About an Hour ago

I was dreaming. And I was somewhere with someone. Not sure who the person was, but they were really into getting girls. Some how I was just along for the ride. But they saw two asian girls and said "Scott, you like Asians, right?" And then went up and talked to them. I really could've cared less. I was asleep for goodness sake. So we started talking to them and I guess it was lunch time because we were all going to eat lunch together and we had them. We were paper bagging it. We were looking for a place to eat and then we went up to this man behind a window and asked if there was anywhere in there we could eat. He said "Let me check... Well, you could eat it in the elevator back here." We agreed because we weren't really supposed to be back there, so it would be really cool to go there. So we go in and he leads us down these halls and tells everyone that looks at us "Don't worry, they're with me." Then we finally get to the elevator, but it was just a car elevator/stacker upper machine. So we decided not to get on it, after some deliberation. When we got back into the hallway again, there was quite the commotion going on. People were fighting and there were guns. They told us to get out of there, but it looked like our side was losing, so I grabbed a gun from a fallen ally. The gun turned out to be kind of like a stapler. Then I ran forward like I always do in the war games and shot a lady in the shoulder. Everyone on my team was way happy, and we were all like "Great! Now we just have to wait til she dies of infection." Then I woke up. I wonder what ever happened to her.

Work

I work at a bakery. Its up at the morris center. Or, rather, it used to be. But the first day of work they told me that we would be moving to a new facility in a couple weeks. I thought that was exciting, but a couple weeks seemed too far away, so I stopped believing after a while and atop of that, I never even saw the building we were moving to, so I started to feel like we'd be at the morris center forever. Then one day I went to work and Garth, my demi-boss, said that Doug, my omni-boss, took the morning shift over to the new place and showed them all around. A tour. I really wished I had been able to go. It sounds really cool. A new bakery. The one we were working in was really old and tile floors and walls and stuff like that. All things cannot be said in a compass so small as a word, but it was dirty nonetheless.

Also, there's this girl at work that I don't work with (figure that one out!) who I am attracted to. I don't know why. She isn't particularly attractive. Fairly plain, but I always look at her when she walks by. Then one day I saw her at church and realized that she had sacrament meeting in the room right next to mine. I don't think I'll talk to her.

And then one morning at work, Garth told me that Doug had a special project for me and to meet him at the new building. I was about to ax where in the world the place was when Doug walked in and took me over there himself. So, we went over and it was really nice, except the creamery section where they were making the milk and such products had exploded and there was milk all over the place. I really think that's an often occurrence. But we went past that section to the new bakery part. It was really big and I felt like I was on a TV show like "Hell's Kitchen" or "Iron Chef" except I had no motivation to be the best and I really doubt they'll vote me off. They even talked about increasing the contestant count today. Also, there was not a single Japanese person there today. Ever.

All I've done since I've gone over to the new building is to sheet up cookies. Take cookie dough and run it through the machine that makes it the perfect size and weight (not perfect weight, its off by .1 or .2 ounces a lot) and then put them on a parchment papered baking sheet 6x4. The machine has a conveyor belt on it. I feel like Lucy sometimes, but I don't eat the chocolate. And it gets messy sometimes. A lot of little scraps fall onto the floor. I have to scrap them off later because I step on them and make them flat, so you can't get it off any other way.

The sheets are 6x4. I like to have patterns on how I put them on. I pick up two at a time off the machine and place them in the following order:

1 1 2 2

8 8 3 3

9 9 6 4

10106 4

11117 5

12127 5.

I don't think it makes it faster, but it sure helps me not go insane when I do that for four hours a lot. Plus sometimes the dough is frozen. In that case the machine can't process it. So, we take it out of the bucket it's in and then cut it up into very small pieces and wait for it to thaw. It usually is faster that way. I did that with oatmeal butterscotch cookies today. They call them 'scotchies'. Cute name. I always think people are talking to me instead of cookies when they say it.

The other day Doug told me to put away a large shipment of various ingredients we got to start up the new place. It took me a long time and there were a lot 50 lb bags and they were made of rough paper. Coupled with the way I held them in my arms gave me a lot of scratches on my forearms. But its okay because on my right forearm, I have two burns I got when pulling some things out of the oven. They didn't really blister. Just hurt. Now, they're just red spots.

