Resolution Reveal

Another year has come and gone.

2012

Last year's resolutions were: 

1) Record my headaches in a journal.
2) Shoot a gun.
3) Follow the "Touch Once" (clean house) policy.
4) Host a dinner party.
5) Write more poetry.

     I did NOT record more than five of my headaches. What can I say? There were way too many headaches within the first two weeks and there's always a few resolutions that never make it past the first few weeks of the year. Oh, well.

     I did shoot a gun. Had target practice with a rifle in Hatch over the summer (Thanks for the tips, Anamarie). Turns out I'm pretty handy with a shooter if it's aimed at something holding reeeeeeal still.

     I followed the Touch Once rule very well (most of the time) and even convinced my sisters to follow it for the most part. It's safe to say that this year the house was cleaner than in all the other years I've lived here, and that's not a sarcastic comment as I've lived here for almost three years.

     With the help of my good friend, Lonnie, I successfully co-hosted a semi-formal Christmas themed dinner party. Kept it small with 12 attendees and decided to have in as a potluck. It was a huge smash and the most common compliment I received was something like, "Finally! A party in Cedar City that made me feel like a classy grown-up!" They also loved the decorations (Thanks, Trudi!). Unfortunately, now I'm addicted. I will be hosting a "Love Everybody" dinner party the weekend before Valentine's Day. (Fingers crossed it will all come together in time!)

     The last resolution was a cinch. I enrolled in an intermediate poetry class, so my portfolio grew and grew. I've received a lot of very positive feedback. One of my poems will be featured in a series soon to be installed in the Braithwait Art Gallery on campus. The exhibit will be centered around local wonders of nature; Brian Head, Cedar Breaks, The Grand Canyon, etc. The poetry professor joined forces with the art professor and each class took field trips to these wonders. Poems will be matched with sketches, drawings, paintings or photos of these amazing natural sculptures. The opening is some time in February, I believe. More info to come on that later.

2013

This year's resolutions are:

1) Exercise regularly throughout the year (rather than
     sporadically in the spring and during the summer).
2) Get a temple recommend by April
3) Connect with my new Ward family (since I raised my hand in
     opposition when the boundaries were shifted the last time).
4) Be nicer to Jack (Trudi's cat has been hard to connect to the last
     year or so).
5) Go on dates at least once a month (with a different guy each
     month).

     Exercising regularly was going to be the hardest one on my list so I signed up for a class. It really helped with my poetry, and working out was going to be a bit more of a challenge than writing was. So I will be working out regularly to ensure I get a decent grade (since we all know how important grades are to me, you understand what a great incentive the class angle is). 

    Bishop's appointments have been harder to come by than normal because of the increase demand for missionary interviews. But I've been working on it; the executive secretary's number is practically in my speed dial. I have April listed as the goal point because my stake has its own goal to have each member baptized for at least two family members that they researched themselves, in April.

     Connecting with my new Ward family hasn't been nearly as difficult as I thought it would be. All I had to do was stop going with my cynical friends and actually attend Family Home Evening activities. I've already seen a marked improvement in my patience during classes.

      Being nicer to Jack hasn't been so hard either. All I have to do is perceive him as an attention seeking kitty rather than a pompous prick with claws, and we get along great. 

      Finally, the topic I'm most excited about. My sister, Trayci, and I were discussing the logistics of getting back into the dating world. She mentioned that her friend had had a crazy resolution to date 12 different men in one year. I said I thought I could handle a challenge like that. She and I started discussing the rules of this resolution/dare: a different man each month, at least one date, only legitimate marriage material men need apply (ie: single, LDS-ish, heterosexual, males). All dates must be at least two hours long, and consist of the 3 P's (Paid for, Paired off, and Planned), so NO hang outs, or study sessions.

     Even though it's the first day in February, I've already gotten the first date completed and the post that addresses this topic will shortly follow. I'll explain the reasons I why I thought this resolution would be a good idea as well as the benefits I've already witnessed.

Wish me luck!

Beginning of 2013, Recap of 2012

Hello all.

Let's just jump in, shall we?

Grade updates:

Spring 2012 classes and grades were as follows:
Literary Genres: Gothic Lit.......B+
Modern Social Problems.........A
Social Inequality and Justice.....B+
Social Movements...................A-
Beginning Spanish II................B

      During the summer of 2012 I stayed in Cedar City and worked as a handyman for a company called Ault Realty LLC. The company is owned by a Psych professor and his wife who manage rental houses for college students and small families throughout Cedar City and Enoch, as well as Southern California and Virginia (of all places). I worked with my good friend, Violet, who got me the job, tearing out carpet, installing carpet, fixing up hardwood floors, painting (and prepping) a lot, fixing woodwork, replacing fixtures and installing window treatments. I really loved it. I want to do this kind of work all the time, now.

         Summer wasn't all work, however. Some weeks were spent in Hatch with Thayne, Taneil, Trudi and Trayci, (along with various sundry family members) getting ready for the 2nd Annual Gary Fagg Family Reunion. We did a lot of work in the garage, newly named Club House. Sorting through Grandpa Campbell's treasures was a real treat and we found all kinds of cool stuff; old toy trucks, old oil/gas cans, homemade dust pans, homemade extension cords, homemade spotlights, homemade portable compressors, and much more. We plan to make big, over-sized hanging lamps from the gas and oil cans and hang them throughout the Club House. We found a few sets of bed frame headboards and foot boards and hung them up on the walls as decoration/storage. We also found some antique appliances: refrigerator, washing barrel, dryer press, and scale. We hope to display these items in the Club House for all relatives and visitors to freely admire.

       The reunion was a smash hit. Travis and Todd's and Thomas' families was able to come (sans Thomas. Summer school) and we had a great time playing with nieces and nephews, having craft time with Aunt LaRue, band practice with Uncle Thayne and archery with Uncle Tyler. Aspen and Sierra proved themselves to be amazing babysitters, and Travis and Jamie really bonded over hating Hatch and s'mores. :D

     After summer came more classes.

Fall 2012 classes and grades were as follows:
Intermediate Poetry..................A
Major Authors: Willa Cather....A-
Pre-Algebra.............................B+
Intermediate Spanish................B


My Spring schedule looks something like this:

Creative Nonfiction Writing TR 10am
Algebra M-F 11am
Atonement, Repentance and Forgiveness MW 12pm
Advanced Conversation and Spanish Grammar M-R 1pm
Circuit Weight Training 3x per week

Hopefully I can get into my final math class during the summer and then I'll only have another three semesters left. I recently met with my Academic Adviser and she has really high hopes for my ability to juggle volunteer hours, internship hours, 16+ credits and maintain my sanity. Have a beautiful weekend!

--Tristen