status update

I am currently sitting in a computer lab on campus shivering like the drowned cat I so closely resemble in appearance. Not only did I get minimal amounts of sleep last night thanks to a take home midterm, but it's raining outside as opposed to inside? yes. I have one coat with a hood on it and that coat is my skiing parka. Which is fine. I love that coat because it has cool zippers in the armpits so I don't get too hot while shredding the gnar. if you didn't laugh at my use of that phrase then don't worry. i'm laughing for you.  And you know, keeping me from being too hot while skiing is actually pretty difficult to do. I mean, have you seen me ski?

Hot.
sarcasm. sarcasm. i more often than not fly down the hill with no sense of control with my poles flying all over the place. i should probably figure out what the heck i'm supposed to be doing with those by now, right? 
....nah.

Anyway, I didn't wear that parka coat because the walk to school is uphill. And no matter what the temperature outside is, that walk will cause you to enter your first class with that stunningly terrible, sticky, moist feeling of sweat all over your upper body, especially on your neck under your hair. Blech. I think that might be one of my least favorite things ever. Along with being called "dude," "man," and "bro." I mean really? I know that sometimes I struggle with the whole makeup/hair/outfit coordinating thing that so defines my gender but come on. I'm not a "homie bro."

So I didn't wear that coat, the only one with a hood, in order to prevent my body from feeling like a handful of melting Skittles. So my hair might be dripping wet and drying into what I could only describe as a mullet Billy Ray Cyrus would envy.

And I wonder why I get called "man."

In other news my lower back is killing me. I'm holding to the argument that this pain has been caused by carrying a backpack around all day and am completely dismissing the more probable hypothesis that I was shaking my hips too hard in Zumba and pulled a muscle or something. Because I mean, who does that? me. i do that.

You know what else I do? Watch the Olympics with my family and then become inspired and perform feats of incredible physical ability. Prepare to be amazed.

Amazing.

Stay strong mi amigos. Do Zumba.
peace and hip thrusts

rrw

bryce is nice.

Today my family had a dinner to celebrate the birth of my older sister. The dinner was held up in Salt Lake and all were in attendance. Minus one middle child. Why wasn't I there? Because school has taken over almost all aspects of my life and drained me of all creativity. I'm about as creative as...well...I can't even think of anything. Which proves my point exactly.

I was sad I couldn't make it to dinner because whatever it was they were having was probably better than my bowl of oatmeal.

#jklolhags oatmeal is the best.

If you haven't gathered there is no point to my rambling. Oh wait, there is. I missed my family gathering today but hey, it'll be ok. (status: poet) I'll just remember how great that three day weekend (that I'm still trying to get back from mentally) was. Because southern Utah will always win.

Caroline threw a snowball through this hole and earned $100 by doing so.

The offer was revoked as soon as the feat was accomplished.

I turned the corner and was greeted by this ^^^.

dalips

I think Caroline's trying to move her hips.

I'll have to teach her a few things.

#zumbaforlife

Off season hiking comes with pros and cons.

This ^^^ was a pro.

Me: "Laugh"

Caroline: (insert hyena noises)

She actually did miss me. I knew it.

"sitting-on-top-of-the-hoodoo selfie"

Hops so mad I should probably just be...

less white.

Masters of the off season.

Stay tuned for videos from the trip. Aka "Weiler Olympics."
peace and 79 cent corndogs from Arctic Circle
rrw

girls are great

This is to the girls that are great. The girls that are fun and awesome and do cool things and use their brains to exercise their independence and who care about those around them. Those great girls who are always there for their friends and for strangers, for boys and for girls. Who spend all day baking treats for the entire ward, who take an hour of their time to comfort their wreck of a friend, who send texts and funny snaps just to wish someone a happy day. Those girls who speak up in class to voice their opinions, who compliment strangers, who smile and laugh when they read something funny, who have hobbies and talents that they are proud of. The girls who can fix my computer and draw my blood and help me with statistics and make art and music and life. The girls who forgive and serve and totally rock at Just Dance. To all the great girls out there.

You are great. You are great friends. You have great senses of humor. You have great hair and you have great smiles. But sometimes being great doesn't feel so great. Sometimes great girls don't get asked on dates or do so great on tests or have really great days.

That doesn't mean you are not great. Or that you should stop being great. There is greatness in you and I'm glad I've gotten to see it. If you're not feeling so great, come on by. I'd love to tell you how truly great I think you are.

peace and happiness and snapchats
shoot dang why do i feel so happy?
also, chalk this up to sappy songs on spotify
rrw

a story from the swkt

It was a late night in the basement of the Spencer W. Kimball Tower, otherwise known as the SWKT. The sky had not been seen in over 8 hours and all students of Political Science 328 were on edge trying to get their assignment sent from Hades done. Keyboards were clicking away more than those Irish River Dances, formulas and equations were being yelled out randomly across the lab, and food was being snuck in like the place was a movie theater.

