Perspectives from a Hard Boiled Egg

Skills

2009-11-11T08:54:00.001-08:00

I've been thinking about all the things I do at work that neither law school or library school prepared me to do.

For example:
I now know how to video, download, convert and burn a class. Which meant I had to figure out what software to buy and troubleshoot file types.

I learned about CSS and HTML for the library's blog and now know how to add RSS feeds and stat counters to track use.

Marketing! Still have so much to learn.

And most importantly: how to deal with rude, passive agressive, crazy people. There should be an entire class on how to confront people.

I'm not complaining, really! It's just amazing how much I've had to learn on the job. Four years of advanced degrees is worth...um...I'll have to get back to you. I guess the degrees meant I could get my job and now it's up to me to keep learning.

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

Plural Marriage

2009-10-18T10:27:00.003-07:00

On Friday nights, a group called Brewed Awakenings meets to discuss spiritual-related topics and this week's topic was plural marriage. The guests were a husband and wife (one of three) who answered our questions with incredible honesty.

They are independent, which means they don't have a prophet or belong to a larger FLDS group, and they worship on Sunday with their immediate family only. Why do they live in plural marriage? To attain higher glory in heaven.

Vicki has appeared on Oprah and other shows while her husband has not done as many public appearances because he fears it will affect his job. They were both raised in plural families. Vicki has 7 children and he has 24, including 5 one of the wives had from a prior relationship.

Some other fascinating things about them:
- They all live in the same house but it has three master bedrooms.
- Their children range in age from five weeks to 18.
- Other FLDS would probably consider them liberal.
- The third wife is Vicki's twin sister.
- There are more plural families in Utah than Polynesians.
- Most houses in Utah have been touched in some way by a polygamist as many are involved in the construction trade.
- They don't want polygamy to be legalized -- they want it to be decriminalized.

I am fascinated by this topic and have read numerous books about the FLDS but this definitely was the most eye-opening conversation I had ever had about the subject. I wish there had been more time to talk with them as I still struggle to understand the theology behind their decision.

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

Plural Marriage

2009-10-18T10:27:00.001-07:00

Vacation

2009-10-14T16:17:00.001-07:00

One of the perks of working for the government is that I get paid vacations on all federal holidays, including Columbus Day. This past weekend we flew to Portland and enjoyed a long weekend with our families.

While my dad and G went camping, I went shopping with my sister and mom and spent a few giftcards to buy something beautiful in a blue box! We also checked out the new Northface outlet at Woodburn and ate sushi at Saburos, which in my opinion is the best on this side of the Pacific.

When the boys returned from camping, they assured us we hadn't missed anything too fun as the temperature dropped to 15 degrees and neither had warm enough clothes or sleeping bags.

It's hard to wake up at 5:45 after a lovely weekend of sleeping in.

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

Apps

2009-10-08T12:21:00.001-07:00

Since I purchased my iPhone I'm rarely on the computer and thus have abandoned almost every tech thing that can't be done from my phone. But today I discovered an iPhone app that let's me blog from my phone. Hooray!

There's too much to cover since my last post, so let's pretend everyone who reads this blog is all caught up. If you don't know me, I doubt you care that my brother got married, that I moved into a townhouse or that I'm hosting book club next month, which means I really do have to finish unpacking.

But back to apps: if you have an iPhone, what apps are on your must list? I got some great suggestions from my friends on Twitter but would love to hear from my blogging buddies.

Some of my favs: Shazam, Facebook, Bejeweled and Yelp.

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

Making Plans

2009-07-19T20:16:00.000-07:00

The big news this week was that G got accepted to the U, so he gets to stay in Utah with me! We also found a bigger place to rent as there is no way we can spend a year in my small apartment since we are already using every available closet, cupboard and bookshelf for storage and have an entire storage unit of stuff that needs a home. I miss my books, my couch, and my big TV! Our new place is actually a townhouse, so it will be the biggest home we've ever lived in together. I'm already making plans on where to display all of our books! And of course, where guests can stay when they visit. (Please come visit!)

