Basically, my new job is AWESOME!!! It's tiring and slighty overwhelming, but I'm slowly getting the hang of everything. The first thing I do when I get to work is clock in (obviously) and then I head over to the scrubs dispenser to pick up my work attire. Yes, it really does dispense my scrubs. Pretty much, its one of the coolest machines I've ever seen. (p.s. I LOVE scrubs.)
Then I go into the locker room to change into my scrubs. This is the same locker room that surgeons and nurses use, so that should tell you right away just how important they think I am. haha. :) Really, the lockers are only like 6 inches wide, AND I have to share with someone else. So pretty much, I have about 3 inches for all of my things. Fun stuff.....
Once I'm in my scrubs, I put on my glamorous hairnet (you all WISH you could be as cool as me and wear hairnets to work) and then head through the big double doors with big bold read signs that say "Authorized Personnel Only. Only Surgical Attire Allowed Through These Doors."
:D
Then I head into the Sterile Processing Unit, which is where I spend my 5 hour shift!! It's a really cool room with literally THOUSANDS of tools and instruments just stacked and waiting for their turn to be involved in a surgery. Probably the coolest thing about this room is that it's attached to a short hallway with two doors on either side. Right behind these four doors are the Operating Rooms!! The doors have big windows on them, so when we have down time I can walk on over there and watch surgeries to my heart's content!! It's SO COOL!!!!
On a typical shift, they'll usually put me to work pulling case carts. So, before a surgery takes place, the surgeon will sit down and make a list of all the tools and instruments that he will need in order to do the procedure. He then gives that list to us (which sometimes can be 3 or 4 pages long) and then its our job to put together a cart of all the things that he'll need. The list includes all kinds of things ranging from water to bandages to needles to forceps to cotton balls to staplers to drill bits to toothbrushes. I'll let you use your imagination as to what those things are for :) On average, it'll take me about 20-30 minutes to pull one case cart. Yesterday, in my 5 hour shift, I pulled 8. But I'm still new and I still have a lot to learn, but I'm slowly figuring out where everything is. There's a lot of bending and lifting involved (because some of those sets of instruments are HEAVY), so usually at the end of my shift I'm just about ready to fall over. But I really do like it, the things that I do make the time go by super fast.
Up to this point, I've really loved this change in my life. The atmosphere is fun, the people I work with are fun, and its just really awesome being in a medical environment.
Friday, November 6, 2009
Lovin' This Indian Summer!
It's November 6th, and I'm still playing outside in my t-shirt and shorts!! I love it!! :D Gotta love the bipolarness of our state...snow and cold one week, sun and heat the next...go figure. Today was Leaf Raking-Jumping-Raking-Bagging (in that order) Day for the girls at 340 South. We thought we'd take advantage of this coldless and snowless weather and have some fun! I forgot how much fun (and how much work!) raking leaves is! It was like my elementary school days all over again.
The final product. We are awesome.
The final product. We are awesome.Saturday, October 17, 2009
Only in Provo...
...Will it take you 20 minutes to find a parking spot ANYWHERE.
...Will you end up parking in the SHOPKO parking lot when your destination is the movie theater.
...Are you able to go out in public and pick out EXACTLY which couples are on dates.
...Will it be a big deal whether or not showing your student ID at the movie ticket boxoffice will save you 25 cents off of the $1.50 it was going to cost you to get in anyway.
...Will you find that the 7:35pm showing of Ice Age: Dawn of the Dinosaurs (which has been out for 3 months now), of all movies, is SOLD OUT. I should've known...Everyone and their dog was out on a date. Except me.
...Will the college students turn down COLD STONE for the 99 cent Smith's Brand ice cream.
...Will students buy CASES of BLACK BEANS at the local case lot sale and eat black bean burritos for weeks on end.
...Will people lay on their horns when they see the University of Utah sticker in your back window.
I do not belong in Provo.
...Will you end up parking in the SHOPKO parking lot when your destination is the movie theater.
...Are you able to go out in public and pick out EXACTLY which couples are on dates.
...Will it be a big deal whether or not showing your student ID at the movie ticket boxoffice will save you 25 cents off of the $1.50 it was going to cost you to get in anyway.
...Will you find that the 7:35pm showing of Ice Age: Dawn of the Dinosaurs (which has been out for 3 months now), of all movies, is SOLD OUT. I should've known...Everyone and their dog was out on a date. Except me.
...Will the college students turn down COLD STONE for the 99 cent Smith's Brand ice cream.
...Will students buy CASES of BLACK BEANS at the local case lot sale and eat black bean burritos for weeks on end.
...Will people lay on their horns when they see the University of Utah sticker in your back window.
I do not belong in Provo.
Thursday, October 15, 2009
New Job!!!
Say hello to the Huntsman Cancer Institute's newest Sterile Processing Tech!! :D So here's the story...
About a month ago, I was browsing the open positions on the U's website, when I came across this position at the Huntsman Center. I've been looking for a new job in the medical field for awhile now, because I need some sort of medical or laboratory experience in order to get into my program (Medical Laboratory Science) when I apply in January. And there it was...entry level, PRN, (that means its an "as needed" position - basically I'm on call), $13 an hour, knowledge in anatomy, phyisology, and medical terminology, high school diploma...it was perfect! So I thought, what the heck I'll apply for it and see what happens. I've applied for positions through the University before, and nothing has ever come of it so I wasn't expecting too much.
