Adventures at Costco

I recently got hired on as a seasonal worker at the Parker Costco warehouse. The job is great, it's low stress, the other workers are fun and friendly, and all in all it's a good place to work. I would really like to be held on as a permanent employee, so we'll see at the end of my "try out" in three weeks.

Everyone should try working at Costco at least once in their lifetime. The greatest thing about working there is the free samples. Of course the free samples are great even if you're just a member, but because I am there a couple days out of the week, I get free samples on lunch breaks, 15 minute breaks, and in between running from the front end to the back end on member requests.

I think my chances of staying on are pretty good, though I see some cons to every pro that supports managment's decision to keep me on the core staff.

1) Pro: Management likes my good attitude, how I smile a lot, and my personality.

Con: For the first week, management thought my name was "McKenzie".

2) Pro: Management asked me to extend my 4 hour shift to an 8 hour shift last week.

Neutral: They also asked the rest of staff if they would extend their shifts (later I found because two guys from corporate were coming to check things out at our store.)

3) Pro: Management has been putting me in a lot of different positions (front end assistant, door checker, self-checkout helper, go-backs, etc.) and teaching me a lot of new things.

Con: The other 75% of the time they don't know where to put me, so they send me to clothing to fold for the rest of the 6 hours.

The bottom line is, I actually really enjoy this job. Whether or not they keep me on, it's been a great experience. It makes for some good stories, I've made great friends and I'm basically eating for free daily.

Time to grow up? Cast your votes

I haven't written on my blog for far too long. I'm up at BYU-Idaho with a client. We went to McDonald's, and because this is our last time together I let her choose whether to play computer games or card games. She chose computer, so I finally have access to the Internet.

I'm leaving the beautiful state of Idaho in one week. It's sad, but I'm excited to be living in the same home as my husband!

The inspiration for this entry was a nice birthday present one of my old roommates gave me. I think the people that know me the best know that I have a pretty good sense of humor, and one way I keep it fresh is by keeping up on my daily Peanuts' comics. I have many Peanuts' memorabilia, and this is cause to ask myself, "Is it time to grow up?"

My old roommate got my a canister of Spiced Hot Cocoa and on the front of the tin can is Snoopy and Woodstock around a festive Thanksgiving centerpiece. I'm 24 years old and I don't think I could have asked for anything cuter!



But, I am 24 years old. Is it time to grow up? Is it time to replace my coffee table comic books with photography books of the mountains, or a Time's magazine or the newspaper with current events? Is it time to collect my stuffed Snoopy, my Snoopy mug, the several Peanuts' t-shirts, and Peanuts' mint tins and store them away in a Tupperware in the basement?

Personally, I think no. I've got a good 2, 3, or 55 years left in me before it's time to start growing up! Like my dad has said, "Growing old is mandatory. Growing up is a choice!"

Appropriate or Inappropriate?

I flew home this past Tuesday for a grad school interview. I drove into Salt Lake City and parked my car in the Diamond Parking Lot and hopped on the bus that took me to the airport. It was 5:30 in the morning, so I was a little out of it, but I was awake enough to notice the tip jar on the driver's dash board. I peeked into my wallet and realized I had zero cash on me. Suddenly, I was faced with a predicament. I couldn't leave my credit card or my debit card. I had to ask myself, and text my sister, "Is it appropriate to leave a tip in the form of a gift card if you don't have any cash on you?" The only other 3 options: a) Wal-Mart gift card with an ending balance of $68.91 (not likely I was leaving a $70 tip...) b) Borders gift card with a balance nearing $1.00 (I think it actually had like .56 cents or so) c) Dairy Queen gift card for $2.82 So, what did I do? I did what any white girl with three carry-ons-- carrying them by herself without any help getting on or off--would do. I took a free water out of the cooler in the back of the bus as four or five other businessmen got on the bus, prayed that one of them would tip the driver, and was the first one off the bus when we approached the Delta Airlines curb.

