Ch-ch-ch-changes!

Today was my last day in my current position at work. Big-fat-freaking YAY!  I have been so ready to leave this position since the carrot was dangled in front of my face 8 months ago.  Things haven't always been smooth with my transition, even this morning, I had to have a "discussion" with our IT department about getting everything squared away, which was probably less than thrilling for the poor sap on the other end of the phone, and then those that received my "friendly" e-mail which basically indicated that their lack of action for the last month was less than inspiring, and bordering on absurd.

But yay!  I am no longer the team lead!  I am no longer responsible for everything!  A huge weight has been lifted, and it feels wonderful!  Four exclamation points isn't excessive is it?

Now I just need to find the motivation to complete my science class, and then I'll really be celebrating.  Alas, I can't seem to muster the desire to complete it.  It's not that it's hard, I merely do. not. care.  Which is bad.  I had originally intended to have it completed by....uh...today, but I've pushed it out to mid-June for completion.  But before you start tsk-ing at my lack of effort, keep in mind that this is the last class I have this term (unless I add more) and the term goes until the end of September (so I'm actually REALLY ahead of the game).

In other news, I need to do laundry.

Y'know what the difference between you and me is?

Yesterday began with a quick hike up Ensign Peak, and ended with driving home from a wedding in a torrential downpour.  What happened in between wasn't terribly thrilling, although I will admit I looked good.  Yeah, that's right, I looked gooood.

I enjoy getting dolled up every now and again, more so than I used to.  The reason for glamming up yesterday was the aforementioned wedding.  And where there's a wedding, there's cute single guys, right?  Yeah, that was my thinking too, but unfortunately, that philosophy wasn't quite accurate.  So my foxiness was wasted....which is always a little sad.  So I decided that I'm going to wear the same outfit today, so that the masses will not be disappointed.  I'm so kind...

One-sided Conversations with My Gal Friday

"Well Hello Friday!"

"Yes, I know it's 1:00am"

"You're right, I should probably be asleep..."

"But I was just so excited to see you and...."

"Okay...."

"Fine...."

"Yes, I'll go to bed now and call you back at a more reasonable hour...."

Blech

It's been a titch boring here at work lately...and by lately, I mean yesterday and today.  It feels much longer than that though.  I'm transitioning to a new job next week, and in preparation for the move, things have been reorganized, and revamped (redundant, I know) to make the switch as smooth as possible.  Because of this, I have nothing. to. do.  I sit here, staring at my computer, sometimes checking Facebook, reading blogs and looking at recipes when I'm not pretending to work as the Provosts walk by my desk.  It would be great if I could do something productive, like homework....but that seems a little too involved to be done covertly.

Why oh why must we be on top of things??

You know the one...

So I'm sitting in my living room, listening to some music courtesy of my neighbors (which answers my previous wondering about whether they could hear me singing in the kitchen...resounding YES), and I realized that I actually knew the song!

I determined that it was the "Staring Song"...you know, the "Staring Song" right?  Everyone knows the "Staring Song"...it's on the radio all the time.  Okay, it's not ACTUALLY called the "Staring Song", and I should probably be ashamed to admit this, but I had to look it up.

It's "Stop & Stare" by OneRepublic.

If it had been "Stayin' Alive" by The BeeGee's I'd have been all over that!

Titles

We all have different titles that we assume throughout life.
When we start, it's usually something along the lines of "Little Miss"  (presuming you are female, that is).
Then it progresses gradually to "Miss", then to "Mrs." and maybe even the altogether confusing "Ms.".
I am currently a "Miss", sometimes a "Ma'am", rarely a "Madame" or "Mademoiselle" (is it just me or do these all start with "M"?).

There is however, a new title that I am striving to obtain.

That of "Domestic Goddess".

I have throughout my life had various spurts of domesticity, that never fully came to fruition, which is why I still have to practice in the art of culinary wizardry, and general craftiness.  Thankfully, the "Cleaning Guru" in me has already taken up residence, and lies comfortably at the crook of my elbow.  The arrival of the "Cleaning Guru" was something much anticipated by my parents as I grew up, owing to the fact that I detested cleaning, as was evidenced by my bedroom which constantly looked like a battlefield in which every article of clothing I owned had summarily surrendered, along with several other belongings.  There was also the fact that my parents made (read: forced) us poor, sad, defenseless children to wash the dishes for a week (an entire week!  That's like a lifetime!) rotating between the siblings living at home. You should have seen how we tried to get out of washing the dishes....there were tears, temper tantrums, backdoor deals went down like they were going out of style, and yet....the dishes remained, and my parents were not opposed to pulling us out of our warm beds and standing us in front of the sink full of dishes we had "forgotten" about and making us do them before we could go to bed.  Ah...the good 'ole days!   I think it was when I moved to Salt Lake and had to share a room and a small apartment that I realized the important lesson my parents tried to drill into their children...something akin to "Cleanliness is Next to Godliness"...or that it's really gross living with people who don't clean up after themselves, so you'd better clean up after yourself....something like that.

