Monday, June 4, 2012

Empire Records: Open til midnight.

Phone etiquette. Why do most people not have any? When it comes to this subject, I have a LOT of pet peevesg. Most of them are pretty recent, because of my job. I'm a receptionist. I talk on the phone all day. But I'll list those in a minute. The true inspiration for this post is because someone called me at 7:30 this morning. It's my day off. I know they couldn't possibly know that, but that us beside the point. The point is, WHO IN THEIR RIGHT MIND CALLS SOMEONE THEY DON'T KNOW BEFORE 10:00????!!!??!?!? 10:00 is my rule. I don't make phone calls before then unless I absolutely have to. I think 9:00 is still a little early when it comes to guessing whether or not a person is awake. 8:00 is probably the average time that people are awake. Gotta get to work and get the kids off to school. But it is still too early. Especially because if they don't have to do those things, or you don't know if they do or not, they are more than likely still asleep. AND ANY TIME BEFORE 8:00 IS OFF LIMITS. If you aren't sure of their schedule chances are you are going to wake them up. And unless that is your point, my guess is, They won't be happy about it. Now, surprisingly, the above mentioned is not actually my biggest pet peeve. After being woken up this morning and not being able to go back to sleep, I thought about what my biggest phone pet peeve actually is. It all began when caller-ID came out. People would miss a call, check the caller-ID, see a number they didn't recognize, and call it back. Usually, starting with the not-so-nice response of, "I missed a call from this number, who is this?" Whoa there, buddy. Receive one too many prank calls? My thinking is, if they didn't leave message, either they dialed the wrong number or it wasn't important enough for them to need you to call them back. Does curiosity just get the best of these people? They just can't stand not knowing a number on their phone? And if that's the case, learn to answer it when someone calls. See, it doesn't bother me, not knowing a number on my caller-ID. I mean yeah, I'm curious, but I would much rather deal with the curiosity then talk to someone I really didn't want to. So, back to this morning. Yesterday, Sunday, I was looking for a sub to teach my primary class. I called 3 different people whim I have never met. Two of them didn't answer. (I called after 10, by the way.) I didn't leave a message. It wasn't important for them to call me back. So then 7:24 this morning my phone rings. I look at the number, don't recognize it, and ignore the call. If they really wanted to talk to me they would leave a message. They didn't. That's when I realized it was someone I had called yesterday. Really? You couldn't answer your phone when I needed you to, or call me back anytime yesterday. No, you wait til the rude hours if the morning to wake me up. Ugh!!! Two of my biggest pet peeves in one. I have a feeling we won't be friends in the near future. And now some of the phone etiquette pet peeves I've developed because of my job. Similar to my biggest pet peeve, when I do leave a message and they call back wondering who called from that number. Check your message!! When people have cell phones and don't check their messages so their voicemail is always full. "Due to subscribers request, this number dieis not receiving calls." What's the point of having a cell phone? When people call and when I answer they continue talking to whomever they were talking to. Leaving me saying, "hello?!" About 15 times before they remember they called. When I answer the phone with the name of our office and they ask if this is that office. I just told you it was! Pay attention! And I'm sure there are plenty more but those are what come to mind at the moment. There should be a class they make you take before you can buy a cell phone teaching people phone etiquette.

Tuesday, April 24, 2012

Lunch

The worst meal of the day, I say. Breakfast is always easy. Easy to make, quick to eat, etc. Dinner is always yummy. You have do many choices, eat in, eat out. And then there is lunch. The one in the middle. Can't eat it too early or you end up skipping breakfast. Can't eat it too late or you aren't hungry for dinner. You don't want to spend a lot of time preparing it or you waste the afternoon away. You have to stop what you're doing to eat, just interrupts your day. And if you're home alone going out to lunch isn't really an option. Who wants to go out to lunch alone? Not me. So you stay home and you have like 5 choices of not-so-great, easy-to-make foods. Pb & j, Mac and cheese, spaghetti-os, grilled cheese, or ramen noodles. Blah, blah,blah. Lunch sucks. I wish I could skip it without feeling hungry and ornery. And it doesn't help that even if I do want to skip it I have to make lunch for the kid. Worst meal ever. Psh, lunch needs a change.

