Ode to Mountain Dew

Oh my darling Mountain Dew, how I long for the feel of you across my lips. Your fizzy, sugary goodness is a boon to my soul. Your bubbly personality is almost contagious. The hiss as your pent up energy escapes the bottle is music to my ears. I would that your citrus and sugar-laden carbonation could flow like blood in my veins. You are the elixir of life.

I love how you glow when lights shine across your plastic contours. You can make a headache flee in terror, and always brighten my day with just a single sip. The combination of your coloring and the bottle you reside in create my favorite color, the color of genius. You, my friend, are genius in your flavoring.

The doctors have told me I need to cut back on my caffeination and carbonation as I prep to be a kidney donor. I detest being away from you. No other beverage is as wonderful as you. Other sodas and juices can’t hold a candle to you. Alas, we must part ways for a time. It’s me, not you. It could never be you. I’ll miss your soothing comfort and the fizzy moments we share as you flow across my lips. Oh, Mountain Dew, I’ll crave your nearness. We’ll see each other again, just not as often as we have lately.

I’ll long for your comfort and closeness. Until we meet again, my darling, I’ll gaze longingly in your direction as I pass your residence in the cooler door of the convenience store. I must keep my distance because being close to your perfection is too tempting for a mortal like me. The only way I can be strong enough to resist you is to avoid looking at you. Once I do, I’ll remember your siren song and how the ice cracked as you were poured into the cup. The pull of your love will once again be too much and you’ll be in my arms once again.

For now, I’ll be strong. For now, you and I will be apart. I’ll temporarily find solace in my cup of ice water, forever knowing the inferior beverage is not the same. Tis only for a little while, my love. Soon, we’ll be together again. Soon, I’ll cave and give into the call of your song.

*****

I’ve been waiting on pins and needles, waiting for my grade on my Mt Dew essay. My teacher finally graded it last night. It was awesome! I got 100% on it with loads of compliments. 
From my English teacher:
“There’s lots of creativity in your essay. I feel like you had fun writing it. The tone was fun & passionate. It’s almost ridiculous but comes across really well. I’ve highlighted some of the fun, sensory details in your essay. I could have highlighted a lot more, but I didn’t want to turn your whole essay green. You, obviously, are a seasoned writer. You know what you’re doing and everything is really clean. Really good, fun essay to read. Good luck giving up your Mt Dew and I hope everything goes well!”
So, now I’m sitting here thinking, “Man! I shouldn’t have done so well on that first essay! Now I’ll have to hit it out of the ballpark for the rest of the 10 weeks! Gah!”
It’ll be fine... I'm sure it'll be fine... probably...

Moving Forward - College

There's never been a good time to go back to school, to pursue my education, to move forward with bettering myself. 

Over 20 years ago, I dropped out of my last semester of college to move to Texas with my husband. He'd just landed an internship. It was a great opportunity. So, we packed up and moved. I was 3 classes - 9 credits - shy of completing my Associate's Degree. 

Fast forward several years. I had small kids but I really wanted that degree. I craved that piece of paper. So I enrolled in Salt Lake Community College and took one class at a time until I'd completed those classes. I called my alma mater and was told I'd need to take another 21 credits (from them) in order for those credits to transfer and be counted toward my degree. That seemed like an insurmountable obstacle so the degree was shelved again.

Fast forward again... Last year, I was looking at my 4yo and thinking "Only one more year of her at home. One more year and I'll close the chapter of having little people around all the time. One more year! What am I going to do with myself?" And, it'd be two more years until I could feasibly work full time outside the home because of the kindergarten schedule. 

My thoughts turned again to my education. I called my alma mater. The news they gave me was less than heartening. In addition to having to pay out of state tuition, I'd need to start all over again because my credits were from an "obsolete degree track." I cried. I got frustrated. Then, I started looking for other options.

I discovered PathwaysConnect. My sweet sister-in-law had gone through the program and she gave glowing reviews. I looked over the possible degrees and prayed. And then I pushed the button to sign up. As a result, I'm working on my third semester of the program. It's been a challenge and a sacrifice but it's been worth it. Upon completion of this semester, I'll have a certificate of completion. Then, I'll transfer to BYU-Idaho where I'll pursue a degree in Business Management with a minor in Marketing. 

I absolutely adore my Pathways family. They are supportive and fun and amazing. I'm learning SO much from all of them.