Today, Some man in business casual and a shower cap came in and talked to someone. The get up lets you know that he's higher up than you. The shower cap let's you know that he values his hair. As he was leaving, he passed by me working on the cookie machine. Then he turned around at the door and took a couple steps toward me and said "You can tell your mom that they really trust you here at BYU. They let you handle a lot of dough." smiled and left. I haven't said a word to my mom.

Then I always leave work 15 minutes early so that I can get to class on time. Not that Japanese is all that important of a class. Just that the people at work told me to. But I think sometimes Doug gets a little frustrated and wished that I could stay for fifteen minutes and wait until the 2:oo guy came in. Nope.

Robin Williams

If I were to go out tonight and find a filthy piece of a lamp and then rub that child til it shone like an aluminium can and a genie were to pop out this is what I would wish for:

1. Free tuition, room, and board.

2. A girl that liked me, but we were still in the awkward stage/just met.

3. A Pokemon of my choice.

I'm not asking for anything big, so, come on, fates, throw me a bone.

Mesa girls

Why do they filthy do what they do to me?

#1: The one I wrote yesterday.

#2: The one I saw yesterday at the Arabic Ratatouille showing. Before at the MESAS opening social and the Mesa information meeting. And around campus a couple times. And tonight at the Yaks' concert. She came for Kid Theodore. Pretty sure she recognized me.

#3: The one saw yesterday before and after my speaking appointment. Who I see every week before and after the speaking appointment. Who I also sat next to at the Mesa information meeting. And who came to our class today because she was going on a trip. Also, she was studying for her Humanities 242 mid-term right outside the Humanities testing center today at 9:51 am.

How come I'm hopelessly attracted to all of them, but ridiculously scared to talk to any of them?

Well played, fates, well played.

Chocolate and the ESC

There were a few occurrences today that I wanted to put down in print.

#1: So, I sat down in Isaiah class two weeks into the semester. We were having a quiz on the chapters we'd covered so far. After the quiz, we switched papers with the person next to us and graded theirs. I even wrote "c.b. Scott Ogden" at the top. Took me back. Way back.

I glanced at the name on the paper and saw it to be "Derek Orme". Looking at the guy sitting next to me, I tried to visualize him six years ago, but the same age and with a first name of Carson. Seemed to fit well enough, so I axed him "Is your name Carson?" He said no, it was Derek, like the paper said.

Also, he said he had an older brother named Carson. That would explain the six years he didn't age. And the wrong name.

I told him that Carson was my EFY counselor six years ago. He asked if it was at Tacoma, WA. I said yes.

Also, I was just on the Critical Language Scholarship website and looking at the past participants of the program to see the kind of competition I had when I saw a couple of people who were from the University of Puget Sound. UPS was the tiny, Methodist college that the Tacoma sessions of EFY were at. There was a large, black lunch lady called "Big Mama". I marveled that UPS actually had a number of students represented in the ranks.

Plus, Derek, Angela, and the girl with strawberry blonde hair and a crooked nose who sits in front of them all went to the BYU Jerusalem Center this last summer. They all have that backpack I hate. I like to pretend that they have no idea how great it is that they got to go. I love to tell myself that no one would enjoy and get more out of such an experience than I would. I almost feel bad about judging people like that.

But, then last Tuesday, Derek cornered me after class and started talking about a summer sales job that he was recruiting for. I listened politely, but automatically, the feeling of our relationship changed from friendly and open to business. I was not a fan, but kinda wondered about summer sales. Now, I know I wouldn't be good at selling. I know that for a fact. I'm not good at talking to people in my own language. If it was a Japanese selling scheme... maybe.

So, I agreed to meet and talk with him about the job on Thursday after Isaiah. He said he was allowed to buy me lunch. We first tried the Museum of Art cafe, but it closed at 2:00 and our class got out at 3:50. Didn't get in there. We ended up going to the Cougareat and got some Subway. I knew I was turning him down eventually, so I only got a six-inch.

We sat down and started talking. I said the Critical Language Scholarship would be the biggest obstacle between me and the job. Then he went off for a long time about his boss, Jason, and how he was his spiritual mentor and role-model and stuff. I didn't think there was anything wrong with that, but I'm not really looking for a spiritual mentor besides my priesthood leaders right now. Also, as he was going on about Jason, I saw Cambrie Roueche go to Teriyaki stix behind his head and then sit down and eat while reading a book.

