36 Hours

36 Hours.
Just 36 hours more before I defy gravity.
36 hours more before I begin my journey home.

Just 36 more hours. I can hold on. I'm going home.

100 Rules for College: As Written by a BYU Freshman

With the semester almost gone, and with Finals upon us, I feel like writing down 100 rules for college life based on my experience so far. They are as follows, and are written down in the order they came into my head:

1. Hot Pockets are not your friends.
2. Cannon Center Omelettes are not your friends either.
3. I wouldn't trust the Lean Cuisines from the vending machines either...
4. Always check your weekend plans before agreeing to a date.
5. Be sure you have a friend who could be a second choice for the girl if you fail to comply with Rule 4.
6. Never bet college students food, you will lose.
7. Always check your evening plans before heading out on the town, or else you will be late for work.
8. Do not use chopsticks as Walrus Tusks.
9. Classes at 9 am are early
10. Classes at 8 am are even earlier.
11. If you do not strap your keys to your pants you will lose them.
12. Check everyone's major before you make a joke about Art History majors, there are more of them than you expect.
13. Get to know the library computers. In the case that your laptop kills itself then you will need to beg for mercy at the feet of the library computers.
14. Karaoke Night is always an option.
15. Do not let Netflix steal sleep, you will regret it in the morning.
16. Bring your Student ID EVERYWHERE, no exceptions.
17. It is okay to assume a false identity, so long as you never intend to see that person again.
18. Guard your floor's shower curtains with your life.
19. All noises outside your door after 10 pm must be inspected.
20. Leave neither your keys nor your wallet in your friend's car. For reason refer to Rule 21.
21. Everybody talks. 
22. If your friend learns the unlock pattern to their phone, be sure you learn theirs.
23. Do not under any circumstances attempt to push your friends into a hot tub. Bad idea. He will take you down with him.
24. If you take Accounting and Finance concurrently, be prepared for overlap.
25. It is most of the times, okay to be impish.
26. Be scarce when cleaning checks come around
27. Never reveal where the good WiFi is in the building.
28. If your friend who is female (specifically NOT a girlfriend) starts talking to your friends back home, they will like her more than you.
29. Never ask your profesor if they are purposefully dressed like a pirate.
30. Lock up your food.
31. Develop a simple, non-verbal code with your roommate to communicate simple messages secretly.
32. Make friends with someone who has a car.
33. Keep your journal far away from anyone else.
34. If you are in a Long Distance Relationship never lose hope or faith. The distance will make the reunion that much better.
35. Keep all containers.
36. Invest in good air fresheners.
37. Legal pads are superior writing pads.
38. Always have a good hiding spot in your room you can quickly get into.
39. If possible, sleep away from the door and near the window. This puts optimal distance (and your roommate) between yourself and any potential axe murderers. Additionally it places you near a convenient escape route.
40. Within your room establish territory and zones of neutrality. This is important in establishing dorm room hierarchical social structures.
41. Always look presentable when exiting your room. Through this means attempt to discover the social structure of the floor and ensure you do not find yourself low on the pecking order. 
42. Never leave your clothes unattended in the laundry room. They will be stolen and you will be sad.
43. Establish a good relationship with  your roommate, you'll need each others' backs.
44. Man does not live by Pop-Tarts and Ramen alone.
45. Nevertheless, Pop-Tarts and Ramen provide a sufficient food source for late night studying.
46. Determine what items and foodstuffs are held in common for your room.
47. Apparently watching Netflix in the lobby causes Copyright Law issues. I wouldn't know from experience, a friend told me once.
48. Be sure to get out of the room occasionally. 
49. Watch the clock, it runs faster than college students at the mention of free food.
50. If you spend all your time looking in the mirror you'll go mad. Be someone else's mirror and help them see their good traits.
51. Admire yourself in the mirror from time to time nevertheless.
52. Never under any circumstances sound like Jaden Smith in word, text, or Morse.
53. Shave often.
54. Have a regular weekly activity to distract yourself with.
55. After doing your laundry, ensure your roommate does his.
56. Don't talk about Fight Club.
57. If you are the Potato Fiend, do not get caught. 
58. If you are not the Potato Fiend you must protect the Potato Fiend.
59. When asked who is the Potato Fiend, all present must defend him like he is Spartacus, by standing and saying "I am the Potato Fiend".
60. Many may act, but there is only one original.
61. Never lose hope.
62. Keep in touch with those you love, make sure they know you love them.
63. All Hail the Glow Cloud. All Hail.
64. Puppies solve many problems.
65. Corgis heal most wounds. 
66. Never leave home without your iClicker.
67. Do not mix up Debits and Credits.
68. Find a source of income that is both legal and steady.
69. Get a good pen and guard it with your life.
70. Never let an idea go, so you can make beautiful things like this list.
71. There is no shame in getting lost in a maze of recycling blocks. 
72. There is also no shame in getting scared out of your mind in said maze.
73. Establish a common meeting spot.
74. Always have a back-up. 
75. Learn to identify crossdressing Hebrew Nouns.
76. If you are able to, anything said in semaphore is acceptable.
77. Leave early when playing Humans vs. Zombies.
78. Pack all you'll need for the day when playing Humans vs. Zombies.
79. Watch Odd Thomas.
80. Your laptop is your most valuable tool, protect it. 
81. Arrange proper viewing schedules for your television shows.
82. Do not forget why you are at college.
83. When in character, stay in character.
84. If you sing poorly at karaoke, do not worry, it's just karaoke.
85. Attend Karaoke night at your own risk, many believe they can rap. They cannot.
86. Karaoke Duets are always more fun.
87. Should you attend a Murder Mystery, review the laws concerning your profession so as to not accidentally admit to committing a white collar crime.
88. Be graceful in all you do.
89. Do not listen to sad music when you are feeling sad. I recommend instead Awesome Mix Vol. 1.
90. Always think before referencing pop culture.
91. Do not do laundry on the weekends, the machines will always be occupied.
92. Always check your pockets before doing laundry, you will lose your earbuds.
93. Do not let your fears get the best of you.
94. Never offend, neither purposefully nor accidentally.
95. Always look around.
96. Check your mail everyday. This will ensure you never get anything but junk mail. But the moment you stop checking your mail is when you will get a bill in the mail.
97. Network with other students.
98. Ignore Rule 17. It's just a bad idea.
99. You will say "Finals are upon us" before you realize it.
100. When jumping is the only option you have, you jump and try to make it work.

