You can read the CliffsNotes if you want to, but...

Today's thoughts:

1. Report time. That whole studying in the mornings thing? BRILLIANT. I mean it! It has been absolutely worth the "extra" effort. I highly recommend it. There's a story about that. stay tuned.
2. I don't know if you know, or why you would know, but Navy posters from WWI are a good laugh. That's all I'm gonna say about that.
3. Also I'm in a very impatient mood today. I keep staring at that stupid chat window, willing something to happen over which I have no control. All that staring only leaves me to further conclude that I have no control, and it's happening. Nothing. Stupid nothing. Is that vague enough? That's the other frustrating part. It has to be. Also, I hate spreadsheets.
4. In other news, you should know that if you go to Krispy Kreme and get the "kids pack" you get a very cool, bright green, squiggly straw as a surprise. Boy, was I EVER!!! Yes I got milk, and yes I drank it with the squiggly straw. Now I just need a red wagon. And a jump rope.
5. And what exactly do guys hope to accomplish by whistling at a girl as they drive by her? And why is it always the slimy guys??? First of all, is this supposed to make me feel, like, (insert hair toss) awesome? Have I been missing something all my life? As in: should I have turned around and started chasing the car, yelling, "That's all you have to do! Take me now!" ???? Please. I'd like to rectify my past behavior, should it need aforementioned reconstruction.
   

If this response silence continues, I'll be forced to adhere to my long-standing philosophy that there IS no purpose in it. * "ooo...something shiny..." * Okay, then.

Now, enough about me and my SELF. :) It's time to talk about things from a different angle. If you really read all of this part, I applaud you.
I am fully aware most people don't read entire posts bigger than about 2 paragraphs. with pictures. and one-syllable words. CliffsNotes are available at the bottom for you people. :)

Story time.

So there I was, yesterday morning...

Sitting on the couch, doing my scripture study. Sunlight just starting to stream in through the windows... I'm reading, writing, thinking...

Well, trying to think. Mostly, I'd only been awake for about 15 minutes at this point. And I'm warning you now: DeeAura doesn't like to talk, smile, or be talked to (more than in about two word increments) until she's been awake for at least 20 minutes. At least. After that period of time, I remember how to be an awake human.

My roommate had left for work when I was only about 5 minutes into when I was studying. She's still looking for a job after just recently moving down here. I love her. To pieces. But I barely acknowledged her that morning. Remember the awake time rule? Okay, then.

About 10 minutes after she left (we're back to the 15 minutes point) my phone starting ringing, clear back in my room. Ugh. Who is calling me at this time of the morning?? I run back to answer the phone. It's my roommate. Whom I love. She missed the bus. (She doesn't have a car.) And if she waits until the next bus, she'll be late. She really can't be late. I know this. My normal response would have been "Okay, where are you? I'm coming right now!" but...it's only been 15 minutes of DeeAura awake this day. I think my response was something more akin to

"....you what?...oh. okay, uhm...(looking at the clock, trying to figure out what to cut out from my morning routine...it's very important to me at that moment, for some reason)...okay, just, um, okay, I'm putting on my shoes. I'm so totally not ready right now...(duh, DeeAura.)...but I'm coming...(what - out of the goodness of my heart???)

Then I hung up. Grabbed my keys. Manage to walk out the front door. I step outside, and wake up a little more, thanks to the cooler outside air. I walk a little faster, and suddenly wake up a little more to the thoughts in my head. Uh...pretty sure I shouldn't be so bugged about this... C'mon! Who even are you??? So I say a quick little prayer in my head "please help me not to be so bugged about this right now."

Now let's back up another ten minutes or so. That morning, I'd been studying Elder Bednar's talk on praying in faith from a few conferences ago. Excellent talk. And at one point, I was reading the part where he asks us if, when we pray, we are expecting Heavenly Father to do the work for us as we ask and pray for things.

Of course, my initial thought was, "I'm pretty sure I always try to do my part whenever I pray for something. So that part probably doesn't really apply to me..." Ahem. Then I backed up that thought for a second or two and wrote down some quick notes about it in my study journal. Commence studying.

Then comes phone call. Then comes time for DeeAura to really wake up. (Search, Analyze, Apply, anyone??? anyone??? haha...)

Now back up one more time. To last night, or possibly that morning as I was waking up. In one of those prayers, I recall saying something like "Please bless roommate to get to work safely and on time in the morning, and to find a good job soon."

Now back to me, outside, in my pajamas, flip-flops, with car keys in hand. All this comes flooding back to me as I say "please help me not to be such a stink right now" and the new thought comes,

"Well - you did pray she'd get to work on time and safely...didn't you?"

That's about when I burst out laughing, hand on car door handle. Hey. Clearly, I'm learning more about doing my part with my prayers....lesson learned. (I hope!)

The end.

Now, if you're like most of the people I email every day, and you see words as things to be skipped over, hoping for the summary at the end, (I pity the fool...) here it is:

1. Study in the mornings. Big difference-maker.
2. WWI Navy Posters. Hilarious.
   
3. I have no control and wish I did.
4. Squiggly straws. Kids packs. Krispy Kreme.
5. something shiny! ugh.
   
6. me. ogre. mornings. 20 minutes.
   
7. Answers to prayers require work.
   

See how you get less meat that way? We're done here. :)