And the Reality of Living in Mormonland Comes Crashing in on me

This afternoon Mr.3 and I were having a late lunch/early dinner with my parents at Chuck-a-rama this afternoon. I was cooing over this adorable little girl in a green Easter dress right up until she went up to her mom...who I haven't seen since Middle School. Living here for as long as I have it isn't unusual to come across people you knew from your past...however it still is a shock when you see someone from school have four kids and to be pregnant with a fifth by the age of 26. This is normal for Mormon Utah, this girl, April I believe her name is to be, did what just about 90% of the other girls I went to school with did....got married at 19 and just started to pop out kiddies every year or so....stairstepped children of the corn. I don't want to say that I regret not having children....I will have children, but when I am ready for them...when WE are ready for them. I pity her because I worry that in her eagerness to perform her religious duty for producing more and more children, that she never got a chance to really live. Did she ever get a chance to find herself before she became saddled with diapers? Is she seeming to fall into the same trap of so many young and fundamentally unhappy Mormon brides, procreating in order to forget?

just another thing that I don't need...

a widget on my work computer that let's me blog easier...oh dear.

Week of the never-ending late school nights

We all have had nights where we are up late doing school stuff, but this week (everyday this week) I have actually been on campus until at least 9pm only to turn around and be back on campus at 7:30am. Tonight is another late night because of class but at least I should be home somewhere around 7. I can't wait until this week is over...or well...all of my presentations are over. Testing class went smashingly well, and in a bold ego-centric move, I would say that ours was the best in the class. Then again, we also were the last group and had the benefit of seeing what happened with the groups prior to us in class. Either way my partner and I easily spent 20 hours in preparation for this together, and then more time on top of that was spent working on our own.

And there was something else that I was going to write about...but I forgot. It looks like today is going to be one of those days.

threatening comments

So yesterday I received several comments on this blog that were either freaky whacked out or just plain threatening....my question is, what really is the motivation? As this blog is my expression it should be noted that I will make complete fun of these people if I so choose. I also take full responsibility for anything that I write here. Comment if you wish but please give me a name if you are going to call me one so that I can adequately curse you.

The bug eating bugs and other fun stories...

My dispondent mood was calmed today by lots of bits of gossip about the bug. We held a lunch for the graduate students today to get them more involved in our discussion groups on campus...and of course in these situations the only way to gather students is to bribe them with food. Anyway, setting this up because an team-office undertaking. I would have had to do all of it but my ploy of "I only sit at the desk I don't know anything else" actually worked. I coordinated everyone's schedule, took RSVPs and let the professors know where they needed to go to reserve the room. Teri, Shari and Carolyn (who I keep calling Carrie today) researched into food and ordered everything last minute for the luncheon as no one had told them that they needed to be working on this. June sent out the invite email. So the lunch starts and Shari goes up to the lounge with the PO to make sure that the pizza gets paid for. The bug grabs the PO from her, tell Shari that this is HER show, and that she should leave. Shari left, but not before the bug had time to chew her out about filling out the PO wrong (which was filled out by Teri our AA). Shari came down and told us what had happened which lead to some interesting conversations, but our annoyance at the bug's behavior was quite tangible. About 40 minutes into the presentation I went up to help "clean up"---otherwise known as morbid curiousity and hunger pains. The meeting wasn't quite over when I got up there so I just stood next to "I". Shari's name was mentioned several times, and it really should have been an event that she should have been present for. "I" asked me why she wasn't there. I told him that Shari was told by the bug that she shouldn't be there. He thought for a second and then (rather loudly) went "What!? She did what!?" I think that "I" was in a bit of shock...and he had the giggles as well every time he looked at her. So we have that today....

Then she basically got caught in a lie with Teri our AA. This morning the bug told Teri that she had given the letters for graduate school acceptance to our graduate faculty advisor on Friday to sign. However, I heard her tell the graduate faculty advisor that she just now has the first batch of letters ready for him to sign. Teri was not happy when she found out about that, and she has it now as a mission to "re-educate" the bug in her job. The bug has been in the position for a year, and everyone under the sun has given her a lot of leeway because of it....who knows why....I didn't get any and either has Teri...so that has got to stop. And the fact that she has so many student complaints that "I" and PVS refuse to deal with her on. Mr.3 is thinking about writing a letter about the letter situation to the Assistant Dean on Undergraduate Affairs, something that I support. The part of me that works here and loves the people I work with feels a little bad, but the part of me that is the student who got screwed over by the department wants hell to be raised.

