Adventures & Lessons from Days 2-5...

I was going to try and blog every day this week but the internet at my apt sucks. Day 2 was better than Day 1, not amazingly fantastic but not awful either. There were two highlights of the day: 1) Meeting with Ensign Editors Larry Hiller and Melissa Merrill 2) Getting thoroughly lost in the parking garage after work. I'll start with the more positive of the two. Meeting with Larry and Melissa really helped get a sense for what I am supposed to be doing in regards to writing Ensign articles. Our publishing schedule is 13 months out so none of my articles will appear until 2012, long after I've moved on to another adventure, but hey...I'm going to have my very own byline!!!

Now for the not so fantastic part of Day 2: getting lost! When I left the COU (church office building...there are acronyms for EVERYTHING)I took the stairs down to the parking garage instead of using the elevator---fatal mistake number 1. I was pretty sure I had parked on P2 so I followed the signs to the P2 doors. When I stepped out into the sauna of a parking garage, I didn't see my car anywhere. I pressed my car beeper multiple times, hoping for my car to call out to me, but I didn't hear a thing. Oh crap! I got on the elevator to head back up to the main floor and try this whole thing again, hopefully with a different result. This time I went to P3---still couldn't find my car. So I walked all the way back to P2 and this time the elevator was broken. Finally, I decided to walk up and down the rows of cars until I could find mine. About 10 minutes later victory was mine!! The garage is all confusing because the highest level is 1 and the lowest level is 3, shouldn't it be the other way around? Now I park in the same spot everyday and I'm sure to note what level I'm parking on.

Day 3 was the best day of the week, especially because it was "Plant Day". One might ask, what is plant day? "Plant Day" could be the highlight of the month for church employees everywhere (on temple square that is). Every third Wednesday employees journey down to the Lower Level of the Church Office Building parking lot to fertilize, re-pot, or select a plant of their choice. Fortunately for me, my first Wednesday here at Welfare Services happened to be on the the third Wednesday of the month. Justin took Amy and I down to show us the ropes so we could select our plants. I went with a cute little "goldfish" plant(see picture above). Although it won't flower without being in direct sunlight, there are enough blooms on it to last quite awhile I think. The leaves are my favorite part. Their waxy exterior feels like my fake Ikea plant. That day Amy, Justin and I ate lunch outside which was very nice.

Day 4 was rather uneventful. I was extremely unmotivated and super tired. This whole getting up at 6:30 am isn't the most fun thing in the world, although it's not as bad as I thought it was going to be. Pretty sure I took a nap on the bathroom couch for about 20 minutes that day. There's this little curtain and everything that you can pull to be in privacy for a quick siesta. This couch is going to be a God send...I'm just saying.

Day 5 was great if only for the reason that it was FRIDAY! I survived one whole week as an intern. I asked more questions and started to feel a little more comfortable, although I'm still working on it. In the cafeteria on Fridays if you get frozen yogurt and you guess the price right, you get it for free! So my new intern friend Emily and I went down to the cafeteria to indulge in a delicious frozen treat. To my surprise, mine was only $1.12, which is a far cry from the prices of Coldstone or Tummy Yummy's! Neither Emily or I guessed our price right, although we were only cents off, but there were two people who did guess right while we were eating our deliciousness. You would have thought they won the lottery they were so excited! Ah the rituals of the Church Office Building cafeteria. It really is quite the happening place. I only hope that one day I will be one of the lucky ones to guess that the "price is right".

Overall, I would rate the week a 7, maybe a 6.5...B, B-. It was neither terrible or amazing. I hate the adjustment period and not knowing what I'm doing so it's going to take awhile for me to feel really excited about being here. I should be jumping up and down at such a great opportunity, but I'm not. I miss my old job and my old co-workers, but the interns here are great so I think that will help. Although I do love living in SLC, even though I miss Logan. Every day I take a new way home. Right now my favorite street is South Temple. There are these amazing victorian homes that are in prestine condition. They are absolutely gorgeous! I will have to take some pictures and post them soon.

Lessons from Day 1...

