My brother, the doctor

A teacher once told my parents that my brother Clay wouldn't make it in the 'real world' because he lost so many homework assignments. How I wish that teacher could have seen him defend his dissertation for his PhD in Chemistry this past week.
Growing up, my brother defended and protected me and I helped find lost shoes, made sure he made it to church-mostly on time, and gave him advice as needed. He was one of my best friends and I dreaded the day he went away to college, then joined the military, went on a mission, got married, and eventually moved away.
My brother married Tennille while they both working on their undergraduate degrees. Tennie now has an MBA and my brother is a doctor, but not the kind that helps people(just kidding Clay). I always knew he'd be successful, even when others doubted. Way to go Clay. And no, I will not be calling you Dr.

When I grow up

"Boom. Boom. Boom" is what Joseph repeated every time a student walked by his desk during the Halloween parade. Hannah Montana, Gabriella from HSM, Rapunzel, a pirate with a parrot on his shoulder, and many other 'characters' made an appearance.
I watched with wonder as the students interacted with one another and the teacher. Attempting to take a class picture was comical as kids were karate chopping each other, trying on tiaras, and dancing around the room high on at least 2 lbs of candy. Spending time in the classroom taught me the following:
1) Being a 1st grade teacher takes a lot of patience.
2) Kids learn at an early age to bargain and trade for what they want most.
3) Calling a student by name makes them feel important. I learned this lesson as I watched the principal address each student by name during the parade.
4) Kids want to be accepted by their peers and teachers.
5) Lessons learned in a 1st grade classroom apply to people of all ages.

I love your blog

I have been given an 'I love your blog' award. Bless you Kaydi Rae.

1. Where is your cell phone? not sure

2. Where is your significant other? uh, Mexico?

3. Your hair color? natural hair color? brown

4. Your mother? listener

5. Your father? strong

6. Your favorite thing? being with family and friends

7. Your dream last night? I'd rather not disclose that information

8. Your dream/goal? success in all aspects of my life

9. The room you're in? office at the U

10. Your hobby? happiness

11. Your fear? failure

12. Where do you want to be in 6 years? clogging my way to fame. hee hee

13. Where were you last night? Halloween dance

14. What you're not? married(Lisa, I wrote that for you)

15. One of your wish-list items? trip to Russia

16. Where you grew up? Blackfoot

17. The last thing you ate? oatmeal

18. What are you wearing? sweater, dress pants

19. Your TV? fuzzy

20. Your pet? I don't have one

21. Your computer? work computer-in use. home computer- not in use

22. Your mood? content

23. Missing someone? yes

24. Your car? clean

25. Something you're not wearing? earrings

26. Favorite store? Borders

27. Your summer? unforgettable

28. Love someone? absolutely

29. Your favorite color? ever changing

30. When is the last time you laughed? 1 minute ago

31. Last time you cried? months ago

Friends

Kimberly(in the middle) is getting married November 1st and I attended her bridal shower this past weekend. Kristi(on the left) is married and has a 2-year-old son and is pregnant and due with her second child in 2 weeks. The summer before 5th grade, my family moved across town and I met a girl with amazing red hair named Kimberly and we've been friends ever since. Kristi and Kimberly were in the same kindergarten class and the three of us became even better friends in high school and were roommates in college.
Kimberly and Kristi have more stories about my growing up years than any other friends. Some of my favorite experiences include being asked to come in and have cookies while toilet papering, dressing up and walking around the greenbelt, walking home from school and being yelled at because a driver thought I flipped her off, and standing behind a huge sign near campus and scaring people as they walked by. From a parent's heart surgery to death of a sibling to marriage to birthdays, we have supported each other. And even though lives change and a few miles separate us, we make the most of the time we do spend together and cherish the memories and the friendship that will last forever.

I walked into the room for the bridal shower and I saw my friend Jerilyn from my first year in college. Jerilyn and I were in the same FHE group and our apartments spent a lot of time together. Recently, I found a couple letters from Jerilyn and wondered where was living. Jerilyn met Michelle and Kimberly while living in Provo and I'm so glad we've reconnected.

Fore!

The 2nd Annual Golf Tournament for the NBC was held earlier this week. I didn't know I was on a team until a few days before which meant I didn't have time to say no. We arrived at the U golf course and the first question my team asked was if anyone is left-handed. A loud groan could be heard through the Salt Lake Valley as I admitted to being left-handed and I thought I would be shunned the rest of the day. My team decided it would be best if I used right handed clubs for driving and a left handed putter.
My fears due to the lack of any golf skills quickly diminished as Al and Dr. L offered helpful tips and told me which club I should use for each hole. I laughed a lot during the day, learned a little about golf, and actually did well...all things considered.