Interesting story from the bug today....besides the fact she saw the movie a beautiful mind and saw a lot of parallels between the main character and her whelp of a husband....she told me that this weekend she had taken a handful of almonds to eat with her beer the other night. After eating them for a while she happened to look down at them and discovered that the almonds where riddled with bugs. Either this was an illusion of her alcohol-ravaged mind or something that really happened...I find it damn funny that the bug made herself sick this weekend eating bugs.

Touchy

the nice way to describe the way that I have been feeling today and the past few days is "touchy" the more accurate description would be "that I am so angry and depressed at the world that I am making myself physically ill". Why am I angry....well I am angry at somethings that I can't control and many things that I could fix but shouldn't have to...topically we are running the whole gambit of issues: school, money, the phone ringing, my stomach, sickness in general, work, dishes, just about anything. And I swear to God that if I have to hear about what the bug did or did not do...... and well I was going to say that if I even had to talk to her today I was going to scream....too late...because of course as I am writing this she comes in and talks about her miserable failed life that she continually claims to be the victim of. If anyone is the real victim it is the people that she complains to becuase that is valuable breathing time that I can never get back again. Has she finished the graduate letters? Probably not....but of course how can she function with all of the alcohol that floats in her bloodstream?

AAARRHGGG!!! I just want to throw or punch something!

found this about soccer

and i found it damn funny, maybe you will too.

Bathroom Bag

I've done it. I have finally put together a bathroom bag for myself, complete with citricell, imodium ad, soft toilet paper, the adult fresh wipes, a reading book and a journal. I feel a little silly, but I am glad that I did it. After yesterday I thought my bum was going to fall off.

Speaking of bums....er...bugs rather. I figured out why she has been coming in earlier lately. Kate used to get here at 8:30 and the bug would make sure that she got in just before her. Now that Teri is here at 7am, she can't find an excuse to be in here later. In fact Teri has mentioned that the bug seems to find reasons to call her at 7 in the morning just to see if she is in. She used to do that to me, and she did it to Linda as well.

I have three weeks in this position before I move over to Outreach. Yesterday I made a master list of everything that I need to complete before I leave....it isn't any longer than my normal weekly list...that is kinda sad in a way.

Terrorist attacks, military rule addressed at U - News

Here is the link to the Model Arab League article about this weekend's fiasco. It is a fairly decent article, although Jack's quote annoys me.
Terrorist attacks, military rule addressed at U - News

A warning...

To those that seem to think that excessive tanning makes you look thinner, it doesn't work when you still insist on wearing clothing that is two sizes too small.

GI Fun!

Due to the wonders (please sense the irony here) of the medication I am on, I have to regularly monitor the whole GI tract thing. Since being on the meds, most days, I have to visit the bathroom a half hour to an hour after I eat. However I have had the odd day when that doesn't happen, and while not having to go to the bathroom after every meal is nice the resulting pain in the middle of the night with stomach cramps that bring me to tears is not nice. So in order to prevent the midnight horrors of my GI tract I had to finally buckle down and buy a container of Citricell. I never thought that I would have to stand in the grocery store and honestly think about what type of fiber product to buy... I feel...just kinda sad as this seems to be my new reality.

After dinner Mr.3 and I went to the bookstore and of course I had to run to the bathroom. With the new GI regime that I am now subject too, once you get to the bathroom you just kinda wait for everything to fall out of you. After a while I have a tendancy to get pretty bored. I took the opportunity to clean out my purse, but I think that I need to put some small reading book or journal in there to at least give me something to do while my bottom is doing its stuff. Maybe I will just start carrying around crosswords.

Mostly for Rob...

I found a short article about the slang usage and word history of the term "turkish delight".

