2010 Year In Review

Ok... so I know it's already February, but we'll just let that slide.

2010 was a fast year. Every year is a fast year--at least in retrospect. Some of the things I'll remember most about 2010 (in semi-chronological order):

A new roommate: In the beginning of the year, my roommate, Jill, got a cat, and so I had my first experiences of living with a feline and being the "cool aunt." Mrs. Kittles is a pretty great cat. I'm not gonna lie, kitty litter is not too amazing, nor were her early morning wake-up calls, but Mrs. K definitely keeps us entertained with her inquisitive, playful nature, her love of the laser pointer, and her sweet disposition.

(She loves resting on my bed)

Weddings: I had the opportunity to attend several weddings this year. Can I just say that I love weddings? I know that's pretty cliche for a woman to say, but oh well :) What's not to love about watching two people declare their love, celebrating with them and getting fed delicious food? The weddings were in Los Angeles, Athens, GA, Las Vegas, Boston and Salt Lake City. It was great to spend time with old friends (3 of the weddings were friends from high school), make new friends (I didn't know anyone at one of the weddings, so I made a lot of friends that weekend in Georgia), and family. Here are a couple of pics:

(In the photo booth at Jan's wedding in LA in February. We had the best time in the photo booth! I look a little crazy in that last pic, but I think I was halfway between open eyes and blinking.)

Marci (my cousin) and Shane's wedding Las Vegas in July. They got married at the Mandalay Bay Hotel, under a pretty pavilion with a waterfall in the background (which seriously helped keep us cool since it misted us with water during the ceremony).


First half marathon: In the first half of the year, I had the chance to train for and run my first half marathon. The whole thing was a great experience. It's pretty cool to start from being able to run 3 miles to slowly adding more and more. It was nice to have such a tangible, time-sensitive goal. The actual race was really fun, too. You're with all of these people who have been training for the same thing--you have lots of people cheering you on, handing you water, etc. And then, at the end, you get a bunch of free stuff, lots of people congratulating you, a medal... few times in life we get such treatment! Then again, you pay for this experience (who pays to run 13.1 miles? :)) My goal was to finish and to run (without walking) the entire time, which I was able to do. My time was not incredible, at all, but I finished and I'll definitely have something to try to beat for next time. If you're thinking of doing a half, I definitely recommend it! No immediate plans for the next one, but we'll see... maybe sometime in 2011.
(About halfway through the race--by the end I was looking more grim)
(Afterwards with the best "Pit Crew" ever--Aunt Joan, Jill and Mom)

Church Tour Milwaukee 2010: This was something my friend Steven and I did during the summer. Steve gave me the idea. "We ask people to come to our church, but I haven't really gone much to other people's churches," he said. "I think attending a church in an area gives you a feel for the city." I really liked the idea, so we decided that along with going to our local LDS singles ward in the afternoon on Sundays, we'd also attend different churches in the Milwaukee area in the mornings. We only went 3 different times, but each time was a great experience. We attended a United Methodist Church, a predominantly African-American Christian church, and St. Sava, a Serbian Orthodox Church. Each was unique, and I gained/appreciated different things from each experience. And people were welcoming to us. "We hope you'll come back again soon," said one nice older lady at the United Methodist Church. There are a lot of good people in Milwaukee, and in the world, for that matter.


(Steven in front of St. Sava. The mosaics and stained glass inside were beautiful)

Church activities: I had the opportunity to plan a lot of activities for my singles ward at church throughout the whole year. Dances, camping trips... I've had many great memories over the years from my time in Milwaukee. I was released from this calling towards the end of the year, but I still help out with activities and I'm sure there will be many more fun times to come in 2011.

(Nate at our Door County camping trip in September)

Goodbye to Wilderness Court: In the fall, my parents sold their house in Mequon, WI... meaning that they were officially no longer residents of Wisconsin. I'm the lone Major in Wisconsin now! Hard to believe, but it was a blessing that they were able to sell the house in such a tough housing market. I lived in that house from the end of seventh grade through high school and for a few years at different points after high school. Lots of great memories, of course, making it a sentimental experience to help Mom and Dad prep the house for the sell.

Mom especially did a lot to get the house ready... all day, everyday, for a month, she cleaned, packed, ran errands, etc. By the end, she was exhausted, but we had some great times together in the house before we left it to the new owners. Bye, house!

A niece! In December I went to Utah to see my family for Christmas. It was the longest vacation I've had since starting my job at Kohl's Corporate... and it was great to relax and spend time with the family. And... the most exciting part of the trip was to meet my niece, Cate Major! Cate came into the world on Dec. 22. I met her for the first time on Christmas Eve--her first day home from the hospital. She's the first grandkid on both sides of her family, and she didn't disappoint her adoring fans. Congrats, Sam and Nancy! She's certainly a doll and we're all pretty smitten. I'm excited to work on being a "cool aunt" for this sweet girl...

