Nerf Wars

For Christmas, my dad got some nerf guns. They are little one shot air powered lovelies. He got 2, but 2 is not enough for all of us. Siwa and I went and got some...ours are 10 shot, semi -auto, battery powered, machines of death and destruction! We had an epic battle in which Siwa and I took on Dad and Poob. Their guns were no match, and we won!

Well spotted!

Not only do I have the only red stocking, but mine was trying to escape!

Has anybody seen my jingle bell?

All growing up we had one giant jingle bell hung around the front door knob. Anytime during the Christmas season when the front door opened or shut, the jingle would accompany the motion. I LOVE it. To me that is one tradition that must continue. Last year, my mom, bless her, used the jingle bells to scare off the deer, ask her about that story. It's a good one. Of course it didn't work, and destroyed the jingle bells. TRAGIC!

I got hit with the crafty bug(which doesn't normally happen, so I gotta take advantage when it does) and decided to make some jingle bells. 

This is my fav. It's my Gaga bell.

It's friday friday friday

Black Friday.

On my way to work this morning, at oh, say 5:50, traveling on the normal roads, I passed Joann fabric and craft store.   What is different about today is that passing Joann's, I also passed hundreds of people lined outside....at a FABRIC store. Later in my work day, while helping a couple, they started talking about that very store saying the cutting tables were awful. They got number 150 at about 6 am...the store at 10am was only to 25. The wait on that at that rate is 24 hours! FOR FABRIC!!

Rice krispies

While I understand that today's world is filled with lots of wonderful treaties, some I cannot even prononce let alone dream about making.  My skill level of cooking goes about as far as Rice Krispies.
Rice Krispies are one of the most simple treats. 3 ingredients! Every time I go to Chuck-a-Grandma I get as many as I can stomach.
The history of these little ditties go as follows:

Kellogg's had created Rice Crispy cereal in 1928 and it was fine as far as cereals go, but in 1939 when Mildred and her friend Malitta needed an idea to help the Campfire Girls raise money...TADA- They put their heads together Rice Crispy Treats were born.

I made 2 batches and had enough self control to only eat one square as of last night. I cannot make any guarantees about today though. Merry Thanksgiving!

Being Honest

Question:
How tall is a 5 foot Christmas Tree?

Answer:
5 feet.

Lights shine BRIGHT

Siwa and I were lucky enough to go to a Lights concert. Her band got stuck in Colorado but instead of canceling the concert, she few out and did an acoustic concert. HOLY SMOKES! It was amazing. I hope she puts out an acoustic version of her songs. The best part is that she sounds the same live(maybe better??) as she does on her CD's. The above video is one of my favs. FOR SURE look her up and download all her music because she rocks.

Ok, I really meant to post this:

This is what I really really want. After discussing the cons of the Transporter(one being it'd be in the shop more that it'd be with me) with my VW specialist, I've decided it's in my best interest to wait for this:

THE VW MIRCOBUS!

Transporter

This is what I want:

The whole idea of a van is so funny to me. Growing up, we had a van. The most recent relay we had a fabulous van. I have nothing against them. I just find them funny. Riding around together in a van creates an automatic bond...whether from embarrassment or joy, I don't know.  I thought that I wanted a creeper van. Then I found the van for me. The Volkswagen Transporter(hippie edition). I absolutely love VW. The VW transporter combines what I love and what I think is so so funny.  Imagine 6 of your buddies cruising around in one of those bad boys.
I draw the line at the camper versions.

MPH

The past few months have been busy. Family has been visiting, I started school, and I still have my DB job in the mornings. My days start early. Most mornings I wake up and can pull myself together, but last week for whatever reason, I was not banging on all cylinders.
I was trying to figure out how long it would take some of my fam to drive 1000 miles. This is how the logic went:

"If you go 100(long pause)...if you are going 60 then you are going 60."

Siwa and my Mom just looked at me with stupefied expressions. Then came the giggles. I clearly wasn't functioning and didn't get 'it'.  In my head it made perfect sense, well that's because it does make sense.

PEPPERmint

During one of my yoga classes, the teacher brought some essential oils in. They always enhanced the practice and help us all to smell awesome. My personal favorite is peppermint. I use it most for sore muscles after runs and such. It's like mentos mints for your skin! Sunday, I put some on before my sunday nap. I rubbed it on my calves which were a tad sore from the RRR. I guess I didn't rub it in completely and still had some on my hands when I rubbed my eye. WHOOWEE, it was like a blast of cool that was way to strong on my eye. My eyes started to water hard core, the skin around my eye felt all tingly, and I couldn't stop blinking.
I know many of you were wondering if you can put peppermint essential oil on your eye, but don't even worry about trying it. I did, and yeah, not worth it.