A couple of days after I submitted my application, I got an email saying that they had forwarded my application on to the hiring department!! The first hurdle had been passed!! So I was excited for a little bit, but then forgot about it after a day or two. Then, last Monday, I was walking to art history, and I got about halfway there when I was prompted to turn around and go home. That was fine with me, I didn't want to sit through an hour and 20 minutes of that class anyway, for some...ahem...personal reasons....anyway....
I got back to my house, and about 15 minutes later my cell phone started ringing! I didn't recognize the number, so I almost didn't answer it, but then I remembered how my application had been forwarded to the hiring department at the hospital, so at the last second I picked it up. It was indeed someone from the hospital, calling me to set up an interview!! Oh my goodness I was SO excited!! And the cool thing is, had I gone to class I would've missed the phone call and probably never would've had an interview!!
Anyway, so the interview was set up for that Wednesday, two days later. Randomly (and amazingly) I happened to have that day off from America First, so it worked out perfectly!! I was so nervous though, I hadn't had any sort of interview in two years! I felt a little rusty, so I spent the next 48 hours going over common interview questions and trying to psych myself up. The interview itself was...fine...I was interviewed by two people. They made sure I knew exactly what job I had applied for, and they made it very clear that this would be a high stress, working-under-pressure type job. Overall I probably spent 25 minutes in there answering their questions. By the time I left I was so wound up and stressed out that when I called my dad to tell him about it, I was literally sputtering. I could barely think straight, let alone speak. I felt like I might've sounded dumb when answering some of their questions, so I wasn't sure how to feel about how the interview went at that point...When I left, they told me that they had a few more interviews to do, and that they'd be getting back with me in about a week.
It was actually 6 days later, when I was at work at America First that I missed their phone call. It was 5 o'clock when I noticed I had a voicemail. That last hour of work was killer, I was sooo nervous!! When I finally was able to listen to what it said, the message I got was "Hi Nikole, this is Denise, I'm just trying to get ahold of you, if you could give me a call back as soon as possible that would be great. If you can't reach me tonight, just call tomorrow". I didn't know if that was a good sign or not...was she calling to offer me the position, or to tell me that it had been filled?? I tried calling her back but all I got was voicemail...I had to wait until the next morning to find out!! Talk about a stressful night...
The next morning, when I called her back, to my ecstatic excitement she offered me the position!!! HOLLA!!!! The ball started rolling at that second and it hasn't stopped since. my instructions were to call an executive secretary at the hospital, and she gave me all kinds of assignments. Later that very day I was down in Salt Lake taking a drug test (or 'giving evidence' for my drug test...however you want to look at it...basically I had to pee in a cup. Thrilling. You'd think they could have you do something more intense for a 'drug test'.) I also took my two weeks notice in to my manager at America First. I was supposed to go down to the hospital today for some orientation, but the secretary called this morning and told me to just come in on Monday (again, I randomly have Monday off from America First.) The timing for all of this has been incredible and everything has fallen into place so perfectly!! As nervous as I am about this new job, it's been so amazing and so cool to just watch how it all has been happening!! Everything from missing class that first day I got the phone call to having days off work just right have all contributed to me getting this new job!! Coincidence?? I think not!! This was meant to be! I can definitely see the Lord's hand in all this. It's been very cool.
SO...what does a Sterile Processing Tech DO?? Well, I'll be working in the Surgical Processing [area?? department?? unit?? whatever...] at the Huntsman Cancer Institute. I'll be preparing the surgical trays with the tools and instruments that the doctors will need during various surgeries. Denise (my interviewer and now supervisor) told me that some trays will require 10 instruments, some 70, some 700...wow. I will also be cleaning said instruments once the doctors are through. Yes, they will be bloody. I'll be in and out of the Operating Room, so I'll get to see some of the surgeries taking place. (SWEEEET!!!!) As Denise put it, "We are the gateway to the Operating Room. Everything goes through us (the Sterile techs) before it gets in there."
I'm really excited about this new job and the opportunities that will come with it, but I'm also slightly terrified. I'm moving from a job where I've become extremely comfortable to something completely new. New environment, new coworkers, new everything. Change in my life sometimes throws off my groove for awhile. I may even develop some ulcers over this one. But it's going to be great, I just know it!! Since it is an 'on call' position, I won't have a set schedule each week. One week I might work 25 hours, the next 15, the week after that maybe none at all. It'll be nice to have extra time during some weeks to work on homework and stuff.
Overall I really am excited about this new opportunity. $13 an hour sounds amazing (compared to what I make now...). I'll get weekends and holidays off. I'll be working in a medical setting, getting experience geared towards my major. When my dad is at work at AirMed I'll be in the building right next to him. I'll get a spiffy little nametag with my picture on it and everything.
But the best part about this new job: I get to wear scrubs to work. :)
About a month ago, I was browsing the open positions on the U's website, when I came across this position at the Huntsman Center. I've been looking for a new job in the medical field for awhile now, because I need some sort of medical or laboratory experience in order to get into my program (Medical Laboratory Science) when I apply in January. And there it was...entry level, PRN, (that means its an "as needed" position - basically I'm on call), $13 an hour, knowledge in anatomy, phyisology, and medical terminology, high school diploma...it was perfect! So I thought, what the heck I'll apply for it and see what happens. I've applied for positions through the University before, and nothing has ever come of it so I wasn't expecting too much.
