Happy New Year!

It seems that every year I try to plan something super exciting to celebrate New Year's Eve. It's like the first and last day of school: the others don't matter, but you cannot miss the first and last day of school. Those matter. And so it's funny. I love holidays but I always feel some compulsion to celebrate New Year's OUT LOUD just so I can say I did something exciting on New Year's Eve. Weird. This year, however, I think I'm staying in. Invariably, I'm always disappointed by the big crowds of people I don't know and I wonder why I even put on my party dress in the first place if nobody was going to see it (and appreciate it) anyway. Regardless of my lack of enthusiasm this year for big parties and all that goes with them (pretending to be interested in people you're not really interested in, standing in one place as you look for people you know, the cheese ball and crackers that is not nearly enough to take the place of dinner), I hope that everyone had a wonderful 2008 and that 2009 brings even more blessings, surprises, triumphs, smiles, and laughter. I have been very blessed this year and have experienced so many wonderful things and grown in so many ways. Here's to 2009!

Color Me Disgusted...And Chastened

Last night was my company's Christmas party, held at The Point located at the University of Utah's campus. It's a beautiful place. Dinner was on the 6th floor and it had an amazing view. As I looked out at night, the lights of the town glittered in the distance. I was charmed.

Naturally, I brought a date to the event. Actually, I don't normally bring dates to work parties, I'm sure it's such a bore for them. But I thought that this year I would do it. It was a somewhat formal affair with a fancy place and people were getting dressed up . . . maybe this wasn't the night to go stag. So I asked a friend to join me.

Which he was fine with, until about 3 hours before the party. And then he started to get a little lippy with me, blatantly telling me he did not want to go. I was torn--part of me felt awful. I had just dragged my friend to a party where he didn't know anyone except me and he didn't even want to be there. But the other part of me wanted to say, "Buck up, dude! It's a party! That's it! Four hours of your life and you're done!" I tried placating him with visions of drunk people falling on their heads, but it didn't do the trick. The whole night felt slightly awkward--I was alternating between bouts of irritation and guilt. What a night.

Finally, around 9 o'clock, he suggested we leave. I'll admit, the party hadn't been as thrilling as I was hoping it would be, so I was fine at the prospect of leaving. We grabbed our coats and headed out.

As we were leaving he says, "Remember how I went to the bathroom earlier?"

How could I forget? He was gone for about fifteen minutes. I figured he was making phone calls and trying to form a special ops team to get him out.

"Well, I threw up in there. I'm pretty sick."

My heart fell. This kid had been sick the entire time and I hadn't even noticed it. He'd been more quiet than usual and barely ate anything. I felt like such a jerk for being caught up in my own thoughts not to notice.

We take off. We are at the bottom of the hill when he says, "Can you pull over?"

And then he proceeded to throw up (again) for about five minutes--possibly longer, I lost track--while I sat in the driver's seat. What do you do? I just sat there. There isn't much you can offer a guy who is hanging out of the door of your car and puking his guts out. Luckily, I had a box of Kleenex in my car. I don't know what patron saint ensured that there were Kleenex in my car, but I was surely thankful for that.

So next year . . . I may just go to the work party alone.

My Most Hated Christmas Song

It's a crappy song designed to manipulate you into thinking about the true meaning of Christmas. I blame these cheesy Christmas songs for distorting the true meaning of Christmas rather than all those folks who think consumerism is at the root of destroying the Christmas spirit. And why does the poor kid have to ask the man standing behind him for the money to buy his dying mother shoes? Shouldn't that dude have the sense to automatically offer the money? If there were some little guy trying to buy Christmas shoes for his dying mother, I would not be standing like an idiot pretending that the scene before me wasn't one of the most heartbreaking things I'd ever seen. I'd be buying those shoes and whatever else that kid wanted. Seriously. You wanna jet? I'll make it happen.

On a lighter note, I love, love, LOVE when the actors mouth the lyrics to the song. Doesn't look fake or staged at all.

White Christmas

There are some traditions that just can't be missed, and watching White Christmas is one of them. I remember the first time I watched this movie . . . I was with my roommate Anna and we snuck off to the dollar theater on campus (we were freshman, poor, and in desperate need of avoiding homework. I had never heard of a dollar theater before moving to Utah and I thought it was the most brilliant idea.) Since then, there have been very few Christmases where I have not see this movie. This is one of my favorite holiday movies, although I think the reason why I like it is because it's not a traditional Christmas movie. Sure, it's cheesy, but there aren't any songs about Santa or the realization of some Christmas miracle sometime toward the end. They just used Christmas as an excuse to produce another song and dance movie. But hey, I'm not complaining! I really love this movie.