('Proud Aunt' picture)

Thanks, 2010!

Library Saturday

Nothing like spending a Saturday afternoon at the library. I've spent a lot of time in libraries this last year, due to my lack of internet at my apartment. Yes, I know. How do I live like that? You wouldn't survive long without internet, yes I know. :) Can you tell I've answered that question a lot? Surprisingly, living without the internet isn't as bad as it sounds. I've spent a lot more time in libraries, coffee shops (lots of hot chocolate :)), and McDonald's (free wi-fi there) than I might have otherwise, and yes, it's annoying not to be able to research or look up things right away, but it's been sort of liberating to be free from the constant presence of facebook, google, etc. I kind of enjoy just thinking, or picking up a book. The experiment is soon coming to a close, however. I've realized that despite my new-found freedom from technology, it's probably more work in the long-run to have to go to coffee shops and libraries all the time when I just need to "look something up." But, I hope that I can take some of the things I learned during this time with me as I step back into the land of 24/7 internet access and retain some of that quiet time.

But I digress.

This post was really supposed to be about how much I love the library. Right now I'm in the Milwaukee Public Library, and the building is pretty impressive in and of itself. But no matter the place, libraries just have some pretty great things in common.

1. Random, interesting books that I never would have thought to write or read, but now I want to. I love finding books on anything and everything. And I love how the librarians seems to know exactly which books to display that I'll want to browse through. A book on green jobs? Surfboards? Why not?

2. Interesting people. There seems to be a nice cross-section of humanity in a library, and I enjoy seeing everyone here, whatever their reasons. I like being with the people.

3. Quiet. I love that it's some sort of unspoken rule to keep quiet in the library. A guy walked by a few minutes ago, loudly talking on his cell, but generally, it's pretty darn quiet in here. I love it. A place you can read and think and just be.

4. The way time seems to stand still. I'm not sure what it is about a library or a museum, but when I'm in them, it seems as if I've stepped into some sort of timeless place, where I'm free to ponder the world, my life, ideas, places . . . without interruption. I don't seem to notice the hours go by—I could spend a whole day in a library and not really tire. Yet, after about an hour doing just about anything else, I'm totally ready to move on to something different. Strange.

I used to think it was pretty nerdy to love libraries, and it still might be, but I can't help it. Go to the library :)

Victorious!

Yay! The $18 Parmesan cheese paid off. I won the "Veggie" dip category, and here's a pic of me with my "trophy" (a bucket filled with fake plastic veggies). There were a lot of delicious dips (20-30) and 4 categories... Tailgate, Veggie, TBD (To Be Determined... a mix of random dips), and Sweet. I didn't have time to prepare the entire dip that morning, so I brought my supplies to work, and I had to get out a cutting board and chop some artichoke hearts at my desk.

I can't take too much credit--this recipe was one that my aunt Catherine made at our house once several years ago, and I used a modification of the following recipe for the contest:

http://simplyrecipes.com/recipes/quick_and_easy_artichoke_dip/

I add a clove of crushed garlic, too. Yum... so simple, but very tasty. Thanks Aunt Cate for your inspiration!

Also, I might post the other dip winners, stay tuned.

Parmesan on my mind...

Tonight I ventured to the east side of Milwaukee and made a stop at Whole Foods. And I was out of groceries. And I happened to be hungry. A dangerous combination. I grabbed a plate of hot food from their carry-out area and ate a tasty meal (I even tried a cube of tofu--not my favorite, I discovered) and set out to get some groceries. I walked up and down aisle after beautiful aisle, admiring the sparkling floors and neatly stocked shelves and eyeing all of the delicious food options. I did pretty well--in terms of holding myself back--mostly buying produce and some lactose-free milk (I think I might be lactose intolerant, but that's another story). 

But, I made one ridiculous splurge. $18 for a wedge of aged Parmesan. The reason? Well, for one, it looked beautiful. I didn't know Parmesan could look beautiful until I saw this table stocked with Parmesan the last time I was in the store. Imported from Italy, aged for over 24 months, a warm, pale yellow... I knew it was just what I needed.

You see, this week is the "Dip-Off" at work. We're each submitting our best dip recipe for the masses to sample and then deem the winner. I signed up with determination, with last February's chili cook-off in mind. It had been a disaster. I tried to make a white chicken chili, but I didn't have a recipe--I just winged it, and it was much more like soup than chili. I was the only one I know of who received no votes. Sad. I knew that I hadn't put my best effort into the chili cook-off, and feeling humbled, I knew next time I'd have to bring my A-game.

