Attraction isn't a choice...

I had an interesting conversation with a guy a few weeks ago. He said: "Attraction isn't logical and it isn't a choice. What a person says they want and who they are actually attracted to are two different things. We aren't attracted to someone because it makes sense or the person is smart or rich."
After this conversation, I started conducting research on the subject of attraction. Now, you would think that I would ask family and friends who have been attracted to someone else, but instead I started my research on the internet. Wikipedia is one amazing site. With the click of the mouse, I can change history. Most of the information I found supported this guys thought that attraction isn't a choice. As I studied, I felt that every argument for their case(whoever they are) was a contradiction and seemed to support the notion that attraction is a choice.
Perhaps, attraction should be defined before one can decide if it is a choice. Merriam-webster defines attraction as "a force acting mutually between particles of matter, tending to draw them together, and resisting their separation." After my research on the world wide web, I sat down and assessed attraction. Did I choose to be attracted to Griffin Bio from freshman biology in college? Was it his amazing blue eyes? His knowledge of biological terms or was I naturally and involuntarily attracted to him?
So I turn to you, my fellow bloggers. I'd love to hear what you think-Is attraction a choice? Person(s) with the best or most interesting answers may be rewarded.

Clean-up after yourself and your dog

Nancy and I had a wonderful wake-up smell Friday morning. We were heading to the clubhouse for a Pilates work-out when we noticed something by the door in the lobby. As we got closer, we both looked at the mess and then looked at each other and said SICK! Someone's dog threw up by the door and the owner didn't bother to clean up the mess.
I'm willing to cut the owner some slack if the following happened 1) he or she didn't know the dog threw up and/or 2) it was a stray dog that somehow opened the door to the lobby, threw up and then left.
I came home from work later that day and I held my breath as I entered the building. I entered the code and I heard a beeping sound that meant I entered the wrong code. I was trapped with the throw-up. I finally entered the right code and could breath again. This experience is testing my breath support. Another condo owner wrote a nice note and attached it to the window with band-aids thanking whoever decided to leave the mess.
Fast forward to Saturday morning and my executive decision. I was going to clean the mess if it hadn't been cleaned up. I exited the stairs and smelled the present that was left and knew that I quite possibly would be the one cleaning the mess. I came back from my errands and Stan was walking into the building with a now empty bottle of 409 and I knew he had saved the day, our noses, and the building. I took in a deep breath of the cleaner and thanked Stan for taking care of the mess.

Are you questioning my fanhood?

"You shouldn't talk about sports with guys. They'll never ask you out if they think you know more about sports than they do."
MJ walks into the office and starts talking to BT about a football game over the weekend. I pretend to be working on a project, but I'm really listening to the weekend sports update. I open and close my mouth many times and bite my lip to stop myself from saying anything until I can't take it anymore. "Did you see that touchdown pass?" I blurt out and then instantly regret my comment when I see 'the look.' It's the 'I'm a guy so I know sports, you're a girl which means you don't know anything look. I'm getting used to that look, but that doesn't mean I like it. I admit there are times when I pretend to not know much about a sport when I first meet someone. MJ goes back to discussing the great plays of the game, but BT interrupts him. "Shelley knows her stuff." MJ laughs and keeps talking, but I'm beginning to think that I was right when I thought MJ gets his sports information from the newspaper and not by actually watching a game once in awhile. "No, really, she knows sports" BJ exclaims. I feel like I'm in a glass box watching my life unravel before me and any moment now I will be laughed at or shunned. This is followed by MJ giving my other favorite look. It's the 'So you think you know sports? I'll be the judge of that look.' MJ quizzes me and I must have answered correctly because since that day MJ comes to the office every Monday to chat sports with BT...and me.
My sports knowledge isn't much, but it'll do for now. I have been known to spout off stats to guys who seem cocky just to let them know they don't know everything. Probably not the best way to handle those situations, but until I find a better solution, that's how it will be. I watch sports because I love the 'game', not so I can make someone feel stupid or to show how much I might know. Growing up, life was playing and watching sports with family and friends.
In college my guy friends thought it was fun to play Mascot Trivia. They would say the name of a college and I was supposed to know the mascot and a couple players from either their football or basketball team. I didn't always know the mascot or who played for a certain team, but it was a great game.
I have a friend who wants me to date a guy she knows. Why? Partly because he's a guy and I'm a girl, but also because she thinks we're the perfect sports match. The plan was to meet after a basketball game, but his team lost to my team and he didn't feel like meeting. Uh, okay. I'm not sure I want to date someone who is that passionate or zealous about a team. Still haven't met the guy, but maybe if his team ever beats my team, we can finally meet...unless I lock myself in my room after the loss.
There's something about sports that makes me happy. Seeing two teams who have prepared for competition battle for bragging rights and so much more is what I love. So the next time we talk about sports, understand that I am not trying to hurt your ego and most of the time I will let you think you know more-I'm that nice.