Saturday, April 7, 2012

I am Mormon

Have you ever read The Book of Mormon? Have you prayed about it, asking for yourself if it is true? If your answer is yes then you either consider yourself Mormon or you've forgotten what that felt like. If you've forgotten, I dare you to try it again. If you won't, I want a good reason. If your answer to the first two questions is no, I dare you to try. If you do you will really see and feel why our religion believes what we do. And if you won't then I say get your facts straight. Don't tell me how bad ice cream tastes until you taste it. Don't tell me what's wrong with chocolate covered bacon until you try it. Don't judge me before you get to know me. With all the "Mormon" things in the media I am just going crazy. Not because they are saying bad things but because they are so niave about it. I constantly find myself saying, "duh" and "really?" Because it really blows my mind what people can come up with. We Mormons, as a people, aren't perfect. No one, no matter the religion is. But I believe The Book of Mormon is the truest book I have ever read. I believe Joseph Smith was a true prophet. And by reading The Book of Mormon you will be testified of that. I believe in latter-day prophets and revelation. Why wouldn't God be helping us in present times? The Bible happened a long time ago. Things have changed quite a bit since then. We drive cars and have computers and about aillion other things are different from those times. However, our religion is still closest to how religion was practiced then. Prophets, apostles, baptism, temple work, and so much more. Not only does all the negativity drive me crazy but it also strengthens my testimony. Why would Satan/evil be trying so hard to anger people about religion if it weren't true? What would he care? Why would people be so worried about it? And yet, after all this effort to destruct our religion, look at how many new members we have each year. And look how happy we still are. Look how kind we still are. How is any of that evil? So, please, all I ask is that until you have the facts and try it for yourself, be careful what you say. Otherwise, you'll end up looking pretty silly. I have never (that I can honestly recall) said something mean about another religion. What is there to say about it? If that is what they truly believe who am I to say they are wrong? And until I try it for myself who am I to say it is right or wrong? Shouldn't that be considered in every religion? And in every person?

Monday, March 26, 2012

That's so ANNOYING!!

Describe 10 pet peeves you have.

1. Hypocrites
2. TV
3. People who don't signal when driving
4. When people get in my "bubble"
5. People who stop in the middle of the isle when shopping
6. Liars
7. Serious grammatical errors on Facebook
8. Inconsiderate people
9. People who drive under the speed limit
10. When people cough or sneeze without covering their mouth.

Thursday, March 22, 2012

Under the Influence

List 10 people who have influenced you and describe how.

Ten is a lot. I'm having a hard time thinking of one. So I guess we will see how many I can cone up with.

1. Jennifer, my best friend. Friends can always influence you, for good or bad. Lucky for me she is the good kind of influence.

2. Kay, used to be my boss. She was also considered my "other mother". She taught me a lot and was a perfect example that you can handle anything.

3. Mrs. Bakke, my first grade teacher. She made me want to be a teacher and taught me to love learning.

4. Mrs. Whithy, my sixth grade teacher. Helped me see the best in myself and made me want to teach even more.

5. TV moms. No one in specific but I admire the moms with 5 or more kids who have happy lives and happy kids.

6. My mom. She has inspired just about everything in my life. From how I want to be a mom to doing wedding flowers. My mom is always there for me.

7. My mother-in-law. Working with her I have learned a lot about my husbands family and the trials she has over come along with all of her accomplishments. She is a wonderful woman and I'm lucky to have her as a mother-in-law.

8. Kyler. He inspires me to be a better mom everyday.

9. And now I realize somehow I changed to the word inspires half way through. Oh, well, they are almost the same. However, that is all I can think of so there we go, haha.

Monday, March 19, 2012

Passion

What are 5 passions you have?

1. Weddings. I want to be a wedding planner so naturally I'm passionate about it. I'm always looking for ideas and taking notes so I can hopefully help people have their dream wedding without going broke or getting super stressed out.

2. Children. Not only raising mine but hoping every child can be happy and safe. I love kids and can't stand parents who abuse or disrespect their children. I want to be the best parent I know how, not perfect, because no parent is perfect but I will try my very hardest. I want my children to know they are loved and respected and that I will keep them safe and comfortable. That I can be trusted and won't hurt their feelings and that they matter. They are important.

