Another New Place

So as many know I have moved once again. I'm proud of myself for staying in the same place for over a year! I live now in The Rose Park area of Salt Lake, not exactly the Ritz but I have 3 amazing roommates, and other than some hitches with figuring out my new bus routes I love it!

Here are a few shots of the room. Notice I am once again it a basement. :(

Juno checking out her new window spot.

Sublime with Rome Concert

This is from way back in August but I forgot to post about it. We went to the 311 concert and Sublime was opening for them. We actually ended up leaving after Sublime and missing 311 but Sublime was pretty awesome! We were in the pit literally only behind one row of people and had a great shot of the stage! I was trying to download a video but it was taking FOREVER...maybe I'll try later. :) Enjoy!

The View

I was sitting outside enjoying a little of the beautiful pre-fall weather, and trying to ward off a migraine...when I realized how hideous the view is from our back porch. There's the overpass (going over the train tracks right behind our building) seen just above the storage units from the business next door and don't forget the billboard advertising the apartments I already live in.

Beautiful. Just Beautiful.

I hope you all have some Nice weather to enjoy too!!

Classy Incidents

I had the wonderful opportunity to fly First Class for the first time coming home from NJ a week ago. I had a scheduled flight connecting from Newark to Minneapolis then to Salt Lake with a 2 1/2 hour layover. When I got to my gate in Newark though they had overbooked and asked if I would be willing to leave an hour later on a direct flight to Salt Lake. I was totally down with that, and would have been more than satisfied if that was their final offer.

They weren't done though. The lady then gave me a $7.00 food voucher and told me to go get breakfast (that was enough to get me a yummy breakfast panini) and a $200 travel voucher for Delta Airlines. When I went back to get my new boarding pass she was like "oh, and by the way I upgraded you to first class." I guess I'm better at negotiating than I thought I was! ;)

There was one problem with my upgraded seat. I was in the first row and on the isle, which meant the steward came to me first for everything. I managed well the first few times, getting myself a Coke before takeoff (in a glass cup not a plastic one) and pretzels to munch on (even though I wasn't really hungry because of the panini). After we got in the air, he asked if I would be joining them for breakfast, assuming it was free and pretending I hadn't already had a breakfast and a half I said yes.

I was next handed, via large tweezers, a warm wet rag. I wasn't sure what to do with until the guy next to me started wiping off his hands, I immediately stopped wiping my face and did the same. These were then collected and thrown away. I was then asked if I wanted eggs or cereal, I went with eggs, and a bagel or croissant, I was feeling fancy and went with the croissant. When I got my breakfast it was not just eggs and a croissant, it was a small spinach and cheese omelet, with country style hash browns, three small pieces of ham, a bowl of fruit, AND a croissant. I was eating off of nice glassware and eating with silverware, and was offered more drinks than I could possibly have had room for as I finished my second breakfast within 2 hours.

I enjoyed use of the "first class bathroom" as my bladder strained to contain all that it was given. The leg room was incredible. There were no fighting elbows or awkward head-shoulder collisions. I feel that I was able to blend in well, minus the towel incident, and enjoyed the ride. I did feel unsophisticated sitting next to a coffee drinking suit. As a people watcher I marveled at the devote Jew across the isle reading some book I assumed to be scripture throughout the flight, kissing it and putting it to his forehead each time he closed the book. I read Bossypants by Tina Fey between naps and considered doing the same.

Cat vs Sharks

Marty a cat we were watching for Bri's sister seemed very intrigued by my iPad. So I downloaded a quick shark app and watched while he enjoyed trying to chase them!

Wet Drywall and Other Clever Tales

The excitement of my week was waking up on Monday to this puddle coming from under my stove.

Hopefully you can actually see the water...I promise it's there.

This is a shot of course after I pulled off the drawer from under the stove. So I called our maintenance guy freaking out cause there was a puddle in our apartment. He said he'd be right over, and an hour later he was at the door. He was thinking it was a leak from upstairs, but after cutting a few beautiful holes in our walls and under the sink he found a small scrape on some of the plastic piping behind the sink, probably from a nail int he wrong spot when putting up the drywall.

Because the walls were very wet, our apartment has been in disarray for a week now, trying to leave them open enough to air out. Thankfully the holes are in location not accessible by any of the animals! We hope they'll fix it this week. But then again that's when they told they'd be here, so we'll just hope it's fixed by August. ; )

I am also very excited to get to see family the next few weeks. I miss being close to them and getting to hang out all the time. I'll see Scott and Cassie on their way back to Rexburg and give them a place for which to rest their heads. And then the Mid and West coast part of the family the next weekend!! I'm also enjoying the warm weather we've been having here in Utah and laying out by the pool!

Life is Good.