Perfect for each other

Co-workers, friends, and family think I should date the following guys:

1) A guy who plays many musical instruments, has a graduate degree, and is so nice but don't you dare break his heart and what are you going to wear and what will you talk about. Oh and you should wear flat shoes. I will wear clothes. We will talk about politics, the weather, and my love of BYU. Flats? I'm more of a stiletto girl.

2) A guy who is unemployed and is doing little to find a job. Or making plans to go to school. Or doing anything else besides playing video games all day. Oh, and he has other 'issues.' I'm a social worker so I can solve anything.

3) A maintenance guy in town who also happens to have 4 kids. Hello instant motherhood. Step-motherhood that is.

4) A guy who recently returned from his mission. According to his grandma we would be perfect for each other and she really wants me to be part of her family. I'm fine with dating a younger guy and who wouldn't want me to be part of their family? The issue is that I'm pretty sure all woman 70 years or older still think I am a 20 year college student.

Let it be known that I don't mind going on blind dates and I have found that guys are better at setting up two people rather than girls. For some reason, they base the reason for the match more on personalities and less on the simple fact that I'm a girl and he's a guy.

A whole lotta money

I took my car to the dealership for an oil change. I walked around the car with the car adviser and then went to the waiting room. Greg, my favorite car adviser turned mechanic walked into the waiting room and said he would be taking care of the oil change. Greg returned to the waiting room and said he had some bad news. I was assured by Greg that the repair needed was minimal and yet, I still braced myself.

"You have a power steering leak and it will cost $1700 and you will not pass safety and emissions to register your car in November if you don't take care of the problem."

$1700 is a minimal repair? Sure, it could have been worse, but that's a lot of money. I left the dealership wanting to vomit. I called a friend who is a mechanic and he was very helpful. I planned to take the car to a mechanic I know in Idaho, but a co-worker recommended a mechanic and took a look at my car.

"Have you been adding power steering fluid to your car?"
"Uh, no."
"That's because you don't have a power steering leak. You need a new gasket and a something something needs to be cleaned so it will cost $100."

I thought about kissing the mechanic but that would have been inappropriate and awkward.

Degrees of Separation

The above picture is of my friend Deanna and my cousin DaJon. I first met Deanna at BYU through my roommates brother. Fast forward a few years when Deanna and her husband Charles show up at my condo to visit my roommate Shannon. I soon learned that Deanna and Shannon were roommates in Provo. Earlier this year Deanna and her husband and daughter moved to Georgia and the missionaries from The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints helped them move into their new place. Deanna read my blog about visiting family in Blackfoot and made the connection that my cousin was one of the missionaries who helped with the move. Deanna and her family were involved in a serious hit and run accident in July and survived with less injuries than one would suspect after seeing pictures of their totaled car. My cousin recently broke his elbow so he and Deanna are now broken arm friends.
What a small world.

Life is funny

I stepped near my closet this morning and the carpet under my feet was wet. I looked around and there wasn't a bottle of water or anything else that could have soaked the carpet. The baseboard next to my closet had mold and I opened the door to where the AC is located and found more mold. I've been out of town for over a week so I didn't notice the problem before. I laughed as I thought about my experience as an assistant estimator at Servicemaster and was grateful to know people who could help me. I called my friend Duane who works with AC's and he said to check the filter and he would come by later in the day. I called Michelle at Servicemaster and soon Father Bob was at my place to see what he could do. He cleaned the filter for me and told me to stop by the office to get a fan to dry the carpet and he told me how to take care of the mold. I called Jen who owns the condo and told her what happened and what was being done to remedy the situation and she was grateful the situation was being taken care of. So now, I am dealing with the mold, drying the carpet, and organizing my room.In the midst of the mold infestation, I received an interesting phone call. The person on the other line said they worked for Medicaid in Idaho and they were investigating a company I worked for 7 years ago. I asked for more information and was told that Medicaid wants to interview me about my time working for this company, but I did not need to worry because I had done nothing wrong. She asked if she could drive from Boise today to meet with me, but I said today wasn't a good day so she's coming tomorrow. I should also mention that the interview is expected to last 2-3 hours.