Here are some interesting facts about White Christmas:
1. The song "White Christmas" was originally sung in the movie Holiday Inn. The movie is based on the song which became the bestselling single for more than 50 years until overtaken in 1997 by "Candle in the Wind", Elton John's tribute to the late Princess Diana. (I think this is seriously messed up, by the way.)
2. Rosemary Clooney (center left) is the aunt of George Clooney. I would much rather meet her than George, to be honest.
3. Vera-Ellen (far right) suffered from anorexia throughout the 50s, long before doctors had coined the term anorexia. Due to her anorexia, she suffered from arthritis and premature aging. In fact, she only wears turtlenecks in White Christmas because her neck looked severely older than the rest of her body.
4. Danny Kaye was the third choice for the movie behind Fred Astaire and someone else.
5. Rosemary Clooney sings both parts in the song "Sisters."

Overheard in the Office

E: What do lace tights look like?
R: Well . . . you know what lace looks like, right? Kind of white and . . .
E: Kind of flowery?
R: Um, yeah . . . kind of . . .
E: Like a doily?
R: Yeah! Like a doily covering your legs. Think Madonna circa 1984.

Drives Me Crazy!

I discovered last week that there is one word I cannot abide: irregardless.

You can say thingy or whatchamacalit or whatever else and I'll probably actually say it too. I love big words, but I still find myself engaging in good, old-fashioned slang.

But here's the thing about the word irregardless, it's not a word. Think about it, regardless signifies despite, or without regard. It seems that people have combined regardless and irrespective and formed the word irregardless. They don't realize that the re- prefix and the ir- prefix is actually a double negative and therefore the word cancels itself out. Thus, it doesn't exist.

Here's what strikes me funny about using irregardless in speech--the person is always trying to sound intelligent, cultivated, or articulate. Instead, you sound like an idiot. It is not a word, it does not exist. It shouldn't be used. You shouldn't use it.

It just drives me crazy.

I Love Fall

We are in my favorite season of year--Halloween, Thanksgiving, and Christmas. I LOVE the holidays, the way the seasons change and how excited everyone gets. Sadly, we don't get much of a fall in Utah, but I don't mind so much. I love the leaves changing and I love the arrival of the first snow . . . even if we got our first snow two weeks ago. I'm choosing to ignore that, mostly because I need to buy a new coat so obviously I'm not ready.

Pumpkins from my roommate Allyson's parents' house. I love how wobbly and squished they look.

Halloween decorations!

I must admit, I'm always drawn to acorn decor in the fall. I need more because all I have are these little bad boys.

One of the drawbacks to our lack of fall is if you blink, the leaves have already changed color and fallen to the ground. The leaves haven't quite changed, but they're getting there.

Accept It Already

I've never been known for my cool factor, but this self-awareness reached new heights the other night while working at the gym.

At my "real, professional" job I have some pretty big upcoming projects and in preparation I've been reading my old college editing textbooks to brush up on my editing skills. In reading these books, I've reached some conclusions: Mostly, that I have no idea what I'm doing. I find this to be extremely ironic, and more than a little sad. I've been touting myself with excellent writing and editing skills but as I continue to read about editing and style techniques I realize I really only know the basics. We're talking stringing sentences together with a subject + verb + a direct object. That's all I've got. No prepositions. No summative modifiers. In fact, what is a summative modifier anyway?

The second thing I've learned is that I LOVE reading these books. It sounds so lame but I really enjoy it! It's broadened my horizons in terms of good writing and how I write. I wish that it had all made more sense years ago when I was actually learning this in college. It would have helped me so much more when I considered grad school. Slowly, I'm trying to incorporate these lessons into my own writing. I feel like in a lot of ways I have an edge this time around. I already have a solid foundation in writing--now, as I study rules, suggestions, and techniques I'm starting to retain these lessons much more easily than in college. Another irony--it's only been five years since I graduated college. Obviously I'm a late bloomer.

But as I worked at the gym (and I use that term loosely, because usually I grab a chair and pull out a book) I looked up to see this weird guy just watching me. It looked like he was waiting for me and I'd gotten a little too focused on my book--I didn't notice him walk up. I got up and asked if I could help him.

"Good book?" He said, not even replying to my question.