And thus, the $18 Parmesan. This time, I'm making an artichoke dip, and I'm determined to prove myself to my co-workers. I even invested in a crock pot (a good excuse to buy one anyway) and best yet, I'm actually following a tried-and-true recipe (with a little bit of modifying, of course). All I have to say is that this Parmesan better be good.

I'll keep you posted.

Day Off

Today I am taking a much-needed day off of work. I have so much I've been meaning to catch up on... you know, those things that have to get done but you're always too tired to do when you get home from work? I'm going to marathon-it for the next day and try to get my life as much in order as possible. And, at some point during the day, I will give you guys a decent post. My blog, unfortunately, has been one of the neglected parts of my life. Not that ya'll are waiting on pins and needles anyway :-) Ha, there are plenty of other things to do than read my random thoughts and life experiences. But, for those I don't see much, and just for fun, I do want to get back in the habit again. Have a great Monday, everyone!

BLT Redefined

I'm sad that my digital camera is broken--this picture from my phone doesn't do this delicious sandwich justice. I'm not reinventing the wheel here, but tonight I made what I thought was a fun and slightly healthier update to the traditional BLT.

I call it... The Open Face TBST (Turkey Bacon, Spinach & Tomato) Sandwich.

And here's the recipe in case you'd like to replicate it!

Ingredients:

2 slices of a multi-grain baguette (I got mine from Trader Joe's--very good!)
Several leaves of raw spinach, washed and dried
Several slices of fresh tomato
1 string cheese (that's all I had in the house, but slices of fresh mozzarella would be best)
3-4 slices of turkey bacon
Olive oil (optional)
Balsamic vinegar
A dash of pepper

Directions:

1. Prepare the turkey bacon according to the package. I just cooked it on the stove at medium heat in a skillet (slightly greased with oil). (Even healthier would be to use a nonstick skillet.)
2. Turn on the oven to broiler mode.
3. Place the bread (inside facing up) on a cookie sheet. Pull the string cheese apart into several strings and place on the bread (or, place slices of mozzarella on the bread).
4. Place the cookie sheet with bread and cheese in the oven and watch like a hawk (seriously, otherwise it'll burn if you're not careful) until the edges of the bread are toasted and the cheese begins to bubble and brown.
5. Remove the bread from the oven and layer the turkey bacon, raw spinach and tomatoes on the bread.
6. Drizzle a tiny bit of olive oil (optional) and balsamic vinegar on top of the sandwich. Add black pepper (cracked would be best :-)) to taste.
7. Enjoy!

I can't believe I'm recommending a sandwich that contains two ingredients I avoided as a kid: spinach and tomatoes. But, I realized a few years back that raw spinach tastes pretty much like lettuce... I'm just not as much of a fan of cooked spinach (unless it's mixed in with something else that's tasty). Plus, spinach has more nutrients than regular lettuce, so take the plunge and try it!

As for tomatoes, I think my tastes have finally grown up a bit. My recommendation is to splurge for the really good tomatoes. Otherwise, they're tasteless and kind of gross. I love grape tomatoes, plum tomatoes... the really red, smaller varieties that are packed with deliciousness. So, if you've not liked tomatoes in the past, perhaps you've just had the large, tasteless variety that they slap onto your burger at a fast food joint. Try them again!

Turkey bacon is also key. 20 calories a slice... not bad! I'm sure any form of bacon is slightly less healthy than fresh sliced turkey, but for that bacon taste, I'm a fan of the turkey bacon (which tastes a lot like regular bacon, by the way).

Enjoy!

I love Sunday.

It's been a great Sunday. I've just been feeling very grateful today for all of the blessings in my life! One thing I'm grateful for is the fact that God still calls apostles and prophets in our day. I went to the CES fireside for young adults tonight and Elder Uchtdorf spoke. It's incredible to think that anyone around the world could watch an apostle of Jesus Christ speak (via satellite or the Internet). I realize this is nothing new... satellites and internet streaming have been available for a while. But still, when I think of how much has changed in the last 150 years for members of the Church, I am very grateful for all of the resources that we have to study the gospel.

Elder Uchtdorf gave a great talk. I realized, they're all great talks! Seriously, if we're in the right frame of mind, we can gain something from any gospel talk.

And, speaking of gospel talks, I'm also grateful for the Mormon Messages on YouTube. I think it's awesome that the Church takes advantage of new technologies to reach out to people across the world. These messages are short, sweet, and full of truth.

Click here to watch "Lifting Burdens: The Atonement of Jesus Christ."

