It's been a while since I posted an actual lemon, but here's one for you - masks.  I hate them, everything about them.  I used to think clowns were my biggest irrational fear, but I've discovered that masks are much worse.

The other night some girls in the ward came out of their apartment wearing these while everyone was meeting up to play night games.  I flipped out and booked it back to the apartment - one chased me, not realizing that I was seriously scared to death.  Over the next few weeks she kept apologizing for scaring me so badly.  Of course I forgave her because she didn't know what she was doing.

Tonight, however, 2 people came over to a friend's apartment where we were playing games wearing masks.  One came in the sliding glass door, the other was outside the apartment at the front door - I was trapped.  I hid my eyes until they left but my heart was still racing.  Finally I was able to calm down and continue playing games with the group.  About 30 minutes later they came back.  I looked away but I heard them walk in and say my name.  I laid down on the couch with my head behind another girl's back hoping they'd take a hint and leave.  Someone started rubbing my back saying "Charity, just look, you don't even know who this is."  Honestly, do you think I wanted to know?!  I don't care what the mask looks like.  If I can't see your face/read your emotions I will NOT look at you.  I beat her arms away and finally they all left.

Long story short - if you think you're funny and you're trying to get a laugh out of me, don't wear a mask.  There's nothing funny about it.  I will not laugh, I will probably not look at you.  I will not easily forgive if it's been done more than once, I will probably hold a grudge.  People - DON'T DO IT!!!!

Ferguson

This summer a couple in my ward took in an orphaned duckling.  They christened her "Ninety-five Guns'n'Ammo Bobsled".  She was such an adorable duckling and loved to get to know everyone in the ward.  She'd come to ward activities, ward prayer, even a ward pancake dinner.  After a while she got pretty independent and stopped going inside at night.  One night she disappeared.

Ninety-Five Guns'n'Ammo Bobsled

After a while I noticed these two other ducks around Raintree - one brown one grey.  I wasn't too fond of these ducks because I thought they chased Ninety-Five away; one day I actually caught them in the act of chasing away a duck that I thought must have been Ninety-Five!  I hated these two.  Everytime I would walk past them I would hiss or yell at them.  One night, while I was out of town, the brown duck was killed by a stray cat.  Now it was only the grey duck at Raintree and how happy I was!  I would walk past and tell it how I wish it would leave too so Ninety-Five could come back and live in peace.

One day while sitting on the balcony reading (during the summer my balcony was right next to the pond) this grey duck looked up at me and started quacking.  What on earth did it want with me?  This duck knew that I hated him, was he just quacking to disturb my reading?  I decided the only way to shut him up would be to go down and feed him some bread.  I guess he wasn't that bad.

That's what began a beautiful relationship!  We would bond; I'd feed him bread and he'd follow me.  I decided he needed a name; I christened him Ferguson.  Sometimes when no one was home to talk to I'd go out and tell Ferguson about my troubles.  He was a great listener.  Ferguson and I grew to be best friends - he was MY pet duck and just about everyone knew it.

When summer was over and I had to move back to the outside of the building I knew it would be a little more difficult to see him on a regular basis.  I had to make time to go out and visit Ferg, but it wasn't as if it was a laborious thing - I loved to see him!  Just seeing him, having him follow me around gave me such great joy.

My roommate Charlee and I were worried about what would happen to him when winter rolled around.  Neither of us had ever seen him fly, and when ducks would come and go we hoped they'd teach him to fly, but he never left.

Ferg had his downside though - he quacked every morning around 6:00 - at sunrise.  It never bothered me, but I had neighbors that absolutely hated him.  One in particular threatened to turn him into Thanksgiving dinner.  Now I couldn't have that.  I was protective of him.  I found him being chased on multiple occasions and I would yell at his predators, do whatever I could to get them to leave my duck alone.  Last night I found him under attack again.  This afternoon I went out to visit him.  I took him a couple slices of bread, he came and sat by me and let me pet him.  Then I had to leave to take a test.

When I got back Ferguson was nowhere to be seen; I searched all over for him.  Immediately I texted those two who attacked him last night, but they didn't respond.  Eventually, through other means, I found out that Ferguson had been caught by those two and taken to the Duck Pond south of campus.  It was good to know he was safe, but I am still very upset that they never even told me where they'd be taking him.  Ferguson just disappeared!

I went to visit him at his new home today; he loves it.  When living at Raintree, Ferguson was quite lonely.  He never had friends here that stayed very long.  There are always ducks at the pond, so I'm sure he'll be happy there.  I love him, and I hear that if you love someone, then let them go.

Disney College Program round 2!

Tonight I applied once again for the Disney College Program, but this time there was a very special surprise in store!  At the meeting they told us that in the past you were only allowed to apply for Walt Disney World OR the Disneyland Resort; but for the first time in history they opened it up to where you can now apply for both programs!  The really cool thing about that is the fact that you don't have to apply for the same roles in both resorts!

Walt Disney World
I've never been to Walt Disney World, so it would be really fun to work there, but there are only 2 roles I'd accept there; I applied for Character and Character Host!  Tomorrow I have my audition to be a character and I am so excited!  There I'll get to learn a choreographed routine (I think from a parade) and do some character work.  I can't even put into words how excited I am!

Another great point about working in Walt Disney World instead of Disneyland is the fact that I could work there just for summer (April to August)!  That means I wouldn't have to miss a semester of classes, I wouldn't have to try to sell my housing contract, and I wouldn't have to leave my roommates and my amazing ward for more than 4 months.

Disneyland
I would absolutely LOVE to go back to Disneyland - it's really my dream to work there again!  I'd love to just make a career out of it, but I think for now I'll just go for the college program and possibly continue as a cast member as a Campus Rep.  Oh man, I've forgotton how much I really enjoyed it last time!  Though I would have to take school time off to work at Disneyland (they only offer the program January-August) I would just love it!  I just can't get over my excitement!!!  I can't even put into words what I'm feeling right now... if someone walked into my apartment they'd be so confused... oh my!


The biggest obstacle in my path is the down payment.  If I have to pay my first month rent upfront, I just don't see it happening.  Right now I'm such a broke, poor college student.  I really wish I could get around it somehow though... We'll just see what happens!

I know this blog post has been all over the place and I apologize for that, but I am so flustered and excited about the college program again!!!