I shrug. "Sure. It's not too bad."

"Because you were laughing at it."

Um . . .

Was I just laughing while reading a grammar book of all things? And didn't even realize it by the way? I didn't know if I should laugh or turn my head in mortification as I tried to process the fact that some dude caught me laughing while reading a grammar book.

Owie!

I kind of enjoy giving blood. Not so much the needle piercing my skin, but it's a good, easy thing to do. It doesn't take very long and it helps people. Plus, I'm O positive which happens to be universally accepted. If any of you need blood, I'm your girl. My blood is a non-judger. It doesn't discriminate. It accepts all. I'm pretty sure that we could wax philosophical and discuss how my blood could act as a metaphor for the implications of accepting all people and how this could lead to world peace and overall harmony throughout the universe.

But, I digress. I gave blood, thinking that on top of this small feat I would still keep my regular routine of attending the gym following work. The phlebotomists advised I not use my arms the rest of the day which was fine--I checked with my trainer Justin and we decided to have a leg day instead of an arm day at the gym.

Now, when Justin has me lift weights, he doesn't hold back. It's grueling, to be honest. And yet, I keep coming back. I'm not sure why. There's something so electrifying about finishing a session with him, but it sucks when you're lunging, squatting, doing pull ups, whatever. It hurts! This day, Justin was no different. He slugged some plates onto a bar and had me start doing squats. Up, down, up, down, I wasn't initially alarmed when I felt my right arm began to tingle a little. It often does this when I squat--something to do with the bar cutting off circulation as it rests on my neck.

But the tingle didn't go away. And when I looked down at my arm I saw a tiny bubble underneath my skin. Um . . . the blood under my skin was clotting! A little lump of blood was building under my skin. Disgusting! What can I say? I panicked. "Justin! Justin!" I hissed. I pointed at my arm. There was nothing more I could say. I was freaking out. I instantly pictured myself passing out or vomiting from the nausea.

Justin, however, found this to be an exciting event. He's an aspiring PA (physician's assistant) and he was all about pretending I'm a real patient. So he jogged over to the front desk--somewhat free and easy, I should say--and grabbed gauze and athletic tape. He made me sit down because he really did think I was going to pass out. I didn't think that was going to happen, but I was still dazed from the fear that somehow I was going to die from the blood clot. Can you tell that I wasn't thinking clearly? I will admit, that I had a 'moment' with God later that night. There were too many images floating through my head of me dying. I honestly wondered if as I drifted off to sleep if this was going to be my last night. If so, I needed to make amends with a few people, clean my room, make sure my hair was washed. Instead, as I jumped back to reality, Justin wrapped the entire gauze bandage around my arm so tightly that minutes later my arm turned purple and once again it was tingling. It kind of hurt. That's Justin for you, always making me hurt.

This also happened to be the night that I worked at the gym. As I scanned people's membership cards, almost every person asked what had happened to my arm. I felt pretty sheepish and tried to blow it off. How do you say, "I gave blood and like an idiot I lifted weight afterwards." It makes me sound like a masochist. Like some weirdo who can't get enough from the gym. Although, when you think about it, I guess that's true. I go to the gym everyday. I don't feel good when I don't go. It just seems like I'm slightly unhinged. What's worse,I had no idea how to explain the 'incident' to my co-workers. Usually when random people asked what happened to me, I replied, "I gave blood," like that explained it all. And people would nod their heads like they knew what I was talking about. But at work, they'd all given blood too! They wouldn't look at me like they understood. Nothing had happened to them. They would know that there was something inherently wrong with me. I was grateful for my little cubicle, and that nobody ever came by.

I will say, that I was left with the most wicked bruise. If nothing else, I had a bangin' bruise on my arm and it looked fabulous. When it comes to bruises, I say go big or what's the point? Check out that beauty. Yes, it's sexy.

Happy Birthday Hillary!

Oct. 10 marks Hillary's 18th birthday. Happy Birthday, girl! I hate to get all sentimental, but I remember the first time Hillary laughed. It was the funniest thing because she didn't stop. Here was this little infant laughing and laughing, while the rest of us erupted into laughter ourselves. The good thing is it hasn't stopped. She still laughs . . . love it! I hope you have a great birthday, Hillary. Love ya!

My Quirks

Tagged by cousin Sarah--6 quirks that I am proud (or slightly embarrassed) to share with the world around me.

