Mountain West Men's Bball Championship in Vegas: How to Get There

Like many, I have a special place in my heart for Las Vegas (as you can tell by my previous blog posts...) Disneyland claims to be the "happiest place on earth" but in my opinion, it doesn't hold a candle to Vegas! Their coined phrase alone is it's own selling point, "What happens in Vegas, stays in Vegas." Add college basketball (and college basketball players) to the equation and it's an amazing weekend! Which is why it is absolutely perfect that the Conoco Mountain West Men's Basketball Championship is held there.

The problem is, may of us are poor college students (I'll be the first to admit that I consider Cup of Noodles a major food group and save my 7-11 cups for cheaper Diet Coke refills). I can't afford to cruise to Vegas whenever the mood strikes (which is...EVERY weekend...)

However, I finally have the perfect solution to this problem. Enter the CBS College Sports $1000 Tourney Tix Sweepstakes! Not only will you win tickets to the game, but also $1000!

This Sweepstakes ends March 2nd and currently only a little over 8,000 people are registered. EIGHT THOUSAND. For an online contest those are AMAZING odds.

You have nothing to lose and a whole LOT to gain!

Enter this link into your browser and find yourself at the true HAPPIEST place on earth (VEGAS BABY!)

http://apps.facebook.com/tourneytixsweeps/contests/91556?wfrefid=f18a24dbecbd

The happiest place on earth....VEGAS (yes...I won a nickel. WHOO HOO)

The Dating Game: Types of Guys

The dating game...something we can ALL relate to. College is the greatest dating scene of all time...mainly because there are single males everywhere you look. Now, I've been the single girl for awhile...aren't you proud? In "Ending the Cycle" I described breaking the cycle of ALWAYS having a boyfriend. & here I am! Sure, I've met boys here and there but the inevitable always drives me away: I get bored. I don't know why this happens. But, it does. Perhaps my expectations are too high, but after 6 years of dating, I think they should be. I just need to find the type of guy that is for ME. It's not that I've stuck to one type of boy either. I've dabbled in all types, which is why I decided to put my experiences on paper (or on post rather)...

The Frat Boy:

Let me make a confession- I don't know one single person who I hang out on the regular who isn't Greek. Which in turn means, I've dated my fair share of frat boys.

Pros:

The Frat Boy knows how to have a good time and dull moments will be rare

All his friends are your friends

Double the formals & Date-nights

Frat parties are pretty fun.. especially if you have a fratslam

They love to be Greek just as much as I do & understand Greek Life

Cons:

Boys. That's exactly what they are. Men? Not even close

They believe they deserve more than one woman at all times (Dear Frat Boy, you're cool, but you aren't THAT freakin' cool)

Dates consist of hanging with his bros (can I call that a date?)

Their life revolves around three things: themselves, parties, their "bros"

The Hippie:

I wish I understood my attraction to hippie guys. Perhaps it's the way they go with the flow? For whatever reason, I have had my fair share of hippie phases (which my dad absolutely HATED)

Pros:

Great music, concerts, and dinner dates

Fights? Never. A hippie guy doesn't want to fight. It's all about the love.

All the hippies I have dated shower me with compliments...all.the.time.

Cons:

Those dreds have to go (ugh.)

The ponchos need to go also (if the hippie had a fashion sense, I'd be all over that)

So.Many.DRUGS. (seriously? Can you be sober for like....ten seconds?)

The Mormon:

The University of Utah has three types of guys: RMs (50%), Married (35%), Other (15%)...which means...the Mormon guy is EVERYWHERE...

Pros:

They won't be dating a million girls...only you (cough...frat boy)

These boys are so sweet & nice

Many are Returned Missionaries..which means they have learned to live on their own & have tons of stories to tell

The best kind to take home to mom!

Cons:

Three months and you want to talk marriage? (See ya later...)

If I hear ONE more mission story....(10 stories in 30 minutes is a BIT much)

Favorite topic: The future!

The questions they ask on the first date: "how many kids do you want?" "where do you see yourself in 5 years?" "Why did you and your last bf break up?" (SERIOUSLY?)

They are pretty behind in their education (they did serve a mission for 2 years)

The Athlete:

I'm a sucker for a good bod and a passion for working out. Who isn't?

Pros:

Did I mention their amazing bodies?

Active fun dates: running, batting cages, soccer, going to the gym

They aren't texting you every second of everyday (hello..they have practice, games, & working out to do)

Watching your man play a professional sport? HOT.AS.HELL.

