Dad always says this means something better is coming. Something better has big shoes to fill.

Weather

Needless to say, I'm not looking forward to the next week. My plan is to stay inside as much as possible!

Bad News

Well, it's been over a week, and I guess I'm okay enough about my news to write about it without too much emotion. I found out last Wednesday that I'm being laid off. What a blow. In spite of not really enjoying my job, I was grateful to have a job, and one that allowed me to pay my bills (and save a little) without trouble. I've been looking for about 2 years, on and off, without much success. I was taking a break in hopes that the economy would improve, but now my job hunt has started again in earnest. I have to confess, I feel a little panicky-the economy has not improved since I got this job, if anything, I feel that it's worse. Talking to people has reminded me that there are options out there, but there are also a lot of other people who want to take advantage of the same opportunities.

Some days are good and some are bad. I think the strangest thing has been the reactions of some of my coworkers. The people I work with closely are sympathetic and supportive, which I greatly appreciate! There are others that I know only peripherally, that usually say hello in the hall and chat a bit. Many of them have started treating me like I've contracted leprosy. They don't make eye contact, and sometimes it seems like they're trying to avoid me. Lay-offs aren't contagious, and though they are probably as shocked as I am and scared for their jobs, it's hard to have them treat me differently. Over all, I think I'm dealing with the news pretty well. I have just over two months until my last official day of work, and I'm cautiously optimistic about finding something else. Thanks for your support so far, please keep your ears open about any opportunities!

Memories

This comic reminded me of the time I was on crutches at BYU...I was walking (crutching?) to family home evening with my roommates. One of them told me to slow down. I told her I wouldn't because the speed I was at was the resonance frequency for my body as a pendulum on the crutches. Maybe I shouldn't admit this, but I just have.

Temptation

I think the ad banners online are taunting me. I saw this today:

While I have some trips in the planning stages, it's hard to not want a visit to the southern hemisphere to visit friends there!

Friday is coming...

I love having something to look forward to, even if it's a little something. I have a date on Friday. A date with someone that I'm really excited to go out with! That being said, this week will probably pass slower than molasses in winter time.

Meanwhile, Matthew suggested I buy a pair of Nike Presto running shoes. I ordered them from Amazon, and picked them up from the apartment office yesterday. Unfortunately, I picked them up on my way back from my run, so I haven't officially tried them out yet. However, I did wear them to work today, and my feet are in heaven. I asked Matthew how I ever lived without these shoes-they are so comfortable. The advertisement that called them the t-shirt for your feet was not kidding. I never want to take them off-I think I could sleep in them! Now I know why he was so devastated a few years back when Nike stopped making them, and why he was so thrilled they are once again making them. I bought a second pair today, just in case they stop making them again (and because I don't think they're really making the womens Presto again-it was just lucky that some place in the UK had a couple of pairs in my size).

Good Morning

I had a very satisfying morning today. Since I haven't written in a while, I thought I'd share. A friend last night was teasing me about not inviting him to join a group of us who went dancing Friday night. While I maintain that I did invite him, he just wasn't paying attention, I asked what I could do to make it up to him. He replied "Food." So we had breakfast this morning. I made bacon (what's breakfast without bacon?) and waffles, and he brought some strawberries to top them with. We ate and chatted. When we were done with the food, he asked what I'd been studying in my Scriptures. I answered him, and got up to grab them. He pulled them up on his phone, and since they wouldn't load, used my extra set. We talked for over an hour about things we'd learned and questions we had. It was wonderful-I haven't done something like that since Australia, and I've been missing it a lot lately. What a beautiful way to start out my Sabbath!

Why?

Because I can take it, I guess. I just thought I'd write about my past week...

Last Monday-went to have Hal's AC checked...the compressor was leaking. They can't just replace the leaky seal, they have to replace the whole compressor. By the time everything was fixed, they had also replaced the thermal fan compressor, and I was out about $1200, but going without AC in Texas in the summer time is out of the question-I would be completely representable by the time I got anywhere. Because I spent so much time with the lovely folks at Midas, I missed my soccer game.