1. I absolutely hate being late. It's one thing to be late for work or class or even a party (those things don't really matter, ha), but I get irritated really easily when I'm late for church, a doctor's appointment, meeting, etc.
2. I think cottage cheese is the most disgusting food on the planet. Anything that is curdled should not be consumed. I ate a blintz a couple of weeks ago that I think had cottage cheese in it and I could barely stomach it on the way down. But I finished it to be polite. Bleh.
3. I love to laugh, and you can generally find me laughing at just about anything (ask Kaylin about the things she does that make me laugh). But when I get nervous I tend to giggle uncomfortably. Only the astute can tell the difference. You'd be surprised how often I giggle nervously.
4. I tend to let my room get cluttered; however, I cannot abide a dirty bathroom including a lot of stuff on the sink.
5. I recognize the fact that I am somewhat of a grammar Nazi, but I try really hard not to correct people because obviously that's rude. I hate it, however, when people say ex-scape instead of es-cape. Mostly, I hear this from people who are from Utah and Idaho. I notice it every time someone says it and have to bite my tongue. You'd be amazed at how many people insert an ex- prefix for the esc- prefix.
6. As ridiculous as it sounds, I get fired up any time I go to the gym for a class and it's full. I go to those classes religiously and the fact that a bunch of chicks randomly decided to take my spot drives me crazy. I know it's irrational, but I tend to think that because I'm such a diligent 'student' I shouldn't be edged out of a class I attend every week.

Now to tag: Whitney, Tim, and Kaitlyn

IOC Makes Halfhearted Attempt

Look at these girls. There is no way that these girls are 16! However, yesterday, the IOC determined that the Chinese women's gymnasts who competed in the 2008 Olympic games, and caused so much controversy that had groups of people crying foul play, were in fact of age to compete. I'm sorry . . . look at these girls! This is impossible.

Apparently, the Chinese government supplied satisfactory documentation proving their ages. I guess the cynic in me is thinking that sure, they can supply adequate information. They make the documents.

If these girls are really 16, then I find the Chinese government's behavior reprehensible. These girls' bodies have been stunted all in the name of Olympic gold medals. They look like children. In my opinion, this is no longer an issue of building teams and athletes worthy of Olympic competition. I think they've been robbed of their childhood. I think these poor girls have been manipulated in the name of bringing 'honor' and 'respect' to Chinese athletics. It bugs.

Last Night

Last night was my buddy Brandon's birthday party. Somehow Kaylin and I got roped into singing 'Happy Birthday' to him a la Marilyn Monroe-style. I was not thrilled at the idea. Who wants to hear my screechy voice? So . . . Kaylin and I donned some feather boas and bunny ears and walked out into the middle of the room to wish Brandon Happy Birthday.

It was such a mess. When Kaylin zigged, I zagged.

Kaylin wanted to rehearse beforehand, but I was having none of that--I wanted to put off the inevitable for as long as possible. So I guess you could say we were unprepared. I take full responsibility for that. I mean, you think that singing 'Happy Birthday' would be super easy; however, that is not the case. It's awkward when you have to sing in front of a bunch of people and you're not a natural singer. As my voice warbled through the keys I couldn't help but think this might be the worst 'gift' a person could get. I even had to apologize when all was said and done. But I like to think that at the end of the day they weren't thinking about our pitiful singing voices, they were checking out our crazy cool boas. Best $5 I've spent in a while.

While Stuck in Logan

Last week I was in Logan for a training conference for work. There's not much to do there. Luckily, my hotel had all of the good TV and I became acquainted with Project Runway on Bravo. Everyone says they love it, and I'm inclined to agree. It's good, hilarious, and all about clothes. Love it!

This is my favorite quote from Kenley, labeled the villain of the show. They're right . . . she is such a pill. In defense of her horrific avant gard dress that she based off of the Zodiac sign Aquarius she said,

"Of course this was inspired by Aquarius! It's inspired by rebellion, strength, . . . and purple!"

Amen, Kenley. I hear ya.

Officially Moved In!

I haven't lived in a house in ten years. I can't decide if that's pathetic or extremely cost effective. However, we're unpacked (mostly) and I really love it so far which is great because I was feeling somewhat ambivalent to the move. Especially considering that Kaylin and I are the proud owners of A LOT of stuff. It was almost embarrassing when the extremely nice boys who came to help us move asked if there was anything else to move and I had to answer . . . yes, upstairs . . . yes, in the spare room . . . yes, the porch swing outside. I wondered if everyone would consider us to be ridiculously materialistic. Well, maybe I am.