Cons:

The Athlete is gone A LOT during the season (although I would count this as a pro as well...)

Groupies? MANY.

He expects you to understand the game, rules, standings, etc. (No...I didn't see the game. Gossip Girl was on...sorry!)

Location. They move around a lot which means you aren't driving distance away (again, I could use this as a pro)

You won't be his top priority. (yet, this passion for the game is a turn on for me...)

The Law/Med School Student:

I've only dated two of these in my life...so this description may not be accurate. I'll go from personal experience..

Pro:

He's smart which means he has a bright future

Need help with your homework? BINGO

He doesn't have too much time, so when he does it makes it count (awesome dates/conversation)

Cons:

Busy, Busy, Busy

Some of these guys think they are smarter than you...hey I don't care what salt is made of?! k?

They are stressed out a lot

The guys I have dated lack humor (DEAL BREAKER)

The Older Guy:

I've only dated one guy younger than me (he was a hippie...sigh) other than that I date guys older than me. I dated one guy 13 years older than me (I was 18, he was 30), which even now I cannot believe I did. Since John (name has been changed) I've dated a few guys 5-10 years older than me. But I'm a huge fan. Here's why...

Pros:

This guy has an established career, home, etc. and knows what he wants in life.

BEST DATES EVER (I'm not even kidding. This guy knows where to take you to have a good time)

The conversation is intelligent, interesting, and REAL (the other guys have yet to develop this quality)

They are gentlemen (generous, courteous, caring...heck they even open doors!) Chivalry is not dead for this type

Cons:

When you were in middle school...he was in college...weird (I just don't think about it)

The generation gap can get you a bit (What do you mean you don't know what Twitter is?)

They get serious pretty fast (Not as bad as the Mormon Guy however..)

You may feel a bit unsuccessful compared to them (hello! you are!) which can be a bit disheartening (I'm used to being way more successful than the boys I date)

The Metro Guy:

He takes 30 minutes longer than you to get ready. And those shoes? Fabulous! I don't have too many Pros about this type...but I'll try to squeeze some out...

Pros:

Their sense of humor is pretty girly also (which is fun because it's like that of your girlfrineds!)

Shopping with the boyfriend just got a whole lot better!

Cons:

Seriously...your outfit is better than mine. Ew.

I don't even pluck my eyebrows....and he does.....

I like manly men. I hate feeling like I'm dating a chick

Tanning (SERIOUSLY?) tanning???

You can't wear sweats with no make-up when you run to the store with him. When is it ever okay for the guy to look better than me? NEVER.

Please see description above in picture!!! (hahahaha)

What I've learned from these many, many failed "relationships" is that my perfect guy is a bit of all of the above (okay the metro can be thrown out. I like my men manly....). Thank goodness I have many years to continue the search (Hey! I'm only 21!!)

What do you think? I know I missed a few...fill me in!

I'm Craving a NeuroBliss

Spring break is only two months away. Which means what? I’m a regular at the gym again. I wish it didn’t take a future Cabo trip to motivate me…but…it does. Hey, at least something is motivating me…right? I finished my cardio and weight lifting routine (in my brand new pink Nikes...Thank you mom!) and was heading home when a friend of mine gave me a new drink to try. I hadn’t heard of it and was a bit hesitant (I’m a very picky eater…and drinker). Then I looked at the bottle. It was called NeuroBliss and it said "happiness in every bottle." Who wouldn't want to try it? Seriously....how great is that tagline? I was genuinely surprised. And well…turns out I’m instantly addicted. With only 35 Calories, this drink is wonderfulness in my mouth. NeuroBliss is all NATURAL (swimsuit season..remember?) and enhances your mood, reduces stress, and helps the immune system. Since I'm basically always stressed...I feel like this drink is PERFECT for me. I feel the urge to drink it at every occasion...in my 3 hour International Management class (don't even get me started on how boring that class is..), at work, after the gym...basically I crave it always. Bye-Bye Diet Coke addiction...HELLO Neuro!

Apparently Neuro has a variety of different types that help you in different ways. My sorority sister (honestly..did you think I could write a post without including my sorority in some way? Haha..) Kiley SWEARS by the NeuroSleep. She claims she cannot sleep without drinking one. I was drinking a NeruoBliss at Pi Phi last night (I told you I’m addicted..) and I was talking to Yassie about this..