I was among them. Having finally completed a more difficult part of the assignment in which statistical equations were tediously entered into a Word document ps to the world: there's a reason it's a WORD document. words are supposed to go in it. not mumbo jumbo stats lingo. I moved on to start on the next part. That's when Microsoft Word decided to stop. I hadn't saved my work. I almost started crying.

But instead I said to myself, "Rachel, you are ok. You are not going to punch this computer because you are an adult and can control yourself. You are not going to cry because you. are. an. adult."

My corner of the room busted up in laughter. Apparently my pep talk hadn't been heard by only me.

Life points obtained through this experience: 3 ten piece chicken nugget meals



Other events from my life.

Super fun date to the Olympic Trials up in Park City.

#roadtosochi

While on said date we both consumed what is called the "Train Wreck." 

Yes it has a hamburger patty, friend chicken breast, onion rings, and bacon on it.

We got a nutella shake to go with it. Naturally.

^^^No worries. My date was man enough.^^^

^^^When you have to turn an assignment in before 8 am you sometimes wear this to campus.^^^

Yes this is my study partner.

Yes I am proud.

^^^My best friend slept over this weekend. It was a dream come true. For the boys in my ward.^^^

#winkyface

^^^And finally, who can resist such a cutie as this? One of the best nights this week.^^^

peace and toasted cinnamon raisin bagels

rrw

life's good.

Welcome to the post in which I talk about how good my life is. Yep. That's all I'm about to do so if you're hatin' on happiness right now, well...then...go watch The Fox and the Hound and just cry. Because that's all you can really do in that movie. Or you can stay here and revel in my life. Your choice is obvious, so just make sure to pop some popcorn and take a tissue box because when the words "when you're the best of friends" start being sung, you're going to need them.

Anyway. My life is great because I just ate two brown sugar cinnamon poptarts, which I got for free and are by far the best flavor of poptarts. I also woke up an hour late this morning but still managed to get a shower in and make it to class on time. that's right family. up, showered, and out in under 30 minutes. Plus I'm wearing poofy sleeves that I like to think make my muscles look "swoll." swole? swoul? i'm obviously not a man who goes to the gym. so...good news there! I ran into friends on campus, a cute boy said hi to me twice on separate occasions ok ok ok. i totally sat in the exact same spot where he walks but i mean that's alright and my phone battery lasted all day. I also got the most hilarious text from my little sister that totes made me lol right in the middle of my professor's long winded, jargon filled, intellectual rant about the weaknesses in the Progressivism ideas of reaching a perfect future and blah blah blah.

As a background, my sister is taking the same AP Literature course I took in high school from the same teacher I had. And I quoteth,

"Today in English Thackeray was asking all these questions about Our Mutual Friend and what the symbolism was for a character. I was the only one who knew all the answers every time because you had written them in book. I felt like Harry Potter using the Half Blood Prince's potion book."

I will grow up to be Professor Snape. Which is just one more reason to love my life.

oh hey sister. nice job on that jump.

love me some east millcreek.

peace and new socks
i submit that putting those on is one of the greatest feelings in the world
which, surprise surprise, was also part of my day today

rrw

for pity's sake

I have no idea what I'm going to say in this post but I've just spent 8 hours in the basement of the SWKT. There. That's what I wanted to say and wow that wasn't very difficult to get out was it? I guess I'm better at asking for pity than I thought I was. And here I've been, thinking I've had a small amount of pride. It's about time I stopped fooling myself. So here goes.

Pity me. Please. Pity me. When you run into me on campus, hug me. If you see me staring blankly at the Cool Whip section in the store, take my hand and guide me to a better place. If I'm laying face down on the floor somewhere, just leave me there. I'm probably better off. If I show up to a social gathering looking like a hobo and muttering STATA commands under my breath then I actually won't blame you for keeping a wide distance because that's really something that I'm hoping doesn't happen.

So. Like I said, I am now accepting pity (preferably in the form of ski passes) for what will be the worst and yet greatest semester of my college experience.
Cuz dang I've met some cool people.
But dang education is hard.

And now I have a question for you. If it is winter and you live in Utah and do not go see the ice castles in Midway, then is it really winter?
Either way, pictures.
Because family.

 typical spencer

such a great capture, if i do say so myself.

and i do.

Well cool. (literally...heh heh heh ah yikes)

peace and stats

rrw