Year 2011

January- My temp job at the Department of Regulatory Agencies as the Board of Veterinary Medicine Coordinator ends. Best temp job I've ever had. Made some good friends there and gained TONS of self-confidence.

February- I wrenched my back and spent three weeks in bed. How, you ask? Putting on my boot. I worked a two day temp job working a conference in downtown denver- yes, first days out of bed and I was on my feet all day. I managed to disguise my grimace of pain into an assertive smile that won lots of contacts for the company I was representing. I learned a whole speil and can't remember a word of it.

March- more one or two day temp jobs all over Denver. I had a good time getting to go up into more skyscrapers and see more of the city. I met a lot of people. The assignments were mostly reception jobs which meant lots of internet surfing. I also finally decided I couldn't function with the pain in my back and found a chiropractor in Aurora who took X rays on my first appointment. I'd post them, but they are quite disturbing. Spine is straight like an arrow as it should be until it gets to the lumbar, then twists and curves to the left. The chiropractor was pretty shocked. He said this kind of injury isn't just a simple wrench- and what on earth happened to me 15-20 years ago? It took some digging, but we decided the time I fell off the diving board at home when I was 14 or so is responsible. He gave me big lectures about being serious about chiropractic care for the rest of my life. I hated his adjustments, but I still let him adjust me until I moved.

April- Moved from Denver to Provo!! A good decision. I spent 2 weeks with Natalie while I waited for my apartment to become available, and was there when she had her second daughter, Malaika.

May- Got my job at Infogenix. I liked most of my coworkers right away, and now I like the rest, save one.  I got stationed at the reception desk. again. Started as one of the owner's executive assistant. Not really interesting, but I wasn't going to complain. I needed a job. My roommates and I decided to read The Book of Mormon by summer's end. Every night at 9:30 we stopped whatever we were doing and met in the living room to read 5 pages. Our friendships began to grow.

June- getting into the swing of things at work. Book of Mormon reading successful. Learning to love my roommates.

July- finding a new status quo. A guy at work introduced me to Minecraft, and I found a new obsession.  I also got invited to join a writing group, called Room 5446. Every week I prepared a chapter of my novel and read it aloud to the group and got some helpful critiques. Good group of quirky people.

August- my roommates and I finished the book of mormon three days before the summer ends. We learned to adore each other over reading the gospel, these three young women and I. almost 10 years between us, but there were reasons to have them in my life, and reasons I was in theirs. Two of them are now on missions, and the third, I believe, is about to become engaged. We went our separate ways. I moved to a house in Orem. ROUGH move. I totally hurt my back again. Not that it was any better.

September- my cousin got married and I got to film her wedding, but I haven't been able to work on the footage yet because my computer has a virus I picked up over the summer by sharing a network with my apartment complex. who knows what happened, but I don't trust my computer with the footage. Gotta figure something out. I also found a good Chiropractor. I absolutely trust him and his adjustments feel so good. I'm moving much better, but the pain is still there for now. He was speechless over my shocking X rays.

October- I turned 30.

November- Had a wonderful Thanksgiving with my Aunt Jeri's family and Grandpa Zenk. Work is becoming more interesting. I've been pretty forceful about getting more to do and now I have my fingers in a couple different departments. I'm still my boss's assistant, but now I'm and Account Executive with my own set of clients and I also do a lot for the Search Engine Optimization team. The day goes by a lot faster now that I'm busy. Most people there have turned into good working relationships, and friends. I love that being myself is so much easier than it used to be.

December- going home for Christmas and I can't wait! I wanted to do one more post for this year- as goofy and as incomplete as it is, it's better than nothing, right? Right!

Experiencing the Roommate Thing

Me, Alexa, Kelly

I've been having a blast with my new roommates, Alexa, Elise, and Kelly. After the obligatory shy period was over, the obligatory late night girl talks took place, followed by super-fun friendships. Now for the awesome excursion phase. First, we went to Manti for the Temple Pageant. Elise couldn't make it, so Kelly's friend, Britlynn took the available seat in my car. We got there in plenty of time to get good seats... and to get rained on. Alexa and I shared an umbrella and a blanket all evening. I was so proud of the performers! The show must go on!

Alexa, Britlynn, Kelly

Choirs of Angels on the hill!

My favorite part - Christ arrives in the Americas,

and blesses the children.
Our next excursion was to Temple Square. This time Elise and Kelly came along. I did a session (wonderful) while they did baptisms. It was everyone's first time inside the Salt Lake City Temple.