I know that the atonement of Jesus Christ is real. It has expanded my heart with joy that I have found in no other form. I know that it cannot be found in any other form. It cleanses us of our impurities, expands our capacity and our abilities, increases our love, and gives us hope. I still have a lot to learn, but that's what life is for, and I can't wait to see what the future brings.

God bless and goodnight, everyone! Have a great week.

24 Hours in Door County

So yeah, I have a lot to catch up on, including Sam and Nancy's wedding! But, that post will require a little more time, so for now, how about a quick peek into Mom and my 24-hour Door County trip?

I've never been to Door County, WI this time of year, and I was excited to be there in the fall with all of the leaves. And pretty they were! Mom and I didn't get up to Jacksonport until about 6 P.M. last night, and we saw that our hotel was doing a fish boil. Fish boils are a Door County tradition, or, as our cook called them, a tourist trap. :-) Our group consisted of mostly out-of-towners (or so it seemed) from Illinois and other parts of Wisconsin (from my analysis of parking-lot state license plates as we drove in). Even if it is a tourist trap, it's a fun tradition and everyone seemed to be enjoying themselves.

We started with hor d'oeuvres, and then, right before the cooks took the fish, potatoes and onions out of the pot, they ushered us outside to watch and to hear the history of the fish boil.

To be honest, Mom and I were a little wary of trying the fish boil. Let's be honest, boiled fish doesn't really sound incredibly appetizing. But, we decided we wanted the full Door County experience, and actually, it was much better than we expected!

In order to get the pot to boil over, they threw some kerosene on the fire, and below is the result. Whoa!


Afterwards, as they took the giant pot back into the kitchen to serve the fish, we headed back inside. The dish came with Lake Michigan whitefish, baby red potatoes, onions (my favorite part! very tender and sweet), and steamed vegetables. For dessert, we had some Door County cherry pie a la mode. Definitely worth trying!

Today, we drove through Peninsula State Park, which winds around the coast of Lake Michigan. Mom and I decided to do a little photo shoot.

My mom is so pretty!

Doesn't this look like a nice place to read a book? :-)

We took some classic "throwing leaves" pictures. It might be cuter if we were two years old, but it was fun anyway!

On the way out of the park, we saw this gorgeous tree. I think bright red-orangy leaves are my favorite.

Happy fall, everyone!

Swiftly goes the summer...

To my small blog readership, I must do better. It just seems that I've struggled with the motivation to sit down and write. Perhaps, I'm still adjusting to this whole 8-5 work-all-day-come-home-and-feel-tired thing. Plus, I share a computer with my parents, which means I'm on it less. But, excuses are always available to those who seek them. I simply need to get back in the habit!

I've been enjoying the summer here in Wisconsin, brief as it is, working hard (it's our busy season right now), planning lots of church activities (that's my new calling here in WI), running, and getting ready for my brother's wedding. The summer has gone by quickly.

My parents just moved to Utah, which is pretty crazy to think about, since they've been here for 30ish years. Dad got a surgery job out there (he's coming out of retirement for a little longer) and then they'll stay out there for a big chunk of the year once he's fully retired. It'll be nice to visit at Thanksgiving, since the weather will be warmer and desert-y out there, just as it's getting chilly here!

Ok, that's all I got right now. But, I'll talk to ya'll soon!

I AM alive...

So, I dropped off the face of the blogging earth for a while there... ok, 6 months. Wow, time goes fast. And I'm sorry for neglecting my poor blog for so long. Last time I wrote, I was searching for a permanent job and I had just moved back to Wisconsin. Here's a brief update to bring you up to speed...

I began a job in January as a writer for Kohl's Department Stores. I write product descriptions for clothing and other items on their website. It's fun to have a job that puts my English-major skills to work. Basically, I look at samples of products (or images) and then write up the basic information. I'm learning a lot--especially since I come from a non-business-major background. And I like that it's my job to be creative with words (I get to think of word puns a lot!). Two fun things about working at Kohl's... getting random free stuff (they treat their employees well) and cookie day (4 hot, fresh-baked cookies for $1 at the cafeteria every Thursday at 2:15 PM). Yum! Oh yeah, employee discount days at the stores are pretty nice too :-)

For a sample of one of the more interesting product descriptions I've written... go to kohls.com and in the search box, type "Black Red & White On Grey." That's a painting that I got to write about.

For a couple of other writing samples... you can type in the search box "Jirra" (for a stuffed animal kagaroo that I wrote about), or "Wonder Woman Pajama Separates." I write several a day... and I've gotten to write about a variety of products, which is fun.