On Saturday, I leave for Washington, D.C. for my professional conference. I'm not looking forward to being in D.C. because of the humidity, traffic, crowds, etc., but I'm very much looking forward to seeing my law librarian classmates and seeing my best friend from law school. And since we lived there for 3 years, I don't feel any pressure at all to spend my down time seeing sights. I'm going to enjoy the a/c as much as possible!

G asked me if I was going to visit my law school while in D.C. And I literally started laughing.

Independence Day Celebration

2009-07-05T19:57:00.000-07:00

This year we didn't watch fireworks or eat traditional 4th of July food like hot dogs or potato salad. My in-laws came to visit, so while the boys went hiking and fishing in the Uintahs, my MIL and I toured the state capitol and Temple Square. I was really excited to take her to the capitol because she's a history teacher. When we got there, we found about 100 demonstrators protesting everything: illegal immigration, the Obama administration (generally), taxes, bail outs. Everything!

Then last night, G and I started watching a documentary called Shouting Fire: Stories from the Edge of Free Speech.

This was a great way to spend Independence Day: to see people exercising their rights as Americans and to hear what lawyers are doing to defend these rights.

Comments & Tags & Updates, oh my!

2009-06-24T18:05:00.000-07:00

I get it: when you use social networking sites like Facebook, or even this blog, you open yourself up to rude comments. Anyone who knows me well understands that even though I have multiple professional degrees, I like to "escape" into the unreality of TV, whether it's a comedy, drama, or so-called reality show. I read celebrity gossip sites. I see nothing wrong with a little escapism. And trust me, when you work at a place like I do, it's very easy to come right back down out of the celebrity created dream world into the depressing and sad place that is the real world.

So when someone makes fun of me for watching "trashy" TV or reading People magazine, I usually let it go. I don't care what they think. But this time it wasn't verbal. It was on my Facebook page as a comment to a status update! I know at this point I can delete the comment, unfriend the "friend" and/or simply ignore it like anything else. Maybe because it was in writing that made me so mad. Or maybe it was the source: the "friend" is unemployed and wastes money on frivolous things. I was tempted to write back and say mean things. But then that would have been out there in cyberspace. Maybe forever. And it just seems too mean to write it down.

Living together

2009-06-20T19:14:00.000-07:00

When G. moved in to my small 1-bedroom apartment last month, we had to do a lot of rearranging so we could put away any of his belongings. Mind you, most of his stuff is in a storage unit in Vancouver until August and I have a lot of clothes, but still, it was very difficult to find space for his suits, shoes, etc.

But the hardest part was finding space for the food he brought, as well as bathroom stuff like toothpaste. Since we both shop a Costco, I had a four-pack of toothpaste here and he brought three tubes of it with him to SLC. I bought a small box of oatmeal; he brought a Costco sized bag.

For the next year (or more!) we will not run out of toothpaste, toothbrushes, bar soap, oatmeal, peanut butter, or assorted veggie food products. And it means that when we move again in August to a bigger place, we get to take it all with us.

Better Than Normal

2009-05-31T19:25:00.000-07:00

I no longer live alone!

G and I drove from Vancouver, Wash. to Salt Lake City last weekend and have been trying to combine two people's worth of stuff into a small one bedroom apartment all week. We are not done.

This is the first summer of our married lives that will actually be spent together for longer than June and July.

Year 1: I took a summer class and worked part of the summer in DC, then went to my parents for vacation to escape the DC heat.
Year 2: I thought studying for the bar (hahahaha) at my parents would be a good idea.
Year 3: Summer class, then internship in Portland (lived with my parents...wow, my parents have been very gracious hosts!)
Year 4: Together!

This is also the first year of our married lives that neither of has to study anything for an extended period of time. Until the middle of August, no textbooks have to be opened! Amazing.

