Melissa+Exhaustion+Single=.......

Last night I was exhausted. And when I'm exhausted, I get a little delirious. When I'm delirious and around the right people, I get giggly. Late last night, when on the phone with a good friend, I got to that exhausted delirious giggly stage. And when we started talking about a New Years Eve kiss, this just popped out of my mouth. So in honor of New Years Eve and to all those who are going to have a new years kiss, this one is for you.

Happy New Year!

I'm so lacking in the macking, it's a matter of facting.
But other people are RACKING in the macking.
Man, I'm slacking....
But then I was exacting, maybe I'm lacking in the macking
because I do too much smacking during the macking?
So maybe if I do some subtracting of the smacking during the macking
I won't be lacking in the macking anymore!!!

for the record, I don't smack. I'm just single. but that doesn't rhyme.

Best Christmas Present Ever.

My family and I got tickets for Christmas to see Wicked. It was quite a surprise and I can't lie, when I pulled the ticket out of my stocking I screamed for excitement. So yesterday we went to go see it and I'd like to tell you what I thought of it. But I should warn you, I can be a harsh critic from time to time:

5 Stars
A++
110%
Fantastic
Breath-taking
Heart warming
Amazing
Filled me with warm and fuzzies
"Two enthusiastic thumbs up!"

okay, but seriously. The show was amazing! The acting, the singing, the plot, the humor, the romance, the music, the atmosphere, the set....I loved every second of it. Even though I knew every song, knew the plot, and had cloud club seats, it was great. Now that definitely makes it a good play, and probably one of the best Christmas presents ever.

Merry Christmas...music style

Just a little somethin'-somethin' to share some Christmas joy :)

They are both awesome. You don't want to miss out on either.

10.....9......8.....7....

23 hours, 36 minutes until I am DONE with finals. But even better, til I am done with this ridiculous Med-Surg/Pharmacology Semester. Not that I'm excited or counting down or anything...


23 hours 35 minutes....

after 10 long years of waiting...

I just wanted to let everyone know that as of an interview with the bishop last night, and both of us setting up an online account early this morning.........



my mission papers have officially begun.



bring it.

Spinach, liver and porcupines.

In honor of this week and my confinement to the good ol' Harold B. Lee Library, I wanted to adapt a favorite childhood poem by Jack Prelutsky that I've had memorized since about...oh... 1st grade, when I realized I didn't like school work. I'm pretty sure my college classmates can relate to this. Three cheers for failing finals week!

Finals! Oh, finals!!
I hate you! You stink!
I wish I could wash you
away in the sink.
If only a bomb
would explode you to bits.
Finals! Oh, finals!
You're giving me fits.

I'd rather take baths
with a man-eating shark,
or wrestle a lion
alone in the dark,
eat spinach and liver,
pet ten porcupines,
than tackle the final
my teacher assigns.

Finals! Oh, finals!
You're last on my list,
I simply can't see why you even exist.
If you just disappeared
it would tickle me pink.
Finals! Oh, finals!
I hate you! you stink!

mon freres

I love my brothers. A lot. They are my best friends and they're just amazing. But when it comes to photographing them, it's not a simple task, but it does become some of my most fun memories. It takes quite a long photography session to get some decent pictures. Here's a collection of fun pictures I've found that really show the personality of me and all my brothers and our fun interaction. And don't be hatin' because we aren't photogenic. :)

Probably my favorite ever :)

Oh look! eventually we DO take good pictures. :)

Bored much?

don't lie to yourself.

Everyone knows these things are true. Don't try and deny it. :)

1. There is a great need for a sarcasm font.

2. I can't remember the last time I wasn't at least kind of tired.

3. Bad decisions make good stories.

4. How the heck are you supposed to fold a fitted sheet?

5. I would rather try to carry 10 plastic grocery bags in each hand than take 2 trips to bring my groceries in.

6. The only time I look forward to a red light is when i'm trying to finish a text.

7. The letters T and G are very close to each other on a keyboard. This recently became all too apparent to me and consequently I will never be ending a work email with the phrase "Regards" again.

