Let's Have Some Definitions

That's right. 2 posts in the same week. You might want to go to the nearest pig farm and make sure that they are all still firmly grounded.

Anyway, this post has to do with something very near and dear to my heart: snow.

I love winter. I was made for cold weather. I mean, all you have to do is see the not-insignificant amount of insulation (i.e. fat) I have on my body to see that I was built to thrive in a cold environment. One of the best things about winter is snow. Unlike most people, I rarely "get tired" of snow. Maybe if it was snowy for 8 months of the year, I might start getting tired of it, but probably not.

However, I do want to set one thing straight when it comes to snow. You see, my beloved brother and roommate (my mom occasionally reads this and so I had to put that "beloved" in for her benefit) walked outside today and gleefully exclaimed "It's snowing!" As much as I love him, he erred in making this statement, but at least he has an excuse after being in South Korea for two years on a mission. It was not, in fact, snowing. There were occasional little white dots that one could halfway see floating on the wind, but that is not snowing. Much like it's not "raining" just because you feel one drop of water hit your head, it isn't snowing just because a few flakes happen to fall. In order for it to be "snowing," it has to be a consistent, significant rate of precipitation. Similarly, the first snow of the year has some criteria associated with it: it has to be snowing, as I have just defined it; it has to stick and accumulate on the ground; and it has to be at your place of residence. As such, I have not yet experienced the first snow of the year, and I doubt that any of you reading this blog that attend BYU have either. Snowing on the mountains does not count, as beautiful as it is and as much as I love it. The "snowing" that I've heard rumors about doesn't count, either, because not only does each case fail to meet the definition for "snowing", but they have all failed to accumulate on the ground. I can't wait to experience the first snow of the year, but let's not water down the experience by slacking on our standards like we have with words such as "epic."

Why are these definitions so important? Because they are related to the Christmas Music Rule. I love Christmas music just as much as the rest of you. I really do. And you can make all the arguments you want about how we need to have the Spirit of Christmas all year round, etc. but it doesn't change the Christmas Music Rule. The Christmas Music Rule states:

1. Music having to deal with the Christmas, snow, the "Holidays", or other such material is henceforth designated to be termed Christmas music
2. Christmas music, as defined in (1), is not to be played outside the month of December, with the following exceptions:
1. The day of the first snow of the year
2. Following Halloween (Oct. 31), Christmas music can be played on days when it is snowing
3. Following Thanksgiving (fourth Thursday of November), Christmas music can be played if there is snow on the ground, or if there is less than 4 days until December
3. If one must play Christmas music at time not included by (2) or it's subsections, one must provide sufficient reasoning for why they are playing the music (e.g. learning a song to be performed during the month of December)
1. There are no sufficient reasons for a general body (e.g. Seminary class or ward) to sing Christmas music at a time not indicated by (2) and it's subsections
4. Failure to comply to these rules will result in ridicule by the Tower of Terror

So there you have the Christmas Music Rule. I truly hope you can all learn and apply these rules in your own lives.

I Owe You Something

So that idea I had about posting regularly again? Yeah, that didn't work out so well. The problem is the whole "life experiences" thing Dania originally wanted me to create this blog for doesn't happen so often. I'm in kind of a rut right now, in large part because of my own apathy, but also partially due to my situation in life. It's all about a waiting game for me right now, as I prepare to serve my mission. It's a great opportunity for me to get some preparation in, but it doesn't offer much in the way of anecdotes.

Anyway, an interesting thing actually did happen to me the other day. I was looking at my face in the mirror (which may come as a surprise to some of you; I do actually look in the mirror and still go out in public the way I do), when I noticed a slight change. Always before, the face staring back at me has looked rather boyish. There's still the puppy fat there, that facial hair is mostly fuzz and not scruff, and it's just got a boyish feel. It's always surprised me that people tend to think I'm older than I am. When people who don't know me learn my age they respond with disbelief. I just don't see it though. Until Sunday, when I caught a glimpse of it. I still don't buy it wholly, especially because I got that glimpse of it in a dimly lit room that was illuminated from one side only, but it was there. I'm not just a kid anymore, a realization that's been coming through more and more lately. Time to start making long-term decisions in addition to the short-term ones. Thank goodness I've got a couple of years to step back and take stock before I proceed too far in any of those decisions.