Book List Updated

2009-04-26T10:14:00.000-07:00

March:
The Piano Teacher by Janice Y.K. Lee
The Year of Living Biblically by A.J. Jacobs
Married in Seattle by Debbie Macomber
Reading Lolita in Tehran by Azar Nafisi*

April:
Firefly Lane by Kristen Hannah (with an incredibly unlikable main character)
Q & A by Vikas Swarup (This was the inspiration for Slumdog Millionaire)
The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society by Mary Ann Shaffer and Annie Barrows
Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet by Jamie Ford
Lipstick Jihad by Azadeh Moaveni*
Pursuit by Karen Robards
Look Again by Lisa Scottoline
What I Did For Love by Susan Elizabeth Phillips

May:
Honeymoon in Tehran by Azadeh Moaveni
The Mercy Papers: A Memoir of Three Weeks by Robin Romm

*We're discussing these two memoirs at book club tonight. When I first read Reading Lolita in Tehran, I really liked it, but this time I had a hard time getting through it. Lipstick Jihad was more accessible, probably because the story didn't rely on seven or eight characters with complicated back stories to move the narration forward.

Positive (?) portrayal of Adventists in fiction

2009-04-26T10:03:00.000-07:00

In Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet, Jamie Ford writes:

[a black man and Chinese boy are traveling through Eastern Washington on their way to a Japanese internment camp in Idaho]

"He and Sheldon finally stopped at the grand entrance of what must have been the tallest building in town, the Marcus Whitman Hotel. Inside, a coffee shop could be plainly seen. 'What do you think?' Henry asked.

'This is as good as any. Let's go around back and order something to go.'

'Out back?' Henry asked.

'Ain't no need to be taking chances, Henry, we've come this far--'

'Can I help you two with something?' An older gentleman must have crossed the street behind them. His question made Sheldon bolt upright and Henry stepped behind him. 'You two aren't from around here, are you?'

Henry swallowed hard.

'No sir, we're just passing through. In fact, we're heading back to our bus right now...'

'Well, since you've come all the way down, might as well go on in and grab a cup of something warm.' Henry watched the man crane his neck and look down the street to the bus depot. 'Looks like you've got time. Welcome to Walla Walla, and I hope you come back and see us again.' He handed Henry and Sheldon a small pamphlet and tipped his hat. 'God bless.'

Henry watched him walk away, confused. What place is this, he wondered. Does he think I'm Japanese? He looked at his button, then up at Sheldon, who was skimming the brochure and scratching his head--a surprised yet relieved look on his face. The small pamphlet was from an Adventist church, a group Henry knew was lending charitable aid to imprisoned Japanese families. Volunteering as teachers and nurses. As it turned out, there was a large congregation, even a private church college, here.

As he and Sheldon grabbed a quick meal of coffee and toast, they looked around and made eye contact with the folks around them. Not everyone was afraid. Some even smiled back."

No iPhone for Me

2009-04-20T17:38:00.001-07:00

I stepped on my last phone and eventually the screen blacked out, so I couldn't see who was calling me or the numbers I was dialing.

So I got the cheapest, crappiest phone from AT&T to hold me over until my contract runs out so I could get the iPhone for the cheaper price.

But then today, when I got out of my car, I forgot my phone was in my lap. I then proceeded to go shopping for an hour. The whole time my phone was lying on the ground next to my car. Luckily I live in a very honest town (or, no one wanted my cheap, crappy phone) and my phone was nicely propped on the hood of my car when I returned.

This time, there are no visible cracks.

But if I invest $200 in an iPhone and pay whatever extortionist fees in monthly costs, will I care for my phone as if it were an egg--an unboiled egg--or will it break all over the road?

Jodi Picoult in SLC

2009-03-29T10:33:00.000-07:00

On Wednesday, Jodi Picoult did a reading from her new book Handle with Care. She also answered some questions from the audience, and I was interested to hear that her next book is already written and she's currently researching another book to be published in 2011.

Some interesting facts:

1) Her next book will be about an adult living with Asperger's syndrome
2) The book she's currently researching is about embryo donation and gay marriage
3) Her favorite book to research was Second Glance
4) My Sister's Keeper has been made into a movie. But they changed the ending!
5) It takes her about 9 months to write a book, from initial research to final edits

Goodbye, BSG

2009-03-21T20:00:00.000-07:00

So the ending of BSG reminded me of Noah and the flood. Except in this case, the skins have a bay ship and may come back to attack if they decide humans are their enemy once again.

My unaswered questions:
1) How did they repopulate the earth if they spread out across different continents and islands?
2) Why did Adama sacrifice himself, after all that work to find a safe place to live? I get that Laura is gone...but is there nothing else to live for?
3) Does Starbuck have botox injections in her lips?