When I grow up

I spent this past week in Idaho visiting family and decided to spend my mornings working at the Eastern Idaho State Fair. I was at the fair by 8 each morning and went straight to the accounting office. One day, the door hit me in the face because my arms were full with the money bag, my water bottle, and book and I wasn't paying attention. At least the security guys had a good laugh at my expense. Each morning I was given a money bag with $600, signed a paper saying I received the money, and then a gate superintendent(my dad is one of the superintendents) walked me to my booth so I didn't get mugged. At the end of my shift, I was escorted to security and turned in the money and the auditors checked to see if the register was over or short. Of course I balanced everyday.
On the second day of the fair a man who had been drinking walked up to the ticket window and started swearing at me. He said that he got a stamp when he left the fair the night before and now the ticket takers at the gate wouldn't let him in. I explained that he needed to buy a gate ticket everyday and once again he started to swear and as he walked away, I noticed he had peed his pants. Another time, a group of college guys came to my window and tried to get a discounted ticket. One of the guys said he would give me $4 and sing a Johnny Cash song. Tempting, but I told him he could give me $5 and still sing a Johnny Cash song. In the end, he didn't have $5 so his friends paid for him. I read 2 books during the week, drank a lot of water, ate breakfast with my family at Wimpy's, saw friends from the past, went to the rodeo, Poison concert, and Motocross Freestyle. Going to the fair is a family tradition and I look forward to going next year.

Are you ready for some football?

I spend part of my time at a University of Utah health clinic which means that most of the employees are Ute fans. I didn't hide the fact that I am a Cougar fan, but I certainly didn't go around advertising my loyalty. Can't we all just get along? Okay. Maybe that's too much to ask. I'm the first to admit that if I know someone is a die-hard Utah fan, I will be sure to let them know of my love for all things BYU.

I received an email yesterday from my fellow Cougar Mark about a tailgate lunch at the U clinic in honor of BYU football which was followed by emails from the U fans that today is Red Thursday and everyone must dress accordingly. I knew then that today was my day to let them know how I feel so I wore a blue skirt. Walking into Rounds and hearing gasps, two cheers, and lots of mumbling was great. "I thought you were a Utah fan" was the response of one co-worker. Uh, yes, I do enjoy Utah sports, but I love BYU sports.

Mark's office was decorated with red U's, a red chair, red confetti, red jolly ranchers, and anything else they could find. I can't wait to help him decorate the entire office blue.

I found some

A couple of boys were running up and down the bleachers at a rugby game recently. I kept hearing one of them yell "I found some! I found some!" so I started watching the boys to figure out what had been found. I was pretty sure I knew what the boys were looking for and I was right. The boys were looking for gum and candy stuck under the benches or on the floor. One of the boys was scraping candy or what he thought was candy off one of the benches when I heard the other boy yell, "Hey! Give me some of that." At least they were sharing.

When I grow up

* For more information on "When I grow up" please read the post dated 8/14/08.

For my first "When I grow up" Friday, I shadowed Mike who is an estimator for ServiceMaster. Mike works on the estimates for insurance companies after a disaster which includes but is not limited to water damage, odor removal, smoke and soot removal, and others. I wasn't sure what time to be at work, but luckily Mike sent me a text that I should arrive at noon. I brought slurpees expecting to watch Youtube videos all afternoon, but that was not the case. We(and by we I mean that Mike worked on the estimate and I smiled and nodded when appropriate) worked for what felt like days and then finally took a break. Wait. Let me start at the beginning. I walked in and Mike said that he had been waiting. I sat down and he asked me to get out my paper and pen.

'Uh Mike, since when do you actually do work that requires pen and paper?'

I grabbed a sticky note and a pen and I started taking notes. Being an estimator is more difficult than I imagined. Mike explained the process for doing estimates as he worked and it was interesting. Tedious, but interesting.
Let's go back to when we took a break from working. We were listening to music on Pandora and Mike decided to see the music video on Youtube. That led to watching more videos and reading news about Bigfoot and the Olympics. The next thing I knew it was time to go.
Here is a list of the important things I learned as assistant estimator:
1) Always tear out non-salvageable laminate floor
2) Have a window open to Youtube for easy access during down time
3) Good headphones are a must
4) Save as you go so you don't lose information entered for the estimate
5) When in doubt, ask Chris. He knows everything about everything-including Bigfoot

Blogging Fridays

A couple of friends were helping me decide what I should do on Fridays now that I work 4 10s and it was decided that I should go to work with a friend at least once a month and blog about my experiences in a series called "When I grow up." Exciting right? Tomorrow I will be an estimator. I can't wait.