I survived Day 1 as an LDS Welfare Services intern. It was neither fantastic nor awful. I got there 20 minutes early and took a 20 min lunch. I consumed only an apple and banana for the entire day. I met interns Justin, Curtis, Emily, Emily, Lauren, and new intern Amy. All day everyone thought I was Amy, until I informed them that I was not Amy, but the other new intern...Clarissa. At least there are two of us who have absolutely no idea what we are doing.

The morning began with a devotional (true Church style) and then I met with my boss, Jeff. After a quick overview and circle around the room meeting everyone and remembering none of their names, I sat down at my desk in "Intern Alley". For the next six hours, I watched video after video about Welfare Services. Although I have been a member of the church my entire life, I can honestly say I have never known much about the extent of the welfare program; that's all changing very quickly.

As part of my job I will be touring Welfare Square and Humanitarian Center. I will also be working at the cannery, bishop storehouse, home storage center etc. In order to write about Welfare Services I need to actually experience them, hence the working plan. It never crossed my mind that this would be part of the job description. I am a little nervous about these assignments, but they should be good experiences.

Honestly, I'm not so sure about all of this change. Right now everything has changed: my home, my city, my job, my overall occupation, my friends (or really now the great lack there of), my ward....EVERYTHING. Nothing is comfortable or safe, and that is the reality I face every day; at least right now. One day at a time baby, one day at a time.

So Lessons from Day 1:

1) BCS no longer only refers to a football bowl game...BCS also stands for Bishop's Central Storehouse.

2) Nylons and polyester don't mix. Despite the barrier of a slip, my dress crept up the entire walk along West Temple to the Church Office Building; oh and pretty much the entire day as well. Awesome...immodest on the first day.

Who knows what tomorrow will bring...I just have to get to tomorrow.

A Crazy SLC Adventure...

Oh my heck! Today I had a crazy adventure in SLC and luckily, Christopher tagged along so I wasn't all by myself. Last week I was offered a job as a writing intern at LDS Church Headquarters in SLC. So, naturally, I have to find a place to live. Oh and don't worry, this coming weekend (Aug. 6-8) is the only time I can move before I start my job because next weekend I will be in St. George and I start work on Monday, August 16. Found out about job on Thursday, July 29...must find apartment by Friday, August 6. To be honest, I started browsing the internet for apartments before I was even offered the job, just in case. What can I say, I'm a planner. I have always had this dream of living downtown in my own cute, little place and walking to work like in "The Devil Wears Prada" and "You've Got Mail"; complete with my very own, custom soundtrack playing in the background. Yeah, found out tonight that's not such a realistic reality.

In my searching online, I found a studio apartment in the Aves of SLC, just east of Temple Square; literally, a 2 minute drive or 10 min walk to work. Based off the pictures and description online, it looked like a great place. The building was built in 1927 and looked exactly like what I was looking for in an apartment. Unfortunately, when I pulled up to the apt tonight, it didn't exactly look the way it did in the picture. Earlier in the day I texted Chris to see if he could meet me so I wouldn't have to go by myself. I was even more happy I had decided to do that when I pulled up to the place. Thanks to the phenomenon of technology, Chris and I both entered the same address to get directions and google took us each two different places: me to the right place, Chris to student housing on the other side of town by the University of Utah. 20 minutes, several illegal driving maneuvers, and 11 red lights later (all while carrying on a hilarious phone conversation with me), Chris finally made it to the right destination.

