What are the Chances?!

Scene 1: In Class Today
(note: my thoughts are in italics)

I was sitting in a new class and the teacher had us get to know the person next to us.
I turn to the person next to me.
Wow, this guy is very attractive.

Him: I noticed you're left-handed. I am too.

Why am I always attracted to left-handed men? Interesting...

Him: You know, I think there is a greater population of left-handed people at BYU. In one of my classes there was a row of seven of us....

And as I got to know him, I'm thinking, Wow this guy sounds amazing! Finally, someone that is attractive and has a great personality.

I was excited. This was the first time in a long time that I actually wanted to go on a date with someone.

He kept talking and then I heard, Bla bla bla...FIANCEE...bla bla bla....

Woah. Wait a minute right there. Did he just say fiancee? Yep. Okay, keep on the smile. Keep nodding. It's happened before, it'll happen again....

Sccene 2: Flash forward one hour to Becky's apartment.
Me: Becky, I fell for someone that was engaged today in one of my classes.
Becky: Yeah, I did that too yesterday. This guy walked in the room and he was SO attractive and he came and sat by me. We got talking and then he mentioned his fiancee and I was disappointed.
Me: Yeah, it's awful.
Becky: When he walked in, I thought, I can't pass this up, so I turned to him and said, "Hey, I noticed you're left-handed and I am too."
Me: That's funny, the guy I was talking to was left-handed also.
Becky (continues on with story): And he said that he thought there was a higher population of left-handed people at BYU and that in one of his classes there was a row of 10 or 12 of them.
Me: Wow...wait a minute...I had that same conversation today. Where was he from?

We compared hometown, hair color, and name and realized...yep, we both fell for the same person.

Who was engaged.

What are the chances of that?!

Okay, for those of you who don't know BYU has 30,000 students. The chances that one person would have a class both with Becky and me are slim. The chances that that one person would sit right next to both Becky and me in those classes are even slimmer. The chances that Becky and I would have this conversation and figure out it was the same person?! Extremely slim.

But do you know what I love about this story? Becky and I both were attracted to the same guy. Which would have been a problem if he wasn't engaged, but I love how it shows that we look for similar things in guys.

I love my cousin Becky. So much. And today I realized one reason why I love her all the more!

Black Heels and an Unfortunate Descent

There I was—in a little black dress and tall black heels.

Walking down the steps of the Joseph Smith Memorial Building. Serene. Graceful. Elegant.

And then—a heel slid across the polished white marble.

The rollercoaster began. Down I tumbled, legs tangled, arms flailing. And I found myself still sliding down those sleek steps, on my back, wondering when the ride was going to stop.

Well it did—and there I was sprawled across the steps. It wasn’t terribly ungraceful; I mean if you have to slide down a bunch of stairs on your back, I probably did it pretty well. Right?

“Are you okay?” my friend said as she hurriedly tried to pick me up in time to prevent me from receiving further embarrassment as another person rounded the stairway.

I picked myself up and continued on the few stairs left. One of the docents of the building was sitting at the bottom, trying to ignore the fact that I just made a complete fool of myself and allow me to retain my dignity.

But there was no chance of that.

At least I learned something. Completely invaluable. Want to take the speedy route down the stairs? All you have to do is wear heels…

Things a Professor Should Never Say

Yesterday in one of my humanities class my professor was reading through the roll. At BYU, each student's picture from their student ID is printed on the roll to help them identify the students.

He got to my name and read it. I raised my hand and smiled. He then looked at my picture, jerked his head up back towards me and looked shocked. It was slightly uncomfortable.

And then, with the entire class listening, he said, "You've matured."

He really said that.

I know sometimes I look like I'm still in high school.
I know my student ID picture wasn't taken on my most attractive day.
But seriously?!

The floor could have eaten me up and I would not have minded.

Of course, the entire class burst out laughing. I tried to defend myself, saying that perhaps it was because my hair is darker, but it was too late. I am forever doomed for the rest of the semester. I think I can forgive my professor, but I'm not sure yet. It may take some time.

Or I could just wear a disguise to class from now on.

My Unexpected Visitor

The other night I got home from playing night games with friends and went to bed a little after midnight.

Okay, that sounds pretty normal so far, right?

Then I woke up at 4:30 a.m. to a man's voice saying, "Excuse me."

Not normal.

I had been dreaming deliriously about work where I kept having to help people that came to the office. Well, this voice interrupted my dream and I opened my eyes to see a man standing in the doorway of my bedroom.

