Odd Duck

So, my sister, Annie, (whose blog is infinitely better than mine) rather threateningly tagged me and so I am completing this at her behest.

Rules:

1. Link to the person who tagged you. (Annie..check)

2. Mention the rules on your blog. (check)

3. Tell about 6 quirks of yours.

4. Tag 6 fellow bloggers to do the same. (i'm not sure I know 6 different bloggers)

And away we go....

1. I get excited by the smell of books. Just looking at my stuffed to the brim bookshelf makes me very happy.

2. I'm slightly self conscience about my thumbs. My thumbnails are short and wide. My sister got on of each...a normal thumb and one like mine...my siblings call them "shovel thumbs".

3. Like my sister, I rub my feet together when I go to sleep. I'm not sure why but i do...maybe it's genetic?

4. I like to make to do lists and I like to include things that I have already done that day so I can check them off the list.

5. I have food texture issues. I don't like mashed potatoes or ground beef or oatmeal because I don't like the texture.

6. When I'm hanging out with friends or family and the conversation has slowed or has taken a somewhat awkward turn I will say "MONKEYS!" to change the topic or start the conversation again.

TAGEES:
1. Ash

2. Sue

3. Conor

4. Nicki

5. Wendy

6. Lisa

My Happy Place....

I am so blessed to have such wonderful friends! Last night I got to talk on the phone with Nicki for an hour and a half. She is off in Iowa pursuing what she calls, "Professional Training". Really she's starting her MLS (Master of Library Science). I don't get to talk to her nearly as often as I would like but that just makes it so much better when I do get to talk to her. Last night was one of those conversations that is long overdue and we just spill out everything that has been building up for past several weeks. It was so great to talk to someone that is so solidly in "my corner" and yet will call me on my crap as needed. She is such a wonderful friend and example for me. I LOVE YOU NICKI!!!

I also have been very blessed to meet several new friends and kindred spirits. Lisa and Christine are so much fun and are quickly becoming my favorite people. They get my sense of humor and allow me to be silly and goofy. I hung out with Lisa this weekend (Christine was in Logan doing wedding stuff). We went to antique stores on Saturday, random - I know. We walked all over downtown and went into all those shops that you drive by a million times and say you want to go in but never do. We went to the Rare Book Store on 200 East and 300 South. You could smell the books before you even walked in the door. I found a 5 volume set of Louisa May Alcott books printed in 1911 for $30! $30!!!! And she let me wander around the store and didn't laugh at me when I got giddy about the books.

We joke sometimes about finding your happy place when something has gone wrong or you have to do something unpleasant. I joked that these books were my happy place...and they are. But really, my friends are my happy place. They are truly wonderful, beautiful, amazing people and I am truly blessed to have them in my life. My Patriarchal blessing says something about how I will be able to make and maintain meaningful friendships and relationships throughout my life that will uplift and support me in times of trouble. I have been blessed.

I have been remiss

So I have been fairly bad at keeping up on this as of late and I suppose I should apologize but really I was just doing you a favor. This way you didn't have to read all the complaining about how horrible my job is or my life or whatever drama happened to be going on at the time. So really, it was for your benefit that I hadn't posted in such a long time.

I should probably fill you in on what has happened since my last post...I ended up staying in my current job because they said they needed me and I would be able to basically make my own job description. That didn't turn out to be entirely true but that's hardly the point anymore. I have since moved to the department I wanted to move to and I am working with a great group of people that I thoroughly enjoy and can relate to. Work is still hectic at times but there is less complaining, less drama and more laughter.

I moved in with Patrick in the Hillcrest (Covey) apartments. It's going fairly well and we only really bicker occasionally but even then it doesn't last long. It's been nice living with him. For the most part he's really easy to live with except when he doesn't clean his dishes every time after he eats or like how he never takes out the bathroom garbage but then again, I'm sure I do things that he finds obnoxious and irritating but all in all, it's a pretty good set up. However, when our lease is up in October, I'm moving in with my friend, Lisa. Her roommate (also my friend) is getting married in the middle of October so I'm taking her place. I'm excited for rent to be less than half of what I'm paying now, including utilities and a nicer kitchen.

I also registered to take the LSAT. GASP! I know. But it's about time. I took my first practice test and I was only a few points off of where I need to be to get into the Pace/Sarah Lawrence program. So that's basically my life right now. I work a lot, go to church, hang out with friends, eat and sleep. It's not an exciting life but it's a good life and I'm excited to see where it leads me. I've posted some pictures of some stuff from the past couple of months...

This is Nicki's going away party...very sad evening.

Up Big Cottonwood Canyon with our pewter picnic set

More Big Cottonwood Canyon

The 6 bug bites from Big Cottonwood Canyon!

Do I stay or do I go?

I've been fairly blah about life right now, especially my job, so when there was an opportunity to apply for a job in a different department that was interesting to me I jumped at the chance and somewhat impulsively, submitted my resume. This is a job that I had previously applied for and did not get but that I really wanted at the time and many people have told me since that I would be perfect for. I was talking to the people that work in that department and they told me that I should apply for the job and that I would be perfect. I had an interview with the manager yesterday morning and the department this morning and the Director later this afternoon. All signs point to me being offered the job. I should be excited, yes? Here's the flip side of it all....