Oh, and for the Winston-guy who commented about my articles on Global Voices. Get over it. I am not advocating anything, merely reporting on what others are saying....but perhaps you might understand that distinction better if you improved your grasp of the English language.

It's been a David Niven week.

This is David Niven if you have never heard of him.


On Tuesday and Wednesday night, David Niven was in my dreams...in one of them the bug was fired and he became her replacement. As he was becoming a reoccuring theme, on Wednesday morning I went online to find pictures of him and well now Shari, Linda and I all have pictures of him in our offices. I am glad that I have co-workers that are half as crazy as I am. Since Model Arab League was this week, dear David also became the mascot of the Rocky Mountain Regional. Mark and Wes thought I was crazy too, but towards the end of the model, all paid homage to the power of the David Niven photo watching over us.

I am glad that the Rocky Model is over. Logistically it went incrediably well and I only want to have the U hold it again to stroke my event planning ego. Even with the craziness of it all it went well....the Joint Defense Council invoked the Joint Defence and Economic Cooperation Treaty signed by the Arab League and well....it went crazy. The editor of the Chrony will be writting a huge story on the chaos which should be out on Monday..I hope that he can explain it better than I and when it is up I will post a link. Tentatively the headline will be "Terrorist Attacks, Military Coup at the University Union".

Additionally on Wednesday I accepted the job offer to be the new Outreach Assistant. It will signify some changes for us at home, but I am really excited about this new prospect. I officially start on March 20th.

I am surprised that I have managed to survive this week, and now that all the big events are over I have to dive in head first into some school projects....but for now, Mr.3 and I are gonna go to the Spaghetti Factory to cash in those free meal coupons we got for the waitress spilling milk all over my veil at our family wedding dinner.

Thank you...

to whoever left the copy of the school newspaper in the bathroom stall I just visited. Women cannot get away with the blatet carrying in of reading material to a public restroom such as men manage to, so when I went to the bathroom just now facing the prospect of being bored for a few minutes only to discover the reading treasure left for me. To whoever that was, I salute you.

In the future:

Compatibility with a life-mate will be determined not by personality or financial status but by the gastroinstestinal tract. The majority of this weekend, Mr.3 and I have been alternating in our use of the bathroom, luckily our bodies have been in sync and their have been no conflicts. I think that this truly bodes well for our future.

nothing much really

I hope to start posting again soon, my head needs to sort itself out and I am not having much luck with it at the moment. Bear with me.

Mrs. 3 checks in

Hello all!
I'm married and doing well. I am not sure what to say at the moment about the wedding (the wedding website will be forthcoming), but I am glad that all is over. No matter how much planning you do or get done ahead of time, it is a given that my mom will freak out. Not that that is a bad thing, but I tried to have everything finished so that she wouldn't need to worry about anything.

Anyway, so I am back at work...not being too productive, but having a grand time watching the following situation unfold with the bug. The bug is being forced to sell her house, I suspect but can not confirm by the IRS. As the bug is a predictable animal, at times when her personal life is going to hell she lashes out at those at work she feels most threatened by and for once, it isn't me. The poor victim in this case is our dear AA Teri, who after today would probably fire her if she could. Today the bug has been whining....her printer jammed and besides the thing being too noisy she doesn't want to change the trays out. And of course she doesn't want to use the communal printer because "she prints sensitive material about the students and who knows who would be able to see it". As Teri so aptly put it, all staff members are cleared to see the student information, we are just not allowed to talk about it. Of course, this appalled the bug who for some reason is being EXTREMELY protective of the student files at the moment....which is odd...when she is not in trouble she seems to have no problem telling anyone who will hear it about other people's private files. Either way, her freaking out over the printer is driving Teri to the end, and her irrational fears about others in the office "taking her office" or "going through her files", etc, etc. I mentioned last week to Teri that I thought that the bug drank at her desk, but that I couldn't prove it, it was just a hunch. Mr.3 said that she was plowed at our wedding ceremony -which with the location and timing of the event meant that she had to be drinking on the job- I think at the moment that Teri is willing to suspect anything and everything of the bug. Which is not good for the bug, but rather amusing for me to watch.