8. A recent study has shown that playing beer pong contributes to the spread of mono and the flu. Yeah, if you suck at it.

9. Was learning cursive really necessary?

10. I have a hard time deciphering the fine line between boredom and hunger.

11. Answering the same letter three times or more in a row on a Scantron test is absolutely petrifying.

12. Whenever someone says "I'm not book smart, but I'm street smart", all I hear is "I'm not real smart, but I'm imaginary smart".

13. I love the sense of camaraderie when an entire line of cars teams up to prevent a putz from cutting in at the front. Stay strong, brothers!

14. Every time I have to spell a word over the phone using 'as in' examples, I will undoubtedly draw a blank and sound like a complete idiot. Today I had to spell my boss's last name to an attorney and said "Yes that's G as in..(10 second lapse)..umm...Goonies"

15. What would happen if I hired two private investigators to follow each other?

16. While driving yesterday I saw a banana peel in the road and instinctively swerved to avoid it...thanks Mario Kart.

17. MapQuest really needs to start their directions on #5. Pretty sure I know how to get out of my neighborhood.

18. Obituaries would be a lot more interesting if they told you how the person died.

19. I find it hard to believe there are actually people who get in the shower first and THEN turn on the water.

20. Whenever I'm Facebook stalking someone and I find out that their profile is public I feel like a kid on Christmas morning who just got the Red Ryder BB gun that I always wanted. 546 pictures? Don't mind if I do!

21. If Carmen San Diego and Waldo ever got together, their offspring would probably just be completely invisible.

22. Why is it that during an ice-breaker, when the whole room has to go around and say their name and where they are from, I get so incredibly nervous? I know my name, I know where I'm from, this shouldn't be a problem....

23. You never know when it will strike, but there comes a moment at work when you've make up your mind that you just aren't doing anything productive for the rest of the day.

24. Can we all just agree to ignore whatever comes after DVDs? I don't want to restart my collection.

25. There's no worse feeling than that millisecond you're sure you are going to die after leaning your chair back a little too far.

26. I'm always slightly terrified when I exit out of Word and it asks me if I want to save any changes to my ten page research paper that I swear I did not make any changes to.

27. "Do not machine wash or tumble dry" means I will never wash this ever.

28. I hate leaving my house confident and looking good and then not seeing anyone of importance the entire day. What a waste.

29. I like all of the music in my iTunes, except when it's on shuffle, then I like about one in every fifteen songs in my iTunes.

30.Why is a school zone 15mph? That seems like the optimal cruising speed for pedophiles...

31. As a driver I hate pedestrians, and as a pedestrian I hate drivers, but no matter what the mode of transportation, I always hate cyclists.

32. Sometimes I'll look down at my watch 3 consecutive times and still not know what time it is.

33. It should probably be called Unplanned Parenthood.

34. I keep some people's phone numbers in my phone just so I know not to answer when they call.

Thanksgiving Tears...

When my family moved to Virginia back in 2004, we were first befriended by an amazing family, the Petersen's. This family literally lit up my life, and the life of our entire family. They are as good as it gets, in every way. We love them all so much. And now, we support them in their time of great need.

Their only daughter, Emily, has been married for 3 1/2 years to John Jones. They have a daughter, and are currently expecting their second child. They live in Charlottesville Virginia, where John was in his second year of Med School at UVA. For Thanksgiving, they came to Utah to spend time with John's family. However, on Tuesday night, John, along with his brothers went as a group of 11 people into Nutty Putty cave, west of Utah Lake. It was around 9 at night that John got stuck upside down. He hung upside down all Tuesday night and Wednesday while rescue workers tried to get him out. They were almost successful at one point, but the pulley system failed. Early this morning, a little after midnight, no vital signs could be detected, and he was pronounced dead, after hanging upside down for over 27 hours. John was 26.