3. On that note, Russian orphans. To anyone who doesn't know me well this may seem really weird. Why Russia? I get asked that a lot. And my answer is I don't really know. I know the idea came from a tv documentary I watched when I was probably 12. I know that it is something I had to see. Somehow I just know that my life and a Russian orphans life are connected. I plan to adopt from Russia. I don't know when and I don't know how. Adopting is expensive, in general, adopting from another country is Super expensive. Adopting from another country is a long difficult process, adopting from Russia is a long, difficult, frustrating process. But I have faith. I know its something I have to, need to, and will do...eventually. I cannot save every orphan child, but I know I can at least help one have a better life. Considering this is such a strong passion of mine I'm sure you'll here more on this later. So that's all I'll say for now.

4. Purple. I love the color purple. If I could, I would have a purple house with silver and black accents. I would have purple hair and wear something purple everyday. I don't know what it is but I have always loved purple. Purple only has 1 flaw. Grape. Grape flavor is purple. Yucky. I do not like anything grape flavored. It all tastes like medicine to me. Other than that, color me purple!

5. Art. I will always be an artist at heart. I'm too much like my mom I guess. I love jist about anything art related. I like to paint, in all mediums, draw, color, build, scrapbook, sculpt, everything. I wish I had more time, energy, and space for art. It's hard with a kid, and a life. I may not be great at what I do but it will always be a passion of mine.

Thursday, March 15, 2012

Dream, dream, dream..****

What is your dream job, and why?

My dream job is to be a wedding planner. Why? Because I love weddings and everything that goes into them. I love planning and setting up and making things and doing flowers. I love how versatile they are and how there are so many ideas that can go into a wedding. My dream is to have my own business. My own office space with a waiting room in the front, pictures and books with lots of ideas. My office in the back with a big, beautiful desk. The very back would be split in half. Half would be storage for all my decor, and I'm sure there would be a storage shed out back packed full as well. The other half would be a flower cooler and a table for my mom to do flowers. That is my dream. And maybe, if I work hard enough and push myself enough I will actually get there. Maybe. Someday.

Other dream jobs I would like would be teaching, although lately I think not so much. And something to do with psychology. I wanted to be a child psychologist in high school but the doctorate degree scared me off. I just love psychology.

Tuesday, March 13, 2012

...***....Life....***...

What's the hardest thing you have ever experienced?

Ugh. I'm really not sure. Sure, there are lots of hard things everyone has to experience but its hard to see it in your own life because its just life for you.
Some things that come to mind:
Talking to people. I hate confrontation so sometimes taking to people is really hard for me. I also tend to be shy so I get anxiety talking to some people.

Disappointing people. That goes with the one above, sometimes I just have to accept that I am important too.

Choosing between my parents. I know they try really hard to not make me do that but sometimes it just happens. And it is hard and I don't like it.

Making decisions in general. Really hard for me to do because I worry about consequences.

Sadly, the only real life experience that comes to mind is a previous relationship. Putting someone through Marine boot camp is not a fun experience. Long distance relationships are hard enough but then you have all the baggage with marine life and all the emotions that follow. And for that reason Jake is forbidden to join any military, ever. I refuse to do that again.

Sunday, March 11, 2012

hApPy ThInGs~

List the 5 things that make you most happy right now.

1. Kyler. He tops the list. He can always make me smile when I am sad. He is so entertaining and loves me so much. Sometimes I could just cry when he just comes over and gives me a kiss or hug or snuggles up next to me. Yes, sometimes he frustrates me, but I really can't complain. He is just my favorite thing. I never knew I could love somebodyso much and that he could make me so happy. The day he was born was the best day of my life. As crazy as it may seem, sometimes I wish I could relive it all over again, pain and all.

2. Work. Yep, I actually love my job. The worst thing about it is being away from kyler. I love what I do and who I work with and the things I learn. It is just a fun environment. Even if the phone makes me crazy sometimes and people yell at me. I still love it. I love all the cute kids that come in and I love working with my mother-in law and learning things about my husband that he probably wouldn't ever tell me.

3. Music. I have always loved music. It has so much feeling and emotion for me. I can relive things and remember things when I listen to music. I can imagine and dream and relax. I can dance to it and sing to it and it just makes me so happy. There is always a new song that I love and it makes connections with friends.

