Connie's Random Rants

Dining Room - Before & After

2011-09-25T16:57:00.003-06:00

This is my dining room before I had any furniture in it. It is really boring and not very interesting.

This is what my dining room looks like now. It is still a work in progress, but furniture is better than no furniture.

Notice the great chairs. They used to look like this. But I didn't like the color...

So, I convinced my Mom and Reuben to help me sand them all down (Dad helped too). Here they are in action. Don't you just love all of the dust particles in the air?

I had to leave for Georgia before they were finished so Mom and Andrea spent the next week finishing them for me. They look beautiful!!! Thanks Mom & Andrea!

Andrea and my Mom spent so much time on them and I love the chairs that much more. They help remind me daily of how much I am loved. I think everyone should have a physical reminder that they are loved in their home, especially when they are thousands of miles from home.

Now I just have to recover the seats and they will be perfect! Any suggestions on what color/design I should use for the seats?

Apartment - Before Furniture

2011-09-25T16:54:00.000-06:00

My stuff finally arrived here in Columbus last weekend so I can now start to upload photos and blog about my awesome trip across the country. These are photos of my apartment before the furniture arrived. I will add pictures as I start go get rooms in order. It is going to be a long process, but hopefully once all is said and done my apartment will be well decorated and a great place to call home.

Amphibians & Reptiles

2011-09-04T19:14:00.003-06:00

Tuesday morning I was strolling along the sidewalk out to my car and as I looked down I saw two frogs on the sidewalk. I am not a fan of frogs. Tree frogs are cute because they are tiny and behind thick glass at the zoo and or aquarium. These were not cute frogs. They were big (bodies approximately four inches) and they were definitely not behind glass! As I got closer I noticed that they were dead, and their insides were hanging out reminiscent of 8th grade biology (someone's dog got to them I think). NOT the way you want to start your day! I can't decided if it was better that they were dead or if I would have preferred them being alive. If they would have been alive and hopping toward me, I may have screamed and that is not the way you want to meet the neighbors screaming your head off because of some frogs. But if they would have been alive, I may not have every seen them and I would have no idea that frogs are lurking around my apartment. Unfortunately there are now spots on the concrete from their carcasses, and so every time I walk by I get a reminder of gross dead frogs.

Thursday (or maybe it was Friday) I was beginning to get over the trauma of the dead frogs when upon returning home from work I see a lizard, A LIZARD!! scurrying away from my front door and over to the stairs. Frogs are worse than the little lizard (about 5 inches long) but frogs, snakes and lizards are the worst! I do not like creepy crawly things or things that are slimy and hop. I am now afraid of what I will see when I leave/return to my house.

I will come completely unhinged if I see a snake on my walk between the apartment and my car. I may be on the next plane out of this place if that happens!

A much overdue update

2011-09-04T18:35:00.002-06:00

This post is about a year over due, but I just couldn't bring myself to blog about my life for the last year. It was a difficult year with lots of challenges that I just didn't feel like sharing with the whole world. However things are MUCH better and I have started a new adventure and I am committing myself to more frequent updates to my blog. (Can't really get less frequent, now can I?)

First, after 15 months of looking for a job (some months more diligently than others) I was offered a two jobs in the matter of weeks. The first offer was with a company that I knew well and with people that I consider to be like family. It was close to family and friends and would have a nice big salary, good benefits and an impressive title. The other was with a large company (on the Fortune 150) in a lower level job, way less impressive title and FAR away from family and friends. I was ready to accept job #1, but felt really unsettled about it. So after some prayer, a trip to the temple, and a good cry (not the happy kind) I turned down job #1 and took job #2. After I turned down job #1, I felt peace and that I made the right decision.

There have been some definite bumps in the road and I have questioned my decision a few times. Relocating has been a bit of a hassle. There were some problems getting my background and employment verification completed but despite the two week delay getting that taken care (which had be finished before we could start the relocating proceedings) they wanted me to start only 1 week later than anticipated. It made for some crazy times, especially since we had a family reunion of sorts when Asa got home from his mission that took up one of the weeks. The day after everyone went home from the reunion, my mom and I hopped on an airplane and headed for Georgia.

Apartment hunting didn't start off very well. Nobody had any availability (not that you can blame them when I needed a place to live in just a week and a half) and those that had availability were not in my price range or in a location where I actually wanted to live. At the last minute a place opened up and was available in my time frame, so I didn't have to push my start date again (after 15 months of not working I was anxious to get back to work and earning some money!) Mom and I flew back to WA and got home early Friday morning (the 19th of August). I had 3 days to figure out what I needed to take with me, sort stuff for the movers and head out to drive across the country with Reubs to my new home. I will blog about our driving adventures soon.

Driving from Washington to Georgia (2, 775 miles) took 5 days, driving between 8 and 9 hours in each day (except the last day and it was only 5 hours!). Reuben was a trooper for hanging out in the car for so long and for keeping me company for my first weekend in Columbus. It wasn't very exciting for him I am sure, especially since I didn't get internet until yesterday afternoon and I only have two camping chairs, a couple of air mattresses, some clothes and my kitchen stuff for the next 1 to 3 weeks.

I started work on Monday and it has been really great so far. Working for a large company is different the working in smaller firms but experiencing both will help me to know which I like better, plus having a big name on my resume will help my future career. My coworkers are fantastic and everyone is SO nice. Friday morning my coworker, who had been out traveling for most of the week, sent me an email that included a list of things to do in Columbus for the weekend. It was SO thoughtful! Another coworker invited me to go with her and her friends to watch football games on Saturday. They are trying to help me feel welcome and a part of the community and it is wonderful. There is a lot to be said for southern hospitality! Of course living in the south has lots of different things to get used to, but change is good.

Cooking Adventures

2010-10-17T23:55:00.002-06:00

This past weekend, I took a much needed vacation from my family. I have been living at home for the past 5 and 1/2 months and while I love my family, I needed a break. So off I went for a short visit with friends. On the last day of my trip, I decided that it would be nice to make dinner for me and Kara, my dear friend with whom I was staying. I decided to cook chicken, wild rice and sauteed veggies - old standbys that are fast, easy and delicious. So off to the store I went.

I was making dinner while Kara was upstairs packing for a trip. I got out the pans and went looking for the things I would need to cook the veggies and chicken- salt, pepper and olive oil. I found the olive oil sitting on the counter and the salt and pepper near the stove. I cooked the chicken – browning it to perfection, making sure that it was fully cooked on the inside but remained juicy. I cut the veggies up, red peppers cut in circular patterns that looked like 4-leaf clovers, julienned zucchini and yellow squash sliced into half circles. I firmly believe that presentation is at least half of what makes food taste good, so I made sure the veggies were a combination of colors and patterns. I then sautéed the veggies in the olive oil and the rice finally finished cooking. I dished it all up on plates and it looked beautiful – honestly it could have been a picture in a magazine. I was pretty proud of myself.

We blessed the food and then dug in. I took a bite and it didn’t taste very good at all. I wondered if the chicken was bad, even though it was fresh at the store. Maybe the oil had gone rancid or something. I turned to Kara and said, “This chicken tastes weird. It is not very good.” I didn’t want her to fake politeness if she thought it was disgusting. By saying it myself, I hoped she would be honest if she thought it taste gross. Kara is so well bred that she would totally eat everything on her plate, even if it the worst dinner ever and be totally gracious, thanking you the entire time. She is just that type of person.

I then tried the veggies. They too weren’t that great either. Something just wasn't right. Kara took a bite and while trying to be polite agreed that it was not the best cooking. I took another bite, trying to identify what went wrong. I am typically a pretty decent cook and I didn’t think I was THAT out of practice. Plus it is really hard to screw up chicken and rice and sautéed veggies.

I took one more bite and proclaimed, “it kind of tastes like dish soap.” Kara raised her eyebrows and then asked what I had used to cook the veggies and chicken. I said “ the olive oil that was on the counter.” She looked panicked and said, “That was the dish soap.”

Apparently in Kara’s family they decided that it looks nicer to keep your dish soap in an olive oil decanter instead of the Dawn bottle. I agree that it looks prettier, but can I recommend that should you chose to do this, use a type of dish soap that is a color other than the one that looks JUST like olive oil – use green, blue, purple, even clear, but steer clear of the gold.

The good news is that dish soap flavored dinner makes water taste like candy! Water never tasted so good! I drank a lot of it too – close to a gallon of it (as that is the recommended treatment for accidental ingestion.) Needless to say, we threw away our dinner and scrounged up some leftovers out of Kara’s fridge. It is a good thing we both have a sense of humor.

Surprise!

2010-04-26T20:40:00.003-06:00

My cute sister Tedi decided to surprise me and came to town for my graduation. Tedi has been one of my best friends and I have missed her and her hubby Doug. Last year I spent as much of my free time as I could with them. Then they abandoned me in P-town when they moved to Minneapolis last summer for grad school. It was a wonderful to have Tedi and her little girl in town for my big event. Thanks for sharing them Doug & the rest of the Tree Family!

The Latest Addition to the Clements Clan

2010-04-26T20:29:00.002-06:00

Congrats to Abe & Ann on their newest arrival. My 6th niece (#13 when combing nieces & nephews) was born on Wednesday April 21st. Isn't she adorable?

Connie Clements M.B.A

2010-04-26T19:38:00.003-06:00

It is official. I am finally finished with my MBA!! I can't believe how fast the past two years have gone. It seems like just yesterday I was walking into my first day of orientation all nervous and not sure what to expect. The administration told us to look around the room and then told us that the people sitting around us would become our best friends. I didn't believe them, but they were right. I have made wonderful friends over the past two years. My classmates have changed my life. I am sad that these people will no longer be a daily part of my life.

Thoughts, Musings & Rants

2010-03-31T17:30:00.005-06:00

I was just sitting here reflecting on my Real Estate Investments class thinking about the AWFUL guest speaker we had today. The guest was sharing information about the organization for whom he works and he represented his company very poorly. He was condescending one minute and then overly familiar the next. Add a touch of 'holier than thou' with smarmy used car salesman (a paradox, I know) and you have this guy pegged. He made gross assumptions about people in the class and their religiosity - alternating between joking that we needed to go see our bishop's to assuming that we all had current temple recommends. He quoted scripture references and then acted like we were stupid/not nearly as spiritual as he is/was when we didn't know what he was talking about. I loathe people like him because I think they represent all of the stereotypes I want to avoid. He also called us "brothers & sisters." Brothers & Sisters! At school! In a PROFESSIONAL presentation!!! SERIOUSLY!?!?

I am sorry - I know I am at BYU and it is a school run by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, but I get SUPER annoyed when people confuse school and business classes with Sunday School. I am paying money to learn and be taught by experts - I don't have to pay (nor do I want to pay) to attend testimony meeting. I do not pay money to attend firesides and that is exactly moments of today's class felt like. I want a refund for today's class!I may have just been having a bad day, but I was BEYOND annoyed. Honestly if I were his boss we would be having a "Crucial Conversation" stat. I would be ticked if one of my employees ever represented themselves, and by extension me, in such an unprofessional manner.

In the midst of my annoyance with Real Estate I was thinking about other guest lecturers we have had in the class (they were all fantastic). I was also thinking about the lectures we had combined with the undergraduate version of the Real Estate class and about how I had no clue about real estate when I was an undergrad. Then I wondered why I didn't know careers in Real Estate.

My conclusion was that we know about what we see. The grown ups that I knew growing up were involved primarily in two professions: engineering and teaching. Sure I knew a policeman here, and a lawyer there, but the majority of the people within my sphere of influence were either engineers or teachers. I learned about other careers in high school and some in college, but I have learned a lot about different career paths in the past two years in business school. It is interesting to think about my younger brothers and sisters and to see what kind of career options they will pursue as myself and my siblings have pursed other careers. Sure I still have a couple of brothers who are engineers but we are branching out. I have decided that I want my little brothers ( I really should use the term younger as they are at least 6 inches taller than me) to know about all kinds of career options and I am on a mission to help them. I wish I would have talked more to adults when I was younger to learn about their careers and what they do to occupy their time. I am sure I could have learned a lot and my network of business contacts would be a lot larger. You live and you learn I guess.

No Shirt, No Shoes....

2010-02-23T18:08:00.002-07:00

Why do guys take their shoes off while they are in class or at school? Today I have observed this phenomena three times & I just don't understand it. I have observed it on other days. It is winter so I am guessing their feet can't be hot. Guys wear loafers or tennis shoes, so I find it hard to believe that they find their shoes so uncomfortable or something to keep them on their feet. I wear 4 1/2 heels all day long and don't take my shoes off. My shoes are not particularly comfortable, but I manage to keep my feet covered when in public. I don't get why guys don't find footwear in public places to be necessary. Can anyone explain this to me?

“Blink” & Dating

2010-02-12T01:03:00.007-07:00

Recently I had to read "Blink: The Power of Thinking without Thinking" by Malcolm Gladwell for my Strategic Decision Making course. I read the book a few years ago and thought it was interesting. As I was reading it this time I thought it had some interesting things to say especially in the context of relationships. (I have spent a lot of time recently thinking about relationships, which is strange because I really haven't thought too much about them in the past.) Anyway, below is a summary of my dating philosophy as influenced by "Blink" and Malcolm Gladwell.

Trust Your First Impression

Gladwell's argument throughout the book is that decisions made quickly can be just as good as decisions make cautiously and deliberately. There is no need to spend hours and hours with a guy (or girl) if your first impression is that they are not compatible with you. I know some of you may argue that at first you couldn't stand your current boyfriend or your spouse but it turns out they are your soul mate. I am not going to argue with you. This is just what he says.

Seriously though, think back to the times you first met all of your exes or guys that wanted to day you but you didn't want to date them – what was your initial reaction? I personally think there is a lot of merit to Gladwell's argument, but that may be because I make snap judgments all of the time. Gladwell says that all you need is two second. I typically give guys more than two seconds, but they typically don't get more than 2 hours unless I am interested. (Dinner is WAY more than sufficient to know if there is a connection or not, especially if there is not.)

You Will Change Your Mind

This just might be my favorite take away from this book. Basically it boils down to the fact that we are all fickle. We all have our idea of the type of person we are looking for: intelligent and charming, sweet and sensitive, rugged and outdoorsy, outgoing and confident, etc. However, Gladwell writes of a couple (Sheena Iyengar - psychologist & Raymond Fisman - economist) who run a speed-dating event in NYC. Their event is much like other speed-dating events. The only difference is before the event, after the evening ends, a month after the event, and then six-months after participants have to fill out a questionnaire about what they are looking for in a potential partner. Iyengar & Fisman have discovered that participants are not very good at identifying those characteristics to which they are attracted. Gladwell used the example of "Mary" who before the event began said she was looking for someone who was "intelligent & sincere". "John" a participant with whom "Mary" had instant attraction was more "attractive and funny" than he was "intelligent & sincere". As a result, in the follow up survey at the end of the evening what "Mary" is looking for has changed to "attractive & funny". At the month mark, "Mary" has gone back to wanting "intelligent & sincere." So what type of guy does "Mary" really want? My guess is that she doesn't really know because her subconscious wants one thing while her conscious mind wants something else.

I think this happens to all of us. We can be attracted to one type of guy (or girl) one day and an entirely different type the next.

Case in Point:

Beware of Beautiful

Anyone who knows me knows that I am shallow, at least when I first meet people. If a guy isn't at least an 8.5 I will not really notice him. I am not saying that I will ignore him completely, but I won't notice if he is attractive or not. His personality (and how he is dressed – yes I am THAT shallow!) is what will make me like or dislike him at this point. This little "quirk" of mine has gotten me into a bit of a mess on an occasion or two.