Paint Balling Birthday

I got to go paint balling for my birthday this year. Which was incredibly fun. I managed to walk away fairly unscathed, due to my ability to hide behind not only the barricades but also other people. :)
We got to play a few games with just our group and played a few with some more experienced players. But definitely had fun all around! The guys in my group were impressed with my skills. As was I!

Now that I'm officially 22 (even though I still feel like I'm 18) I've realized how much I have grown up since high school. I have an amazing apartment, I have a job that can support me, I am almost done with my bachelors degree, I have a great support system of friends and family, and I have learned to live and make decisions for myself and not for the expectations of others. As a newly 22 year old I'm happy to say that I am happy!

It's been a while since I've posted anything. I've been busy. I took a few videos today of Juno and Binx a new cat to our apartment. They have learned to get a long so well and love to fight and roll around and play together. They have even been caught grooming each other. Binx the black cat was recently shaved which is why she looks like she's wearing boots! Anyways enjoy!

Juno Training

Since I'm not home most of the time during the week, on the weekends I get to see what kind of trouble Juno gets in to while I'm normally gone. Her new favorite play place (beating out the toilet, sink, and refrigerator) is the bathtub. She loves to play in water and drink water when shes in control of how wet she gets. Without any inhibitions she jumps right through the closed curtain and knocks down the shampoo bottles, licks up any droplets left from the last shower, chews on the plastic curtain, and meows when she forgets how she got in.

Since I was home today I thought I would teach her that playing in the bath tub was probably not what she wanted to do.

I filled the tub with a couple inches of water, and closed the curtain.
I sat waiting with my camera until I heard the splash, and found this.



Juno eventually succeeded in drying herself off.
And hopefully I succeeded in teaching her not to play in the bathtub.

This is what we do..

Me: Thank you for calling discover this is Emily in Salt Lake may I have your account number please?
Lady on the phone: I don't have an account with you, I'm calling because I charged $600 on my ex-husbands discover card without him knowing. I just wanted to let you know that it was me so if he needs to press charges he can, I just don't want him to be held responsible for it.
Me: ...

In my line of work, grunt labor bottom of the food chain customer service rep, I get to see an interesting side of the human race. During the day its frustrating and I want to throw down my headset and walk out, but by the end of the day I can't help but to think back and laugh.

One of my favorite things is the things people say on the phone when they think I cant hear. Before customers get to me our automated system says "We are now transferring you to our customer service team in Utah." Right after that they're on my line and I can hear EVERYTHING they say. Their reactions to finding out their going to be talking to someone in Utah are pretty funny. Some of my favorites...

"Uuuutaaaahhhhhhh." (by far the most common too)
"Utah? That's probably why my accounts messed up."
"Where's Utah?"

My favorite call of the week though was this older lady who called in on her husbands account. When I asked for her name she gave his name, Timothy. People do this a lot because they know they're not listed on the account, but usually if I say like "I have so-and-so's account pulled up and who am I speaking with today?", they'll say oh this is his wife/or fiance/or other relation. It's my way of nicely saying its okay if you're not the account holder just don't lie to me, I'm not 80 years old but I wasn't born yesterday. This lady was adamant that her name was Timothy though. So I transferred her to the Security team who is not so nice to people pretending to be someone they're not. So satisfying.

More stories to come...

Cat vs Coke Box

Christmas Cat and the Card

Wow I haven't updated this in a while.

I did finally find a new job. I started in September as an Account Manager at Discover Card. Basically I answer phones all day. It's 10x better than my last job though. I get paid better and get tons of time off and still the flexibility to work and do other things. The biggest thing I have learned though is to appreciate the people who are on the line when you call in to a company. We all hate when someone tries to sell us something on the phone when we call in about something simple. But as the person whose progress at work is primarily rated on whether or not a product is offered (not sold) I am more than willing to take the time to sit through a little bit of a longer conversation and then say that I'm not interested.

In November I went to the Humane Society of Utah to adopt a cat and came home with this hunk of love.
Roxy fit in and was right home from the second she walked in the door. She wouldn't eat (when she did she'd throw it up) or go to the bathroom and on top of that she cam down with an upper respiratory infection. Because she wouldn't eat her cough and runny nose just kept getting worse and worse for the week that I had her. Finally the hard decision was made to take her back so she could find a home that had more time to really care for her the way she needed. The policy of the Humane Society is that if the animal you adopt has to be returned within 30 days, you can exchange it for another animal.

So the following week I went back and found the cutest 3month old kitten. Her name was Enigma. But I changed it to Juno (much easier to say).

Now a month later she is Queen of the apartment. Every thing is a toy. The garbage. The blinds. The dirty dishes int he sink. My glasses. Every cord, string, and piece of paper. But most especially..the refrigerator.