Red Rock Relay

The Red Rock Relay has been my favorite relay to date. At first, I didn't think it could shake a stick at the Ragnars, but it's better...WAY WAY BETTER! Reasons why I liked it:

-Capped at 200 teams. It never felt crowded(well on the dirt trail but it lasted for 1 leg).

-The Finish. FREE SNO CONES! The finish was really relaxed, and it was easy to find the other van of people. 

-The scenery. I've never spent lots of time down in red rock country, but it was pretty.

-The temperature. Perhaps due to location, or time of year, or some other reason, but it never got really cold. Usually with a jacket I was fine, and for sure didn't need one to run in at 4am.

-The people. My van was AWESOME! I had so much fun. We all supported each other through the entire race. 

-Housing. It was so nice to have a house to 'camp' out at. I got the most sleep, a whole 3 hours this year. I don't sleep well outside, and the house was nice to stop at.

-Nimbus Gray. We had a Honda van this year and wowie. It never felt cramped. The back windows roll down which made cheering way fun. 

I didn't enjoy the port-a-potties. Maybe it'd be better with more, also some of the legs weren't well marked..and since there aren't lots of teams(some runs people didn't see any other runners), it'd be nice to have more marks on where to go.

Fiber

I am enjoying my job at DB. I don't mind cleaning bathrooms. I'm good at it.


There are lots of health problems that people get sick with. I'd like to tell you about one that I am becoming all to familiar with(by cleaning potties), but is for the most part treatable. Some common names may include: the hershey squirts, the rocky mountain quick step, montezuma's revenge, firing the naplam, or the trots. Diarrhea. I'm not talking about the life threatening kind. I'm talking about the runny kind that splashes everywhere. This kind is preventable! Here's how:

• Wash your hands after using the potty and before eating foods.

-Not just running your hands under water, but actually use soap.
-20 seconds is a minimum.

• Take care of foods.

-Wash all veggies, make sure meat is cooked good.
-Keep things clean while cooking, be aware of cross contamination.

• Eat/Drink right!

- Fiber, fiber and more fiber: Men (50>) 38 grams. Men (50<) 30 grams, Women (50>) 25 grams, Women (50<) 21 grams. Fruits and Veggies are a great source. Whole grains, beans are also full of it.
-Minimum of 8 glasses of water. If you are active, you'll need more.
-Probiotics. These guys help your guts stay healthy. You can find these in yogurt.

On behalf of potty cleaners everywhere...PLEASE, do all you can to keep your insides healthy, and poop is never appropriate on the walls.

Siwa? Friend.

It's Siwa BIRFDAY! I'm glad she was born because:

• She is not only a sister, but my friend too(bonus).
• She likes to run.
• She laughs with me about my 'troubles with English'.
• She likes to eat snocones with icecream, like me!
• She goes to the YSA ward so I have someone to laugh with.
• She can sing, SATB.
• She lives her budget.
• She likes superhero movies.
• She talks Spanish.
• She shares her clothes with me.
• She is just plain fun.
• She understands my language.
• She likes music.
• She is my partner in crimes.

Thanks Partner!

Siwa and her new 'place'...

I am so excited for THIS-

The Avengers! Ironman, Thor, Captain America were all fun movies to watch- so 'with all their powers combined' I hope the Avengers will be the best of them all. It is 2012 yet......

7.4% of people in Utah are unemployed, I am no longer one of them.

I landed a job!

Before grels camp, which I apparently needed to go to because nothing was going my way before, I applied for a job at Deseret Book. The lady who was doing the interviewing was out of town till the week of grels camp. After camp was over, I got a call for an interview! I went to the interview, which went really well, but I refused to get my hopes up(I've had WAY to much disappointment as of late). I interviewed in the morning, and the lady said she would call in the afternoon to let me know either way. So at 12:01, I kept my phone close by. By 3, I wasn't feeling confident that I'd got it. Around 3:30 I got the call. I was braced for the worst news....but I got the job! It works perfect with my up and coming school schedule. I clean house for the DB. Hours are morning which will allow me to work an internship for school, and attend the night class.

