Vacation and Family

To my thousands of avid fans out there, I apologize for the delay in posting. I know you all wait with baited breath for news about me! Well, here we go...

So, I graduated from BYU with my MSW (FINALLY!!!!) It was great! Here are some pictures. NOTICE THE HOOD!!!! That, along with the black robe! (It's very Harry Potter-esque...don't you think? I do!)



Anyway, that was a lot of fun. Shortly after, I took my licensing exam...AND I PASSED!!!!! I then applied for a CSW license (Certified Social Worker) in the State of Utah, which came in the mail shortly afterwards. Now, I can start looking for a job without being denied because I don't have a license (which is what happened, and was a great source of annoyance and frustration!)

After graduation and testing, the fun began! I went to NC to see my sister and brother-in-law. I absolutely love NC! It's green, with trees everywhere, and on the east coast! I had a great time. It was great seeing my sister and her husband and spending time with them. I am still waiting for them to move back to UT (or for me to move out to NC, whatever comes faster!)

In NC, we went to Duke Gardens (I have to go there everytime I'm in NC. I never get enough of it!), New Bern (I guess it used to be the capital of NC. It's an older town and had some of those amazing old houses!!! Also, we went to the birthplace of Pepsi-Cola and had a pepsi!), and an air show. I had a blast!!!! My sister had that new Dyson vacuum (the one that moves on a ball in the center). I begged her to let me vacuum. She relented and I had fun! Plus, her carpet is the best kind to vacuum!

When I got home, we had family who were up for a baseball tournament. We had a houseful, but it was so much fun to see them! I had my first taste of IHOP, which was better than I expected! We also watched the final American Idol (and yes, I still chuckle when I think of the showdown between Kara and DBG!)

I then hopped on a flight to NM to see my brother and his family (we went down to see my niece blessed in church). I had A BLAST!!!!! My oldest sister and her family drove down, along with my youngest brother and his girlfriend and my parents. We had a full house that was overflowing with energy, laughter, and good times. However, we still were not complete!!! My two other siblings were unable to attend.

The next week, it was time for me to head to DC. I was quite anxious about it because I was starting an internship. As most of you know, I have a tendency to worry/freak out/stress/etc over anything that happens. Luckily, after getting to DC, I was able to calm down. Washington, DC is my "Disneyland".

Anyway, I was able to escape from campus every once in a while to see some sights. Unfortunately, my camera was not able to escape (no worries, it now goes with me everywhere!) I did manage to get some photos of the "white house". Here's an eye-feast!!!!!




(And yes, I took them myself!)

Well, you are all up to date. However, things change quickly and I will try to keep you informed. I have many places to go here in "Disneyland" and many photos to take. So, stay tuned...!

The Suspense is Over!!!!

To my avid fans out there...the suspense is now over and here you have a new post! :)

So much has happened. To begin with, I GRADUATED!!!!!! I now have a Master's Degree (MSW) and am quite happy to be done with school. I had a great time at the Commencement Exercises where President Uchtdorf and Elder Nelson spoke. The procession was a great experience because we were able to walk past President Samuelson, President Uchtdorf, Elder Nelson, and the faculty. It was a different, but nice, experience compared to the last Commencement Exercises when Vice President Cheney came to speak (although I highly enjoyed that speech!!)

Convocation was great as well. We sat on the front row and Elder Christoferson was attending. As my name was read and I crossed the stage, I was able to shake hands with him, as well as Dean Magleby and Vice President Tanner. All in all, it was a great graduation time!

Sad moments that came with graduation were few, but huge. My internship at the American Fork Hospital came to an end, which was bittersweet for me. It was nice to reach the end, but I had forged some great frienships there and was enjoying what I was doing. In addition, it was hard to become unemployed in this wonderful economic time period we are experiencing, thanks to some highly selfless people. Luckily, I do have a summer job that will help me to enjoy the summer while having some sort of income. Hopefully when I return, employment opportunities will be more abundant (especially now that I have a license!)