Several years ago I went to a party at friend's house. At this party I met my friend's boyfriend's roommate. I will call him Jeff. Jeff was (and still is) a looker. (Yes, he does resemble Ryan Reynolds, swoon!) He is a solid 9 and therefore I was attracted to him right away. Jeff and I clicked, but there were some red flags. One particular red flag was the fact that he was not religious and I am. I fell for Jeff pretty hard, even though I knew that he wasn't what I ultimately wanted.

Gladwell calls this the "Warren Harding Error." Apparently Warren Harding (one of the worst US Presidents in history) was a bit of a looker. The American public thought he looked "presidential" so he was elected, even though he sucked as a president and was not really qualified. This bias (what my sister and friends have called the "hotness" bias) can interfere with our ability to make "good" two second decisions.

Play Detective – aka "The Secrets of the Bedroom"

Gladwell argues that if you really want to know what someone is like instead of going out with them twice a week for a year, you should drop by their house when they are not home and have a look around: open their closets, look in their fridge, use their bathroom, and look at their photos. By looking around someone's house you can learn as much about them as you would dating them for months on end.

I found this tidbit kind of hilarious because I once came to the conclusion that things would never work out with a guy after I had used his bathroom. It was about our third date and we had gone to his house to watch a movie after dinner. I asked to use his bathroom. The bathroom was not disgustingly dirty – it was, in fact, pretty clean. But it was the bottles of Kiehl's products lining the countertop that doomed him to the "friend zone". I don't know about you, but for me dating a guy who spends more money on skincare products than I do is NOT okay. I am supposed to be more high maintenance than any guy I date.

See Them in Their Native Habitat

Okay so this one might be a stretch – I extrapolated it from the idea that market research should be conducted when/where a product is to be consumed. Gladwell makes the argument that when we try something like Pepsi or Coke at a central location test (single sip at a grocery store or something like that) our experience is different than if we take a case home and drink it for a week. He argues that we also have a hard time separating the product from the package because they are linked. We don't just by the contents of something; we are also buying the package. (This could explain why when faced with two similar items, I always go with the "pretty" packaging. It could also explain my "hotness bias").

So using Gladwell's theory, we need to see the people that we date in their "natural habitat." We need to see them and how they interact with their friends, their family, and their coworkers.

We should also spend time with them vegging at home, at sporting events, etc. Basically see them as they are in "real life" not just on fun and exciting dates. (This is exactly why shows like The Bachelor & The Bachelorette fail WAY more often than they are successful –although it doesn't stop me from watching that train wreck!)

Stop Being a Girl: Analysis Paralysis

Gladwell argues that sometimes we spend hours, days, months or even years collecting data, running more tests (as in the case of hospitals testing for heart attack which is an example used in the book), etc all in the name of making better decisions. However often times all this data and tests are no more effective at helping us make a decision. We now have so much information that we often lose site of the bigger picture.

When it comes to dating I am THE worst when it comes to over analyzing things, particularly when it comes to what I did or didn't do. Should I have sat closer to him, was I too close, or was I okay? Should I invite him to my work Christmas party or will that seem too serious? Did I totally blow any chances of things working out when I mentioned going to lunch with my coworker and friend – who just happens to be male? What does it mean when he calls me after six months of no communication? What about when it has been over a year? Does that mean that he wants to get back together or that he wants to be friends? I could go on and on with the questions as I am sure most girls (and guys to some extent as well) can. All that I really need to know is "Do I like this guy?" and "Do I want to pursue things further?"

Remember Cinderella

Gladwell writes that we have the ability to "read minds" through intuition, facial expression and body mannerisms. However when our emotions run high, we are stressed or our bodies are tired, our ability to read minds is diminished. Our judgment is thereby impaired and we do things that we otherwise wouldn't do (like make out with a guy you hardly know). So remember to be home by midnight to avoid "impaired judgment."

Other random tidbits from "Blink"

The average American male is 5'9". Only 14.8% of American Males are over 6' which basically means I may have to get used to the idea of never wearing high heels once I am married.
Only 3.9% of the population is over 6'2" – Sorry Kara you may have to settle for your hubby being your same height :(

Friends & the January Funk

2010-01-24T21:32:00.005-07:00

I have been blessed with fantastic friends! This week has been a particularly crappy week. It is January and I have been in my annual January Funk - you know that time of the year when you hate everyone and everything? It is cold outside and the sky is cloudy and gray and the air quality is nasty because of the hated inversion. That is the kind of mood I have been in.

The week started out great. I had Monday off of school and went to see Young Victoria and had dinner in SLC with my MBA friends. It was a great time. My favorite part of the MBA program is the fantastic friends that I have made, especially among the women in the program. They are all so impressive and they are tons of fun to be around. I LOVED Young Victoria (I may even do a post all about it). It was one of the best movies I have seen and it was clean and am totally confident recommending it to others.

Things started to go downhill on Tuesday. For a school assignment I had to solicit feedback on my personal biases when making decisions. The feedback that I received wasn't that complimentary ( I am shallow and I make poor decisions when it comes to dating and relationships). While it wasn't anything I didn't already know, it was hard to hear. I tried really hard not to take it personally, but a comment was made in a follow up conversation that really made me upset. All that was said was, "I just want to see you happy." I couldn't figure out why, but it really upset me even when I knew it was said out of love and nothing else. I spent days trying to figure it out.

Thursday is my temple day with my wonderful friend, Kara. A few months ago I decided that I wanted to make temple attendance more of a priority in my life and to do that I needed a friend to hold me accountable. Kara has always been a great example to me for her dedicated temple service so I asked her to be my temple buddy and go to the temple with me at specific times -that way it would be more difficult to back out for lame reasons, telling myself that I would go another time. Anyway, Thursday I was in a massive funk and didn't want to attend the temple at all, but knew it was where I needed to be. Thankfully Kara and I had planned to go and so I went and it was nice to feel peace for a few hours. Kara has been a wonderful friend to me in the 7 years we have been friends and I am going to miss her while she is in Russia.

Friday after a bout of insomnia I was super grumpy and sat around all day (after going to the gym, so I was at least productive) looking for jobs (not a good thing to do when you are already grumpy and feeling crappy about life. I did find at least one job that sounds interesting, so that was a positive. My funk just got deeper when I was making dinner for myself ( I love to cook for other people, but doing it for myself is pointless and most of the time I opt for a Clif Bar or Mac & Cheese -gross I know, but I eat to live, not the other way around.)Anyway I was cooking dinner and I had the thought that I would be cooking dinner for at least the next 50-60 years and that was not a happy thought. It was really depressing to me.

Friday night was another sleepless night so Saturday did not start well. By now I was in a massive funk. Rebbecca and Teeno wanted to get together, but I had no desire to plan anything especially since I had made plans with them for the following week and I was grumpy and didn't want to do the planning. Then while running errands and putting away my laundry ( I hate laundry. I have decided I have too many clothes and need to seriously downsize my wardrobe. Having fewer clothes will make it so that I can't let laundry pile up for weeks and weeks which results in me having to spend entire weekends dealing with it all) I talked to both Teeno and Rebbecca and they helped cheer me up. Then I stopped by another friend's house to drop something off and I was invited to go to an early dinner. I had a party to attend later Saturday night, but depending on dinner I thought I could do both (and I didn't have to plan anything:) ). Dinner at six, be to the party by eight. It would all work out.

Dinner with "the Dancing Girls" (We all watch Dancing with the Stars and SYTYCD together -at least when they are on TV) was just what I needed. These friends have been one of the biggest blessing in my life and just what I have need right now. I have gone through some REALLY difficult personal stuff (as evidenced by extreme hair loss, insomnia and I think, the beginnings of an ulcer) in the past year and a half and they have been my sanity. They have not passed judgment and have provided a listening ear when needed. They provide support, laughs and a much needed break from reality. They have also let me into their lives and share their struggles with me as well. Dinner went a little longer than I anticipated (about an hour longer), but thanks to seeing them and talking with them I was starting to come out of my funk. Leaving the house also helped as did being able to serve another person. I was reminded of God's love for each of us as individuals when while shopping at Target with Julina we ran into our neighbor whose radiator had just cracked in the parking lot. Instead of her having to have her roommate drive all the way out to get her, Julina and I were able to give her a ride home. It is miraculous to me that our neighbor turned around at the right time and that I was in the right place at the store for her to see me. God really does love us!

Anyway after dinner I went to Kara's going away party where I ran into another wonderful friend, Sabrina. Sabrina was one of my dear friends in HS, but we seem to only run into each other at random parties lately. It was fantastic to see her and to catch up a little bit on what is going on in her life. I was also able to see other friends that I don't see often enough. Parties are great for that. :)

Today I was mostly out of my funk but this comment that was made early in the week was still bothering me. I have been able to sort through the comment, why it made me feel the way that it did and I also talked to the person who unintentionally offended me (LOVE YOU!). I thought about not saying anything, but knew that ignoring it was not the healthy way to deal with problems (but is totally how I have dealt with things in the past). I, of course, still worry that I may have now offended this person who I love dearly and who has been one of the best friends to me for basically my entire life, but I feel like I am learning and growing as a person which is the whole point of this life and the point of friends.

After a nice long cry, I went to meet with my Dancing Friends once more for our weekly catch up over Sunday night dessert (we don't see each other weekly now that our shows aren't on). My eyes were bright red from crying (after having the above mentioned conversation) and historically I won't have gone anywhere looking so awful but I knew my friends would be just what I needed; and they were. I think the highlight of the night was when my dear friend Nicole turned to me and asked if I needed a hug, and I said yes. I am not a hugger by nature, but I really did need a hug. I had been sitting in my room earlier tonight wishing that my family was closer so that some one could give me a hug. I am so blessed to have friends who are instruments in God's hands and are in tune enough to know when to reach out.

Thanks to my friends I think I am almost completely out of the January Funk. Hooray!

Sad, but True

2010-01-11T21:29:00.002-07:00

Some additional words of wisdom from my classmates:

Heather: You don't need a job, you just need a man.

Kristan: Those are harder to come by than jobs.

I thought it was funny, especially give how difficult it is trying to find a job. Any ideas on where I should live or what I should be when I grow up? If I could nail down at least one of those options, I would be 50% there on finding a job. :)

People - Sometimes You Love Them, Sometimes You Don't

2009-11-18T23:17:00.003-07:00

I was just reading one of my favorite blogs - MBA Words of Wisdom. It is a collections of statements made by my classmates and professors. Granted it is probably funnier to me than it is to you - you know since I know these people. However some of the quotes are just awesome. My personal favorite (at least today):

Sometimes my biggest pet peeve is other people - that they exist.

It makes me feel better about myself to know that I am not the only person who on occasion despises others just for being.

I love my Family!!!

2009-10-14T19:41:00.003-06:00

The past few months have been a bit of a crazy roller coaster, but I have to say that I just love my family. They are awesome, pretty much the best ever. I know you think your family is more awesome than mine, but we may just have to agree to disagree on this issue. This fall has been super busy. What I was thinking taking 19.5 credits while being involved in club leadership and taking on a bunch of other extracurricular activities is kind of ridiculous, but my family helps me get through it.... Not because they help, but because seeing them or talking to them is what gets me through the day.

Below is the recap of my family events of the past couple of months....

On September 16, my "little" brother Asa left for the Massachusetts, Boston Mission. It is hard to think that he is SO grown up. I really do remember him in diapers. Tuesday night we all got together for dinner up in Salt Lake @ my sister's house. Abe & Ann came down too. It was the Utah gang, minus Tedi & Doug (more on that later) Unfortunately I left my camera at home that night, or maybe I just forgot to get it out.

Wednesday I ran to meet up with Becky, Eric & Asa at CPK for our last Wednesday afternoon lunch. Last year Asa was a freshman @ BYU and I was in my 1st semester of business school. Asa requested that we get together for lunch once a week and Wednesday was the day. Most weeks our lunch date was the highlight. Asa was there to listen to me rant (I tend to do it a lot) when I had a lot of stuff going on and needed a listening ear. I will treasure those memories.

Reuben came down to visit me/go to the BYU/Florida Game. I happened to score pretty decent tickets this year (11th row isn't bad, right) and since I have a guest pass Reubs wanted to come. I managed to find a ticket for his roommate Matt as well. The game had the potential to be awesome, but unfortunately the potential only lasted about 3 minutes. Then we were annihilated. I really do adore Reuben and he listened to me while I unloaded a burden that I needed to share, but wasn't sure who to discuss it with. Thanks Reubs!!

Last week I had 3 days off of classes for fall recruiting trips/ to attend NSHMBA. NSHMBA was being held in Minneapolis, MN where Tedi & Doug recently moved for grad school. I signed up to attend the conference and planned to stay with Tedi and Doug. As the conference approached and I FINALLY figured out what I want to do when I grow up, I looked over the list of companies attended and realized that I didn't want to work for any of them, so I skipped the conference entirely and spend the days hanging out with Tedi, Miss A and Doug (when he didn't have to study - unfortunately it was midterms :( )

Tedi, Miss A and I went to Mall of America (totally overrated in my opinion, but fun to see anyway) the Walker Art Museum - not really the type of art that I like (I don't really see how a bronze/gold urinal is considered art, but perhaps I am just not that cultured) and all around Tedi's neighborhood. We also made Asa a ridiculous birthday card - think pink hearts, ruffley HOT pink crepe paper and glitter. It was awesome. I really miss having family around to do silly things with. I am hoping I get a job close to family so that we can play and do stupid things on the weekend.

Below is the highlight of my visit with my sister, brother-in-law and niece.

Labor Day - MBA Single's Style

2009-09-13T23:30:00.003-06:00

This year the fearless leader of the MBA Singles Association decided that we needed to have a Labor Day retreat as Labor Day fell just after school started, but before classes get too crazy. Since Emily's parents own two homes directly across the street from the beach in Carlsbad, we decided to hit Southern California for a little R&R/one last weekend in the sun.

I had a great time. I did some (read VERY little) homework while laying on the beach, trying to even out my tan lines. It was a great time to spend with new and old friends and to just enjoy hours and hours of sunshine. We did take some time out from the beach to watch the BYU vs. Oklahoma game - GO COUGS!! We also hit downtown San Diego for dinner. I had a great time and REALLY want to move to Southern California after graduating. What is there not to love?

What I have been up to - August Edition

2009-09-13T22:27:00.005-06:00

August was a busy month, but also VERY fun. I finished my internship on August 14th and headed home for a 10 day visit. While I home I got to celebrate both of my parents birthdays, the birth of a new niece, go school shopping with my single sisters whom I love and adore. We have a great time together, even if I am old enough to be the mother of both of them, provided I started having children when I was 14. I also got to just hang out and do "a whole lot of nothing" which was definitely needed after the crazy busy summer I had and in preparation for the school year (which is possibly crazier than last year, if you can believe that!) Included in my "whole lot of nothing" was days at the swimming pool and hitting the driving range with my oldest niece and nephew (ages 7 and 5 - sadly I left my camera in the car and didn't get any pictures of that craziness.)

I returned to Provo in time to help out for a day at New Student Orientation and then left the next day for the Annual MBA Marketing Association (MBAMA) in Moab, UT. Fun times were had by all. Below are the collages of each of the "main" events as well as just random hanging out photos. It was WAY easier to do it this way, plus I am being totally lazy.

