Where's my Slide Rule?

Whelp, I'm a boring blogger. I feel obligated to write a little something (because I'm sure you've all been losing sleep over my lack of regular posts). Also, I never include exciting photos. So, here's a post...with some photos. (Granted, I never told you that the photos are great or have any relevance to anything).

I Hold the Following Truths to be Self-Evident:

1. I might as well have been born in 762 B.C. (B.C.E. for you history snobs). If you looked at my extreme lack of technological know-how, you would think I was a cave woman that accidentally transported herself to the present. I'd like to change the music on my blog, but I can't quite remember how. I'm still figuring out how to include such widgets and gadgets as "photos." (For some reason, every time I hear the word gidgets or gadgets, I'm reminded of a certain "Barney Bag" song from Barney and Friends--I'm not gonna lie, there's a slight chance that Alicia and I created our own version). I joined the friend-connecting world of Facebook, yet I can't quite figure it out. Is it really good for anything other than spying on people? (Not that I'm a creepy online spy, of course.) Finally, my lack of texting skills is bound to out me as a traitor to my generation. I think a grizzly bear wearing mittens could compose a text message much faster than myself. Slide rule anyone? I just can't get used to all this new-fangled technology.

2. Few things in life are better than cats wearing clothing. Although, family photos with said cats are a tiny bit better.

3. Homemade dioramas are bound to make a comeback in 2009. If you're at all familiar with Duchesne County, you'll definitely recognize this one--I think it's remarkably accurate and life-like.

4. Online Boggle and online Scrabble are the best discoveries I've made so far in 2009 (they're gonna be hard to top).

Anywho, just like this boring rant, my life has entered a semi-boring phase, which is a good thing of course. I'm now working full time, doing a 9-5, contributing to society, call it what you will. I'm able to do a little writing, a little editing, a little accounting (okay, that's kinda the bane of my existence, but who can complain with all the "credit crunches," "mortgage crises," and "Dow Jones drops" going on out there). (Though, I'm almost more worried about society's excessive use of cliches and buzz words--but that's just the nerdy know-it-all speaking.)

Have a Nice Life

As I was turning in my mass comm law final last week, my professor simply said, "Have a nice life." I thought, "I will now that I'm done with your class." However, it did seem kinda odd to just acknowledge that we'll never see each other again. No tears. No sappy goodbyes. Just have a nice life. It's crazy how quickly people come and go in your life. There are some that you think you'll remain in contact with forever that just disappear off the face of the earth, and there are others that you assume are out of your life forever that mysteriously reappear. Perfect example: I had a class with the younger sister of my childhood friend this semester. Mind you, I moved from that neighborhood in 1991 (17 years ago)! And I haven't spoken to the friend since circa 1993 when we shared an awkward 10-year-old phone call about her wanting a telescope for her birthday. We didn't recognize each other at first, but then we each noticed the other person's last name on their computer screen. I never thought I'd run into a friend from my Salt Lake years again, but I found myself sitting next to her a couple times a week.

"Have a nice life" seemed hugely appropriate for last week. It was my last week of college (barring any surprise course failures) and the last week at my dental office job. It's crazy that life can drastically change so quickly. Last week I was contemplating driving off a cliff (which is usually the case at the end of a semester), and wondering how it would feel to know that I no longer worked at the place I've been for almost four years. Fast forward a week, and school's done (feels like history already), and my now full-time job at the Wasatch Journal feels as natural as can be. (It helps that I've been at the WJ in some capacity for months now.)

I'd like to write an introspective, intellectual summation of my college experience, but for now I'm glad it's done, and I'm licking my college-induced wounds (being, of course, a constant sense of anxiety over incomplete assignments, perpetual drowsiness, and a year's worth of dirty laundry). Healing will come, I'm sure. And when I feel like it, I'll share my words of collegiate wisdom. And if everyone's really lucky, I'll share some of my favorite college tales: that of my boiled-egg-eating arch nemesis and the tale of my compliment-showering stalker. Another day...

It's Official

I'm officially a published author!! I received a copy of our new issue of the Wasatch Journal yesterday, and what lovely surprise did I find on page 114? My article! Well, it obviously wasn't an actual surprise, but what a great feeling to see my name in print. I've been a part of the entire process for this issue--writing one of the articles, proofing the whole issue. It's great to have a physical representation of the work I've been doing for the past few months. With a lot of jobs, you do all the work and never have anything tangible to show for it, so it's really rewarding to open a box of freshly printed magazines that are polished, finished versions of the work you've been toiling and debating over for months.

Around 2 years ago, I decided I wanted to go back to school. I still wasn't exactly sure what I wanted to major in, which was the reason I had taken a break in the first place. When it came down to deciding on a major, though, I just thought, " What would I enjoy? What job can I actually picture myself doing?" I didn't decide on a specific job, but I knew I could possibly see myself writing or editing. In fact, as I was getting closer to starting school again, I wrote a journal entry about liking the idea of writing for a magazine, but really having no idea how to even begin going about it. I came across this entry a few weeks ago, and what an incredible feeling to see myself accomplishing the lofty goals I had envisioned a couple years earlier.