Which brings me to my next point...my licensure exam. I was very nervous to take this (and quite the basket case--highly unlike me!) I started studying a week before my test date and took my first practice test, on which I scored a 60% (I need a 70% to pass on the real test). I continued to review, then took the second test on which I scored a 62%. At this point, I started to get somewhat frustrated. I took the third test, 64%, and was about to give up. However, thanks to my determination and my mom's persistence, I continued studying and my scores finally reached into the low 70's. I went and took the test and was very nervous as I hit the "Quit" button. After going through a short survey (which seemed extremely long), I was told that I had PASSED!!!!!! Oh, it was a very exciting day. If you heard someone shouting, it was me! I can now register for a license and then am able to get a job. Oh, happy day!

Now, I prepare for my US tour and am very excited! East Coast, Southwest, East Coast again! In addition, I will plunge into the Harry Potter saga, finish the "Percy Jackson and the Olympians" series (I highly recommend it!!!!!) and the Leven Thumps series ("The Ruins of Alder" is taking forever to come out!), and read book 4 in the Fablehaven series. After seeing the trailer for "Angels and Demons", I now want to read the book in anticipation of the movie. The best part is...I have no papers to write, textbooks to read, or professors to deal with (although, I do now have a job to find).

Well, that is the extent of what has been occurring in my life. Things are exciting, unknown, and great (except for the unknown part...I hate not knowing!) I hope all is well with everyone! Take care :)

My Pensieve

This post has been years in the making (even before I started my blog)...

As my good friend Babs sings it, "Memories light the corner of my mind".

Just the other day, I came across two cd's I bought quite awhile ago (although, I like to think it wasn't too long ago). I decided to rip them on my computer and put them on my "relaxing" playlist on my ipod. Then, I started listening to the songs and it was like a dam of memories breaking in my mind!

The cd's were the two soundtracks released for the movie Titanic. Now, before anybody stops reading the post due to the word "Titanic" (as I would do myself), please let me explain. Of all the movies I have seen, there has never been one that I have become so overly annoyed with or one that I have truly regretted seeing (ok, just kidding, there have been many other movies I have regretted seeing). But I cringe every time I hear Titanic (mind you, I still really enjoy My Heart Will Go On for one obvious reason!) That being said, I must confess that I really enjoy a good love story, and Titanic portrayed an amazing love story (but I recognize it could have done with some changes and deletions).

Now, by this point (if you are still reading), you may be asking what in the &@*# does this have to do with memories? Titanic came out while I was in high school (1997). It is also connected with three memories (oh, what I would give for a pensieve)! Anyway, here are the memories:

1. My first date (yes, yes, my first date)
2. My sister
3. Celine Dion

My first date was with a friend I had grown up with. We lived in the same neighborhood and went to elementary, junior high, and high school together. My first memory of her was fifth grade. She was always a great friend. So, obviously, by bringing back my memory of this friend, it opened up even more memories about school (elementary, jr high, and high school) and other friends that my friend and I had in common. Even though the movie was a disaster, the date was a lot of fun. We did go have ice cream afterwards and had a great conversation. A great regret I have is that I have not stayed in contact with her and I do not know what she is up to now.

My sister was willing enough to go with me on my first date (she and her boyfriend, me and my date). Once again, a memory of my sister opens up many thousands of memories dealing with school, friends, and family! (Needless to say, I have been swimming in an ocean of memories for quite some time!) Anyway, I love my sister and I remember I was very glad she was there with me. I tried to act completely independent but having my sister there made me feel more comfortable and, hopefully, it prevented me form acting as socially awkward as I was at that time in my life. Moving on...

Memory number three...Celine Dion. Ok, it is common knowledge now that I really enjoy Celine Dion's voice (as does anybody who recognizes and appreciates good music). What most of you probably don't know is that my first experience with Celine Dion (placing her name with the song she sang) was "Because You Loved Me" and I LOATHED that song! Everytime it came on the radio, the station quickly changed (unless my mom or sister were in the car, then I was forced to endure). However (and you can all thank my sister for my quick education in recognizing and enjoying good music), the tables quickly turned. My sister mentioned that she wanted Celine's Falling Into You album. One day, I was at the store with my mom and, there it was. I pointed it out to my mom saying "that's the cd [my sister] wanted." I knew I was condemning myself to torture because my sister would then have that dreaded song!

