They Gave Me Two Months

Los Angeles

2011-10-23T16:56:00.000-07:00

Drove nine hours, ate pizza, drove to TJ's for some shortbread cookies and saw some road rage on the way. Terrifying. The thing I have nightmares about except he has a gun in the car and tries to blow your brains out. No gun in real life. And even though he's totally psycho, LAPD is too busy to help. Now we're watching Jane Eyre even though I should be unpacking and giving Cleo half of my stuff. The 210 is heaven. Although nobody really speeds anymore, and that's kind of disappointing.

Loving the palm trees, the humidity, my SIL baking a peach pie. I LOVE L.A.

Shameless Request

2011-10-14T10:09:00.000-07:00

Yesterday I spent an obscene amount of money on mission clothes. John and Jenny are the only ones that know how much, and they won't tell you because they don't do that sort of thing. Right?

I'm pretty much all done shopping except for a pair or two of flats to walk in and any other good winter skirts I find at DI.

So. If you would like to get me something for my birthday (*cough* October 27th) I still need winter accessories. Like, practical ones, not the ones that girls wear around downtown LA during November. Scarves, gloves, hats. Yup.

You know, if you would like to.

Shabby Apple

2011-10-13T07:44:00.000-07:00

You lose.

I ordered the Ivory Tower and High Marks skirts. The description says they are both satin and that the HM skirts has a satin lining. Well, they are made from different fabrics and I can assure you that both skirts are full unlined. The fits are awkward and there is no way the IT skirt would retain the defining pleats after the first washing.

What am I missing about Shabby Apple that's so great????

so I'm sitting here at work researching a jacket and

2011-10-04T12:57:00.000-07:00

The phone rings.

It's some lady wondering if we have doll limbs. We don't today and due to the constant dramatic changes in our inventory, the best thing is just to come in and look and see what we have. Okay but do you have the number for any other stores? I can give you Provo's. I have Provo and they gave me yours. Okay... it really depends on how far you're wanting to drive.

Me: If you go to providentliving.org there is a listing of all the Deseret Industries stores and you can find which one you're looking for.

Her: Okay, now what is that again?

Me: Provident living dot org. It's a website that lists all of the DIs.

Her: Okay. Provident... living... now is that d-o-t?

Me: I'm sorry, what?

Her: Those initials you gave me, what was it?

Me: No, it's dot, like a period. Provident living period org. O-R-G

Her: Oh, okay. I misunderstood you. Org, o-r-g, okay. Thank you.

Me: You're welcome.

Her: Okay, now what's the number for that?

Me: There is no number. It's a website.

Her: Oh.

Hope I was wrong

2011-10-02T20:04:00.000-07:00

I'm not a very good shopper. Hate shopping for clothes. Which is probably why I'm still single-- I look like a hobo on all of my dates.

Having been unable to find quality four season skirts within ten minutes of walking into various stores around Provo & Orem, I ordered TWO online from SHABBY APPLE.

They had some statement about how they've reworked their quality control process so I took a chance. They should get here in a few days. Spent a hundred bucks so THEY HAD BETTER WORK OUT.

templenacle

2011-10-01T21:11:00.000-07:00

Gah! I'm so excited for all the new temples!

Since taking on more covenants in the temple I've really come to have a deep respect for those saints who save for so long and journey so far to do the same.

I've been very blessed to have grown up so close to the L.A. temple and now live just a few minutes away from the Provo temple. And soon we'll have another here! Crazy!

2011-09-30T21:17:00.000-07:00

So I've had a lot of good learning experiences working for DI, but good grief I tell you this place sucks the life out of me! Today I gave a verbal warning to one of my 60+ year old workers. She didn't think she had warranted it. As I was wrapping up our discussion she says to me, "You know, I'm a good girl!" What kind of 60 year old refers to herself like that?

I'm looking forward to having more energy/enthusiasm/life after I leave. Yikesssssssssss.

2011-09-26T18:56:00.000-07:00

Between fifty-something year old women acting like 14 year old girls and white trash couples groping on the sales floor, I just feel once more the need to reiterate how excited I am to quit my job.

I now leave for your viewing pleasure:

I'm sorry, but

2011-09-25T18:29:00.000-07:00

am I the only one who can't take ebooks seriously?

You can't take them into the tub with you, and I can't stare at a screen for that long anyway. Please don't tell me they are the future.

two things

2011-09-24T20:57:00.000-07:00

1) If you are going to set me up with some guy, please make sure he is not already dating someone kthx

2) To the nice man who let me turn right in front of him even though I was in the wrong lane because I tried to pull out ahead of the polygamy van that was blocking traffic by letting out the twenty women inside in the middle of the street just as they finished and raced to the corner of the intersection: THANK YOU!

referral plz

2011-09-19T20:43:00.000-07:00

My credit card cycle just restarted. (Yes I am back on credit.) You know what that means...!

Time to buy MISSION CLOTHES!!!

So, I was going to hit up the BR outlet at Park City because they have amazing deals, but then I realized all their stuff is dry clean only or in need of ironing. The only other place worthwhile I can think of is the Sister Missionary Mall in Orem. But you know, everyone will have those clothes and I can't be a fashion conformist on my mission.

Here's what I need:
Colorful clothes (yep, it's a requirement now, we have to look cute)
Non-ironing
Machine washable
Skirts must cover my knees when sitting
Sleeves must cover my entire shoulder and then some (no cap sleeves)

Any ideas??
I'm thinking several cute dresses in addition to the usual mix-and-match skirt & blouse sets.

Please do not say Shabby Apple, because frankly they are overpriced for the cheap quality and they are for super tall girls. Aaaaaaand no thrift stores kthx!

guys

2011-09-18T17:33:00.000-07:00

I was being facetious when I said he was perfect (kind of). And the sigh was because I know he's not the one. Because...

I'm going on a mission! Plus I am quitting my job and living in J&J's basement so how lame would that be if I continued to mooch off of them for a year while dating some boy.

Actually, when you put it like that it sounds pretty good....

should I totally delete all of my online accounts when I leave?

2011-09-17T18:10:00.000-07:00

Twitter, Facebook, Blogger, Google Plus, Linked In. Kind of thinking about it.

I'm getting more and more excited to go. One of my coworkers lent me this book called "18 Months." It's a collection of essays by returned sister missionaries. Love it.

last week

2011-09-14T16:59:00.000-07:00

I may have met the perfect man last week. And he wants to go out again.

Sigh.

Westerners at the Peking

2011-09-06T18:12:00.000-07:00

This is incredible. A white guy learning Chinese opera! The Chinese have a very rich history of opera but holy cow, it's nothing like western. The article mentions improvisation and audiences cheering through the pieces... like American jazz.

Check out the video of Thomas Glenn in his lesson. His frustration make me laugh. Poor guy! Tian is very ambitious. I'd love to read his memoirs.

okay,

2011-09-04T09:32:00.000-07:00

Maybe it's my fault.

Maaaaaaaaaaaybe.

Because aren't all the responsible, emotionally mature, settled guys kinda boring? And I'm not just saying that. They have this formality about them. Like you can't make a joke about boogers or else he will be aghast. Boogers are funny, and we should joke about them.

Maybe that's why I'm doing this mission thing. So I can grow up and learn what's funny and what' snot. (haha get it? get it?)

Also, John says I need a picture, so...

dayum

2011-09-01T20:37:00.000-07:00

Arielle Voght is a local photographer around these parts. She's great! We went out for a shoot tonight and check her out! She makes me look good!

That was supposed to be me blowing smoke off the megaphone but you know, whatev. If anyone's looking for a photog around here hit her up. She does families, too.

tonight

2011-08-31T19:56:00.000-07:00

I'm supposed to be out of my house today. I'm not. I just started packing.

Trying to decide what to throw away and what to keep for later years. Finding love letters from old boyfriends, graduation cards, Homecoming pictures, etc. Coldplay is looping and the symbolism is overwhelming.

I've been sick

2011-08-26T18:03:00.001-07:00

all week. All. Week.

Everyone should be entitled to have either a significant other or a mother to take care of them when they are sick.