Warm Enough

2009-03-19T15:19:00.000-07:00

Like Christmas, this is the first March in a long time I haven't had at least a week off to do nothing. G is here in SLC visiting, but he has three papers due by the end of the weekend, so I decided to work most of the week. Thankfully for him, I happen to work in a quiet, clean library, so he spent the afternoons this week studying there while I wrote on my work blog, read a fascinating book called The End of Lawyers?, and helped people.

But today, it's vacation! Which means sleeping in, catching up on Chuck and BSG, and eating doughnuts from the Banbury Cross Doughnut shop. Tomorrow we might go outlet shopping. Or not. That's the beauty of vacation. We don't have to plan.

As I write this, I'm wearing a tanktop and capri pants. It's that warm in my apartment. Thankfully, unlike Seattle, apartments come with a/c. We'll need it this summer (or sooner).

Radio Star

2009-03-10T18:02:00.001-07:00

Well, not really...

But I just did a radio interview about some classes we're offering through my place of employment. It was only two minutes.

But I was nervous! I hope my voice sounded okay. I probably will not try to find it online to listen. I hate my voice on tape (or radio, or whatever).

Sabbath

2009-02-28T16:44:00.000-08:00

In college, it was easy to "keep the Sabbath" as I had been raised to--I would go to vespers and hang out with friends on Friday night, and then on Sabbath, go to church, eat at a friends' house, take a nap, and then it would be Saturday night. I never was tempted to watch TV or go to a movie or go shopping, except for the occasional grocery shopping. My version of keeping the Sabbath meant it was okay to go out to eat. I still don't have a problem with that.

And now I live alone: on Friday night, I face an empty, silent apartment. I want to watch TV to fill up the lonely space, but thus far have only allowed myself to watch shows live Man v. Wild on the Discovery Channel. Since I'm so busy during the week, I almost wish I felt okay about relaxing by watching TV or shopping. But I think I would feel way too guilty.

I'm not spiritual enough to spend Friday night reading the Bible or another religious text. I would get too bored.

I wonder if other people's versions of "keeping the Sabbath" has changed as life circumstances change. And I wonder if that's okay. Today in church the sermon was about healthy relationships and sex, and the pastor indicated that some Adventists have a problem with having sex on Sabbath. Where does an idea like that start? I wish guilt wasn't so built into my version of Sabbath.

Health Insurance

2009-02-25T18:02:00.000-08:00

I have great health insurance. I used to work in a hospital admitting office and clinic billing office. But my great insurance has failed me, and even though I know all the jargon health insurance people like to use, I'm not getting anywhere with them. Why did they put me on probation for 9 months and refuse to pay for something they deem a pre-existing condition--a condition that has never been diagnosed before?

I hate that their phone hours are only during my work hours, so I have to waste time on hold when I should be helping my own customers.

Okay, rant over...for now. If they don't pay for my MRI, I'm going to be really, really upset. And I will be drafting an appeal to the review board. Maybe it's a good thing I went to law school. I'm really good at throwing big words into the mix.

I'm still here

2009-02-17T19:29:00.000-08:00

My parents kindly flew me to California to celebrate my mom's birthday with them and my sister. I went from sunny (albeit cold) Utah to rainy California. I got to spend one afternoon at the beach, otherwise I just stayed bundled up in the cold. However, it was great to spend time with my family--we ate at In-N-Out and went to the Getty Museum. Yes, we are a family of varied tastes!

This past weekend, I spent a lovely long weekend in Sun River. I expected it to be cold there. Went for walks in the snow and got sick. So I came home early from work today and am trying to recover before flying to Seattle this weekend.

I love traveling. I do not like the germs on the plane.

Book List

2009-02-01T19:31:00.000-08:00

I've read a couple of blogs where people keep track of the books they read via their blogs. I think this is a good idea because I always forget to update Shelfari and haven't tried LibraryThing.

So, I'll update this blog post every month, and maybe even review the books I've read so I can remember what they're about. (I have a terrible memory.)