Anyway, my mom gave the cd to my sister and, as I expected, my sister loved it and listened to it a lot. While she was cleaning the bathroom one day, she put it in the stereo in the front room and turned it up. The song I heard was amazing! I had to find out what it was (I did not know it was the Celine album my mom got my sister). So I ran upstairs and asked what was playing. To my surprise, it was the album (the song was "It's All Coming Back to me Now"). Since that time, I have been hooked! And yes (I know you're asking...) I do enjoy "Because You Loved Me", very much!

It's funny how one soundtrack had this huge effect (and yes, the soundtrack is still very nostalgic--every time I listen to it! And it's almost addictive...I keep having to listen to it!)

Anyway, I have only given you a "stream" of the memories that I have been entertaining. Some have been happy, others not so much. The overall sentiments have been bittersweet. I miss the days of growing up and having all of my family under the same roof. However, the new additions that have been added to my family little by little are people that I am greatful to have in my life and I would never trade them for anything. Also, the experiences I have had since my growing-up years have been priceless. I miss the care-free days of elementary, jr high, and high school--days hanging out with friends, worrying about what's for dinner, buying whatever you want because money from your job never had to go towards rent, groceries, utilities, or car payments. I even miss the care-free days of college (undergraduate) when I went to class, went to work (both on campus) and hung out with friends. All those arguments I had with my parents; the nights lying in bed (when my parents were able to stay up), wishing I could be a grown-up so I could stay up until I wanted to go to bed. Now, I wish I could be the little kid who had to go to bed by 8:30 and sleep until 7 on weekdays! (Side Note: if kids really knew what was ahead of them in life, I don't think they'd throw such fits when it was time to take a nap or go to bed...I wish I could take a nap or go to bed early!!!!!)

Ok, anyway, this "stream" is slowly forming a small "river". I have left one official side note and about a million unofficial side notes. If you have read with me until the very end, thank you! If this post seems like a jumble of words, you nailed it on the dot...it pretty much is. But then again, isn't that what memories are?! A blessing? A curse? I wondered for a bit, thinking they were curses some times and blessings at other times. Now, I like to recognize them as blessings...even blessings can be painful, but they always have a special meaning or purpose. Memories can only be a curse if we dwell on them too long without moving forward.

I could go on, but it is late and my eyes and body are screaming at me to go to bed. Thank you for reading as I ruminated. It has been fun!

What would I do with $1,000,000.00...no, really!

So how many times have you heard the question "What would you do with a million dollars?" Well, I have 500 times too many, so I am now answering that question so the next time I hear it, I can actually give a real answer. I know, I'm so responsible :). Don't be jealous of me for too long.

1. First, as always, tithing! That would be $100,000.
2. Second, I would invest (in the bank...absolutely NO stock market for this money!) That would be $150,000
3. Next would be the best car in the world! That would be $16,640
4. $50,000 to the LDS Church's Humanitarian Program
5. $5,000 for clothes
6. $400,000 for a small home (4 bedrooms, three bathrooms, dining room, kitchen, front room, family room, study/office, sun room, front and backyard).
7. $10,000 to landscape/fix landscaping in the front and back yards
8. $50,000 for a grand piano that looks something like this
9. $160,000 for a tour of Jerusalem, Egypt, Turkey, Greece, Eastern Europe, Germany, Italy, France, Spain, Portugal, Scandinavia, and the UK
10. $20,000 to pay off student loans
11. $5,000 to pay off my car
12. The rest ($33,360) to travel to see my siblings and their families

Well, there you have it, how I would spend $1,000,000 if I had it. Now the question is...what about you?!?!?!?!

Confessions

Due to the huge population of readers of this blog and the many requests for a new post, I present you with twenty confessions of Yours Truly. I am stealing this idea from some other friends...it sounded fun!!