She of course as every cat does, loves to climb and jump and I catch her in the weirdest places taking naps. Like the kitchen counter next to my keys, work badge, and bus pass. I also find her napping in the bathroom sink and playing int he toilet. : [


Even though I'm a little too poor to make it home for Christmas this year. I decided instead to invest in a little Christmas cheer. Namely in a tree.

Three feet of dazzling lights and fake Douglas Fir means Christmas is definitely coming to my little part of Salt Lake City. Thanks Wal-Mart. Yes my lava lamp is for some reason next to the tree.

I will be going up to Idaho to spend Christmas with the family that I can. It will be Juno's first adventure out into the world and getting to meet some new people. It will mostly be nice to get away for a few days and get to see family to make Christmas feel a little more real.

With this posting I was to wish a happy and safe Christmas to everyone and their families!!

New Apartment

In October I moved into a new Apartment in Salt Lake. Well actually it's right on the border of Salt Lake City and Murray. I live with one of my old roommates Brina and her adorable dog Moose. It's a brand new apartment complex so most of the apartments are still empty but filling up quickly. The apartment is much nicer than the other places I've lived and in a much better neighborhood and right across the street from a Trax station.

Long ago it was requested that I put up pictures of my new place and I haven't yet so I am now. :)

The rest of the kitchen

Living room (my TV that I got for free)

The rest of the living room

Bedroom (view from the bed)

Laundry room (I love having a washer and dryer right in my apartment!)

Bathroom

Updated Reunion Department

Things You Should Know:

- I am alive.

- I am considering pursuing a Masters degree in Social Work as opposed to the planned Masters in Psychology. I've learned that training in Social Work can get me qualified to do the kind of work I'd most like to be doing...and the program is 2 years instead of 4. Lol

- I got to spend a lot of time with my family this weekend. Scott, Cassie, Dan, Patty, Sarah, and Larin all made their way to Salt Lake. I also got to see my beautiful sister Brooke and her family. I met for the first time Cael and Landry, and got to see again Lincoln and Savannah, and host this mini family reunion in my very small basement apartment.

- I have learned that I work for a very unorganized company, and spend the majority of my time dealing with complaints rather than actually booking calls. I also have to thank my coworkers for their vote of confidence in me, as they made bets that I would quit a week after I started. They just don't realize how bad I need this job! And needless to say, my job hunt continues.

- Thanks to an unwanted peeping Tom, I've become closely aquaited with several officers from the Sex Crimes unit of my local Police Department. I also now have a golf club by my back door and sleep with a BB Gun (thanks Patty).

- If I was a kid I'd live at the Treehouse Museum in Ogden.

- I lik-a do the cha-cha.

My Own Spill, Dogs, and Jobs

Here in Salt Lake we experienced our own oil spill 21,000 gallons of crude oil from a damaged Chevron pipe leaked from the Red Butte Creek into the Jordan River and other smaller streams. For those who have visited me or looked on a map where I live I am just across the street from the Jordan River. I went on a walk today to see the damage...

These are booms they placed in a northern part of the river to sop up the oil before it can travel farther down the river.

An oil shimmer can be seen here...you can probably see it better if you tilt your screen a little. These were seen up and down the river. It's pretty sad...and very stinky. So much damage from something we all depend on so much and would never be able to live without.

In other news, I got a new job this last week working as a Client Care Representative at Whipple Service Champions. I got the job on Friday (after a very scary group interview process) and start on Monday. I'm pretty nervous, but this job could potentially give me the ability to go to school in the Fall instead of needing to take a semester off!

I also while trying to do homework have to deal with these two little turds. Moose (dark brown) and Naiyah (fawn colored). I'm pretty sure they're friends even though this is pretty much all they do.

When they finally wear each other out and pass out they're terrifically adorable! I've def become a huge dog fan even though I never grew up with one. Even when they're annoying, it's better than being alone!

There's so much to look forward to this week...and looking to the future as well. I'm so grateful for my new job and all the possibilities it brings with it. I'm also so grateful for the prayers that I know brought this blessing about. Thanks for all of your support and prayers on my behalf!

Rejected Bug Doll

In my world...this is the lowest way to be turned down from a job. I was obviously not worth a phone call or an email...just a letter in the mail 2 months after applying. Thank you Marriott.

Though I may still be hitting a brick wall in the job department...I am at least in good company!

Just kidding. This guy is not good company. He's (I assume it's male for a number of reasons that I won't share here) the epitome of disgusting creepy crawlers. And whatever this bug is, enjoys sharing the shower with me nearly every morning no matter how many who have gone before him I have flushed. Living in a basement as the warm weather comes has brought with it a number of other creepy crawlies, but none near as big or ugly as this one!

I have learned that leaving anything edible on the floor of my room for even 30min will result in it becoming the conquest of the local ants. The worst ever was a pizza box...empty..but still apparently with enough viddles to get their attention. I left it on the floor for an hour and when I went to take it outside, it was literally crawling in ants. So I spent an hour grabbing ants off the floor and squishing them with my bare hands. OH YES, I made it personal.