Other things that are new in my life... my brother is getting married this summer! Yay! I'm super excited for him and for me, since I also get to have a sister-in-law. And she's great. More info forthcoming :-)

Also, I'm training for a half marathon in August--my first, so that should be fun. Basically, I just needed a reason to motivate myself to work out again. I've never run more than about 3.5 miles at a time before, so this should be interesting! I'll keep you posted.

Goodnight, everyone! I'll write again soon with more updates.

Life and Temp Work

I've been called by the temp agency a little lately, and for the past week I worked at a law firm in downtown Milwaukee. It was pretty fun, actually. For one week, I felt semi-important as I drove up to the valet parking service at a parking structure in downtown Milwaukee, strolled into the tall office building with my dress shoes delightfully clicking against the marble floor, and worked in my own large office (with a great view of the riverwalk). Granted, I was just a "temp," but it was still fun to imagine myself as some high-powered executive.

Actually, what I really did most of the day was answer phones, make copies, prepare documents to be mailed or faxed, typed up dictations, and when there wasn't any of that to do, read a book. Nothing terribly exciting, but I must say, it felt great to finally be doing some work. I enjoyed getting to know the two lawyers who owned the firm. The firm consisted of a man and a woman--both middle-aged--and both incredibly nice. They practice family law, which unfortunately, often means doing divorces. Although my experience was brief, it was interesting to watch a little of the "behind-the-scenes" work of a divorce, and I will say, it reaffirmed to me that I never want to go through one of those. I would have liked to have asked the lawyers more about their perspective of divorce, since they have been witnesses to so many of them, but I never had the chance. By the end of the week, I was almost a little sad to say goodbye to the small office--I was starting to really enjoy working there.

I also started up at my seasonal work at Kohl's Department Store this past week. My first real day of work (after the training) was a little intense--I came in for someone who was sick, and this person was in charge of the entire Junior's department for 8 hours. I hadn't yet worked in the department at all, so I was dropped into the deep end on the first day, but I managed (with some help from some very nice co-workers) to figure things out. It wasn't too stressful really, just busy, but it took a while to figure out where the clothes went when I was supposed to return them from the dressing room.

I think Kohl's will be a fun place to work. The co-workers are really friendly... several middle-aged women, so it's kind of like working with a bunch of your friends' moms :-) Seriously, they made me feel very comfortable right away. And... I get to look at clothes for several hours at a time, so I'm definitely making mental notes of things I might get. My discount will come in handy I believe, but of course, I'm pretty broke right now, so I won't be buying much. I do think I'll have to be careful though not to get too distracted looking at cute outfits to try on and just do my job :-)

Anyway, I'm glad to have some work going on to help me bring in some money and to keep me busy while I do my long-term job search. I definitely need to make a good push on that, because the work at Kohl's will end by New Year's, and I really want to have a long term job figured out by then. I got a little distracted for a while from the long-term job search as I settled into being back in Milwaukee and did the short-term job search, so now it's time to get crack-a-lackin' again. Keep me in your prayers friends that I can put something together!

Post-Election Thoughts...

I didn't blog about the election--I'm fairly politically moderate and not the most politically outspoken. But, that doesn't mean that I don't care about politics and their effect on our government and society. I do care. I'm not exactly sure why I abstain from the political fights that I see all around me. Then again, that last sentence alone might explain it--I'm not the fighting type. However, I do think expressing opinions, even on the ever-sensitive topic of politics, has an important place, and sharing a strong opinion does not necessarily constitute an attempt to bash. Which is why, in the future, I will try to get some of those opinions out in the venue of the blog.

I have many other thoughts and reflections on politics rushing through my head at this point, but they aren't formulated enough that I want to express them right now. Instead, I thought I'd post some interesting pictures I took around my neighborhood on and shortly after election day.

Ok, this has no relation to the election, but here's just a peek at why I'm glad to have the opportunity to be in Wisconsin for the fall. I love leaves.

My mom and I were out for a walk in the neighborhood near ours and saw this. It made me sort of sad. The signs of support waiting to be picked up by the garbage truck.

McCain signs down the road from our house. The majority of the county definitely supported McCain over Obama (one of the few counties in the state to do so), but I was surprised to see several Obama signs around the neighborhood, too.

I was struck by this, because it seemed very deliberate that there was an American flag hanging near the Obama sign, as if the family wanted to say, "Obama supporters are patriotic." The neighbors next door also had an Obama sign with a small flag next to it. 

My vote was for McCain, but that doesn't mean I didn't consider Obama and that I don't like the guy. I wrote my final paper for my English capstone course on his book, "Dreams from My Father." He is an excellent writer and I'm impressed with his life. It'll definitely be interesting to see how things play out in the next 4 years. 

