real issue, any ideas on what to do about Gizmo? I really don't have many options available to me, and I could use all the help that I can get. And pray for me, because this stress all added together will probably give me a heart attack one of these days.

Happy Birthday Heather!!

So, I didn't do this for Erin (sorry, I didn't think about it), but since my family blog is always posting everyone's birthdays, I thought I could do the same! So, happy birthday Heather! You finally caught up to me!!!The picture here was taken at the end of May when I stopped to visit Heather on my way to my sister's graduation.

Slightly off-color

So, several days have passed since that single moment that has affected me so greatly since then. I am finally starting to get used to crutches. They still make my muscles ache, but now I can go farther before I have to stop for a rest. Since that first day, several interesting things have happened.
I noticed, as I walked to work on Saturday morning, that people only stop to help when there is NOTHING that they can do. If there is actually something that they could do, they don't stop. I muttered about this bitterly as I watched car after car pass me by as I slowly made my way to campus. I would have thought that just one person could have understood my plight and been kind enough to stop, but no, I made the whole trip on crutches. It was quite the contrast from the day before when I was walking around campus and practically everyone who saw me asked if they could do anything to help, but then, of course, there was nothing that could be done.
Still, I managed to get around at work, for a training class, and then get home without too much trouble. Sunday, was pretty much the same. I made it to campus without too much trouble. This time, there was something that could be done when people asked if they could help. Mainly it involved carrying my crutches so I could hop up the stairs. I had to explain my stupidity over and over again at church. It was quite disconcerting. (Left - here you can see the bruising on the side of my foot. It looks worse in real life).
Finally, there was a stake relief society presidency member at church and she told me about the scooters that some people use. I told her that I don't know where to get one and she said that she knew a girl who had had one and that she would see if the girl still had it and call me. Well, that got my hopes up, but I haven't heard from her, so either she forgot about me, or the girl didn't have it. Oh well, at least I'm getting used to the crutches.
On my way home from church, I was almost to the bottom of the stairs south of campus when a bunch of people from my ward came up behind me. One guy said that he could carry me down the rest of the way if I wanted. I guess I hesitated too long because he just picked me up and carried me down the rest of the way. It was quite an interesting experience, to be swept off my feet (literally) by someone I don't even know. To be honest, it didn't make too much of a difference, but at least he was paying attention in sacrament meeting (we had had a talk on doing little acts of charity). It would have been better if he had carried me UP the three flights of stairs I have to go up every day to get to my apartment, but I still made it home.
Today I was looking at my foot wondering at how it wasn't very bruised. I couldn't understand it because when I broke my toe, it got almost black! But, I thought, maybe that is because the toe bone is closer to the surface. Then, a little later, I noticed a spot on the right side of my foot. I carefully leaned my foot towards me so I could see and realized that my foot is a lot more bruised than it appears at first glance. You can't even really see it from the top! I've also begun to notice that my foot is getting slowly more swollen. Sometimes it is so bad that I can't even bend my toes! They are too fat!

Things keep getting bigger and bigger

Well, a day has passed since the fateful moment when I heard the words, "I owe you an apology. You have an avulsion fracture in your foot." Since that moment, my life has changed. I can't walk, I can't carry anything unless I crawl on the floor or hop on one foot, and I am supposed to fit a lot of things into my schedule that I've never had to do before, like icing my foot, extra travel time to get anywhere, and things of that nature. You never really appreciate what it means to be able to get around until you really can't.
Lizzy came over early this morning to help me get to work. She carried my stuff and walked with me as I crawled (not literally this time) to work. It was killer! What was even worse is that working in the morning requires me to open all the other labs so I had a lot of extra walking to do. By the time I was done, it was hard for me to use the crutches because my hands/arms hurt so bad. But there was nothing else that could be done, so I continued on.
Elizabeth met me for lunch and then she helped me to my class. We made arrangements for her to come back after my class to help me get home. My class actually ended up getting out early. Luckily, Saundra, a friend from my mission who is in my class, was there and offered to help. She took my stuff and drove her car to meet me so that I didn't have to walk very far. Then, after seeing how slow it was for me to get up my stairs, she literally carried me up. I wish I had been able to get a picture. I'm sure it was quite the sight.
(Left - I think this picture shows very well how swollen my foot has become. It still hurts, but the Ibuprofen helps. Also, I can still move my toes, but sometimes I move my foot, as in my ankle, and that really hurts. My foot is still sore, but that could be from being immobilized for so long and from the swelling as well. I have only slight discoloration on my foot, though that isn't really visible at all in this picture). I had actually wanted to do something this evening, but had to cancel because I didn't want to try getting around. It is just too difficult, and too painful. But, at least I was able to remove my splint for a little while so I could shower. I also soaked my foot in cold water like I was instructed. I was told to do that every 4-6 hours (I couldn't prior to this because I was supposed to leave the splint on for 24 hours for it to form to my foot) but I really don't see how that is even possible. I'll do the best that I can.
Other than that, I work again tomorrow. I'm not sure what is going to happen to me because it is very difficult for me to go anywhere. It makes me not want to go anywhere, but I have to. I may end up putting up my shifts for this coming week if I'm not able to handle the crutches better.
That is a day in the life of the near-crippled Rachel.

