Wednesday, December 16, 2009

Perspective


There was a point this summer when I felt like I was being left behind by my friends who were graduating college and going onto bigger and better things. Whether they were moving for graduate school, a job, or just because they could, I was envious. After all, what did I have to look forward to once school was over? Getting a job, hopefully one I liked, and then what?

Recently one of those friends confided that it wasn't all that it was cracked up to be and they long for the comforts of home and familiarity. Turns out most of the people I previously wished I could trade shoes with are just as eager to trade with me.

In a small way I think I have a sense for what they must feel being so far away. I may have only moved to Park City, but I'm still not very familiar with where places are and how things work here. I am frequently asking Jason where this restaurant or that store is. And I've had to rely on the GPS in my phone more times than I care to admit.

Several people have made the trek up Parley's to visit but not as often as I'd like. Parley's is such a deterrent, especially in the winter, from going or coming. Damn you canyon.

I know that this is just an adjustment period and that things will get better- I just need to improve my coping skills.

So while the grass may appear greener on the other side (of the canyon, country, etc.), it's really probably just a different type of grass. We/I need to learn to be content with the local flora and fauna.

(Two posts in one week. Go me!)

Sunday, December 13, 2009

Blogger Fail

I have always admired bloggers who publish at least one post a week. Obviously, I am not like those bloggers. It's not that I don't have subject matter to discuss. More like I have the attention span of a gnat and as soon as the idea for a post comes it's going out the way it came. So here's a lickity-split update while I remember:
1. We moved to a condo in Park City! I am walking distance from work and have loved sleeping in, coming home at lunch, and the overall proximity to the other place where I spend a large majority of time.
2. I love my job. I especially love that I get to bring Lucy to work with me. She keeps the other office dog, Milo, company. Milo is her boyfriend. She loves him so much. She shows this by seductively positioning herself over his face. I have to remind her constantly to stop being such a hussy.
3. This week my hair went from being 4 1/2 fist lengths long (stacking one fist on top of the other from the base of my neck to the end. Very scientific measuring method.) to being about one fist long. I'd like to pretend that this was a conscious decision I had debated and finally settled on but it was more like a necessity after I received a botched haircut that left me with two layers: long underneath and one shorter, really thick layer about halfway down. It was bad. So now it's short. I'd be lying if I said that I have embraced this change with open arms, but it's actually been a really challenging adjustment to make. I loved my long hair. Really loved it. So now I'm starting over.
4. It snowed like 3 feet in Park City last night. Holy bajeezus. It may be time for an all wheel/four wheel drive vehicle (what's the difference, anyway?) Does anyone have a suggestion?

Alright, that's all I've got for now. See you in a few months when I feel guilty again.
xoxox

Wednesday, September 30, 2009

Over due Update


Key developments:

1. I (finally) got a job! Not just any job, but a "grown-up" job with health benefits, paid vacations, and a salary. I am back to working in
the construction industry and super excited about it. Yay!

2. We adopted a new dog a couple of weeks ago! Lucy is a super adorable 1 1/2 year old black lab. She is a tail-wagging, dog-loving, people-loving, ball of energy and we couldn't be happier. Inga, on the other hand, is not so happy. She's slowly transitioning from a very spoiled only dog to sharing attention.
Blog world, meet Lucy. (She's charmed, I'm sure.)

3. Since Jason and I now work in Park City we are looking to move up there. My goal was to be there before the first snow fell but I had no idea that would be so soon! Seriously, snow in September is ridiculous.

4. I am going to visit Jon and Madison in New York in November! Super cheap plane tickets + free place to stay + 2 great friends = epic fun for 8 days!

That was the news in 60 seconds.
I'm off to bed. I have to get up early for my grown-up job.
Good night.