Tuesday I was working on a new assay at work. I've been trained, but it was several weeks ago. Our workload kept changing, and it was finally time for me to run the assay alone. Day one was a little hairy. I interrupted one of my work mates to help me a couple of times, but finally made it through the day.

Wednesday was day two of the new assay. I called tech support twice. My supervisor came in and asked me if I could finish all of the plates by next Friday. I asked if I could run the assay again before giving him an answer, as I wanted to be a little more comfortable with the protocol before saying yes or no. He agreed, and I finished my stressful first time on the assay successfully. Then I went to Institute. A welcome break from the stress of the beginning of the week.

Thursday was the shining star-no cavities at the dentist, we won our soccer game, and I went to a concert with a friend. Not really my usual type of music; I think I liked the opening band more than the main event, but it was enjoyable nonetheless. Watching the people at the concert was as enjoyable as the concert itself-I find group dynamics fascinating.

Friday was my second time with day two of the new assay. I think I spent at least 3 hours on the phone with tech support. Bottom line, one of our instruments is broken, and they're supposed to call me today to set up an appointment to come fix it. This means there's no way I can make my deadline, which was possible before the instrument trouble started. I left work around 6, and made it home just in time to meet Gerti to go see Thor (which made my day a little better!). Then I headed to the dance at church. There's a guy here for a few weeks who taught ballroom in Tennessee, and I was dying to know how good he was. We danced a lot...rumba, foxtrot, samba, hustle...my night was made (mostly...seeing the guy I've had my eye on show up with someone else was a little downer). The only thing that could have made it better was a waltz! Additionally, someone else asked me to teach him to dance-I'm looking forward to it immensely. I hope he's serious. Some of us then headed to the riverwalk to show around the guys from Austin. It was a really, really late night for me.

Saturday I went to work. I accomplished what I could and headed home to find mouse droppings in my kitchen. Never have I seen nor heard a mouse in my apartment, but obviously there is one. I put all of my silverware in the dishwasher and laid out by the pool for a while. I got a text message from the friend I was supposed to go to the rodeo with that night saying he wasn't able to go. I went to the designated meeting point just in case anyone else showed up-Vanessa was there. We decided to see a movie instead, and saw Water for Elephants, which I didn't like at all. Watching people and animals be abused is not my idea of quality entertainment. I came home to more mouse droppings and went to bed.

Sunday morning I discovered that my kitchen sink has been leaking. The paper towels I had stored there were soaked and moldy. I emptied the cupboard and surveyed the damage. The cupboard and wall underneath were moldy, and there were some insects down there. I got the raid, and sprayed them. I think only one died, and I set about trying to clean up (I was expecting people for breakfast in about a half hour). I did what I could, and covered the mold with bleach wipes, making a mental note to call about it Monday morning. Church was good, and I went home and talked to an old friend and my brother on the phone before going to bed.

I woke up (late) today to a giant roach in my living room. I went for the broom and dustpan, and swept him up to discover that he was alive, not dead! Opening the door to my porch, I tossed him out as quickly as possible. I changed, fed Gus and ran out the door to head to work. Just as I reached the car I realized that Sunday night was a baby shower I was meant to attend and completely forgot about.

I thought bad things came in groups of three, but by my count I'm up to nine. It's a multiple if three, so does that make it over? Meanwhile, I've remembered that counting my blessings is a great way to forget about all of the bad things that happen in life. I have good friends who are willing to help me out, a job, enough money to be able to afford and expensive car repair, stability, health, faith, talents, and a wonderful supportive family. Life is good, even if it gets frantic sometimes.

Simone

This week has had a rough start. I guess it started last week. I had the ac in the truck looked at, and subsequently recharged. They recommended I come back in a few days so they could check for leaks in the system. I returned yesterday to be told that my compressor was leaking, and needed to be replaced. I had the shuttle take me back to work and waited for a call to tell me they were on their way to pick me up. I got the call, but instead of coming to pick me up, the call was to inform me that my thermal fan clutch was also broken, and also needed to be replaced. So, several hundred dollars later, I have what (I hope) is a fully functioning ac, but I missed my Monday night soccer game.

