Red and Green . . . and Orange

For me, Christmas is full of red and green . . . and orange.

Every year at the Hancock household, as we gather around the tree on the chilly (and hopefully white) Christmas morning, each kid and son-in-law gets a stocking. The stocking is overflowing with little, individually wrapped presents whose contents are usually packs of gum.

We pull each present out, one by one, until we reach the bottom. There, in the toe of the stocking, was an orange. I don't think I actually ever ate the orange until I was in college when I realized food was expensive and vitamin C helps with finals. I think we even threw the oranges at each other one year or tried to juggle with them. Either way, the orange tradition was fun as I was growing up.

With finals looming on the impending horizon, it's hard to properly look forward to Christmas and oranges. But as I sit here at work and slowly peel back the leathery skin of my orange, juice and the sweet smell of Christmas spurts out, and I can't help but drift down a snow-laced memory lane.

And as much as I don't want to think about Christmas right now (yes, I'm one of those people who bans Christmas songs until after Thanksgiving), I'm reminded of those memories.

Christmas, please come faster!

When Campus is Out to Get You

Who knew that walking on campus could be such as adventure.

Since coming to BYU, I've had a number of quirky adventures, and many of them happened as I was walking on campus. Some were fun like, seeing a flash mob break into a thrilling dance in the JFSB courtyard during Halloween, but some hurt and were quite embarrasing.

When I was a freshman living in Helaman Halls, we had to walk up the same hill to get on campus (I don't know why they decided to build campus on a hill). Once, I was practically running up the hill to get to class on time because I had spent too much time filling myself with bacon at the Cannon Center. Out of nowhere, a bird flew straight for my head! Naturally, I screamed as I ducked and covered. Everyone else walking up the hill just stared. Now I keep a close eye on those feathered dive bombers as they swoop through campus.

Other animals you have to watch out for that are frequently found on campus are deer. They usually gather at the woody patches by the RB, but I saw one once on the other side of campus as I was walking home. As I watched it, it suddenly ran at me! I jumped out of the way and watched as it disappeared on campus. Maybe it was late for class?

I don't know what it is with animals on campus, but I've also had problems with the insects. Bees try to steal my lunch as I try to enjoy a bit of sun during lunch break and make me look silly as I scamper around, trying to dodge them while snagging my lunch back at the same time. My most recent insect encounter was with a grasshopper. Ugh, it was big and gross! I spotted it as I was walking to class and was careful to step over it so I didn't squish it. And how did it thank me? It hopped onto my leg! I shook my leg like a dog coming out of a bath, drawing quite a few strange looks from other students. Good thing most people on campus probably think I'm my twin sister, Amber.

As for inanimate objects, I've been hit by doors and almost run over by cars who are always driving on campus right behind you until you step aside to let them pass. Once when I was walking to the RB, an acorn fell from the tree and hit me on the head. Sadly, that bonk didn't give me any revolutionary ideas like gravity.

And now that it's winter, we'll all have to watch out for the added dangers of falling icicles and sneaky ice that waits until you're not looking to pull your feet out from under you. So watch out BYU BYU students: campus is out to get you.