4. My phone. Anyone who knows me knows I need to give my phone credit. It is pretty much my life. I don't have a computer so I use my phone for everything. Text. Music. Games. Camera. Internet. Notes. Everything. I'm pretty sure I would be really lost in life if I ever lost my phone.

5. Jennifer. My best friend. She always knows what to say and how to make me smile. we have been best friend for a very long time. We have a lot of inside jokes and memories. She's just great in every way. I'm very glad that she got a new job and is happier now so she isn't moving away yet. I don't know what I would do without her. She has been there for all the great parts of my life, my marriage, kyler, everything. I love you, Bird, even if you never read my blog.

Saturday, March 10, 2012

Hey, you!

List 10 things you would tell your 16 year old self, if you could.

1. Make more friends. Don't be so shy.
2. Go on dates. No boy friends. Just dates.
3. Save more money, you'll need it later.
4. Take college course classes to get ahead in school and try to get scholarships.
5. Hang out with Tiffany and Melissa more, they know your future husband.
6. Learn Russian and practice Spanish more.
7. Hang out more, get out of the house.
8. Get a job.
9. Learn to cook good foods, not just frozen or microwavable meals.
10. Be happy and enjoy life.

Wednesday, March 7, 2012

___fears___ :o

Describe 3 legitimate fears you have and explain how they became fears.

1. I'm afraid of heights. Even on tv. If the camera angle is right I get a sick feeling in my stomach and have to close my eyes because I feel like I will fall. I ahte the feeling of my stomach dropping and therefore do not like rollercoasters. I know haunted houses aren't really that scary but I was terrified when I thought I was going to fall off a fake ledge. I really, really hate heights. Where did this fear come from? Not sure. Maybe its because I've always been so short?! Haha! I did fall off a ladder when I was about 5. It knocked the air out of me. That could have been it.

2. I'm afraid of deep water. For lots of reasons. I'm afraid of drowning. I feel claustrophobic when there is water all around me, over my head. I do not like fish when in a lake or ocean. I'm afraid of them touching my feet. Do. Not. Like. I can swim but not well and I don't have the confidence on myself to hold my breath without plugging my nose. Being afraid of water is probably my least favorite fear. Mostly because my husband loves it. He is a fish and we live on the water all summer long. I just wish I could impress him with my mad wakeboarding skills, instead of crying after thinking I almost drown learning to water ski.

3. Ants. Hate them. More than spiders. They are little and and gross and come in bunches, little squirmy bunches that you don't notice are crawling on you until its too late. And most of them bite. And I really, really, hate it. Yuck! I don't know where this fear came from. I just know I do not like them, at all. Oh! One time there was a swarm of those flying ants on my porch, so I went to the back porch and they were there too! I couldn't get in the house. It was horrible! That must be it. Nasty little things!

Tuesday, March 6, 2012

Simply Me

So I know I've already done some of this, but I found a thing on pinterest (of course) and I thought it would be a fun thing to do. It's kind of a 30 day challenge but I doubt I'll actually do it in 30 days. I'm a slow blogger. I want to do it for a few reasons. First, because it is fun for me. Second, because it us something to blog about. And third, because I think it might be a good way for me to think about and focus on my good qualities. I've been needing to work on that lately. So here goes, the first one is 20 random facts about me. I know I've done this before but it was awhile ago and since I don't remember all the things I put I want to see how many of the same ones I will put.

1. My favorite city is Monterey, CA. It is beautiful. It's right between Carmel, which is so pretty and I would love to live in a house there on the coast. And Santa Cruz, my all time favorite vacation spot.
2. I have a Huge celebrity crush on Pete Wentz. He was the bassist in Fall Out Boy and was married to Ashley Simpson. He isn't what some people would expect to be my "taste" with his tattoos and eye liner but for a celebrity, I totally love him.
3. I want to be fatter. I know, crazy. But I hate being a "twig" or "stick" and trying to find pants in my size. I want hips and a cute belly with an innie belly button and a round butt and bigger boobs.
4. I don't like anything on my neck. No turtle necks, no chokers, no scarves, nothing. I feel like I'm choking when somethings on my neck. I don't know why, maybe its just a phobia or something.
5. I would never get a tattoo because I am too afraid of changing my mind and I am not a fan of needles and pain but I know exactly what I would get and where.
6. I love skittles. Love them.
7. I'm slightly obsessed with sparkley things. This includes sparkles, sequins, glitter, and other shiny things.
8. Extra sprinkles! I love sprinkles on whipped cream or ice cream or frosting and other yummy things sprinkles should be on. I like most kinds of sprinkles but I mostly like the long, frosting kind. The sugar kind are ok but sometimes too crunchy.
9. I really dislike country music.
10. I can't think of anymore so I'm only going to do ten. And since this took me longer than a day to write, I should start on the next question.