Wednesday, September 9, 2009

9/9/09

Numerically, today is a very special day. There won't be another day like this until the next millennium!
Taking some inspiration from another blogger, TeriLyn, I am listing nine things that bring me happiness (in no particular order):

1. Waking up every morning contorted around our dog, Lilly.

2. Waking up every morning next to Jason.
3. Finishing a good book.

4. Sending a new problem at the climbing gym or route outdoors.

5. Fresh flowers on the kitchen table.

6. Being surrounded by dogs.

7. Spending time with good friends.

8. Exploring new places, restaurants, etc.

9. Watching Animal Planet.


What nine things bring you happiness?

Wednesday, September 2, 2009

Busy being unemployed

I have been officially unemployed (I hate that term) since May when my term was up in student government. But over the summer I took a few classes, looked for jobs, and had some fun. I fully expected to find a job once I was an official graduate but it's been over a month since I walked out of my last class and after dozens of applications I am still jobless. Hearing that others are struggling with the same problem isn't all that reassuring because it just drives home the point that I have lots of competition for the few attractive jobs that come open. I have had a constant job since I was 15 and am not taking well to the sedentary lifestyle.

However, in light of having so much free time, I am without a doubt in the best shape of my life! It's only Wednesday and this week I've already bouldered for 3 hours, played tennis, and will be doing a yoga class this evening. I can't tell you the last time I was this active and it feels great!

But it's all just a distraction from the fact that I feel utterly unproductive. I long for the days when I had back-to-back meetings, competing priorities, and deadlines to meet. It was only after a long day filled with tasks and stress that I would feel a sense of accomplishment. Lately I've derived that sense from perfecting my chili recipe and keeping my dirty laundry baskets empty. I never thought I'd see the day and I hate to admit it out loud for all of cyberspace but I. am. a. housewife. Ugh! Not that there's anything wrong with this "profession" because it does fulfill some very fundamental needs and some people (yes, men and women) yearn to stay home and take care of the house but I am not one of them.

Rather than sit around on my couch with Inga all day wallowing and waiting for an interview, I am going to be proactive about the situation and start volunteering with organizations whose mission I believe in. I'll start with the U's Office of Sustainability. I love them and know that they could always use more people. And you never know, I could meet my next employer at an Office function. Now wouldn't that be nice?


Tuesday, July 21, 2009

Bummer

I just completed a weekend-long rock climbing class where I learned how to lead climb, set anchors, and clean routes. It was very physically demanding but worth every minute of exertion, even in 98 degrees. Check out this sick move at Dogwood in Big Cottonwood Canyon.



So I can't/couldn't wait to apply my new skill set when I was asked to play in a pick-up softball game on Sunday night. I was exhausted but went anyway. Mistake #1. It was a lot of fun and I got back in the swing of things (pun intended) but I
was looking forward to the game ending. It was the bottom of the last inning, we had two outs, and I was playing 2nd base. Mistake #2. This large man
stepped up to the plate and hit a grounder that bounced off the pitcher's mound and came in my direction. At first I was excited because this was my chance to end the game. As I bent to scoop it up it hit a divot and struck me on the left side of my right ankle. I stood there for about two seconds before dropping to the ground. It didn't hurt at first, but I knew I was in store for pain. After being carried from the field, some angel produced a cold pack and wrapped my ankle. I drove home and watched as my ankle grew from it's normal size to looking like I had a coke can laying beneath my skin. Jason took me to the ER and the good news is that it's not broken, just severely contused. The very bad news is that I can't climb for a good while nor can I run the 10k on Friday that I just signed up for. Ugh. I find it amusing that I can climb, a rather risky sport, and run without sustaining any major injuries, but can't play a harmless game of softball without being struck down. Check it out:

To add insult to injury, I have a cold now too. Something great better be around the corner because I'm getting really tired of the way things are going right now.

