The Dog House (13)

Day 13: My Week

Whoever said dogs are mans best friends: LIED.

It's not that I don't like dogs...Because I do...sometimes.

They can be sweet and cuddly and they can keep you company when you don't want a human to talk with. Plus, it's nice to have someone love you and get excited when you come home. Even if they bark obnoxiously and then try to lick your lips for ten minutes straight and you just can't handle the love. It's still kinda fun sometimes.

But they aren't the best of friends.

Those of you who know me are probably very confused. Why? I have never owned a dog in my life. Still don't.

But I have this job...

Which I am EXTREMELY grateful for. I love it so much.

This week I am doing my job. A week at The Dog House.

Dog #1
Lily.
She is probably my favorite. She's white and small and fluffly and easy to carry around and she doesn't bite you or smell horrible. But she's the one who is crazy affectionate and licks me until I am covered in dog saliva. Definitely spoiled.

Dog #2
Madie.
I have to admit...I am kind of scared of this dog. She is medium sized. And black. But her eyes are CRAZY. They are small and black and beady and they just stare me down. One time...she was in heat. And she was INSANE. AH. It was the scariest week of my life. She followed me everywhere and her paws would almost tip me over and I couldn't sleep at night because she would jump on me. So I kicked her and threw her out of the room and cried in fright. But she would come back with her insane eyes. Gah. Never. Ever. Let a dog who is in heat sleep with you.

Dog #3
Ranger.
Ranger is nice. He is huge. And fluffy! And old. But he has some disease or something and I feel bad for him. He smells real bad too. But he doesn't give me any grief because he just sits outside all day.

Dog#4
Tom-Tom.
(They got rid of Tom-Tom about two months ago. But I still have to include him in my list)
HE IS CRAZY. The smallest and wimpiest dog I have ever seen. But with the loudest bark. He barks at everything and everyone. He hides under the couch and won't let anyone touch him and runs around in circles for hours and hours just barking. He has hardly any fur and picks on all the other dogs. I don't understand why someone would want to own him. Him and I had this game where I would taunt him with treats to come out of his hiding places, lure him into the laundry room, then HA! Slam the door in his face. But then he would go crazy and hit himself against the walls and if I left him in their too long it was my own downfall...

This is what my week is going to be like. Sleeping with the dogs. Starting...tomorrow. Wish me luck, please? There are also two cats who bite, a fish tank, and a gerbil(he bites too).



Sometimes I get lonely. So feel free to visit.



And I really do love my job. It's way better than fast food (*cough* Taco Time *cough*) and It's even a little nice to have a huge house to myself to relax and enjoy.

There's also another part of this job that makes all the dog/cat/fish/gerbil/house-sitting part all worth it...


I get to take care of three of the most beautiful souls in existence.

Blake(18), Andrew(16), and Carter(12).

I love these boys so much. :)

I got to see them on Sunday. I have been thinking a lot about these boys because I have included them in many of the Scholarship essays I have been working on (DEATH TO SCHOLARSHIP ESSAYS). But I was pleased with this one. It expresses how much I have learned and how much I love my job at The Dog House.

These boys cannot walk, talk, go to the bathroom, or feed themselves. They have the mental capacity of a 6 month old child and need constant care and attention. I have had the opportunity to work with them and learn more about people. I feed them through a tube in their stomach and I change their diapers and clothes. I sometimes read stories to them or sing to them when they cry. When I first took the job I was a little bit intimidated by what I needed to do. It isn’t necessarily a difficult job; but it is important. If left alone they could possibly hurt themselves or die. I see them relatively often and every time I do I come away feeling like I have learned more about others by caring for them. Even though they are unable to speak, they communicate by laughing and crying and squealing. I can see the love they have for me in their eyes and their smiles. It makes me realize how important they are. They are people with souls. They love. My interaction with them has taught me to love like they love. With no selfishness, no hurt, and no regrets. They are beautiful people. I feel like I have been kinder to others, more aware of their needs, and my heart has a larger capacity to truly love the people in my life because of them.

Not many people get to see celestial beings so often.

It's a beautiful thing.


Staying at The Dog House this week will be fun. No Tom-Tom, Madie hopefully isn't in heat, and I get to cuddle with Lily as much as I want! Maybe I will give Ranger a bath...

Day 13: COMPLETED

If You Give a Shelby a "Satchel" (12)

Day 12: What's in your satchel.

Confession: I have no idea what this prompt means. Honestly, I'm not even sure what a satchel is. A purse? A bag? A box of some worth containing important items? That's the jist I have created in my head. But really...I just don't know. Items I like maybe? Like daisies and pillows and my bed and sun dresses and the piano. But I don't keep those in my "satchel"...maybe dandilions...

My attempt at Day 12:

If You Give A Shelby A "Satchel" By Shelby Frampton

If you give a Shelby a "Satchel"...