This last weekend Patty and Dan came to visit me, which was way fun!! They took me out to a comedy improv show and the to a midnight dinner at IHOP, and they brought with them an early birthday present! A Jim Carrey doll that Patty made!! She even gave him crazy Ace Ventura like pants! Now my two favorite men can keep each other company when I'm not around!! Thanks so much Patty and Dan!!

This also opens the invitation to everyone to come visit me! I miss all my friends and especially my family. I need better company than grasshopper-centipede morphed bugs!!

I like to ride my...bicycle, bIcYcLe, BICYCLE!!!!

Since my $8/hr job does not leave much excess in my fiances I have picked up new means of getting myself around.

(Yes I keep my bike locked to my back porch at ALL times. Better safe than sorry!)

I bought it for $70 off ksl.com from a pretty shady character, but it works great and is in really good condition. The exercise is doing me good as is the fresh air! Once my hindquarters get used to the not-so-comfy seat it'll be even better!

It's textbook buyback season which means good hours for me!! A total of 47 very good hours this week alone to be exact. On Friday, we gave back more than $5,000 for books and I personally boxed up 10 boxes when our daily average is more like 3-4. It's a fun job and has taught me a lot. For example, this next semester I will only be getting 2 books from the campus bookstore, the other ones I'll be getting online and saving myself like $200!!

Classes I'm registered for this coming semester (most of them general ed requirements):
-Psychology as a Science and Profession
-Gender and Sexuality
-Labor economics
-Intro to Music Theory
-The Global Citizen
and maybe
-Survey of Clinical Psychology

I am moving along in the clinical trial I'm in. I haven't started taking the actual medicine, but until I do, I have to pee in a cup every morning and take an ovulation test to monitor my LH levels), because once I'm ovulating I go in and get my first round of meds. I'm definitely prepared in case I ever need to closely monitor my cycle to have kids or anything!


Here is my little kit, a cup to pee in, strips to dip into the pee, the tester (the blank circle means that I'm not ovulating today, it gives a smiley face when I am lol), and then my electronic diary where I record all of my test results, level of pain, and symptoms. It's all pretty nifty I think!!

My life has definitely changed but for the better, I'm so happy here in Utah. I miss my family but I am SOOO excited to get back into school in a few weeks!!

A Weak Week

I have had quite the week.

I decided to take part in a clinical drug trial for a drug (VA111913) that is supposed to relieve symptoms of Dysmenorrhea. The worst listed side effect of taking the drug is nausea, which is something I have to deal with even if I don't take it, so I figure its pretty safe. Beside possible new treatment for my monthly pain, I'll also be getting paid $950 for participating!!
I also somehow managed to strain my shoulder. I'm not sure what I did but it hurt bad enough on Wednesday night that I only slept for a few hours. The feeling is similar to when I strained both of my wrists playing church ball. It's made worse though by the fact that my shoulder hurts constantly, I think because gravity if constantly pulling it down. It's still really sore and moving my arm is pretty difficult, but I'm hoping by this next week it will have fixed itself!

No luck on the job front this week. I'm still looking for a night job/graveyard shift to pick up in addition to my bookstore job. If I had a car it would be SOOO much easier to get one but I've got to work with what I've got!

One thing that helped me smile this week: My favorite chocolate donut!

Me Again!

Hey there. It's been a while. I just thought I'd update this.

I'm in the process now of switching man cave locations to a bigger room in the basement where I'm staying. Its a little less cave-y than the other one. After I cleaned out all of my boxes into my new room, I slept in the little alcove under the stairs...and woke up int he morning with terrible cramps in my legs, proof that sleeping like a hamster was better in thought than in actuality.

I also have started watching a friends chihuahua on the weekends while she works three different jobs. His name is Moose and he is the most lovable snuggly little puppy ever!!

(This was our serious picture lol)

I did get a job that for now is giving me about 7hrs a week. I am still looking for another one. Hopefully one at night so I can keep it while I'm in class. Speaking of class I'll be starting at the University of Utah in May, and I'm really really excited!!! I love love love being here in Utah!!

This is an early birthday present from a good friend that I got a few days ago. If you recognize who this is you'll know why this molding of his face (real not sculpted) is pretty much the best present EVER!!!

Til next time.

Pictures!!

Here are some pictures of my new place. Yes my room is partly under the stairs, which just makes me feel a little bit like Harry Potter. Its nice and cozy...what you probably can't tell is that the ceilings are really low...I am in the basement so its all pretty tight even the pace between the floor and ceiling. I, at not quite 5'6, have only a few inches between my head and the top of the door frame. I feel like a giant walking around :) There's not a lot of space but I welcome visitors!!!