“Kiley says she can’t sleep without a NeuroSleep. I don’t know if I believe that” –me

“No it totally works. Christian has trouble sleeping and I gave him one and he was out within 30 minutes.” –Yassie

I guess I can be grateful for trying something new. Turns out I’m a fan. A huge fan. I actually haven’t gone a day without one. Not only do I LOVE the taste…but I LOVE the fact that it’s only 35 calories (again, remember how close swimsuit season is?) I also like the fact that it helps the immune system. The way Utah has been lately (TONS OF SNOW) I could use all the immune boosting I can get.

I'm determined to try every flavor. I'll keep you posted. But I doubt any of them will beat Bliss...

ESPN College Game Day Comes to Utah!

I was hesitant to write a post about ESPN College Game Day being held at the U of U...for obvious reasons (we got killed...for lack of better words)

However, despite the outcome of the game, it was pretty big deal to have ESPN film College Game Day in Salt Lake City. And again, despite the loss, it was a very eventful day. I should insert the word "long" as well...because the festivities began at 5:45AM.

Let the record show that I am not a morning person, not even a little bit. It's extremely hard for me to make my 9:10AM marketing research class...9:10! I, however, was committed to joining the rest of my college peers and arriving at the stadium at an hour I hadn't seen since my high school years.

The pain and suffering of opening my eyes at 5:30 was well worth it. There were so many students! And ESPN! It really was an event I will cherish from my college years (and hopefully the memory of the awful loss will fade...)

5:45AM at the Rice Eccles Stadium....with my bestie of course!

Tailgating with my Pi Phi Lovers.

BLACKOUT GAME!

Thank You, Life

It's been awhile since I've posted. Things get a little crazy and hectic and the little blogspot is the first to be neglected.

At the moment, I kind of need a pick me up...or ten of them...so I decided to take a second to count my blessings. Here we go....

1. My education. The U is awesome. I'm thankful that I have the resources to go to school

2. My sorority sisters...the family away from home. Each of these women have impacted my life for the better. I owe a great deal of my happiness to them-those random hilarious nights, the inside jokes, the sisterly bonds...

3. My niece/nephew who will arrive in March! My sister in law is getting so big! I just ADORE children. I can't waiiiiit (I wish I had a picture for this one)

4. My family. What would I do without them?

5. Jessica Foreman...my best friend. Whenever I'm down & need advice she knows exactly what to say. Her words of wisdom for my current dilemma? "Who gives a damn? In three months you won't care about any of these people or the situation that is going on. So, seriously Jill, who gives a damn?" Oh man...I love her. I'm SO excited to be in Europe with her for 9 days! Only 40 days...

6. Movies. Thank you, for taking me away from reality.

Baby Angels

This past week was recruitment week for the Greeks at the University of Utah. For 5 days we got to know over 250 women who were interested in becoming part of a sisterhood.

It was a long 5 days, let me tell you. I was up until 3am everyday ensuring we got the girls we all loved and admired. Between school and work-it was a week of no sleeping, eating, or as I stated in my previous post-working out. Our house would be open each day for around 5 hours-devoted solely to the potential new members to come check us out. It was hard work.

For those of you who don't know, recruitment is a matching process. There are 5 sorority houses at the University of Utah. On the first day of recruitment, the new women go to each house. At the end of the night-they must drop one house. The second day, they go to the remaining 4 houses and at the end of the night, must narrow it down to 3 houses. This process goes on and on until one house is remaining. Each day every sorority has a certain number of invitations they are allowed to extend to the women going through recruitment. This process allows the houses and the individual to choose each other-to match up.

The last night of recruitment is "Preference Night." This night everyone gets all dressed up. Each woman goes to 2 houses-one house for dinner and the other for dessert. This night is important because it is formal and the last night for girls and the house to decide who will be the new sisters. Each day before Preference Night is casual & laid back.

Preference Night

2010

Pref Night with my family within Pi Phi

The dessert we served on Pref night- DELICIOUS Cheesecake!

Bid Day finally arrived & the long days and endless nights paid off. We gave bids to 36 amazing women who now form PC '10 (Pledge Class 2010)!

Waiting for the new members to open their invitations and see which house they were invited to

BABY ANGELS OF PI BETA PHI UTAH ALPHA 2010

Bid day was also the very first Utah football game (Utah won, of course) So we took our baby angels and went to support the boys (in matching shirts of course)!

Pi Beta Phi just got 36x better...

Pi Beta Phi @ The U of U

Check out Pi Beta Phi's blog. It is the cutest little blog I've ever seen.

http://piphilove.blogspot.com/

Fabulous job Molly!!!