99 bottles of Jam on the wall...

I love to have homemade strawberry freezer jam with my toast in the mornings. A few months ago, Poobie made some and it was delicious! We've been out for a couple weeks. I have been waiting for the berries to go on sale. The mothership and I were at the Reams, and I noticed EVERYONE had cases of strawberries in their carts. After scoping it out, I found the pallet of strawberries. I couldn't remember how much a case made, neither could my mom. We figured a case would make 8. I pick up 2 cases thinking I'd get 16 total bottles. That afternoon I started. The first batch, I wasn't really paying attention to the directions and added the sugar before the pectin and lemon juice...after successfully getting out most the sugar and actually reading the directions(who knew you couldn't just add everything at once?) I finished up 4 batches(1 case) and had 16 bottles of jam!! I still had another case!  I spent another morning/afternoon making the other case. I now have 30 bottles of strawberry freezer jam!

"99 bottles of jam on the wall, 99 bottles of jam. If ones of those bottles should happen to break, I have a extra you're welcome to take. 99 bottles of jam on the wall....."

All the jam.

Survival.

This past week, I was up at the Heber Valley Camp attending Grels Camp. Here is a run down of what we did on the different days:
Tuesday: Up at 7, to meet up and travel by bus to the camp ground. It takes about an hour and 15 to make it up there. Once everyone got settled in, we met with the missionaries who are serving up there for an orientation about how to treat the camp. They were so sweet. Also that day, we had ward night(where members of the ward come up) and presentation of skits.

What the cabins looks like, some are round to.

Wednesday: We went on the lake. The adult leaders get to use the paddle boats, while the girls get to use canoes. I got to be in a boat with my mom. It was fun. We ate mint mentos, laughed, and I discovered I was doing most of the paddling. One funny experience- The steering for the boat was down on the seat, so just passing by, you couldn't tell how we were moving the boat. One group of girls in a canoe asked my mom and I how we were steering, we replied 'with our minds' and promptly turned the boat and paddled away. The commitment hike was in the evening. It's a hike that is planned to help the girls feel the spirit. This year we walked around the lake, stopping every so often to hear inspirational stories. I was the fireside speaker that evening. It went well.

The value colors greet you at the entrance to camp.

Thursday: The confidence course(ropes course) was today. The main challenge was getting up a 40 foot cargo net which lead to a suspension bridge that we had to cross, then jumping off a platform to enjoy a zip line. It was fun!  They had other activities where the girls were able to work on teamwork and trust. Testimony meeting was that evening. It rained so hard for about 30 minutes and some of the grels were soaked by the time they got to the pavilion. The testimonies were nice.

Friday: We packed up, ate breakie and headed for home! My group had potty patrol, so along with cleaning out our cabin, we cleaned those too.

Conclusions: They have hot water, flushing toilets, and warm showers.  I didn't use any bug spray and only got bit once on my hand. I didn't sleep. The birds are loud at 5 am. I showered morning and night. I didn't eat any candy, but I ate lots of beef jerky. It's nice to have an ice machine while camping. I forgot my camera. Sunscreen prevents sunburns. My hat rocked. I didn't do any pranks. I missed eating lots of greens. I didn't see any ticks or snakes. Groomed trails are the way to hike. Always carry a water bottle. Be nice to the cooks and missionaries. While camping isn't my favorite thing, I did survive. I enjoyed being the young women. Would I go again? Um, not sure. I'd prefer not to, but if God needs me to camp, I'd do it.

Grels Camp Play Along

There is a song called "Lamb Chops Play Along" that my fam has changed into
'Girls(Grels) Camp Play Along'
Our version goes like this:
"Grels camp play along where girls go to play along and fun stuff is all they ever do...."

Well, I'm going to grels camp. I haven't been since I was a youth leader.  I'm not a huge camping fan, or really even a small camping fan. Everything that moves is a snake...whether not it actually is. I don't like getting all dirty, the food isn't always up to par, I have to leave my bed...It's just hard any way I look at it.
I'm going up as a Cabin Group Leader for the "Germany" cabin. Not only am I now in charge of 12-14 girls, but I am also the fireside speaker.

What did I get myself into??

We want s'more!

I got to visit Bair's again. They are such a fun fam! We got to make s'mores, which was a first for the childrens.  S'mores almost didn't happen because the weather was rainy and the wood wasn't dry enough. Not to disappoint the fam, Deaner took care of the problem. If he would have had hair, it would have singed off(something about pouring gas on the logs?). We want S'more!!