Three days off of work and I am going crazy even though I still feel like death run over. And I am scheduled to close the store tomorrow night, soooo... awesome.

As a result of all this downtime, I have been blogging, tweeting, facebooking, & google readering like no other.
Today I actually wished I had a TV so I could do something different.
I did watch Nacho Libre. When did it get so funny?

Nachoooooooooooooooooooooooo!

I finished one book, got halfway through another and picked up one more from the library. I go to the library once or twice a week.

The thing is, I never read any "important" books growing up. Don't get me wrong--Black Stallion, Nancy Drew, I was all over that. But getting into JR High & High School, we read hardly any classics. I could probably count them on one hand.

So while I do feel that goodreads is probably the most useful social networking site, it is terribly depressing! I'm still catching up on my literary foundation while all of you are reading fun books like My Antonia and Belle Prater's Boy.

And soon I'm going to take a year.5 break. D'oh.

So. I'm counting on all of you to send me books on the mission. One chapter of photocopied pages at a time, yes?

THIS IS BY FAR MY FAVORITE WEDDING EVER!

2011-08-25T20:21:00.001-07:00

And probably just because she's wearing her glasses! Love it!

Anyway. I have something to say on the subject of weddings. Approximately 24,534,596 of my girlfriends have either been dumped by their fiances/almost-fiances or have fallen into the snares of boys who have no manhood. And it makes me sad.

I don't think I want to live in Provo again.

Because, you see, guys here are like girls. And girls are forced to be like men. Role reversal, you get me? Like woman have to make all the decisions, and if they are not dramatic enough, boys do not want it.

Why, just last night, a guy was telling me about an ex-girlfriend. "Her parents hated me. But we didn't care. We would sneak out and tell lies and make out in my car. We couldn't be apart."

Oh my gosh. Is this high school? Because that's what I did in high school. Or what I wanted to do. Don't worry Mom, I didn't lie, except for once in junior high, I was too scared.

And then! And then he says to me! Something like: "I want to have that again and keep her and turn it into something real."

Ha. A ha ha. Aaaaaaaaaaaaahahahahahahah!

The drama of a grown man. I caaaaaaaan't take it.

Perhaps I shouldn't say it's a role reversal, rather a return back to adolescence. I don't wish to insult my sex.

Because I, and my girlfriends, are all perfectly willing to be with someone who is mature, kind, attentive, stable, and ambitious. But the guys, they need the drama! The passion!

-SMH-

November 16th

2011-08-18T12:28:00.000-07:00

I will report to the MTC to serve in the Maryland Baltimore mission!

Super excited.

It feels like a reunion between me and my home.

Dearest Family,

2011-08-06T22:54:00.000-07:00

Just thought you should know that I killed three mosquitoes in my room tonight. I was so proud that I finally killed them after first feeling badly at the thought.

Then I noticed there were about a hundred more on my walls, ceiling, door, even hanging out in my bed.

I went on a rampage.

There are only two left that I can see and that is only because they are way up high and in a corner. No doubt they smell the blood on my palms and are keeping their distance.

I had dreams of pursuing a career in music post-mission. You know, because I love it. And while I love social work... I just don't. I do love helping people. Helping people is very different.
The dreams are still there. But funding for the arts will be non-existent in about two years, I'm sure. Hey Congress, thanks for screwing us over.

Barter system, anyone?

you guys

2011-07-29T18:09:00.001-07:00

I'm so over blogging.

My bishop turned in my mission papers to our stake president today.

Not really sure what the next step is but hopefully it doesn't take too long.

shout out to Rosanne

2011-06-27T21:20:00.001-07:00

She's been through a lot lately.

Tried to get pregnant, got a tumor instead.

Surgery the day before the sixth anniversary of her Dad's passing (from cancer).

Oh, did I mention she got to give a talk in Church on Father's Day?

You know how sometimes you have a friend who's going through something really hard and you don't know what the crud to do for them even though you wish you could make it all better?

That's kind of how it is. Mostly I just come over and sit with her. Super boring. But she still expresses appreciation and thanks. So Rosanne. Thanks for letting me feel like I'm doing something. Love you tons.

btw, I just heard about this great new diet. Interested?

I lost five pounds last month

2011-06-26T08:08:00.001-07:00

Pretty sure in the last few days I've gained it all back.

So.

I finished applying to grad school. Now we are just waiting on the letters of recommendation. One from a current co-worker, one from a previous manager, and one from a professor from waaaaaaaaay back when.

I also finished my FAFSA. First time ever filling one of those things out. I'm not sure how long it will take to hear back about it.

Also still waiting to get approval for educational reimbursement from my employer.

If I don't get into grad school I think I will move to Colorado and live with my best friend. Kristie. She's so great.

On Friday I went to a rodeo with an urban cowboy. It was nice. I decided the day before that he would be my last first date for at least two months. How am I supposed to watch five hours of Pride and Prejudice if I'm dating all the time?

There is a new roommate moving in. She lived with one of my friends/former roommates and I hear she is the business. The living situation has improved dramatically since the messy roommate moved out a few weeks ago. Her brother finally came and got the rest of her stuff that had been sitting in the living room since she left. In about two months the other roommate should move out also. She is pretty spoiled and an airhead so it will be nice to see who replaces her.

Yeah, so I'm not actually going to get my own apartment. It's too expensive and as long as the roommates are not like tornadoes blowing through the house it's really not a big deal.

I'm going to go to a cycling class at the gym tomorrow. Gotta get rid of that five pounds, you know.

And that is my life. I have a really good life.

to my Dad

2011-06-19T13:53:00.000-07:00

I don't think I've shared this story with anyone but a couple of really close friends. I would like to share it with my family today, on Father's Day.

As we know, three years ago I got dumped by a man I loved. It. Was. Awful.

I honestly don't remember much about that summer except that it was both the worst and best few months of my life. The worst because everything was so empty. The best because I relied on my awesome family to keep me going every day.

For the few weeks or so after it happened I pretty much just stayed in my room and cried. All day. Every day. I mean, why not, right?

The day after it happened, I was standing in the kitchen. My dad came up next to me and put his arm around me and said something like "It's okay, Elizabeth." Of course I burst into tears and went into my room.

The next day he and my mom came home with some pastrami sandwiches. I hadn't eaten anything (turns out I actually was clinically anorexic that summer) so my dad offered me half a sandwich. Again, more crying and going to my room. But he didn't give up! He knocked on my bedroom door a few minutes later with the sandwich on a plate. He said it would make me feel better.

I'm sharing this because I will never forget seeing how my Dad hurt for me and his persistence in trying to help me even though I was an emotional mess of estrogen and depression. (Everything made me cry, so me crying was not so much an adverse reaction as it was a response to a supportive arm being extended). I felt so loved and was so grateful to have a father who had my back.

I'll never forget it. Love ya Dad!

money

2011-06-16T17:28:00.001-07:00

I had a lot more spending money when I was still using my credit card.

In other news, I had a lunch date with Thor today. He sure is good looking. We just don't have much in common.

Okay Ladies

2011-06-15T18:20:00.000-07:00

This is what I am looking for:

done with college
steady job
no consumer debt
dad potential
kind
strong faith
addiction-free
not a prude
willing to give the occasional foot rub

Know anyone?

2011-06-10T22:43:00.000-07:00

Well. Yesterday (Thursday) I went and did sealings at the temple. My first time. Wouldn't you know it, one of the former Provo DI associates was also there. It was the most awkward experience of my life. I think he got fired. And if you get fired from DI, that is a big deal. You win some kind of award for achieving the impossible. He kept chewing his nails and picking at his eyes the whole time. And I know that is a horrible attitude to have. But come on. I pretended like I didn't recognize him. I don't think I will do sealings again until I am married.

Then today I went to the Sugarhouse DI grand opening. They put me in charge of the cashiers since, you know, that is my forte. O.M.G. It was fine, really, except for all the mean customers. The day started off with some old lady pulling the matriarch card on me when I wouldn't lower a price for her. "I'd think you would be kinder to a grandmother!" I was still feeling pretty good about the overall experience until the end of the shift when some girl started mouthing off to me. I wanted to cry right there on the sales floor. I don't like taking crap from people I know and I definitely don't appreciate having to take it from a stranger.