MOAB
Day 1: Arrive @ hotel, free time until dinner. We had dinner @ the Broken Oar and it was super delicious and a great time to socialize and learn more about one another. After dinner we headed to Zion's Bank for an industry professional presentations. We listened to Nathan Anderson from Union Pacific talk about Business to Business Marketing. It was fairly interesting - much more so than last year, but I think that may have something to do with the fact that I actually understood all of the business lingo that what used. What a difference a year makes!

DAY 2: Friday morning we were up at bright and early (what I affectionately call the "butt crack of dawn") for our hummer safari. It was fun. We went on the same trail as last year, but part of the trail was closed so we didn't get to ride as far, nor did we get the REALLY fun hills. :-(

Yes we are kind of ridiculous with all of our photos, but we had a good time. My favorite photo in this collage is the one of the girls jumping in the air (I took the photo and it makes me happy every time I look at it.) And to quote my friend Rand, "Moab was a big success. Although I was unable to attend, I know it was a success because there were dozens of photos of women in the program jumping in the air at the same time, which is a key success metric of any road trip."

After we returned from our Hummer safari, we went to hang out in the "Walmart Lounge." Walmart was one of our corporate sponsors for the event and provided us with all kinds of snacks. We had a great time socializing until all hours of the night (and during the day too).

After an hour or so of socializing, it was time to get dressed for the Capstone event - the Rafting excursion down the Colorado River, also known as "Rafts vs. Duckies" Basically the float down the river turns into a humongous water fight. It is a LOT of fun, especially since it was about 100 degrees.

(Please note Nicole and I smiling nicely in our ducky. We were minding our business watching everyone else get thrown into the river while we stayed nice and dry. Directly below the picture of Nicole & I is an overturned ducky. Sadly it was Nicole and I. After evading everyone's attempts to overturn us for at least a couple of hours, we got dumped. In the photo to the left is our pathetic attempt to hold onto our ducky while trying to overturn Kyle's. As you may have guessed, we were unsuccessful.)

After playing on the river all afternoon, we headed back to the hotel to shower and get ready for dinner (Zax's Pizza). After dinner we went back to Zion's for another presentation. This time from Walmart on Retail marketing. We got started early and presentations were suppose to be an hour. At the 1hr 50minute mark and no idea of how much longer the presenter had left ( his presentation got interrupted with a Q&A session) I turned to the person sitting next to me and pointed to my watch. Apparently the guy from Walmart saw me, made a comment about people in the back looking at their watches and decided to wrap it up. I really wasn't trying to be rude, but seriously - 2 hours!? I did apologize later and explain that I didn't mean to be rude,I just wanted to make sure he would be able to finish his presentation. Good thing I have no desire to work for Walmart!

After presentations we went back to the hotel to eat ice cream sundaes by the pool and for more socializing. We discussed such various topics as restaurants, classes, cuddling while sleeping vs. no cuddling and whether or not snoring was a "deal breaker" in deciding whom to marry. It was extremely entertaining and enlightening.

DAY 3: Saturday morning we got up early and headed for Arches National Park and hiked to the Delicate Arch. Good times, although I would recommend taking more water and starting even earlier. It was HOT! (My shorts were all dirty so I had to wear my jeans - not the best hiking gear for the location)

After lunch in the parking lot, we loaded the vans for the journey back to Provo; tired, a little sunburned and ready for another fun year with MBAMA.

Hitting the Books Once Again

2009-08-31T21:14:00.002-06:00

Today was my first day back at school and I have ZERO desire to do homework. I loved seeing all of my friends back on campus. It was kind of ridiculous how loud we all were along with the hugging and laughing, etc. but it was wonderful at the same time. It is amazing how close you can become with a group of people in just a few short months.

I did spend my break between classes hanging out in the MBA lounge for the first time ever and I loved it. I knew every single person in the lounge and it was fun to just chat with them. Last year I avoided the lounge - it was full of people I didn't know who stared at me like I was an alien anytime I went in there. What a difference a few months makes!

I am officially crazy and have decided to take 19.5 credits, including one of the most challenging and time consuming classes offered in the MBA program - Advanced Corporate Finance - affectionately referred to as "The Heaton Beatin" I am wondering what on earth I have done and if I REALLY want to do this. Mostly I am hoping that motivation will kick in soon and I will be able to focus and get stuff done.

Wish me luck!

Maybe you should have kept your maiden name?

2009-07-28T22:32:00.002-06:00

I was just checking out Facebook and saw that I girl I know got married. Her last name is now Fatz. She actually chose Fatz to be her last name for the rest of her life! I know you don't necessarily choose who you fall in love with (at least that is what people say. I don't really buy it, but that I will save for another day), but if I were her I would have stuck with my maiden name... I mean really, do you want to be Mrs. Fatz for the rest of your life?

26 People, 1 Cabin - The 2nd Annual Clements Family ReunionHe

2009-06-30T21:53:00.004-06:00

This past weekend was the 2nd annual Lorin & Trudy Clements family reunion. This year we had our reunion at a cabin near Brighton Ski Resort in Big Cottonwood Canyon. It was good to be with family, but after 4 days, and VERY little sleep, I was glad to be back at home. There were 26 of us, including one 4 year-old, 3 2 year-olds, and 4 babies under the age of 1 sleeping in the same cabin. The weekend included playing games, a temple open house, a "tour" of the Kennecott Copper Mine, hiking, family pictures, a baby blessing (40 people @ my house - don't think I will be doing that again :) ) and eating lots of yummy food.

Highlighs included:

Driving around and around a traffic circle in an effort to get the group together. By the time we all got the to the park, lack of sleep and food had hit the Clements clan - not pretty. Thankfully the in-laws understand and let us eat first.

Driving all over the southwestern portion of Salt Lake County trying to find the Copper mine. Turns out that we just had to follow the road with the traffic circle (which we had been on for most of the day) to the west and we would have been there in 10 minutes, instead of the 35. I thought it was hilarious - others were a lot less amused.

Isaiah and Tagg trying to break out of the cabin (they are 2) using plastic knifes to shimmy the door latch - good thing the door was barred otherwise they would have succeeded.

Going on our "morning" hike at 5pm - Plans are VERY fluid when the whole clan is together.

And my favorite - Just as I was falling to sleep Saturday night I heard my Dad say to my Mom, "I guess I must have slept too much this afternoon (Dad had 2 'naps' each at least 2 -2 1/2 hours each)." Not more than 2 minutes later, Dad started snoring. Classic!

I love my family and family reunions, even if most of the time was spent chasing kids. I didn't get to spend as much time visiting and catching up as I would have liked, but I guess that is just what happens when families grow.

Rhonda we missed you and your family, but understand. Hopefully the pictures will help you feel apart (and we seriously need to photoshop you all into the new family photo).

Thanks Sam & Kelsey for putting the whole thing together! Love you guys!

Catch up

2009-06-13T17:41:00.007-06:00

I am sorry I dropped off the face of the earth for at least a month. I have been busy. I started my internship the week after finals and then took a vaca home to see the family. It was fun to be home and spend some time with my siblings. Since Reuben came home from his mission that weekend, and Abe and Ann came up for the as well, all of the boys were there for the first time in years. I had a great time playing with my nieces and nephews and hanging out with my family. I caught up on some reading (fun stuff, not school related) and relaxed. It was great. I am the luckiest girl in the world because I have five fabulous brothers and I got to hang out with them. Although the love to tease and pick on me, I know that they love me and I love them.

In additional to hanging out with my brothers (and sisters too),I got to experience spring at home. I love spring in general - the trees are blossoming, tulips are everywhere, the temperature is finally above freezing and the grass is turning green. But I especialy love spring in WA. My parent's have a dogwood tree in their front yard and it is my FAVORITE tree in the spring. The blossoms are beautiful and it just makes me happy.

I am working 4 days a week in Salt Lake so I am catching up with my Salt Lake friends more regularly. It is nice to get to see them more frequently than once a month or less. I am also keeping busy with other random things, like:

311 Concert w/Special Guest Ziggy Marley:My Newphew's 2nd Birthday Party:
More festivities are to come with the 2nd annual Lorin & Trudy Clements family reunion in 2 weeks and playing with friends as well.

I Choose the Kettle

2009-05-04T22:13:00.008-06:00

So I know my last post was all about how my family needed to update their blogs and I only had that one post in the month of April, so I am going to be the kettle and my family can be the pot. Although in their defense, almost all of them updated their blogs. MY sister-in-law even started a second one. She is a great blogger. Me, not so much.

In my defense (read excuses) I did have finals craziness, a bazillion internship interviews (some exaggeration may be used, but not that much) and more finals craziness. April was a VERY busy month. I had one week were I got ~20 hours of sleep TOTAL. I crashed, and crashed hard after that fun experience.

I did take some time for R&R in April and spent Easter Sunday in Logan with 4 of my favorite people - two of my younger brothers, my sister-in-law and my adorable nephew. The rest of my "Utah" Family spent Easter Sunday with their in-laws. Ace & I don't have in-laws so we can spend EVERY holiday with our family. Below is a picture of Ace & the acrobat. (The picture is kind blurry, my camera recently started taking really blurry photos lately - I guess I need to check the settings.)
Anyway, I started my internship last Monday and I really liking it so far. I have actually used my supply chain "skills," have tried my hand @ investment banking and am working on developing an e-commerce site. It is pretty great. I get to do a little bit of everything. I haven't had my ADD kick in even once. After working for 5 days ( I only work 4 days a week, which is a really sweet gig, I might add) I am now taking the next week of to spend some time with my family in WA.

My little Reubs gets home from his mission this week so I am excited to get to see him. I get to see him tomorrow @ the temple session they have for all departing missionaries and then I will head on home and Reubs will meet me there on Thursday. I am excited to hang with all the single sibs, all the single sibs (you can "sing" single sibs to "single ladies" - I typed "all the single" and my mind when straight to the song - I dare it not to happen to you too! I may have to write entire verses to be performed at the 2nd Annual Clements Family Reunion - It will be awesome!!!) For a few days ( okay probably just minutes since two of the married sibs live near by) it will be just those of us who are single. We are back in equal numbers, at least for now. While I adore my married siblings,I miss my single sibs. Ace abandoned me here 2 weeks ago and miss him and our weekly lunches. Next year is going to be a sibling void since all of my Provo family is abandoning me. Maybe Ruebs will decide to abandon the U and join me in Provo - Fingers crossed!!

One of my favorite pics of Reubs and me. Reubs was younger then; I, however, haven't aged a day.

Dear Family (and friends, too, but mostly family)

2009-04-08T00:22:00.004-06:00

Please, oh please, oh please, oh please update your blogs! I know I am guilty of neglecting my blog as well; so in an effort not be a hypocrite, I have added this post pleading for some new posts about my wonderful siblings and my adorable nieces and nephews.

I am not asking for a lot, maybe just a photo, a to-do list, the 3 words "we are alive." Anything works. If it helps me feel a little more connected to my fantastic family, it will be a definite bonus. Please! I am begging (and begging just isn't dignified)

Lots of love,
Connie

P.S. Kels - keep up the good work :)

Things to Ponder

2009-03-22T19:01:00.003-06:00

Over the past two weeks, I have had two questions posed to me that have caused me to stop and think, and think some more, and then some more. The first question that was asked of me was, "Do you have compassion for yourself?" This question took me by surprise. I am definitely not the type of person who fells sorry for myself. I understand that sometimes crappy things happen in our lives and I think that we just need to deal with it as best we can. My personal motto has been "suck it up princess" when life is bumpy and difficult. However, as this conversation progressed and I have thought more and more about this question, I have come to realize that feeling compassion is not just feeling sorry for others, but feelings of tenderness and mercy, of showing others and ourselves that it is okay to cry and be sad when hard, crappy things happen in life. Some times REALLY awful things happen over which we have no control and it is okay to be a little bit broken because of it, just don't wallow. When you are ready, gently pick yourself up and move forward as best as you can.

The second question was asked to today while I was sitting in church. The question was "How has Christ been the Savior of your world?" I think the better question is, when has He not been the Savior of my world. As I thought about this question today, I have thought of several instances when my world was crashing down around me, when life as I knew it was no longer. The one constant through out my whole life has been the Savior and his love. He is always there to pick me up and assure me that everything is going to be okay. When my oldest sister was in a very serious car accident and her life hung in balance, Christ was there instructing me,through the words of my wonderful mission president, to expect miracles. As a result I did expect miracles, and miracles, I saw. When I was stressed out wondering how my family would be okay after my dad lost his job, Christ was there reminding me to "consider the lilies of the field, how they grow, they toil not, neither do they spin....If God so clothe the grass of the field...even so will he clothe you, if you are not of little faith." Christ has been my Savior by providing me with shoulders to cry on and people to laugh and rejoice with in the form of friends and family. Christ is always there to pick me up when I stumble and catch me when I fall. He understands me and my weaknesses. He is there - most often in the form of a friend, a classmate or a family member to strengthen me and help me when I need it. Christ is indeed the Savior of my world.

I said I wanted to be busier....

2009-03-15T21:36:00.005-06:00

You know the old saying that says, "Be careful what you wish for?" - well, it is right. Most of the time when you get it, it turns out not to be quite what you wanted. You see,the first part of this semester went by painfully slow and wasn't quite as rigorous as the first semester (or according to a classmate, my ability to handle strenuous work loads has increased, but the work load is the same so it doesn't seem as difficult.) In either case, I haven't been very motivated. I need LOTS of stuff going on in order to be on my 'A game'. I was always telling people how I needed more to do, but I was afraid that at any minute the semester was going to blow up on me and school would resume its craziness.

Enter Tedi. Tedi is my little sister who is expecting a baby in a couple of months. She decided since I was looking for something to do and I am "not afraid to take charge" (I think that was her nice was of saying I am bossy), that I should host her baby shower. She also knows that I am an excellent party planner. I said yes and then proceeded to add another class at the block (1/2 semester). The class I added isn't just any class, it is a Financial Statement analysis class taught by one of my favorite, but definitely most challenging, professors from 1st semester, Dr. Stice. Yes, folks that is right, I, Connie Clements, added a finance/accounting class of my own free will! All of that free time must really have gotten to me.

Now fast forward two weeks and things are really getting crazy. The semester has "blown up" just like I thought it would and I have added a class that requires @ least 4 hours of outside prep each day and I am trying to plan a baby shower. I have been meaning to
get the invitations put together and mailed out for the past two weeks but finally got around to it this weekend.

I made Tedi come over to help. I figured if she was going to assign me to host her baby shower she was going to help with the invites. It is a good thing she came too. Otherwise it would have taken me 6 hours on my own instead of just 3 with her help. I have to say that the invitations turned out really cute ( if I do say so myself.)

My plan to be busier has worked out. Now I have so much going on that I actually have to schedule time to do my homework as well as other engagements. It is nice to feel like I am once again learning and contributing to the world, even if it is such a small way as hosting a baby shower for one of my adorable sisters!

2 Legit 2 Quit/ Ice Ice Baby

2009-02-28T21:25:00.003-07:00

Friday I went to the best. concert. ever! Vanilla Ice & MC Hammer - one night only and in Orem, UT of all places! From the moment I heard about this concert, I knew I HAD to go!!! In fact just minutes after I heard the concert announcement on the radio, I sent a text to Rebbecca & Teeno to make sure they were going with me. We do all kinds of random things together and this was definitely something they would be in on. I believe my text said something like this - " 7 words: Vanilla Ice/MC Hammer in concert, Orem. You in?" They were.