She will probably be reminded of purses.

When she thinks about purses she will remember that hers is big and white.

Her big and white purse will remind her of all the things she kept inside of it.

She kept checkbooks, and lipgloss, and cards, and games. Shelby loved her white purse.

As Shelby is reminded of these things Shelby will become sad. She will remember that her white purse was stolen.

She will remember last week when the cops called her and told her her checkbooks were stolen and they had a man in custody.

This will remind her of the Crime Investigation music they played while she was on hold.

The intense music will make her feel like she is in a movie and wants to be a detective. So she will dress up in a trenchcoat and get some walkie talkies.

But the sound of the walkie talkies remind her of the cops again.

Thinking about the cops she remembers last night how her friend got pulled over.

Shelby will become sad and not want to be a detective anymore.

Sometimes they are WRONG. And make Shelby walk the line and do drug tests because she has big pupils.

She remembers that she REALLY doesn't want to be a cop.



Shelby knows she wants to be a teacher. She gets excited and goes and practices singing and piano.

As she is singing she remembers she is going to New York with her choir in 24 days.

She gets SO excited and decides to paint the statue of liberty.

If Shelby starts painting she will definitely need some music to go with it.

She puts on Ingrid Michaelson.

As she is painting Shelby's mom comes downstairs and tells her she is going to the store.

Shelby's mom is holding a checkbook.

Her mom's checkbook reminds her of hers that were stolen.

As she rememebers her checkbooks she also remembers how she needs to write a blog post about a satchel and doesn't know what that is.

As Shelby thinks about her "Satchel" and the items it could possibly contain...

She is reminded of purses.

THE END.

Day 12: COMPLETED

Frampton Comes Alive (11)

Day 11: My siblings

My siblings are some of my best friends. They are always there for me.

Taylor: 22. Rockclimber. Elementary School Teacher. Mountain Man Beard. Pleasant. Always makes me feel happier. Wears monkey hats. He sometimes makes me play DDR with him or do pull-ups. He tickles me when I'm grumpy.

Jenessa: 21. Dancer. Beautiful. Silly. Opinionated. Christlike. Walks in on me dancing in my room. Inspires me. We cry together. Sometimes we have sister sleepovers and do puzzles and talk.

Devin: 16. Soccer player. My high school buddy. We cook together. And go on adventures. And tease each other. Sometimes I jump on him at school and give him a kiss and steal his lunch. We sing and have dance parties too. Or play Warcraft and Monster Rancher. Perfect little brother.

Bailey: 12. Dancer. Reader. Motherly. Loving. She always asks for my opinion on books. We watch chick flicks together and eat popcorn. She doesn't get angry easily.

Asia: 8. The baby. She is smart. Witty. Competetive. She dances too. She is sweet and affectionate. I always feel loved when Asia is home. We hug and play board games. Sometimes she dances while I play the piano. Or she watches me paint. She's got some great attitude. She makes up her own jokes.

I LOVE MY FAMILY. They are crazy and personable and goofy. Sometimes we have sock bomb wars or go camping and sing Eagles and Queen around the fire. We eat pancakes together every Sunday and play card games. Once my grandma made us model a bunch of BYU P.E. uniforms from 1950. They were hideous. But we danced in them and then burned them in the fire as we sang sacrificial burning songs. Sometimes we burst out into spontaneousness dance parties and do the conga. Sometimes we all sit in the car and make up our own guitar solos to Hotel California.

Family is the best. Today I went to the temple with Devin and Jenessa. It took a LONG time. But, I sat and thought how this is what heaven was going to be like. Dressed in white and with the people you love the most. Won't that day be blissful?

Day 11: COMPLETED

I Believe (10)

Day 10: Your beliefs

I believe in God.




I believe in progression.


I believe in love.

I believe in happiness.


I believe in innocence.


I believe in color.

I believe in miracles.

I believe in forever.



I believe in action.



I believe in family.

I believe in choice.

I believe in sunshine.

I believe in simplicity.



I believe in honor.



I believe in goodness.



I believe in beauty.




I believe in ice cream.

I believe in laughter.


I believe in what we believe.





I believe in Christ.







I believe in myself.

Day 10: COMPLETED

A Day and a Birthday! (09)

Day 09: A moment

A Birthday:

Dearest Sister,
HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! (yesterday...)
I love you so much.
You are an example to me :)
You are beautiful and kind to everyone and a hard-worker and patient and dedicated to everything you love. Thats just a couple things.
I hope you had the greatest day EVER!

Ya! We are STRONG. Heartache, to heartache we stand.

We are so attractive! Must be sisters.

And...I hope you wear that shower cap I gave you for Christmas.

We're on a horse. Hee-yaw!

HAPPY HAPPY BIRTHDAY!

Love,
Your Sis,
Shelby



A Day:

I had a moment today.

It was in chamber.