Then I went out to my car and my windshield was cracked. Ah. Sum.

Really the best part is that all these guys in my ward are suddenly interested in me. Seriously, they have done nothing with their lives. Why not, I ask? "Anxiety issues." "I'm still deciding what I want to do." Seriously? At 30 years old? It's like the older I get and the further I push myself, the older I have to date. And there is a guy who seems to have it all together who SEEMED like he might have been mildly interested in me at one point. So what did I do? Shot him down. Again and again. I was afraid of circumstance. Of course, now that I realize what an idiot I was, he is laying low.

Sometimes all you can do is cry your eyes out and resolve to buy some See's in the morning.

2011-06-07T23:01:00.000-07:00

I would like to take a vacation. For two weeks. To a remote location. By myself. Anyone else ever feel that way?

It was pretty awesome.

2011-05-22T08:03:00.001-07:00

I'm going back on Thursday.

2011-05-16T21:13:00.000-07:00

I'm going through the temple on Thursday and I am so excited.

I'm so grateful to have a knowledge of a beautiful gospel. Heavenly Father has blessed me so richly. I'm so excited to step it up a notch!

b u d g e t ? ? ? ?

2011-05-13T22:00:00.000-07:00

I just cut up my store credit card. You know, the one with the five percent discount. It was an anxiety filled event. The secret is to repeat to yourself, "NewHouseNewHouseNewHouse" until you finish. Or you know. Whatever your big financial goal is.

Sigh.

Here is my budget for the rest of the month.

The numbers are the expense/remaining balance. This is after my paycheck on the 20th.

$1291--starting balance
147/1144--tithing
150/994--automatic deposit into emergency fund account
100/894--oil change & tires (I have no idea how much it costs to have your tires rotated but you know they always want you to fix something else too)
50/844--physical therapy (dr. mark peterson, he is the best)
50/794--fast offering
115/679--gas (for the car, sicko)
15/664--staff birthday lunch at work
25/639--dentist
25/614--other specialist doctor visit (wink wink)
75/539--Miller Analogies Test (wish me luck, it's for grad school)
24/515--prescription medication
400/115--extra funds back into emergency fund account (EFA)
50/65--groceries!

Well. I guess now we know where all of my money goes. Anyway, I think that's the general idea of the budget. I am going to pay cash (as in, real money, not use my debit card) for everything except tithing & fast, gas, and obviously depositing into the EFA.

I'm going to need to get some more envelopes.

And so it begins

2011-05-13T18:35:00.000-07:00

*disclaimer: This post has actual fund amounts from my actual financial accounts. If the thought of personal information on the internet makes you queasy, you should probably just skip this post. If however, you are a bit of a financial voyeur and would like to see just how terribly I mismanage my money, enjoy!

I have started my part one of my Total Money Makeover (TMM) with Dave Ramsey. He says to cut up your credit cards right away. I will probably cut up my Store credit card because that is the one where the most money slips away anonymously (say goodbye to that 5% discount!). My Bank credit card, however, I will freeze in a block of ice (thanks to Mom for the idea).

Okay, I am going to be honest, the first thing that Ramsey says to do is establish a monthly budget. I kind of have one already on Mint.com but it's not super specific. It's kind of just a guideline. I am going to refine it tonight on paper.

The second thing to do is get caught up on all your late payments. I thankfully do not have any (but probably came closer this month than I'd like to admit).

Then you save a $1000 emergency fund. Done. I have more than that saved, so kudos to me I guess.

Next you pay off all of your debt. Umm, okay, so when I first decided to read this book I thought, "I don't have any debt so I will just work on the budgeting part." Well, I decided to actually use the debt snowball chart and guess what.... I owe more money to more parties than I thought!

Here is the breakdown:

$20.00 to Dad for May texting charge
$60.00 to Auto Insurance
$68.09 to Electricity bill
$150.00 to voice instructor (Ruth Ellis, she is fabulous, you can Google her if you are in the market!)
~~$227.19~~ ~~$317.17~~ $342.17 to Store credit card
$913.08 to Bank credit card

And yes that is all just one month! Keep in mind I am one single person renting a townhouse with two roommates. AND I already paid my Bank credit card bill once this month. I should not owe $1553.34 to anyone.

Now. How do I pay off all my debts when all I have in my checking account is $208.62? I use my non-retirement savings except for the $1000 emergency fund.

Sooo... I just transferred everything over to my checking account. After I pay off my debts I will have $238.72 left in real cash (again, excluding retirement and the emergency cash). Plus the change in my piggy bank.

Kind of depressing. But hey, payday is in a week and I won't have to worry about how long to put off paying the next credit card bill because it will already be paid and down to $0. I will, instead, look at my very specific budget and pay the excess funds back to my savings until I have those six months expenses covered.

Then it's time to save for a house! :-)

Wells Fargo just raised my credit limit again

2011-05-12T12:48:00.000-07:00

I can now officially spend at one time more than I bring home in two months! Woooooo!

...in other news, I got a new betta

2011-05-10T20:07:00.000-07:00

So, I've been spending too much money. I knew this would happen, and now it has. My expenses are more than my income.

Oooopssssss....

Time to stop. I'm going to start using coupons and buying store brands. I'm going to make my lunch every night before going to bed so that I won't buy lunch at work the next day. I'm going to eat soft foods so I can stop spending money on physical therapy for my jaw. I'm probably going to take part-time voice lessons instead of full-time. :-(

And, I'm going to check out that Dave Ramsey book from the library. It's not like I don't know HOW to budget. But maybe this will help take all of my excuses away!

p.s. the betta was half off, so it's not so bad, right?

tonight

2011-05-07T18:43:00.000-07:00

I had a lot of things I wanted to get done tonight. Like clean my room, buy nylons, do laundry, change the fish's water.

Then I realized I could do all of that tomorrow or Monday.

Life is good.

fml

2011-04-20T16:42:00.000-07:00

I am never living with roommates again. Ever.

Some girl came over to see my rooms today. She was interested in buying the rest of my rental lease. Of course, she was coming over right after I get home from work, so I didn't have time to clean all the crap my roommates left everywhere.

This is what the living room looked like:

Awesome huh. Yeah, the girl though so, too. She asked if it was all my roommates' stuff because she is "kind of a neat freak."

Kill me now. I feel like I am drowning in a mountain of junk!

essential oils gross me out

2011-04-05T20:01:00.000-07:00

One of my employees at work suffers from incontinence. I think she makes a bigger deal out of it than it actually is. She keeps these oils in her work apron to disguise the smell just in case she has an accident. She reeks of... stuff! I don't know. It is so strong though, yuck. And the other day some customer came through her line that also reeked of essential oils. They exchanged numbers and talked about how great they were. Icky icky icky.

Then today my manager made me try one of her oils-- Melaleuca. I told her I wasn't sure because I was allergic to most things. "Oh no sweetie, it's all natural!"
Yeah, totally burned my skin off.

I mean, just because something is natural or organic doesn't mean it's good for you. Would you encourage someone with a peanut allergy to try organic peanut oil? And bird feces. Those are natural. Doesn't mean you should eat them.

I'm just saying.

One of my roommates used to use peppermint oil lotion and the smell was so strong in our room I would gag and get headaches. Grosssssssssssssssssss!

Last night

2011-04-03T21:48:00.000-07:00

I was feeling pretty crummy. I cried a lot. This boy I was really excited about turned out to have the worst communication ever. Like. I think he tried to spare my feelings but just made it worse. And it wasn't even anything about me, it's all HIS commitments issues. I wasn't asking for any commitment! He was the one rushing toward it even when I pointed out how fast it was going! Geez.

And then I laid there in bed wondering what the heck was wrong with me. Why wasn't I good enough for him? Was it my flabby arms or the large pores on my face? Was it my awkward snort when I laugh (probably)? Was I not into sports enough? Did I not appreciate Utah's natural beauty enough? Was I not a good enough conversationalist?

Then I thought back to how much fun we had had together, and how much fun I have with most guys I date. And I realized... it's not me. It's him. And he is missing out because I was good for him.