Yes, I understand that I was only 10 years old "back in the day" when MC Hammer and Vanilla Ice were "big" but whenever I hear their music, which isn't often, but still, it makes me happy and takes me back to a happier place and time. For whatever reason the senior class of my high school had "Ice Ice Baby" as their "theme" during my Junior year of HS. It was played at every football game, basketball game and assembly we had that year. Everytime I hear "Ice Ice Baby" I flash back to HS and it makes me happy. Plus there is just something about billowing pants with tapered ankles that brings a smile to my face.
Anyway I had a great time at the concert, despite the crowds (personal space=not existent) and HORRIBLE event planning. (Who just has people crush in @ the "will call" window and only 3 security guards/ticket takers for the entrance? Seriously, my 11 year old sister could have done a better job organizing the event than the yahoos who were running it.) Too be honest Vanilla Ice kind of sucked. He kept playing "new material" but none of us where there for that. We wanted the old school stuff. He did finally pull out "Ninja Rap" "Funky Music" and last, but certainly not least, "Ice Ice Baby." Sadly "Ice Ice Baby" was a big letdown live. Sigh.

UnlikeVanilla, MC Hammer was AWESOME!!! That guys still has moves even though he did pop a button on his vest, (bless his heart!) and he had to take minute break after every song. All of that dancing apparently made him winded. He had a bunch of dancers with him and while he did do one "new" song (apparently he has an upcoming album - why don't they just give up?) he stuck to the old school stuff including "Pray" "Can't Touch This" and "Too Legit." I can't describe the nastalgia and entertainment this provided. Loved it!!

Opportunity of a Lifetime

2009-02-22T21:20:00.003-07:00

About a month ago I got an email informing me of an upcoming opportunity to go and meet Mr. Warren Buffett, the "Oracle of Omaha", investor extraordinaire. Typically I try to steer clear of all things finance as I am more of a qualitative person, but this was simply an opportunity not to be missed. How many times in life do you get the chance to ask one of the most (arguably THE most)successful business men in the world any question you want? I quickly responded to the email for additional information, filled out the application and crossed my fingers that I would be selected as only 27 students from BYU were invited including both MBA and undergraduate students. Lucky for me I was chosen and so I forked out the money for a plane ticket to Omaha (never thought I would go to Omaha)for the opportunity of a lifetime. Seriously you don't pass on an opportunity like this!

Thursday afternoon I flew to Omaha. Unfortunately it seems that no one flies directly to Omaha from SLC, so I spent ~ 7 hours traveling. Can I just say that I don't love the Denver airport? I had a 3 hour layover where part of my time was spent trying, unsuccessfully, to ditch the creepy guy hitting on me... the joys of travel. Anyway...I finally got to my hotel at around 11:30pm and we were checked in and settled by midnight. Then Chloe, Julianne, Michelle and I all stayed up talking until 1:30 or so.

Friday morning came around and we were up by 6:30. We had supposedly had a pre-meeting meeting at 7:30. So after an awful night's sleep (I don't sleep well when sharing a room with people. I am always paranoid that I might make some noise that will disturb them. I don't even sleep walk or talk in my sleep. I am crazy and think that rolling over or shifting positions might wake someone who is in another bed up. Ridiculous, I know) we were ready to go. Apparently the pre-meeting meeting was canceled and we didn't to be anywhere until 9:15. I was somewhat annoyed.

We left our hotel and headed to the Berkshire Hathaway office building. Unfortunately the street signs were down due to construction and we ended up driving the wrong way down a one way street for several blocks. It was pretty hilarious. Our meeting with Mr. Buffett didn't start until 10am, but we went early to get the front seats, and get them we did. I was on the 3rd row, which was the furthest back any of the BYU students sat. A few of the guys were so close that Warren Buffett actually spit on them, which makes me glad I wasn't on the front row with them... I had a two row spit shield. :)

Mr. Buffett wasn't at all what I expected him to be. I expected him to be somewhat pretentious and overbearing; instead he was like an adorable grandpa giving great advice. I expected him to be very career and business oriented, but instead he talked a great deal on the importance of family, how being a parent is the most important job we will ever have and how important it is to marry someone who makes you want to be better. Instead of speaking about how awesome he is, he spoke of how blessed and lucky he has been and how bless we are and how we need to remember that we are in the luckiest 1% of the world population. He did not, however, disappoint on his famous one- liners.

Some of the gems included to following:
• "Wall Street had to cancel their Christmas pageant. They couldn't find three wise men. They also had a hard time finding a virgin, but they always have that problem."
• "Look for businesses that an idiot can run because eventually one will."
• "The key to a lasting marriage: marry someone with low expectations"
• "Everything that comes out of Washington is going to have problems."
And my favorite: A complete collapse of the banking industry is about a likely as "Ben Bernanke running off to South American with Paris Hilton."
After our 2.5 hour Q&A session, Mr. Buffett treated us all to lunch at Piccolo's a restaurant that reminded me of a place that my grandpa would go. It had a little bit of a diner feel and the world's biggest disco ball - seriously it was ginormous! Lunch was our choice of Chicken Parmesan, Cod Fillets, NY Strip Steak or a Veggie Burger. I was in Omaha and Omaha is famous for their steak, so I, along with pretty much everyone else, went with the steak. It was delicious! We finished lunch off with a root beer float, at Mr. Buffett's request. (Such a cute grandpa thing to do!!)

After pictures, we all went outside to have our picture taken with Warren. He was SO fun! He was such a great sport to take group and individual photos with everyone. He was also hilarious. He would go along with whatever you wanted him to do. He even got down on one knee like he was proposing for one of the girls from NYU, traded glasses and coats with people along with several GQ/sport coat over the shoulder posses. He stayed as late as was needed so that everyone got their photo with him.

I have to admit that for a guy who has a lot of money, he sure doesn't dress like it. His suit had a stain on the lapel and his tie was crooked for most of the photos. Chloe and I did our photo with him and then before I did my personal photo with him I asked if I could "help him out" and I straightened his tie. After I fixed his tie, he made some joke along the lines of, "You are kind of picky about who you take a photo with aren't you." To which those of you who know me know the only correct response is, "You have no idea!" All in all it was a great trip and truly an opportunity of a lifetime!

Why is it....

2009-02-08T18:23:00.002-07:00

Yesterday I had my haircut and it looked really great. Today when I did my hair using the very same products and styling tools my hair does not look nearly so great. Why does my hair always looks fabulous when my stylist does it, but less so when I do it?

Also why is it that winter, particularly January and February, makes me so grumpy? Honestly, I typically am in a perpetually bad mood in January, which is typically winter blues. However this year I have been in a really bad mood, hating (or at least strongly disliking) everyone and everything. What is wrong with me!? I am trying to find things that make me happy, even if it is for 5 minutes, and it has been sort of successful. I have found good things each day, but I am seriously struggling this winter. Exercising makes me happy, because "exercising releases endorphins and endorphins make (me) happy." (name the movie...) I have also found that talking to family members also makes me happy. I love my family. They are great! Eating brownies made in skillets with my dear friend Kara also makes me happy. Friends are awesome. I even stumbled upon a great quote by Proust. It says “Let us be grateful to people who make us happy; they are the charming gardeners who make our souls blossom.” Thanks to all of you who make my soul bloom when I am feeling down, sad or lonely. I really do have amazing friends! I have also found that a great haircut (see previous paragraph)make me happy as well as the movie "He's Just Not That Into You." I loved that movie. It made me laugh and it also made me think. I enjoyed it although some of my friends that I saw it with did not enjoy it.

Amongst my search for happiness, I have found that looking for internships does not equal good moods, and are very counter to my being in a good mood. The more time I spend on that the grumpier I get. But at the same time, I really need to find an internship. Such a vicious cycle! Maybe it would help if I actually knew what I wanted to be when I grow up. I need so much help it is ridiculous.

Photo Tag

2009-02-03T13:33:00.003-07:00

My adorable friend Colleen tagged me....so below is my 4th picture from my 4th folder.

This picture is from my trip to San Diego last week with Rebbecca. I had a 5 day weekend so I took advantage of it and spent a little time out in the sun. This picture is of the "Brig" aboard the USS Midway (Retired Aircraft carrier). I love that I am wearing flip flops in January. I think I want to move to Southern California! More pictures and stories from last week coming soon.

I now tag Ann & Abe (they are new to blogging), Rebbecca (because she is in serious need of a new post) and Andrea.

Gimme a Break....

2009-01-26T23:15:00.003-07:00

As is evident from my frequent comments about needing to be studying when I am distracting myself with blogging or other activities, I am pretty much always up for a diversion when it comes to school work. So as you might imagine I was SUPER excited last week when I got an email from a classmate about a Slinky competition. That is right, my classmate(s) decided that we should have a contest racing Slinkys down the stairs of the Tanner Building atrium. The idea was genius and the event turned out to be just what was needed to start our week out on a good note.

It was quite possibly THE best activity of the year!

For more event details including video, you can check out our blog @ http://mbawomen.blogspot.com

Skillet Brownies Anyone?

2009-01-20T16:22:00.005-07:00

No, I have not gone crazy. I realize that brownies are not typically cooked using a skillet. However, sometimes desperate times call for desperate measures. Several years ago when I was living in Ohio with my good friend Kara, our apartment that was furnished using donated goods. Everything was donated - from the couches to the silverware. Unfortunately the only pan we had for cooking was a humongous skillet. One day Kara and I were craving brownies but we didn't have a cake pan. As necessity is the mother of all invention, we decided to use the skillet. We had a really good time making those brownies. We hoped it would work and that we wouldn't burn the apartment building to the ground. The brownies actually turned out and were some of the best brownies I have ever eaten. Wow, the laughs that we had. I wish I had those pictures in a digital format so that you could enjoy them. Those were some good times. And everyone once in a while I kind of want to bust out the skillet brownies for old times sake, but the pans that I have now have aren't really cut out for that sort of thing. (While I like having nice stuff, sometimes I miss the days when I had crappy stuff and it didn't matter if it got ruined.)

This Christmas Kara was particularly excited about giving me my Christmas gift. Unfortunately our crazy schedules didn't allow for us to meet up until after the holiday break. She was so excited about her gift to me. I was REALLY curious what could be such an amazing gift. She said she found the gift months ago and wanted to give it to me then, but had restrained. When I opened the gift, this is what I found.That is right folks, I got my very own set of cast iron skillets (complete with the handy-dandy skillet hot pads), designed especially for baking brownies and cookies! I took one look at my gift and said to Kara, "Shut Up! Where did you find this?" amongst my laughter. Apparently Kara found it while wondering through BB&B one day. Seriously who thinks of this stuff? If only Kara and I had thought to sell our idea, we could have been rich!

I love this gift for several reasons:

It is funny. It is probably funnier to me than to everyone else.
It makes brownies - one of the seven wonders of the world I am quite sure.
The cute little hot pads makes it seem like I am eating out.
Because it reminds me of the great times that Kara and I had (and still have) together. She has been a great friend to me for the last 7 1/2 years (has it really been that long?) If I can be just like her when I grow up, I will have accomplished a whole lot

Thanks for the great gift Kara!

Oh yeah, if you have a craving for skillet brownies, come on over!

January is for....redecorating?

2009-01-20T13:44:00.003-07:00

For months, perhaps even a year, I have REALLY wanted a new duvet for my room, but since a new duvet typically runs in the neighborhood of $200-$300, I have resigned myself to what I have. Not that the duvet that I have is bad, I just wanted something different. Perhaps it is the ADD in me or my propensity to get bored with things really quickly. Well, Saturday (when I should have been doing homework - like right now) I went to Bed Bath & Beyond with Julina. She needed to get something to help her be organized and since she LOVES a bargin we wandered through the clearance section of the store. I decided to look and see if they had anything that I could afford on my stupid student budget (Can I just say once more how much I dislike living on nothing? It is REALLY cramping my style!) Much to my surprise and happiness I found a new duvet that cost $25! I could definitely afford that, so I made the purchase and now all I want to do is spend time in my room. My new decor makes me so happy. It has made the typically miserable month of January much more bareable.

Happy 1/2 Birthday to Me!

2009-01-20T13:33:00.003-07:00

I love the symphony! And thanks to my student status and subsequent lack of money, I get a student discount when attending the Utah Symphony. For just $8 (less than the price of a movie) I can attend the symphony. However I haven't really taken advantage of this limited perk of being a student because it is hard to convince my non-student friends to fork out the $50 that a regular ticket costs to go with me. From time to time I do go to the Utah Symphony's website to check out what they are playing. Last time I checked (early January when I should have been doing my homework) I found that they were performing Vivaldi's "The Four Seasons," one of my very favorite orchestral pieces. I asked my roommates if they wanted to go with me and they both did, so on Thursday, which coincidentally happened to be my 1/2 birthday, we went to the symphony and it was fantastic. I love it. Here is a picture of the roommies and me @ Abrovenal Hall. Sadly the lady who took our picture thought we wanted the entire sculputre in the background, so she took it at an up angle and we all look much chubbier than we really are(We don't really have double chins :) ) I guess it goes to show that beggars can't be choosers.

New Year's Resolutions

2009-01-12T23:12:00.002-07:00

I know the month is half over and I now just getting to my resolutions, but I have had to do a lot of thinking about this over the past few weeks, plus I had to adjust to being back and school and on a schedule, but I am obviously not there yet, or else I would be sleeping now instead of blogging, but whatever.

I am sure that I will come up with new resolutions but below of some of the ones that I am working on presently.

1 - Journal writing - I have been using the same journal since the end of 2005, and I am only 1/2 the way through it. Sad, I know. Plus so far that journal contains more ridiculous boy drama than all of my other journals (around 7 or 8 volumes) combined. So lame!

2 - Getting priorities straight - that means that I am going to try to attend more church related functions (not really my fav, but I need to try more)making sure I am reading my scriptures and saying my prayers on a daily basis (I kind of let that slide last semester and I am determined not to let it happen this one!)This also means not obsessing about school at the expense of family relationships.

3 - Better expressing gratitude, love and appreciation - Due to some conversations I have had recently I have decided that I really need to make this a priority. If I am thinking about someone, I need to let them know about it. If someone does something that I especially appreciate, I need to express that. I have tons of great friends whose friendship I haven't maintained as well as I should have, and I want to remedy it as best as I can. I also think that it will help me be more aware of the blessings that I have in my life, which is never a bad thing.

4 - Move on! This is an on-going goal for me and it has taken various shapes and forms in the past, but essentially it means letting go of things that I have been holding onto both good and bad, that are preventing me from moving forward. This means forgiving. It means accepting my flaws and resolving to change them and loving myself regardless. In some instances it means letting people go...

Those are the big ones this year. I am also going to exercise more (that dance aerobics class and mandatory workouts 4 days a week is really going to help!)and hopefully find an internship. Obviously I am sure that I will have times when I am doing better at these goals than others, but I think it is part of the process to at least try to be better. Even if I don't have 100% success, I will at least have improved, right?

Christmas & Stuff

2009-01-06T20:46:00.007-07:00

Christmas was great. I got to spend just over 2 full weeks at home & since Rhonda & Jared and their family and Sam & Kelsey and their family live near by I got to see my adorable nieces and nephews as well. Abe & Ann were also able to be there, so it was a pretty decent sized group when we were all in one place.

Tedi & Doug ended up staying in UT due to really crappy weather and since Becky is too pregnant to travel, she and Eric stayed home. But Becky did get a fun Christmas surprise a few days earlier. Eric arranged with Reuben's mission President for Reuben & his companion to go to Becky and Eric's house for breakfast Christmas morning. Becky and Eric live in Reuben's zone. Tedi and Doug also joined them for breakfast. As Tedi (or maybe it was Becky) said, "seeing Reuben was a good consolation for not being able to go home for Christmas."