Saturday, January 28, 2012

Kay

I know I already wrote about Kay but I went to her funeral today and have a lot on my mind. I only cried a little. I didn't cry because she is gone, I cried when I saw her family and could tell just by looking at them how hard this has been on them. I cried a little because I will miss her and the funeral brought back a lot of memories. So I thought I should share some of them.
I met Kay in December of 2006. My friend, LeErin, worked at Orchard Park Care Center and knew I was looking for a job so I went in for an interview. Kay was supervisor over housekeeping and laundry. She seemed pretty cool. Serious, like a boss should be but also made you feel comfortable. This was one of my first-ever job interviews and I was expecting to leave and wait to hear back but instead I left with Kay saying, "see you Saturday, 8am." I was nervous because it was my first job. I was just glad my best friend was there to train me. First day went great and the next day Kay was going to train me in laundry. I was shy when I first started and I remember how Kay really got me to open up. We had a lot, and I mean a Lot of heart-to-heart conversations. I don't know why but Kay and I got pretty close. LeErin quit after awhile and then new employees came and went. before I knew it I had worked there a couple years and then considered Kay another mom while she called me her "adropted" daughter.
Before I started working there LeErin and I did a school project together. It was about service and so LeErin decided we should do it about The Relay for Life. It's a cancer walk they do every year. We talked to Kay about it because she knew all there was to know. She started doing it for her dad and then learned she had cancer herself. She was always super dedicated to it. She would do bake sales and raffles and go door to door earning as much money as she could for the Relay. I know she mostly did it because it was something she really supported and believed in but the other part of it was that she was pretty competitive. She wanted her team to come in first, every year, for earning the mist money. And twice we did. She always wore her purple 'HOPE' bracelet to show her support. I don't think I ever once saw her without it.
She always fought so hard with her cancer. It was very rare. One in I think 10 million people get it. I don't think I can spell it right but its called bipoma. She had a lot of major surgeries and we used to joke that she was hollow inside because they had removed so much. Every time she had a surgery she would be back to work before any normal human being should be. She always just pushed through the pain. Her cancer came in spurts. She would have a surgery and be fine for awhile and then it would come back. Ever time it came back they would have some new idea. Some experimental procedure. It was a lot for her to go through ans I don't know anyone who would have fought as hard as she did but she did. She did it for her family. Her kids and grandkids and everyone in her family.
Family always came first. If one of her kids were being bothered by someone Kay would come and stand up to them. She never seemed to fear anything or anyone. She would tell me how scared she was to do some kind of procedure for cancer but she always toughed it out and went through with it.
She served, a lot. If someone couldn't work their shift for whatever reason, and no one else could cover, Kay would step in and work. She would work weekends and doubles. She didn't like to work holidays. She told me how she had worked her whole life and how she had to work holidays when her kids were younger and she was sad she missed those times with them. I admired how she decided who would work holidays. Who ever had young children at home would get it off and anyone else that had to work would work only a few hours so they could still be with their family moat of the day.
Kay had strong beliefs. She believed in angels. She collected little figurines and told me how her mom was watching over her all the time. She told me how when a bell rings an Angel gets their wings. She believed in ghosts and we did a lot of experimenting together to find out what ghosts were all about.
Kay was full of wisdom. She had a lot of opinions and a lot of life experiences. I always knew that if I had a problem I could coke to Kay and she would talk me through it and give advice for what to do and not to do. She would tell you if she disagreed but she wasn't judgmental about it. She was always accepting of who you were and the choices you made.
When Kay accepted me into her family her family did the same. Her daughter called me sister and her grandkids called me aunt. After awhile people at work questioned if she really was my mom.
Quitting at Orchard Park was one of the hardest things for me. I knew I would miss the residents and people I worked with. I knew I wouldn't really miss cleaning and laundry. But I knew I would miss Kay most of all. I felt like I waa letting her down. I was 6 months pregnant when I quit. I felt like I just couldn't do my job the way it should be fine. I was getting worn out and was having a hard time sweeping under beds with my big belly. An opportunity came for me to have a desk job. I took it. I told Kay I would visit a lot. And that first year I did. Not as much as I wanted to but a often as I could. The next year was harder. My baby got older and I was a busy mom.
I found out Kay wasn't doing well and I knew I should visit her before it was too late. I put it off and put it off. I told myself I didn't want to see her like that. I told myself I didn't have time. That I shouldn't bother her. Every excuse in the book. And then I finally decided to go. I asked first and I knew it was kays pride that said she was too sick for visitors. The next thing I knew she was gone. I wasn't able to see her. Part of me is sad but part of me is glad that I didn't have to witness her at her lowest of lowes.
Lots of lessons I will always remember. Lots of memories I will never forget.

