Highs & Lows

I woke up angry this morning. I really have no idea why. So I'm going to deal with it the same way I deal with pretty much everything else in my life that is irksome. I'm going to write my way through it.

It's been a troublesome week, full of exciting highs and crippling lows. I'll talk about the lows first, I guess. That way I will hopefully have more to talk about with the highs.

Low Points in the Week

• My dog, Scotty, passed away. The vet said he most likely had an aneurism sometime last week. He had been acting really strange for a while and not like himself at all. Towards the end, he wasn't eating, drinking, and only moving when it was necessary. My dad took him to the vet and after being told there wasn't anything we could really do, made the decision to put him down. I was really upset over the whole thing. I loved that dog so much. He had the funniest personality. But I take comfort knowing we gave him a good life. The day my dad adopted him from the pound was the day before he was going to be put down. We gave him three more years he wasn't suppose to have. I'm going to miss the little muffin.
• I was sick last week and stayed home from school. I received an email from my one professor telling me that I had accumulated four absences in that class. Since it is only a term long class, four absences or more is an automatic failure. There's nothing I can do about it. It's the policy not only for her class but for all term long classes. I've done every single assignment in that class and got an A on all of them as well. But now I'm going to fail. It sucks hardcore. 
• I've been having trouble sleeping lately. My depression is hitting me hard at night and I can't fall asleep for hours. Because of this, I end up sleeping in and missing my classes. In addition, my sleep has been fitful lately. I wake up feeling like I didn't sleep at all. I'll wake up in the middle of the night several times, mostly from nightmares that I can't seem to remember once I'm awake. I'm drenched in sweat and my body aches as if it was ridged for a long time. I don't know what is causing it. I don't like it one bit. 
• My email was hacked and someone has been sending out emails with some kind of phishing scam to all my contacts in my name. I've changed my password three times but they're still happening. I might need to change my email, which is going to be a huge pain in the ass. 

High Points of the Week

• I was made assistant-editor of the culture section of the Review! I'm way excited about that. I'll be receiving a small scholarship starting next semester and I'll be able to go to a national conference for collegiate newspapers that will be in California. It's so great! I can't believe it, honestly. I mean, I only started writing for the paper back in July-ish. I'm very grateful and very excited.
• My improv group, What's So Funny?, did a benefit show to raise money for the Provo Survivor. The members of my singles ward showed up for their FHE activity. I'm so glad they came because they made up over half the audience. In addition, my good friend Jason came, as well as my parents. We did a great show too. The audience seemed to really like it. Plus, in weird news of Kelly's life, I found out that two members of my group are married to girls I graduated with. Reed married Katie Fallon & Seth married Lorien Stice. Weird weird weird. Also, Katie happens to know Jorgen "Bug" Madsen, a good friend of mine I met down at SUU. Her cousin is best friends with Bug. 
• Speaking of my world getting smaller, last week I went out to dinner with an old high school friend, Ammon. He brought with him an old mission companion, Daniel. Daniel is from South Africa, which is where they served. I told them I have a friend who is serving there right now. When Daniel asked who it was, I told them Elder Nick Adams. Daniel then proceeded to freak out. Daniel had been Nick's training companion. He couldn't believe I knew him. (I met Nick down as SUU. He and Bug are pledge brothers in Sigma Chi). Daniel then went on and on about how much he loves Nick. I don't blame him. Nick is one of the coolest people I know. 
• This could be a high and a low but I finished the "The Girl..." series by Stieg Larson. I don't know what to call the series really. It's made up of three books: The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo, The Girl Who Played with Fire, & The Girl Who Kicked the Hornet's Nest. All of them have been so good. I've loved reading them. By the end, I was so invested in all of the characters, I was a wreck to know how the story would end and if everyone was going to be okay. I'm really sad it's over and there won't be any more books (Larson recently passed away). They're great books and I highly recommend them to anyone. 
• I saw the play Noises Off last night at UVU. It was hilarious! I loved every minute of it. It's a great farce about a group of actors, a director, a stage manager, and a tech guy trying to put on a play with little rehearsal time, little talent, lots of drama, and one alcoholic actor who keeps drinking. It's so entertaining. It's made up of three acts, the second being my favorite. It takes place backstage of one of their performances. There is some dialogue but as soon as the play-within-the-play starts, the only dialogue comes from onstage, which the audience cannot see. All of the action backstage, which the audience can see, must be performed as quietly as possible, which is hard to do when there are a few actors who want to kill their ex-lovers/fellow actors, the stage manager is on the edge of a mental break down, and everyone is trying to keep alcohol away from the alcoholic actor. All the while, they are trying to make their entrances and exits and keep the show going. Please, if you have the time, go see this play. I mean it. It ends on the 30th. Go! 

I was smart to have the Highs last. I feel much better. Thanks for reading an update of my life. And I'm serious about seeing Noises Off. It's too good to miss. 

Love you.

Mean it.