Have I ever told you how I feel about my foot?

So, this is for everyone who wanted me to update my blog. I blame you! As anything adventurous in my life (or so it seems), the ending is never a good one. Also, don't read the captions until you read the story or it will give things away.
Today began as a normal day. I woke up, dragged myself out of bed, dressed, got ready, ate breakfast and left for work. I worked for 4 hours before coming home. (Left - waiting in the emergency room check in). Elizabeth came over, we ate lunch, I did homework and took a nap. When I finally let myself get out of bed, I realized that it was time for dinner. It was my turn to make dinner, so I went into the kitchen. Unfortunately, I realized that the dishwasher had NOT actually cleaned the dishes. So, I had to run it through again. We needed a lot of dishes from there, so I decided we would take my desktop computer to Lizzy's apartment and set it up, since my laptop is now working. We packed up the desktop, the monitor separate and a box with my tower, my APC battery backup device, and all cables/peripherals. In short, the box was fairly heavy and rather big. But, I carried that down the three flight of stairs to the street and started to cross the street. I stepped down off the curb. I don't know if I just didn't realize how wide the gutter was, or if I didn't think the ground would be so slanted, or what. Whatever the case may be, I suddenly found myself hurtling toward the ground. I managed to catch myself with my arm, saving my computer from smashing into the pavement, but then I noticed an excruciating pain in my foot. (Right - not very visible, but on the right is the bulge on my foot). Elizabeth came down not too long after. I just sat there in the street clutching my leg and wincing in pain. I had Elizabeth carry the stuff the rest of the way to the car.
I finally made myself get up; I limped over to the car. By the time I got to the car, the pain was so bad that it made me feel dizzy. I thought I was going to fall over. I sat down in the street, again. I could not keep my balance. Sometime during this time, I noticed that a large bump had developed on the right side of my right (injured) foot. After a little while, my head cleared and I drove over to Lizzy's apartment. She carried in the first stuff and she brought out a wrap bandage. I wrapped my foot and then I kind of helped her carry the box into the apartment. I sat down and elevated my foot while I explained to Elizabeth how to set up my computer. Heather called on the phone, so I explained what had happened to her. While I was talking to Heather, one of Lizzy's roommates came and wanted to look at my foot. She said it looked exactly like what happened when she hurt her foot. She had an avulsion fracture. (Left - Waiting in the emergency room). That is where a piece of the bone breaks off. She recommended that I go in to the doctor.
I hadn't been planning on going in because I absolutely HATE going to the doctor, but after that I felt like I should. We finished setting up the computer and then I tried to figure out where to go. The couple of places that I called were already closed. I found out about an instacare place, but they didn't know if they could accept my insurance. I have Blue Cross, but they said if it is a PPO then they don't accept it. I didn't know for sure and I had no way of finding out, but I think my insurance is a PPO, so I couldn't go there.
We left and I suddenly discovered that I could no longer walk at all. The pain was too much. Elizabeth helped me hobble out to the car. I told her that this is one of those times when it is very annoying that she doesn't drive. She agreed.
I drove back to my apartment, made Lizzy go up the three flights of stairs alone, get my insurance card, check online to see where I needed to go, and grab a couple of other things. Then I drove up to the Timpanogos Hospital. That was the only after hours help I could get. I ended up going to the emergency room, with Elizabeth wheeling me in in a wheelchair. It was very weird and I felt like an idiot. I felt even more like an idiot when 5 different people kept asking me how I had injured my foot and I had to explain over and over that I had fallen. (Right - climbing the stairs to my apartment. You can also see my airbrace).
They did x-rays. It took about 3 hours from the time I arrived at the hospital to the time that I left the emergency room with 2 1/2 of those hours waiting in a hospital bed. They were very busy, I guess. The doctor came as the last person to see me. He told me it was just a sprain, although a very bad one. I felt even more like an idiot for going to the emergency room for a sprain. He gave me a prescription, some crutches, and an airbrace. Then I headed out. I had to drive with my left foot all the way home, stopping at Walgreens to get my prescription (large Ibuprofen pills) filled. That was ridiculous.
After getting home, it was a chore to get up the stairs. My foot still hurt too much to put any weight on it so I had to jump up each step while Lizzy carried everything. (Left - still climbing!) We hadn't eaten dinner, so we decided to just eat cereal. While I was on my first bowl, I got a phone call. Can you guess who it was? It was the emergency room. The doctor had looked at my x-rays again and noticed something, so they wanted me to come back in and get a splint. I finished my "dinner" and asked my roommate or one of the two guys at our house looking through our movies, if I could get a ride back to the hospital. I didn't want to try the whole driving with my left foot again. My roommate drove me up to the hospital and we had a short wait before the doctor came to apologize. He then explained that when he had looked at my x-ray again he had seen a fracture, a tiny little fracture, more specifically an avulsion fracture. Well, Lizzy's roommate had been right! So he explained what had happened at that the tip of the bone had been ripped off with the ligament (?) when I had twisted my foot. (Above - my new splint after returning to the hospital). Then a nurse came and put a splint on my leg, saying that he hoped I had showered already because I couldn't get the splint wet and couldn't remove it for at least 24 hours. Oh well, I guess I'm going to work stinky tomorrow.
So, by the time I got back to my apartment, it was 10:30 pm, 5 1/2 hrs from the time that I had injured my foot, 3 1/2-4 hrs since I had first arrived at the emergency room.
Well, I hope you all are happy with yourselves. You, who wanted me to update my blog cursed me into something like this happening! Now I'm going to be in either a splint or a boot for the next 6 weeks!