A couple of days after I submitted my application, I got an email saying that they had forwarded my application on to the hiring department!! The first hurdle had been passed!! So I was excited for a little bit, but then forgot about it after a day or two. Then, last Monday, I was walking to art history, and I got about halfway there when I was prompted to turn around and go home. That was fine with me, I didn't want to sit through an hour and 20 minutes of that class anyway, for some...ahem...personal reasons....anyway....
I got back to my house, and about 15 minutes later my cell phone started ringing! I didn't recognize the number, so I almost didn't answer it, but then I remembered how my application had been forwarded to the hiring department at the hospital, so at the last second I picked it up. It was indeed someone from the hospital, calling me to set up an interview!! Oh my goodness I was SO excited!! And the cool thing is, had I gone to class I would've missed the phone call and probably never would've had an interview!!
Anyway, so the interview was set up for that Wednesday, two days later. Randomly (and amazingly) I happened to have that day off from America First, so it worked out perfectly!! I was so nervous though, I hadn't had any sort of interview in two years! I felt a little rusty, so I spent the next 48 hours going over common interview questions and trying to psych myself up. The interview itself was...fine...I was interviewed by two people. They made sure I knew exactly what job I had applied for, and they made it very clear that this would be a high stress, working-under-pressure type job. Overall I probably spent 25 minutes in there answering their questions. By the time I left I was so wound up and stressed out that when I called my dad to tell him about it, I was literally sputtering. I could barely think straight, let alone speak. I felt like I might've sounded dumb when answering some of their questions, so I wasn't sure how to feel about how the interview went at that point...When I left, they told me that they had a few more interviews to do, and that they'd be getting back with me in about a week.
It was actually 6 days later, when I was at work at America First that I missed their phone call. It was 5 o'clock when I noticed I had a voicemail. That last hour of work was killer, I was sooo nervous!! When I finally was able to listen to what it said, the message I got was "Hi Nikole, this is Denise, I'm just trying to get ahold of you, if you could give me a call back as soon as possible that would be great. If you can't reach me tonight, just call tomorrow". I didn't know if that was a good sign or not...was she calling to offer me the position, or to tell me that it had been filled?? I tried calling her back but all I got was voicemail...I had to wait until the next morning to find out!! Talk about a stressful night...
The next morning, when I called her back, to my ecstatic excitement she offered me the position!!! HOLLA!!!! The ball started rolling at that second and it hasn't stopped since. my instructions were to call an executive secretary at the hospital, and she gave me all kinds of assignments. Later that very day I was down in Salt Lake taking a drug test (or 'giving evidence' for my drug test...however you want to look at it...basically I had to pee in a cup. Thrilling. You'd think they could have you do something more intense for a 'drug test'.) I also took my two weeks notice in to my manager at America First. I was supposed to go down to the hospital today for some orientation, but the secretary called this morning and told me to just come in on Monday (again, I randomly have Monday off from America First.) The timing for all of this has been incredible and everything has fallen into place so perfectly!! As nervous as I am about this new job, it's been so amazing and so cool to just watch how it all has been happening!! Everything from missing class that first day I got the phone call to having days off work just right have all contributed to me getting this new job!! Coincidence?? I think not!! This was meant to be! I can definitely see the Lord's hand in all this. It's been very cool.
SO...what does a Sterile Processing Tech DO?? Well, I'll be working in the Surgical Processing [area?? department?? unit?? whatever...] at the Huntsman Cancer Institute. I'll be preparing the surgical trays with the tools and instruments that the doctors will need during various surgeries. Denise (my interviewer and now supervisor) told me that some trays will require 10 instruments, some 70, some 700...wow. I will also be cleaning said instruments once the doctors are through. Yes, they will be bloody. I'll be in and out of the Operating Room, so I'll get to see some of the surgeries taking place. (SWEEEET!!!!) As Denise put it, "We are the gateway to the Operating Room. Everything goes through us (the Sterile techs) before it gets in there."
I'm really excited about this new job and the opportunities that will come with it, but I'm also slightly terrified. I'm moving from a job where I've become extremely comfortable to something completely new. New environment, new coworkers, new everything. Change in my life sometimes throws off my groove for awhile. I may even develop some ulcers over this one. But it's going to be great, I just know it!! Since it is an 'on call' position, I won't have a set schedule each week. One week I might work 25 hours, the next 15, the week after that maybe none at all. It'll be nice to have extra time during some weeks to work on homework and stuff.
Overall I really am excited about this new opportunity. $13 an hour sounds amazing (compared to what I make now...). I'll get weekends and holidays off. I'll be working in a medical setting, getting experience geared towards my major. When my dad is at work at AirMed I'll be in the building right next to him. I'll get a spiffy little nametag with my picture on it and everything.
But the best part about this new job: I get to wear scrubs to work. :)
Sunday, October 11, 2009
DISNEYLAND!!!
This trip was definitely the highlight of my summer. Shannon and I had so much fun together!! We just decided one day - at one o clock in the morning, to be exact - that we wanted to take a trip! We booked our hotel and airplane tickets - and THEN we told our parents - and everything worked out smoothly! We totally want to go back - in fact, we would totally be content to live in Disneyland for the rest of our lives.
We stayed in the Holiday Express Inn and Suites in Garden Grove. It was a great hotel, I was totally impressed with the staff and service we received. I was nervous at first when I learned that we'd have to take a shuttle to and from the park each day, but that wasn't a problem at all!! We came to love the shuttle drivers. They were all so friendly! They'd strike up a conversation with us every time we got on the bus. By the end of our trip, we were on a first name basis with almost all of the drivers!