1. I love to drink milk/water/juice from the carton. I hate dirtying a cup just for one drink.
2. When I'm alone in the car, I love to turn the radio up and belt the songs. It's such a cathartic event...I feel more relaxed when I get out of the car.
3. I am obsessed with good smells. I love things like febreeze, scented candles, glade plug-ins (fresh laundry scent), and air fresheners. I do not like the presence of interesting smells (roommates make this difficult).
4. I am addicted to gum! I have to be chewing something.
5. I cannot suck on candy. Within two minutes, I am trying to break it with my teeth so I can chew it. Those huge jaw-breakers are a nightmare for me...I lose interest rather quickly.
6. I hate tv, but I love movies (although, I do love American Idol!!!!)
7. I cannot sleep on my back, but I have to start in that position at night or else I will not fall asleep (I say that because I have tried to fall asleep on my side multiple times and it won't work unless I am on my back first.)
8. I have recently developed an intense passion for indoor plants! The only problem is that I keep killing them. I am proud to say that my babies (Chives, Cilantro, Thyme, Parsley, and Basil) have grown from seeds and are now sporting their secondary leaves (well, Basil is being a late-bloomer, but I can see leaves starting to come up.)
9. I absolutely love yard work (weeding, mowing the lawn, planting, etc).
10. I love cooking!!!!!!
11. I'm a severe clean freak, but my room sometimes suggests otherwise (I don't even get it!)
12. I hate sports but actually love a good football game if I am in the stadium at the time the game is going and the weather is pleasant or slightly on the warm side.
13. I maintain a secret love of architecture and construction...I sometimes wonder why I did not study those subjects in college...
14. I have always (as long as I can remember) wanted an identical twin. Because I did not get that, I want a set of identical twins.
15. I have only cried after 4 movies (that I am aware of).
16. I LOVE playing with hair! I find it absolutely relaxing when I run my fingers through hair (even more when people run their fingers through my hair).
17. I am determined to run at least one marathon (running is my favorite sport).
18. I have never been skiing (yet I have lived in Utah my whole life).
19. I would jump at the chance to walk the Camino de Santiago, starting in Pamplona. This will happen sometime in my life!
20. I love a good campout with a tasty foil dinner, a good hike, and friends/family.

There you have it...twenty things you probably didn't know about me :).

Winter Fun!!!

So, instead of writing my paper (which we were trying to get out of, but have not heard back from our professor yet), I have decided to use my frozen hands to type a fun little post, as it has been quite awhile since my last, and my goal is to make this sentence as long as I can, but I can't think of anything else to write in this paragraph, so I'll end it now.

Anyway, today started out ok with work (it was quite busy). However, all throughout the day, I kept thinking about my delicious pork roast sitting in my brand new crock pot (thanks Santa Claus!) at home cooking away :). I was very excited to come home and when I did, the fragrance permeated the entire apartment (how about that sentence?!) Anyway, I made some potatoes and gravy (for the very first time--the gravy that is!) I was quite proud and I believe my abilities would have made Chef Ramsey's mouth water! The taste was even better!

As I was cleaning up my mess like a good roommate, I smelled a strong pungent smell that reminded me of natural gas. In my attempt to be cautious, I went down to the management office to tell them I thought there was a gas leak and to see what they could do for me. Management told me to keep an eye (or in this case, a nose) out to determine if the problem resolved or got worse. Ten minutes later, when the smell intensified, I went back down and told them the situation was escalating. Management then told me that the real management was out-of-state and maintenance had gone home and would not be available until tomorrow. I was then told to wait until then to ask for assistance.

At this time, I must note that the office employee is not to blame as she was probably as unsure of what to do as I was (I had to call my mom and sister to find out who to call/what to do. I know, I know...a graduate student and I don't know how to deal with a gas leak!)

Back to the story...

So, I was thinking that if nothing was done about this situation tonight, I would not be here tomorrow to report it, so I called Questar to report a gas leak. They sent a representative over (who was great!) to investigate. His findings resulted in a discovery of Carbon Monoxide gas in the apartment (there was not leak...I wonder where the gas smell came from. I am convinced that CO is NOT odorless!) Anyway, the Questar representative investigated our furnace and he said he was surprised it was still working. Aparently, the pilot light was not combusting the natural gas completely, so it was charring the inside of the furnace, making a huge mess. He declared the furnace as unsafe to use, shut off the gas, and told us to contact management quickly to fix the problem.