This loss has been quite a blow. John is such an amazing guy. The type of person that touches peoples lives just by meeting them. Just so happy and so kind. It breaks my heart to think that the world has lost someone like John Edward Jones. I followed this story over the internet and communicating with Emily's brother Dan for hours before John passed away, and I had a lot of thoughts come into my mind. This whole thing is a reminder to me that life is so fragile, and can be so short. It's too short to save things for later. It's too fragile to not love fully. Life isn't fulfilled if you can't serve other people, like John was known for doing, and loving them with everything you have. Our days are numbered, but we determine the quality of our days and of our life in general. It's sad that it takes a heartbreaking tragedy like this to remind me, but I am so grateful that it is never too late to make the most of every day of our lives. It also makes me so grateful to have the knowledge of the gospel. That I know John and Emily and their daughter Elizabeth (Lizzie) and unborn child can all be together someday and for the rest of eternity. What a comfort to know that during times of trials!

So this Thanksgiving, kiss your spouse a little more, hug a friend a little tighter and recommit to love and serve everyone around. Like John. For John.

Please pray for the Jones/Petersen family this holiday season.

http://www.sltrib.com/news/ci_13864973
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/34157005/ns/us_news-life/
http://www.ksl.com/index.php?nid=148&sid=8810404

John Edward Jones
January 21, 1983-November 25, 2009
You will be missed.

I take it back...all of it.

If you read my previous post, I'm sorry if this seems a little contradictory. But wearing essentially the same clothes for 3 days gives me a right to contradict myself.

Dear Delta,
BAD DELTA. VERY BAD. Yes, I did say I had a (mostly) satisfactory flight, but it's very hard to remember the good things about you when I am just surrounded by the bad things. Like how you lost my luggage. And now I have no clothes. Do you realize how hard it is to find something to wear to church when your only options are two prom dresses, a graduation robe and my baptism dress I wore when I was EIGHT?! It's not an easy thing!
As a nurse, we spend a lot of time working on patient teaching. It's called multi-focal planning. Well, I'm going to do some airline teaching right now. So sit down, shut up, and listen.

Lesson #1- telling time. When someone calls you on the phone complaining about their luggage being lost, and you tell them it will arrive "tomorrow night", that usually implies at night, aka after the sun has gone down. When that said someone asks you to clarify what "tomorrow night" means, don't tell them 2 or 3 pm. That would imply afternoon. It's okay. Sometimes reading a clock can be difficult. Maybe that's why both my flights got in 40 minutes early. But also when you say it'll be there tomorrow night, make sure you tell other people, so that it will actually get there at that said time.

Lesson #2- Penmanship. I think, Mr. Delta-man, that you skipped the day in first grade that taught you to tell time and write your letters and numbers. Please note Exhibit A is my baggage information reference number that I type in online to check the status of my bag. Now, this can get a little tricky, but to me, this seems like maybe "A1B0H1U205" or maybe I supposed you could argue that the second to last digit could potentially be an O. Regardless, I would still be very wrong. You see, when I couldn't get this code to work no matter how many different ways I typed it in, and I called you up to check what the code actually was, I was very surprised to learn that it was ALBOH14205. So here's a few pointers. First, LEARN HOW TO WRITE A 4!! Not a U, a 4!! Second, if you are using a 1 and L in the same code, WRITE THEM DIFFERENTLY. Finally, if you are also stupid enough to use an O and 0(zero) in the same code, could you like, draw a line through the zero or something? k. thanks.

Lesson #3- Geography. Now, I don't know where you originally sent my luggage, but I'm quite sure you didn't send it to JFK. So let's start there. John F. Kennedy airport is located in NYC (that would be New York City) which is EAST of Salt Lake. Let's at least send it that direction, k? And when you do end up sending it to JFK (over 24 hours after I myself land in Albany) do not send it directly to Cincinnati Ohio before sending it to Albany. If you leave the state of New York where I live (which by the way, I live in BURNT HILLS, not BRUNTSHILL) then you have gone too far. Personally, I feel that the 25 minute flight from JFK to Albany is much more direct and frankly, much more efficient then sending it to Cincinnati first.

Also, I know you only gave me this message like 12 hours ago when you "located my bag", but I'm getting very tired of this message. Will you please change it to something useful that actually gives me some sort of hope that I can get clean clothes before I go home in a week?