We had a really fun Christmas Eve party at Rhonda and Jared's house. It was a good time. We played games and ate food. I took more video than pictures because one of the games was ridiculous and the video more accurately captures the chaos that is my family.

Here are a few pictures. We had our traditional New Year's Breakfast, but we decided that perhaps Breakfast was a bit too optimistic and went with Brunch at 11:30. It worked out a lot better! Unfortuately I didn't have my camera with me. Someday I will be better about
documenting life events!Now it is back to the grind of school work...Ugh!

My Adventurous Journey Home

2008-12-24T11:33:00.002-07:00

Can I just tell you how much I LOVE vacation! I have enjoyed sitting around doing pretty much nothing for the last week (or so). I am also VERY grateful to be alive and to have actually made it to my parents house. I almost didn't make it here alive. Let me tell you of my adventures home.

Last Thursday morning at about 8:30 am, Asa, Claire (Asa's friend who had been visiting Asa and staying with me) and I all headed for Richland, WA. The drive home typically takes between 9 and 10 hours. We decided to leave fairly early so that we could make it through the one major mountain pass (Blue Mountain's Cabbage Hill) in the daylight hours. It was snowing when we left Provo, but we knew there were clear skies ahead (or at least that is what the weather stations were reporting). The roads weren't too bad, but traffic was crawling at a snail's pace. I had considered stopping by and visiting my friends at the Dirge, but had decided to just head home, trying to get ahead of the storm and make it home sooner. However plans changed when it took us 1.5 hours to get from Provo to Midvale (about 35 miles). It was ridiculous. Claire needed to use a bathroom so I decided to stop by the Dirge and say hi.

It was great to see everyone. I really miss all of my great co-workers there. They are such funny and fun people. I don't really miss the work at all, but I really miss my friends there. They are really a part of my family, after all I worked with them for over 4 years.

We finally got back on the road again about 11am. The roads continued to be a little snowing until about the Salt Lake county line. Then the skies cleared and the roads were dry. We took advantage of the dry roads and clear skies and made really good time to Boise, the 1/2 way point. I then turned the wheel over to Asa. I needed a break from driving. We kept on driving and the skies and roads were clear. I was talking to Abe on the phone and he was asking me how the roads where and I said great. I hung up with him and as we rounded the next bend, it was almost a complete whiteout. You could barely see the reflectors on the side of the road. I called home to get the weather forecast for the roads up ahead. We made it to Baker City then pulled over to clear the windows and decide if we were going to forge ahead in the crappy weather. We decided that we would continue on to Le Grande and then assess the situation there. We inched along on our way to Le Grande (I took over the driving once again.) I was a wreck with Asa driving in the snow. I had a Kung Fu Death Grip on the door and my seat. I know Asa is a good driver, but I was freaking out because I wasn't in control, but I was still responsible for getting Asa and Claire home safely. Plus, let's be honest, I am a control freak. We finally made it to Le Grande. It took forever!! We decided that if we were going to go for it (the Blue Mountains & Cabbage Hill were in front of us) we would need chains. We drove around Le Grande looking for the Walmart and got some chains. The special highway radio station said that the winter storm would pass through by 9 pm. Since it was about 6:30 I suggested that perhaps we find something to do in Le Grande (watch a movie, eat dinner, something) until 9 pm and then continue on our way. Asa and Claire both wanted to continue on. I hate driving Cabbage Hill in the summer, in the middle of the day with perfect weather conditions. I told Asa that if we were going to do it, he had to drive. We topped off the gas tank, said a prayer and away we went.

The weather was not great, but it wasn't awful. We drove about 30 mph and made our way safely down Cabbage Hill and into Pendleton. We were now in the "home stretch." The worst part of the drive was over. We were 70 miles from home and been driving for over 11 hours. Just as we were beginning to relax and I had relinquished my Kung Fu Death Grip on the tire chain case, a semi pulled out in front of Asa. Asa braked and the semi went back to his lane. As Asa braked we started sliding straight for the under belly of the semi. I was within inches of my face meeting the back corner of a semi, when Asa got us out of the slide, but over corrected, which sent us off in the median on the other side of the road. I am not sure that any of us knew what had happened. We were okay and the car was fine, but we were stuck in snow up to our knees.

We climbed out of the car and got busy trying to dig ourselves out of the snow bank. We keep at it for about 30 minutes, when decided we had better call mom and dad to have them come and pull us out. (I tried to take pictures, but unfortunately my camera battery had died :( ) As we were talking to my parents, a snow plow pulled over to see if we needed help. Unfortunately he didn't carry any chains to pull us out, but he called a tow truck for us. We waited and waited while he waited to see if someone could come and get us. After about 30 more minutes he had to go take another lap. He told us that someone should be coming, but no promises. We called a few towing companies on our own and were told that someone was on their way, but that if we didn't hear from them in 30 minutes to call them and they would come get us. Thankfully We had filled up the tank and so we had plenty of fuel to keep the car running and the 3 of us warm. Just as the 30 minutes were about to expire, a pair of Russian Semi-drivers ( we'll call them Vladimir & Lenny) pulled over to see if they could help. Bless their hearts, they had no clue how to pull a car out of a snow bank. They wanted to hook up to my wheel and try and pull me out sideways. Thankfully "Big Bubba" pulled up in his truck next. Big Bubba embodies WT. He was wearing a Coors coat and had two (or maybe even 4) front teeth missing. He had a tow rope. While they were all trying to figure out where the pop out where you screw the tow hook to my frame was, another guy, 'No-Name John" pulled up on his tractor (we are talking John Deere kind of action) with a plow on the front. Before I knew what was going on John had hooked up Big Bubba's rope and had us out of the snow bank. It took about 60 seconds. It was now 11 pm. We had left Salt Lake 12 hours earlier and we still had 70 miles to go. We continued to inch along thanks to the fog and black ice. We finally made it home at 1:30 am (MT). It took us 15 hours of drive time, averaging just 46 miles per hour. It was torture, however I am VERY glad that we made it here safe and sound, thanks to our new friends, Lenny, Vladimir, Big Bubba and John.

I hope you all have a wonderful Christmas and safe holiday travels!

Merry Christmas!

I Survived....True Stories of a 1/4 MBA

2008-12-17T21:39:00.002-07:00

Hi Friends!

Happiness abounds today cuz I finished my first semester as an MBA student, survived finals and am now one quarter of an MBA! Hooray! Adding to my joy is the fact that I ended finals on a high note. I think I probably did the very worst on my first final and did progressively better with each subsequent test. I think all in all I will probably pull out B's all around in my classes, which is actually great. There are SO many brilliant people in my class that I feel lucky to be even middle of the road, bottom half with them.

My stress level has also greatly diminished now that finals are over, RB-H is at the Mayo Clinic and HG is recovering from her brain surgery last week. I am no longer forgetting important meetings that I have responsibilities to attend. It really is amazing the weight that is lifted off of your shoulders when school is done!

I am off to pack. I am headed home tomorrow for 2 1/2 weeks of doing absolutely nothing! I can't wait!!

Everyone raise your glass to the end of finals! Cheers!

Laugh or Cry?

2008-12-09T21:27:00.006-07:00

I am not really sure if I should laugh or cry. It has just been one of those weeks... you know the kind where you have a million things going on every day and it is somewhat difficult to keep track of everything going on. The kind of weeks where you are grateful for things like your BlackBerry, Google Calendars and Microsoft Outlook, because without them things would definitely fall through the cracks. Add to the end of the semester craziness one of your best friends having heart surgery and some family drama and it has been one AWESOME week! (insert loads of sarcasm here).

In typical fashion not only have I got school work and crazy personal things going on, but I have also (without thinking, obviously) been nominated and/or volunteered to head up a few school activities as well as host a potluck this week. I knew today was going to be super busy and my scheduling had to be just right or something was going to fall through the cracks. I had a group meeting scheduled until 6 pm, but I knew I would need to duck out a little early as I had a finance review session at 5pm and a club meeting where I was responsible for the treats at 6. I decided last night that I just couldn't swing the finance review session at 5 and get the treats on time so I decided that I would leave my team meeting at 5 and run to the store to get the treats and be back on campus around 5:45 to make sure I had enough time to set out the treats before the speaker arrived.

Thankfully me team got done a few minutes early so things were looking good. I headed off to the store to get treats and just as I was getting in my car with the last of the treats to head back to school I got an email on my phone. I checked the message and this is what it said,

Connie, Not sure if we missed you or you forgot, but we didn't see you in 264 tonight. Bryce

I quickly responded with:

"Please tell me it wasn't at 5! I thought it was at 6 and was just picking up the treats! I had it on my calendar for 6"

Apparently sometimes even with a BlackBerry, Google Calendar and Outlook, you can miss important events, especially when you put the time in wrong. I am sure that I will some day think this was funny, (I can see the humor in it now but it isn't funny yet) but right now I kind of just want to cry.

Lesson to be learned - you can't be everywhere and do everything....some day I will actually remember this.

I sure hope your day was better than mine!

Just for fun

2008-12-05T20:49:00.006-07:00

My Friend Colleen had an iTunes tag posting on her blog and since it was highly entertaining and I needed a SERIOUS break from studying and school, I decided to play along. The instructions, etc are below. It turns out it is pretty entertaining....I may just do it all again to see what happens. Here are the result:

1. Put your iTunes on shuffle.
2. For each question, press the next button to get your answer.
3. You must write that song title down, no matter how silly it sounds!
4. Tag your friends who might enjoy doing the same!

If someone says, "Is this okay?", you say...
"it's not your fault..." Head Over Feet - Alanis Morisette
What would best describe your personality?
Somebody to love - Queen
What do you like most in a guy/girl?
All Summer Long - Beach boys (T-shirts, cut-offs & a pair of thongs)
How do you feel today?
A Little Less Sixteen Candles, a Little More "Touch Me" - Fall Out Boy
What is your life's purpose?
Crazy For You - Madonna
What is your motto?
Don't Cry For Me Argentina - Me First & the Gimme Gimmies
What do your friends think of you?
L-O-V-E Fisher
What do you think about very often?
Sam's Town - The Killers
What is 2 + 2?
Dance Inside - All-American Rejects
What do you think of your best friend?
Our Lawyer Made Us Change the Name of This Song So We Wouldn't Get Sued - Fall Out Boy
What do you think when you see the person you like/love?
Change your Mind - All-American Rejects
What is your life story?
This Time - 3 doors down
What do you want to be when you grow up?
Accidentally in Love - Smashmouth
What will you dance to at your wedding?
Fall Away - The Fray
What do your parents think of you?
I'm Still Here - Goo Goo Dolls
What is your interest/hobby?
Ice Ice Baby - Vanilla Ice
What is your biggest secret?
Somebody Told Me - The Killers
How will you die?
Walk Away (Maybe) - Good Charlotte
What makes you cry?
Leaving on a Jet Plane
What makes you laugh?
The Boys of Summer - Ataris
What scares you the most?
Everybody Hurts - REM
If you could go back in time what would you change?
Fat Bottom Girls - Queen

Hope you all enjoyed this as much as me. If you want to play along, well then I tag you.

Blessings

2008-11-23T21:24:00.003-07:00

This week I have much for which I am grateful and so in the spirit of the season I would like to share them with you all.

1. An amazing family - I really have one of the most amazing families ever. My parents have done a great job teaching all twelve of us to work hard, dream big and to love and support one another. While we definitely have our challenges they have brought us closer together as siblings. My siblings are my VERY best friends and I know that they will do anything for me, and I for them.

2. Great friends - I have been fortunate to be blessed with wonderful friends who are always there for me. They know how to cheer me up when I am sad or feeling lonely. They get why I think ginormous flower pins are funny. They know when to let me cry on their shoulder and they also know when to say, "Suck it up princess." My friends forgive me when my bluntness is offensive and they understand my true intentions. They withhold judgment and love me despite of my abundant flaws.

3. Fantastic roommates - both past and present - All of my life I have been blessed with great roommates, from my little sister to my present fellow MBA students. They have been my friends and my confidants. They have taught me about relationships and getting along with others. They have cried with me and laughed with me. They put up with my occasional moodiness ( I am a girl after all!) They have known when to push me and when to hold back. It seems that they all have known exactly what I needed of them whether it was a shopping buddy or a listening ear or something else.

4. Home teachers - Today my home teachers came over for their monthly visit and the message that they shared - a discussion of hope and the necessity of it in our lives - was just what I needed to hear. My home teachers have no idea what is going on in my life, but they are spiritually aware and followed the promptings of the Lord who does know what challenges I am facing and what I need to hear. I am extremely grateful for young men who are sensitive to the promptings of the Spirit and who take their responsibilities as home teachers seriously.

5. Visiting Teachers - along with my home teachers, my visiting teacher also came over today. Like my home teachers, she does not know the problems and challenges I am currently facing, but her message was also what I needed to hear. She shared a message about standing close together and lifting where we stand. I had heard part of this message previously, but the part that is so profound to me was the "close together" portion. Many times in our lives we face challenges, have burdens that are too heavy for us to bear alone. Thankfully God has placed people in our lives to help ease these burdens. If we "stand" closely together(are united in our cause) and lift - each bearing the portion that we can - we are able to handle challenges and problems that are just too big for us to carry on our own.

6. Tender mercies of the Lord - In addition to the Lord providing me with a great family, amazing friends, fantastic roommates and home and visiting teachers, I have seen his hand in little things in my life. Friday was a particularly rough day, but thankfully the Lord knew it was going to be a bad day for me, so he made sure that I had plans Friday evening with my friends who had me laughing and having a good time. Additionally I called a friend to ask her a question and she offered a listening ear, taking time out of her VERY busy schedule to be there for me. Then today, after thinking that I needed to seek out individuals who faced similar challenges, I found such a person in a casual conversation at church. I am overwhelmed at the love God displays each and everyday. As long as we are looking for it and recognize that what may seem to some as a mere "coincidence" is actually the Lord manifesting his hand in our life.

Seriously?

2008-11-13T18:58:00.003-07:00

At least once a day I find myself doing some online "window" shopping when class gets a little dull or when I need a break from studying. Today during class while looking at scarfs (the hot trend for fall) on The Limited's website I came across this gem.
Seriously?! Who is going to wear a flower pin that, to quote my friend Rebbecca, "is as big my head"? ( I am pretty sure that this pin is much bigger than my head.) To what kind of event would you were this item? Surely you would not where this fantastic accessory to the office. Perhaps you could where it when going out, but I don't think this pin is a clubbing kind of accessory - it would get smashed while dancing and you would hate to have a drink spilled on it. Likewise dinner is out of the question, although all of those folds might be helpful in storing some crumbs for later.

I just wanted to share my shopping gem with you all. This pin could be yours for just $16.50 plus tax and shipping and handling. I know you want one! My only wish is that this lovely gem came in colors other than black and white.

It has been a while since I really ranted....

2008-11-10T20:55:00.002-07:00

And so today may be your lucky day. This may not be an actual rant but more of my personal musings over the past few weeks.