So we were there for 4 days, bouncing back and forth from Disneyland to California Adventure. It was SO much fun, I can't stress that enough!! Our favorite rides were Space Mountain, Indiana Jones, Soarin' over California, and California Screamin'!! We also loved the new Toy Story ride, that's actually more of a game than a ride. Our days consisted of waking up at about 8, getting ready, heading down to the complementary breakfast, catching the shuttle to the park, then playing all day til about 11 at night!! The first night we were there, we were lucky enough to be able to meet up with a friend who works at the park! Jared was able to show us all kinds of tricks to getting on rides faster!! Never ever ever again will I ride Indiana Jones unless I go through the single-rider line!! It's so much faster, even than having a Fast Pass!! Jared was also able to get us VIP seats to the fireworks, right in front of the castle! It was soooo awesome...and I totally want Tinkerbell's job someday. I'm just sayin'. Anyway, I'm really glad we were able to meet up with Jared!! We had a lot of fun with him that first night.
Another of our favorite shows to watch was the Fantasmic watershow at night! It was too incredible even for words...I guess those of you who don't know what I'm talking about it will just have to take a trip to Disneyland to see it :) I HIGHLY recommend it, and I highly recommend that you take me with you.
Shannon and I had an absolute BLAST. We were SO not ready to come home after 4 days. We could have happily spent another ten there.
Oh, while in Disneyland, my foot contracted some wannabe staff infection....on the third day we were there, I was getting out of the shower when I looked down and noticed some red bumps on my foot! That's never a good sign...anyway, it was still there when we got home, so I went to the doctor and they told me they were pretty sure it was staff infection, but they sent a culture up to the lab anyway and sent me home with a prescription. Well, two days later when I went back to here the verdict, turns out it WASN'T staff infection. It was only wannabe staff infection. It's gone now, but to this day I still don't have any idea what it was...
Anyway, back to Disneyland. It was probably one of the funnest trips I have ever been on!! End of story. Shannon and I are already brainstorming for possible trips next year. These pictures are just a glimpse of the good times we had. If you want to see the rest, check facebook. :D
We stayed in the Holiday Express Inn and Suites in Garden Grove. It was a great hotel, I was totally impressed with the staff and service we received. I was nervous at first when I learned that we'd have to take a shuttle to and from the park each day, but that wasn't a problem at all!! We came to love the shuttle drivers. They were all so friendly! They'd strike up a conversation with us every time we got on the bus. By the end of our trip, we were on a first name basis with almost all of the drivers!
So we were there for 4 days, bouncing back and forth from Disneyland to California Adventure. It was SO much fun, I can't stress that enough!! Our favorite rides were Space Mountain, Indiana Jones, Soarin' over California, and California Screamin'!! We also loved the new Toy Story ride, that's actually more of a game than a ride. Our days consisted of waking up at about 8, getting ready, heading down to the complementary breakfast, catching the shuttle to the park, then playing all day til about 11 at night!! The first night we were there, we were lucky enough to be able to meet up with a friend who works at the park! Jared was able to show us all kinds of tricks to getting on rides faster!! Never ever ever again will I ride Indiana Jones unless I go through the single-rider line!! It's so much faster, even than having a Fast Pass!! Jared was also able to get us VIP seats to the fireworks, right in front of the castle! It was soooo awesome...and I totally want Tinkerbell's job someday. I'm just sayin'. Anyway, I'm really glad we were able to meet up with Jared!! We had a lot of fun with him that first night.
Another of our favorite shows to watch was the Fantasmic watershow at night! It was too incredible even for words...I guess those of you who don't know what I'm talking about it will just have to take a trip to Disneyland to see it :) I HIGHLY recommend it, and I highly recommend that you take me with you.
Shannon and I had an absolute BLAST. We were SO not ready to come home after 4 days. We could have happily spent another ten there.
Oh, while in Disneyland, my foot contracted some wannabe staff infection....on the third day we were there, I was getting out of the shower when I looked down and noticed some red bumps on my foot! That's never a good sign...anyway, it was still there when we got home, so I went to the doctor and they told me they were pretty sure it was staff infection, but they sent a culture up to the lab anyway and sent me home with a prescription. Well, two days later when I went back to here the verdict, turns out it WASN'T staff infection. It was only wannabe staff infection. It's gone now, but to this day I still don't have any idea what it was...
Anyway, back to Disneyland. It was probably one of the funnest trips I have ever been on!! End of story. Shannon and I are already brainstorming for possible trips next year. These pictures are just a glimpse of the good times we had. If you want to see the rest, check facebook. :D
Shan's Birthday in Park City!
Happy Birthday Shannon!! Back in August...haha she turned the big 18!! We celebrated by going up to Park City to redeem some some Zipline tickets that she'd won in High School! First of all, actually getting to Park City was quite the adventure....me, being the expert navigator, succeeded in getting us lost before we even got to Parley's Canyon. That is really pathetic, because, you know, I've lived in Salt Lake for two years now and you'd think that I'd know my way around by now. Think again. It probably took us 30 minutes longer than it should've to actually get up there. But the point is, we got there!! :D The first think we did was wander around the Olympic Musem they have up there! It was really neat - I wish I would've realized in 2002 just how neat it was to have the Olympics here in my own backyard. But I was only in 7th grade, so I really didn't care much. Oh well, what can ya do. Anyway, at the museum we had fun exploring all the hands on things they had there, like the bobsled, the face cutout posters, and the torch mounted on the wall!! Good times :)
After exploring the museum from top to bottom, we headed down to try out the Zipline! On the way, we got distracted by this outdoor pool where people were practicing free-style ski jumping! It was so cool, they'd fly off the jumps and land in the pool! I don't think I could ever do that, it's too scary!! Haha oh wow, I just realized something...I would be willing to jump out of a perfectly good airplane, but too scared to try out ski jumping...there's something wrong with that...