My Bed

I'm a floater. I've accomplished a lot in my life, but when it comes right down to it, I don't really know what I'm doing. I have just recently moved into the fourth, and hopefully final, place of residence in under one year. The good thing about moving so much is you get to see how much stuff you really have. This is good, because I think that I have managed to purge three or four giant trash bags full of old things. This is from clothing, to old cooking supplies, to furniture, to a lamp that never should have made it outside of my college apartment. Now, I have moving down to an art. Most of my stuff stays in storage (a good 5 boxes) and the rest I fit into my new room:

If your attention is directed to the green/white rectangle on the floor, you may be asking yourself, "Self, what is that green/white rectangle thing on the floor with the pillows on top?"

To that I would answer you, that is my current bed. Story: I had my parents take my queen size bed back home to Colorado b/c (A) I was pretty sure I was going to move to Utah in September (today, oddly enough) and they had furnished housing there and (B) I wouldn't be living in Idaho much longer anyway, so might as well take it with them so I wouldn't have to lug it around.

Well then, now you probably want to ask me, "Max, are you sleeping on-"

"Yes, I am sleeping on 4 queen-sized egg-role mattresses folded over so it really feels like 8. And yes, I put twin sheets around them to keep them bundled together to make it look and feel like a real twin-size mattress. And, yeah, I guess you could call me cheap for not wanting to buy a $60 twin mattress to use or have to shuffle around for the next 4 months."

Well, well, well....

So Kelly got a blog! Yay!! Check out hers...It's under my quick links entitled "KELLY!"

Welcome to Wal-Mart...

I have made an effort in the past 6 months to not shop at Wal-Mart. They do have such great prices and so much stuff, that when you go in for a dozen eggs, you wonder why you're leaving with 2 for $10 goggles, 3 for $5 pop tarts, 4 for $10 Diet Pepsi 12-Packs, and a cute graphic tee off the $7 rack. Not to mention by the time you drive home and bring your bags inside you realize you forgot the eggs you actually went in for. My reasons for not shopping at Wal-Mart were very hard for me to explain, but ode to MSN.com, someone who is more business-savvy and economically in tune has explained my feelings: http://articles.moneycentral.msn.com/SavingandDebt/SaveMoney/the-price-of-wal-mart-coming-to-town.aspx And, what is it with Wal-Mart piggy-backing on Target? I love Target, and I just find the rumors curious (if they are true), why is it that Wal-Mart is remodeling their stores to embody Target's floor plan? Anyway, it doesn't make you a bad person if you shop at Wal-Mart. For me, I would rather spend my dollar for the same stuff at other stores.

Crazy Cat Lady

I don't know what got into me. I've had many ridiculous ideas before, but this one, this one was good.

My sisters and I have the age old joke that if any three of us don't get married in the next few years, one of us may become the crazy cat lady. It's not that I hate cats, I just don't like them. Kittens, on the other hand-like the six little ones in a brown box labeled "FREE" sitting outside Wal-Mart today-are so adorable.

I picked up an adorable little orangish-red one. I would have named her "Spicy", because "Ginger" is derogatory, and "Big Red" didn't sound cool. I think I picked her up because she was making the most noise and the little "meows" were like, "Max! Take me home! Please! I won't pee on your floor! Take me with you!"

I was with a client at the time. She picked up a little black one, and two other teenage girls picked up a white fur-ballish one and a black/orange/white tigerish one. We stood outside the store like that for a good 20 minutes. 5 were spent calling my client's mom, where we got the answer 'no'. The other 15 minutes were spent trying to convince myself not to walk away with the kitten in my arms.

My reasons for not taking the kitten:
1) I would have to buy cat toys.
2) The kitten would turn into a cat :(
3) Litter boxes smell like dung holes.
4) I would unsubconsciously start my journey down the road of becoming the crazy cat lady.

I put the kitten back in the box and told the man that I would be back in ten minutes. We ran into Wal-Mart, got our snacks and goggles, and while we were making our way to the check out counter I called my roommate.
Me: "What would you say if I brought home a kitten?"
Her: "I hate cats."
Me: "Yeah, me too."
Her: "If it was a dog, that's another story. I'd be okay with that."
Me: "I agree. Cool, just checking!"

There's still hope for me!