The house is great, but here are a few surprises that we've encountered:
1) Spiders. Okay, I can handle some spiders and our landlords have had the place fumigated (sp?), but on our first weekend we found a Hobo spider on the wall. Um, no. I don't do Hobos. It was made even more poignant by this weird lady at the Home Depot who thought it was hilarious when she recommended that we put the Hobo spider trap on our pillows at night and then also that on average we eat six spiders in our lifetime. Yes, lady, I've heard that statistic. And no, lady, did I want to be reminded of that with Hobos running through my underwear drawer (thank you, Mindy for that visual).

2) The electricity is slightly defunct. It flickers throughout the day and gives minimal light. In fact, Mindy was using the iron and it was still flickering! That doesn't bode well.

3) The washing machine broke down. One of the nice things about this place is it came with a washer and dryer, and saves me from having to buy one anytime soon. But the first time we used it it made this weird burning smell in the basement (where I live) and didn't even finish the cycle. There's currently water in there because fortunately Kaylin had the foresight to just do a rinse cycle rather than putting clothes in there first. When the technician came he said that apparently our power is at a 90 volt, but it really should be at a 120 volt (see the aforementioned comment about the electrcity). Luckily, our landlords are on it. An electrician is coming to take care of it.

Overall, the place is great. I'll post some pictures later so you can check out la casa de leche! Okay, that's not what we're naming it, but I think it has a certain ring to it, don't you think?

Official Duh! of the Day

This was on CNN's website:

Childless Marriages Less Stressful.

Huh. I'd never thought of that. It doesn't make sense to me at all. To all my married friends out there . . . please explain.

Hello All

So where have I been? Well, in the last month I've started a new job, attended a ward retreat, had a birthday, and decided to move. I don't know when life got so busy, but it has kicked into overdrive and I'm having a hard time finding time to even breathe! Oh well. I can say that life is good and I'm happy. The job is good so far! I'm so lucky and blessed with it. So far, it's been the perfect mix of everything that I like and I can't really complain. I am also moving (this week, in fact) to a house a couple blocks away. Not a big deal but this week will be crazy like all of the rest. So I will do my best to post pictures from the past month...I really miss blogging which should tell you about my unhealthy obsession with the blog.

Happy Pioneer Day!

They came not for riches or gold, but rather to find a place where they could worship God under the revelations which are the foundation of this work. They were outcasts, driven and hounded, persecuted and peeled. Their reliance was on the God of heaven.

Sayonara Ease and Comfort

Well, guys, tomorrow I return to sweat and toil . . . the clink . . . the jaws of a lion. You know what I mean--WORK. Ha just kidding. I'll admit, I'm a little apprehensive of starting work tomorrow only because I don't really like not knowing what's going on, how I can help, where I should go. But who does enjoy that? So this being my last weekend of sleeping in late and eating bon bons (don't take me seriously, of course I didn't do that), I decided to live it up.

I was really lucky and met up with some friends from high school. I can barely believe it's been ten years since I graduated high school! It's funny because when I was younger life stretched out before me in this long, endless road. How surprised was I when the days caught up with me and started to fly by! I think it's that realization that makes me feel older than anything else. Life is hurtling by like a speeding bullet. It's one of my biggest fears that I'll waste time and not live up to my potential, not have enough fun, and ironically, not be serious enough as well. Anyway, it was super fun hanging out with Josh and Holly. The three of us hung out a lot in high school, we were each other's support group in many ways. We were merciless with Josh and he always took it like a pro. The hilarious part is that nothing's changed! We still tease him without restraint. In fact, when we took this picture I told him he looked like a Keebler elf although I'm not sure why I thought that. But in the quote of the day Josh replied, "Hey, I wouldn't laugh if I didn't deserve it." Trust me, Josh, you totally deserve it.

With Holly . . . one of my oldest friends in the world. Love you, babe!

Kaylin and Holly's adorable baby Jillian. I could not get over how cute Jillian is.

Excuse me while we take a short detour here: Allyson (first girl on the left) is celebrating her birthday Hanukkah-style--it's been about eight days of celebrating. Here is Allyson, Kaylin, and Ryan at Buca di Peppo. Anyone eat here, by the way? The food is super good. I liked it!

Me picking my teeth with Carrie by my side. See what I mean about not wasting any time?

