Danger and Dave ...

Danger! Danger!

So a couple cool experiences I will share with you in blogland:

#1 It's the last day of finals. I have one 6-hour examination and the final paragraphs of a 25-page paper between me and freedom. (And by freedom, I mean the opportunity to take two weeks not in classes and write another 30-page paper and work part-time, but whatever. At least there were Christmas carols and ham.) I'm staying at my parents house because it's closer to campus and less than distracting than my apartment. I get up to leave and begin shutting down my computer. Clear as a bell, the thought enters my head "E-mail your work to yourself." I'm not really in the mood to argue and it won't take me very long so I do and rush off. Fast forward many hours and my exhausted self sits down at 8 p.m. to finish the paper which is due no later than 9:59 p.m. I turn on my computer. The folder I keep my paper in is completely missing. I go through Word's "recently used" function and click on my paper. The words "This file does not exist" flash across the screen in one of those dialogue boxes with red letters. I start to panic. The same happens for all of my drafts. The Recycle Bin is empty. It's as if this paper, in any form, had never even existed. Then I remember, I'd e-mailed it to myself! I opened the e-mail and began typing furiously. I was so grateful I listened. There's a possibility I could have recovered the paper, but I needed every second remaining to finish on time. Doubters out there may think I just followed through on common sense. Everyone knows you should back things up. But I am standing by my interpretation that it was a sign from God that my law degree is important to him, too.

#2 As mentioned below, I've been doing quite a bit of religious reexamination lately. I like attending meetings with Dave, but going to Relief Society by myself has felt more like a chore than anything. I grudgingly got out of bed today and made my way in, the whole time having an internal dialogue with God that I hope he makes it worth my while this time. As I went to sit down I again had a clear thought, "You should scoot over." So I did. Not two minutes later the baby in front of me started to hiccup. And then in a giant burst, projectile vomited all over the seat I had just been sitting in. Seriously. I would have had to shower and three times over to clean up had I been nailed by that kid. And I probably wouldn't have come back for the rest of the meetings. I couldn't help but laugh. It was as if God was saying, "I want you here badly enough to save you from baby puke." So I stayed. And it turned out we got to spend Sacrament meeting singing our favorite hymns. You could just go up and pick one and then everyone would sing it. I seriously can't think of a church meeting I've liked better. God still hasn't resolved my deep doctrinal questions related to patriarchy ... but he at least gave me some musical relief and saved me from getting slimed.

Dave -- More sleeptalking

#3 Dave wakes up with a start the other night. "Oh no," he mutters. "Oh no!!"

He keeps repeating this over and over and then sits up in the dark, turns around, and looks out the blinds. I'm laughing.

"What on earth are you looking for?"

"Spots," he said. "I think we've got spots!"

He jumps out of bed and yells to me, "Shield your eyes!"

I pretend to do so and he flips on the light. He's panicked and looking everywhere. He surveys the room, sighs with relief, and turns off the light.

"What spots?" I say as he climbs into bed.

"Oh. You know. Blood. Paint. But we don't have any so it's OK."

And he promptly falls back asleep.