Halloween in Wisconsin!

Although I've always enjoyed Halloween, I never seem to find the time to prepare an amazing costume for it. I'm not sure why, but my preparations for this holiday are often neglected until the last minute. :-( Maybe that's what happens when you get too old to go trick-or-treating? I didn't even carve a pumpkin this year! I've realized from this experience that I may have to make my own efforts to get excited for holidays like Halloween--cause I've noticed that holidays can be pretty fun if you just put a little effort into it!

Anyway, I digress. My ward at church had a fun night, with a fright hike at Lapham Peak State Park and then a bonfire/costume party at a member of the bishopric's house. The fright hike wasn't very frightful--staffed mostly by middle and high school-aged kids, but it was still pretty fun and I did get startled a few times. Walking through the woods on Halloween is always a good time.

Here are some of the pictures from the costume party/contest!

Carmen is wearing the same costume she wore at age 2. "I got a lot of candy wearing this costume!" she said about the costume's original debut.

Jared and Megan were Happy and Snow White. I voted for them for best costumes and they tied for first in the group category!

I also LOVED Jeannette's costume. Seriously, isn't she the cutest can of Spam ever?

Nicole tied for first in the individual category. This hair is AMAZING, isn't it?

Paco was Patch Adams and I was a nerd. I like this one. Especially cause it gives you a nice view of Paco's amazing pants! He bought them in Israel.

It was a great night and I'm so glad that fall holiday season has begun! I am a little shocked though that I heard CHRISTMAS MUSIC already on Halloween on two different Milwaukee radio stations! Wow--early start this year, huh?

Gone hunting...job-hunting.

Ok--another post on job-hunting. I promise this will be the last one for a while. However, with this being my main endeavor right now, it's just on the brain a bit. As I interview, fill out application after application, take surveys, etc., I'm learning a lot about the hiring process.

First, I've learned that it's nice not to have a criminal background. That question is certainly on every application I've filled out. Being hired as a ex-convict would be a big challenge. Not to mention it would require a lot of explaining on all of these applications.

Second, most applications (especially for retail positions... I'm applying for holiday retail jobs, among others) are insufficient to really capture a job candidate's personality and history. The employers attempt, through surveys and questionnaires, to get a feel for these things, but it's pretty easy to see through the questions. I can imagine many people fall prey to what social psychologists call "social desirability bias." This means that you answer questions based on what you think is the socially-acceptable answer. I really don't think these surveys are effective in sorting out anything but grossly under-qualified candidates. In terms of job history, there is sometimes no space or little space to explain things like why you left a job, how you got paid (if it wasn't hourly), etc. These things make filling out applications frustrating!

Third, are these extensive applications really necessary for SEASONAL positions? Kohl's and Barnes and Noble did the best job of having a short-and-sweet application. Kudos to you, Kohl's and B&N, for keeping my life a little simpler.

I almost wanted to outline my suggestions and send them to the HR departments to help them design a better application. Maybe there's a future career for me? :-) I do like the idea of improving and streamlining this tiring and somewhat frustrating process.

Ok, hopefully that wasn't a downer. It's not all bad--not even close. I realize the stores need to keep out workers who would steal, not show up, or otherwise not be able to complete the job. But, can't I just walk in and say, "Look. I'm not trying to be rude or pretentious, but I'm a college grad who just needs a holiday job for a couple of months. I know I am capable for this job. Can you hire me, please?" That'd be a lot easier :-)

And, I do have two interviews tomorrow (with Kohl's and Target). The payoff is finally coming through! Once I find a seasonal job, though, I need to stay focused on the long-term job hunt. Alas, it's not over for a while. But all of this will sure make me better appreciate having a job! :-)

I can't keep up, sometimes.

There are times when you feel that you are running along smoothly. You go running each morning. You get your work done. You check your email and respond quickly. You even have time to fit in side projects, like reorganizing your book collection into alphabetical order.

This is not one of those times. Ever since I decided to leave for Wisconsin, life has been quite busy, even though I'm still not working yet. Packing (yet again... sigh...only after being unpacked in my new place for a month), moving across the country, unpacking, job interview/s, church, seeing people, and such has left me exhausted and trying to get into a normal routine again.

Can I just mention that I sort of hate looking for jobs? Each time I go through this process it gets a little more annoying. Ha, I'm sorry--I'm not trying to complain. It's just that repeatedly printing off /updating my resume, filling out my address and name and job history for the fifteenth time, etc. is a little tiring. The good thing is that I just interviewed at a temp agency here in Milwaukee and chances are good that I'll be hired. I was also offered an interview at Rogers Memorial Hospital for a residential counselor position. No guarantees on anything yet, but its nice to at least see something coming of my efforts.