Thursday, July 16, 2009

Boobs for Biceps












(On the left, that is me in probably my junior year of high school. Below is SJP's bicep- mine is looking more and more like that everyday)




In high school I was described as the skinny girl with big boobs. As in, "Is it the Jessica with blonde hair, big boobs, a flat butt and really skinny?" Yep, that was me. I was scrawny, bony, and leggy. Any taller and I might have been described as gangly. My senior year of high school I wore a size 0 in jeans and sported a 32D bra. No joke.

To a degree, not much has changed. I can still fit into most of my high school jeans, although most of them are faded and out-dated by current fashion standards. Only now I have traded my prized bosom for some defined biceps and deltoids. Traded makes it sound like this was an agreed upon transaction. But really it's the result of a few intersecting factors: I switched to a vegetarian lifestyle nearly two years ago and became leaner (as if I really had much weight to lose); my appetite was replaced by the stress of school, working, wedding planning, etc.; and the final piece was my new climbing addiction. Put all this together and it looks like a pretty simple math equation. Big boobs divided by excess veggies + stress +physical activity= Biceps

Now I'm not saying that I would exchange my hard earned six pack for a bigger rack, but what am I going to do with the hundreds of dollars worth of bras laying dormant in my dresser drawer?

I am filled with nostalgia when I look at old pictures of me and "the girls"- they're just not the same. Adjusting has been rough. At first I was reluctant to purchase a smaller bra because I figured it would be a waste of money. After all, they are coming back, right? Right!? But I finally gave in a few months into my depleted cup size and purchased your run of the mill V.S. Pink bra- the line reserved for tweens with dreams of womanhood. I have now expanded my collection of baby bras but still sigh sentimentally when I see the pile of neglected brassieres gathering dust.

Boys just don't seem to understand either. At least until you put it to them this way: pretend you were naturally well-endowed and then for reasons beyond your control, three inches just vanished and you couldn't get them back, how would you feel? My hubby understood after looking at it that way. I go back and forth between wanting a boob job and trying to cope. Most of all, I just want my girls back.

It may seem trivial to devote an entire post to my anatomical switcheroo but it's something that has plagued me for a while now. Has anyone else experienced something like this?


Saturday, June 27, 2009

Runner Up


Today I accomplished something I never really aspired to but am glad I did it anyway. I ran in my first 5k race, the 2009 Herriman Step Rock Run 5k, to be exact. My bubbly friend Madison somehow talked me into running 2.5 miles with her on Thursday morning at the ungodly hour of 7:15 and then pushed me further by challenging me to run 4.5 miles with her yesterday morning at that same ungodly hour. She's training for to compete with her mom in a 10k on the 24th of July and they signed up for today's 5k to practice. I was coerced into registering and am so glad that I did because I took 2nd place in my division and 27th overall in my very first 5k! Madison took 3rd place. We are now the proud owners of a silver and bronze generic "Running" medal. I can't wait for the next one.

Having spent the last three days pushing my body harder than I can ever remember, I am hobbling around like an old man. My shins hurt (shin splints!?), my hip-flexors scream at me, and my thighs burn whenever I force them to move from a standing to a sitting position and vice versa. I'm looking forward to getting back out there in a couple of days when I've recovered.

Wednesday, June 24, 2009

Wimbledon Redeemed

Novak Djokovic

I just saw this tennis hottie on Sports Center and have a newfound interest in Wimbledon. He kind of looks like Justin Bartha, that blue-eyed sweetie from National Treasure and The Hangover, but with a hot Eastern European accent.
He's just been added to my "list"- you know, the list of people, usually famous, that you are allowed to hook up with given the opportunity and not face consequences from your significant other. I wonder how he'd feel about an early 20s married girl from Utah.

Who's on your list?

Sunday, June 14, 2009

Believing

Everyday I open a little card that contains a quote about believing and spend the day internalizing what it says. I would like to share them with you because I believe they have the ability to transform our thought patterns from destructive and debilitating to uplifting and productive. 

These will come in handy when I interview in Chicago two weeks from now for a position with the Green Corps! 