A couple of miracles

So, the last little while . . . ok long while, I've been feeling really stressed. I've been feeling stressed about a lot of things. One of my major stressors, as for most people, is money. How in the world am I going to pay for my last year of school now that I no longer have scholarship money coming? Well, I prayed about that and soon after I found out that I FINALLY qualified for financial aid! I've never qualified for federal aid before, but the grant I was granted is enough to cover tuition!
That, however, led to another stress. I soon discovered that I was approaching the limit of credits to be able to receive federal financial aid. How Murphy is that? I finally qualify to receive federal aid, but I will lose it because I've been in school too long. It is possible to appeal, so I went in to talk to a financial aid counselor about it. He said I could petition to get my financial aid, but it would be better if I could rearrange my schedule so that going into Winter semester, I would have no more than 179.5 (the max is 180) credits. To my great surprise, I realized that I had already done that! Without thinking about it, I had dropped my scuba class (.5 credits) and now I will have exactly 179.5 credits going into Winter semester!
The final miracle that has happened, has to do with my laptop. When I went back to Bismarck to get my brother's car and to get Sara, I let Elizabeth use my laptop. Not much later, she told me that it stopped working, the screen would no longer turn on. I was a little worried about that, especially because I didn't know if it was still covered under warranty. I took it to Best Buy (where I bought my laptop) and was pleased to discover that it was still covered! That means I didn't have to pay a single penny for my laptop to be fixed! That's good, because even though I have money for tuition now, that doesn't mean I have money for anything else.

Financial aid, dropping SCUBA, laptop issues.