Anyway, on to the Zipline!! It was really long and really fast and really fun!! The picture of Shannon and me is at the bottom of the Zipline, just after we'd gotten off! It was so great! We also had tickets to do the Alpine Slide, so we did that next! Also very fun! I don't know if it was worth what we would've had to pay had we not had the free tickets, but it was still fun!! I would definitely recommend trying it at least once :)
After our adventures at Olympic Park, we headed down to the outlet stores to get some lunch and do some shopping!! We spent most of the time there at our favorite store - Aeropostale - and then we headed back home! We struggled a little bit trying to navigate Salt Lake's "spaghetti bowl" on the way, but we figured it out and made it home in one piece. It was most definitely a fantastic day :)
Pioneer Day!
Pioneer this year was a lot of fun! Well, at least towards the evening it was fun...I actually don't remember doing anything too exciting in the morning...I even think I slept through like half the parade...Shannon had come down to Salt Lake the night before to hang out, and our intentions were to actually GO to the parade to watch it, but that didn't happen. Maybe next year. Anyway, so we came home to Layton and decided that we wanted to make a trip up to Ogden to watch the fun rodeo they have each year! We decided that we'd even try and look the part, so my sisters and I went out on a mission through Layton City to try and find the cheapest cowboy hats we could find...the winning $12, "made of 100% paper" cowboy hats were found at Wal-Mart. Those hats were put to good use, and we're excited to use them next year :) The rodeo was way fun, as usual...my favorite part was the beginning where the skydivers brought the flag into the arena! I want to do that someday, I think it would be so cool! We chose to go on a good night, because that group of singers in the picture is actually the second generation Osmond's! It was fun to hear them sing! What a talented group of young men! Overall, Pioneer Day was a lot of fun and we're looking forward to next year!!
Independence Day Pics
At the firepit!
Me and Amanda waiting for the parade to start! Dang, I look like I just got done running a 5k!! Oh wait....Independence Day!!!
Okay, so I know this was like 3 months ago, but its still worth telling about :) My family and one of my roommates and I went up to Huntsville like we always do to celebrate the holiday. It was a lot of fun, my parents pulled our trailer up and parked it in my grandma's front yard (best camping spot in Huntsville! :D) while Amanda (my roommate) and I "booked" a room in my grandma's house. On Independence Day Eve, we started a little campfire in my grandma's backyard firepit and roasted some s'mores and had a good time hanging out with the cousins.
The next day, we woke up bright and early so that Shannon, my mom, and I could run in the little 5k race they hold each year. I was able to keep up with them for about 2/3 of the race and then I fell slightly behind...they had been training a lot longer than I had, so I wasn't surprised :). After the race we headed over to the pavilion in the park for the annual 4th of July Breakfast in the Park. It was probably the most delicious breakfast I've ever had! We met up with my Grandpa Green and some of my cousins (Steve, Jordan, and baby Deacon) so it was way fun visiting with them for a minute! After breakfast we went to our spot (right in front of the church...we sit there every year) and watched the po-dunk, small town, wouldn't-be-4th-of-July-without-it parade. It was the same as it was last year, complete with old tractors and everything. I love it though, it's tradition!! Like I said, it wouldn't be the 4th of July unless we went up to Huntsville. After the parade we meandered back to the starting line of the race to hear the results. Turns out Shannon and I were in the same age group, and she took FIRST while I took SECOND!!! We thought that was pretty darn cool! My mom also took first in HER age group (we won't say what that age range was...:D) so we all got medals!! Maybe next year we can talk Bailey into running it with us and then we'll all place again!!
After the parade, of course we had to go over to the park and wander through the little booths they have set up. I had to get my annual dosage of cotton candy!! This year they had an awesome booth selling African Dwarf frogs!! My roommate Amanda immediately fell in love with them, and talked me into buying a couple for our house in Salt Lake!! They are still alive and well - even three months later - in their tank. They now share it though with about 8 fish. Their names are Squeaky and Squishy...I can't remember which one was mine...anyway....
We spent the rest of the afternoon hanging out at my grandma's house, sleeping and doing homework (I was in summer school at the time...BAD IDEA!! I am never taking summer classes again...I mean, who does that???) We went swimming for awhile over at my aunt and uncle's house, and then decided we were hungry, so Amanda and I headed "downtown" to Ogden for some Jake's Over the Top!! Delish....