The C-Note made me one too!

Ole showing the correct eating technique.

Jacque showing us how to get 'er done.

I believe this was right after the HUGE FIRE EXPLOSION.

She ate the most.

Candy Grandma's African Violets

Great Grandma, or Candy Grandma as I knew her by, grew African Violets. While I don't know the whole story about them, I do remember seeing a picture of her with her prize winning violets. I couple years ago, I inherited a pot of African Violets from my sister. Someone she knew gave them to her, but I like to pretend they came from Candy Grandma. My violets are in bloom right now and look so pretty. Thanks Candy Grandma!

"The African Violet originates in Africa and isn’t a violet at all, but belongs to the family of Gesneriaceae. The common name comes from the primary flower color, although you can find the “violets” in pink, blue and white flowers.

The botanical name “Saintpaulia” honors Baron Walter von Saint Paul who first discovered them and brought the plants back to Europe in 1893. They adapt almost perfectly to indoor life and they bloom almost continually."

A bad day all week.

Last week was lame. Well it all started on the 4th of June.
-The Art City 5k. Not only did I get beat by Siwa and Cabanna, but I didn't even place in my age group. Who knew a 23 was slow....next year. They all better watch out.
-My pharm tech class got canceled. I have been waiting for that class for months. I even got the books. Now I have to rethink all my plans. There are multiple options I am looking at.
-I strained my quad. Doing what? I couldn't tell you. I just woke up with it hurting, which means no running. I work out all my problems when I run.
-I usually don't enjoy being set up, but for people I respect I tell them whatever. You can give the dude my number(99% of the time they never call which is fine with me) and we'll see what happens. Well, the guy called, but called me Rachel. Great.
-I don't usually get allergies, but you guessed it. They are in full force in my head.

Not to be a Debbie Downer, so here are the goods that happened.
-Got to head to Logan for a lovely birthday celebration for my Aunt! It was so fun.
-Because I didn't place in the 5k, I have a greater resolve to run harder and longer.
-Played kick ball and had the most amazing catch of my life.
-Ordered new running shoes.
-Got to see fireworks with MandyLouHoo and Cabanna-the glasses made all the difference.

Day 10 without candy

I LOVE CANDY!
I discovered I was eating way way to much of it....I mean what good does a green smoothie do if you eat a handful(or multiple handfuls) of peanut butter M&M's, starburst jellies, rolos and junior mints afterwards. I had to draw the line somewhere. I drew it 10 days ago and stepped across the no candy line.
The detox has not been smooth sailing. I couldn't go to the Reams yesterday cause I knew the candy would jump into my cart, and I'd have to eat it to make sure it didn't feel bad. Candy does have feelings.  One minute I'm happy as a clam, the next I'm falling apart. I tell the fam that it's just the candy talking and I really don't want to give them a punch in the face.  The first few weeks of the candy detox are killers. Soon, I'll be back to my airy fairy self. Until then, remember, If I ever say 'how about a punch in the face' it's not really me, that's the candy talking.

Eye of Horus

What I am about to relate is a true story. It happened. I lived it.

Lets rewind the years a bit...Imagine high school, sophomore year, history class.
The final project which a good portion of the grade was based upon creating a poster relating to something/someone/some place in history. I've always been fascinated with Ancient Egypt, and decided that would be the topic of my poster. I worked long and hard. I spent hours researching to make my poster "some kind of wonderful". It paid off. It was a beauty! Right in the middle of the poster, I had pasted a copy of the Eye of Horus:

The Eye of Horus is believed to have healing and protective powers. I believe it really does, here's why.

My poster was finally due! I was so proud of my hard work. I went home during lunch to pick it up. On coming out of the house, a FREAK wind storm ravaged. My lovely poster was ripped from my grasp and hurdled about 30 feet into the air. I was in full panic mode. Luckily, a tree in the yard caught my poster...or should I say stabbed my poster. Once the initial horror was over, I rushed to the tree and shakily plied my poster from the knobbly branch that held my poster. The tree had pierced my poster through the middle of the Eye of Horus! The Eye PROTECTED my poster(and grade) from the evil clutches of the wind!! 

Once I got back to school, I explained to my teacher the the wind took hold of my poster, I'm not sure she believed me. In fact, I know she didn't believe me. Who would believe a student coming to a teacher in all but tears from laughing so hard only to state that the 'wind tried to eat my poster'?