First Day of Classes

Today was my first day of summer classes. This term is going to be very busy, but I think it will be interesting, at least. I am debating about dropping my "fun" class. It is at a rather inconvenient time. The only other time I can take it is Friday nights. I switched, but we shall see what happens. Having it on Tuesday night just isn't an option because I am going to be having a lot of homework due on Wednesdays.
Things have been pretty uneventful other than starting classes. Oh, I went to class today thinking that I wouldn't know anyone. In my first class, Russian grammar, I was surprised to see Jeff! Not only do I know Jeff, but he was in Jerusalem at the same time as me and we had a class together last fall. It seems I can't get away with having classes with him.
Then in my next class I was surprised to see Sandra! She served in my mission. She was starting her mission just as I was finishing it, but we kind of served together for a few days. I guess I know more people here than I thought!

I'm back . . . again

Well, I went to North Dakota again. This time I took the bus. It was horrible. I left Friday night and didn't get to Bismarck until Sunday morning. That is because I had a 9 hour layover in Butte. The other thing that was annoying was that every single guy there seemed to think it was not only his right, but his duty to talk to me. Most of the time it was just kind of funny, but there were a couple of guys that creeped me out. On my first bus, there was a guy who was drunk (I could smell the alcohol on him, though it took me a while to remember that smell from my experiences with drunk Russians) and said some crazy things. He told me that not only was the owner of Levi Strauss on our bus, but so was the younger sister of Willie Nelson and the oldest daughter of Dick Cheney. I've never traveled with so many important people before!
In Butte, I spent a lot of time reading (I read a lot the entire trip) and went across the street to a grocery store when I ran out of food that I brought with me. I was relieved when my new bus finally came. It was a long drive, but at least we didn't have too long of stops anywhere. After it wasn't as crowded, it wasn't bad either. We had a stop in Billings where we switched buses, but that was about it.
Sunday, I went to church after a short nap. It was weird because they are meeting in a different building while our building is renovated. It was nice to see people, though.
Monday, the first thing I did was renew my license. I didn't want to risk forgetting to do that! The new North Dakota license is weird. I'd show you what it looked like, but I don't want you to be able to figure out my personal information. That night, I had to pick up my brother's car from the shop (my dad took it in so that it would be road-worthy) and then Erin and I hung out. We went to see a movie. It was the new Adam Sandler movie, the Zohan or whatever. It wasn't what I expected. It was interesting because there were a lot of references to Israel and the Palestinian-Israeli conflict, but it was a lot dirtier than I've become accustomed to with Adam Sandler. He's been doing better movies lately, but this one was horrible. There were some funny lines, but I wish I hadn't wasted my money. Oh well, it was nice to hang out with Erin.
The next day, Tuesday, I went to visit Erin's kids. It makes me feel good that they still love me. Later that night, Sara and I left for Utah. I wanted to get back down here to have a good night's sleep before work this morning. I made it! We got in around 4 pm, I dropped Sara off and helped unload her stuff, talked with Linda (my aunt) for a bit. She's having a rough time right now because she has to go through Chemotherapy. But, I was surprised at how well she is handling it. Then again, she is that kind of person. She always seems to roll with the punches.

New apartment!

I moved into a new apartment yesterday. It is nice to be closer to campus and not have to commute. So far I have one roommate. Her name is Lisa. I was really surprised when I came home last night. I discovered that she is dating Preston, an Elder who not only served in my mission, but was in my district in the MTC! It is really weird. I guess I'll see a lot of him. That's ok, he's a good kid, so I don't mind at all.
Oh, I also started a new job yesterday. I'm not sure how long it will last. The pay scale isn't exactly as was explained to me. I do phone surveys. We call about products that people have used and do surveys. I thought at first that it would be horrible, but last night I did alright. We will see. I will at least give it a couple of weeks.