After dinner, it was finally time to head back over to the park to stake out our fireworks spot! I absolutely LOVE fireworks, especially when you get to sit directly below them! It's so cool! Shannon (who had originally gone back to Layton earlier in the afternoon with my parents) came back up to Huntsville to enjoy them with us. To add to the excitement of the night, a friend of mine from school surprised me while we were there and watched the fireworks with us! It was so fun!! The fireworks themselves were fantabulous...the perfect ending to a great 4th of July day. :)
The next day, we woke up bright and early so that Shannon, my mom, and I could run in the little 5k race they hold each year. I was able to keep up with them for about 2/3 of the race and then I fell slightly behind...they had been training a lot longer than I had, so I wasn't surprised :). After the race we headed over to the pavilion in the park for the annual 4th of July Breakfast in the Park. It was probably the most delicious breakfast I've ever had! We met up with my Grandpa Green and some of my cousins (Steve, Jordan, and baby Deacon) so it was way fun visiting with them for a minute! After breakfast we went to our spot (right in front of the church...we sit there every year) and watched the po-dunk, small town, wouldn't-be-4th-of-July-without-it parade. It was the same as it was last year, complete with old tractors and everything. I love it though, it's tradition!! Like I said, it wouldn't be the 4th of July unless we went up to Huntsville. After the parade we meandered back to the starting line of the race to hear the results. Turns out Shannon and I were in the same age group, and she took FIRST while I took SECOND!!! We thought that was pretty darn cool! My mom also took first in HER age group (we won't say what that age range was...:D) so we all got medals!! Maybe next year we can talk Bailey into running it with us and then we'll all place again!!
After the parade, of course we had to go over to the park and wander through the little booths they have set up. I had to get my annual dosage of cotton candy!! This year they had an awesome booth selling African Dwarf frogs!! My roommate Amanda immediately fell in love with them, and talked me into buying a couple for our house in Salt Lake!! They are still alive and well - even three months later - in their tank. They now share it though with about 8 fish. Their names are Squeaky and Squishy...I can't remember which one was mine...anyway....
We spent the rest of the afternoon hanging out at my grandma's house, sleeping and doing homework (I was in summer school at the time...BAD IDEA!! I am never taking summer classes again...I mean, who does that???) We went swimming for awhile over at my aunt and uncle's house, and then decided we were hungry, so Amanda and I headed "downtown" to Ogden for some Jake's Over the Top!! Delish....
After dinner, it was finally time to head back over to the park to stake out our fireworks spot! I absolutely LOVE fireworks, especially when you get to sit directly below them! It's so cool! Shannon (who had originally gone back to Layton earlier in the afternoon with my parents) came back up to Huntsville to enjoy them with us. To add to the excitement of the night, a friend of mine from school surprised me while we were there and watched the fireworks with us! It was so fun!! The fireworks themselves were fantabulous...the perfect ending to a great 4th of July day. :)
Catching Up!
It has officially been way too long since my last post. A whole season even. A lot has happened between now and my last laugh attack, so I'll do my best to summarize it all in a nutshell...:)
Wednesday, May 20, 2009
Laugh Attack
Not very many people can make me laugh so hard it hurts...my sister Shannon is one of the few who can! We can be so goofy together and we have so much fun! I'm so grateful for such awesome little sisters!! :) Anyway, so this past weekend, after some seriously intense scooter and rip-stick riding around our neighborhood and through the church parking lot, Shannon and I decided that we wanted to go to Nielsen's Frozen Custard for some icecream. We decided to go through the drive thru, since it was getting kind of late. Here's how it went down:
Nielsen's person: "Hi, we'll be with you in just a second!"
Me: "Okay!"
So, I have a very short attention span and started to get bored, so I started making a funny noise with my mouth (I'll have to demonstrate in person - its impossible to explain. And NO, it was not one of those immature noises you make when you're 5 years old.). Shannon thought it was pretty funny and she started laughing way hard, so I did it more.
Shannon: "STOP IT! I'm trying to decide what I want and I can't concentrate!"
Me: "You better hurry up, or I'm going to order you bumbleberry."
For some reason, Shannon thought this was huh-larious. And as everyone knows, laughing is contagious, so....the Nielsen's person came back and told me to go ahead and order. So I turned around to tell them what I wanted, and I didn't get two words out before I BUSTED up laughing!! So I regained my composure and tried to order again....same thing happened!! Couldn't get anything out before I started laughing!!! At this point, Shannon is beside herself in the passenger seat. I don't know about anyone else, but when someone else is laughing, its like positive feedback for me - it makes me laugh harder, then it makes whoever I'm with laugh harder, then I laugh even harder...etc. etc...
It took about 5 minutes (the Nielsen's people probably thought I was CRAZY) but I finally was able to spit out what we wanted. What a time to have a laugh attack...in Nielsen's Frozen Custard drive thru...so embarrassing. But it was sooo funny!!! And totally worth it :)
Anyway, so we pulled up to the window to pick up our ice cream...
Girl at the window: "So......what did you want?"
Oh my goodness, SO funny!!
Shannon and I are going to Disneyland in August, I can't wait to see what kind of laugh attacks and fun adventures we have there!! :)
Nielsen's person: "Hi, we'll be with you in just a second!"
Me: "Okay!"
So, I have a very short attention span and started to get bored, so I started making a funny noise with my mouth (I'll have to demonstrate in person - its impossible to explain. And NO, it was not one of those immature noises you make when you're 5 years old.). Shannon thought it was pretty funny and she started laughing way hard, so I did it more.
Shannon: "STOP IT! I'm trying to decide what I want and I can't concentrate!"
Me: "You better hurry up, or I'm going to order you bumbleberry."
