All I Want is One More Chance.

I don't think I told you, but I was called as a Relief Society teacher.

My ward didn't hesitate in throwing me in. I was called two weeks ago, Stake Conference was last week, and tomorrow is my teaching debut. The topic: Joseph Smith. The LDS prophet I know least about and, up until I started getting to know him, have felt the most skepticism toward.

My attitude tonight is completely different than it was a week ago. Last week I was still pretty indifferent, still naive to the greatness of his ministry as prophet. This week, I can't get enough of the guy. If you have never read anything about this great prophet, check out www.josephsmith.net. My favorite quotes: "God has created man with a mind capable of instruction, and a faculty which may be enlarged in proportion to the heed and diligence given to the light communicated from heaven to the intellect; and . . . the nearer man approaches perfection, the clearer are his views, and the greater his enjoyments, till he has overcome the evils of his life and lost every desire for sin; and like the ancients, arrives at that point of faith where he is wrapped in the power and glory of his Maker, and is caught up to dwell with Him." (said just before he died at Carthage Jail). AND, from Parley P. Pratt, one of Joseph's apostles: "It was Joseph Smith who taught me how to prize the endearing relationships of father and mother, husband and wife; of brother and sister, son and daughter. It was from him that I learned that the wife of my bosom might be secured to me for time and all eternity; and that the refined sympathies and affections which endeared us to each other emanated from the fountain of divine eternal love. . . . I had loved before, but I knew not why. But now I loved—with a pureness—an intensity of elevated, exalted feeling."

Despite my newfound admiration for the man, giving a 20-minute lesson on him seems like a mini eternity.

Graduation looms ever closer, and I become ever more skittish and antsy. I wonder when it will end. (Will it?)

Last night Alex and I went bowling with Britt and Brett and Regan. I always love bowling until about halfway through the game. It's around that time I remember how ridiculous I look with my fingers mangled inside a grease-slathered, 8-pound orb. (Not to mention how pitifully I run up to the lane, throw the ball, sulk back to my seat after rolling two gutters, etc).

We went to Red Robin beforehand. We've been going there a lot lately, both because we like it and because they've advertised a delicious-sounding blueberry pomegranate limeade that I was desperate to try. The first two times we tried, our server Ben, who waited on us both times, informed us they were out of limes. Last night, we found out Ben was putting one over on us, because our server Josh promptly revealed that though they did have limes, they were out of both blueberry and pomegranate syrup. I was devastated. However, Josh redeemed himself by listing all the syrups sitting on the bar. The raspberry limeade--not so good, but the mandarin orange limeade was better than the blueberry pomegranate limeade could ever even dream of being. So there.

And lastly, why hasn't winter come yet?