The Thumbtack

There is a thumbtack stuck to the ceiling,
It is green.
This room is very quiet,
The Jealous Hypocrite shoots me disapproving glances from across the table.
Our neighbors speak of random oddities in muffled voices from behind the wall.
I am bored tonight, with no actual work left for me.
There is a thumbtack stuck to the ceiling.
It is green.
And it is fascinating.

Black Clad Sharks

They give and they take. They lurk between the islands so neatly distributed in their sea. They give from the left, they take from the right. They are black-clad sharks. They smile with white, gleaming teeth. They are so kind. However there are somethings you'll never find. The fact that they have a secret wish: to no longer swim the sea between the islands. They are the black clad sharks with pearly white smiles. They live to serve, and even though they are sharks, they do not eat. They only take your empty plates.

Choices

"We are the choices we make in the moment, as you said" -Abraham von Brunt

I've always found it amazing how film and television can approach such deep topics for discussion. The quote above comes from the most recent episode of Fox's Sleepy Hollow that I could access (because I have to wait for the episodes are released a week after they air I am perpetually a week behind). If you watch the show, I applaud you on your good taste in television, I will also put a spoiler warning here just in case you haven't seen Sleepy Hollow Season 2 Episode 11 "Magnus Opus".

*SPOILER ALERT*

In this episode Ichabod Crane and Abigail Mills, the Two Witnesses, are faced with Moloch come to Earth and about to usher in the End of Days. While looking through the diary of one of Mills's ancestors they find mention of the Sword of Enoch, a weapon they can use to banish Moloch from his earthly form. Upon finding the hiding spot they find it is guarded by a Gorgon, from ancient Greek myth, a creature that can turn any living being to stone with a killer gaze. Determining they need someone who cannot meet the Gorgon's gaze to fight the monster so they can get the sword, Crane and Mills lure Abraham von Brunt, Crane's former best friend and Horseman of Death/Headless Horseman to the spot. While the Headless Horseman wrestles with the monster, the two heroes sneak into the caves and find many swords. Faced with the fact that it will take time to find the correct sword, Crane goes off to face his former best friend and buy Mills some time.

During their battle Crane and the Headless Horseman (who now appears with his head, because... cave magic, you know?) openly discuss their past as friends and the "betrayal" that von Brunt sees. Abraham blames Ichabod for what he has become yelling "I was suppose to be the hero of this story, not the villain!" But Ichabod reminds Abraham that he chose to take up the mantle of Death and to follow Moloch, "Two Choices made in an instant" that sealed his fate.

*END OF SPOILERS*

When it comes down to it, the quote that I opened this post with really is true. Who we were in the past, who we are today, and who we will become, all is dependent on our choices. We might not have chosen to which family or which circumstance we were born, we might not have chosen the specific challenges and hardships we face in this life. But in the end we chose to come here and be born. And we've been making choices all our lives. Right now I am choosing to write this down. Right now you are choosing to read this. We choose our future through our choices in the present.

Time is like an hourglass. At the top of the hour glass is the past, at the bottom is the future. We are constantly in the middle of this hourglass, in the narrow neck of time. We only have control of our present. So many choices have led us to where we are now. Our grandparents chose where to live and how to raise their children, those choices were influenced by their parents choices and so on and so forth. Our parents decided to have children and that's when we were born and all the years of our lives have been filled with choices that lead to us now. The choices we make in our present time will influence our future, our children's future, and, ultimately, the future of worlds.

Although the world is such a big place, we exist in the narrow space that is our present time. We only can control our present, but we have influence over infinity because of our choices. We are the choices made in the moment. And we always have choice.

Anticipation

Happy December 1 everyone! Now is beginning my favorite time of the year, Christmastime and New Years. Time with family and loved ones is always great. I find myself looking forward to the season more and more as I grow older. Especially now, that I'm at college, many, many miles away from my family I am so excited to fly home. I am excited to be back in my hometown. I am excited to see my family and friends. I am excited to see my girlfriend and spend time with her again after being apart for so long.

It's because of this excitement that I have created a countdown calendar to my flight home. This is just a simple thing that I have pinned to the bulletin board above my desk. My friends have suggested that it is Pinterest worthy. Now, I am barely literate in Facebook. I made a Twitter, but I never use it. I will occasionally use Google + as much as the average person does, which is, not at all. As for Tumblr, Instagram, Pinterest, MySpace (is that even still a thing), Mybook, Facespace, and whatever other social media sites are out there, I just don't use them. I do not even have an account.

So for you my Dear Readers, an exclusive look at my Countdown Calendar, only for you. You may call it simplistic, and I will say that I am certainly no artist. But sometime, I find that the most beautiful things in the world are the simple things. Eighteen more days, thirteen hours, and forty-five minutes until I fly home.

But who's counting?