Year of the Constitution

During college I thought about being a lawyer, a constitutional lawyer to be more precise. I took many pre-law classes and was scared out of my mind. I remember looking around the classroom one day and thinking I would never make it as a lawyer. My Constitutional Law professor, Dr. C., was demanding and challenging. He is a Harvard graduate and one of the most brilliant people I have met. He had our names written on index cards and would randomly call on us to answer questions such as: Which amendment does Marbury v Madison discuss and which justices concurred with the decision and which justices dissented? The tests in his class were essays and I remember working so hard for that class and I am happy to say that I did pretty well in a class full of future lawyers and judges. I never went to law school, but I still have time right?

Cecil O. Samuelson, BYU's president, and his wife spoke on the Constitution at a forum in September. President Samuelson is calling this the Year of the Constitution and encouraged all students to read a book about the Constitution. Chief Justice John G. Roberts, chief justice of the Supreme Court, was the forum speaker in October and he also spoke on the the Constitution. He encouraged students to not only read a book about the Constitution, but to also read the Constitution.
After listening to both forum addresses, I have decided to follow the counsel given and read the Constitution and at least one book on the Constitution in the coming year. I started searching for a book when Chief Justice Roberts said that one of the best books to read is The Federalist Papers. Well, that solves the dilemma of choosing a book. I have much to learn about this document, how it came to be, and how it shapes our lives today. I can't wait to start reading.

Triple Yay

After work today I decided to run at Sugarhouse park rather than go to the gym and run on a treadmill while watching a movie and listening to music. My attention span while running on a treadmill is minimal, if not, non-existent unless I have many things to see and listen to.
I have an extra keyless entry remote for my car that I attach to my shoes or put in my pocket, if I have a pocket. I've attached the remote to my shoes hundreds of times before and I figured today would be much the same. I finished one lap, looked down, and realized the remote was gone. AHHHH! I was surprisingly calm and quickly ran back the way I came while looking for the remote. I watched people as I passed and wondered if they had picked up the remote. A couple times I panicked and kept praying and hoping I would either find the remote or someone else would find it and be waiting at my car for me to arrive. I sat at my car for a few minutes contemplating my options when a couple drove up in their pick-up. I decided to ask them if I could use their phone to call someone. I asked this particular couple to use their phone for a number of reasons which included: 1) she had a sticker on the pick-up that read 'Run like a girl' 2) he wore a Boston Red Sox jacket and 3) they had a dog. I explained the situation and they allowed me to call someone. Uh, do you think I have any numbers memorized? Of course not. I knew I could call my mom or Pip and they could call Yizz, but no one answered at either house. The lady whom we shall call Deb said she had AAA so she called and arranged for someone to come within 30-40 minutes. I sat around watching people, completed an ab workout, and listened to music. While waiting I laughed to myself because earlier in the day I couldn't figure out what to do between working out and going to a Simply Fun game party, and there I was sitting at the park not sure if I would make it to the party at all.
Eventually the yellow van showed up and the door was unlocked. I found the couple who had let me borrow their AAA card and thanked them over and over again.
Thank goodness for kind people who have AAA and use that to help others in need. Guess I'll be making copies of my key this weekend.