Bag Tag Number:

DL140959

Status:

We have located this bag at New York-Kennedy, NY (JFK) airport and are scheduling it to be on a flight to your final destination.
Please check back again for the delivery date and time of your bag.

So, Mr. Delta-man, I hope that you can understand this letter and that this airline teaching has been effective for you. But please. I'm begging you. Please bring me my luggage. It'd be great to have clean clothes, makeup, medication, shoes, my toothpaste, my scriptures, my assignment due by tomorrow........

A newly faithful Southwest flyer,
Melissa

Kalamazoo Michigan

So, right now I'm in Kalamazoo Michigan. Okay, that's half a lie. I'm in the air over Kalamazoo Michigan. I was boarding the plane in SLC and this girl was handing out cards that just said that ebay was providing free wi-fi for the flight! It was amazing. And I thought to myself, 5 hour flight....I can definitely handle some good ol' wi-fi! Plus they served a good lunch. And I got my own pillow and blanket. And they keep refilling my orange juice (which between you and me is making me have to pee...). I'm thoroughly enjoying this business class adventure, with the only downside being my neighbor. He's a dad who's going on a trip with his son, so his son gets to sit on his lap. He claims his son is "under 2", which is the requirement if they are going to sit on your lap, but I'm pretty sure this kid is starting to grow facial hair. Although he does cry and scream like a kid under 2, so maybe not.
So here's my little plug in. I was (mostly) satisfied with my Delta flight. (Now Delta, can I get a discount on my next flight?)

Anyway, I'm off to do some homework. For my family and friends in NY, see you in a few hours! :)

Can I get a "WOOT WOOT"?!

Just wanted to let you all know that I have a freaking awesome 17 year old brother. Scott got an email today from the BYU track and cross country coach and they are going to fly him out here to Provo the second weekend in December to meet with him and the rest of the team....HOW AWESOME IS THAT!?

Don't worry, when I'm home for thanksgiving (which is VERY SOON!) I'll make him start working on autographs so he can perfect it :)

Also, I just wanted to remind that I am done with classes until December. yesss!
Life is good, friends. Life is good.

Thanksgiving!

Just wanted to let you know I have this much time til I leave for a 9 day Thanksgiving break back in New York!!

ennn geee.

I feel the need to remind that I am a NURSING STUDENT and these are the kinds of things that are exciting to me and blog worthy! No, I'm not a freak. No, I don't need my head examined. But yes, my life is utterly boring except for these brief moments of things that are out of the ordinary.
So yes, it was a...well...an interesting experience today when my friend Hayley and I got to practice putting nasogastric tubes in each other. an NG tube is a tube that goes through your nose, down the back of your throat and into your stomach for feeding, pumping or medication. We've been practicing on mannequins, but at open lab this morning Hayley and I decided to do it on each other so we have a better grasp on how to do it on a patient. I'm 98% sure that we are the only two in our semester of nursing who have done it on an actual person and so let me just give a shout out to other nursing students...DON'T DO IT! It was miserable! Yes, it is easier to place it when the patient can swallow, but WOW it's awful! It's so uncomfortable having some plastic tube going up and irritating your nose before just settling in your thro
at. Your eyes start to water and you gag and ugh. Maybe I'm just a wuss, but now I can definitely empathize with my patients that need an NG tube. Of course, I probably am a total wuss, since it was only a pediatric NG tube, three times smaller than an adult one!

checking it's not coiled in the back of the throat

a proud moment of my life: checking the pH of the gastric content and it's in the right place!
woot woot!

You know, I have no prince charming, so now I have to swoop mannequins off their feet :)

Don't blame me if I kidnap... ;)

So I've have had definitely one of the longest and worst weeks in the history of mankind. Definitely one for the books. It looks like the "week" is going to run into this week too, so you can imagine how nice it was to take a break and go up to visit with Erin and Justin and baby Bennett Wilson on Sunday! Eric and I had a great time visiting with the Wilson family in Logan and getting to show some loving to little Bennett, who is already 5 weeks old! Oh man. Time is flying. Here are some pictures from our day with the Wilson's. Thanks again Justin and Erin! :)

Bennett's tie is probably the cutest thing ever.

pseudo nephew!