Then tonight at ward prayer I got two dates for this week.

Psssssh. Hot stuff, comin' through.

dating in Provo

2011-04-02T23:59:00.001-07:00

Where have all the men gone?

Maui

2011-03-24T09:01:00.000-07:00

My girl Rosanne is still getting her Maui pictures together... She took over 1000, I took about 200. So here's one of my favorites from MY camera.

Beautiful, no?

Jonny and I did not last through Maui. Apparently we were over BEFORE Maui. I wish he would have informed me of this, because I thought it was my fault that Maui was so tense. Oh well.

I started dating this new guy. Hahaha. Yes, so soon. He's so great. His name is Steve. Dating him feels so easy. The last time I felt like this was about three and a half years ago. I'll let you figure out the timeline on that one.

I'll get more pictures of Maui up once Rosanne finishes them (hint hint).

can i just share something with the internet real quick

2011-03-16T21:13:00.000-07:00

Hawaii is not overhyped.

If you can only make it to one big vacation in your life....

make it HAWAII!

It was awesome, and hard to come back to real life.

Going to Maui

2011-03-06T08:15:00.001-08:00

See you in eight days

WOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

blessings

2011-03-03T15:01:00.001-08:00

I like it when my roommates have lots of friends over because that means they clean the house.

sometimes

2011-03-01T21:47:00.000-08:00

like tonight i just want to quit everything and move to california and be a bum and live off the government

today

2011-02-16T20:34:00.001-08:00

I got another catfish. I didn't want the other one to be lonely. Plus I heard it helps them not to be so spazzy.

Also, I got 100% on my evaluation from the field group manager at work today. For one of the hard areas. During my first year of job coaching. Yup, I am awesome. Too bad it doesn't mean I'm getting a raise. :-(

Aaaaaaaaaand Ruby came over to spend the night with me! John says that he was knocking at the door for twenty minutes, but I didn't hear it so he's probably just making that up.

Just kidding John, I feel really bad.

But! She is safe and sound asleep right now.
In the morning we are going to exercise and then have pancakes and eggs for breakfast. M'mmmmm eggs.

Today I...

2011-02-10T15:54:00.000-08:00

had my first voice lesson from Ruth Ellis. I think it is going to be a fantastic relationship.

I also went to the pet shop. No, I did not buy anymore fish. But. I did buy some plants and a snail to help with the algae in my goldfish tank. And as luck would have it, they were having this "free pangasius catfish with a purchase of another fish or snail!"

Me: "How big will the fish get? My tank is only 10 gallons."
Guy:"Oh, not very big. Maybe like 6 inches but I've heard of some getting to be a foot."
Me: "Okay, I'll take it."

Then I come home and research my new buddy. Turns out he is going to grow to be four feet long.

Oops.

Jonny.

2011-02-08T13:35:00.000-08:00

So I've kiiiiiiiiind of started dating this guy. And you know, he's not perfect.

But today I stayed home sick from work. I've had this cold for about two weeks and yesterday it turned into a gross sinus infection. Exhausted & unable to breathe, I called in to work and went back to sleep. I woke up at about 12:30-ish. Went downstairs and got some cereal. Then went back to bed. I just texted Jonny and told him "Sooooo its 2:30 and im still in bed." I expected a mild jab at my laziness. Perhaps a snappy admonishment to not waste the entire day. But no. He knows I'm sick and how completely useless my body has been for the past little bit. So what does he say?

"That's where you should be."

HOW CAN I RESIST???????

It's the small things, Ladies & Gents.

So pretty much

2011-02-06T10:58:00.000-08:00

I am excited.

Because. All DI stores are pretty much open on the lesser of the Federal holidays (MLK, Presidents, Labor, etc). That means the staff (me) take a vacation day within 30 days of the actual holiday, either before or after.

So.

In about a month I will be taking a bunch of vacation days to go to Maui.

Then I will take another week off around the 4th of July (with the help of Memorial Day, Independence Day, and Labor Day).

And remember how in 2010 I didn't take any time off for Christmas? Yeah. Totally going to save my accruing vacation hours and use them all then.

It's good to have time to look forward to.

Also, I've been baking a cake from scratch every week for the last month. It is going well. Yum.

my roommates cooked something

2011-01-31T22:59:00.001-08:00

and now the whole house smells like puke. Awesome.

I think the frogs and the betta got in a fight

2011-01-14T23:34:00.000-08:00

And the frogs won. I came home from work today and upon feeding, discovered the betta's color was totally pale and his eyes were all buggy. Then I saw his fins. Absolutely shredded. I mean, just really pitiful. This poor betta.

I put him into a bowl. If he survives the night I will take him to work tomorrow and keep him in our office there.

I don't know what's wrong with my betta. He's such a pansy.

The tetras, the shrimp, the frogs... the betta is supposed to be the one harassing the other tankmates!

So now in this ten gallon I just have two frogs and a snail. Big whoop. How boring. Maybe I'll just put more frogs in there? I don't know. I really want more goldfish. But I don't want to get rid of the frogs. They ARE kind of cute.

::update::

RIP betta #3. He lasted exactly three months.

Amphibians

2011-01-12T18:19:00.000-08:00

After work I went to Petsmart to buy two African Dwarf Frogs to go in the betta tank.

While there I saw a group of kids with some dumb dog who kept wanting to get stepped on by me.

Then the two boys (probably twelve years old) starting hitting the fish tanks to see who could make the fish scatter the most.

I'm just saying, it had been a long day at work.

"HEY! People buy those fish and then they come home and die! So why don't you grow up and stop doing that?!"

Yes, I said that, to the children.

They stopped.

And I now have two froggies at home. Not dead yet.

One of the mystery snails did die from exposure to the medication in the goldfish tank. R.I.P. yellow mystery snail.

The blue one is back in the betta tank and looks like it's doing fine, but only time will tell....

2011

2011-01-03T18:20:00.000-08:00

Last year I had some goals.

They were to save $5000, tone my arms, and learn Spanish.

Well, I did save over $5000, even with the trip to Maui. I did not tone my arms. My body is pretty much exactly the same. Three cheers for homeostasis. I learned Spanish enough to speak in simple sentences to my no hablo ingles associate (now if only she would learn English).

This year I would like to:

tone my arms (I am not giving up hope that someday the arm fairy will visit me and tone them for me while I sleep)
Save another large sum of money
learn MORE spanish
eat a serving of real vegetables with every dinner

the end.

the fish zealots were right

2011-01-03T08:29:00.000-08:00

Remember how my poor little Glub would hang at the top of the tank, dejected and alone? And all other synonyms for feeling really crappy?

Well.

Realizing that he probably had a mild case of swim bladder and actually was tired of trying to swim down (it makes the fish float... too much air in the belly. lame.) I looked up remedies online.

I kept finding people saying you needed to soak the fish food in water before putting it in the tank so that all the air escapes the food before the fish eats it.

Well. We all know how I feel about fish zealots telling me to treat my fish better than I treat myself (just wait until the fish dies before I try it). So this time I tried it before the fish died (although he really wouldn't have died, but who wants to be a fish that can't swim?).

The last two meals I have soaked in tank water before pouring them into the tank. Voila.

No more swim bladder.

This morning after their... breakfast? all of the goldfish were rummaging through the gravel like I have never seen before. It was disgusting, they are such pigs. Like do they even know how much poop is in that gravel? Do they even care? Gross.

Anyway. They are happy campers.

And I want another goldfish SO BAD! But I know I can't get one.

I did put the two mystery snails into the goldie tank to clean up all the algae resulting from medicating the tank for three weeks (I had to take the carbon out of the filter to keep the water treated) for anchor worms. They are doing a good job, albeit very very slow.

So now! I want to get another snail for the betta tank AND two African dwarf frogs. M'mm amphibians.

Also, I have a third date with a boy this week. He seems really normal and has a very secure job. I know, right? How crazy is that.

This time it's a real blizzard

2010-12-29T16:58:00.000-08:00

The wind is blowing super strong, spitting the snow into your face outside. I am snowed in at John & Jenny's house in Orem. Hopefully I will be able to drive back home tomorrow so I can go to work on Friday.... If not, I am not complaining!