For some reason, Shannon thought this was huh-larious. And as everyone knows, laughing is contagious, so....the Nielsen's person came back and told me to go ahead and order. So I turned around to tell them what I wanted, and I didn't get two words out before I BUSTED up laughing!! So I regained my composure and tried to order again....same thing happened!! Couldn't get anything out before I started laughing!!! At this point, Shannon is beside herself in the passenger seat. I don't know about anyone else, but when someone else is laughing, its like positive feedback for me - it makes me laugh harder, then it makes whoever I'm with laugh harder, then I laugh even harder...etc. etc...
It took about 5 minutes (the Nielsen's people probably thought I was CRAZY) but I finally was able to spit out what we wanted. What a time to have a laugh attack...in Nielsen's Frozen Custard drive thru...so embarrassing. But it was sooo funny!!! And totally worth it :)
Anyway, so we pulled up to the window to pick up our ice cream...
Girl at the window: "So......what did you want?"
Oh my goodness, SO funny!!
Shannon and I are going to Disneyland in August, I can't wait to see what kind of laugh attacks and fun adventures we have there!! :)
Thursday, April 16, 2009
White People Are Mean
Ok, so that sounds really racist, but I promise I'm not!! It's just that at work, in downtown SLC, I help tons of people of all different sizes, shapes, ages, colors, classes, mannerisms, attitudes, and styles, everyday. I've worked at America First for almost two years now, and I have yet to help a mean, stingy, or rude black person. They have always been so nice and friendly! Their fun personalities totally show through, even though I only interact with them for a few minutes. Don't get me wrong, the majority of all people that come into the Credit Union are very nice and friendly. I've just noticed that the few people that come into the credit union every once in awhile with bad attitudes are white!! So, this is just a friendly reminder to anyone, no matter what your size, shape, age, color, class, mannerism, attitude, or style is, that if you're planning on going into a bank or credit union today to do business and you're having a bad day, don't take it out on the tellers!! Tellers are REAL people too!! We're not the same as the ATM machines that spit cash back out at you. We're human beings with real feelings, and for the most part we like to be treated as such!!
Sorry. I just needed to vent. :)
Sorry. I just needed to vent. :)
The End Is In Sight!
There are only 2 more weeks of classes and then the semester will be OVER!! I can hardly wait! This semester has been tough, to say the least...wow, I can't believe I'm coming to the end of my second year in college! That's so crazy - where does the time go? I guess my parents weren't lying when they said time goes faster as you get older.
Well its been awhile, so here are some updates...
For Easter this past weekend, I just went home and hung out with the parentals. It was nice - its always fun to get away from school and Salt Lake, even if its just for a day or two. Both my grandma's came over for a delicious Easter feast prepared by my awesome mom! Other than that, nothing exciting happened last weekend...unless you count getting the snow tires taken off of my car, or the fact that my allergies flared up as exciting...
I'm all signed up for summer semester here at the U. General Chemistry 2, here I come...
Jordan will have have been gone for 10 months this Saturday!! Its so crazy that I haven't seen him in that long...its gone by super fast tho!! Almost halfway there!! :)
I almost tanked it on our front porch this morning. It was covered in invisible ice. It was really funny!
OH!! I got a new beta fish!! I don't know if I ever mentioned that I had one in the first place...my first fish was red, his name was Ute, and I accidentally killed him by letting his bowl get too dirty!! :( I know, I'm a terrible person...but I got a new one!! He's blackish red, has really really spiky fins, and his name is Jack-Jack!!! He's so cute!! And fun to talk to :) I love my fishy fish!!
Well its been awhile, so here are some updates...
For Easter this past weekend, I just went home and hung out with the parentals. It was nice - its always fun to get away from school and Salt Lake, even if its just for a day or two. Both my grandma's came over for a delicious Easter feast prepared by my awesome mom! Other than that, nothing exciting happened last weekend...unless you count getting the snow tires taken off of my car, or the fact that my allergies flared up as exciting...
I'm all signed up for summer semester here at the U. General Chemistry 2, here I come...
Jordan will have have been gone for 10 months this Saturday!! Its so crazy that I haven't seen him in that long...its gone by super fast tho!! Almost halfway there!! :)
I almost tanked it on our front porch this morning. It was covered in invisible ice. It was really funny!
OH!! I got a new beta fish!! I don't know if I ever mentioned that I had one in the first place...my first fish was red, his name was Ute, and I accidentally killed him by letting his bowl get too dirty!! :( I know, I'm a terrible person...but I got a new one!! He's blackish red, has really really spiky fins, and his name is Jack-Jack!!! He's so cute!! And fun to talk to :) I love my fishy fish!!
Saturday, March 21, 2009
Oops! I Did It Again...
I promise I'm not a Britney Spears fan.
I can't believe I completely forgot all about updating my blog...AGAIN!!! I knew this would happen from the very beginning, and I apologize to those of you who have been on the edge of your seat, waiting to see what happens next in my life (because my life is SO exciting...) Anyways, just a few updates....Spring Break is coming to an end for me, unfortunately...I've really enjoyed this time off!! Its been a very much-needed break. I was getting a little burnt out from school, but now that I've had a week off I think I may be able to push through to the end! Six more weeks!!!!! :D And then summer school starts...I've never done summer school before, so we'll see how it goes. I'll keep you posted! HA!!! Its so crazy to think that after this semester, I will have completed my second year of college. Wow. Time sure has flown by!! I've loved almost every second of it! I say 'almost' because I definitely have passed through some rough patches, but I've made it through and the future is looking bright! :)
As far as Spring Break goes, I wish I had something exciting to write about, but its basically been a regular week for me minus the school part. I did go to lunch with Lauren Grady a few nights ago, which was SUPER fun!! I love seeing her whenever she comes up to visit from Cedar! She's one of my best friends and I love her! Something else fun I was able to do was go rock climbing at an indoor gym yesterday!! That was only like the third time I've ever been climbing in my life, so it was an exciting experience!! I got kind of a rude awakening as to how pathetically weak my arms are and how out of shape I am!!! haha!! It was great tho, I would love to go again sometime!!