1 - Internship searches - Honestly if I would have know that Business school was essentially a two year job search, I most definitely would have reconsidered the whole gig. I HATE looking for a new job and so I hate the intern search. I am trying to have a better attitude about the whole thing, but it just isn't happening yet. I am blaming it on the rainy weather. Anyway, when you compound searching for a job with everyone asking me want my long-term goals are - I am in a fit. IF I KNEW WHAT I WANTED TO BE DOING WHEN I GREW UP I AM PRETTY SURE I WOULDN'T BE IN HERE!!! (Or maybe I would, but I would feel like I had more of a purpose... you know more of a purpose than - I had a thought one day that I needed to go to business school, start the fall of 2008 and attend BYU - so I did.) When recruiters ask me that question, I want to tell them, " I don't know. That is why I came back to school - to give myself 2 years to figure out what I want to be 'when I grow up'." I have had a couple of interviews that went okay - nothing great, but not bad either. I just am not that excited about the companies and I am pretty sure they could tell. The problem is I am not sure what kinds of companies I can get really excited about...I thought maybe some clothing companies or shoe companies or cosmetic companies, but I just can't get excited about it. Everyone who comes to campus and is giving "free career advice" always talks about finding something that you are passionate about. What if I am not passionate about anything? Am I destined to never be happy in my career? How do you figure out what you are passionate about? I think that a lot of things would be fun - for about 5 minutes or maybe 5 days. I think some career paths would be great if I knew I would be single forever, but they aren't necessarily career paths that easily transfer over to part-time options that would work if I ever got married and decided to have a family. I need to get excited about working somewhere cuz I have to have an internship lined up by April. I feel like I am completely behind in the game when my classmates are all flying all over the place for interviews and I have only had 2 interviews. Some of my classmates had 2 or more offers. What if I don't get any offers?

Next subject:

Wasted time & ugly design - Last week when I was updating my resume for the internship search (again!) I decided that I should check to see if all of the work that I had done getting things ready for our new website at DRG had been implemented. After being in the works for several years, had DRG finally updated their website? I went to their website and to my surpise and horror, they had finally updated their website, but it was NOTHING like what I had spent hours and hours working on. Even worse, it does not look good. I guess that is what happens when you let males, especially IT guys - make design decisions. I worked for 12 hours on my last day at work just to make sure that they had everything that they needed, so that they were presenting a cohesive image across all of their marketing, but alas they didn't use it. What I want to know is WHY in the heck did I spend 3 months working on a project that they weren't going to use? Obviously I am biased in thinking what I had designed looked better, but what they have doesn't look good. It is U-G-L-Y!!! (you can check it out at thedurge ) The only redeaming factor is the flash graphic. Part of me wants to confront the people I worked with to see what happened, but I should probably just let it go....

Other things that I find amusing:

On Thursday I was attending a meeting with executives on our Business-to-Business Marketing board as well as members of MBAMA. One of my classmates had seated himself in a seat that on the northside of the room while the rest of us were seated on the east side. My classmate decided that he felt awkward where he was sitting and came and sat by me. He told me he felt uncomfortable and decided to sit by me. He said, " I felt like "one of these things is not like the other." I laughed and then said, "One of these things," pointing to myself " is not like the other." I was the only female in a room with about 20 people in it. I said it just to be funny, cuz I mean really if we want to talk about feeling out of place, try being the only female in a room full of guys. I am getting used to it. I have a feeling that it will be the story of my future life.

I don't really know what else to write about.... All of my fire must be out of me for the moment...I could discuss politics and how strange I think it is that everyone is mad at the Mormons for the passing of Prop 8 in California or how far America has come when it comes to diversity and inclusion in the past 40 years, but I think I will leave all of that to others.

Busy, Busy. Busy

2008-11-09T16:47:00.002-07:00

It has been a busy couple of weeks. When I think that Halloween was just last week, I can't believe it. I have FINALLY finished all of my midterms and I have decided that I just don't care about grades.... not really the best attitude to take, but whatever. I have had a great time hanging out with my family for the past 2 Saturdays and spending Sundays with my great friends in Salt Lake. I will post pictures of my adorable nephews and the fun times I have had lately. Unfortunately I have also been fight a cold and perhaps a touch of the flu ( I have felt nauseous for 3 days straight. Since I am definitely not pregnant it is either the flu or sympathy morning sickness for Tedi - much more probable that it is the flu).

I am off to a fireside with Salt Lake friends, but I will post more another day.

And the Winner Is.....

2008-10-27T16:03:00.008-06:00

Last year when Halloween rolled around, I didn't have any great ideas about what to be for Halloween. I tried to come up with a last minute costume so I Googled costume ideas. One of my favorite suggestions that came up was to have a group of people be beauty pageant contestants ( me and my obsession with beauty pageants, it know), but instead of the typical Miss Texas, Miss New Jersey, etc. you use words that start with mis - Miss Informed, Miss Taken, Miss Fortune, etc. I couldn't use the idea last year, but it worked out perfectly this year. I told my roommates about it and we decided that we should invite all of the other single 1st year girls to be a part of the fun. In all we had 12 or 13 girls arrive at the party to join in.

To help with the festivities, we had a "Sash Making Party" on Friday night. It was a much needed social release after one of the WORST weeks on record as far as school goes. It was SO much fun. Probably my favorite day since I started the MBA program. It was nice to forget about homework for a weekend and just be social. It was FANTASTIC!!! I really like the girls in the MBA program. They are all pretty hilarious and so much fun to hang around. Apparently the overachiever in Elisa, Julina and I came out. We had hors d'oeuvrers (chips, salsa, dips & a veggie tray) followed by dinner (dinner in a pumpkin - you basically back a casserole inside a pumpkin - strange, but very tasty! and homemade rolls- some of the best rolls I have ever tasted) and topped off with dessert (chocolate caramel brownies & apple crisp).

After we ate, then we began making our sashes. Julina made sure that they were all the appropriate length while I sewed the front and the back together. Marissa then did the calligraphy (She used to work for a scrap booking company and taught all kinds of classes, "complete with the Brittney Spears' microphone.") We then sent the girls outside to add the glitter in an effort to keep it outside. There are a few glimmering specs throughout our house still, but it was kept to a minimum. I did have to sew while sitting on the floor (All the food had taken over the counter and table.) It is a lot harder than it looks is all I have to say.

Saturday night was a success - some of the girls were less dressed up than others and I wish I could have gotten some more closeups with most of the girls. Unfortunately most of the girls left after the costume judging. My roommates and I and a couple of others stayed to help with the carnival (I am SO glad that I am not a parent and didn't have to chase small children hopped up on TONS of sugar around the whole place. I even said so very loudly - much louder than I had anticipated - while sitting at a table eating with lots of parents around - WHOOPS!) Below are some pictures from the event.

(Again I thought I numbered these, but I am obviously challenged with that aspect of Picasa)

1. The beginnings of big pageant hair - Pageant hair takes a lot of work.

2. Julina (my roommate) learning to backcomb her hair - She was big hair illiterate, but I tried to impart my wisdom.

3. My roommates and me in the fall evening glow (l to r) Elisa, me & Julina

4. Elisa (aka Miss Chief)'s head shot. We are going to see if the MBA office will let us swap out the pictures they took of us on the 1st day of orientation with these.

5. Julina wanted a picture of my "fabulous eyelashes" so here is my tribute to "loose women" everywhere (if you don't get the reference ask my brother Abe - this one is for you!)

6. Jessica's head shot (Miss Fit).

7. My head shot (Miss Informed)

8. Julina(Miss Fortune)'s full body shot - doesn't she look fantastic?

9. The final product - My legs have never looked better - those shoes do great things for my ankles - Thanks Ted!

10. Julina's new MBA Class of 2010 directory photo.

11. Kate (Miss Interpreted) helping me fluff my hair - I am pretty sure I was saying "It takes a lot of work to look this good!"

12. Kate sitting pretty while she waits to help the next group of children into their gunnysacks.

13. All of the winners of the "Most Original Costume" (back row l to r) Jessica Sorenson (Miss Fit), Marissa Dorny ( Miss Construed), Thamina Christensen (Miss Cellaneous), Chloe Anderson (Miss Aligned), Me (Miss Informed), Julina Manning (Miss Fortune), Emily H's friend.I don't remember her name (Miss Directed), Emily Hart (Miss Match). Middle row (l to r) Michelle Blood (Miss Demeanor), Kate Lindsay (Miss Interpreted), Allison Clements (Miss Taken); front row (l to r): Emily Tanner (Miss Hap) and Elisa Clements ( Miss Chief)

Until next time....

Halloween FHE fun

2008-10-27T01:07:00.003-06:00

Despite the craziness of last week and all of the tests, etc that we had I decided to actually attend FHE. Our FHE is held a few doors down and I figured I could spare 30 minutes for a lesson and a break from homework. I ended up staying for the activity as well. We made haunted graham cracker houses. Mine actually was a coffin, and a sad one at that, but I had a good time and it was a nice break from studying. I think I may try and make it a habit.

(I could have swore I numbered the pictures on Picasa, but apparently I forgot to save or something. Sorry!)

1. Julina's haunted house
2. One of my FHE brothers ( I sadly do not remember his name right now...)
3. Me and my graham cracker coffin
4. Kim (my neighbor 2 doors down) and Isacc (FHE dad).
5. (l to r) Isacc, Karen & Julina
6. (l to r) Isacc, Karen & Julina again
7. More FHE brother's, Bryan and the other guy :)
8. Me, Erin (FHE mom) and Kim. Please pay particular attention to what my hair "normally" looks like. It will be a great reference point needed for future pictures.
9. Erin, Kim and Issac - hard at work on their creations.

I have to go to bed now, but coming soon.... pictures of the MBASA Halloween extravaganza. They are awesome!

46% = B? The Curve Associated with Business School

2008-10-24T15:20:00.003-06:00

I have just finished one of the MOST miserable weeks in recent years. It was the first week of midterms and finals (the block, aka 1/2 semester, just finished.) This week began with a mid-term in Finance on Monday and then our accounting final in the testing center (Don't EVEN get me started on the lameness that is testing centers - all kinds of germs and smells associated with 500 students taking tests at the same time, cramped quarters, UGH!)on Wednesday & Thursday. Add to the midterm madness all of the pressure associated with "the NAC" dinner and mentoring sessions and it was ONE stressful week.

I went into the mid-term on Monday really confident. I had a practice test on Saturday morning and it went really well. I had my 1 page help sheet ready and I was prepared (thanks in a large part to a 2nd year student who has been tutoring a few of us girls). I was going to ace this test. Unfortunately the one item I failed to write down on my study guide was of course the one thing that I totally blanked on Monday afternoon during the midterm and was worth 1/3 of the test - OUCH!!

I was pretty bitter, but mostly just MAD at myself. I know this material, yet somehow when it comes to taking the test I just blanked. I was made that it seems like no matter how much I study, I am still failing. It is not a feeling I am used to, but I am beginning to embrace it. I started to wonder what the point was in studying, etc as it seemed like those with 80% and 40% got the same grade - a B.

I didn't have time to take my accounting final on Thursday due to the NAC dinner (I am still not 100% sure what the NAC does - as far as I know they are a bunch of people who donate A LOT of money to the Marriott school , end of story.), so I had to take the test on Wednesday. I studied for several hours and then went to take the test which accounted for over 60% of my grade for the class.

Apparently I studied ALL of the wrong things. I spent hours studying the formulas that are used for various financial ratios (current ratios, # days purchases in inventory, etc). Turns out that was some SERIOUS wasted time. Our professor gave us the formulas on the test. LAME!!! The actual final was about 50 times harder than the practice final too. I was not happy. After 3 hours working on the test, I decided I had had enough. I felt like I did okay, but not great. Then I got my score.....46% - YIKES!! Our professor told us that the average was 70% historically. WHATEVER! I as not thrilled with my performance, but I was SO relieved the class that sucked up 50% of my studying time each week was finally over that I didn't even care.

After talking with my classmates, I wasn't anywhere near the class low, nor was I anywhere near the top (some people actually got 100% - LAME!), but I managed to pull out a B in the class and my motto is "B's get degrees!" and I was right - why have a miserable existence reaching for an 80% when a 40% will get you the same grade?

Everything I need to know about dating I learned in business school?

2008-10-18T19:18:00.004-06:00

A second year MBA student (or maybe it is a couple of them) decided to start a blog on how business strategy and theory can be applied to the dating world. I got wind of said blog from the MBA weekly newsletter. It is highly entertaining (if you can look past all of the business mumbo-jumbo). I especially loved the article that explains the "Eligible Bachelor paradox: How economics and game theory explain the shortage of available, appealing men." The rest of the stuff is neither here nor there. I am guessing I may find it more entertaining in the weeks and months to come.

Anyway, just wanted to share my new find with you all...now is back to accounting and finance exam reviews.

More Adventures in Atlanta

2008-10-13T23:54:00.003-06:00

After Friday, I had spoken with all of the companies exhibiting that I was interested in working for as well as several others that I am not interested in working for, so another day at the World Congress Center was not top on my list of things to do. I did switch to my flats (although I think they did as much damage to my feet as my heels) and spent a few hours at the conference Saturday morning. Fortunately many other students felt the same way I did. We decided to cut the conference short and spend Saturday afternoon exploring Atlanta and seeing the sights. After all most of us had booked our flights for late Saturday night as the conference was scheduled to go until 6 pm.

A group of us headed off to the Coca-Cola museum and the Georgia Aquarium (the largest in the US) for a day of sight-seeing. I really enjoyed the Coca-Cola museum and trying all of the different soft drinks they sell around the world. One soda sold in Latin America tasted like a green apple Jolly Rancher and the Pine Nut soda sold in Africa (Tanzinia, I think) was surprisingly tasty. Most of the beverages were at least palatable, in fact most were surprisingly tasty. However DO NOT drink "Beverly" when in Italy! It is SERIOUSLY disgusting. It is made with the "bitters of grapefruit rind" SO NASTY!!!!

In the Coke Museum they show a cartoon documentary of "The Happiness Factory" about what goes into the making of Coca-Cola. It is one of the weirdest things I have ever seen (and a little risque I might add.) They have these creepy creatures kissing the coke bottles. (We later found out that they are "Love Puppies" and we had our picture taken with it so you can see for yourselves). The bottling process was fun to watch (perhaps I can get extra credit for my operations class) and I loved watching all of the old Coke commercials (Marketing extra credit anyone? Coca Cola is the #1 brand in the world after all.)

After the Coke Museum and lunch at the CNN center food court, we headed over to the Aquarium. I have to say that I didn't really love the Aquarium. It may have had something to do with the massive crowds of people or the fact that I just am not that interested in fish and things that live in the water. I do have to admit that the whale sharks were pretty cool and otters are always my favorite (I didn't take any pictures of them however because there were just too many people in the way and I just wanted out of all of the crowds.)

Like I have said, it was great to get away and to not stress out about school or homework for 5 whole days. It was bliss (however sharing a double bed with my roommate Julina, was not.) I was happy to get home late Saturday/early Sunday to sleep in my queen size bed - alone.

Partying the Target Way in Hot-Lanta

2008-10-13T23:28:00.003-06:00

Part of the whole NSHMBA experience included parties and functions hosted by the various companies sponsoring the conference. Each company has a different venue and they range from networking events (cocktails and hors doeurves while you stand around making idle chit-chat) al la Johnson & Johnson to full on parties (open bar, dance floor & DJ and lounge style seating.) Target's party was the place to be. It definitely fell into the later category and was SO much fun! (never mind that my feet were KILLING me! 12 plus hours walking around in 3 inch heels and then cutting loose on the dance floor definitely takes its toll on your feet, but you have to look good!) BYU took up at least a quarter of the dance floor and 95% of those dancing are marketing majors (We are so much more fun than everyone else)... I have to admit that it was a little awkward as it was us single girls with the married men. (You have to love graduate degree programs in Provo!) But don't worry, the guys made sure that the girls were all in the middle and they surrounded us, that way it didn't look like the guys were dancing with one another, but at the same time the married guys made sure they weren't dancing with us girls either. It really was a lot of fun and it was a much needed break from the stress of school. Midterms are next week and so it was nice to forget about school for a day or two and play with my friends, well my MBA friends anyway.