More of one the most adorable babies in the world! I can't say that she's the most adorable baby in the world because pretty much all of my friends have adorable babies out there. We threw Jillian on my love sac and she loved it. Ryan said that the fur lining that my love sac is made of looks like one of those back drops for a J.C. Penney portrait. Does anybody remember those? He is so right!

Of course, the thing I will miss most about returning to work (other than the massive amounts of TV that I watched) is the ample sleep I got. If I ever felt sleepy during the day, I'd take a nap. It's awesome. Jilly here is all tuckered out and is looking pretty comfy on her love sac.

Okay world, I'm ready to take you on. Tomorrow's the day that I return to my healthy eating habits, proper sleeping schedule, and less amounts of TV watching. Of course, this also means good bye to the pool in the middle of the afternoon, an improper sleeping schedule, and copious amounts of TV.

The Game of Memory

1. As a comment on my blog, leave one memory that you and I had together. It doesn't matter if you knew me a little or a lot, anything you remember!

2. Next, re-post these instructions on your blog and see how many people leave a memory about you. It's actually pretty funny to see the responses. If you leave a memory about me, I'll assume you're playing the game and I'll come to your blog and leave one about you. Enjoy!

Nobody needs to post anything on this . . . but I've got a few friends who did this and it's always fun to remember the good times. I had a good time doing it with them.

**Oh, and Charlotte, if you choose to write on this (which you don't have to), please do not put your favorite memory as they time I fell outside of the Benson building at 10:00 in the morning--only the busiest time of the day. I don't need help remembering that.

Attention . . . Good News In Store!

Well, I am happy to report that I have been offered a job. Happy day! The funds in the old bank account are rapidly depleting so it's about time I get myself solid work with a paycheck every two weeks. I was thisclose to donating plasma for a few extra dollars but memories of doing it in college prevented me from saying yes to the idea. Once, as a wee, poor college student, the person drawing my blood infilitrated my vein--meaning that she stuck the need all the way through. As a parting gift, I had massive bruises all up and down my arm which would have been cool since bruises are cool, but I'd gone swimming with my boyfriend's family up in Park City and my bruises were on display for everyone to see. Did I mention it was only the second time I'd met them? Yeah, they thought I was a crack whore from the streets. So upon thinking of donating plasma, I thought against it.

Happily, I've been offered a job with H.W. Lochner in their Public Involvement Department. They are an engineering firm who specializes in road development. I'll be working with the community about impending road work, gathering information or general opinion, educating the public, etc. At least that's what I think. Here are some good things about this place:

--It pays more money. Now I can finally afford Gucci handbags and Manolo Blahnik shoes.
--You can work 4 10s and then take a day off . . . who doesn't like the idea of a 3-day weekend?
--The company has a 10-year plan. This may sound silly to you, but how excellent is it that they actually have a plan for how they want their company to develop over the next 10 years? I'll admit, after my experience with the Sorenson Companies (my last two jobs), they merely reacted to the market. Hence, me getting the boot because they had no idea what they were doing.
--Hello! They specialize in road work. With the impending recession, I am definitely guaranteed a job. In fact, they say in times of economic distress, road work needs are inclined to increase because people will travel by car rather than plane. Of course, gas being what it is could have an impact on this, but still . . . .
--And the best news, the location is literally down the street from where I live which means my commute will only be 5 minutes. That'll be nice for the old gas stipend and also means I can sleep in a little later. Of course, I don't really know what it means to sleep in, if I sleep in past 8 o'clock I feel like such a schlep.

Anyway, I'm excited and hopeful that this will be a good job. As with any job, I guess we'll see how it works out but I think of all the jobs I've started since graduating college, this sounds like it'll have the most potential.

To those of you who have asked, sent me job postings, or offered encouragement, I really appreciate it. It's always nice to know your friends and family are behind you when you need a little pick me up. Thanks, guys! I love you all.

A Day with Becca!

My old roommate Becca just had a baby boy so I drove down to Provo to visit her and little Calvin. Becca is such a natural with Calvin and I just marveled at what a good mother she is! Not to mention that Calvin is ridiculously cute. He slept pretty much the whole time but he was pretty funny because he grunts and whines while he sleeps. He does a lot of stretching and squirming around also. I think Becca has got herself a little athlete on her. He certainly is an active little guy even at only a few weeks old! Anyway, I'm really glad I got to hang out with Becca and her new little boy. Thanks, Becca!

Oops!

Sometimes I just don't have it in me. Sometimes I just need to lie low.