And that other thing

2010-12-26T08:59:00.001-08:00

...that happened yesterday!

This was my first Christmas in Utah. Can you believe it???

John and Jenny hosted me, along with Mike and later Larry, Joyce, and Mindy.
I don't know if you guys know this, but Jenny is a really good cook. That's an understatement but I don't know how else to say it.

Whenever she tries something new for dinner, she's like "Oh, I hope it's not gross" and then it's super good. Every time.

So naturally, Christmas dinner was super awesome!!!!

Max (or somebody) asked me what my favorite part was and I honestly don't know. Ham... jello... potato casserole... m'mmmmmmmm. So good.

Jenny has a display on her mantel of each year she and John have been together in their Christmas family photos. It's cute to see how their family has grown. The family photo I have of them is cute too... Max is younger than Milo!!! And they thought they were busy then. :)

This year I got a new picture of all the kids! It's been fun to see all of their little personalities develop as they grow older. They are all such sweet and generous kids.

I guess one of the benefits of not being at home for the holidays is that presents get shipped to you over the span of a few weeks. Christmas will probably last until February 1st this year for me. Good thing I really like unwrapping surprises!

Thanks John & Jenny! I'll see you in a few hours. :-)

deaddeaddeaddeaddead

2010-12-25T19:47:00.000-08:00

Remember that one time I got tetras to go in the betta tank but the tetras kept nipping at the betta's fins so I got rid of them? I got ghost shrimp to replace the tetras.

The only concern I was supposed to have was that the betta would eat the shrimp. Well, the betta didn't bother the tetras so I figured the shrimp would be fine. After all, they just hung out at the bottom and scavenged the leftover food and poop, right?

Imagine my surprise today when I came home around 2pm to find a shrimp clinging the betta's back and eating his fins!!!!! I scooped all those suckers up and flushed them right down the toilet.

Now my poor betta looks so bad! He was super mad for a while afterward and kept flaring at me through the glass. I'm worried that he'll get fin rot and die. Grrr. No more friends for him!

2010-12-22T19:42:00.001-08:00

I'm trying to grow plants in the goldfish tank. The little goobers starting moving the sprouted bulbs around today!
I moved the bulbs back and covered them with gravel again but you know... now that the goldfish know the trick they won't stop!

Oh well.

Have you heard this song? It's so cute!

Daddy It's Cold Outside

2010-12-21T11:10:00.000-08:00

It has been snowing for a really long time. I don't have a snow shovel. This is not good for pulling out of parking spots, my friends.

NOT. GOOD.

Three more things I want for Christmas:

A globe. You know, one of those nice antique-y looking ones with the black ocean and slightly raised land masses. M'mm m'mm.
A modest five gallon fish tank for my betta. The tetras are eating his fins. Literally. He is looking haggard. Or... would anyone like to take the tetras off my hands??? They are perfectly healthy and growing quite nicely.
A snow shovel. Of course.

::update::
Some guy from KSL came and took the tetras yesterday.
Jenny bought me a snow shovel yesterday, also.

Still looking for the globe... and a food processor (I forgot to mention)! :-)

When bad comes to worse

2010-12-20T19:04:00.000-08:00

I have been in the worst funk lately!

Uuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuugh.

Today I went in to talk to my store manager about some things that have been frustrating me at work.
And you know, he is such a nice man. After I interviewed with him (for my current position) I left feeling like I could walk on water. Unfortunately, his ability to connect positively also means he can make you very open on the other end as well... I totally started crying in front of him!
This is actually the second time this has happened. Come to think of it, both crying topics were related. Hmm.

Anyway, it was embarrassing. I don't know why I am such a cry baby.

I just miss my family.

Merry Christmas!

2010-12-12T20:06:00.000-08:00

I "made" peanut brittle tonight. I consider it a success because I didn't say any bad words in front of my nephew Bentley when I added the baking soda at the wrong time and ruined the batch.

retail therapy

2010-12-10T18:25:00.001-08:00

As you might have figured out, I have been having a crummy week. Usually in a situation like this I would buy myself a couple new dresses.

But hello, fish and Maui! I am broke.

So you all are welcome to buy them for me instead. For Christmas? Or a belated birthday? I kid, I kid.

Here are my beauties:

Found here.

Here.And here.

Oh man.

2010-12-09T22:34:00.000-08:00

Lately I have been on a first-date spree. I've really been trying. Some I have been excited for, and some I have not. Regardless, they've all been pretty disappointing. I'm so tired. And it gets kind of depressing after a while.

WHATEVER.

I apologized for getting mad.

2010-12-06T18:33:00.000-08:00

See? I can be nice.

Also.

One week from tomorrow I am having a Christmas party with my DI Associates. We are going to eat lots of Christmas junk food and I am sooooooo excited!
They all pulled names to exchange presents. I, however, chose not to participate in the Secret Santa exchange.
I want to give something to each of my associates along with a handwritten note about how individually awesome they are and how much I appreciate them.

But what should I give them??
I could give them a bag of goodies, but that seems kind of redundant.
I could give them a print out of the nativity story with cute little ribbons binding the pages together.
I could give them a couple of coupons with stuff like "One free twenty minute break" and "One free lunch meal."

Any more ideas???

new fish

2010-12-05T20:36:00.000-08:00

I spy two snails, six neon tetras, and one betta's backside.

It's official

2010-12-05T10:54:00.000-08:00

I passively aggressively texted my roommates this morning.

I have hardly any food in the fridge/freezer, and yet they still manage to crowd all of my stuff. So last week I politely asked if it was alright for me to claim one of the vegetable drawers as my own space. They both said that was fine.

But somebody keeps putting their huge bag of artichokes (who gets a huge bag of artichokes???) on top of my food in the vegetable drawers. I move the bag out to get to my food. The next day it's back. I move it, they move it back. Gooooossssssshhh.

Then this morning I go into the kitchen to have lunch, and there is a bunch of food on the counter, including my carton of pumpkin spice eggnog! I'm assuming someone read the "sell by" date on the carton and guessed it was spoiled. Well guess what, kids. A sell by date in late November on something as fatty as eggnog means it's still good! Until, of course, your roommates leave it out on the counter overnight.

So I sent them a nice text (I literally have not seen either of them in days) explaining the difference between a "sell by" and "use by" date, requesting that they ask before getting rid of my food, and re-requesting that the vegetable drawer be my separate food storage space.

Who wants to get me a house for Christmas?

::update::

So the roommate responsible texts me back (apparently they were both at home, oops) and says something along the lines of:
I will continue to throw out food
sensitive gag reflex
blah blah blah
I thought you meant the drawer in the freezer
blah blah blah

It was kind of rude. Anyway. I go talk to her (I think that always surprises roommates) and say I didn't mean to be rude, but I would appreciate it if she asked before throwing away my food
And then SHE goes well if I see something bad, I just throw it away when I'm cleaning out the fridge.
So I ask a couple questions about the stupid eggnog.
Then she says if I don't want something thrown out I need to tell her.
So I just stare at her.
You know, I think I've perfected that look my mom would give people. It makes them do what we want.
I stare some more.
And then I say, "Even if you could just text, because I always answer texts, that would be great. And then I can tell you what to do with it."
She said okay.

BAM.

Next year if I still can't afford a house I'm just going to rent my own apartment. I don't even care how much it is.

Uh Oh

2010-12-04T20:24:00.000-08:00

Okay guys. I know what happened to the Dojo loaches.

Petsmart is currently infested with anchor worms. They look like this:

Gross, right? It's a little tick-like thing that burrows into the fish. The dojos came home with red spots on them, and then died the next day.

I traded in their little fishie corpses for a calico ryukin goldfish. I noticed some of the goldfish had weird dots with little things hanging off but I was so tired of pushy customers (at DI and Petsmart!!!) that I just took it home regardless.

Um, but once home I realized it was too weird to be good. So I researched it and found anchor worms.

Apparently I needed to hold the fish and tweeze the worms out, then treat the water.

Ew.

I've seen videos of people cutting tumors off of their fish and always thought: what crazy fanatics! It's just a fish!

But um, I did it.