National Society for Hispanic MBAs (NSHMBA)

2008-10-13T23:06:00.003-06:00

Yes, I know I am not Hispanic, but apparently you can be any ethnicity and still be a member of NSHMBA (NA-SHIM-BA). So I am a card carrying member of NSHMBA and I went to their annual conference and career fair this past week in Atlanta, GA. BYU gave us Wednesday, Thursday and Friday off of class in order to attend the conference, of course that meant that I had to miss out on Homecoming and yet another BYU football game, but I guess I will have to manage. I'll take the 78 degrees in Atlanta over the snow in UT any day! Apparently last year's students landed most of their internships as a result of NSHMBA so they thought we should go. Unfortunately this year it wasn't quite as successful (at least as far as I know, but the jury is still out.)

I did have a second interview with General Mills in their consumer insights group. It went okay, but it was definitely not by best performance. If nothing else, it was good practice. It never hurts to get practice interviewing and polishing skills that will hopefully land me an internship. I did have my picture taken with the Pillsbury Doughboy (Pillsbury is owned by General Mills). Too bad I look a lot like the Pillsbury Doughboy in the picture :( I guess I need to work on my modeling poses and need to hit the gym a little more regularly.

I did find out that BYU is now one of the 3 schools that L'Oreal recruits from for Marketing MBA students, which is super exciting. A cosmetics company would be awesome!!! Plus they own "The Body Shop" one of my favorite stores ever. It would be fantastic to work for them in London.

Nothing Says 'Welcome' Quite Like Giant Ants on the Ceiling?

2008-10-13T22:49:00.004-06:00

I don't know about you, but should I ever be the person decorating an airport, I am not sure that I would decide to put jumbo ants on the ceiling. What kind of logic is involved in deciding to put ants on the ceiling of an airport? How did that conversation go?

Hey, do you know what I think would just really say "welcome" when tourists come to Atlanta, a bunch of gigantic ants on the ceilingg!

Brilliant idea! We will win all sorts of decorating awards for that design.

Ants are so homey and friendly, especially really big fire ants.
This is the best idea we have ever had.

Welcome to Atlanta!

Hot Air Balloon Ride - Sort of

2008-10-13T21:52:00.005-06:00

A few weeks ago we went on a hot air balloon "ride" for FHE. Apparently a girl in our ward has an uncle who owns a hot air balloon business and he agreed to take us up in his balloon. I was going to pass on the whole experience, given my all consuming homework/class schedule and my paralyzing fear of heights. However I decided that I was going to suck up my fear of heights and give riding in a hot air balloon a whirl. The hot air balloon adventure turned out to be less of a ride and more of a vertical rise up to just above the treetops and back down. We were tethered to the ground the whole time so I was totally fine. I felt safe in the hot air balloon too. I would definitely do it again. Julina had the unfortunate position of being down wind from the controller's arm pit. The whole experience was a little less enjoyable for her.
Here are some pics of this adventure

1. Filling the balloon

2. Still more filling the balloon

3. Julina and I before we jumped in the hot air balloon

4. Sunset as we were in the balloon

5. Julina and I in the balloon - please excuse the double chin, I have yet to master the skill of taking self-portraits without it looking like I have a double chin... better luck next time I guess.
.

Hooray for Vacation!

2008-10-07T00:13:00.002-06:00

This is going to be a really quick post, but since I get really annoyed when other people don't update their blogs, I guess it is only fair that I update mine on occasion....

This past weekend Asa (my little brother) and I decided to skip school on Friday and make the 10 hour drive home to Richland, WA to watch Joe play some football. For the last 3 years I have gone home for the "Richland-Hanford" football game. Richland and Hanford are the two high schools in Richland are rivals, so it makes for a fun game. I wasn't going to go this year as I am once again a poor starving student and the MBA program takes up ALL of my life. But Asa convinced me to go. He really wanted to go, doesn't have a car, and frankly I needed a break. Especially since I had a mini breakdown this past week. (More on that another day...)

Anyway I had a great time watching Joe, although sitting in the pouring rain was not as much fun (Big thanks goes out to my roommate, Julina, for lending me her umbrella!) the 20-21 loss was kind of sad and the announcer was so annoying and biased that I honestly considered writing a letter to the editor about how annoying he was (As an aside you know you are old when you consider writing a letter to the editor. I am SO lame. :) ) It was great to relax and blow off homework for the entire weekend (I guess I did crack open my operations homework, and did my finance homework in the car.) It was definitely just what I needed.

Thanks Mom, Dad, Joe, Lauren & Arina for good times and for just letting me sit and chill for the weekend.

ASA you are the best for convincing me to go. It was great chatting with you for hours and hours in the car. Sorry I was really kind of grouchy toward the end. Also Rhonda, Kelsey, Sam and Jared it was great to see you too. I love hanging with you and your adorable kids.

I have to get some sleep now, but look forward to my posts on hot air balloon rides, my trip to Atlanta and the joys of a 2 day school week. Oh yeah, and hopefully I will remember to take pictures with my camera and not just take my camera with me. (I do have hot air balloon pictures though.)

Until next time...

A Smattering of Random Stories

2008-09-28T21:08:00.002-06:00

I am too tired to have any creative juices flowing at the moment, but I wanted to tell a few stories that have happened recently/general observations about what is happening in my life.

1- All of my classes are held in the newly finished addition to the Tanner Building. The classrooms are really nice and the addition has lots of great study rooms for our study groups/teams to use. It is fantastic . The only down side is that because they were in such a rush to finish the addition before schools started, they were not able to iron out of the kinks with the heating and AC. This has resulted in the AC running full blast constantly, creating FREEZING COLD rooms. It is okay in the mornings, but 20 minutes into class I am freezing cold and it just keeps getting colder. I am pretty sure that the temperature runs somewhere around 60 degrees (maybe as low as 57. My assigned seat (yes we have assigned seats, I think it is a throw back to 5th grade, but whatever) is directly under one of the vents. So while everyone else on campus is wearing shorts and a t-shirt to class, I am in wool sweaters and boots. I have considered busting out Furry Goodness (my fur vest) and my down parkas. It has been so cold that one guy has brought a blanket to class and wraps himself up in it. All I am saying is that I will be one happy camper if the heat works as well as the AC in the winter.

2 - The great thing about having all of your classes with the same people is that you really start to get to know these people and their true personalities start to shine through. We have some real characters. One of my favorite characters is a guy by the name of Jeremy. He is from Chicago and sounds a LOT like Joe Jr. from the movie While You Were Sleeping. I love it when he talks cuz he sounds so ethnic, plus he has VERY strong opinions about EVERYTHING, which I find totally amusing. The comments he made during our discussion on employment law were awesome. (He hates that the government can tell him who he has to hire. He says, "I should be able to hire who I want, if I don't like you, too bad!" - He said this in the presence of our guest lecturer, an attorney who specializes in employment law. It was classic!)

3 - This week I had an appointment to met with a member of the bishopric. I had a message from the Executive Secretary whose name is Aaron to set up the appointment and I didn't think much of it. Fastforward to Wednesday... I go strolling into the bishopric's office and the executive secretary greets me in what is a more familiar manner than normal, but I figured this guy was just a little on the friendly side. He then says to me, "I saw Doug today." To which I respond, " How do you know Doug?" He said, "Well a while ago you, me, Doug and Tedi all went and played some really bad golf." I was mortified! I had been out on a blind date with this kid a year or so ago. I remember going on the date, but I didn't remember what he looked like, which is weird because I VERY rarely forget faces. All I have to say about that is AWKWARD!!! What are you suppose to say in a situation like that? I tried to recover as best as I could. Thankfully the bishopric member was ready for me and saved me from further embarassment.

A Visual Discription of the Past Month

2008-09-28T20:48:00.002-06:00

A classmate of mine sent out this picture/short movie which perfectly describes how I have felt the past few weeks. It has been especially pertinent the later half of this weekend when no matter how long I stayed at school or how late I stayed up doing homework, I kept falling further and further behind.

I knew that the MBA program was going to be challenging and would take a lot of time. I just didn't realize that it would take over my entire life and that the only thing I would talk about would be MBA and MBA related things. I have turned into one of those people who just 4 short weeks ago I despised. My deepest apologies to all of you.

Wasting Time Wishing

2008-09-14T19:08:00.003-06:00

Today I was sitting at church listening to people share their feelings and getting a little frustrated. It seemed like every person who got up to bear their testimonies was talking about the "desires of their heart" (BYU speak for wanting to be married) being unmet and how they "wished they were at a different stage in life." I wanted to throw a shoe at all of these girls. Why do they want a life different from the one that they have? Is their current situation REALLY that bad? Do they not recognize that the Lord is using the experiences they are having now to prepare them for their future and to bless the lives of people around them? Do they really think that they don't have value or worth because they are not married? Why do they feel like they their life is not meaningful or adding value unless they are married and have children?

Sometimes I think I am broken and that there is something seriously wrong with me because I don't feel that way. I never really have. I remember sitting in a Young Women's meeting and our YW president (or maybe she was the Laurel Advisor at the time), Shanna Shirley, telling us about her life prior to meeting her husband and getting married. Shanna went to college, worked in several places and wasn't married until she was 25. I distinctly remember thinking that that was what I wanted. I wanted to graduate from college and then work and experience life before settling down. I wasn't going to get married until I was at least 25. There is a lot of world to explore and things to do that are very easily done when you are single and a little more challenging to do when you are married and have a family.

I have been so lucky to be able to be more involved in my younger siblings lives than some of my siblings due to the fact that I am single. I have been able to go places and experience things that I would not have been able to do if I were married. If I were married I would not being going back to school to get an MBA. I would not have met many of my friends who have greatly blessed my life. I would not have learned the lessons that I have from being available to serve those around me. Being "older" and still single has been a blessing in my life and I know that the Lord is mindful of me and that I am where I need to be at this time in my life.

I think that in society as a whole, not just in Mormon culture, we waste an awful lot of our lives wanting them to be different. I had fallen into this trap several years ago and it took a good friend, Maribah, say to me, "Connie, this is your life now." and that I needed to deal with it. What a wake-up call that was! Whatever we are experiencing, this is our life, and we only get one. Why do we waste so much of it wishing things were different? Sure sometimes I wish that I didn't have so much homework or that I had more time to spend with my friends and family. But I don't. I need to live in the moment, find as much joy and satisfaction in what I am doing NOW as I can.

My roommate has a card that is posted in our kitchen that has a picture of a girl walking down a path. On the path there is a sign at a fork in the road, with 2 arrows. One reads "Your Life" going one direction and the other arrow going in the opposite direction reads "No longer an option." Each of us has made decision that have brought us to the point that we are now. We can't change the past, we can only control today. So my advice to those girls (or any of us who may find ourselves wishing things were different)...STOP WASTING YOUR LIFE WISHING!!! Live in the present! Enjoy what you are doing (even if it is finance and accounting homework -UGH!) and trust the the Lord has you right where you are needed.

MBAMA (M-BAM-A), Moab, & Bank Alarms

2008-09-07T19:47:00.003-06:00

Prior to starting my MBA program last week, I went with a bunch of classmates (Members of MBAMA, the MBA Marketing Association) to Moab, UT over Labor Day weekend. Apparently all of the "fun" majors (Marketing & OB/HR (Organizational Behavior/Human Resources) have activities prior to school starting where we have the opportunity to get to know one another in a less formal setting. Along with students, professors and recruiters are also invited. (Finance majors lose out, but I guess that is probably okay as they tend to be kind of boring people, bless their hearts)I have to say that Moab was great fun. I was able to make more new friends and decide that Marketing is probably the best fit for me.

After 3 days with the group, I am pretty sure that I can answer the 3 major questions about each of them: Where they are from (hometown), Where they have lived prior to the MBA, and What they were doing prior to the MBA. For most of them I can also tell you random facts about them, including whose wife was hit on by John Mayer, who had a crochet needle shoved through their thumb, whose mission companion at 68 bananas in 6 days (NASTY!!) and who is addicted to "Rock Band." I also learned that married guys seem to be fascinated with the psyche of single women in the MBA program. I had all sorts of questions about what I want to do, my perspective on my single male peers and whether or not I plan on having a social life for the next 2 years. It was all very interesting.

As for our adventures, they started Friday morning with our drive to Moab in 12 passenger vans (I had flash backs to family vacation in "old yeller", evening getting my preferred seat - middle row, driver's side window)Upon our arrival at the Big Horn Lodge (apparently a few steps up from where they stayed last year, but definitely not the Hilton or even the Holiday Inn) we had free time for several hours. Myself and the Clements' sisters decided to hit the pool... little by little others joined us and pretty soon it was a happening spot. The guys decided to have a competition to see who could swim the furthers underwater without breathing. I believe Brandon won with 4 lengths.

After pool time we went to dinner and then listened to 2 recruiter presentations. We had presentations by Union Pacific Railroad and Wal-mart. After presentations we had the option of going to play laser tag, mini golf and race go karts. I was exhausted and opted to go to sleep instead. Unfortunately sleeping in a strange bed with a mostly (I met my bed mate, Michelle Quinn, that morning) complete stranger did not make for a restful night sleep. I was awake for at least 20 minutes each hour. I was relieved when 6am finally rolled around and it was time to get up!

Saturday morning we were picked up by our friendly tour guides and headed off on our Hummer safari. It was a lot of fun. It was a little windy as you will see from the pictures.After our morning of off-roading, we changed our clothes and headed up the Colorado River where we spent the afternoon rafting down the river. We don't have any pictures of that, but it was SO MUCH fun!!! I have all kinds of bruises from paddles and people trying to pull my out of the raft.

After another dinner, we had two more recruiter presentations (HP and Nestle). Once those were over, Elisa and I were ready to go, so we headed to what we thought was the door. We tried one and couldn't get out, so we pushed on what appeared to be an exit door. Once we did that, an alarm started to sound (did I mention our recruiter presentations were held in the basement of Zion's Bank). Apparently we tried to go out the emergency exit and in the process had all kinds of alarms going off. We had to evacuate the building and wait for the police. A little extra drama, just to keep things interesting.

1. The view outside the window as we climbed our first (and smallest) hill.

2. Elisa, Me & JJ as we are loading up in the morning.

3. The Clements Girls: Alison, Elisa & Me 4. Another fantastic vista from the Hummer windows. 5. Hell's Revenge - not much else to say 6. Elisa and Me - self portrait to show how tired we were. (Oliver, Union Pacific recruiter, Alison & Phil are in the background) 7. Alison, Nicole, Me & Elisa (Nicole is our neighbor and was part of our car pool group for orientation. She is also in my section) 8. Mike T: our fearless driver. This is exactly how he drove the Hummer, it didn't matter how steep the assent or decline.

Avoiding Homework

2008-09-03T21:43:00.002-06:00

I have a 30 page case to read and an balance sheet and statement of cash flows to finish tonight, but I have NO motivation to do them.... It is REALLY hard to be motivated for school when you have already spent 4 or 5 hours on homework. I HATE homework, which is one of the reasons I put off grad school for so long (well, that and having NO clue what I want to be when I grow up).

There are definite perks to being in school (not having to be anywhere until noon is pretty awesome) and having the ability to decide when you are going to "work" and not work, but all of that homework is WAY less than fantastic. So I am currently avoiding my homework by checking out Facebook, chatting with friends and updating my blog. I really should go to bed before 2 am, but my insomnia is back. I should probably figure out what the root of all of that is.

Okay, I have to be motivated....wish me luck!

Farmer Tans and Elevator Speeches.

