My Fun Weekend

This weekend was super fun. On Friday night we played softball again and this time the lights actually went on, so we played until 9. We had a half time during the 7th inning stretch and ate yummy hot dogs. I really love BBQs. I don't know what it is, but there is something about carcinogenic food that I love. It probably has to be that BBQing is normally associated with good weather=summer=no school=warm sun=my birthday=beach parties=summer lovin'=lots of fruit=boating=padres games and other wonderful things. It's really exponential when you think about it. I hit very well and even had a home run. My team obviously won by a lot and we all had a good time.
Saturday I enjoyed the day at Sea World with Jackie and Dougie from the mish. He was my first zone leader and I was in the MTC with Jackie. He was also her first zone leader and now they are married. I was the maid of honor at their wedding. I was in cahoots with Jackie and we surprised Dougie when I just randomly showed up at Sea World. I wanted to welcome him the same way he welcomed me in to the mish, but the faucets at Sea World are not conducive to water ballon filling. I'll get him next time. We saw the Shamu show(I did not "Believe" that it was his best performance), the pet show(never knew you could train a pig to do that) and the sea otter and seal show.(By far my favorite and not just because of the mime) Here are some highlights of the day:
1)Speaking in Italian was so much fun. We could talk about anything or anyone and no one knew.
2) Reliving all the moments we teased Jackie on the mish(the stress dreams she had over the shower schedule and eating Duplo bars like crazy) My trainer totally thought I would get diabetes from those things
3) Seeing a pregnant whale
4) Discussing diseases
5) Them blaming me for not moving to AZ, me defending myself because I actually did apply there and was rejected. Boo-Ya!
6) Discussing internet dating-too much to write
7) Having another Sled Day from life in general
8) Getting sun burnt on one side of my body, but not the other
9) The all you can eat buffet at Sea World that ran out of cake. I should get my money back because I could've eaten more.

It was so much fun to see them and relive all the fun times and make more memories. That last time that I had seen them was at their wedding. How crazy is that? Now that he's going to be a flyboy, they'll be moving all over the place.
Saturday night was Senor de La Jolla, annual ward man pageant. It was fun to watch. Then I got to stay up really late working on a project that I hope is right. I turned it in today had serious doubts, but oh well. I can't believe the weekend is over already. Yikes!

My quest for a perfect Quadrant II

I pronounced the dream of Quadrant II on a previous post and I must say I have been extremely proactive in my endeavors. Here's a little of how great it's been:
1) I called my credit card company yesterday to tell them that I had not received this month's bill, only to be told that it would be sent out today. A little too proactive maybe.
2) During class I paid my bills, searched, compared and bought health care insurance, organized details for my softball players, researched jobs, and wrote some of my paper.
3) Planned out my weekend to accomplish all the tasks, fun activities and relaxing moments.
4) Called an old friend(to fulfill my role as a friend)
5) Worked a lot on a project due Monday, (I still have a lot to go for that one).

That was all during class. The phone call was on the break. Don't worry it was just student presentations and I won't be tested on it. I can see my dad griping that I wasn't paying attention as I write this.

This morning I sharpened my saw with the RS pres. I've found my first client for my quest to be a "Bob" from Biggest Loser for someone. We ran 3 miles and then did circuit training outside in the park course. It was wonderful and I hurt all over. She hurt more though. Life is good. Super busy and school is going to suck the next 2 weeks. But after that, let the good times roll.

Why is my face like that?

At the last softball game we had, a friend from the ward took some pictures. She's a professional and had a super cool camera. She was showing me some of the pics and sent them to me. After viewing them, my questions are:
1)Why am I smiling so big in this picture? I must really love softball.
2)Are my arms fat or muscular? Depends on where you look. On top- totally buff. Underneath- Lacking. Which is funny because I probably do 3 times more tricep exercises than bicep.
3)Why is my face like that? That's a pretty unusual look, but really funny too. It kind of looks I'm getting hit in the face and my jaw is disconnected. Once I saw the picture, I knew it was a must have.
Overall, I thought the pics were really fun and deemed necessary for the blog.

Living the Dream in Quadrant II

Yesterday I had the wonderful opportunity to hear a great presentation on one of the Habits of Highly Effective People. Numero tres, Weekly Planning. He also spoke about Quadrant II. The perfect world where you complete things in a timely fashion and plan ahead so that important things get done, and you don't lose yourself in urgent matters. My first mission president was a successful businessman and loved this book. We had many zone conferences regarding the things of Effective People. I even wrote 2 personal statements on my mission: one as a missionary and one for after the mission.
Last night I was feeling so motivated, I did weekly planning (something I hated on the mish, and Megs can attest to that hatred). Last night I went through my planner and planned phone calls that I wanted to make, emails to new people on the Enrichment committee, meetings I wanted to schedule in 2 weeks and softball games that I wanted to organize. And low and behold I got it all done. When I called my dad I told him, I was calling him to fulfill the duties as my role of daughter. (My role of daughter is stated on my my mission statement and the phone call was on my to do list.) As I am reading this email to Truth, she candidly points out that I did not put her on the list of important people to call because SHE had to call ME. Truth calls me out of love not out of duty, so she says. But really, she just calls me out.
I'm feeling super motivated (aka afraid of finals) that I am currently writing my 20 page final paper that isn't due for 2 more weeks. I just want it not to be crazy at that time. We'll see how this whole weekly planning thing goes. Tomorrow I have to go to work early, make 2 phone calls for visiting teaching appts on Sunday, go to a homework study group at 7, the gym and then flossing.