In an attempt to cheer myself up after spending so much (if I lived in Cali I wouldn't have bothered to fix the ac at all), I called Freebirds to order myself a delicious burrito for dinner. When I arrived to pick it up, the guy at the register looked at the bag in the warmer and said "It's not ready yet." with a puzzled look on his face. The girl behind him asked me about my order-"Was it carnitas on cayenne?" I answered in the affirmative, and she pulled a bag out of the warmer. It looked like this:

So I guess I have a new nickname.

LASIK

After much thought, I decided to have LASIK surgery. I've worn contacts or glasses since I was 15 years old-half my life! I had a few appointments and screenings, asked a lot of questions of doctors, and friends who had the surgery recently. I also talked to my dad who had the surgery several years ago and still loves it. I was pretty nervous going in, but had a priesthood blessing the night before, and thought, "I can do anything for 15 minutes". And that's all the actual surgery took! Admittedly, it was probably the strangest 15 minutes of my life-between the eye patch for the eye they weren't working on, the Valium, and the light I was supposed to be concentrating on the words alien abduction come to mind, but it was totally worth it! When I got up from the chair I could see things across the room clearer than I had in years. I woke up the next day and drove myself to my follow-up appointment, where I was informed I now see 20/15! I think my left eye had been about 20/200. What a difference! I do have the lovely blood spots pictured below, which I find a little creepy, but they say my eyes will clear up in 2-4 weeks.

I also have these awesome goggles that I get to wear to bed so I don't inadvertently rub my eyes or dis-place the flap. Good thing I live alone:)

In other news, Gus has decided that I'm not so big and scary as he first thought I was. In fact, he's started getting much bolder than he ever has. I've added a few pictures so y'all can see how cute he is!

 

Progress!

Guatemala three-Patients

I know it's been a while since my last Guatemala post. Life is busy! This post is a collection of pictures of some of the patients we saw at clinic.

These two little boys complained about their ears hurting-Wendy worked her magic with an ear curette and pulled out giant gobs of ear wax. They wanted to take the earwax home with them.

I spent a lot of time in triage, especially at the beginning of the trip, so I had the opportunity to see a lot of people. I love the character in the faces that follow-these people are wonderful. They are humble, kind, and work harder for their living than most Americans have ever thought about working. It was such a blessing to be around them, and to know that I was part of a group that was helping.

I wish I had a picture of these two standing next to each other. I think that if there were two of this lady standing on each others shoulders they wouldn't add up to Kade's height!

These women were patiently waiting to see our gynecologist. Many of our patients waited for hours without complaint.

This little boy was quite happy to have been seen by an American doctor...he gave both Amy and me kisses before he left with his mother.

Dear Texas...

92 degrees tomorrow? What happened to spring? Is it too much to ask for 60's or 70's and some spring showers?

Guatemala installment two-Churches and folklore

Antigua was the capital of Guatemala for many years-it was the third capital of the country, and remained the capital until a large earthquake flattened most of the city, which was subsequently abandoned for many, many years. As a result, the city is a step into the past, and littered with the ruins of what was once there.  The streets are all cobblestone, and walking though you might come upon a ruin located next to a store, a restaurant, or a hotel. I loved walking through the city and imagining what once was. The architecture is beautiful.

I don't know what all the churches are, but the city is littered with them-I believe my guide book said over 30 churches in the city before the earthquake.

The church above was on the corner of the block where our hotel was located the second week of my stay. I loved walking past it each day. The picture is taken from the roof of Ray's hotel, which is about four stories up and gave a great view of the city. Below is a picture taken looking at the church from street level.

This ruin was used for a wedding while we were in the city. There was a man dressed up as a footman with a horse drawn carriage covered in flowers waiting for the wedding to end. I was happy to see that even the ruins are made use of, and noticed that several things that were ruins ten years ago when I was in the city have been restored.

Another ruin, we passed this one on the way out of Antigua for our weekend in the mountains at the Earth Lodge.

This one had a Boy Scout crest on the door.

I believe this is the church that my host family went to-the family I lived with ten years ago when I was on a study abroad. I had lots of moments where I thought I remembered things, but the city has changed so much it was often hard to know what was accurate and what just looked familiar.