He asked if I had any questions and I said I didn't and we set up an appointment with Jason for Friday morning. At IHOP. Nice. Free subway and next free subway. Then we stood and parted.

I walked over to Cambrie's lonely table and sat down, starting to tell her Derek's story. She interrupted with a greeting. Well, salutations to you, too, Camb. After three minutes or so, she closed her book and said "I'm not being rude, but I have to go." I believed her. She left. I sat there for a while. After a minute or too, just long enough so I wouldn't have to run into her again, I stood up and walked home.

Then I met with Jason this morning. Last night, Sarah said that I should have nothing to worry about when applying for the CLS. She really believes that I'll get it. I believe her. So, I softly refused Jason's buying me a bagel at Einstein's (Change of venue) and told him I wasn't interested. He was an interesting man. Very intense and it seemed like he always meant what he said. Or at least tried to seem that way. It was uncomfortable to say the least.

I rode my bike back to the library to study for my Arabic speaking appointment.

After Isaiah today, Derek waited for me and asked me about my meeting with Jason. He called me on the one thing I was scared of, he said that I wouldn't know for sure until February if I got it or not. So I pulled out a "Oh, yeah, but I did some more research into the participants and competitiveness and realized that I was more of a candidate than I thought." Mostly true. Thanks, Sarah.

He kept on walking and talking with me and I really didn't want to, so looking for an escape, I saw they ESC and said that I had to go there. He thought for a split-second whether he should follow me or not, but then said, okay, well, see you on Tuesday.

I walked up the stairs and noticed one of my fellow climbers was holding the Isaiah hand-outs we just got in class. "I don't really need to go here." I told her. "What?" she said confused. "I just didn't want to talk to him. He was trying to get me to do summer sales." "Oh. I have a friend who did that." "Yeah? How'd it go?" "I have no idea." "Oh, okay. Do you need to go here?" "Yeah, I have lab." "Oh. K. Good luck!" "Thanks... See ya..."

She was really cute. I'll have to talk to her on Tuesday.

#2: I had a muffin to leave on a girl's front porch, so I walked into the library to return some books. I was walking towards the door when I saw Derek stopped and talking to some guy. So, I turned around and walked all the way around the library to the other entrance so he wouldn't see me. I was supposed to be in the ESC building.

As I was walking in, I heard a voice say "Male, alone, entering, no phone, no ipod." That was me. I turned to see Jenny Brooks writing down on a piece of paper. I went over and sat next to her. Asked her what she was doing. Sociology. Sounds tough. It isn't really. oh.

Hey, I need to take a muffin to Brittany. Does Katherine have a tournament today? Yeah. She had one yesterday, too. Well, will you help me take a muffin to Brittany? Sure, when? When do you have time? Ten minutes. Sounds great, I'll be back.

So, I went to the No Shhh! zone and got on a computer. I made a piece of paper that said "There's muffin I'd rather do than go to tomorrow's prom with you. -Scott Ogden 528 N 400 E Provo, UT 84606". Then I printed it.

Then I really needed to go to the bathroom, so I went to the administration office and gave the paper to Kami Coppins. She held it for me. Thank, Kami. I went to the bathroom. Then I got the paper back.

I returned to Jenny Brooks' hiding place just as she sent me a text asking where I was. Little did she know. So, we walked to her car over by the RB. On the RB stairs, I met Rafiq, the other Scott in my Arabic class that dropped after a week and a helf.

We went to my apartment and got the muffin then headed towards Brittany's house. On the way over, we saw a sign that read "Free Chocolate Milk".
"Pull over! PUll over!" I said to Jenny Brooks, but she didn't. I was really sad. Why would anyone pass up such a beautiful opportunity. Then she said that if it was there on the way back, that we could stop. I thought that was fair.

We dropped the muffin and then stopped on the way back. Also, Brittany's house doesn't have a door-bell. We walked up to the truck behind the sign and the nice men gave us free chocolate milk. Then they asked us if our apartment comple.. xes.. ices, x', were accessible by a truck of this caliber. We said no. They said, enjoy the chocolate milk without the sales pitch. We said thanks, will do. We did.

I kept the cup. Don't ever want to forget.