THERE WAS A MAN STANDING IN THE DOORWAY OF MY BEDROOM.

At 4:30 a.m.

Well, I threw off my covers and went to talk to him.

I walked to my doorway and got a better look at him. He was dressed in a uniform of some kind and looked like he could definitely take me down. And then he asked me to go get my dad.

All I could think was, "I didn't know UPS guys came at 4:30 in the morning."

Seriously, I thought he was the UPS guy.

Well, I told him to please step to the front door and I would go get my dad. Well, he didn't move. And then he tried to explain himself saying, "Your front door was wide open and we don't want to take any chances."

Take any chances that what? That a man would come wake me up in my bedroom at 4:30 in the morning?! Already happening, buddy...

I told him if he would PLEASE step away from my personal living space and wait by the front door I would be more than HAPPY to go get my dad. Well, maybe I didn't tell him quite like that...

He finally got the message and started walking back toward my front door. Seriously, who did this UPS guy think he was? And then as I looked the direction he was walking, I saw two more of them waiting by my front door.

Weird. Weird. Weird. I thought.

I woke up my dad and told him some men were here to see him. And of course, both my parents thought I was sleepwalking. Anyway, I finally got my dad to get up and take care of the whole ordeal. I listened to their conversation from the bedrooms and I finally figured out...

There were no UPS guys. They were policemen. I know that was probably the first thing that should have popped into my head, and probably anyone else would realize that straight off the bat, but...

I didn't. To make a short story long, they explained to my dad that our door was wide open and asked if he wanted them to check my house for anyone or anything that shouldn't be there.

And of course my dad said no.

ARE YOU KIDDING ME?! A armed robber could be in my house and we are not going to let the policemen check to see if he is still here!!!!???

My life was in peril. I was in serious danger. And my last hope of any protection from the law was driving away in three shiny police vehicles...

So I went back to bed.

After I had turned on all the lights, checked in all the closets, and made sure no one was hiding underneath the beds of course.

A Rainy Predicament

Be careful what you wish for.

This morning while driving to Salt Lake I saw the greyish clouds and wished out loud that it would rain.

I was meeting with a client to discuss details of an event I am playing at in a few weeks at a small college campus. I parked in a residential area and then walked to the building where I was meeting them. After we finished, the client turned to me and said, "You can find your way back, right?"

Of course I could. How could anyone get lost on a small college campus?

It had been sprinkling a little as I walked to the building, but when I stepped out and began walking the rain quickly became a downpour.

A downpour.

I started walking a little faster and went to the place I had parked. Except it wasn't there. I had gone down the wrong residential road, because I certainly wasn't parked on this one. I started running, hoping to find the street I parked on if I went a little further.

At this point the rain came down in sheets, and just when I thought it would lighten up pieces of hail struck my arms with icy stings.

So here I was--no coat, no jacket, no umbrella--trying to find out where I parked. In the drenching rain. With a short-sleeved, airy shirt on. My hair was dripping, soaking, stringy and wet. I can imagine someone looking out of their window seeing me walk up and down the same street thinking, "What in the world is that doing out there?!" I looked like Anne of Green Gables when she pretended to be Lady Elaine from the Lady of Shalott and almost drowned. I was completely drenched.

At this point I was hoping that Gilbert Blythe would come out of one of the houses and offer me an umbrella.

I walked hurriedly up and down another street, still to no avail. How could I have done this? It isn't hard, I told myself. You can find it. As the street curved into a different direction I realized I was seriously lost and confused. Somehow the combination of one wrong turn with the pouring rain, the darkened sky, and the winding road had left me in this predicament.

How do I get myself into these things?!

On the third street I went up and down, I finally realized that I needed to go much further north. So in the freezing, icy sheets of rain I walked until I had found the street (I didn't even know its name...and I still don't. It should be called Evasive Avenue or Disappearing Drive.) and walked up to my car. I put the key in the door, but my hands were so cold and numb I couldn't turn it. I finally was able to get in the car and turn on the heat where I promptly turned into a puddle in the front seat.

I have to agree with Anne when she said, "...have you ever noticed one encouraging thing about me? I never make the same mistake twice...There must be a limit to the mistakes a person can make, and when I get to the end of them, then I'll be through with them. That's a very comforting thought." I will never get lost in that same place again--I've memorized all the roads from walking up and down them.

I wished for the rain, too.

Sigh...I had that one coming.

I still love rainy days though.

And just for the record, I still believe in Gilberts with umbrellas.

Tomorrow is fresh with no mistakes! And hopefully no more rainy adventures either...