As far as cooking went, I think I was about 12 when I decided that I wanted to learn how to cook (and that desire didn't last very long if I recall correctly..), so I set about attempting to do so.  I could blacken chicken really well (unintentionally, of course) and profess that that was how I preferred my poultry be cooked, I once made a peach cobbler which contained more salt than sugar, I do not recommend baking cupcakes at 500 degrees in an attempt to make them cook faster--coincidentally, I do not recommend putting said cupcakes in the oven right before you go to bed and promptly forget about them until you hear the smoke alarm going off to announce their demise, I could burn the rice at the bottom of the pot almost without fail.  I did manage to make something edible once, Sweet & Sour sauce, which quickly became my "go to" recipe whenever the urge to cook would strike...looking back, I made it with so much vinegar, you could clear your sinuses quicker than a whistle.

Since that time, my technique has somewhat refined.  I make killer pancakes, orange chicken, Chinese noodles, chicken coconut curry, I've been known to toss out some pasta on occasion, I can whip out a delicious pizza should the need arise, I've made humus, chicken puffs, spinach artichoke dip, chili, waffles and mashed potatoes (though once they were so horrible, it was like eating paste....roasted garlic paste).  I still have some foibles in the kitchen, like the affectionately termed "Cow Pie Cookies", the Biscotti blunder of 2009 and countless attempts with Tofu, but I rarely give up entirely.

Which is why I am going in search of my new title with added gusto!
I have been perusing recipes, buying ingredients, and testing things out.  On the menu for today was Chicken Tenders with Blackberry Mustard.  I loved the Blackberry Mustard, I think it is very fun and quite tasty.  The chicken fingers did not turn out quite as lovely as I had hoped, but altogether it wasn't a complete disaster, I will still eat the leftovers...

I bought a TON of fruit today. Blackberries, Raspberries, Strawberries and Blueberries, all sit on my kitchen table waiting...waiting to be made into something delicious.  I am most excited about attempting to make tarts!  I love tarts, I decided that since I'm not a big cake person (and I really dislike frosting) that I will have Wedding Tarts instead of Wedding Cake...I may have decided that just now....hope my future husband doesn't have his heart set on cake!

So there it is, I want the "Domestic Goddess" title.  And I am going to get it...and who knows, maybe if my cooking is good enough, I may get another title because of it too.






Just kidding...about that last part, that is.

All you Nay Sayers...

I don't care what anyone says.

I love Bob Hope.

I am probably driving my neighbors nuts

I have been singing along to some CD's while hanging out in the kitchen...why in the kitchen?  Well...you get better acoustics in the kitchen.  And it happens to be where the CD player lives.

Now this might not be a problem if I were singing along with the likes of Frank Sinatra or The Beatles or even Creedence Clearwater Revival (yes, even them), but I am singing along with a Showtunes Accompaniment CD...meaning, it's just me...belting out showtunes...in a room that reverberates the sound.  Awesome.

Puddle-Jumpers

It has been raining. A LOT.

It reminds me of growing up in Washington, and frankly, makes me want to go back and see how everything has changed in the 8 years since I left.  My beloved friend Amy and her husband Sam are blessing their baby Owen at the beginning of June, and I really would love to be able to just drive up and be there, but alas...I cannot.  Silly responsibilities and whatnot.

Myself

So...I reread this blog yesterday...Yes, THIS blog..the one YOU are reading.

And I must say that I am alarmed by the fact that nobody told me how awful it is!  Seriously!  I sound like a crazy person most of the time...what with all the "strong desire(s) to scream, punch someone or cry" (melodramatic much?) and then there's so many references to how stressed, tired and just plain worn out I am.

I'm not going to be one of those people who goes back and deletes posts (though some of them really deserve it), but I am just so shocked that there is more than one person who actively reads this.  I appreciate your loyalty.  Even though I'm crazy...and may punch something at any minute...or burst into tears.

Did you catch that?  That was me.  Making fun. Of myself.