Not only did a battle of good verses evil take place that day, but the Eye of Horus rang true.

Unfortunately, I wasn't able to convince my teacher to let the poster stand as a symbol of the Eye in action. She made me well aware that if I left the poster the way it was, I wouldn't get a good grade. After school I patched my hardy poster. I got a decent grade, passed the class, and became a junior without a hitch. BUT I owe that all to the Eye of Horus.

Man Deo

I think there is a conspiracy to get rid of all female deodorant. The key here is just DEO. Try to find some with only deo, no anti-perspirant that doesn't come with a name like Sharp Focus, Wild Spice, Alpha, or my personal favorite name: Dynamic Pulse! What lady walks around wanting to smell like a dynamic pulse? The common theme among the names? They are all man deo.
This may gross some of you who's stomach is not made of iron but here it is....I used to get.... yellow arm pit stains(GRIMACE)...phew.  Lets face it, yellow is not the most pleasant color to adorn your pits. I tried all sorts of 'remedies' but nothing worked. I think I finally just decided they were a way of life, until the day I heard that perhaps anti-perspirant was causing the pit stains. I found a women's deo that didn't have the anti-perspirant. Tried it, and WHALL-LA! Not more pit stains...the problem now? I had what Seinfield called B.B.O. This isn't just B.O., it's BEYOND B.O. hence the term B.B.O.  The natural deo, doesn't work for me....nor really anyone(yes, accept it). I found another kind with only deo. It was a ladies adidas kind. Worked like a dream! Gone are the pits stains. Gone was the B.B.O! I was in heaven, until they decided to no longer make it. It was a sad sad day. I felt like my shoe lace had broke, my bike in the ditch and my puppy ran away.  I used that one tube of adidas deo until there was literally nothing left. Fear of the B.B.O, and pit stains turned me towards other sorts of deo....more specifically, man deo.
Yes, I wear man deo.
No, I don't get the stains or the B.B.O.
What I'm using now? Sharp Focus.
I guess I'm now an "Axe woMan"

A blond and a redhead were sitting in a car...

We like VW in our family. We have or have had a jetta, passat, golf and beetle. The beetle is the newest addition to our VW family.
Everyone has blond moments, whether or not your hair dictates otherwise. I'd like to tell you about one of Siwa's. She and I were sitting in the beetle(note the car, this is important) driving along. It was one of those rare sunny days Utah has had of late. She rolled her window down and because of the cross breeze, I rolled mine down too. What follows is the conversation:
Siwa: "Where is the button to roll down the back windows?"
Me: Staring at her with my eyebrows up in a 'you seriously asked that' manner.
Siwa: "The breeze would be better"
Me: "The back windows?"
Siwa: "Yeah..(pause)... oh wait, the back windows don't roll down"
Me: "No, they don't."

Notice the back windows....

Mother Dear,

Tradition at my house states that for mothers day, you give mom a card. Could be store bought or home made. I got one for her a year ago cause I thought it was so funny. It reads on the
outside "Mother's day is a chance for us to treat you like a Queen!"
inside "A Queen with really lazy subjects who don't listen very well."
This particular card, Poobie and I signed it. I was leaving early for church and had to get it signed, so at 7.00am(which is early for her on a Sunday), I ran to her room, woke her up and had her sign. This is what she signed...remember this is a mothers day card:

"Happy Birthday Mom! Thanks and I love you"

Oh how I love my family.

Hey golfer golfer...PUTT GOLFER...PUTT

#1

As part of the spring break celebration, 

we decided to go miniature golfing. 

 I would like to share my thoughts 

through pictures on golf:

I LOVE golf! Easy peasy, 

right down the line to the hole.

#2

Missed, I LIKE golf.

#3

I LOVE golf! 

Made it in 2 strokes

#4

 I HATE golf.

#5

I LOVE golf,

 hole in one!

#6

I HATE golf, 

took 6 strokes.

#7

I LOVE golf.

#8

 I LIKE golf, 

took 4 strokes.

#9

I LOVE these guys!

My feelings about golf? Mixed at best.

We are fam-a-ly

This is monumental. I FINALLY got all my sisters with me.  