Watch this:



Johannes Brahms "Brauner Bursche furt zum tanze"

Beautiful piece, yes?

Well I am really excited to sing it and his "Komnit dir manchmal" in Carnegie Hall in...1 MONTH! WOOOOO!

But that is besides the point.

My real moment today was Ms. J giving us "inspiration" for this song.

We had sung it a couple times and I guess we just didn't have the right...zest. Or enthusiasm, perhaps?

So Ms. J stands up at the piano bench and says we should sing it as if we were saying "COME ON AND LOVE ME, BABY!" (a slight shimmy included). No joke. She yelled those words EXACTLY. I even wrote them down they were so funny. It was so...boisterous: I think the whole school might have heard...

It was priceless.

Not to mention engraved into my brain for time and eternity.

The End.

P.S. Searching for that video was equally hilarious just imagining Ms. J dancing around and singing the piece with HER expression and their crazy, silky, bright, gypsy dresses! Oh, the joy.


Day 09: COMPLETED

Puttin' On The Ritz (08)

Day 08: What you wore today.
(OK...I just looked up the thirty day requirements and realized I was making my own stuff up. Yesterday was supposed to be my BEST friend...but I forgot. And today is supposed to be "a moment". But- I don't have a moment I particularly want to share and I have to make the "what you wore today" semi-interesting so, you will just have to bare with me and be OK with my wacko ways.)

Plus, this is actually about what I wore yesterday...

Anywho!

It was Preference!

And GUESS WHAT?!

I LOVE DANCES.

They are the joy of my High School existence really.

And Preference is always the most fun too.

This year: Winter Ball.

Mmhmm.

Really, this magical night started two months ago when I ran into lunch, interrupted Knowledge Bowl, turned off the lights, stood in front of the overhead projector, did a little shimmy and screamed at the top of my voice "CHRIS DAYLEY WILL YOU GO TO PREFERENCE WITH ME?!". (A special thanks to Kendra Knudsen and Anna Lewis for being the two other lovely contestants and for Mr. Birrell for allowing me to disrupt his class.)

He obviously said yes.

The day consisted of a delightful breakfast, a decked out 15 passenger van with lights and lamps and sparkling cider, flowers, dinner, jazz, Classical 89/Jazz after dark/Saturday Night Show Tunes all-in-one, dancing, jumping, singing, chatting, picture-taking, awkward/seductive food eating, magical piano that plays on it's own, the lantern fixing my camera, chewing like I had a secret, the shed, cold, ice, gangsta-ness, interpretive dancing, new friends, and lots of laughter.

It was magical. Thank you, Chris :)

Day 08: COMPLETED

Where's MacCoy... (07)

Day 07: Friends.

My friends are amazing.
My friends are hilarious.

To describe to you the joy of my friends:

Let's play a game.

It's called: Where's MacCoy?

Directions: It's like Where's Waldo, but MacCoy. Simple enough. Look. Find. Joy. Laughter. Repeat.

#1

#2

#3

#4

#5

#6

#7

#8

#9

Oh what a wonderful trip to Disneyland, right? HA! There is so much more...
Did you find all 9 MacCoys?

Answers:

#1

#2

#3

#4

#5

#6

#7

#8

#9

Oh please say you loved that. I loved that.
How can you not love MacCoy?

I love my friends.

They are the kind of people I can get spontaneous haircuts with. Or take with me to the gym. Or go to Costco and just eat all the samples. Or pick up on a tandem bike and take a trip to the library. Or drop off paintings of sheep on their doorsteps. Or have car dance parties. Or watch The Keeper Of Time with and they actually appreciate it. Or have Starcraft marathons. Or sit on the roof and watch Dumbledore click his Deluminator and tell each others futures. Or listen to relaxation tapes and watch "Buns of Thighs" workout videos. Or walk to Kohlers. Or be really ugly and take horrendous pictures with. Or dress up like old women. Or receive myself as a Russian Bride for a birthday present. Or go to the temple with. Or steal my YW leader's bra and hang it up on a flag in the middle of the night. Or choreograph a Pokemon dance to perform for the whole school. Or take up to the top of a mountain and scream and jump. Or sing at the top of our lungs very badly and make up our own lyrics while we swing our jackets out the window.

Sometimes--I just want to cry I love my friends SO MUCH. I love how they love me. And I can be my absolute self around them.

To me, personally, friends are extremely important. A lot of people lose contact with their friends once they are older...but I think I will keep in touch and stay close to some of my friends my whole life. There's just no other way it would be.

So we can gaze at stars, ride lawn mowers, go fishing, cry together, laugh together, have coloring contests and road trips, and all the blissful things of friendship-for the rest of my life.

Maybe ten years from now I will look at some Disneyland photos with my future family and MacCoy will suddenly be creepily stalking me in the background?!?! I wouldn't be surprised in the least.

Cheers to Friendship!

Day 07: COMPLETED