I definitely remember this pila (where the Guatemalan women come to do their laundry by hand). My teacher and I walked past it several times. Once when we were walking she told me the story of La Llorona (the crying woman). This woman, who was named Maria, was very beautiful. When she was young she had many suitors, and in spite of her poor family married a rich man. The first few years of their marriage were wonderful, and she bore him two sons. After the birth of her second child, however, he started to spend more and more time away from home. He still visited, but paid her little attention, and focused on the children when he was home. She took the boys for a walk along the river one day, and he passed in a carriage with an elegant looking woman as his companion. He stopped and talked to the children, but as usual ignored her then drove on. In a fit of rage, she threw her sons into the river. As her anger subsided, she realized what she had done, and raced down the river to find her children but was unsuccessful. She uttered mournful cries and continued to search the river for her children as the days passed. As people encountered her, they started calling her La Llorona, because of her constant cries. She grew thin, then emaciated, then skeleton-like as she could only pace the river bank wailing and looking for her lost children. Eventually, she herself died along the river bank, still searching for her sons. The legend tells that at nighttime near any body of water (including something as small as a pila), she can be heard wailing, and sometimes a gaunt figure in a white dress appears.

Sweet dreams!

Guatemala...installment one

 Several angles of La Merced, my favorite church in Antigua. I believe it is also a convent, but I've yet to take a tour of the whole thing. Note the Jacaranda tree blooming below-the purple was a great contrast to the yellow, and the tree itself reminded me of Australia (even though the trees are originally from Central America).

La Merced from down the street where the Santa Catalina arch is located (pictures of the arch in another post). Both the church and the arch are landmarks in the city. The street is typical of Antigua, and most of the cities I saw in Guatemala, though the streets in Antigua are in good repair compared to most, and are extremely clean. I love all the color!

Another typical street in Antigua. Again, I love the color. The large, imposing mountain in the background is actually the Volcon de Agua, or the water volcano. I caught it on a relatively clear day-usually there aren't clouds in the morning, but by early afternoon the cone is obscured by cloud cover.

Another typical street-the street where my hotel for the first week was located. Just a block from La Merced. I shared quarters with a family practice doctor the first night. For the rest of the week, my $16 a night room was all mine. Two med students, one teacher and her husband also stayed in the hotel, and they were good company for after clinic dinners. Clayton (one of the med students) and I spent a good deal of time wandering the streets of Antigua after clinic and engaging in deep and meaningful conversations.

Speaking of my hotel, here is the entrance. Central American cities amaze me. Almost all the facades look the same, and you never know what you'll get when you pass through the doors. It might be a small store selling snacks and sodas, or a fancy hotel that covers at least a city block.

Ray is the friend that got me in contact with the group. This was his third trip to Guatemala with the group, and he was good company most of the time...in this instance he makes a good prop for a photo of an interesting entrance and lots and lots of bougainvillea.

He also snapped this lovely photo of me while we were wandering the city our second night there. We'd attended church in the morning and decided to see what we could see walking around the city.

I thought these sinks were funny. The masks are typical of Guatemala-they are linked to the Mayan culture and come in all shapes and sizes. I bought a couple when I was in the city ten years ago. Anyhow, this is long enough for now. It's past my bed time, and I'm tired of fighting with Blogger about where I want the pictures and in what order. I'm sorry this has taken so long to post. There has been a lot of sorting through pictures, and copying other peoples pictures from Facebook. I realized when I got home and started looking through pictures that I hadn't taken nearly enough of us while we were in clinic. Anyhow, I hope you've enjoyed your quick tour through Antigua. Another will shortly follow!

Some notes

• I should not go grocery shopping hungry. I came home with a cake mix, Cadbury mini eggs, jelly beans, the ingredients for Rice Krispy treats, and some other things that I don't really need but sounded really good!
• I'm amazed at what someone can miss in two weeks-two friends had loved ones pass, two got engaged, one announced a pregnancy, and one moved into my apartment complex. There are probably additional things that I don't know I missed yet.
• I should have taken more pictures in Guatemala.
• I just got home and the next three Saturdays are planned, and I had little to say about it.
• Finding the perfect gift for someone is supremely satisfying.
• I feel like I'm living on the edge-drinking tap water and eating fruits, veggies and icecream. Two weeks not being able to will do that to you.
• Guatemala pictures are forthcoming-the film is developed, I just need to sort.