I can't believe I completely forgot all about updating my blog...AGAIN!!! I knew this would happen from the very beginning, and I apologize to those of you who have been on the edge of your seat, waiting to see what happens next in my life (because my life is SO exciting...) Anyways, just a few updates....Spring Break is coming to an end for me, unfortunately...I've really enjoyed this time off!! Its been a very much-needed break. I was getting a little burnt out from school, but now that I've had a week off I think I may be able to push through to the end! Six more weeks!!!!! :D And then summer school starts...I've never done summer school before, so we'll see how it goes. I'll keep you posted! HA!!! Its so crazy to think that after this semester, I will have completed my second year of college. Wow. Time sure has flown by!! I've loved almost every second of it! I say 'almost' because I definitely have passed through some rough patches, but I've made it through and the future is looking bright! :)
As far as Spring Break goes, I wish I had something exciting to write about, but its basically been a regular week for me minus the school part. I did go to lunch with Lauren Grady a few nights ago, which was SUPER fun!! I love seeing her whenever she comes up to visit from Cedar! She's one of my best friends and I love her! Something else fun I was able to do was go rock climbing at an indoor gym yesterday!! That was only like the third time I've ever been climbing in my life, so it was an exciting experience!! I got kind of a rude awakening as to how pathetically weak my arms are and how out of shape I am!!! haha!! It was great tho, I would love to go again sometime!!
Thursday, January 22, 2009
Wow...
So it's been forever since I last posted here. School has been CRAZY, and the semester is only two weeks old!! This semester consists of chemistry, chemistry, oh and some more chemistry! Throw in there a little bit of history and communications, and there's no extra time for me to even breathe!! I think I've figured it out tho - as long as I don't think about anything further than tomorrow, I'll be fine. The minute I start thinking about all the things I have to do within the next week, I totally get overwhelmed. Note to self: take things one day at a time. Despite the busy-ness of school and work, life has been good! I try to balance out my academics with a little time with friends and the occasional visit home to Layton. It's working out great so far! :)
To make up for my lack of blogging during the past month, here are some highlights:
1. One day during the first week of January (I can't remember the exact date...) I got so...incredibly...bored...that I ended up going outside to shovel snow and stomp paths through the snow to our front door to entertain myself. We now have the finest snow paths in all of Salt Lake City.
2. Last week, on January 15th, I went to the LDS Fraternity/Sorority "Rush" Carnival - not to join a sorority (are you kidding?? I don't have time for that) but just because my friends were there and told me to come. I had a great time! There were all kinds of fun activities and food and games. One of the games there can be compared to beer pong, but instead of cups with beer, there were cups of water. What's so great about cups of water, you ask? Well - in some of the cups, there were real, live goldfish!!!! So when you tossed the ping pong ball over to the cups and it landed in one of the cups with a goldfish in it, you had to drink the water AND the goldfish!!! I have such a good aim, that I got the happy privilege of drinking a goldfish. You know that scene on Finding Nemo, where Marlin and Dori get stuck in that pelican's throat? I know exactly how that pelican felt. Except I didn't spit my fish back out...I actually swallowed him.
3. I have successfully pushed 4 stuck cars out from the back of our ice and snow filled driveway!! For 3 of the cars, I had help from one or two other people, but this last incident - one that involved a TRUCK - I did on my own. My roommate Amanda came into my room one Saturday morning at 6:30 and asked if I could come help push her out, because she was spinning on the ice. So I got up to go help her. First I tried pushing while she stepped on the gas...didn't work. Then we switched, with her pushing and me on the gas. Again...nothing. So then I decide to bring out the secret weapon: salt. We spread that all over the driveway and around the wheels, and then we decided to push one more time. So Amanda climbed in the truck, I took my position in the back, and singlehandedly, I pushed that truck out of the driveway. I guess some (or most....) credit needs to go to the salt, but still. By MYSELF people. Little me pushing a truck. That's pretty impressive. :) haha
4. I've been kicked out of the America First Metro branch. Okay, not really - but I like to say it like that. :) So here's what's happened: The branch that I work at (the Metro branch) is considered the training branch for our district. It just so happens that within the past month, AFCU has hired 6 new tellers who all need to be trained. At the same time. At our branch, we have at least 16 tellers that rotate shifts to share 11 teller stations. 16+6=...too many tellers, not enough teller stations. So they've sent me away for awhile. :) This past week I started going down to the Millcreek branch. At first I wasn't so excited about that, but it's actually been really fun!! It's a nice breath of fresh air away from Metro. I also like that the branch is a lot less ghetto than the Metro branch - everything is new and improved! There are no cramped stations or out of date computer monitors - even the members are new and improved!! There are hardly any smelly members!! That's kind of mean, but its true!! I really like it at Millcreek, I don't know if I'll WANT to go back to Metro!! I'll be there for 3 or 4 weeks, so I'll enjoy it while I can!
Well there you go - my life in a very small nutshell :)
p.s. Here's just a friendly reminder: My birthday is 13 days from now, encounting...
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