And the winnner is...Coventry

Ah, the blessed Olympics are finally here. My friends and I were watching swimming on Saturday night and I missed the end of one of the semifinals. I asked my friend Joe(name may have been changed) who won and he/she said "Coventry. I've never heard of that country before." I pondered for a moment and then realized he/she must mean that the last name of the winner is Coventry, not the country they are from. At this moment, Joe turned to me and said "Uh, the last name is Coventry. She's from Zimbabwe. I was confused because her swim cap says Coventry." Good recovery Joe.

Books of Fury

A friend sent me this video and said one of the characters reminded him of me. Should I be offended? Not at all. Luckily, what happened in the video never happened to me when I worked at the BYU library. If it had, I would probably be on probation or in jail right now.

We can't afford to be innocent

I went to the Pat Benatar concert this evening with a few friends. We stood in line for less than an hour and ended up on the front row. My heart was beating as I thought about seeing Pat live and I'm pretty sure we had perma-grins the entire night.
Lindsay Rush opened for Pat and Neil and she was a pretty good singer, but all I wanted was Pat and Neil to come on stage. When Pat and Neil finally came on stage, the crowd went wild. Pat sang the songs everyone knows including Hit Me With Your Best Shot even though she doesn't like to sing that one anymore. At one point Neil looked at us on the front row and said 'many of you weren't born when we first started singing.' Pat smiled at me and she touched my hand. I thought about never washing that hand again, but I knew my health inspector roommate would not approve of that decision. And more importantly, I wouldn't approve of the decision to not wash my hands. I sound like I have multiple personalities.
Back to the concert. Pat was entertaining and sounds great live. We sang along to every song and lost our voices and hearing by the end of the night. I felt like I was in the movie Bucket List and seeing Pat put one more drop in my bucket. Such an incredible concert.

Movie Theater Work Out

I was talking about the Cardio Cinema room at Gold's Gym with some co-workers when Lisa jumped into the conversation and the following is my conversation with her.
Me: I love going to the movie theater room.
Lisa: You work out while at the movies?
Me: Yes, I find that it's best to go to a theater that has stadium seating so I can do squats up and down the stairs. Sure, people may get annoyed as I walk up and down the stairs, but we're talking about my health and exercising is an important part of my daily routine.
Lisa: Ooh. You can buy candy and use it as weights for an arm workout. And just lifting the large popcorn is a workout so you definitely burn calories.
Me: Exactly. I can also lay down in the front of the theater and work on my abs.
Anyone want to go to a movie?

I own the Boston Celtics

When I was in middle school, I was student of the month and at the end of the year, I won a prize. What prize? 1 share of Boston Celtics stock. I remember talking to a financial adviser and he told me about my new investment and all the money I would make with my 1 share. I have received a check in the amount of $1-2 every year since middle school and after awhile, I forgot about my share. Besides, I was told the stock would be sold to someone else after one year.
A couple years ago I received a letter saying that the Boston Celtics, or actually, Henley Limited Partnership, would like to buy my stock for $20. I signed a form and soon received the $20 check in the mail. I no longer owned stock in the Boston Celtics. At least, that's what I thought, until my mom handed me a check yesterday for $5.35 from Henley Limited Partnership as 'final' payment for selling my stock. The last paragraph of the letter that came with the check explaining why I received the money, said that I could possibly receive more money in the coming years.
I'm going to be rich. Go Celtics.

H-O-R-S-E

Mike asked if I wanted to play H-O-R-S-E and I wasn't sure I wanted to play because I haven't shot a basketball for quite some time. I decided to play and ended up winning. And by winning, I mean that there was no way I could lose. Maybe Mike was having an off night or maybe I'm just that good. On second thought, he probably was having an off night.
After Mike and I finished playing, Gundry, David, and Jennifer decided to play P-I-G so it would be a shorter game. Shorter game? Yeah right. A crowd gathered to watch the game and Elliott was a great water guy. We thought David was going to lose many times, but he always made his life saving shot. I was feeling pretty good about the game, until David started bringing out the props. 'This is what you're going to do. Jump over the chair and shoot with your right hand or run, grab the frisbee off the chair with your left hand and shoot with your right.' Luckily he either missed or Mike would miss so I wasn't forced to try sustaining a brain injury while playing. We should have worn helmets.
At one point, David stood with his back to the basket and threw the ball over his head and made the shot. Mike was after David and he too made the shot which meant it was my turn to do the same. A hush came over the crowd and I asked Gundry to make sure the ball didn't end up in the fire. I took a deep breath and tossed the ball. I didn't dare watch the ball fly through the air. The crowd went wild, high fives were exchanged, and I was in shock that I made the basket.
At the end of P-I-G, David won gold, I won silver, and Mike won bronze.