Please pray for my parents

They arrived in Waikiki Beach last night and are staying in a high rise hotel on the coast. If you've looked in the news Waikiki is due for a tsunami. I don't know how high it will be when it hits.

A lot of people are evecuating, but my parents are choosing to stay in their "tsunami safe" hotel. There is food and water and a bed there.

I talked to my mom on the phone and she feels safe. So I'm not pannicing . However, your prayers on their behalf would be appreciated. The tsunami wil hit in a bout 3 to 4 hours.

Thank you for you support.

This is a little late, but

about a month ago Derek and I saw Kristin Korb in concert in the Kirkham auditorium here at BYU-I. She is an amazing Jazz musician. It was really really good. I was so impressed with her vocals, but even more than that, her base playing skills! They were out of this world. Her fingers were a blur, she played so fast!

I heard about her from my friend, Kim. She went to high school and sang in the same choir as Kristin. Isn't that cool?

It was great to hear some familiar Jazz tunes that I sang in choir, like "I'm beginning to See the Light" and "Green Dolphin Street." I miss singing that style.


After the show, Derek and I waited in line, and then talked with her. We mentioned how we knew Kim Lamphier, and a huge smile came on Kristin's face as she recalled the fun times in high school with Kim. It was really neat.


So Kim, if you read this, Kristin says, "Hi." :)

A dream is a wish your heart makes...

Well, if that's true, my wishes aren't that great.

For a great majority of my life I have not enjoyed falling asleep. It's not that I don't enjoy the comatose state, or how rejuvenated I feel afterwards. It's not that at all. It's because I have bad dreams almost every night.

I know, pretty awful, right? I don't understand it either. Some say that when you dream it's a mixture of your subconscious, desires and perhaps the events of the day manifesting itself. I can't believe that is true.

This is a painting By Fuseli entitled "The Nightmare". I remember studying it in Art History in high school. Isn't it a creepy image?

When I dream one of four things usually happens - there is a natural disaster, someone is pursuing me and trying to kill me, something terrible happens to someone I love (illness, death, etc.), or I do something I am ashamed of (getting all F's, doing something mean/immoral.)

Let me tell you it really bites!

But you know what? Sometimes I do have a real dream. A dream where when I wake up, I feel serene and happy. Sometimes I'm a hero. Sometimes I can fly. And sometimes, I'm just doing something I love.

I often wonder if my dreams are a trial that I have been given. Perhaps, because at times I feel I lead a charmed life and I need to go through these hard things in my dreams. Maybe it is to test me, or to allow me to feel empathy for others. I don't know.

I've also had the thought that the adversary is affecting my dreams. But I do have this hope, however fruitless it may be. I hope that someday, when I am married, and have a worthy Priesthood holder sleeping beside me, perhaps I won't have bad dreams anymore.

A girl can dream, right? ;)

Fudge Pudge

I am addicted to the fudge they sell on campus. It is amazing!!! I heard about it in a really cool way. My aunt Jody, who lives in Rexburg, was telling me how SHE makes the fresh fudge every morning for the BYU-I Convenience store herself! So, of course, I had to try it. I didn't know they had fudge. But don't worry, we are now very well acquainted...

I get a free sample almsot every day. They have these delicious candy layers that add such a great dimension - snickers, mounds, peanut butter, cookies n cream, pecan caramel...should I go on? I particularly like the peanut butter. :) It may not be good for my waistline, but my grades are benefitting from it. I often buy a dollars worth, set it buy my computer, and give myself this ultimatum - "Erica, when you finish this assignment you can eat the fudge. And only then can you eat the fudge...hey, don't even think about it!"

So, this one goes out to you, Jody-The fudgey queen of the world! And I mean that with all the love in my heart.

I WON! I won, i seriously won it!

I won the worst date story!! Dinner for two at Jaker's in Idaho Falls. Sweeeeet. I'm so giddy right now. My ridiculous, made-up, worst date story won it! I was hoping.

I just remembered this afternoon that they were announcing the results of the winner's on the 11th, and I got this email:

Erica,

For sharing your worst date experience with us, you and some lucky guy who hopefully won’t talk about his Pokémon collection, will also enjoy dinner for two at Jaker’s! We’ll leave it up to you if you want to take a “family” member or not. HA! Funny Story!

Hooray, Hoorah! I'm going to Jaker's!!

And guess who I'm taking with me...

I could win

a dinner for two by submiting a 'worst date' story to a panel of judges at BYU-I. I want to win that dinner! So, of course, I'm going to make a story up. A GOOD story. A prize-winning story.

A story which I am about to share with you:

"For privacy's sake, let's call him Derek. Derek was the new guy in my ward. I had just turned 16 and was a towering 5'10" tall. Derek was 5'2". After Sunday school class, Derek pulled me aside and, quite abruptly, asked me for dinner on Saturday. This was my first date and my mom taught me to always give the guy at least one chance. I said "yes".

Saturday came. Derek came to the door and I allowed him in. For the next 20 minutes Derek talked non-stop about his pokemon collection. I didn't know this about Derek. When I asked about dinner, he simply replied, "what do you have?" We ate Eggo waffles from my freezer that night. I was fuming. After dinner, my mom came in the kitchen to meet my date. He said,"Hi, I'm Derek Stock." My mom mentioned how we have some Stock's in the family. I cringed and prayed that what happened next was just a bad dream. But it was in fact a reality.

Derek's grandpa was my mom's Great Uncle. We were cousins-- close cousins. I felt my face burn and my stomach got queezy. We quickly walked to the door to say good night. When we got there Derek was acting funny. He then blurted out,"Im not who you think I am!" Derek then continued to tell me his 18-year-old Priest identity was merely a facade. He was actually 25. I never saw Derek again."

There it is. We only had half a page of space to write. I hope I win... and I hope the dinner is yummy like at Olive Garden, TGI Friday's or Chili's :)
To see another fictional 'worst date' story entry, click here