Elise and Kelly

Taking a tour of the Conference Center.

Favorite sculpture

Stained glass!! Beautiful!
Then came dinner time. Kelly heard of a place called Pizza Pie, and just had to go try it.

So we did, and I think we were crazy. Crazy, crazy, crazy!

Wha-haaat!?

oh, the stretchy cheese!

don't let her dainty appearance fool you. She's vicious.

 Blech. Too much pizza. We took the rest home for Alexa. She was glad.

So then we did girl stuff: ate more pizza and did our faces and nails.
I experimented with Kelly's hair.

I think it could be a new look. Me, Kelly, Elise, Alexa.

Experience the grossness. All the pizza cheese grease came out our pores.

Fun stuff.

The Plot Thickens

I ran into Michael, a friend from my California YSA ward, a couple weeks ago.  We chatted for a bit, I invited him to drop by anytime and we parted. To my suprise, last Sunday he dropped by. He invited me to have dinner with him and his parents who were visiting (I know them from home, too). I had a total blast catching up with them and hearing Michael's ideas for several stories he's working on. This was how our friendship started a couple years ago- discovering a shared interest in writing (and music- yay! and photography- yay!). Later that evening he emailed a couple rough drafts (I like to call them vomit plots) for me to comment on. (I liked one, but not the other... and told him so. He took it well.)  I ran into him again on Wednesday evening and yes, heard all about another story idea he's got, and gave him an update on how my story is going...which really, was nowhere, but now look:

My story in Post Its!!

Friday evening, after all that talk, I had to pull out my story (from National Novel Writing Month) and remind myself where I was with it. I remember everybody's name, and their main goals, but when I began reading what I'd written, I had no idea what I was talking about. So I turned to the wall. And put up each plot turn/scene in order. And it turned my brain back on! This is where I am now:

A bit farther!! I remember where I was, where I am, and have ideas of where I want to go! I've actually written about a third of what is on the wall, and what is on the wall is only about half of the entire plot. I'm excited to be back in what we Wrimos call NaNo Land (even though it's not November) and amazed to discover that when I go looking for them, the ideas are there. I don't know how long this current burst of passion will last, but there are some interesting times ahead for my characters. Now I'll have something to tell Michael when I run into him again.

Icosidodecahedron

Thirty curler units do an icosidodecahedron make.

I can't say "icosidodecahedron" either. I can barely type it. But I can make one!

A Zuki Video!

Zuki going "rock shopping."  A sunny, windy day in Rexburg... perfect day for it, of course. She insisted that she needed 15 rocks. I don't think we ever bothered to count, though. She was happy with what she got. We left them outside in a "nest" (a.k.a pile behind a flower pot) where they could live happily ever after all together.

From Denver to Provo, with Rexburg in Between

Spanning the length of the city, the 16th Street Mall was my favorite place in Denver. Every temp job but one took me within walking distance to the Mall, and there I went for most lunches. Window shopping galore, street musicians (trombone quartet was the best) good smells everywhere, and boy, what atmosphere! My favorite spot on the Mall was Mici's, an italian pizzaria. SO GOOD!

I added some necessities to my possessions in Denver, such as a bed, so this move required a trailer. I could only go 55mph pulling it, but I like driving, so I didn't mind the extra time. There was scary driving in Wyoming, and the trailer seemed to have it's own mind in the strong winds, but I got to Provo in good shape. A friend is storing my bed and desk in her garage, but everything else is with me in my tiny room.

UNpacking was a bit of a challenge. I don't need to add much to what my rommates already have out in the kitchen and living room, so I had to bring out only what I'll be using and store the rest under the beds and in the closets. My poor Cello Chair lives in the closet now.

My room from the parking lot. I try to get the spot in front of my window to give myself some added privacy...and to prevent the guy with the big loud stinky F250 from parking there. I am excited that my plants will have light from the window! I got NO direct sun in Denver. blech. I hope they perk up.

So here I am, back in the Utah Valley, living in Provo, where I was born. Gee. I felt all brave and intrepid for spending a year in Denver, but I haven't really gone anywhere. That's okay. I'll find new favorite places. I'm following Heavenly Father's directions and have total confidence being in his hands. I feel optimistic and excited to see what my time in Provo will bring. Meanwhile, the time I spent in Rexburg with my little sister's family brought the best thing EVER!!