"There is more inside you than you dare think." - David Brower

"The difference between what we do, and what we are capable of doing, would solve most of the world's problems." - Mahatma Gandhi

"Expectation is everything. Every day can be your day, if you can expect it to be." - Bob Moawad

"No one really knows enough to be a pessimist." - Norman Cousins

"We do not believe if we do not live and work according to our belief." - Heidi Wills

"Believe it! High expectations are the key to everything." - Sam Walton

"Faith is building on what you know is here so you can reach what you know is there." - Cullen Hightower

"Look at things not just as they are, but as they can be." - David Schwartz 

"There is always one unexpected little moment in life when a door opens to let the future in." - Graham Greene (I carry this in my wallet)

Pick a couple and chew on them for a while. The last two are my favorite. 

Thursday, May 28, 2009

WTF!? Someone hacked my blogger account!

Imagine my appal at discovering that not only was my blogger account hacked into by some psycho looking to capitalize on my obviously successful blog, but that they had replaced all of the content with a "Mega site of Bible studies." 

Before I called 911 to report my stolen blogger identity, I checked the URL and discovered that I had transposed two of the letters. Silly me! 

For the sake of humor please look at this website and you will get some insight into the minute and a half a I spent staring dumbfoundedly at my screen.

http://www.thedanishdame.blogpsot.com/

If someone were trying to mess with me, changing my content to a Bible studies search engine would be a pretty effective way to go. 

Sunday, May 24, 2009

Catching Up

The (pseudo) Graduate!

I honestly never thought I would actually graduate from college. It just seemed so out of reach but, low and behold, I have done it! Kind of. Although I was eligible to participate in the commencement ceremony I have a couple of classes to finish this summer before they'll give me that expensive piece of paper I've been chasing for the last 4 1/2 years. I have two "legit" classes- Intro to News Writing & Mass Communication Law and two fun classes- mountain biking and rock climbing. It shouldn't be too bad of a summer actually. I'm also still unemployed and have been job hunting for a couple of weeks now. There seem to be a plethora of job opportunities out there especially for receptionists and/or administrative assistants, but this isn't the kind of job I'm looking for. I want to find a job that utilizes the education that I've worked so hard for. If you hear of anything, please let me know!

Climbing some crack


Je-Fu Crew 

Last week I escaped to Moab, Utah with some (bad ass) friends from school. We spent four days rafting, climbing, and repelling. It was my first experience with outdoor rock climbing and I have fallen in love! I bought gear the within days of coming home and have gone a couple of times since then. It is an amazing sport and all I've thought about since then. I can't wait to get better so I can tackle some 5.11's and 5.12's. Oh, sorry, that's climbing lingo. Anyway, my rock climbing class this summer should be really fun. I'm looking forward to learning some more technical skills. Next up: a climbing membership to The Front!

In two short weeks Jason and I are going to visit Jeff and Laura in Philadelphia! We are so excited to spend a weekend exploring Philly with our best friends. And this time the weather will be better. It was so cold there in January that I thought my bones would never thaw. I can't wait to see my best friends! 





Saturday, March 21, 2009

Seriously?

It is spring break. My last spring break of college (at least undergrad) and I am at the library. WTF!? The stick figure above represents how I feel emotionally and in the near future physically. Why couldn't I have finished this paper weeks ago when it was assigned? Why haven't I used the last five days of spring break to hammer it out so that I could enjoy the beautiful weather of this weekend? I don't know. Maybe I'm a masochist. I now have two days to finish this 6 page research paper. At least there's a pretty view from my table by the window. 