January:
The Piano Teacher* by Lynn York
Good in Bed by Jennifer Weiner
Goodnight Nobody by Jennifer Weiner
Little Earthquakes by Jennifer Weiner (yes, I was on a Jennifer Weiner kick)
A Lion Among Men by Gregory Maguire

February:
sTORI Telling by Tori Spelling
The Eye of Jade by Diane Wei Liang
College Girl by Patricia Weitz
Tales of Beedle the Bard by J.K. Rowling
Dewey: The Small-Town Library Cat Who Touched the World by Vicki Myron
The Spirit Catches You and You Fall Down: A Hmong Child, Her American Doctors, and the Collision of Two Cultures by Anne Fadiman**
Factory Girls: From Village to City in a Changing China by Leslie T. Chang

March:
The Piano Teacher by Janice Y.K. Lee
The Year of Living Biblically by A.J. Jacobs
Married in Seattle by Debbie Macomber
Reading Lolita in Tehran by Azar Nafisi***

April:
Firefly Lane by Kristen Hannah (with an incredibly unlikable main character)
Q & A by Vikas Swarup (This was the inspiration for Slumdog Millionaire)
The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society by Mary Ann Shaffer and Annie Barrows

*When I read the Library Journal review of this book, I failed to note the author. There are multiple books with this title, one just recently released. I meant to read that one. York's book was awkward and boring. But like I've done a million times, once I start a book, I have to finish it. The most boring book that I've finished in the last year is Love in the Time of Cholera. I just didn't get it.

**First book chosen for my book club. Our first meeting is on Sunday. I'm really excited about doing something literary!

***Second book chose for book club.

The radio saved us

2009-01-20T16:07:00.001-08:00

Today at work we had a boss-sanctioned viewing party of the inauguration. I set up the laptop and projector and we plugged in the speakers to the laptop. Apparently everyone in the universe was also trying to live stream the inauguration, so the page kept reloading and we kept missing things, like Aretha's song and important bits of Obama's speech. So we decided to try the old school method of listening to the radio! We kept the video up but unplugged the sound--at least we were hearing everything live. It was a little jarring to watch the live stream because it was about 5 seconds behind the radio's live broadcast. I guess sometimes it's good to have a reliable back up plan that includes ancient technologies!

It's 2 a.m. on a weekday

2009-01-13T19:32:00.000-08:00

I was being good last night and went to bed by 10.

Then I was rudely awakened by the fire alarm at 2:15. This is the third time it has been a false alarm and I feel sorry for the firemen who have to respond to the call. It takes at least a half hour for them to turn off the alarm each time, and thus my sleep was severely disrupted. I'm worried that if there is actually a fire in my building, I won't respond and then get stuck. At least I'm only on the second floor, so if I had to jump I don't think I'd die, just get hurt.

In other news, I started watching season 2 of Big Love. I like it even more since it's set in Sandy, Utah, and I actually get all the references to Utah and the Church.

The Real World at Starbucks

2009-01-12T17:37:00.000-08:00

Yesterday I went to sleep at 12:30 and woke up numerous times during the night. So, what better excuse is there for a quad-shot latte at 6:30 in the morning?

I stopped at Starbucks and the baristas were talking with a slender blond woman in her 50s about the Real World: Brooklyn. This didn't surprise me since two of the kids are from Salt Lake City this season. What did surprise me is that it was the blond kid's mom! She was complaining about how much of their conversations got cut on the show, that she was thankful not many people in her neighborhood watched the show so there wasn't much talk of it at church on Sunday, and that the blond kid's girlfriend's (yeah right!) dad was upset with producers because she is mentioned on the show without permission.

I was so tired, before I picked up on the fact that this was the blond kid's mom, I was like, "Oh, are you talking about the Real World?" She looked at me and nodded. Most of the time people in SLC are friendly and talkative. She was not. I don't think she's too happy her son is on the show.

Starting a book club

2009-01-11T18:20:00.000-08:00

A few friends and I are starting a book club.

I suggested a few titles to start with:

1) Eat, Pray, Love
2) Reading Lolita in Tehran
3) The Faith Club
4) The Spirit Catches You and You Fall Down

I've read the first two, but I was hoping, dear readers, that you could suggest some books as well.

It's going to be a varied group--some of the girls are not regular readers, so it can't be too English majorish, like Charles Dickens!