Scritch-Scratch

Now that the weather has taken a turn for the better, and the sun shines, birds chirp and squirrels scamper free, I decided it was time to bust out the hiking shoes.

After looking up a few hikes up Big Cottonwood canyon, I decided that hiking to Dog Lake would be my best bet.  A decent length hike, not too strenuous for my first time back since the snows came, and still would give me plenty of time to do the rest of the things I have planned for today.  

So I left the house at 8:30 and drove up to he trail head.  Only to find it covered in snow.  I couldn't see a trail to save my life, and there were 2 other individuals suffering from the same dilemma.  Being me, I decided I would hike up a little bit and see if I could find the trail a little further on.  Mind you, the snow that is all over the ground is about 2 feet deep (deeper in some places) and is incredibly crusty..which is handy for walking on when it's tightly packed, and scrapes your legs up like sandpaper when it isn't.

After scratching my legs up for a bit, I decided it would be better to just do a different hike and come back to Dog Lake when the snow is gone and the trail is visible.

The drive up the canyon was really pretty though, give me trees, rocks and waterfalls and I'm a happy camper!

Hazy Shade of Winter

I think today worked out to being the shortest work-day I have put in up until now (barring sickness).  I worked a grand total of an hour and a half.  An hour and a half?  Why?  I'll tell you why....this person you know, who occasionally answers to the name of "Lisa", is crazy.  She will work almost 15 hour days without realizing quite how that affects her schedule for the rest of the week.  And while some people, given the option, would do that to ensure their weekend starts that much sooner, that is actually not why I do it.

While not (in my mind) technically a work-a-holic (there are many more things I would need to do in order to be classified that way), many people believe I have sunk into that classification.

I hate leaving a job unfinished, so if I can get things done on a certain day, I will!  Even if it means staying at work for 15 hours...man...that does kinda sound a bit pathetic.  But anyway, hopefully with my new job, my outlook will change a little bit since I won't be responsible for an entire department anymore, merely my own tasks (yay!).

Maybe this means I'll have more time to have a life...or do homework.  Homework will probably win, I've heard that having a life is overrated.

Finally!

When I got back from Switzerland in April, I decided that instead of just throwing all of my pictures onto Facebook and then editing them 6 months later, that I would edit them FIRST and THEN make them available for your viewing pleasure.

This has resulted in...no photos on Facebook.  Until yesterday that is, when I decided that I didn't care anymore that all my photos hadn't been edited. Though I did only post those that have been edited, I realized that most people really don't care if I only put up a fraction of my photos (I've tried to refrain from posting everything I found interesting, and you would find not-so-interesting...like a plethora of doors and stairways I may have subjected you to last time...).

So, though I do still have plenty more photos that could be edited and posted, I feel good about the fact that it only took me a month and a half to get them out there.

Today...

...slept in til 7:15...now THAT is a luxury!
...my antivirus software detected a whole lot of crap on my computer.
...called my mom to wish her a "Happy Mother's Day" and when my brother answered the phone, I had him help me figure out how to get rid of previously mentioned "crap on my computer".
...put off getting ready for the day until 11:30 or so.
...went to my new ward.  I think it will be good.  I was complemented on my clothes and shoes a lot, so that's always fun.
...had Mother's Day dinner with the Buies.
...studied for my final exam tomorrow for my Managerial Blah-de-Blah class.
...finished Harry Potter #3 and started up on #4 again.
...walked in the rain.
...talked to an interesting guy after church.
...watched little kids run around screaming.
...got grossed out by "battle wounds".
...drank some nasty punch...one sip was enough.

Pray for sun tomorrow, I want to walk to work!

H2O

The sound of rushing water!

Exhilarating and and refreshing, transports you to another place. A mountain stream in summer where the water trips and falls around the rocks, etching its way ever onward.  Or a country brook where animals drink nearby as you enjoy an afternoon walk.

Alas, my sound of rushing water emanates from my living room wall.

A little while ago, I decided I was going to hang the mirror and picture that have been sitting on the floor feeling unloved and essentially forgotten.  So, after pinpointing where I was to place the nails for the mirror, I started hammering.  The first nail went in completely fine, the second however, hit a snag.  What I had thought was a 2X4 turned out to be a water pipe.

As water streamed onto the lamp, floor, pillows, blankets and couch, the only thing I could think of to do was plug the whole.  With my finger.  I felt like Hans Brinker's Little Dutch Boy, bravely plugging the dyke.  Then the thought came to me, "Who puts a water pipe in a living room?  In an area nowhere near someplace in need of plumbing?"