Yesterday I was in a little bit of a funk and just needed a break from the whole social scene because frankly, you really have to work to make yourself accessible. It wears, dude. So when I found out there was a ward outing to a baseball game . . . I just wasn't feeling it. All I wanted was some Wendy's, a movie, and a little alone time. But a couple friends kept trying to get me to attend the baseball game--multiple promises were made that we would make our own fun if it wasn't fun on its own. Not very enticing if you ask me. My modest, non-committal phrases were not doing the trick as they kept pestering me. Finally, I replied, "I don't really want to go unless I know that cool people are going to be there." Um . . . that's not exactly what I meant. Once I made myself seem like a sycophantic freak-o I felt slightly embarrassed. It's not like I don't like those girls! I just wasn't in the mood to attend a ward event. Just one! Can I skip just one? Anyway, I hope those girls quickly forget my slip of the tongue.

Whew! What A Couple of Weeks it's Been!

Hey everyone! Hope all of you out there in blogger land is alive and well. Anyway, I've been such a slacker posting on my blog so I'm going to try to catch you up on what I've been up to. As I mentioned earlier, I've had family in town and I took a trip to Oregon with the Phillips/Wadman family. I've been having a lot of fun lately, almost too much fun it feels. Now that I'm back, it's back to the grind and trying to play catch up with the last week o' fun. Here are a bunch of picture . . . they're kind of skiwampus (I have no idea how you spell that), so it's a little out of order. Whatev!

We hauled lumber at my grandpa's ranch. Look how burly and tough I look.

Riding in the back of my grandpa's truck up to a clearing we visit every time we're in Oregon. It was pretty fun because we brought a friend of ours from the ward and showing him around the ranch was kind of like seeing it with new eyes. It felt so fresh and unfamiliar . . . a place I'd grown up visiting. It was actually quite special for me.

This is on the trip home . . . we're adorable, I know. That's my cousin Ryan who's also Kaylin's and my roommate.

Hanging out ont he Oregon Coast. Dad and his pal Licorice on the water's edge. Licorice was not thrilled with the water.

We buried Hillary alive and made her into a mermaid. I'm giving her boobs up at the top.

At the Sea Lion Caves. This is one of my favorite shots. If you look off into the distance you can see a quaint little house. I particularly loved the fog as it rolled up against the beach. It wasn't super warm, but definitely a sight to remember.

You can take an elevator 200 feet to the bottom of the Sea Lion Caves . . . which happen to be the largest natural caves in the world. If you look closely, you can see my bulging biceps holding up the cave.

A mother of a water fight. The only problem is those water balloons didn't exactly pop when you hit somebody. They just bounced right off.

Four wheeling at the ranch. My grandpa wanted to take a picture of Dan, Ryan, and me--that's his finger in the way. So hilarious!

Eating Umpqua ice cream--seriously the most delicious ice cream in the world! Of course, my trainer would probably disapprove. Whatever!

Grandpa Phillips. What a great guy!

I love this picture . . . this is exactly how the ranch looks. All green with windy, dirt roads. It's so tranquil and peaceful, but of course you can get in some wicked good four wheeling as well.

Back in Utah--hanging out at the pool. Of course, I really have only been to the pool twice. Check out my pasty white skin and you know that the sun is my mortal enemy.

My pal Mindy and me at a baseball game. We couldn't get the picture right, but I'm pretty sure I outshine Mindy. Just kidding . . . she's smokin' hot!

I've been working more at the gym trying to scrounge up a few extra dollars. This is what I do when I'm "working."

But when the boss comes into the gym you can expect a bright cheery smile and me pretending to work!

I'm Not Dead

Hello everybody! It's not like me to post on my blog because frankly, I'm somewhat obsessed about my blog. I'm always thinking of what would make a funny story or an interesting picture to post. Anyway . . . I'm not dead, just busy! Unemployed life has surprised me because I expected much more time than I've gotten. In truth, I've had family in town, went to Oregon, and had a few interviews along the way. Interviewing takes much more time than I had anticipated--it's an all-day adventure. However, I'm hopeful something will turn up soon and as soon as I get a chance I will put something up much more interesting than this!