Valentine's Day

I have done some amazing things in my life, many of which I doubt I would have been able to do were I married. That being said, being single isn't always as fantastic as it is in the midst of my past experiences. I know people who fret about being single, and especially on Valentine's Day find it easy to dwell on the fact that they're single, and unfortunately it's easy for them to be bitter and angry about being alone. I never want to be one of those people. This Valentine's Day, I've thought about the wonderful people I've had the opportunity to date, and thought I might list some of the things that I appreciated most about past relationships. If you don't want to read a bunch of sappy anecdotes, stop here!

I saw some people walking home from school today carrying giant teddy bears and roses, and remembered the first time I actually had a valentine. My high school boyfriend had his mom bring flowers to him at school so he could give them to me at lunch. I think it was the first time someone other than family had done something so thoughtful for me, and I'll never forget how it made me feel.

If you know me at all, you know I love to dance. A boyfriend and I were driving around town doing errands. He brought a CD he wanted me to listen to. When the second or third song came on, he said "this is a great song to dance to", and skipped it. I was confused, but didn't say anything. A few minutes later, he pulled into the empty parking lot at our church, skipped back to that song, and asked me to dance with him in the parking lot under the stars.

I dated a friend in California one summer when I was home from BYU. After I went back to school, we were talking about how cloudy and rainy it had been the past week in Utah, and how I missed the California sun. The next day, I came home to a huge vase of sunflowers and a note that said "Sending you a little sun to brighten your day".

One spring semester I dated a guy who loved a block and a half from where I lived. We used to walk to and from school together often. I loved sharing an umbrella with him. Even more, I loved it when he kissed me under the umbrella! Lucky for me, it rained a lot that spring.

That same man liked to take me skiing with him-he was a much better skier than I, and constantly encouraged me to try things I might not have been brave enough to try on my own. He was always there to collect my scattered gear when I fell, and called me the cutest snowball he'd ever seen.

While I was in Australia, I dated someone who rode a scooter everywhere (it's very European; doesn't have the same stigma attached there as it does here). One day on my way to school with my roommate, we noticed he was in front of us. We got stopped at a red light. I hopped out of the car, ran up to where he was stopped, and planted a big kiss on him before he even realized who I was. This same person knew me so well that he could tell if something was wrong just from the tone of my voice. Few people in my life are able to do so, and it meant a lot to me that he could.

One of my Texans learned to dance for me, and used to dance with me in his kitchen.

Another one would DVR my favorite show and make me dinner so we could watch together, cuddled up on his couch.

I hope you've enjoyed my walk down memory lane. There have been so many people in my life that I am grateful for, and while things didn't work out with any of the men I mentioned above, they were all great examples to me of what I want. I hope I spoiled them as much as they spoiled me. The man in my future has some big shoes to fill!

Happy Valentine's Day!

Partial Parody

To jog or not to jog, that is the question.
Whether it is nobler in the mind to suffer the guilty knowledge of laziness,
Or to take arms against apathy, and by opposing, end it.
To jog, to laze no more, and by a jog we end the sitting and the movies that the natural man is prone to.
'Tis an exercise devoutly to be wished.
To jog, perchance to run, ay there's the rub.
For on that run what dogs may be encountered when we have shuffled on our running shoes must increase our pace...

Gus-Gus

Sometimes I feel like I'm not making much progress with Gus. He's been eating out of my hand for several months, and I was pretty sure things were at a stand-still, and I wasn't too sure how to proceed. Then, I got him to stand on my finger by bribing him with food!

 First just one foot, and after a couple of days, both feet. Needless to say, I was pretty excited about it! I think this step made my hand something to be less afraid of, and he's now willing to come close enough to touch it-usually with his beak.