I'm just no good at STDs....or am I?

Lately I have been on the quest for a summer internship with a county or state health department and it's been really frustrating. I've applied to Epidemiology, STD, AIDS and HEP C organizations, just trying to get my foot in the door. But most don't have internships available and if they do, they aren't paid. I've applied to a WIDE variety of places all over and it's the same story. Which made me think. What is the point of an internship that doesn't pay? Who would really work for a whole summer for free? Granted, I would if it was in let's say...Jamaica, but other than that, the odds that I would work for free are very slim and almost non-existent. I might one day feel inclined to volunteer for a praiseworthy cause, but when it comes down to it, money is the ticket. Give me those dollar bills! I'd volunteer a few hours and then have to get a real job to pay the bills.
I had one department reject me with much praise for my experience, but they just don't offer internships. That made me feel better because at least I wasn't rejected because I lack experience with STDs. I just love that I get to work in this field...one day. Oh well. I still have to hear from some other places. We'll see what happens for this summer. I may just go to Jamaica and actively search out STDs.
I hope.

A Smack of Jellyfish

smackofjellyfish.com
I love this website of which Quickhands informed me. How fun are collective nouns like:


A
An Army of Ants

B
A Flutter of Butterflies

C
A Murder of Crows

D
A Team of Ducks

E
A Parade of Elephants

F
A Knot of Frogs

G
A Gaggle of Geese

H
A Bloat of Hippopotamuses

I
A Mess of Iguana

J
A Smack of Jellyfish

K
A Troop of Kangaroos

L
A Pride of Lions

M
A Scourge of Mosquitoes

N
A Watch of Nightingale

O
A Parliament of Owls

P
A String of Ponies

Q
A Covey of Quail

R
A Crash of Rhinoceros

S
A Walk of Snails

T
A Bale of Turtles

U
A Bed of Urchins

V
A Nest of Vipers

W
A Pod of Whales

X
A School of X-ray Fish

Y
A Herd of Yaks

Z
A Zeal of Zebra

Intergalactic Baby shower

This past weekend I was hostess to a party that was out of this world. Literally, out of this world. Stephy is the mothership to a docked baby boy and we decided to welcome him to planet earth will a big warm welcome. We had about 20 people and way to much food. Here are some of the highlights of the day including the softball game after:
1) To play the safety pin game, Truth and Stephy made little alien pins out of pipe cleaner and eyeballs for everyone to wear and lose if they said the word "Baby"
2) The cake had a corner that looked like the moon and was very yummy. Chocolate with strawberry filling.
3) Truth made a space music cd. We had to guess the name and the performer of the song. Does anyone know the name of the David Bowie song? First line "Ground control to number 1." No one at the party did.
4) My vegetarian friend is now a meat eater and I only found out on Saturday after I realized that we had no non-meat sandwich material. I gasped as I saw her take a bite of chicken salad sandwich.
5) There's a gift called a Baby Bather, but I read it from across the room and I thought it said Baby Bother. Stranger still I thought that some apparatus that would poke and prod a baby. Make a baby cry and really bother it. I was laughing.
6) I bought way too much cake. I first ordered a 1/4 sheet then freaked out when 26 people rvsp'ed and switched to the 1/2 sheet. WEll, one baby shower and one softball game with 40 people later, we still had cake. Oh by the way, my baker said that the 1/4 sheet would serve 10 people.

7) My florist Tamara at Ralphs has high dreams of leaving the corporate world and making it on her own as an independent floral artist. I believe in her.
8) Softball that night was awesome. I only wish the lights had turned on and we could've played longer. Tons of people came and I think that we might have found all the people for the league team.
9) So thankful Truth was there to work the grill. She was a big hit and even though I didn't let her bat, she was very supportive of my team.
10) I don't accept that loss because we didn't get our last at bat, so I'm sorry Brannan, it doesn't count.
11) Seeing my good friend Totally Hot get pegged in the face with a line drive and not have any marks or redness.
12) Having my school friend comment that they "enjoyed their Mormon experience" Never heard it phrased like that, but its a good thing.
13) Going home and sleeping for 10 hours for the next 2 nights.