21 Things I Want in a Lover...

I've been listening to Alanis Morissette quite a bit lately. She wrote a song entitled "21 Things I want in a Lover" where she lists things that she wants in a lover. I don't think she actually lists 21 things (I think I counted 18...) but, I thought it would be fun to think of 21 things that I look for in a lover, or for a better word, a mate. Like Alanis says, these are "not things I necessarily need, but qualities that I prefer." I also love how she lists them like questions, as if she wrote an ad for the paper or craigslist.

1. Do you laugh with others, but not at them?
2) Can you sit in a room without constant noise?
3. Do you like simple things, like being okay shopping for cooking utensils on a date?
4) Are you okay with a girl changing her mind, then changing it back, and maybe changing it again?
5. Can you run a 10k under an hour, and are you up for training for a marathon?
6) Do you like watching the Disney channel on a Saturday morning?
7. Are you open to trying new things?
8) Are you into artistic development, especially within yourself?
9. Can you dance to the rhythm of a band, and not worry about who's watching?
10) Do you do nice things when no one is looking, and honestly don't wish for the recognition?
11. Can you cuddle, and hold me like I mean the world to you?
12) Do you have a good imagination?
13. Are you creative in problem-solving and creation?
14) Do you love to learn and strive to make learning a life-long journey?
15. Can you forgive and forget?
16) Do you believe in eternal life, love, and happiness?
17. Are you good with kids, aged 1 day to 18 years old?
18) Are you patient, understanding, and slow to anger?
19. Are you laid back, can you relax, even when life throws a quick one at you?
20) Do you go to church, love God, and serve others?
21. Do you want the world to be a better place, and engage yourself in good causes?

It's a rough list, but things I look for nontheless. That was fun. Maybe it'll change in a month, or a year, or maybe it will stay exactly the same.

Pre-Father's Day Special...

http://lifestyle.msn.com/relationships/articlematch.aspx?cp-documentid=20315727&GT1=32023

I really like this article. Especially the not putting up with crap part.

Some Songs

I love music. Who doesn't, right? Well, I truly, deeply, madly love music. I think it is very powerful and can awaken emotions you never knew were inside. I also believe that when you are in love, it might become necessary to dedicate a song to the significant other. Beaware, however, if you only think you are in love. This is when you do not dedicate certain songs. I believe there are a handful of love songs out there that should only be used at weddings, on anniversaries, or the like that signify eteranal love. Case in point: "Coffee Shop" by Landon Pigg, "Lucky" by Colby Collait and Jason Mraz, "That's Entrainment" by Van Morrison, etc. The reason being, if the two people parted ways one day, that song would leave a bittersweet taste in one's mouth; and I, for one, wouldn't be able to listen to it without flashbacks. I also think that music can work the other way. For example, when you do have a break-up, a bad day at work, a car hits your mailbox at 3 am, etc., there is always a song for those times. Like, I once was in a spot in my life where I could have dedicated, "Ain't Wastin' Good Whiskey on You" by Trick Pony. This isn't because I'm a closet alcoholic, but if I did like to wash down a meal (or a heartache) with some spirits, I think I would think twice about when and where I would drink my 'good whiskey'. I guess the point I'm trying to make is, there will always be a country song that has the words describing EXACTLY how you feel. Whether or not we like country, no one likes getting "a ketchup stain on his white t-shirt", we all need to tell ourselves that "if Bubba can dance (I can too)", I would like a "cowboy to take me away", I'm sure I could find someone to tell "you're the reason God made Oklahoma" to, and, wouldn't all us girls love to be the "queen of someone's double wide trailer?" Yeah, good old country. It's always good for something.