I'm definitely Bennett's favorite almost aunt.

I am not baby happy. I am not baby happy.

Beautiful Family, eh?

I could not decide which one of these family pictures I thought was cuter, so I put them both up :)
Erin, let me know what picture you want me to send you. or both.

next step

My International Application was due this morning and I decided for sure that I want to go to Ghana. So Ghana was my first choice and Taiwan is my second. Now the next step is an interview in the next few weeks and then hopefully I'll know by Christmas if I got into either of those. If I didn't, I'm stuck staying local. So start saying your prayers that I get to go to Ghana!!

Big decisions

So I knew that this year was going to be a big year for me to make decisions, but now that I have to make some of these decision very soon (like from a few days to 2 months) it's getting quite a bit overwhelming!!

-Stay in Provo for a one day clinical next semester or switch to Primary's Children hospital for 2 days? Convenience vs. Experience (this decision has to be made by tomorrow haha)

-Ghana or Taiwan?

-Mission?

-Move, or stay put?

-Stay friends, or pursue something more with a person?

-Aim for graduation or just drop out and move home?

That last one sure is tempting :) Just kidding!

HELP ME!!

So I have the opportunity in the nursing program to go this spring and do nursing abroad for 4-5 weeks. It seems very exciting, and yes, it is. But it's also one of the most stressful decisions I've ever made! I'm pulling my hair out! You can ask my mother I keep going back and forward on what to decide. Problem is, I have to submit my international application by Wednesday at the latest and it has my top 2 choices on it. After learning about the international sites, which includes Vancouver British Columbia, Ecuador, Jordan and Jerusalem, I have selected my top two choices to be Ghana and Taiwan. But don't ask me which is first and which is second choice BECAUSE I CAN'T DECIDE! So I need input. Lots and lots of input.

Some things to know: I do have to interview, but I only get interviewed for my top choice. If you don't get your first choice, they try and put you in the second choice, but if you don't get that one, you don't get to go international, and instead you go to DC for a week, Colorado for 3 days, the "inner city" of Murray UT or the state prison. So yeah, I'd like to go international ha. Also, I know I'll have a great experience no matter where I go, but what's going to be best?! Anyway. Below is my pro/con list. See?! It's gotten so hard to decide I had to type out my pro con list!

	GHANA	TAIWAN
PROS	· More service oriented · Get to make a noticeable difference · Not for the faint hearted, and I am definitely not weak. · Two faculty members going are my past two clinical instructors · 3rd world country · 13-16 spots available · I have a bunch of very good friends who want to go, and will probably end up going	· Cheaper · Get to travel entire country over weekends · In country 5 weeks · ER rotation · 1st world country · Opportunity to scuba dive, learn how to surf, see country….
CONS	· More expensive · In country only 4 weeks · Don’t do much travelling, go from hospital/village to housing at night · Don’t go out at night · Risk of illness or death (technically) · Requires lots of immunizations and taking anti-malaria medication.	· Seems to focus more on my own personal experience (travel, scuba etc) · More people are going to want to apply here (mainly because of price and international location) · Only 8 spots available · I don’t quite feel as attached to going to Taiwan. It just seems more logical

I'll try and pretend I'm not baby happy...

You know time is going fast when the person you've been best friends with since birth, gives birth....

Congratulations to Erin and Justin Wilson and little Bennett!
You are a beautiful family.

Justin Bennett Wilson
9/28/2009
8:39 pm MDT

Pinching Pennies 101

I'm a poor college student. Cliche, I know, but SERIOUSLY, it's true. So to help the whole situation, I resort to pinching pennies, counting quarters, clipping coupons, bargain hunting...whatever the phrase I probably do it (although not as insane as some other members of my family--cough cough Eric). So when I went to send 4 letters to missionaries on Monday, I did not falter when I found I didn't have the right stamps. I opened my stamp holder and found a plethora of stamps that didn't fit the 44 cent and 98 cent stamps I needed. Lots of 2, 5, 10, and 41 though!