I don't know what job (if any) I'll end up with after graduation, and I have a few hurdles to overcome before I'm officially done with school (classes, homework, finals). But at least for today, I can open my magazine, re-read my article for the millionth time, and feel at least an inkling of confidence that I'm on the right track.

Zombie Costume

To celebrate the fantastic holiday of Halloween, of which I'm an absolute fan (aside from scary movies, haunted houses, and things that are creepy in real life), I've decided I'll give everyone a sneak peek at my costume. This may not seem like a photo of a very convincing zombie, but let me explain.

Considering the fact that I've spread myself a bit too thin the past few months, I've been trying to find a good description of how I feel. It came to me today: I feel like a zombie. Definition of a zombie: someone who looks or behaves like an automaton (similar to a robot); according to voodoo belief, a corpse that has been revived by a supernatural power; an animated corpse; a person who is listless or machine-like; a tall mixed drink made of various rums, liquors, and fruit juice (okay, this definition may be a stretch...I don't really feel like a mixed drink, though ask me in a few weeks and I might have a different answer).

It seems that the common image one's mind conjures when thinking of zombies is a fairly grotesque corpse-like being, dragging his body around, begging for "brains." Whelp, as of late, due to ridiculously useless attempts at sleep (which I'll get to in a minute), I look semi-corpse-like. Also, my brain seems to be turning into mush--I can't remember what day it is, I find myself staring into space quite a bit, and I'm finding it more and more impossible to focus (mainly with homework, of course). So I wouldn't put it past myself to start wandering the streets looking for spare brains.

As far as the whole sleep thing goes, I, along with my sisters, have some ridiculous issues with sleeping. Number 1: insomnia. It's been a problem for the last 6 or so years. I'm often jealous when new moms say their children are up 2-3 times a night--that would be a great night sleep for me. Secondly, as my sisters can both understand and attest to, I seem to lose all logic once I enter REM. I scream a lot--sometimes because of weird dreams, sometimes for no reason at all. And as of late, any anxiety I'm feeling chooses to rear its ugly head between the hours of 12:06 am and around 4:30 am. I wake up with a start, often exclaiming something like, "crap," "oh no," or more choice words. I then stare at the clock forever. Fearing that I've slept in or missed something important, my eyes see the correct time, but my brain refuses to register that it's the middle of the night and I can go back to sleep. So, I just sit there, pondering the time...confused, sleepy, startled. Bleh, it's really quite a scene--kinda like a one-man, three-ring circus. And it literally happens every night--except Fridays and Saturdays, luckily for me.

Needless to say, I should really only have about 8 more weeks of zombie-dom. Then, I'll graduate and hopefully the school will return my brain when they give me my diploma. Until then, don't be alarmed if there's word of zombies in the area--it's likely that it'll just be me counting down the days to my graduation :)

Tag, I'm It

I'm new to the whole tag thing, so here goes...

8 TV Shows I Like to Watch:
1. Project Runway
2. So you Think you can Dance
3. Top Design
4. Project Zoe (guilty pleasure)
5. Sex & the City (on DVD)
6. Flight of the Conchords (on DVD)
7. presidential debates :)
8. Family Guy

8 Favorite Restaurants
1. The Dodo
2. Gourmandise, The Bakery
3. Citris Grill
4. Biaggi's
5. P.F. Chang's
6. The Artisan
7. The Union Grill
8. Cutler's (not really a restaurant but I eat there every week)

8 Things that Happened Yesterday
1. I worked at the dental office
2. I worked at the Wasatch Journal
3. I went to a mass comm law class
4. I worked at The Chronicle
5. I watched the vice presidential debate
7. Betsy ruined my upcoming fall break/semester/LIFE!!! :(
8. I had a MAJOR breakdown!!! (see #7)

8 Things I'm Looking Forward to
1. Finishing school
2. Finishing school (it's really all I think about)
3. Getting my own house/apartment
4. Finding a "real" job (hopefully before I graduate)
5. Our yearly Halloween party
6. our new issue of the Wasatch Journal coming out in mid October (I'm officially going to be published--a 3-page article in a great magazine--everyone should buy it when it comes out)
7. my next haircut :)
8. visiting Steve & Vye in Victoria (not quite sure when, but I'm excited)

I'm tagging Alicia, even though she's already been tagged...

Monet to Picasso

So we went to the Museum of Fine Arts on Friday to see the Monet to Picasso exhibit. We had attempted to do so last Friday, but we found out it was sold out when we got there. Luckily, we purchased our ticktets early for this Friday, because it sold out as well. I have to admit that the fact that an art exhibit in Utah could sell out on multiple nights, even with extended hours, does improve my view of humanity (a tiny bit). It hopefully proves that not every person in the world is completely devoid of culture and an appreciation for art (in some form or another).