Not Qualified

I've accepted the fact there are some things in this world that I am simply not qualified to do. Sometimes a desire burns deep inside me to compete and become qualified to do certain tasks or activities. I've always dreamt of playing professional golf, but until I can break 100 on an 18-hole course, I realize I'm not qualified to play in the PGA. I did, however, take a golf course last fall semester up at BYU-Idaho. While in the class, I met and played often with a nice young man who shared my passion of swinging a club at a small white ball into a beautiful, open green field. We got to talking about his wife and her amazing artistic ability. Again, the desire to become a renowned artist burned within me and my older sister gave me my very first acrylic art set for my birthday. I have yet to test my possible hidden talents on an open canvas; but, I have accepted the fact that I just might not be qualified to sell art work at a moderately placed price. So, among the things I've come to peace with not being qualified, tonight topped the chart. My roommate and I decided to order pizza and watch a movie tonight. I volunteered to pick up our dinner on my way home from dropping off some things at the library. Total, $7.41 for one, medium, 2-topping pizza. Then I arrived at our apartment complex, got out of my car fine, grabbed my purse, the 2-liter diet ginger ale, the gallon of ice cream I bought earlier, and the pizza. As I walked up the stairs, I fumbled for my keys, missed a step, and watched in slow motion as my beautiful, medium, pineapple and pepperoni pizza spiraled to the concrete steps. The box flew open and the smell of deliciousness floated to the ground. I just stared at the pieces on the steps in disbelief. I kept thinking to myself, "There is no way that just happened." I think I sat on the steps for a good 5 minutes before entering my apartment, picking up the phone, and mouthing to my roomie what happened in a half-hearted explanation of why we had to wait 15 more minutes to eat. I called "John" and described what happened, hoping for a little sympathy in the form of a free replacement pizza. "With tax included, that'll be $7.41," he said. I said thank you, hung up, grabbed my keys and a Hamilton, and walked back to Papa's. It's okay, I tell myself. I'm just not qualified to be a pizza delivery person, and I am truly okay with that.

Why Did I get back on Facebook?

It was for my sister. She said she misses me. We don't talk much anymore, so we stay in touch through the magical world of facebook. Without facebook, I would have real relationships. With facebook, I can still have lots of cyber relationships.

I just wasted 82 minutes tonight alone. Blast.

Why You Shouldn't Buy a Dozen Donuts if You Don't Have at Least Half a Dozen People to Share With:

I was walking around Smith's grocery about 2 weeks ago and had the essentials, or what I came in for: milk, eggs, diet soda, and bread. Sometimes I like to graze the very back corner because they often have great deals. Usually, in the back corner of any grocery they sell day-old donuts for very cheap. I saw that there were a couple boxes of glazed donuts for $1.29 for a dozen! I was on the phone with one of my older sisters and we discussed the pros and cons:

1) Pro: a dozen donuts for almost the price of what one donut costs at a bakery.
2) Con: there is only one of me. There are 12 donuts....
3) Pro: a dozen donuts for almost the same cost of one donut at a bakery!!!
4) Con: anyone who buys a dozen donuts with no one to share with is just asking for it.

My sister kindly, yet firmly, helped me keep my will power--and my self esteem--and I opted out of buying them.

Well, my younger sister and her husband came over later that night and we all had dinner together and played cards. After we ate, her husband started to watch the end of an NBA game that Boston was in, and my younger sister leans over to me and tells me she has been craving donuts all day. Naturally, I mention the great deal on the day-old dozen. The only excuse we used to rationalize buying a dozen donuts was agreeing to walk to the grocery store...which is across the street. (About the equivalence of walking from one end of a moderately large mall to the other end. It took us about 10 minutes.)

I wouldn't quite call it a disaster. Let's just say that out of the 2/3 of the dozen that actually made it back to my apartment Saturday night, 1/3 was sent home with my sister, and the other 1/3 never saw Sunday morning. Don't buy a dozen donuts unless you have at least half a dozen people to share with!

Make Good Choices

I'm always telling my kids, "Make good choices. You know you have the choice, so make it a good one." Recently, Elder Bednar spoke at a CES Fireside at BYU-Idaho (Sunday, May 3rd, 6:00pm. Google it...or LDS.org it). He had a lot of great advice. One part of his talk, which I stood up in my apartment and screamed "AMEN!!! AAAAA-MEN!" was about technology and how it can be good, but it's deteriorating our relationships with each other. We are consumed by fast-pace, new age technology that takes our time away from face-to-face contact.