So did I go to the post office and buy some nearly-a-dollar international stamps, and possibly some "Forever" stamps that I can send to anywhere in the US? NAY! What kind of college student would I be if I didn't scrap around trying to save as much money as possible? So I was very resourceful and used FIFTEEN stamps to send FOUR letters. How awesome is that? The post office may raise their prices for stamps and think that means people will buy more stamps but they don't know the power of a frugal nursing student. Once again, I stick it the man.

Unfortunately, the man stabbed back, now that I'm completely out of stamps and have to buy some new ones. Win the battle and lose the war.

Thank You, Nursing...

This post is dedicated to Sarah Alvey.

Nursing school is full of stimulating information. Some of it is obvious, others not. This would fall into the obvious category.

Wound dehiscence or evisceration is essentially when things that are supposed to stay inside your body come out through a fresh surgical wound. I'll keep this squeaky clean for all you faint-hearted out there.

But here is a paragraph from one of my books:
If wound dehiscence or evisceration occurs, call for help and contact the primary care provider immediately, stay with client, monitor the client for shock, cover with sterile towel, and do not attempt to reinsert organs.

Maybe you have to be a certain kind of sick sick person, but I laughed really hard at this. Can't you just see a student nurse--much like myself--saying: "OOOHHH!! OOOH!!! I took Anatomy!! I think I kinda sorta mostly remember where the pancreas goes! Let me!!"

Darn you nursing school. Now that this has been in my assigned reading, I'm legally accountable if I try and reinsert the organs. Darn you for dashing all my hopes and dreams.

Who wants to be my patient...?! ;)

Getting Past my Marriage Prime

I may have mentioned the pattern that seems to have emerged in my home ward/stake, where the last several girls that have come to Utah for school have gotten engaged at 19 and married by 20 (well technically 2 1/2 months past 20 was the oldest). In like a week I will be the older than that and will be an old single maiden. Originally I didn't think that I should worry, but after reading this I'm beginning to panic.

For some reason I imagine this being sung as a country song by someone with a lisp...

I turned eighteen a long time ago.
I'm wonderin' why it's takin' so long
To find that man, the one from my dreams.
Gotta find him before I turn nineteen.

I'm nearly an old maid!
Need to say "I do" before it's too late.
Past my prime now!
Come on guys, can you help a girl out?

It's been a long grueling eighteen years
Tryin' to fight back all these lonely tears.
Got my GED; It's time to settle down.
Colors picked, even bought my wedding gown.

I'm nearly an old maid!
Need to say "I do" before it's too late.
Past my prime now!
It's about time I settled down!

They say I'm a menace to society.
Need a man cause I have no self-esteem.
Wanna get wed now so I'm goin' to BYU;
Statistically it'll take a week or two.

I'm ready to be your wife!
I wanna taste of married life!
We'll start a family right away
Before my fertile regions decay.

Been married six years,
Eight kids under age five.
Still don't know you real well
But at least I'm satisfied.

Yellerrrstone

So I'm in Idaho right now, and have been here for the last almost 2 weeks. It's been a lot of fun here with Brian and the rest of the McKellar clan, and we've been keeping very busy. We've gone to movies, up to Brian's beloved Treasure Mountain Scout Camp, to the Idaho Falls temple, to the arcade (which I suck at...) up to Rexburg, over to Shelley to help in Amanda's classroom, and even went to watch Brian participate in the triathlon he's been training for (I love the boy, but when he WANTS to swim a mile in open water, bike 25.3 miles, then run a 10K, I seriously have to question his sanity...) He even developed shingles while preparing for the run! But it turned out well for him, since he knocked twenty minutes off his PR and did it all in 3 hours and 10 minutes, placing him third in his division. Plus he got steroids for the shingles. Which he loves. Too bad he didn't get them until after the race.

But I would have to say that probably my favorite thing we have done this vacation is go to Yellowstone National Park. It was absolutely stunning, so I thought I'd share some of my favorite shots. It was also very exciting because since Yellowstone is so big and we drove back through Grand Teton National Park, we officially went to three states and two national parks in one day. Not bad if I do say so myself...

:)

I loved this lake..

Old Faithful/Old Geyser/"Thing that Goes Kawhoosh"