After informing the apartment manager, the water was turned off long enough for us to place tape over the hole so I didn't have to continue to stand with my finger covering the hole I had made.  Meanwhile, the carpet is completely saturated...I could go swimming if I really wanted to, and since the water has since been turned back on, it will only get worse.  I am envisioning water filling the space in the wall between our apartment and that of our neighbors (who I'm sure will be delighted with the turn of events when they return home).

Not bad for a Thursday afternoon, eh?

Doin' what come Nat'rally

I've been setting my alarm to go off sometime between 6:00 and 6:30 since I moved into our new apartment.  Having a 2 minute driving commute and a 10 minute walking commute really pays off in the wee morning hours.  So yesterday I decided that I would sleep in and wake up naturally, largely because after implementing a new filing system at work, I no longer have scads of things to do in the morning, fancy that!  Anyway, back to the alarm...I went a head and disengaged it (aka I turned the dang thing off entirely) and dropped off into a blissful slumber with pleasant dreams of waking up to birds chirping and the sun streaming through my windows at a respectable hour like 8:00.

Imagine my dismay when I woke up at 6:00.

I promptly sighed, glared at the clock and turned over.

I then awoke at 6:30.

Someone's idea of a sick joke no doubt!

Thus, I went into work at my usual time.

I'm trying this again.

Please fill out this survey...

I took another final exam today for one of my classes, and passed with flying colors!  Yay me!
Anyway, that isn't really the point of this post.  Kinda...but not entirely.  But a little.  woohoo!


So after I finished the exam, I logged into my school e-mail account, and read this message from one of the Provosts asking me to click on some link and answer some questions regarding my study techniques and what resources (books, modules, mentors, etc...) had helped me most in preparation for taking my exam.

Well, I know that I shouldn't really feel bad, but I didn't do it.  I didn't fill out the survey, and I will never fill out the survey.  Why?  It's not hard, I'd just click the link and BAM! I'm there!  But I didn't feel right about filling out the survey...and here's the silly part.  The part that is ridiculous and absurd.  I don't want to fill out the survey and tell them all about my study techniques because....I never actually studied.  Not only did I not crack a book, I never even bought the book...I never even looked to see what book was required for the course!

As I sit here and think about it, I shouldn't be embarrassed by the fact that I passed a final exam without studying, but for some reason, I don't want the University to know.  I KNOW!  I'm mental.

History

So today we underwent "the change".  No, not puberty.  That happened long ago.

The change I am referring to is the change instituted for the YSA (Young Single Adult) wards and stakes in the Salt Lake area.  We were encouraged to document this "momentous" occasion in our journals.  And since I don't keep a journal (don't judge), I figured that this is about the closest I get to "journaling", so you guys get to reap the...benefits?

Whatever..anyway.  A large portion of the meeting consisted of our stake being announced (I'm in the Salt Lake Holladay YSA Stake...yes, it's a mouthful, try saying it 10 times, fast) and the wards being delineated.  Then, members of the new stake presidency and the Quorum of the Seventy spoke to us...pretty much about the same things..over and over again.  First, there was how "huge", "momentous", "historical" and "mind blowing" this change was (Okay, so "mind blowing" was my own addition, but it felt like it belonged) and how we should document it (Exhibit A).  Secondly, there was always a reference to their spouse, how they met their spouse, when they met their spouse, how lucky they were to find their spouse, and how much they love their spouse.  Don't get me wrong, I LOVE spouses!  They're great, grand and wonderful!  However, it almost felt like each speaker was trying to "one up" the speaker before them.

It was slightly humorous to see people squirm in their seats when the subject of "marriage" flew from the pulpit though.  Why are we so silly about things like that?  I mean, yes, I get that we get harped on and sometimes looked down on because of our single status, but these people want us to be happy!  And I know that marriage doesn't automatically make you happy and singlehood means you're an unhappy spinster collecting cats and lace doilies, but it's an essential part of the Plan of Salvation...which is also, ironically, referred to as THE GREAT PLAN OF HAPPINESS!  Just sayin'....

On a serious note, I really enjoyed one speaker who eloquently stated that each of us has an individual "plan of salvation".  Meaning that though all of us were born, and all of us will eventually die, none of us are exactly the same. We all have different feelings, families, experiences and needs, so we can't compare ourselves to someone else.  Not that we "shouldn't", but that we "CAN'T".

Anyway, those are my thoughts on the "historical" moment I took part in today!