I've never been a huge fan of text messaging. I just think, if you're both sitting on your bums watching "The Office", you might as well save your thumbs and talk to each other. Now, in class or at work, texting is great and can really make the day go faster (haha! totally kidding, halfway. Elder Bednar would say this takes away from you making good relationships at work or school. I agree.) But, texting, I'M-ing, online chat rooms, FACEBOOK, all things that kind of got out of hand, in my opinion.

So, I'm siding with Elder Bednar on this one and I'm limiting my text messages to 3 a day plus emergencies. Kind of like a salary for my texting, with benefits! I've also recently done away with facebook for the ump-teenth time. But this time, I'm for real! I've noticed ever since I've been working 42-hour weeks between the school and after-school program, I rarely have time to check my own email let alone waste precious time on facebook. I might have to go back on briefly to collect a few email addresses of people I want to keep in touch with, but ultimately, I feel good about de-technologizing my life.

Another good point he made was how our bodies are temples, and sitting in front of the computer for hours not only turns us into doughy-doughpeople, mentally and spiritually it really harms us. Then, he had a little plug about not doing things that put our bodies into extreme danger. Well, here I have a little problem. My friend, Mandy, has sent me a letter with the brilliant idea to make a list of 101 goals to accomplish in 1,001 days.

Well, goals 11-20 for me contain things such as bungee-jumping, sky diving, swimming with the sharks, hang gliding, etc. All things that Elder Bednar might argue put my body in extreme danger. I'm working on a little query to send him on that.

Anyway, it's all about making good choices. I just hope I don't get fired for teaching my second and third grade clients how to steer and drive stick, race up three flights of stairs at the counseling office, and playing hide-n-go seek in the library. Again, it's all about making good choices!

Thank the Good Lord, It's April!

I mean no blaspheme by the title. I'm genuinly grateful it's April. February is the longest month for me, mentatlly-and ironically it's the shortest month of the year. March always goes by surprisingly fast. I've expereinced quite a bit the past few months, but March I learned a lot. I learned I can love children like they were my own just because I don't know if anyone in their short lives has shown them what real love is.

I've also learned (today) that when one of my little clients says, "I hate you, " and storms to her room just because I made her turn off the television to finish our reading really means, "I'm frustrated. I hate reading because I'm not good at it...but thank you for helping me through it because Mom and Dad don't read with me."

April is a great month. The grass is growing greener, the birds chirp more beautifully, and the days are longer. Today, was April Fool's day. The best one I heard went like this:

Text message @ 8 am: Were you in on this?
Me: In on what?
Text: I woke up to some pretty decorations on my car.
Me: haha! really? i don't even know what car you drive. was it bad?
Text: well, apparently i was "just married".
Me: haha! congrats!
text: oh yeah. laugh now. but there will be hell to pay when i find out who did it!

Haha! It doesn't get much better than some innocent vandalism!

Things I Love

I love the rain. I love the smell of the rain, the feel of the rain, the earth after a good rain. I just love the rain! I love the smell of campfire. I love camping, the chilly mornings, hot afternoons, long hikes, and the way your tent feels like a sauna when you get back from the long hikes. I love the smell of burning wood, roasted marshmallows, and hot dogs. To be continued....I'm getting kicked out of the lounge where I get free wifi. They close it at 10 pm. Lame.

Sometimes Vain Things Make me Happy!

I had a really good hair day today. I think the key is to not shower every day. Now, don't get all grossed out, but I guess I mean just don't wash your hair every day. Last week, I took 3 days off and then washed my hair last night. I woke up this morning to a tossled mess and just started curling away and hair spraying like there was no tomorrow. By the end of church, I noticed that my hair looked pretty good. (Again, now I'm not sure if it's the not washing the hair every day, or maybe because this was the first time I actually got ready and styled my hair in a week, but it...looked....GOOD!)

I proceeded to take several (2 dozen or so) pictures of myself and came to a few realizations:

1) I'm not very good at taking pictures of myself.

2) Half of my face is not very photogenic.

3) The other half of my face is only photogenic in certain light.

4) The pictures of me making funny faces look prettier than the pictures of me smiling.

