Laurel's Rules to Being Set Up

Apparently, I need to explain my ground rules for being set up on a date. If you are setting me up on a date or even pondering it, please note the following:^1, 

1. Do not require us to go on a double date. Especially if you are married. I don't like feeling like I'm under a microscope.

2. Ask me what kind of guy I'm interested in.

3. If the only response you have to the question, "So why do you want to set us up?" is "Because you're both really nice and I think you'd be adorable together", then don't even bother. I'd like to share at least some of the same interests.

4. Never give him my number without asking me first. And no, a phone call after the fact doesn't count.

5. Never EVER EVER tell his mother than you found his soulmate. In fact, don't even tell me what you told him. Expectations are too high and I don't feel as comfortable. In fact, I feel like defying that expectation and find reasons why he's not. 

Five very simple rules that should be followed if you ever consider setting me up on a date.

Oh wait, I just remembered one more:

6. If you can answer the following question about me, I'll ignore the above 5 rules: Name one TV show that I currently either watch on TV or that I own on DVD. 

If you manage to answer that.... I'll trust that you know me well enough to set me up with a guy that best fits me.<sup>2

1</sup>Yes. This does mean that I'm back now.

²Yes. I was set up this week on a blind date. It's happening next Friday. And I already know how it's going to go. I've already met him and it was the worst hour of my life. He barely said a word to me. So I told my friend it can't go more than two hours (which is more than I would usually give) and at the two-hour mark another concerned friend (who doesn't know the friend who's setting me up) is going to make a "rescue" call. The code phrase is: "Oh sure. I can pick you up. It's not a problem."

Breaking News!

Nope. Didn't get a promotion.

Nope... not getting married (really--can you honestly say you expected this one?)

How about:

I got 97.5% on my research paper and 97.04% in my first grad school class!!!

I'm still going to go radio silent for the rest of the week. 

I need to figure some things out and the time away from the internet is giving me time to process.

I just had to share.

Silence

I feel like I should go on radio silence for awhile.

I'm sorry I've been a downer lately with my blog posts. I haven't really done anything fun or noteworthy since the Bay Area trip. I've been having to deal with a lot of things that I don't want to deal with because I'm just not that kind of person. Stupid things. And people being inconsiderate and unsupportive of me and everything that I do--whether it's work or church.

So to keep my blog from becoming my personal venting board, I'm going to have to go radio silent for awhile. Hopefully something turns up soon . . . but until then, expect minimal postings from me. If you need to get a message to me--my e-mail is still open for business (I do need a lifeline!) and so is my cell phone. 

Sorry, gang. It's been a crazy ride so far and I'm not so excited about the direction it's going.

Cheers.

PS--it seems that it's been snowing all morning here. That might have something to do with my mood.

I'm fibbing, but a fib is not a lie.

So, I may have done something ruthless and completely out of character.

I convinced an inactive girl to come to FHE with me on Monday (and by inactive, I mean the last time she came with me to an activity and I picked her up, she was smoking a cigarette). 

I told her the activity was a bunch of people getting together to play games and eat and hang out.

I neglected to mention it was at the bishop's house. And that we were going to play Book of Mormon Jeopardy!

That's okay, right? Because I got her to come and mingle? I'm not going to be going to outer darkness for telling a little fib, right? It was for her own good! Besides, she's totally into her home teacher now and I think his visits will be much more successful than mine!

On another note, my team totally would've won for Book of Mormon Jeopardy! but they changed the rules when we were killing the competition (125 was our points... closest competitor was 65). So, we ended up losing when they refused to accept any of our answers and quadrupled everyone else's points. I think we need a lesson in justice and fairness.

Where's Laurel???

That's what you're wondering--right? Where did Laurel go?

I'm still here. It's just that after my sick days at home, I had to start working on my final research paper. Not the research part--the writing part. And that took a lot of time. I wanted it to be perfect. 

I turned it in tonight.

So I have two weeks off before my summer class starts. But I just saw the syllabus for that class and I'm thinking about using the break to get a head start. And maybe work on my novel.

Relief Society is.... well, let's just say that I came home yesterday from church wanting to call my bishop and tell him that I resigned. I quit. I don't handle drama or girls very well and I was done. 

Good thing I have good people around me to listen and to give needed and helpful advice. So, I'm not a quitter.... yet, anyway. 

Maybe I'll find a more profound subject to write about for my next blog.

Stay tuned....

Growing Young

There have been times lately, when I wish that I could have a remote and do a bit of skipping ahead in the chapters of my life. I just want a 3 second glimpse to know that the things I'm worried about--the things that keep me awake at night--are going to be fine. That I'm going to be fine. 

But I can't. 

And so I just look back. And I wonder how this baby...

could become this little girl....

who turned into this little girl....

who has become....

me.

And I still wonder what life is going to be like in 10 years. How am I going to look? Will I be thinner? A brunette? 

And then the bigger questions hit--will I still be alone in my pictures? Or will I have a husband and children? Will we have a dog?

(Now you see why I'm not sleeping very well these days. Too much going on in my mind.)

But truth is--all I really want to know is---am I happy? Am I loved?

***This sentimental diatribe comes from the Laurel is trying not to become bitter as we are now in the twitterpatted season of the year where everyone seems to be getting engaged or having kids and she is doing neither***

Happy birthday, C!

I totally had a goal for this year. I was going to write about each of my sibling's on their birthday. And I have already failed twice, now.

My second oldest brother, C, had his birthday in April. I got to celebrate it with him, when I was in CA a week and a half ago. 

 I love how he travels with his family and he teaches them things. His kids are knowledgeable about the world around them and are curious. (But I think some props need to go to his wife for that...) I have always admired his sense of adventure and his thirst for knowledge. In fact, I've tried to emulate it and have failed miserably every time. Maybe one day, I'll have a kid who is just like C. Here's to hoping.

Mom loves to tell how when C was growing up, he always had his clothes put away neatly in the drawers and he would spend hours on his projects for school. He never did anything fast--he wanted to have them done perfectly. 

I also love that he always remembers to call me on my birthday. It makes me feel special. 

So, happy birthday, C! Even if this wish is belated, know that I was thinking of you!