I filled a fish bowl halfway with water from the tank, then netted my new lady out of the family mansion. I gently held her in one hand, then tweezed the worms out of her slimy body as close to her scales as I could. I dunked her back in the water in between each worm removal and I don't think she hates me too much for it.

I'm pretty sure I got them all. I treated the water with a VERY LOW dosage of formaldehyde and malachite green salt. It's way lower than what is recommended, but it's all I have!

Hopefully my tank doesn't get infested now. Grrr.

It's so cute though, this new Lady is making friends with Oscar and Glub!

Don't worry Mother, I will post a picture tomorrow.

2010-12-02T21:57:00.000-08:00

The dojos are dead. That was fast.
Their fins were not exactly whole when I brought them home. I noticed one of them also had blister-looking things on it's body.

I came home tonight to find the other one dead. The blistered dojo was taking its last breaths. Sad. They are also covered in red spots, with concentrations at the bases of their fins. Apparently this could be... fin rot or fish tuberculosis.

Odd.

But now I have ten dollars of fish credit at Petsmart. What should I get????

Also

2010-12-02T10:59:00.001-08:00

I failed to mention. Shame on me.

Yesterday I went out with a friend. First we went to the pet shop and looked at puppies. Then rabbits. I almost bought one. Or two. What?

Then we went to the Chocolate and had a CAZOOKIE! It was so good, oh my gosh.

My date was sensitive, attentive, a good listener, only gave advice when asked, and very good-looking.

It occurred to me that this was the best date I had had in a long time!

Too bad she's already married.

*frownsmile*

THANKS ROSANNE!

Too bad boys never want to go to pet shops on dates, hahah. Oh well.

I did have a blind date on Tuesday. It was interesting, but good enough that I agreed to another one on Friday.

Oscar is such a fatty

2010-12-02T07:53:00.000-08:00

He shares food with Glub fine but holy cow! This glutton ate any algae wafers I left in there for the snails, leaving him with a huge bloated belly.
Since I added the dojos last night I have twice tried to feed them these sinking shrimp pellets (which were expensive at $12 bucks/bag, I might add) and this heifer is eating those, too! I might have to take him out of the tank at feeding time. Hmmmmm.

All I know is if he is eating all of my expensive food, he had better get big and live a looooong time.

Next time I think I'll just keep bubble eye fancies with the dojos.

2010-12-01T20:53:00.000-08:00

I may have picked up two neon tetras to bring my school up to 6, plus two golden dojo loaches for the goldfish tank. I also finally got a working light for the goldies.

And I'm going to Maui for a week in March. I bought plane tickets today.
Yeeeeeeeeeah baby.

What do you call a fish with no eyes?

2010-11-28T14:21:00.000-08:00

Fsh!

So I just posted a question on Yahoo! Answers about Glub. I think he gets bored because sometimes he will just float near the surface looking like he is asleep or dead. I asked for some advice, as in has anyone else ever had this experience?

But nooooo instead all I get is:

the tank is not cycled properly and taken care of well. I would test the water.

Goldfish can literally eat to death, so you should only feed him what he can within 30 seconds - one minute once a day.

the tank is too small. Goldfish should have 50 gallon tanks each. People say fancies should have at least 20 gallons each, but they can also get over a foot long.

For sure your Black Moor is competing for food. That Black Moor needs a 30 gallon to itself when fully grown and that Common Goldfish will need a big pond or 75-90 gallon aquarium.

Oh brother! Who in their right mind would buy a 90 gallon aquarium for one stinking goldfish???

This is why I hate looking on fish communities for advice. Too many overprotective fish zealots.

The Blizzard That Wasn't and a new book

2010-11-24T19:50:00.001-08:00

Well.

All day at work on Tuesday I kept hearing about this horrendous blizzard that was coming to Utah County in just a few hours. It was to wipe out all life as we knew it and commence a new ice age.

I bet we did not even get a full inch of snow. What's more, most of what we did get has already melted! Talk about a let down. Geez.

On the plus side, in preparation for said blizzard I stopped at Target on my way home from work and picked up some things. So even though I didn't really NEED them, I now have 3 gallons of distilled water (I was in the emergency prep mood), a new set of flannel pajamas, a down comforter, and a space heater. Woo-hoo! I am so warm right now, it is awesome.

Tomorrow I will go to my dear friend Kristie's family's home for Thanksgiving. I am bringing flowers as a hostess gift. While in the flower shop I spied a cute cake cook book. Of course I bought it.
All Cakes Considered, by Melissa Gray.

She works for NPR's show, All Things Considered and bakes a cake for her coworkers every Monday. I think it's a cute idea!

I love this quote from her introduction:

When the cake arrived at All Things Considered (ATC), there was collective amazement ("For us? Really?") followed by a chorus of "yummy" noises, rising up in full harmony from the cubicles. The cake wasn't bad. But as I tasted it, I suspected that the icing wasn't right. The crumb seemed way too dense and a little dry; what had I done wrong? And I wondered if almonds might have worked better than pecans with the brandy and pears. And then I had a thought: I can do better. My next thought, as I looked at my masticating colleagues, their eyes rolling back into their heads in hedonistic pleasure: these people will eat anything. (12)

Funny, funny. The paragraph reminded me of my last big attempt at making cakes from scratch. Too dense and too dry. What had I done wrong?!?!?!
So, I am going to let Melissa lead me through baking from scratch. I will try again. Wish me luck.

Just so everyone knows

2010-11-21T10:17:00.001-08:00

Yes, I probably will try fish sticks this week.

Also, lots of people have new fish die when they first bring them home. That's why aquarium fanatics often have a "quarantine" tank that they put new fish into for the first couple of weeks... to see if they DIE or not! They don't want new sick fish infecting their healthy ones.

My betta blew a bubble nest last night... first night without that mean Oto. The betta is so happy he's dead! Me too.

I'm not sure how long the remaining tetras are going to last as some of them aren't very good about finding food when I drop it in.

The snails, of course, even though they are the most boring part of my 10 gallon, will probably last forever... subsiding on clean water and healthy bacterial mucus since they obviously are not cleaning any algae.

And the goldfish seem fine. I want to get them a friend, but I told myself NO MORE FISH.

Except I might get some more neon tetras if enough of these die. They need to stay in a school!

2010-11-20T22:02:00.000-08:00

R.I.P. Otocinclus.

But to be honest, I didn't like you very much anyway. You had shifty eyes and were sucking on my betta's fins.

And you weren't eating any of the algae.

What's with all these algae eaters that won't clean my tank??

The fishes were not looking good today

2010-11-19T22:08:00.000-08:00

So I did a 50% water change.

Nonetheless...

Casualty numero uno.

R.I.P. neon tetra #1

Remember when

2010-11-18T21:01:00.000-08:00

Nelly started that trend of wearing a band aid on your cheek? That was amazing.

My betta got some new friends today. A couple of nights ago I picked up a 29 gallon fish tank and stand from a nice (very talkative, ended up taking an hour despite my best efforts) lady in South Jordan for $75. I put Glub and Oscar in the 29 gallon and moved the betta into their 10 gallon tank. He looked sooooo lonely. I left the snails in there with him but they pretty much ignore each other now, which I guess is a good thing.

So today I went to Animal Ark in Orem and picked up an otocinclus (algae eater... the snails are not cleaning anything!!!) and five neon tetras. It kind of looked at first like the betta might be hungry for tetra but I think he was just curious. They are all getting along smashingly. I will say though that Petsmart keeps snails in with their tetras and the snails EAT THE TETRAS!!! Mine look zippy enough that they should be able to keep away, so here's hoping.

I also got a big tall plant to go in the goldfish tank. So. Two fish tanks in my bedroom. I have noticed a difference in humidity in my room. Which should be kind of gross, but I actually think it's very nice. My tanks are not nearly as impressive as a bunch I have seen around teh interw3bs, but good enough for my fishies.

Good Sabbath

2010-11-14T12:33:00.000-08:00

This morning I woke up in my brother's guest bedroom. I accompanied his family on the piano in their sacrament meeting. Now I'm at home, just having finished a delicious CORN DOG. I'm about to go downstairs to make a sandwich and some broccoli, and I will eat it while watching North and South.