I love good hair days!

Belinda, My Sweet...Sweet...Belinda

Sometimes we all go through things that are just not fun. Sometimes, I try to make funny the things that are just not fun, which is why I've decided to name my newly found friend on my lung. We'll call her Belinda, the blood clot. She's a real pain, I'll tell you, but I have so much to be grateful for. I'm grateful there are doctors who know what they are doing, tests that can detect these little "friends", modern technology that creates research and medicine to treat them, family that stay up till 3 in the morning with you at the hospital (and stock your fridge with milk, juice, bananas, cookies, and pastries!), a mother who calls 4-5 times an hour asking for updates, a sister who scratches your back for an hour, a brother who immediately starts googling P.E, stranger missionaries from the church who give you a blessing, an old friend who can relate to you, and countless prayers from everyone. I knew people loved me, but I had no idea how much. I'm frustrated because I can't run for awhile. In fact, I took Monday-Wednesday off just because of the new medicine. I started feeling okay tonight, so I did a test run. I ran from my apartment to the lounge...and immediately regretted it. I don't know if it was the pizza and ice cream I ate right before at Enrichment Night or the 30 second jogging session, but it's safe to say I'll be taking the next few days extra easy. I was reading some literature the nurses gave me on Tuesday morning before I left the Resort (hospital room) I was staying at. One of the side effects of the blood thinners is unexplained rapid weight gain. So, on top of not being able to run, I'm probably going to go crazy with thinking my waist line is increasing. I thought about starving myself, but I only lasted till 9:30 am--and I woke up at 9:20 am this morning. The only other option is to take the stairs, pray for warm weather to play with my kids outside, and cross my fingers that the doctor will tell me I can start running again next week. (And, of course, quit eating ice cream, pizza, and candy bars like I normally can when I am running 30-40 miles a week.) Anyway, Belinda is my new friend. And, since she's decided to take up camp in my body, I figure I should learn as much about her as possible. Like, I know she gets irritated when I say it's time for bed, and she'll throw tantrums in the form of flare ups in my upper back. And, when I eat too much she throws fits in my chest cavity and lower back. I'm sure we'll get along just fine when I take her on a long run next month...hopefully in the form of her being dissolved by then. It's really not the end of the world, I know, but it sure slows me down. I guess now I'll have more time to build model airplanes, take long baths, read my comic books, scrap book, write my autobiography, shop at antique and second-hand stores, embroider my kitchen towels, etc. I'm pretty sure my friends at the plasma center will miss me, but I'll catch up with them in 2-3 years when the doctor said I might be able to go back in. This is also forcing me to find another second source of income. There's only one other way I can think of to sell your body for money, but that way is a lot less safe and ten times more risky and immoral than donating plasma. Maybe the local IHOPS is still hiring for the morning shift? I'll keep you updated.

What People Collect

It's funny what people collect in their life times. Me, for example, I hate to hold onto things because I'm always thinking about moving. When I'm in one place too long, I get antsy and need a change (though moving for me is quite stressful, change is good). Sometimes just changing my room around is all I need. Sometimes changing how I organize my dish towels does the trick. And, every once in a while I need a change in how I look so I'll chop my hair really short, work out harder--or the opposite, start eating more!--or buy clothes that necessitate a new look. Why, I often like to frequent the D.I (Goodwill) or second-hand stores for retro styles or antique jewelry. Idaho Falls has a ton of second-hand stores, pawn shops, and antique stores that are full of old crap. I work in the old historic down town, and within a mile radius of our building, I think I could count a dozen and a half of these stores. I walked into one the other day with a client, and we were in garage sale heaven....well, all except the prices. I swear, if anyone pays for a Snoopy camping glass, originally from McDonald's in the 1980's, for over $8, they're going to regret it 10 seconds after purchase. Now, I'm not saying it would be a bad investment. I'm just saying that I'm glad I left the store empty-handed with the rationale that I would think about it and if it's still there this Wednesday, I MIGHT indulge a little. I used to collect a lot of Peanuts memorabilia. I still have a lot! But over the years I've been able to get rid of my duck collection, moose collection, and someday I'm sure I'll have to downsize my kitchen towel and fabric collection (that is, if I never get to the 20 or so sewing projects I have in my head.) I feel okay about my collections, because I learned from my Mother who collects dish sets. We still give her a hard time about this, but I'll tell you something, now that all her kids are moving away, it's a lot cheaper to inherit one of these sets than to go buy your own! People collect the weirdest things. From wolves, to music that has never been opened, to obsessive cleaning supplies. I've seen it all, and I must say at this point there is no surprise and no limit to what people collect.