I told my current manager that I applied for the new job and she was not happy....at all. I told her my reasons for it and what my long term plans are (law school) and how I wasn't happy in my current job. I felt unappreciated, undervalued, and underutilized. I was and am a wasted talent. (i know I'm sort of tooting my own horn here, but that's how it goes). She sat and listened to me and then when I was done talking she said that she completely agreed with me. She then proceeded to say how much she doesn't want me to change departments and talked through the whole thing with me. Talked about the problems I saw and what needed to be done. It ended with her telling me to write up a job description and she would go over it with me and adjust it as needed and approve it. She basically told me I can make up my own job within the department. I told her that if the new job offered more money, I would probably take the job. She said ok, but if I chose to stay she would go to bat to get me more money in June. It couldn't be sooner because I just got a raise a couple of months ago.

So now, I'm not sure what to do. Do I take the new job if it's offered me, which is highly probable (although, now that I said that I probably won't get the job). Do I stay where I am and see if I can make is something exciting? I have no idea what to do. What do I do????

Love that Austen

"Conversation however was not wanted, for Sir John was very chatty, and Lady Middleton had taken the wise precaution of bringing with her their eldest child, a fine little boy about six years old, by which means there was one subject always to be recurred to by the ladies in case of extremity, for they had to inquire his name and age, admire his beauty, and ask him question which his mother answered for him, while he hung about her and held down his head, to the great surprise of her ladyship, who wondered at his being so shy before company as he could make noise enough at home. On every formal visit a child aught to be of the party, by way of provision for discourse. In the present case it took up to ten minutes to determine whether the boy were most like his father or mother, and in what particular he resembled either, for of course every body differed, and every body was astonished at the opinion of the others." (Sense and Sensibility, Vol. I Ch.VI)

I was reading Sense and Sensibility last night and I just couldn't help but laugh out loud as I was reading this and other passages. Most people think of Austen as a romance novelist and don't realize that she was, among other things, a satirical genius. She would tease and laugh at the very people that read her novels. She was able to laugh at her own way of life. This particular paragraph made me laugh so much because I have seen this exact scene played out in my own life and chances are you have too. Thank you Miss Austen.

Life continues

You've probably noticed that I haven't posted much in the past couple of months. Well, my life just isn't that interesting. I don't have any boy drama to be melodramatic about. I don't have friend drama. I don't have cute stories to tell about my children because I don't have children. I'm not especially witty so I can't write a funny/charming post about mirrors and childhood nostalgia. I don't take extraordinary pictures. I don't really have a displayable talent so rather than bore people with the same entries about work and non existent drama there, I don't blog. But there have been a few good things that happened lately. I got a promotion at work. I'm now Team Lead for my ever shrinking mini department and I report directly to the Registrar. I was also called to serve as the Relief Society Secretary in my singles ward. Also pretty cool. But neither are the event that really got me excited and was the impetus for this post. It's a simple event and some may even say shallow but it made me happy. I got dressed this morning and as the number on the scale has continued to drop I decided to try on my favorite pair of jeans the I haven't been able to wear for probably about a year. And they actually fit. I am wearing my favorite pair of jeans from a year ago. Yes. that's my exciting news. Not that I am progressing in my job or that I got an exciting and somewhat frightening call at church. I am currently more exciting about my pants fitting. Sad? Shallow? maybe....but I think the past year I have earned the right to be shallow and excited about this particular moment.

Problem

I have a problem....a very serious problem. It's not something that you would notice or know about unless you really know me....unless you've spent time with me. It's not something that is physically visible on my body in that it is not an appendage. You probably wouldn't know this about me unless you have seen my personal living space. I try to keep it confined to the four small walls of my closet but usually it tends to seep out into my day to day life and general living space.

Okay...are you ready? This is a big step for me. I am admitting I have a problem.

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Are you ready for it?

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Are you sitting down? Okay. . . . . . .here goes... I have a serious.....shoe problem.

whew, I said it!

I love shoes. It doesn't matter if they are pumps, sandals, flats, espadrilles, peep-toe, strappy, sling-backs, boots, slippers, flip flops, patent leather, suede, cotton, velvet, leather, canvas, furry....I don't care. I love them all. If we could just all wear sweat pants/yoga pants/comfy pants and a white t-shirt with fabulous shoes and great bags, I would be perfectly satisfied. A good pair of shoes will make the outfit. It can take you from cute to sexy. Trendy to classic. Sloppy to presentable.

If you're having a bad day, a cute pair of shoes can turn that frown upside down! Every woman needs to own at least one pair of red shoes. I have three. Heals, ballet flats and espadrille sandals. Every woman should also own at least one pair of boots. I also have two. Tall boots (up to the knee) and short boots (up to my ankle).

The song, "New Shoes" says it all....

Hey, I put some new shoes on,
And suddenly everything is right,
I said, hey, I put some new shoes on and everybody's smiling,
It so inviting,
Oh, short on money,
But long on time,
Slowly strolling in the sweet sunshine,
And i'm running late,
And i dont need an excuse,
'cause i'm wearing my brand new shoes.

I.LOVE.SHOES!!!!