Joni: one of the funnest people to be around, where ever she goes the party goes with her

Jacque: if creativity and art stuff were money, she'd be a rich girl

Sara: my partner in crime, always good for a laugh

Carli: a genuine breeze to be around, one of the most friendly people I know

Peggy: a tender hearted sister who likes to have fun(but really she likes to win)

STAR POWER!

This is the C-Note. When he puts on the star power glasses, something amazing happens: he goes like he just got a star from Mario...super fast, cool theme song while going super fast, invincible, and can pull cool things out of those glasses. 

This is me.  You know how Mario is way cooler, faster, and always gets the princess and Luigi is just the sidekick that no one wants to be, the older awkward sibling ...well I am like Luigi and you can guess who is like Mario. 

The Boys

I had a lovely time with the C-Note and the Ole(oh- lay) as well. The C-Note was my movie watching popsicle eating buddy, while the Ole and I played many games of catch.

My most recent Roommate

I was able to drive to Nebraska this past week and spend some time with Bair's. I had a ball. I got to sleep in the same room as the Diva herself...cheers to my latest roomie!

Whoa oh oh, oh Alli

Today is Alli's birthday! Since she is one of my favorite people, I thought a post about her was the least I could do. To tell you about her greatness, I made a "Why Alli is so Great" list:

• She is one of the best, if not the best running buddies I've ever had.
• She is willing to try new things(costa, BACON, etc).
• She cooks some seriously yummo stuff. Her pumpkin chocolate chip cookies are delicious!
• She is not only in school, but working 2 jobs.
• She knows lots of cool stuff to do on computers.
• She likes things warmer in temperature.
• She graduated the same time I did.
• She got me hooked on some awesome shows.
• When we go to church together, we just laugh and laugh.
• She has a fabulous sense of fashion, so shopping with her is a dream!

The list could go on and on. Happy Birthday Alli!

Like a deer in the headlights...no really.

I was on my way to Yoga...not even speeding....heading south. I noticed a deer on the side of the road and I just knew it was going to jump the fence and head in my direction. I was right. It jumped the fence and attempted to bound across the road. Lucky for me and my little car, there was a car heading north and it actually hit the deer, which allowed me to simply run over it. My little car handled it like a champ.
TEAM VOLKSWAGEN!

Where the Redheads go

In the world of professional sport, redheads are shockingly under represented.  I 'googled' red headed athletes and the only one I'd heard of before was Shawn White. Don't worry though, I've found out where all the redheads go...RUGBY!
I enjoy watching Universal Sports because they show the more unusual sports: ski jumping, track and field,  cross-country skiing, Ironman, gymnastics to name a few. The most recent I've been hooked into has been the Sevens Rugby tournament.
Rugby is like the train wreck that I cannot look away from. When I first stumbled upon it, I was horrified! Here are dude running around tackling each other with out pads or helmets and the worst part is I couldn't change the channel. The rules are a mystery to me. Here is a list of things I noticed that I cannot explain:
-One team scored. They got 5 points. The opposing team scored. They got 7 points. Favoritism? Goals scored by style points?
-Sometimes they all huddle around the ball and no one touches it. Seems counter productive.
-They do a weirdy version of the jump ball. The teams actually lift the players to get the ball, they don't just jump for it.
-They wear short shorts. I guess that makes sense...less to grab onto?
-Penalties??
-Not only do they pass the ball, they bounce it, they kick it, run with it, and it's all legal.

Can you find the "redhead"?

Rugby is a manly sport. The players look like they are carved from stone.  It takes strength, speed and stamina...Must be why the redheads go there. I'm pretty sure the All Black's will be callin' me up any day now.

What to do, what to do...

The recent weeks I've had to make some tough decisions. All had to do with a job.  I need benefits, that's all there is to it. I don't consider myself a sickly person, so I need benefits for the peace of mind. Also, I need a skill. In today's job market, there are plenty qualified people working not so quality jobs. I was one of those people.  The job I recently left was just that, a job. I collected a paycheck. It had nothing to do with my major, and I didn't enjoy it. I did however, through the help of others, find a job that had to do with what I studied, and a passion of mine. The problem? Someone without a degree could walk in and make the same as me(not cool!), the drive, and no benefits. I was about a week into the new job, when I found out that I could get a skill, and in 3 months have a job making more than 8 bucks with benefits. I could either keep my new job, or get the skill. The class for the skill(becoming a Pharmacy Tech) is accelerated. There is a class portion and an internship portion done at the same time, so it's best if you don't have to work. The class starts in June and goes to August. The problem is this: By the time I got trained at the running store, I'd have to quit if I took the class. Taking the class seems like a no-brainer...a job...with benefits...so I quit the running store. It was a hard hard decision. I feel that I needed to let go of the better to achieve the best. 