Long Weekend

First I wanted to say, "Congratulations!" to my sister, Sara. She graduated from Bismarck High School on Sunday. I had a long weekend driving to North Dakota for her graduation. On my way, I stopped in Idaho to visit Megan (a friend from my Jerusalem days). I was also able to go to the Idaho Falls Temple. It is beautiful, like always. I spent the night at Megan's house and it was nice to see her after so long. She wants me to come visit again, and I hope to be able to later this summer. We shall see.
After leaving Idaho, I was just over the border into Montana when my car started acting funny. It started loosing speed. I pulled over, but realized that I wasn't anywhere where I could get help. I didn't even have service on my phone! So, I got back on to the highway. This time, my car seemed to be working fine for several miles. I thought it had just been a strange fluke, but once again, my car started having trouble. What was I going to do? I was literally in the middle of nowhere! I debated for a while, and finally decided to pull over at the next stop that had services. When I exited the interstate and came to a stop, my car died. I then had a hard time getting my car to start. I called Heather (one of my best friends) unsure of who else to call. She called her mechanic and I think also talked to Mike, her husband. Then she told me to buy fuel injector cleaner and top off my car with gas. I did that and headed back out on to the road. I still had a little trouble, but after awhile, I guess after the cleaner got through the gas line, my car started running like usual. It was such a relief! I was worried that something major was wrong! After all, my car is older than I am. But luckily, it is just as healthy, if not healthier.
I had already planned to stop in Sidney, Montana to visit Heather, but because of the car trouble, leaving later than I had planned, and a 20 min nap, I didn't get to Sidney until really late.
The next day, Heather and I had fun together. Heather had taken the day off of work so that she could hang out with me. We got manicures (that was great!) and then drove to Williston for lunch and a little shopping. We were going to take Heather's uncle's car, but we couldn't get the key to turn in the ignition. It was really strange. No big deal, we just took my car. We had a lot of fun, and it was nice to just hang out. I hadn't seen Heather since I met her in Glendive on my way down to Utah before leaving for Jerusalem.
The next morning, I left for Bismarck. When I arrived, I didn't have much time to relax because Elizabeth, Sara, and I had planned to go see a movie together. We did that. Later we went to an Italian Gelato shop in the mall. That was really tasty.
My dad had asked me if I wanted to take my brother's car back down to Utah. He said that they didn't need to have two vehicles since his wife doesn't drive. I didn't really want to give up my car, because I love it so much, but otherwise my dad was going to get rid of my brother's car, and I didn't want that either. So, I decided that later this summer I will come back to Bismarck (by bus or something) to drive that car down to Utah. After all, Sara is coming down and she will eventually get her license. It would be nice for her to have a car to drive.
Anyway, Sunday we had church and after church I went to visit Erin. I didn't have much time before Sara's graduation, but what can you do? I hadn't really thought of that factor when I figured out how much time I had in Bismarck.
Sara's graduation was different than any other I've been to. They actually had two lines for graduation so that two people graduated at a time! It made it go quicker, but it made it hard to see the graduates. Sara was on the wrong side, so we didn't even see her face when she graduated. Oh well, she hardly looked up when she was sitting, either. Perhaps she was embarrassed to be graduating.
The next morning, yesterday, was Memorial Day. We got up early to go to the cemetery. We didn't take flowers, but that is ok. I hadn't yet seen my mother's headstone. Sara almost didn't come with us, but she decided to at the last minute. Elizabeth, Sara, and I spent a few minutes there at both my mother's and my brother's grave. Then we headed back. Lizzy and I needed to leave so I could be back in Utah in time for work this morning.
It was a long drive. I didn't have too much trouble staying awake, so that was nice. I didn't even have to stop for a nap! We even made it back to Utah in time for me to sleep for a couple of hours before coming to work. That was nice. But, I'm sure I'll be tired for a few more days.
So, I totally spaced the fact that my license expires this year. I have to go back to ND before my birthday to renew my license! If I would have realized, I would have planned time to renew my license while I was there. That means I have to leave in a couple of weeks to go back and make the drive again! This time, Sara will be coming with me.

-I will post pictures as soon as I can. I've waited to post this until I could add the pictures, but it's now been over a month and I haven't found time, so sorry about that.