Construction Is Everywhere

I don't know what it is but I am hitting every red light, every construction zone, every congested part of the city. It is getting on my last nerve. A simple five minute drive is turning into much longer. You would think since I don't have a job I'm not in a hurry to get anywhere. Wrong. In fact, it seems like I'm in even more of a hurry. I want to get where I'm going and then go back home to my nice cool apartment with wireless internet and thus continue to blissfully search for a job. However, if I hit one more patch of construction and have to wait through three green lights just to get through . . . well, let's be honest. I'll sit through it and complain about the wait, just like everyone else.

Update . . . I'm Amazing

Just kidding. After my supremely dramatic blog post last week announcing that I'd been laid off, I thought I should give you people out there in blogger land a quick update about the status of Mission: Find Me A Job, Darn It! Anyway, it's been interesting. On the day that I got laid off I started getting contacted by places I'd submitted my resume to. One place in particular interviewed me for a PR Manager-position and although I did not get the job, I did get a job with the consulting firm doing some contract freelance writing work. It's not a ton of hours, but here's hoping that it transcends into something a little more permanent. I would love to be this guy's go-to gal whenever he needs some writing done. I'll admit, I totally bluffed my way into making him think that I could write articles on technical stuff with ease and aptitude. Not sure if I was lying or if this is just how business works? I'm freaking out over here that I'll screw up! But here goes. As I said before, I am not a risk taker. But I've spent a lot of time trying to evaluate what I want in this life . . . especially professionally speaking. I know I want to keep writing, whatever that consists of. So I'm going to do my best to follow that path. I paid my tithing yesterday and it was kind of difficult (don't hate me for my lack of faith) to hand over that check. It was pretty scary paying your tithing not knowing when you'll get paid again! However, I'm glad for the experience. Sometimes it's nice to be tested and just grit your teeth and bear it, and hopefully show the Lord that you have the faith to see your trials through. I don't know if that makes sense. Thanks to all of you for your good wishes and thoughts! I really appreciate it and am so grateful to have you as my friends and family.

My Partners in Crime

I talk so much about Mindy and Kaylin--just so you can put a face with the name!

Starring Mindy

What do you get when a little Asian woman is roller blading around your apartment complex and you try to snap a picture? Mindy "pretending" to pose so it doesn't look too obvious . . . except the pictures of Mindy are better than the picture I got of the little Asian woman!

A Little Gift

Kaylin must have been feeling bad for me so she left me a little gift.

Silver Lining

It's been a wet and soggy winter, spring, and now summer. Very few people are happy about this and I must admit, I've been one of the chief complainers. Although I must admit that I've never seen the mountains quite this green in all my time in Utah (about ten years . . . can you believe that?!). I think they're stunning.

If ever there was a time for a silver lining, today is the day. I didn't really want to write anything about this, I was hoping that things would work themselves out and I could report Ta Da! New job! Instead, my report is that today I was laid off.

This isn't actually a surprise. I've been expecting this for a couple of months and I've been spending every waking hour looking for a new job. But I'll admit, it hurt when I was called into the meeting that signified the end of the road. I felt it. And I know it's business and if it had been my decision I probably would have made some similar changes but still, it was personal. I felt insulted. I felt like I had been wronged. I probably have been wronged . . . but that's a whole can of worms I'd rather not discuss.

Here is what I can say--I believe in miracles and I believe in the sanctifying grace of the Savior. As I've waited for the end to come (that sounds so cryptic . . . sorry) I've prayed, fasted, attended the temple, and paid my tithing. For me, paying my tithing was especially key. I knew that I had to give my 10% before I gave anything to myself. I've learned so much about giving of myself to the Lord and acting in faith. If any of you know me well you know one of my greatest weaknesses is the tendency to rely solely on myself. It's gotten me in a considerable heap of trouble in the past and this time I was determined that I would rely on the Lord. I would let Him guide me through this challenge.

Right now, I'm not sure what the solution is. Who knows? Maybe it's time that I start writing that book I've thought so long about. I'm not much of a risk taker, but maybe it's time I start taking risks and really put myself out there! I don't really know. But not knowing what the future entails . . . oh, man, it drives me crazy! Of course, I've been living with that big question mark for years. I should be used to it by now.

Anyway, here's to the silver lining. To the green that emerges after months of rain. But here's hoping that the rain doesn't last too long. :)

Rodeo!

This weekend we headed out to the Tooele Rodeo. So many people gave us strange looks when we said we went to the rodeo, but hey! The rodeo is fun!

Check out this sunset . . . Tooele knows how to make 'em.

Check out this horse! It's like he's tapping his heels together!

Check out these ladies! (Allyson, Carrie, Kaylin, Melissa)