I've realized from all of this that I need to work on being more patient. I will find a job (at least something for a while) and my life will settle down. Decisions will be made. Life will go on. And maybe, just maybe, I'll find time to finish knitting that scarf I started 3 years ago. Or something.

Moving to Wisconsin.

I'm sitting at Starbuck's (with a large hot chocolate next to me, yum) inside the Barnes & Noble at Gateway Mall as I type this. It's a beautiful, cloudy fall day in Utah. I met two of my old roommates for lunch in SLC and I'm meeting my brother for dinner up here... so I had some time to kill.

And so, since I do have some time, I'll fill you guys in on life. I'm moving to Wisconsin in less than a week! This decision came somewhat unexpectedly--but I'll explain.

After graduation, I spent three weeks at home in Milwaukee. After going to school year-round for three years, I was in need of some time to just rest. The three week trip was great. Then, I came back to Utah in early September and moved into my new apartment. I have three roommates from California (they all went to HS together) and they are nice girls--welcomed me right in. I liked my apartment and my new ward and I planned to use Utah as a home-base while I applied for jobs. I figured I'd get some kind of temporary job for the fall or for 6 months at the most while I figured out where to go next.

Well, the job market in Utah isn't ideal. I got offered a part-time/on-call position at an eating disorder treatment facility, which would have been great, but they wanted at least a year commitment, and I wouldn't be able to work there full-time for probably at least the first few months. As soon as they said "one-year commitment," it sunk it to me that I did not want to still be in Provo for another year. As soon as I came back from Wisconsin, I felt pretty restless. Being in a college town and not being in school (or not having a job for that matter) can do that to you, and I also just realized that I was ready to try out life in a new place. Provo has been great, but I think it has served its purpose for me, and it's time to keep moving forward.

Once I realized I didn't want to stay here too long, I decided that I could either get a temp job here in Utah and apply out of town for permanent positions or I could do that from Wisconsin (where my family is) . It seemed a bit counterintuitive to leave right after I had come back for the fall, but the more I thought about it, the more I saw the benefits of moving home for a couple of months. 

Some benefits include saving my family some money (my parents are helping me out during this transition period), living one last time in my family's home before my parents sell it (they'll be retiring out in St. George for most of the year starting in the near future and so they're going to sell our house), among other reasons.

I prayed about it and it felt like a good decision, and so, I'll be off in about a week! I have some mixed feelings about leaving. I certainly feel it's probably time to move on from college life and that scene, and yet, I'll really miss this town that has become my home away from home. I'll miss the good times I've had and the good friends I've made out here. I'll especially miss it since this move is permanent. It's hard to cut off this part of my life. But, I'm excited for the road ahead, whatever it brings. Going to NYC last weekend made me realize all of the fun possibilities I have in life in terms of jobs and where I could live (more on the NYC trip soon).

If any of you Provo/SLC kids are reading this, I'd love to see you before I road trip it to Wisconsin next week (Tuesday or Wednesday). Let me know and we'll get together. The short-term plan is to spend the next couple of months in Wisconsin at a temp job, while I look and apply for more permanent work, and then to re-evaluate at the end of the year where I want to go. There's a possibility I'll stay in Wisconsin, and I'm also looking at jobs in some other bigs cities (especially DC and Boston). Whatever happens, I know God is guiding me in these decisions and I'm grateful to have some time with my family and friends in Wisconsin. If you'll be in WI, give me a call!

Provo--I bid thee farewell. You've been a kind friend and you will be missed.

Life starts when the pain stops?

I was flipping through channels on TV yesterday and saw an ad for Intermountain Vein Center. The ad seemed pretty similar to other ads for similar types of clinics, except for the company slogan: 

"Life starts when the pain stops."

I am not usually taken-aback by ads... unfortunately, we become so used to being bombarded by them that we hardly notice their constant presence, but I was definitely surprised by this slogan.

Seriously? You think life starts when the pain stops? Ha, well good luck chasin' that rainbow, my friend. I can definitely tell you that life doesn't start when the pain stops--it's in those moments that you're really experiencing the realities of life.

There's some truth to it--the aspects of life that we'd like to enjoy are certainly muted when we are experiencing some kind of pain or anguish. But, I believe those moments build us into the kind of people who know what living is all about. Living is taking what life gives you and trying to make the best of it. Of course, it's natural and commendable to eliminate pain when possible, but we must be careful to not separate pain from life. A life focused solely on maximizing pleasure and minimizing pain has a name--hedonism. 

I'm sure the people of Intermountain Vein Center are well-intentioned, so this is not a direct blow at them, really--just an example of why we cannot accept the messages our culture sends us without thinking about them and the philosophies that underlie them.  