Here I am

So, I guess you've all figured out that I am back by now. Not much has been going on. I've been working, resting, reading, hanging out, and getting ready to go back to Bismarck for my youngest sister's graduation on May 25. I'll be heading out next week, stopping to visit friends along the way before getting to Bismarck on the Saturday before. I'll be getting my stuff, but the main reason will be to see Sara graduate. Then I'll be heading back down to Utah and possibly to Provo to an apartment that I have found. I haven't worked out all the details yet, but I am hoping to figure it out before I leave.
Anyway, that is about all the news. I probably will not be writing as often for awhile since exciting things don't really seem to be happening. One thing, my dad's sister was diagnosed with breast cancer just before I got back from Jerusalem. She had surgery and is cancer free as far as they know, but has to have radiation therapy and chemo as well to be on the safe side. We are all very hopeful because it was found early.

Last Day in Jerusalem

Well, the time has finally come. In a few hours, I will be leaving the center, leaving Jerusalem. It is hard to believe. (Right - under the school after writing my name). This morning, I went on a tour of underneath the center. It was really interesting and I wrote my name on the wall. That is a tradition for students to do. Then after lunch (there were only four of us at lunch today) I went to Biblical Lands Museum. That was really interesting and a lot bigger than I was expecting. From there I went to the Israel Museum because James wanted to get some more pictures of the model city they have there.
(Left - the model city. Here you can see the temple mount with the temple peeking around the edge. This might help to get a feel for the size of the temple mount since it is a scale model). Next we went to the Old City and walked through one last time before hurrying back to the center. There is so much to get done and in the middle of it all, we keep having things to go to. After dinner, our dvd was shown. (Right - our last devotional, me and Aimee on the grass. Aimee was nice enough to let me share her pillow with her). That was really cool, but it also took time. Then we just had our last devotional. It was really good, but it took time. Plus, I still need to get pictures from people and finish packing. It is quite frustrating because I feel like I have no time. But in reality, I still have several hours.
Anyway, I don't want to bore you with those things. I am just sad that this last day is coming to a close and soon I will be on my way back to the US.
I will have to add pictures later, after I get back.

Last night of Jesus' mortal life

Today was a long and very tiring day. We began by walking to the Garden of Gethsemane. We were going to walk the last night of the Savior's mortal life. (Right - some people hurrying to the Western Wall while a police officer on the right looks on). In the Garden, we sang hymns, read scriptures and talked about the Atonement. Then we had a little time to privately meditate. It was very nice.
From the Garden, we had a long walk down the Mount of Olives, through the Kidron Valley, and up the Ophel Ridge to Mount Zion. There we first went to St. Peter in Gallicantu. That church first commemorated the place where Peter went and wept after denying the Savior three times. (Left - police blockade near the old city of Jerusalem). Now it commemorates the place where the denial happened. It was an interesting church. Under the church are caves where flogging actually took place. Archaeologists say that they really are from the first century. It was interesting, though many people had a hard time with that place.
Near the church is an ancient (first century) road that was the main road going to Caiaphas' palace from the Ophel Ridge. (Right - St. Peter in Gallicantu). That is most likely the road that Jesus would have been brought after being arrested.
We then walked to Cenacles, the place where the traditional Upper Room is located. That was really cool. The current room is from the Crusader period. It was turned into a mosque when the Muslims came in, but is not a mosque right now. We sang in there and read more scriptures before going to our next stop. We went to St. Anne's Cathedral. That church is traditional the location where Mary's parents lived. They obviously got it wrong (they lived in Nazareth) but the church is still there. (Left - the road near St. Peter in Gallicantu that Jesus was most likely taken along on the night that he was arrested). It is near the Pool of Bethesda where the Savior healed a man who had been there for 38 years, unable to get into the water. We sang in the chapel and the priest there told us he really enjoyed hearing us sing. He asked if we were professionals.
Our next stop was the Church of the Flagellation. That church commemorates the place where the Savior was scourged after his trial at the Antonia Fortress by Pilate. It is likely that it took place there, or nearby. We sang inside that church as well.
We had a break for lunch. I went with a group through the Old City. (Right - Pool of Bethesda). It is really interesting to be in Jerusalem right now because it is Passover and the Eastern Orthodox Holy Week. There are lots of pilgrims from all over. We saw some entertainment that is going on for Passover, and then we went and walked on the roof of some buildings in the Armenian Quarter. As we were leaving the Old City, we got stuck in a people traffic jam. Luckily, my experience in Russian buses, as well as Jade's, came in handy. We had everyone grab hold and we pushed our way through the crowd. (Left - Church of the Flagellation). Eventually the people behind us started pushing us. They were pushing so hard that some people coming the other direction got mad and started yelling at us in Italian. It was actually amusing because we couldn't do anything about it.
We ended our field trip by going to the Garden Tomb. It was nice because the place was empty. We had a tour and then a lesson by Brother Draper. We also sang. Today has been a great experience. I walked where Jesus would have walked. It was long and tiring, but I didn't walk it after suffering agony in Gethsemane. I didn't walk it after being beaten and humiliated. I didn't walk it after being scourged and mocked and beaten again. I also didn't walk nearly as far as the Savior, who made a return trip back to be seen by Herod before being sent back to Pilate. (Right - the Garden Tomb). I can only imagine what that night and morning was like for the Savior, but I think I can better imagine it after today.
Tomorrow is my last day in Jerusalem. I'm not sure what I am going to do. I can't believe that my time in the Holy Land is coming to a close! I have learned so much, experienced so much. I am sad to leave, but I am also very grateful that I had the opportunity to come here. I hope I can come back again someday.
(P.S. I will try to add pictures tomorrow because it isn't working right now for some reason).

