There are a lot of trees here.

Well, I live in Georgia again.

So there's that I guess.

And when we clean out our computer...

I don't remember taking these pictures. 

And well, I really have no explanation for them. 

I've been awake for an obscenely long time.

Last night/this morning, I went to the opening night showing of the Hunger Games... at 3:30 AM.

I went to bed at 9 the night before in preparation, and woke again around 1:45, raring to go.

I loaded myself up with rockstars and cheezits, and once I had an appropriately obscene amount of caffeine in my system, I went off with my friend Trey and his friend to Thanksgiving Point to see the IMAX movie in all of its beautiful, dramatic glory.

And let me tell you.... worth it.

Seriously. This movie is fetching fantastic. I laughed. I cried a wee bit. I gripped my companions in suspence.

It. Was. Amazing.

If you haven't seen the Hunger Games yet, go forth and do so ASAP.

SERIOUSLY.

Stop reading. Go and see it now.

I said stop.

Quit it.

Get your butt up and go buy a ticket.

You'll thank me later.

In other news, once you're on as much caffeine as me, you start to think you can talk to ducks. Just ask my Dad, he is witness to my self-imposed hilarity "under the influence" so to speak.

I'm planning on seeing The Hunger Games again within the near future. I recommend you all do the same, and then we can all pee our pants in companionate excitement.

That is all.

Homebody, Homeboy...

I have been such a homebody lately.

I basically live paycheck to paycheck, and though I am usually very good about budgeting everything I need out every two weeks, I still face times in which slightly higher utilities keep my recreational activities on the cheaper side for the month.

So, seeing as I don't get paid until the end of the week, I've been trying to find inexpensive ways to keep myself at least mildly entertained for a time.

Essentially, I go to the library, read books, do homework, and sleep. A lot.

I have been sleeping so much lately. I often take at least an hour nap in the middle of the day, and still find it easy to fall asleep around ten each night. And it doesn't make it any easier to wake up in the mornings, believe you me.

I don't really know why I constantly feel so exhausted, but it sure is getting annoying. I can never quite get enough sleep, it feels like. You know?

In other news,

This weekend I took a big bag of leftover pancake mix I had and made rainbow pancakes. Because I'm cool like that.

Also, I still have a whole lot of pancake mix left. Anyone know of anything atypical one could do with those? Because I'm quickly running out of ideas.

In other other news,

I graduate college in 5 weeks and two days.

Please excuse me while I pee my pants out of excitement.

In case you hadn't gathered it yet, ...

I live an extremely unexciting life.

I kid you not.

The most eventful thing that happened to me in recent times is that I dyed me hair. Yep, terribly exciting, I know.

I try really hard to make it at least slightly more exciting than it is. Alas, I don't think my efforts were greatly rewarded.

Oh well. At least my mom thinks I'm funny.

In other news, there are roughly 8 weeks left until I

A. Graduate college
2. Get to go to California for the first time and
Third. Move back to the dirty south, where people have normal perceptions of things and don't drive me quite as insane as they seem to in Utah.

I've just had a stroke of genius.

I know who we can elect for President. 

We could have a black president.... 

And a woman president..... 

AND a Mormon president.... 

Yeah. I know. 

It'd be like killing a whole fetching flock of birds with one stone. 

And what is the name of this stone? 

Why, its Gladys Knight. 

You're welcome, America. 

A Long Held-in Rant

I am sick and tired of people giving me flack.

I can't even describe to you how many times, especially this year, that this has happened to me.

I am graduating from Brigham Young University in April of this year with my bachelor's degree in Spanish and a minor in Sociology. I have been at school for four years, and this is the usual anticipated graduation date for someone my age and year.

It is not an uncommon occurrence that someone asks me what year I am in school, and I say "Senior; I'm graduating in April."

About 85%, if not more, of the time the questioner then becomes an interrogator when they respond with, "What? Unmarried?!"

Depending on the situation, I generally try my best to be polite and respectful with a "yes sir, yes ma'am, etc etc," and explain that I have plans to move back to the east coast/south after finishing school and beginning some type of career from there on. Which is a normal manner of answering.

The problem with the culture and attitude of people around here is that this is apparently not an acceptable occurrence, i.e. graduating from BYU a single female.

I have had innumerable conversations throughout this year with many, many individuals who have expressed shock and awe when I tell them the following:

I do not want to be married right now.

If I wanted to be married, I would be. It is a purposeful choice.


Often, what then follows is someone's poorly thought out argument that I am never going to find someone in any other part of the world, and that I am quickly losing my opportunity here in Utah; apparently I am not getting any younger. I was literally told one day, that even if I do find and marry an LDS member outside of Utah, he's apparently likely to go inactive, and then by consequence, I will go inactive, and as a consequence of THAT my children and descendants will be inactive or nonmembers and will thereby help to condemn this world.

"We're just worried about your future, Erin."

You cant make this stuff up.



Well I have a rebuttal for you, ladies and gentlemen.

This is ridiculous.

Only in a place and cmmunity like this is that not completely insane. Did you know that the Average age of marriage of women in 2010 was 26 years old?
Is there something wrong with that? I certainly don't see anything wrong with that.

Its not like I'm in the minority here. 75% of BYU students are single. Only 25% are married. And thats of over 32,000 students in 2011.

Its not like my baby making eggs are going to die off and leave me lonely and childless for the rest of my life.

I am 21 years old. My eggs aren't going anywhere anytime soon.

I'm not going to let you tell me what kind of life I ought to be living. I have a life, and its a dang good one for the most part. I will move forward to that stage of life when I am good and ready. You have no right to rush me.

So stop being all agog and agasp when I tell you that I am unmarried, with no immediate intentions to be otherwise. You're going to catch flies with that mouth.

It is my own choice to be who I am, where I am, whether that is with a husband or not.