As we consider various choices, we should remember that it is not enough that something is good. Other choices are better, and still others are best. Even though a particular choice is more costly, its far greater value may make it the best choice of all.(Elder Oaks)

There aren't lots of temp jobs around(trust me, but I keep looking), and my parents desire for me to still be a productive member of society meaning I cannot just hide in my space and read. I have already volunteered to help the Jr. High Track team, and am looking into helping kids read. I am learning how to drywall, and plan to expound upon my knowledge in other areas of my life. Bread making for example. I have a harder time eating store bought bread, it's just not what I am used to. I'd consider bread to be a staple. If I was forced to leave my space(what I deemed my apartment) I'd have NO CLUE how to make the delicious bread I'm used to. I have a master teacher available, and should be taking advantage of her knowledge but have I been? Nope. Now that I have a few more hours in the day, I plan on making myself more efficient and self sufficient. Knowledge is power, never stop learning.

When you say flowers you mean G-Brown.

The Library and I are friends again. I just checked out the thickest book ever....1001 legit pages. I am nearly about .00025 finished with it. I came across this little ditty in the book that I think describes my current situation quite well:
Back story: A girl is on a boat and the Capitan tries to give her a compliment...

"you're like a flower"
"I'm allergic to flowers"
He raised an eyebrow
"No really," she admitted. "I think they are quite captivating. But if you were to give me a bouquet, you'd soon find me in a fit so energetic that it would have you searching the walls for stray freckles I might have blown free with the force of my sneezes."
"Well, be that true, I sill say you're as pretty as a flower"
"If I am, the young men my age must be afflicted with the same allergy- for they keep their distance from me noticeably"

Thank you Brandon Sanderson!

Mom. The Library Slayer.

My mom is great lady. She loves me a whole lot. How can I make such a statement? She went to the Library for me and not only took care of the missing book that I 'had in my possession' but got the 1.00 fine wiped away from my account. I can just see her being all no-nonsense with those library ladies.
Thanks Mom.

The Library and Me

I love the concept of a library. Borrowing, reading and returning all without cost, such a bargin....or so they say. The library in my home town and I are not on good terms. I promise the library ladies are out to get me. It all started when I was 17.
I've always been good to return books on time. I don't like to pay any fines. Alas, I am not perfect. At the tender age of 17, I had kept a book a little longer than I should have and got a .35 cent fine. The library fees can be steep. I paid the fine the day I got it and happily went home with more books. The next time I went to check some books out, I had a .35 cent fine. I asked for what book the fine was on and the lady said it was on the book I had already paid for. I explained that I'd already paid, but .35 cents isn't a deal breaker, so I paid it again. Low and behold, my next library outing was accompanied with a .50 cent fine. I asked about which book the fine was on, and to my surprise it was on the book I'd already paid...TWICE! The library was actually charging interest! The lady told me that the book must be at home because the library didn't have it in. I didn't want to pay the fine, again. I asked the lady to wait just a sec and I went and found the book. On the library shelf. Waiting for some unsuspecting person to get the fine it carried. When I brought the book to her, she took the .50 cent fine off.
It gets better.
The next time I went to check out books, the library lady tells me my card has expired! Do library cards do that?? She told me that I'd have to fill out some paperwork in order to check out books again. I gladly did this. At the end of the paperwork, you need to sign for it. I did, but the library lady said since I wasn't a 'legal' adult that my parents would have to sign with me. I told her I was 17 and drove myself down there so my parents were not with me. Peering over her old lady glasses with a smile that didn't quite reach her eyes, she took my card! The library lady actually took my CARD! She told me I'd have to have my parents come down and sign before I could get a new one. What a joke, I wanted to protest! Start a petition. Anything so I could get my card back. Once realizing that wasn't the best course of action to get my card back, I took my mom down and had her sign.
Since then, I've paid fees for books I've returned, and my card doesn't work to put books on hold. Most the time I don't even use my card for the fear that they'll take it away again. Poobie is nice enough to let me use her card since the library ladies love her.
The reasoning for my sharing this story? Apparently I have a 1.00 fine, for a book I returned. I tell ya, the library is out to get me.