We walked into what Chris called "The Haunted Mansion", thank you Disney reference, and up several flights of stairs to the top of the building. The more steps we took the more foreboding and ridiculous the apartment seemed to become. We get to the top and I creek the door from the stairs to the hallway open and begin to search for apt #20. We find the right door, get the key out of the "lock box", and enter the quaint, studio apartment. A familiar musty odor invades our nostrils as we gaze around the room. Pictures can be quite deceiving. Sure there's a full-size fridge...from 1970. Oh and the classic clawfoot tub...very small and in a bathroom where the toilet water is brown and there's a window that connects to the kitchen so you can fish for food while you're in the bath. Chris's favorite feature of the place was a side door that I think was supposed to hold an ironing board, but one probably hasn't been there since 1934. He opened it, we went into the kitchen, and it popped open again. This scenario repeated itself several times. Finally Chris gave up at attempting to make the door remain in place. The place did have a lovely, very spacious closet...which smelled of old socks and rat poop...that's where I want to hang my dresses and shoes. Although each component rivaled each other, I'd have to say the windows were the most fun. Every window Chris tried to open wouldn't open. I got two open and we both gazed out at the ancient fire-escape, which consequently ends on the second floor. If there was a fire and you used the fire escape, you would escape death, but definitely not a broken leg or two. Interesting setup nonetheless. The fire-escape would serve as a lovely backdrop for potted plants, maybe even a tiny herb garden. Ah but alas, it will not be. Surprisingly, each window pane had a set of tiny, bunged-up blinds. Chris and these blinds did not get along, resulting in two especially intense fights. The blinds totally won.

For kicks, I described where I could put each piece of my furniture and how I could set up the place. We even made a video this place was so horrific...that will be coming, don't worry! Chris took a few pics too, so I'll have to post those as well. Needless to say, finding this apt was an epic fail. You know it's bad when the place rivals Chris's apts from when he was in Detroit. Not such a great set up for a 23-year-old single girl. Enough said. Although an epic fail, it was quite the adventure. One I won't soon forget.

Things you may know & others you may not...

I think Tillamook Cheese is the best cheese around.


I hate road kill...it seriously makes me want to cry every time I see it.


I think the best present my future husband will be able to give me when we are parents is to let me sleep in.


I put mayonnaise in my scrambled eggs...it's weird, I know...I blame my parents.


I miss Sarah Miller every single day!


I have a strange fascination with ducks. I love them! A few of my friends could tell you about my glee about ducks. It's kinda ridiculous.


If I could afford it, I would have Starbucks EVERY morning without fail.


I'm obsessed with wedding blogs, but that you probably already know.


Going to the movies is flipping expensive, but I love it.


Using green works products makes me feel like a better person. So does recycling.


I didn't have real friends until I came to college.


I don't think I've ever lived my life without a sense of time.


I've never been to Southern Utah (however, that will be changing in August).


I hated summer as a kid (don't worry, I grew out of that).


I wouldn't have gotten through the last six months without my friend Chad.


Coming to Utah State saved my life.


Daphne Du Maurier is my favorite author.


Grey's Anatomy is my favorite show.


My dad and I have a dream of going to New York to visit Cooperstown and see the David Letterman Show.


I love singer-songwriters.


I will never escape the fact that I am a country music girl at heart.


My girl friends and I quote She's the Man more than any other movie.


Coke is one of my guilty pleasures.

The Spiral Jetty and more...Memorial Day '09

Saturday night Chad and I were talking to his roommate Dalin and the spiral jetty came up. I'd never heard of it but Chad has learned about it in all his modern art classes but never actually seen it. Talking about it further, Chad remarked that it would be a great memorial day activity. That was that.

Monday we had lunch and then left for our Spiral Jetty adventure. On our way there we stopped at the Golden Spike to take a few pictures before heading off on the dirt and gravel road. There were tons of huge potholes and major puddles on the road out to the Spiral Jetty. Luckily, Chad has a truck, so we had an awesome time roughing it through the mud...in the words of Brad Paisley, we "gotta a little mud on the tires". Driving to the Spiral Jetty was just as fun as seeing the Spiral Jetty.

After 9+ miles of road we made it! We walked the entire length of the man made rock spiral and took a bunch of pictures. It was absolutely beautiful. On our way home in a rainstorm, we discovered the ATK Rocket Display. We got out to take pictures and explore the rocket park. It was amazing seeing all the different parts that make up rockets, the parts weigh a ton and are huge...plus we took a lot of fun pics. Later on in the evening, after we'd gotten back and relaxed for awhile, we drove up to walk around the Logan Cemetery while the sun set. There were so many flowers and neat graves. Chad loves the Logan Cemetery and I can see why. It had a peaceful, content feeling about it. It was amazing seeing all the graves and thinking of the lives people lived and who they were. To finish the day, we watched Valkerie with a group of friends. I couldn't have asked for a better Memorial Day.