2008-08-26T22:16:00.003-06:00

I am not sure how I am going to survive the next 4 months! I am SO tired all of the time and classes haven't even started!

Orientation has continued and after 2 days of leadership training last week (which included "team building" and "leadership" exercises at the National Guard/Army Ranger training camp and a pretty awesome sunburn/farmer tan. It is a perfect t-shirt tan. It looks ridiculous! I would post pictures, but they would not be appropriate) this week's focus is finding an internship or rather learning about elevator speeches, resume writing and interviewing skills. Honestly, I feel like I am having horrible flashbacks to Jr. Miss. I HATE looking for a new job and if I would have know that an MBA is just a 2 year job search, I am not sure I would have signed up for this gig. It is all very overwhelming. I hope it gets better over the next few months and weeks....

The Adventure Begins

2008-08-20T22:08:00.002-06:00

I have survived my first day of MBA Orientation! I have to say that from what I had heard I fully expected orientation to be a little more intense. Instead I felt like I was at REALLY social professional conference all day, especially since today we had to wear our suits. When it didn't feel like a professional conference, it alternated between kindergarten and church (I think praying at school will always be a strange concept for me. Add to it "talks" and doctrinal conversations and I felt like it was Sunday school for 4 hours.) At one point we were told to "be nice and smile". I wanted to turn to my neighbor and say "Seriously!" but I behaved, mostly.

We spent the morning sitting on extremely uncomfortable chairs listening to the MBA Director speak, followed by the dean of the school of business and wrapped up by the Associate Director. My ADD kicked in about 1/3 of the way through the 2nd speaker, so I was fidgeting for what seemed like hours (oh yeah, that is because it was!) Thankfully the 3rd speaker was at least entertaining. He made some comment about the single guys in the program needing to change their dating habits (used the old "definition of insanity" line.) It was pretty funny.

We then met with our teams (the class is divided into 3 sections, and each section is divided into 10 teams). Apparently they will be our BFFs after this semester. We will be spending 8-10 hours a day with them so hopefully we all get along. My group seems like it will be fine. We have 2 marketing majors, 2 finance majors and 1 supply chain/distribution major (he is doing a combined Masters in Mechanical Engineering along with his MBA.) I felt like I did WAY too much talking during our group discussion, but whatever. Nobody else was talking. I am REALLY hoping that they warm up. You know it is bad if I am the most animated person in a group at 10:30 in the morning. (granted I had been up for like 4 hours at that point, but come on! ) Me, the most animated? - this could make for an extremely painful 4 months.

After sitting for ever, we went over to the Tanner building (the morning events were held in the Hinckley Alumni Center) for Logistics training, our personal photo shoot (made bareable only because I got a stand of pearls out of the deal. All of the women got a pearl necklace and the guys got a necktie. Hooray for being a girl!!) and finally lunch. (I was STARVING but this point and I had a migrane because I was so hungry! You can't eat lunch 7 1/2 hours after getting up without serious complications.)

We ended the day with a chat in the Maeser Building about blending/balancing the religious education with secular. It was good. There has already been a lot of discussion about how we a blessed to have the BYU experience and that the tithe payers of the church are our "invetors" and we have to give them a "rate of return" on their investment. I am already kind of sick of hearing about it and it is only day one. There were several items that we talked about that were really good. One guy made a comment to the effect that the leaders of the church had decided to provide us with an education instead of building more temples, meeting houses, etc. He then possed the question to the effect of "what did you (the MBA admissions council) see in those of use that were admitted to think we were worth that investment?" The question that I then asked myself and that I am sure will be part of my exploration of the next few years and longer, "What does Heavenly Father see in me that qualifies me for this experience, and what will be/is required of me because of this opportunity?"

We closed out the day with a class picture (can we say "Elementary School?") in front of the Maeser Building. It was 100 degress outside and we were in the full sun in full on suits. It was miserable. I can't wait to see the squinty-eyed picture. It is gonna be awesome. I am not sure who decided that 3:30pm was an ideal time to take a picture, but they should definitely rethink that.

All in all it was a pretty good day. It is kind of strange to be one of 20 women in a group of 150 or so students. Tomorrow is leadership coursework at Camp Williams....this should be fun!

How do you spell "quality"?

2008-08-15T23:13:00.004-06:00

As part of my job responsibilities I was researching stock photography trying to find a photograph to depict "quality." I went to various websites that sell stock photography and every website I went to pulled up pictures of a slaughterhouse and/or cold cuts!

I don't know about you, but when I think "quality" my first thought is not of a slaughterhouse. While I am grateful that slaughterhouses undergo vigorous quality inspections, I just don't think that if I saw a picture of a slab of meat hanging in a freezer that my immediate thought would be, "oh that is a quality item." Seriously what is the reasoning behind the correlation of quality and dead animals? I just don't get it.

Why are you talking?

2008-08-11T21:11:00.002-06:00

Why is it that some people think it is okay to be chatting early in the morning? I am not a morning person, nor do I pretend to be. In fact for my last 2 years of college I didn't have classes in "the single digits" (before 10 am). So I don't really get why people feel it is necessary to talk to one another prior to 8 am. (A quick "good morning" may be acceptable, that is it!)

Why am I telling you this, you may be asking? Well, last Friday morning my roommate needed a ride to the airport at 4:30 AM!! While 4:30 is early I figured that I could get up and drive her to the airport and then come home and go back to sleep for a few hours before going to work. Not a big deal. So Friday "morning" (it was pitch black outside, not even a hint of the rising sun) rolls around and we were off to the airport. I was hoping for a relatively quiet ride to the airport - you know, half asleep, no talkng, maybe a mumbled word or two. The thing is Kara is a morning person and she was WAY chatty Friday morning. Both of my roommates are morning people and really chatty. WHAT is wrong with them! Bless their hearts. I wanted to say "Why are talking!?" but I didn't. I was just too tired.

Why do people think that early in the morning is a good time for talking? Don't they know that most of us don't have all of our neurons firing? We are trying to just function and keep our eyes open, not really in the mood to talk about politics or work, not even idle chit chat.

So before you launch into a story early in the morning, think twice, make sure the person(s) that you are speaking to are morning people. Those of us who are not will thank you for your courtesy.

Family Reunions

2008-07-20T21:46:00.001-06:00

I have to say that I just love family reunions. I realize that I may be in the minority here, but because of family reunions with my Mom's brothers and sisters, I have grown up with over 50 1st cousins that I know by name and with whom I have a relationship. As my own immediate family is "growing up" and have been scattered through out the US, we have decided that it is now time to start the tradition with our family. Thanks to Tedi, we had the 1st Annual Lorin & Trudy Clements Family Reunion over the 4th of July weekend. We had a great time. Everyone was there (minus Reubs who is serving a mission, so I guess we will excuse him this time)and it was the first time that we have all (or most of us) have been together in several years.

It was fun to play with my adorable nieces and nephews, visit with siblings I haven't seen in over a year and just enjoy being at home with my parents. I spent the nights sleeping on the trampoline like I did as a kid, swimming, playing at the river and attending a good old small town 4th of July parade... no 4th of July parade is complete with out at least 1 marching band, classic cars, politicians, horses, beauty queens, tractors & a float or two. Fun times! although I have to say that the Pasco 4th of July parade was one of the quietest parades I have ever been two. They needed some more music and definitely another marching band or two.

Friday night we enjoyed what I affectionately called "The Man Dinner." Dad smoked some pork and turkey in the smoker and then we had dutch oven potatoes and peach and apple cobbler. It was delish! We definitely ate REALLY well.

After the parade we went home and had some lunch and prepared for "Swimming Pool Olympics" Sadly I did not get any pictures of this event, but needless to say it was SUPER fun. We had to play "over & under" with a beach ball, passing over the head of one person and through the legs of the other, once the ball got to the end of the line, the last person had to run to the front and start again until we had rotated through all participants being in the back. I am surprised no one broke any bones. I have to say that my brothers and brothers-in-law are EXTREMELY competitive. We also played a form of ultimate Frisbee in the water and a game where we had to collect ping pong balls one at a time, trying to get as many balls into the basket as possible. It was pretty ridiculous, but honestly loads of fun. Other people who were also at the pool asked to join in our fun, and of course we let them. It was all fun and games until Arina got trampled at the bottom of the pool. (She decided that it would be a good idea to swim under us when playing ultimate. None of us were looking beneath us, we were just trying to win!)

Saturday we spent the day at the river - jet skiing and enjoying the water, sun and the company of siblings. We relaxed in the evening and then watched a movie outside on the back of the house. I think that almost everyone fell asleep before the movie was over.

I am so blessed to have such a fantastic family. Every time I go home I am reminded of how much I love being there. All of my worries just disappear and I am completely content. I think it must have something to do with the atmosphere of love that is there.

Anyway, much thanks to Tedi and everyone else who put it altogether. Enjoy the pics!

Miracles

2008-06-17T20:39:00.003-06:00

I was at the grocery store a few weeks ago (or maybe months.... I don't cook very often these days) when I discovered what I consider to be a small miracle food - Lactose free cheese! Some of you may be thinking, "yeah, so, what is the big deal?" The big deal is that I am lactose intolerant . I have to say that I was a little afriad that it was going to be discusting. Turns out lactose free cheese tastes as good. It could be argued that it tastes even better than regular cheese. I am not sure the chemical processes that are involved in making cheese lactose free, but it is a miracle.

I have also come to the conclusion that it a miracle that anyone every gets married. Really if you think about it, very few relationships actually work out. If even one relationship makes it, you are lucky. Typically only one relationship ever works out. That two people ever meet, are attracted to each other, fall in love and get married is an act of God. A miracle second only to child birth.

Movies I am Embarrased to Admit I Saw & LIKED

2008-06-06T20:02:00.002-06:00

So I was chatting with my friend a while back and in the course of our conversation he made some comment that made me think of a movie a saw a few months ago that I found totally entertaining, but am slightly embarrassed to admit that I have actually seen. It was one of those "teeny-bobber" movies that I am technically "too old" for but I was totally entertained by it. And thus an idea for my blog was born!

Honestly how many of us have seen movies that society say that we are too old for, or that seem lame based on previews, but turn out to be really funny/entertaining? For example, I absolutely LOVED the movie "John Tucker Must Die." I seriously think I watched that movie 3 or 4 times in the theater (the dollar movie, but still..)and I purchased it a few weeks ago for my own collection. Now I realize I am not in the target demographic for this movie. It is geared more toward tweens and teens, but it was SO entertaining. I also loved Syndee White, Drive Me Crazy, She's the Man, (really anything with Amanda Bynes or Hillary Duff) Beauty Shop (w/Queen Latifa).

I know that you all have some of these movies, so go ahead fess up, what are some of your 'guilty movie pleasures?'

One of "those" weeks

2008-05-22T22:16:00.001-06:00

Where to begin, where to begin? I have so much fodder for blogging...I could rant about the intricacies of the English language, being set up on blind dates, why people seem to think that I need to be set up on blind dates, hanging out at the ER listening to a patient who OD'd on heroin, old friends, or maybe something else. But I think I choose something else.

This week started off on a bit of "bad note" one might say. You see Sunday night I was just beginning to wind down the weekend and was psyching myself up for the upcoming work week when I had to accompany my roommate to the ER....no she was not the patient who OD'd on heroin. She has been having some heart problems and she had really severe chest pain. If you ever want to get immediate attention at the hospital, tell them you are having chest pain or that you had numbness on one side, preferably the left... They take you right back. Anyway, the unfortunate side effect when you have chest pain is that they run ALL kinds of test that take hours and hours. I mean, how long does it take to decide if you need to keep someone at the hospital? Six hours, that is how long that it took, so my plan to go to bed early was foiled. Well, technically I guess I did go to bed early, early in the morning! It was past 2:30am when I final was able to go home and get some rest... Trying to sleep curled up in the ER chair just was not cutting it.

Anyway, because I was totally sleep deprived on Sunday night, my whole week has been off! I am totally dragging and it doesn't matter how much sleep I get, I just can't feel rested. Also I have been EXTREMELY grumpy with the whole world. Monday I was so tired that I really hated everyone! The last time I could recall being that grumpy was when I stayed awake for 48 hours straight! It was kind of funny, but not really. Typically I am a pretty easy-going friendly kind of gal. Not Monday! Even I could not believe how cranky I was and I wasn't even menstrual. It was "a Clements not eating for a week" kind of bad. (and for those of you who live with or are a Clements, you know what I am talking about - NOT Pretty!)

I guess the moral of today's story is don't be a good friend. If your friend has to go to the ER on a Sunday evening (or any evening for that matter), tell them "See you later, sucker. I need my beauty sleep!" er, I mean you just go, but perhaps you should invest in a warning label for everyone else around you and be prepared to have one of "those" weeks.

What is with name suffixes?

2008-05-11T21:37:00.001-06:00

So two weeks ago I was sitting in a VERY cramped venue attending my sister's college graduation convocation. My knees were sticking 3 inches over the seat in front of me and I was trying mighty hard not to inadvertently bump the poor kid in front of me in the back of his head. I had been sitting there for what felt like hours (it probably had been at least 1 hour) and I was zone out, wondering if it was ever going to end, when I hear a name read for some kid, followed by the suffix "the thirteenth."

The 13th?!! Is someone kidding me?! At first I thought I had heard wrong, so I turned to my mom and asked if she had also heard the 13th. She confirmed that I was not crazy(at least not then), so did the guy in front of her. Sadly some poor schumck had the unfortunate name of "John Smith, the 13th" (or some name similar to that). While I get the whole idea of passing along a name from one generation to another, or naming a child after a relative, don't you think that there comes a time when it is just ridiculous? Personally I think it becomes ridiculous at "the 3rd", even more ridiculous at the 4th and 5th, BUT a 13th? That is "off the charts" ridiculous, and I am not even talking about the ramifications of such a "unlucky" number.

Seriously, who do these people think they are? The only people with suffixes that high are kings who lived way back in "the day." Think Louis XVI, etc. Last time I checked we didn't have kings in America, but kudos to those who are holding out for a monarchy in the US. Best wishes to them but I hope they don't hold their breath.

Further, think about the pressure on the person who decides to break that chain. They would be ruining a tradition spanning ~400 years (based on the assumption of each generation beginning 30 years after the preceeding generation). That is a lot of pressure! All I am saying is that I hope there is some SERIOUS trust fund cash involved in keeping that family tradition alive, otherwise someone needs to pull the plug and end that madness!

So for all you folks out there with a little bun in the oven or who are contemplating the naming of your posterity, use a little creativity! I am not saying go crazy and make up names and spellings that are going to get your kid beat up, but mix it up a little. Give the kid mom or dad's name as a middle name or have the share the same middle name. If you really feel the urge to "pass on the family name" resist the urge to have a "Junior" or "the 3rd" running around. Give the kid a name that is unique to them (at least amongst the blood relatives.)

The Beginning

2008-05-11T21:14:00.000-06:00

So I have been contemplating becoming a blogger for quite some time as I find that I have all sorts of random stories that I want to share with friends and family. However, said stories are not always shared because I can't keep track of to whom I told which story. Plus I hate to bore people with stories they don't want to hear - no stories about my cat or my fish I promise. (I don't have pets, but even if I did, I wouldn't tell stories about them - LAME!!)

So for those of you who are interested in what I am doing and what is going on in my life - here is your "crystal ball" You can read my blog if you want to "hear" my stories... if you don't well that is okay too. I think my life is pretty entertaining at times & hope you will too. Plus being the opinionated individual that I am sure that I will find plenty to rant about. Also I make no promises as to the political correctness of the contents of my blog. Enjoy!