Thursday, March 19, 2009

The One Less Traveled By

Two roads diverged in a wood, and I- 
I took the one less traveled by,
And that has made all the difference. 
-Robert Frost

I have reached that point in every college student's life where decisions about one's future post-graduation must be made. I discovered, rather haphazardly, that I am on the cusp of graduation and eligible to participate in the commencement ceremonies this May. Here I thought I would be stuck in school for another semester (or two) but, because I had some concurrent enrollment credits to transfer from the community college, I don't have to take as many classes as I originally thought. In fact, if I take 12 credit hours this summer (essentially 3, maybe 4 classes), I will be done. Done. Graduated. A diploma-wielding college graduate. But here's the thing... I have to make some decisions and, unfortunately, I'm not the only person in the captain's chair. I applied for an internship with the Park Silly Sunday Market for the summer. My interview was last month and I'm supposed to find out by the end of March if I got it.  Also, I would be able to take my last 3-4 classes while doing the internship.  I think that I am qualified for this position and that it could lead to some pretty great things, but we'll have to see if they agree. So there's option #1.
Option #2: I heard about an amazing opportunity to intern at the White House, as in the place where the president lives in Washington D.C., for the summer and I think it would be foolish not to apply, even if I get rejected. How does that saying go? "Better to have loved and lost than to have never loved at all." Right? Well I feel the same about this internship. If chosen, I would live and intern in D.C. from May through August and then finish those pesky 3 classes in the fall. Since Jason just started his new job and it's so short term, I would be going it alone. Talk about a test of independence. I think I can, I think I can. 
Option #3: I applied for a scholarship through the Alumni Association and, if I am chosen as a recipient, it would cover the cost of tuition for a full year. So if I get the scholarship I will prolong my stay at the university another year just to avoid paying for those pesky 3 classes. And this wouldn't be so bad because I could take the classes I'm actually interested in, not just the ones required by my major. 

So while I do have many decisions to make in the coming weeks, very few of them will be made by me- more like made for me. I'm rooting for option #2, but would settle for #1 or #3. And if I don't get any of them? I will finish school in the summer and find a job. Someone will want to hire me, right? Right?

Monday, February 16, 2009

What will become of us?

This year has brought a whirlwind of new experiences, people, adventure, and fun. Being part of student government has without a doubt been the best part of my college experience. I am deeply saddened that it is coming to an end because I feel like I'm just getting the hang of it. Really, I could do bigger and better things, just give me another year to show you what my board is capable of. That isn't to say that we haven't accomplished great things already. Because believe me, we have. 
I am so very grateful to have had the opportunity to be part of this organization and gain acceptance into the community of involved students that I would not have met under normal circumstances. 
So what will become of us once this is over? Will we still talk? I hope so. Will it be the same? Probably not. I still have another year of school and many of my new friends are graduating and moving on. 
Regardless of what the future holds, I will never forget the trials and triumphs of this year. Thank you to all who were part of this and made it possible for me to be involved. This year can't be duplicated.  

Tuesday, January 13, 2009

Viva Mexico!

(The Classic Tourists)

Jason and I have just returned from our long-awaited honeymoon cruise to the Mexican Riviera. It's amazing to me that I waited months for a week long trip that flew by in the blink of an eye. And although a vast majority of our fellow "cruisers" were over the age of 60, we had a good first cruise experience. We made friends early on with another honeymooning couple and stuck together during our trips ashore and on the ship. Jason and I both fell in love with Puerto Vallarta and have seriously discussed spending an extended period of time there after I graduate. The people were very friendly, its a beautiful place, and I could improve my Spanish speaking abilities. We shall see what happens...

 

In some ways I actually enjoy the anticipation of vacation more than the vacation itself because I'm aware of the disappointment I'll experience when I come home. However, this time I had something else to look forward to when we came home. No, silly goose, it wasn't starting school the day after we got back, it's my trip to Philly over MLK weekend to visit my best friends Jeff and Laura. I booked my trip to Philly on a whim without even talking to them first because the tickets were so cheap I couldn't pass up the opportunity. Lucky for me Jeff and Laura didn't have any prior plans and were glad I acted so impulsively. It will be my first trek out there and I am so excited! I miss them both like crazy. We have some pretty outrageous expectations about how epic this weekend will be and I only hope I can live up to half of them! Time will tell. Until then....