It's kind of like his beak and my finger are cuddling-he is a love bird, after all. But occasionally, he does this:

Usually not hard enough to hurt. He seems to be interested in the fact that my nails are at the end of my fingers. I love having a pet to interact with-much more fun than fish.

Sorry if the chirping is really shrill. This is our normal, nightly interaction. It makes me wonder about normal love bird behavior, and if any of it means anything. I think he might be trying to groom me, which I figure is a good sign. Eventually I hope he'll stand on my finger, then sit on my shoulder, but for now, I'm happy with a little bit of progress and bites that don't draw blood.

SNOW!

I woke up this morning hoping for some snow. When I looked out the window, I couldn't tell if there was anything, but when I opened the door to my balcony I saw:

What a welcome, lovely sight. I've been waiting for winter to arrive in San Antonio since I moved here almost three years ago.

I've been at work for almost an hour, and the place is a tomb. One has to wonder why they didn't close-all the schools in town are out for the day, our institute activity for the night is canceled, and while I felt safe enough driving to work at noon, I did hit some ice.

Meanwhile, I've enjoyed wearing all of my real winter clothes for the past few days-sweaters that are usually too thick for Texas, scarves, gloves, and the hat I bought in Norway. Life is good!

Getting older

I realize that I'm not really old, but this is the oldest I've ever been! In my head, I guess I still think I'm 20. Yesterday was a prime example. Wednesdays at lunch I attend a yoga class. It's wonderful, and in spite of the fact that watching yoga brings thoughts of tranquility my teacher usually gives us a challenging class, and I'm often sore the next day. Add to that a soccer game against one of the more athletic teams in our league, and volleyball after Bible study and you get a sore morning the next day! I have bruises in funny places, and floorburn on the top of my foot! I guess the moral of my night is to take it a little easier on myself.

Double standard and a dating question

Talking to a friend (who happens to be a guy) about a group gathering tonight. I asked who was going to be there, and made a joke about not coming because none of the guys would date a girl who is older than they are (and I happen to be older than all of them). His response said something like M's not your type, and D's a baby (D must be at least 25, he's graduated from college and served a mission). This from a man who is maybe six months my minor and asks 19 year old girls for dates.

I asked why he didn't think M was my type. He said something about how good I am at meeting goals and said M and guys like him are not that good-not bad, but not up to my level. So I'm either too old to be dated or too good. Is there really a too good, or is this just an excuse? (I think it's an excuse, and a lousy one at that)

Quotes

We had a quote board at BYU. While it occasionally got me in trouble (Random, do you really have to bring up things I said 8 years ago?), I loved being able to look back on things we said that made us laugh and have another good laugh. To preserve more laughable moments, I'll try to post quotes on my blog as they come along.

I had some people over for dinner Sunday night. I was sitting on the couch with Noel. Matt sat down between us and Richard said "Matt, you're a hot girl sandwich!"

Matt answered "Does that make me the meat?"

My response? "No, it's a cheese sandwich."

Lucy

I am dog-sitting. I count myself lucky, I have a friend with a fantastic dog, and he trusts me enough to leave her with me. For 10 days this time. While the rain here in San Antonio has been hampering my plans to take her for long walks and possibly to the park, it gave me an excuse to spend a night grooming. Lucy is a golden retriever. I have a friend at work with a dog of the same breed, and we thought Lucy and Bourbon would enjoy a play date. It would also be a lot easier to bathe Lucy in the tub Nicole and Ben have set up for Bourbon's baths, so after work on Friday, Lucy and I braved driving in the rain and headed north. Lucy and Bourbon got acquainted, and Nicole pulled out the FURminator-possibly the best shedding brush I've ever seen. We got to work on Lucy, figuring we'd give her a once over before we put her in the tub and blocked up the pipes with all the fur. Below is the result:

Lucy may have lost 5 pounds! Unfortunately, she had some big mats that we had to cut out of her tail, so it's not as nice and bushy as it used to be, but her coat looks fantastic, and we had a productive evening! Hopefully the rain will clear up this next week so we can get active.

Thought of You - by Ryan Woodward

Love my Alma-mater. Makes me want to take a ballet class.