So...the result...we get to spend the night with no heat! Don't be jealous of us (I know you are...STOP IT!) However, being Mr. Prepared, I have situated my electric blanket on my bed, turned my space heater on, and will be bundling up for bed. However, before that, I must now type my paper for tomorrow (again...don't be jealous!) Let's just hope that my babies (their names are Cilantro, Basil, Parsley, Chives, and Thyme) will survive the harsh environment we have been forced to enjoy.

To all of you who have to suffer through a heated home this evening, I apologize that you do not get to enjoy the winter fun that our apartment will be enjoying this frigid evening in January.

Before ending this post, I want to give a shout-out to the Presidential Inauguration tomorrow (8 am at www.cnn.com). Whether you love or hate Barack Obama, it will be a historical moment that I think all should experience.

My Life Between Semesters...PURE HEAVEN!

So, there have been many people that have told me to enjoy school because I will miss it. At this point in time, I don't believe it. Since my last final, I have done nothing but sleep in, read (for pleasure), and play games. Not once have I thought about school (only the dread of having to return for one more semester. To those of you wondering why I chose to continue school, I am one of you and I have no answer. All I know is this better be worth it!)

I normally have the tradition of reading the Harry Potter series every Christmas. I don't think I will ever get tired of those books (it hasn't happened yet and I've read them 6 times so far!) However, I have been missing the suspense curiosity that comes with a new series, one that I don't know the ending to. In my quest of finding a new series, I talked with some friends and was told of three:

1. Percy Jackson and the Olympians by Rick Riordan
   
2. Fablehaven by Brandon Mull
3. Leven Thumps by Obert Skye

Percy Jackson and the Olympians topped my list because it's about a modern-day greek hero (part human, part Olympian). In this series, Rick Riordan combines Greek mythology with modern-day adventure. It's fantastic! I was able to borrow the books from the library and read through them in a week. Now, I'm awaiting the final book (The Last Olympian, due in May 2009). Even though the story line is very juvenile (and there's nothing wrong with that), it has been a page turner because I am extremely fascinated by Greek Mythology. I think these books are a must-read for any avid Greek mythology lover!

Fablehaven and Leven Thumps sounded interesting as well and, I must say, have always caught my eye every time I enter a bookstore. I just started reading Fablehaven, only because I'm still waiting for the first Leven Thumps book to become available. I wanted to wait with Fablehaven because that series still has two books left to be published (and I really hate waiting for books to be published!). However, I did start and I like what I've read so far.

Other books on my I-Want-To-Read list include, but are not limited to,

1. The Mayor of Casterbridge
2. Paradise Lost (in the middle of this one, fabulous!)
   
3. The Return of the Native (also in the middle, read previously, also fabulous!)
4. Beloved
5. Don Quixote
6. Cien Anos de Soledad
7. War and Peace
8. The Idiot
   
9. The Koran
10. The Apocrypha

I am also open and looking for other good books to read (it's so much more entertaining than watching tv!) I also have a pretty lengthy list of previously-read material that I really enoyed! However, this post is already a novel, so I will postpone my list of top reads! Until then, stay tuned :)

Celebrity Look-alikes

It's funny how there are some people you greatly resemble and others who don't look a thing like you. What's even funnier is when people tell you that you look like someone who doesn't even look like you. This mostly happens to me when people tell me I look like celebrities. The other day, I was at work and someone told me that I looked a lot like Brad Pitt.

I wanted to laugh but realized that it would be inappropriate for the situation I was in, so I refrained. However, that comment made me remember some other celebrities I have been told that I resemble. I could only remember the names of 2 other celebrities. These include Val Kilmer and Guy Pearce. What can I say...I knew I was destined for stardom!! Here are some pictures...I'll let you judge for yourselves. I don't think there's much of a resemblance...