From Bethany to the Upper Room

What a long day. It is weird to be on the first of my last days in Jerusalem. As I am entering my last days, we are following the last days of the Savior's mortal life. (Right - Standing outside the entrance to Lazarus' tomb. Above it is a mosque, to the north is a church. This entrance was carved so that people could get to the tomb without going through the mosque). We began our field trip today by driving to Bethany. To get to Bethany, we had to go through the partition wall. It used to take two minutes to get there. Now it takes about 20 because we have to go out of our way to get there.
In Bethany, we went to Lazarus' tomb. We stopped at the church there and read the scriptures, then sang some hymns. There was a man who videotaped our singing. It was quite amusing. We stood in line to go inside the tomb. (Left - coming out of Lazarus' tomb). We were right behind a group of Serbians. When they spoke, there were moments when I understand and I could swear they were speaking Russian. But most of the time, I couldn't understand. I couldn't even pick things out. Finally I asked a guy where they were from. He spoke Russian, so that was cool.
Lazarus' traditional tomb is rather small. A lot of what is there was built up because an earthquake caused the roof to cave in. (Right - me, Megan, James, and Christ outside the church at Bethphage). Still, it was very interesting to go in. Many people light candles and take then into the tomb. After that, we went into a Palestinian woman's home for a short visit. Then we continued on and drove to Bethphage. We went to the same place where we went on Palm Sunday. It was weird to see the place with it completely empty. We read scriptures and sang again. It sounded so nice. That church, if you remember, has a stone that the Savior traditionally used to mount his donkey. However, it is too high. (Left - Dominus Flavit, a church commemorating the Savior's weeping for Jerusalem). That is because in the Byzantine era, most people did not read the scriptures, so they didn't know they details. They knew that Christ has made a triumphal entry, but they assumed that he made it on a war horse, needing a large stone.
We next went to Pater Noster. That church commemorates the Lord's prayer. Inside the Lord's prayer is written in 68 different languages. I found Swahili, Old Church Slavonic, Russian (called Moscovite), Maori, Cherokee, Esperanto, Sanskrit, etc. I enjoyed it a lot. (Right - Me with Brother and Sister Draper, overlooking the Old City).
We walked from there to Dominus Flavit. There a church commemorates the moment when the Savior looked out at Jerusalem and wept for what was going to happen. That was a beautiful place.
After that we had lunch in the Orson Hyde Garden before getting on the bus. (Left - me and the Seely family: Beno, Sister Seely, me, Brother Seely, and Katy). We were going to drive to the Upper Room, but Israeli road blocks have severely inhibited our ability to get around in buses. So, we had to come back to the center. When we drove back to the center, a road block was even blocking our street. Luckily, they let us past. Hopefully we will get to go to the Upper Room tomorrow. If not, I know what I am doing on Wednesday.
Later, I went to a Palestinian family's house for dinner. It was really good. The only bad thing is that we ended up being late because the person who set the dinner up wasn't back from shopping in time. So, we had to find someone else to go. Then that person showed up an hour and a half late. It was really frustrating, and very disrespectful to the family. I honestly hope that it didn't cloud their opinion of Americans, and students from the JC.
After dinner, we came back and got ready for our special Upper Room Experience. That was really cool. We had a very spiritual and very insightful program. They set up a triclinium (see above - from left to right would have been John, the Savior, and one of the next three would most likely have been Judas. Then on the far end was seated Peter) which is most likely the setting that was used for the Last Supper. It was a set up where the participants lay reclining on a couch (we didn't have couches so they reclined on the floor). The honored guest would have been positioned in the center of three seats facing the kitchen. Then in this case, John would have been sitting in one of the seats next to the Savior. Judas would have also been nearby. We saw the washing and anointing of the feet by the woman, and the Savior's washing of his disciples feet. It was very interesting.

