:::general conference -- saturday afternoon, april 2009:::

either the move network or my internet connection seriously failed me this session. i spent about 10 panic stricken minutes opening new browsers, restarting my computer, and trying to pull up conference on my cell phone.

eventually, i had to switch to the audio feed, and since i missed President Uchtdorf's program notes at the beginning (but not before he forgot the church reporting :>), i have no idea who a couple of the speakers were.

what i loved --

Elder Ballard: it's hard to consider an instance where we couldn't learn from those who have gone before us. sodom and gomorrah is not a good place to raise a family. we don't need to live there to find that out.

Elder Cook: dicken's calling the british saints the "pick and flower of england." we don't criticize other religions.

mystery speaker #1: faith deserves our utmost efforts. don't be situational about commandments.

myster speaker #2: trials are our time to show loyalty to God. nothing can ever go permanently wrong if our life is centered on the gospel (quoting President Monson).

Elder Scott: he goes to the temple once a week! thank God for the trust He places in us when He allows us to overcome trials. when we live righteously, everything is in the hands of God. we have no reason to complain or despair because of the ordinances of the temple.

Elder Nelson: give and audible 'amen' at the end of prayers. the Lord's prayers show how keenly He feels for us. concerning prayer length, the Lord will accept that which is enough more happily than He will accept that which is too much. use special pronouns in reference to Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ -- Thee, Thou, Thy, Thine (two speakers spoke about this today! fantastic!).
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what i did --

in between sessions i picked up my mail and found that my nursery manual and my scripture mastery cards had come. yes!

{don't judge, please! when i know i'm staying in all day, i give my hair a break and only condition it instead of going through the entire styling routine. i also forgo makeup to give my skin some rest as well.}

i spent the first part of the session tearing my cards apart. next, i'm going to get them lamanated. i can't wait to use them!

i had planned on going through my goodwill pile (i was a little too overzealous), but then a major wave of fatigue hit me...


and i retired to my bed to take notes.

after the session was over i had a massive headache, so i took a two hour nap. when i woke up the headache was gone, but i had major sciatica-like pain below my right should blade. ooh, it hurts. i can't take full breathes or cough. help!

dinner was served during the last hour of the session, so i had to go out into the scary world to forge for myself. i had set my heart on getting something from this mexican to-go place on the hill, but they closed at 8 pm! what?! good thing christina had come with me, because she told me there was another mexican place a block away. i am not kidding you when i say that i almost started crying. i was looking forward to mexican food for saturday night all week long.

guess what? the place she took me to is an actual mexican place like they have on the west coast! tacky decor, oily chips and salsa, combo plates, the whole nine yards! i am in heaven.

{a self-portrait while we waited for my order, with me trying to grin through the pain.}

after we left the restaurant we walked together down 3rd, where we saw this little gem in someone's front yard.


i'm not exactly sure what's going on here (the little hair brush? the door knocker?), but it reminded of my high school latin teacher who claimed to have had her dead dog stuffed and set on the fireplace in her home. i need to write a post about her one time...

we parted at constitution because christina was going to a party (even though she offered to walk me all the way home!), and i continued up 3rd to go to the little market near the house. i don't know how i never noticed it before, but they sell jiffy blueberry muffin mix!


i abosuletely love jiffy muffins. yes, i know the blueberries are just dyed apple chunks, but i still love them. i don't like cakey muffins, so these really make me happy. the funny thing is that when i lived in virginia, the store i went to only sold the corn muffins. now i live in dc without a kitchen, but i have access to the blueberry muffin mix. go figure.


from there i hobbled home, ate my wonderful mexican food, and wrote this entry. i'm just waiting an approrpiate amount of digesting time before i can lay in bed and rest my back. see you tomorrow!