Valentine's Day!

I'm one of those girls who loves-LOVES-Valentine's Day. This was the first year I had a date with someone very very special...and it was a hilarious day. In the past, I've always asked the guy out. I've always been one to chase the boys and ask if he would be my Valentine. But, this year, it was a mutual thing and it deserves to be blogged. (Is that a proper verb tense?)

We started by having dinner at 4 pm at a very nice and fancy restaurant. Near the waiting area was a giant bowl of jelly beans, so of course I joined the other 3 or 4 kids in scooping handfuls to take to my table. To our left was an older couple, almost as old as the couple to our right. They both looked like they might be from Florida. We ate 3 loaves of bread, and around half a stick of butter. This place was awesome (Del Frisco's) because whenever it looked like you had just a little bread left, the bread boy would be right there switching out the baskets with a new, fresh, warm loaf. We split this amazing steak and potatoes, and almost puked walking out to the car because we ate so much! It was also still bright outside when we left the restaurant. That was new for us.

We then noted that the night was still very young (5:15 pm) so we drove downtown and walked around the Cherry Creek Mall. Of course we only stopped by the cooking stores and the watch store, everything of which was over-priced (but I made a mental list of things I'm going to search for at TJ MAXX and ROSS.)

Then, we rented "Madagascar 2" from the RedBox and bought 4 bags of candy and pop. We took our movie and snacks back to his house and got doped-up on sugar while we watched our movie, after which we both crashed into a 3 1/2 hour nap/coma.

Needless to say, I had a great time. I felt like a little kid again/older retired couple. This weekend has been great. But, for real, diet starts today...or tomorrow...we also went to the grocery store yesterday and bought day-after candy on sale. (Seriously, who passes up a 4 lb. bag of Valentine day candy for 50% off? Not this girl.)

What Makes the World Go Round...

I had a really negative view on the real world and what really makes it turn. For a long time, I always thought it was money. You need money to do this, and money to do that. You need money to impress him (or her) and then you need money to keep him (or her). It was getting really draining. Living on my own has taught me: dollars in=dollars out for rent, food, utilities, etc. etc.

Well, I decided I wasn't going to take this view anymore and I've since decided that kindness makes the world go round. Really! I'm not trying to be cheesy, or greeny, or granola. Kind people real make or break it in this society. I've also learned that even if I'm homeless and begging for money and stressing over where to find my next meal, someone is always kind. The church is kind. Most people have good hearts.

I've also decided that karma, in some aspect, is real. And, if I do my part, things will just work out. How? I have no idea! But, they do for me. When I'm kind to people, and I'm talking the genuine, I-want-to-get-to-know-you kind, people respond positively. Things work out.

So, call it what you want to. Love makes the world go round. Genuine people make the world go round. Kindness makes the world go round. Honesty really helps. Last I checked, you can't buy any of those with money.

Kids These Days

I love my job. Have I mentioned that before? Well, I love working with the kids. The few times the adults don't cancel, they are rather enjoyable as well. But, the kids make this job for me. They love unconditionally, they are always optimistic, and they love to play. Last week, one of my client's has a younger sister, let's call her "Julie", who is about seven or eight years old. She asked me my first week if I could be her PSR worker, and I wanted to say YES! but I told her maybe down the road.

Her sister is very fun as well, and sometimes their mom let's me take both girls to go play and do other activities. Well, the other night, "Julie" didn't want me to leave but it was getting late. She proceeded to ask me what my plans for next Friday were, and if I was free, I could come babysit her and her siblings. I was dying inside! I wanted to laugh, but somewhere inside her I could tell she was serious, and hopeful. Her little invitation melted my heart and is making this -10 degree weather not seem so bad. (And litterally, my face is frozen because it was 2 degrees when I walked outside the gym to my car tonight!)