They had pieces from Van Gogh, Monet, Manet, Cezanne, Rodin, Renoir, Dali—so many famous artists! Although it’s cliché, I have to say that it was just amazing to see their actual canvasses and brush strokes. It’s incredible to see the thick paint on Van Gogh’s paintings, the brush strokes on others, the actual colors. I love art in general, so I of course was in heaven. But even for those who don’t love art (especially impressionism to surrealism), it seems that it would be pretty great to see an item that is over 150 years old that has been preserved and has traveled around the world.

I do have a few tips for museum goers (not that I’m an expert on the subject, per se, but these things will enhance the experience for everyone involved).

1. Don’t bring your children. I understand the reasoning behind bringing them—you want them to be cultured and to appreciate the fact that these famous pieces came through Utah. However, 99.9% of children will not appreciate it like the art-loving adults that are excited to spend our evening in a museum. There were multiple times when I could barely see the pieces because some 11-year-old was standing directly in front of it, blankly staring at the painting with a bored look on her face. Or worse yet, in an attempt to force culture down their children’s throat, the parent and the child stood directly in front of the piece as the parent tried to explain the significance of Rodin’s Thinker to his 12-year-old son (speaking quite loudly to prove to the rest of us that he is an expert on the subject, of course). Not to mention the puzzled stares on the children's faces any time they noticed a nude painting or sculpture (one boy's response to a nude: "A-roo-ga!!). If they're too young to handle nudity, you probably shouldn't expose them to multiple nudes in one night.
2. Don’t go to an exhibit just because you’ve heard that famous names are associated with it. If the famous name, such as Van Gogh, doesn't actually mean anything to you, don't go just so you can say you went. Many people last night acted annoyed when they’d come to the Van Gogh paintings and realize that they weren’t his most famous pieces. It seems pointless to spend time and money on something that you don’t actually enjoy just because you feel like you’re cooler for having seen something by a famous person.
3. As you’re looking at paintings, or any work of art for that matter, you don’t have to prove to the entire room that you’re an expert on the topic. Even if you are an expert, keep your mouth shut and enjoy the works for what they are. You can analyze them later if you must, but the rest of us don’t want to listen to your self-gratifying rants the whole night.
4. Finally, if you find yourself at any sort of exhibit with impressionistic/modern/surrealist art, never, ever, ever say “My 3-year-old could paint that.” Or “I could paint that, and I’m not even an artist.” If you or your 3-year-old can do it, then buy yourselves some paint and go crazy. I would dare say that you won't become rich or famous for it. If you don’t understand/appreciate conceptual art, don’t go see it. To those of us who do "get it," we think you're a dummy for piping in with some lame comment about your 3-year-old. No one is forcing you to stare at paintings you don't understand or appreciate. If you ask me, it seems quite ridiculous to spend time/money on something that you don't like.

I suppose I’ll stop there. I’m sure I've just outed myself as the snob that I am. I do have to say, though, that we ended an already-great night with dinner and dessert at Gourmandise. I love to watch people's faces when they first notice the dessert counter--there are tarts, cakes, creme puffs, cookies, puddings, you name it. It's one of our favorite places for treats, favorites including the raspberry tartlets, strawberry creme puffs, napoleans, and fudge cups! Here are a couple silly pictures of our treats I took last time we were there. We take our treats very seriously!

Too Much Editing--No Time for Blogging

So, as it turns out, I'm really not cut out for this whole blogging thing, unless semi-annual posts are acceptable. As of late, I barely have time to think, let alone write blog posts...

I've deeply immersed myself into a world of insanity-- commuting, working, editing. Any time left over is then dedicated to homework or a few hours of sleep. In fact, I found this week that I now edit stories in my sleep, which doesn't equate to a restful night. In my dreams, I find myself reading newspaper and magazine articles, finding grammatical errors and rewording awkward phrases. In fact, I think I came up with some pretty great edits the other night, but I forgot about them when I woke up.

For those who are unfamiliar with the world of editing, mine works like this. For the newspaper, all of the stories for the next day are sitting in a folder in the computer. I go through them one by one, along with a couple other editors. On the most basic level I check for misspellings and grammatical mistakes. I then fact check every name, statistic and fact in the story. After which, I cut out needless words, rewrite awkward passages, etc., etc. It's almost the same with the magazine I work for, but I have a bit more time on each story, and I'm the only official copy editor reading it, so I'm a bit more thorough. Discussions with fellow copy editors may include the following topics: spelling "adviser" with an "e" instead of an "o," "vice president" is not hyphenated, whether or not the term "honky" is offensive, "spokeswoman" or "spokesman" is always preferred over "spokesperson." I realize these things seem boring, but I spend hours each day poring over stories, looking for these things, asking myself these exact questions.

Which is also the reason I've decided that editing is the perfect career for know-it-alls. You not only have to know everything about language usage, you have to know about the topics you're reading so you can catch factual errors. In editing different stories, I've learned about the tallest trees in Utah, the tallest trees in the world, the Spiral Jetty in the Great Salt Lake, the Utah Symphony's upcoming season, just to name a few. So give me a few years, and I think I will be completely unbeatable in games like Trivial Pursuit and Scrabble. Although I have to admit that I'm already pretty good at both :)