Utah State Fair

A little over a week ago, three us us Provo-ites went up to the Utah State Fair for some good times! Fairs are always pretty great... you go on rickety rides, eat unhealthy and delicious food, hang out with barn animals... 

It's hard to see summer winding down, but this was a good summer-sendoff celebration.

Emily and I with the cow! He's a little stoic.

Nothing says "fair" like a funnel cake. Yum :-)

Megan and Emily were pretty scared when we rode on "Moby Dick." We had fun though and screamed quite a bit.

Emily enjoyed bonding with her goat friends. She grew up on a goat farm in Washington, and she felt right at home petting this little guy!

Job-Hunting.

I am officially unemployed. That's such an unflattering term but it's true. The word seems to suggest that I am not whole or complete without a job. I suppose that's true to some extent--but I'm trying to suppress the anxiety that comes from feeling like an unproductive member of society. I'm trying to find one, kids! My ticket out is not yet here, so until then, I am trying to see the temporary advantages of this extra time.

I just completed my undergraduate degree, and the reality of post-grad life has quickly settled in. There is no easy path laid out for us graduates, and that is both reassuring and disconcerting. I'm glad that it's up to me, and yet, I wish someone would just sweep in and answer the quandary I find myself in: What kind of job should I seek/take? Is this job good enough, or should I wait for a better one? Should I focus more on place or job? Should I take the first job that I'm offered that's half-way decent?

I'm rolling around all of these thoughts in my head, and hopefully, they're helping me to make a decision. I don't want to jump onto the fear train and get a low-skilled, low-paying job, just because something hasn't been offered in the first week. And also I don't want to turn down multiple job offers because they aren't fitting my abstract definition of the "perfect" first job.

I know there probably isn't a perfect first job (for the majority of us out there). And let's face it, most of us will change jobs several times during our careers. So, how do we wade through these uncertain waters? Prayer is definitely helping, but I also know that I need to put forth my full efforts to make the best possible job opportunity happen.

In the meantime, as I do this, I find myself with a little (or a lot of) extra time. There's more time to blog, to take a walk in nature, to browse at Barnes and Noble, and to think about where I want my life to go. I'm trying to enjoy this time without falling into a trap of complacency. I'm grateful for it though, since I've felt the lack of free time that came during the last part of college. This last summer, I had a part-time custodial job, a part-time writing internship, and a full load of summer classes. I'm glad to be temporarily rid of the constant, looming cloud of schoolwork.

We'll see how this lasts. I might get a temp job if this process takes longer than a couple of more weeks so that I don't go crazy with the boredom (and so I don't end up living in a box. Unfortunately, I'm not independently wealthy, so a job is also a necessity). Until then, I'll enjoy the quiet moments I've been given. You might see a few more blog posts than normal, and my room might look abnormally clean. :-)

24 Hours in Door County

One of the highlights of my 3-week trip to Wisconsin was a short trip to Door County, WI, with my parents. Door County is the "thumb" part of Wisconsin on the map. (They say Wisconsin looks like a hand...) It's so beautiful up there! I hadn't gone since early high school, so I was glad to have the chance to hang out up there for a day/night. During the summer, this part of the state is very busy with tourists, but we went 2 days after Labor Day, so it was very quiet! Perfect.

The view of Lake Michigan from outside of the Square Rigger Lodge in Jacksonport, WI. 

There were butterflies fluttering all along the shore. I tried to get a picture of one in flight but it didn't work out--they're too fast! I kept following this particular one and he kept flying away from me. I think he was getting pretty annoyed. :-) After this shot, I let him be. Sorry little guy!

Going for a walk along the beach. 

We ate dinner here--at Al Johnson's. It's a Swedish restaurant that's been around for 59 years, and it's very popular! The goats grazing on the roof is definitely one unique reason why everyone comes here.

The three of us at dinner!

Mmm... Swedish meatballs! 

A peek at the Swedish-themed gift shop that's attached to the restaurant.

Mom and I gave the little gnome/troll a kiss on the way out!

The harbor was really pretty... it was fun reading all the names of the boats (one was called "Uff Da," hehe.), watching the sunset, and just enjoying the beautiful weather!

After dinner, we hit up the drive-in and saw "Hancock." The drive-in felt very fifties-ish, complete with Elvis music playing in the background before the show!

Mom and I had fun on the swings while we waited for the sun to set--that's when the show started.

The next morning the sky looked stormier, but I think it looked beautiful! I'm glad the day before was nice weather though, so we could enjoy being outside!

All in all, it was a success and I hope it's not another 10 years before I go back to Door County!