It just doesn't get much better than this.

M'mmm I love Sundays.

Why do I ever think that going back to school would be a good idea?? Silly me.

I got two snails

2010-11-07T08:06:00.000-08:00

One for the goldfish tank, one for the betta tank. I think the betta really wanted to eat its snail. It's missing most of one antenna feeler thingy and most of the other one. So I put that one in the goldfish tank as well.

So now, in a 10 gallon tank (PETA is going to come find me for this, I swear), I have one common goldfish, a black moor, and two mystery snails.

Let me tell you what, there is a lot of poop in this tank.

Okay, Ma

2010-11-03T09:29:00.001-07:00

Now Presenting...

THE UGLIEST FISH IN THE WORLD!

"Hi, my name is Glub."

"And I'm Oscar."
In this picture you can see where Oscar took a bite out of Glub's lower fin. Those shenanigans have stopped and hopefully it will grow back.

And here is Alpha, my champion beta fish. Sometimes when he looks bored I will place a mirror next to his tank and watch him go CRAZY!
The last few nights, he has made bubble nests! Should I get him a woman?? :)

Also, I would now like a parakeet. However, I do not want to clean up the poop it will invariably leave everywhere when I let it out of its cage.

Christmas!

2010-10-31T07:52:00.000-07:00

Well, here in Utah Valley, Halloween is officially over and you know what that means....

Only one more holiday before CHRISTMAS!!!!!

Ah, I love this season!

Halloween Cakes!

2010-10-24T21:03:00.000-07:00

There is an associate at work who might close for me on Wednesday... ON HER BIRTHDAY! I told her it was my birthday also, and if she would close (it's usually her day off), I would bring her in a cake.

She requested chocolate on chocolate.

Buuuuut.... I think a fun Halloween cake would be AWESOME!

Check out these ideas!

This one looks relatively easy, I could do black chocolate frosting with white spiderwebs!

This one also looks easy, and gross!

And who doesn't love cute little Halloween ghosts?

Also easy, and totally awesome. I think she would like Jack Skellington. I just couldn't do it with chocolate frosting. I COULD put in chocolate filling between the layers, though.

Classy cake, looks like something Martha Stewart would do.

This is probably the most awesome of them all, but you know I could never do it justice.

Oh, I love Halloween!

Of course... what's Halloween without a little MJ?

Fish 3.0

2010-10-24T00:04:00.001-07:00

After Lil' John died, I decided Big Momma looked more like a dude. So I rechristened him "Oscar." For the last few days he has seemed kind of bored and lonely, so today I bought him a buddy!

He is a black moor, about twice the size of Oscar. I have named him "Glub." :-) It suits him very well!

Glub already had a nice little piece missing from one of his big tail fins. Pretty sure Oscar the Grouch took a bite out of him! Hopefully Oscar will realize that Glub is not food.
These two are so weird. They both will chase the other around the tank. And not in a playful way. It really looks like they don't like it. But now that they've been together for a few hours, whenever Glub starts sucking on the gravel, Oscar will burrow under him and try to get the same rocks away from Glub. What a pest!

I have pictures. I know you're dying to see my babies (so pathetic, I know) so I will post them tomorrow.

2010-10-20T23:48:00.001-07:00

Okay, so I still read WeddingBee, so sue me!

Look at all these pretty dresses! Ugh!

Next I go dress shopping, I WANT MY MOM THERE WITH ME!

More goodness from Gottlieb:

Connie shook her head. "You can wait for Prince Charming," she said, "but even Prince Charming will have holes in his socks...." (30)

"The culture tells us to approach dating like shopping--but in shopping, no one points out the shopper's own flaws." (27)

I think

2010-10-16T21:49:00.001-07:00

... Big Momma killed Lil John. Because she is bigger and faster and more assertive. He was perfectly fine when I brought him home!

But I came home tonight and he was stuck in the filter's current. I turned it off to give him some rest. Five minutes later he was dead! Gosssssshhhhh. Oh well. My betta is doing great, and it is awesome because he is totally using the pirate skull I have in his tank. He swims out through the eye sockets and it is sooooo gross and awesome.

Ohhhh he just came out through the nose cavity! Like a long, red....

Maybe the pirate died of a nose bleed?

Bethany

2010-10-15T17:31:00.000-07:00

So, I got the book you recommended. The Case for Settling for Mr. Good Enough.

pp 9-10:

Meanwhile, the women I spoke to who were single--and unhappy about their single state--were still nixing guys who were "obsessed with sports" or "too short," because they figured that if they married the short guy who didn't read novels, they'd be unsatisfied in that marriage. Yet the women who had done just that weren't.

I think Lori Gottlieb may have peeked into my diary when she was researching the single gals.

*cue fog horn*

Big Momma & Lil' John

2010-10-14T17:32:00.000-07:00

Rachel, Spec and Glub seriously almost won out. I am not even kidding, those names made me laugh!

But when I saw how the black&yellow fish is smaller and pretty much always follows the bigger white&orange fish, I decided on Big Momma and Lil' John.

It's so funny to watch these two. When I first put them in the bowl I got from DI they were spazzing out going in circles and kept ramming their heads into the bottom/side. Then I read that round bowls give fish migraines (whatever). So I decided to get a bigger! tank for them to share. With a filter!!! I bought a ten gallon tank today. Once home I realized I didn't have anywhere to put it except on the floor. So... that's where it is. I got a little pirate shipwreck and a few live plants to go in there also. Sooooo cute.

Once I transferred the two into their new tank, they were super scared! And just kinda hung out by the ship for about five minutes, not moving. At first I was worried the filter was too strong. Then sloooooowly... BM started to nose around into LJ's rear end (pretty typical, I hope they don't end up having babies) and they started to explore their new digs! Now BM will race all around the mirrored sides of the tank as if she's playing with her reflection. LJ will do the same until BM gets tired and decides to suck on some gravel. If LJ does not follow her, she will swim back up and nudge him until he follows. Not even making this up. Weird weird weird. Who knew fish had personalities?

I will never look at sushi the same way. Yum.

Aaaaaaaand I took in my dead Apollo and exchanged his corpse for a new betta. The manager told me that she just got new bettas in today, so I'm guessing Apollo had been in his little pet store cup for a while, swimming in his own filth.
The new one is more red/purple-ish... and I made sure to get a bigger one so the filter wouldn't bother him. He is swimming around and eating pellets, so I'm not too worried about this one. His name.... is Jimmy Braddock!
Hopefully he lasts because I am running out of boxer names.

more fish

2010-10-13T21:35:00.000-07:00

Okay, pretty sure this Betta is going to die, it is just hanging around near the surface and not eating anything. All the online forums say it is just getting used to its new home or some crap like that, but come on, it's just a fish. Pretty sure it is going to die.

So... I went to WalMart and got two goldfish! Woo hoo! I put them in this big bowl I got at DI today. These goldfish are way more fun than Apollo. First, I don't have to worry about keeping the water warm. Sooooo nice. Secondly, I can put two of them in the same bowl so they can play with each other. And they are bigger than the betta. One is black and gold, the other is white and orange. Super rad! I would name them but I don't know if they are girls or boys or both. Hmmm.

Please Welcome...

2010-10-12T21:43:00.000-07:00

... Apollo!

My new betta fish! I picked him up tonight from PetSmart. He stood out because his body is a nice orange color, with blue roots on his fins and red tips. He is beautiful. However, once I got him home I noticed that the orange was kinda pale... and there's some silver on his gills. So I hope he isn't sick. Oh well.

I set up Rocky's old tank. Apollo is a bit smaller and the filter's current proved to be too much for him, so I've turned it off. Tomorrow at work I'll look for a big bowl to keep him in. He is awesome!

Why I love my family

2010-10-10T14:31:00.000-07:00

Two summers ago I was prettttty miserable. I would just sit on the couch and cry for like two hours at a time. But my family was still so nice to me. They made me go outside in the sun and participate in distracting activities. My mom even got me a cat! She told me it wouldn't feel like this forever, and she was right.