Alternative Archaeology

WARNING: This posting discusses the Arab-Israeli conflict. If you have a strong (or biased) opinion on this issue, you may not want to read ahead. Continue at your own risk. (Right - Here is the area where we met with the Palestinians to hear about their village, Silwan, and what it is like for them with the archeology going on right in the middle of it. This sign mentions the digging that is going on under the village, damaging homes and streets).
Today as an interesting day. I studied a little this morning since our last final is coming up. Then this afternoon I went with a group going on a tour called Alternative Archeology. We went to the City of David (where we'd already been) but got a different perspective on things. The point of this group is to keep archeology neutral, rather than have it be used only to benefit a certain group of people. For example, the work being done at the City of David is all Israeli-oriented, forgetting about the numerous other cultures who have resided there. The history of that area, as far as we know, begins about 2000 BC. (Left - the damaged street after being fixed. Even after fixing it, the street is still sunken in).The Israelites did not live there until David's time, about 1000 BC. That is a thousand years of history that is ignored! After that, the Israelites lived there (as Jews) until 70 AD when Jews were no longer allowed in the city. The dominant culture was Greco-Roman until 638 years when the dominant culture became the Arab Muslims which became Crusader for a few in 1099. All of that is ignored in the search for Israeli artifacts. Honestly, that doesn't bug me as much as the fact that their archeology is done with no concern for the residents. Homes are taken without compensation, people are not allowed to build on land they own, and sometimes that land is taken for public use, such as parking lots. The other major problem is that archaeologists are digging under the surround area, destabilizing the homes and streets. Here is an interesting, but true story. The street was damaged, it sunk in in parts. The Palestinian residents called to get it fixed. They were told that they would have to wait and call back later. One of the Palestinians had an Israeli friend call and say she was a settler in that area. With a half an hour, the government sent people to fix the street.
Here is another interesting, but true story. I've talked about settlers before. Settlers would not be a problem if their intentions were different. Now, I'm usually very careful about ascribing intentions to other people because we can't really know their motives. However, in this case, it seems obvious. The settlers specifically move into Palestinian areas in attempt to take over those areas for Israelis. I say this because if they wanted to live peaceful in those areas, they would not come in with the level of security that they do (tons of expensive cameras, arms, security guards, fences, etc). (Right - here you can see three security cameras in a tiny area. The Palestinians say that they feel watched. Can you blame them?) Now, you might say, but they feel unsafe! Then ask yourselves, why would you DELIBERATELY move into a place where you feel unsafe? One of the Palestinians with whom we talked told us about his grandmother. When she died, the settlers stole her thumb print and forged papers saying that she had sold them her house before she died. They moved in. The family of the deceased went to court and the court ruled in their favor, having discovered the forgery. So, do you think those settlers moved out? No, they are still there. They appeal and re-appeal, knowing that the Palestinians do not have the money to continue to battle in court. Once settlers move in, they never move out. Many of the houses they acquire, they acquire illegally. Others, they acquire legally, though maybe not fairly.
Anyway, it was interesting to see a different side to archeology. The City of David used to be called something else, but the Israelis changed the name and the names of streets to, as they say it, Judaize the area.