I can't wait to have kids. More so, I can wait, but I can't wait to go to work tomorrow. If only I could talk some of the adults into playing hide-n-go-seek tag or finger painting, or trying on tacky clothing at the D.I!

A Few Things I Know

1) I need people in my life! I was feeling lonely this morning, so I went into work early. From 10 am till 830 pm I was surrounded by people! It was so fun, and the more I learn the ropes to my job and such, the more I realize how lucky I am. I'm getting paid to hang out with people and help them. When I hear their problems, mine seem so small. I'm grateful for what I have and for everything I've been given. I sure do have it easy. And, did I mention how lucky I am to get paid to hang out with people?!

2) Wells Fargo is the best bank in the nation. Okay, so I've only banked with 3 banks in my whole life; one was bought, one went out of business, and one is staying strong, serving across the nation, and is buying other banks! And, the lady who works at the W.F on Hitt Road rocks my world! She's like an awesome aunt, or grandmother!

3) Sometimes, having pizza 4 nights in a row is okay. It's fast, easy, full of calories (and I need the calories right now! Work takes a lot out of a woman!) and it is d-e-l-i-c-i-o-u-s!

4) After being away from my home all day, seriously all day, I love coming back to a clean, warm home. I think spending a Saturday or Sunday lounging around is exactly what I'll need after a long week.

5) I don't need to run 9 miles to get runner's high. I ran 4 the other night and never felt better! I swear, exercise heals. I would be interested in researching if humor and exercise have similar effects on illnesses (mental and physical.)

6) I love my family more than anything I can describe! They have listened to every single one of my plans, and then more ideas, my complaints, my joys, they've heard my tears, and they still make me feel normal! Sometimes I think I'm crazy for having such a hard time with this new chapter, but talking to them makes me realize that I'm going to be okay, I'm not crazy, and "this too, shall pass"!

7) Life is everything. It's exciting, it's scary, it's up and it's down, it's hot and cold, it's thrilling and it's boring. But mostly, it's what you make it. So, I've decided to make it a good one! There's got to be something great to every day. (Like today: we played hide-n-go-seek tag in the office because it was too cold and snowy outside to play; I got paid to paint a picture of the beach; I had pizza with a friend; the list goes on!)

8) All that's left to do is "Carry on, wayward son; For there'll be peace when you are done". Kansas knew this whole time.

Smile, Cuz' at Least We Have Today.

January 4th, 2009. I started off this year with a lot of hope; I was so excited to see what this year would bring. Right now, I'm finding a little stress, a lot more anxiety than silly exams could ever bring, and a loss of words for how a certain situation unfolded. I can't say much about the situation, or the person, but I can keep my own confidentiallity, well...not confidential at all. I'm the most broken I've ever been. And, it couldn't be more hilarious. I can't wait for the sun to shine a little brighter, for the temperature to warm up, and to find some new love this year. I don't know if it will be a new love for myself? For someone else? Or for something? I've been thinking I'd love to try new extreme activities like skydiving, surfing, swimming with sharks, heli-snowboarding, going to a movie by myself...maybe not this last one.

I heard of a talk given in church in which the speaker was asked what he wanted to be when he grew up. His reply was simply, "I want to be happy when I grow up." I've decided I want to be happy when I grow up, which means I have to start practicing now! A good friend of mine recently gave me a book for Chritstmas, "What Happy People Know". At first, I thought, gosh, does she think I'm really depressed? Has it really shown? But then I thought, wow. This friend really knows me and really cares about me. She has read her book (I think she said) 14 times. I'm only through the first chapter, but I'm excited to read more.

All in all, I think happy people pretty much know that no one can make you happy but yourself. I would like to make other people happy. Hell! I would like other people to make me happy! But, we can only control ourselves, our reactions, and only we can make up our minds. Someone once said, "You are as happy as you make up your mind to be." Yeah, pretty true.