Then several weeks ago I was homeless for like a week and a half. And my brother John let me stay with them. The best part was that all of their kids were really sick... and then I moved into their basement with MY sickness, and they had another sick kid to take care of. Jenny and John have always been so good to me. They feed me, like, all the time, even now that I am supposed to be an independent adult. I did my laundry over there for a couple of years and Jenny would always take me grocery shopping. They let me vent about boys and roommates.

They are the best.

You know what would make my perfect family even better? Cleo transferring to BYU and being my roommate. :)

Wedding Cake

2010-10-10T13:08:00.000-07:00

Remember that one time I made Julie's wedding cake?

I just found a picture on facebook. In color! Unfortunately, the cake did not turn out as tall as all the other practice cakes... If I remember correctly it was four layers. Four! And still so short. I think it got smashed down because I was trying to smooth the top frosting over the skewers. Sigh. I probably could have used a thinner ribbon and made it look taller, but oh well. The cupcakes were super cute but I don't think I have any pictures of those.

I loved the green roses on top!

Pretty anti-climactic huh. I know it doesn't look that impressive, just keep in mind it was crusting buttercream and perfectly smooth. Not fondant, and not that super soft egg-white icing that you can just scrape smooth with a hot knife. Also, I spent the day babysitting at the temple. Now that I (sort of) know what I'm doing, it would be fun to experiment with multiple tiers and different shapes.

Here's another one of Cleo and I making Hugh & Emily's cupcakes for the open house:

Woo hoo! Does anyone have any pictures of the actual cupcakes???

It's beginning to look a lot like

2010-10-05T08:04:00.000-07:00

California Christmas!

Yesterday was so beautiful. It rained all day. There was no thunder. I usually really like thunderstorms but yesterday was just so nice and peaceful. And then in the evening it was quiet and cool. It smelled wonderful outside. And it got me so excited for the holiday season!

My birthday, Halloween, Thanksgiving, then Christmas.

My birthday will be spent at Nightmare on 13th in SLC. For Halloween I can't decide if I want to be a pirate again or Charlie from Top Gun (I figure I should take advantage of the short hair while I can). I'll probably spend Thanksgiving with my friend Kristie in Salt Lake since my family is deserting me. Then Christmas will be up here in the snow.

I'm so excited for pumpkin and peppermint flavored everything. I'm excited for cold nights wrapped up in a blanket. I'm excited for Christmas Carols and everyone being happy!

Ahhhhh.

2010-10-03T07:43:00.001-07:00

I saw this picture on a friend's facebook profile. Too good not to share. Bahahahaha!

So on that note, I will just say that my roommate had a dinner party last Sunday and the dishes are still in the sink. M'mm M'mm!
I am going to ask her to clean them today and then if she doesn't I am going to put them all in a box and leave it in the living room for her. I know, I'm so nice.

Also, I've decided to make a career change. Last night I started watching this reality show and realized my true calling in life... ICE ROAD TRUCKER! Wooooo baby.

Well everyone

2010-09-30T10:17:00.000-07:00

Today is a beautiful day outside! Mmmm all that sunshine. I could not be more pleased. Hopefully the snow will stay away until after Thanksgiving! It is getting to that point now where I don't want to check the weather because I am afraid of seeing snow near the end of the 10 day forecast. Eep!

To celebrate the summer I am going to (of course) do my 30 day shred video, then go for a walk down to Springville. Then I will come home and eat a wonderful lunch with the hopefully ripe tomatoes I just bought. Outside. I will embrace my inner matron and work on my years-in-progress cross-stitch outside, then read my latest John Grisham novel. Then it's up to SLC for a work errand (I always get sucked into doing stuff on my day off... why??) and dinner with a friend.

Oh, joyous day.

Zzzz....

2010-09-28T19:42:00.000-07:00

I just checked out two John Grisham books from the library. A Painted House and The Broker. A Painted House is first. I really like it so far.

After I finish those, I am going to read the book that Bethany recommended: Marry Him; the Case for Settling for Mr. Good Enough.
Because you know, I was just kidding about the soul mate bit. But sometimes I do worry that I am too picky. On the other hand, I definitely don't think I'm waiting for Mr. Perfect. I had him once and he gave me an eating disorder.

This is a crazy week at work. Two of my associates are most likely getting the boot. Oh dear.

I am just so tired.

Probably because I exercised last night. Bahahaha.

2010-09-24T19:48:00.000-07:00

What if one day you met your soul mate but they had a big hairy mole right in the center of their forehead? And they refused to get it removed?
Just food for thought.

My mother is right, I do complain about my work a lot. But it's also good. I like my coworkers. And today this one associate (you know... the one that will not be quiet!) went around saying goodbye to everyone since she got herself a job... all by herself! I barely had to help! It was great! She gets benefits after ninety days!

Another associate today told me (through a translator) "You're a good boss." Aww. Doesn't that just warm your little heart? She didn't even qualify it. Like two days ago one of my associates' mentors told me over the phone, "Yeah she (the associate) said to me (the mentor) 'She's really young, but I think she really cares about me.'" Hahah.

And then one of my coworkers told me that this OTHER associate (the drunk one) told her "Elizabeth and I don't really get along that well." I had no idea. Oh well. Can't win 'em all!

What a DAY

2010-09-18T18:25:00.000-07:00

Lately at work I have been feeling like I'm not really helping anybody. I know that's not true. It's just a couple of associates who I feel like I'm hitting my head against a brick wall with. Urg!

This morning I prayed for specific inspiration to know what words to say to help each individual associate.

Well. Today was a hard one.

The drunk cashier called in to say she would be late, and then never showed up.

Another cashier forgot we had changed her schedule and worked a night shift instead of a day.

One was still on vacation.

One cashier came in to work on the cash registers.

The last cashier that was supposed to open for me came in to work in books today because she was sick (she wasn't supposed to talk for three days-- an impossible feat for this particular associate). She showed up in jeans. My books department is on the sales floor, not in the warehouse. We needed her on the cash registers after all anyway, so I asked her to get a bag of money. Holy hell.
That did not go over well. Of course, she said it hurt to talk but you would never know it. Then when I asked her to go find a pair of dress pants so she could work on the sales floor, she threw another fit. Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaah! I told her to go home. She said she would go find some pants. She found some pants. At this point I knew we really couldn't do without her even as a backup cashier. I told her so. Nope. Refused. Went home.

Then another one of my book workers (who like... never comes in to work. I mean, out of 24 scheduled hours over the past two weeks, she worked six. The ironic thing is that she brought me a note from her court excusing her from her Thursday shift. What about the previous three she had missed???) threw a major attitude when I asked her to go work on the sales floor. I invited her to go home if she would like. She chose to work.

At the end of the day I reflected on these "conversations." I had just had a really nasty customer argue with me over fifty cents. Fifty cents! I remembered the prayer I had offered this morning. I felt discouraged. Then I remembered a much calmer interaction with one of my sales floor associates. He came to talk to me about some financial problems and stressors at home. Previously I had told him I would probably be giving him some more responsibility, which would in turn increase his wage. He wanted to let me know that he wasn't sure if that was a good idea since he didn't know how dependable he could be under all that stress. I didn't really know what to say, so I paused for a second to let someone else's thoughts flow into my head. And all I really ended up doing was assuring him that I was there for him and I didn't want work to be a stressor. I let him know I would be right there with him throughout the process and asked if there was anything else I could do for him.
It seems really simple, especially when it's written down. But he seemed genuinely very grateful. And I know those words didn't come from my own head. I'm always very aggressively solution oriented with my associates.
And this is really what the Deseret Industries program is all about. Helping people who want to be helped in small and simple ways. It's just good to remember who is in charge.

Today was

2010-09-17T16:28:00.001-07:00

a crazy associate day. Maybe not necessarily crazy, but definitely drunk. Nothing better than drunk cashiers! It's time for a nap.

2010-09-16T20:09:00.000-07:00

Today I realized that I could go to Culinary School for two years for about two thousand bucks total.
Then I realized that I am still trying to learn Spanish and I should probably only try to do one big thing at a time. So I will think about Culinary school after I learn Spanish.

In order to buy a 200,000 house with a 20% down payment, I would have to save at my current rate for ten years. Oh my gosh.