A new neice!! She's gorgeous!  Decidedly as gorgeous as Zuki was:

They look so different to me, but similarities are there. I see a lot of Natalie in Malaika.

Yep. Compare those cute noses. (This is one week before Malaika's arrival.) Natalie started looking bigger, then her belly started looking lower...and all our hopes grew higher!

I spent most of my time in Rexburg playing with Zuki. She is so much fun! Interested in everything, always asking asking asking question after question. She helped me do my hair and makeup most mornings, pulling everything out of my makeup kit to try each item in order. Her favorite was my lipstick and chapstick.  Once or twice I even got a turn to play with her hair.

Those beads didn't stay wound around her ponytail very long.  She loves to walk around with her beads hanging from her hair saying it's Rapunzel hair, and often sings "I whip my hair back and forth" while doing just that...I learned to protect my face. She got that from this music video. (She also asks if she can dip her "hair" in paint.)

She's so pretty! What a profile. I loved this hairdo, but it didn't make it through the morning.

Bath time! A good old stand by for operation Keep Zuki in One Place. Baths served as a good distraction too, when she was missing her parents while they were at the hospital.

We played a LOT of "Cooties." The pink is her favorite, with the skates, the hat, and the pretty eyes. Heaven help you if you pick one of those before she does. Actually, she shared very well.

Hide and Seek... something she could do all day long.

Lots of reading...

or trying to read. Sometimes books are just too heavy. Or your seat is just too weird.

I buried her in her stuffed animals most days. She'd just sit for a while, then POP out. Then ask to be buried again.

Zuki had her first cello lesson. (I just LOVE her concetrating face.) She liked it, and even asked to play again a few times.

Of course, our main activity was making "Zuki Videos." I can't help it. My camera is an extension of my brain, I think. I have too much fun with it...and Zuki has too much fun watching them afterwards. There were a few tantrums when it came time to turn them off. Uh oh. But hey...she'll sit still to watch them, and sitting still is good. Really good. Zuki Videos work for doing hair, too.

Another failed hairdo attempt by Aunt Dwynnie. She pretty much frieked out when she realized that she couldn't hook her beads on anything. My bad. She got pom-poms instead.

I loved being there to help welcome a new baby home, and to watch this little family grow. I hope I was useful to Natalie and Mo. The baby came on the day I was originally planning to leave, as I was praying she would. I loved staying home with Zuki. I soaked up every minute as I took her to the hospital to see Malaika. I got to take her shopping for a present for Malaika; Took her home again and tried to give her some dinner...

A hot dog did the trick, with the promise of a cookie if she ate the whole half. She did. To my suprise. Three year olds are hard!! I am so impressed with Natalie. It's a wonder how she gets things done, her kid and herself dressed, fed, and the house clean. She does it all. I will be all the more impressed when she still does it with Malaika! I'm stressed out just imagining it. She says I got a glimpse into motherhood.

I love these people! I am ever so grateful that they were willing to put me up for those two weeks! For my part, I wouldn't change anything. I loved feeling home among them. I wish them every good thing.

Baby Girl

After leaving Denver, I spent 20 glorious days with my little sister's family in Rexburg, Idaho. There were hours and hours of play with Zukiswa, many talks with Natalie and Mo, but, best of all: Natalie had her baby while I was there! I'm so happy I could take care of Zuki while her parents welcomed thier new baby into the world, and then I got to take her to the hospital to meet her little sister.

Malaika Ria Mqomboti

Packing up is fun to do...



Packing up for Provo

One point per item. Can you find the: Pump? Three Hole Punch? Silver Platter? Blue Towel? Concertina? Sweeny Todd Piano book? Winnie the Pooh? Four Banker's Boxes? Webster's pocket Thesaurus? My Ikabag from Paris? Bonus: (10 pts.) What would you say my favorite color is? Did you get a perfect score?

Watching the Eclipse

My roommate Kelley and I live next to a big wide park so we had a good view of the December eclipse. We stayed up until 12:30 (on a work night), bundled up, found a good spot in the middle of the field and watched the eclipse until somewhere around 2:30 when we could no longer feel our toeses or our noses: only halfway through the eclipse. That was enough. Sometimes the fun can only last so far.

Brrrrr!!!!

This is as far as we got. We couldn't quite make it until the moon was entirely in shadow. The cold was making Kelley crabby and I was starting to doze off. Yeah, time to go in.