Monday, January 23, 2012

Losing For Good

Losing someone close to you is hard. But if it means they are finally free from the pains of mortal life it makes it a little less hard. We cry because we miss them. We smile because we are happy for them. It is hard to see someone go but almost harder to see them suffer for so long.
Someone really close to me passed away today. She was like my other mother, I even called her mom. She was one of my best friends. I could talk to her about anything and everything and she always knew just what to say and didn't judge. She listened and gave great advice. She worked hard and fought harder. She had strong beliefs. She gave all she had to who ever needed it. She served everyone. She was a friend to all. She let me be a part of her family. I felt like her kids were my siblings and her grandkids were my nieces and nephews. We all loved like we were really family. I regret drifting so far away recently. I got too caught up in my own life. I told myself I was too busy and didn't have time. I knew she was sick so I convinced myself I didn't want to see her like that. Every time that still small voice tells you to do something over and over and you don't listen you end up kicking yourself for it later. If I would have just listened. I talked to her on Tuesday over text. She said she was too sick and I couldn't come that day. I text her on Thursday. She never responded. I didn't want to bother her. She passed away around 2 this morning. Since I've known her, which is just about 5 years, she has been battling cancer. She had it longer than that, about a year before I met her she was diagnosed. She had a very very rare kind of cancer that only 2 other people in the US have. All of her treatments were experimental. They all seemed to work, at first but it always came back. It came back stronger and she fought harder. She never gave up. She suffered a lot and complained very little. She worked hard even when she was in lots of pain and I only saw her cry once.
She taught me a lot of life lessons. She taught me when to stand up for myself. She taught me to stay strong to your beliefs. She taught me about relationships. She taught me about being a mom. She taught me how to pay attention to detail and work hard and clean well. She gave me so much and I will miss her so much.
Elsie Kay Gates Roundy who always went by Kay will always be remembered. Kay, thank you for all you gave me. I will always keep you in my heart and always love you.

Sunday, January 22, 2012

sick of being sick!

I always thought I had such a good immune system, I hardly ever got sick as a child. I bet I've been sick more in the past 2 or 3 years than I ever was before. I work at a pediatric office so I thought my immunity would be building up more but I guess that's not the case. This month has probably been the worst. I had a little bit of a cold at the beginning of the month followed by an ear infection. After that we all got the stomach flu. And I do mean all of us. I'm not sure where we got it but within a week it reached me, Jake, Kyler, my mom, jakes brothers, my sister, my friend and a few other people. It was not a fun week. That is the sickest I have ever seen Jake. He couldn't stop throwing up and ended up coming into the doctors office to get a zofran shot. That makes you stop throwing up and feeling nauseas. I got one too since I was starting to feel sick and let me tell ya those don't feel very nice. It worked though so I can't complain. Jake ended up going home from work and sleeping the whole day. ( I must point out he has yet to call in to work.) Kyler never threw up but he almost did once and I could tell he wasn't feeling good. We all got over that and then came the cold/sinus congestion. That's what I have now. Can't breathe, headache, sore throat, the works.
I AM DONE BEING SICK!!!! Maybe that will be my birthday wish this year, to not get sick for a few years!