Lately, with Model Arab League coming up and getting back into the swing of things at work I have been trying to do less and less and of course, trying to lessen the office's dependence on me. I wasn't even gone for 3 hours on Wednesday and the world was falling apart. A few years ago I would have loved to be this indispensible but not anymore. It becomes a burden. I don't need the guilt that everything will collaspe if I am not there to haunt me on every vacation that I take. As I don't take vacations anyway, but would like to more often, getting rid of the office dependence on me is a vital goal. Plus, I do not get paid enough to be this depended upon.

Hummm....anything else that I want to discuss at this time? I don't think so. that is all the news that is fit to print then.

So I missed Day 5,4,and 3--Day 2 of Being Single

We had a SuperBowl party this weekend which went pretty well. I cleaned like a madman and I can still feel it in my legs. I have a bunch more stuff to do tonight and I only hope that I can manage and still feel awake. Oh, so tired....

Friday night I went to my alteration appointment...keep in mind that I was already annoyed that they called and told me that they hadn't charged me for hemming the damn thing and that I owe them another 100. When I tried the dress on it was still to long and I was tripping over it. Feeling tears beginning to form I was ready to just leave but Libby made me stay and made them fix the problem. The dress should be ready tonight, so keep your fingers crossed. Apparently the dress is supposed to be so long that you can't see your feet when you walk, but then again I shouldn't have to hop/kick up the skirt when I walk so that I don't fall flat on my face...and knowing me, it would happen.

On the good news, we are getting a new dining room table. We are buying it for $50 from the Holts and they are going to deliver it for us this weekend. My Dad brought the chairs down last night, I forgot how hideous they are and item number one on my list of new projects is to reapolster and repaint them. Still it is a great deal and incredibly thoughtful.
Next on the -how-great-can-that-be-news-scale, is that I had a comp night ticket for the Homestead resort and Linda, who has been working with them for a conference we are holding there in June, got them to comp me another room...so now Mr.3 and I have free honeymoon accomodations!! With the money we have just saved we can get a couples massage at their uber-expensive spa...that is if we feel like leaving our room at all. We have been so tired lately, I think that we will probably just sleep the majority of the time...Yes, we will probably act like an old married couple on our honeymoon...although my underwear that I ordered for the event came in the mail the other day. wink-wink

The bad news (besides something that I can't mention here) is that Dr. Weiss who is going to perform the service was taken ill with an absess in his lower jaw. He thinks that he will be alright, but it is the worry that he won't be.

Day 6 of being single

I figured that I might as well continue with the countdown regardless of the silly factor.

Last night I didn't get anything finished with the free time that I had, I just kind of sat around and watched TV. I am really unfamiliar with our remote. I did mend the towels. I thought that it was all four of them that needed it but in reality it was only one. Amazing how one shabby towel can make all the rest of them look bad.

We got our first family wedding gift which was surprisingly generous gift for anyone, but to come from my extended family is flabbergasting. We really appreciate it though.

My tax return was posted to my account this morning which was going to pay for all of the wedding stuff---purchasing will now commence in high gear this weekend. Tonight I have my alteration fitting for the wedding dress and an extra fee for the alterations because they forgot to charge me for stuff the first time...damn them. But Libby and I are going to have a light dinner beforehand...not that I will be able to keep anything in my system at the moment. The metformin is kicking my ass and nothing has stayed in my system for more that an hour.

Other than that, it's 10am and I am really to go home. I have class in a half hour in which I hope that I will be able to stay awake for, but I am not sure. This medication makes me soo tired.

7 days of being single

I get married in exactly one week. I am excited and I haven't freaked out so all is well. I think that everything will go well, and if it doesn't you will probably be the first to know.

I am not sure if I should be getting teary eyed over the end of my "single" life. From others it sounds like I should be wistful over it, but I am not really. It feels just like a finalization of our current state of affairs, however the term "finalization" sounds too negative...does a confirmation of existing plans also sound too negative? I know that it makes me sound like some freaky emotionless automatron.

Today was the original date that we had set for our wedding as I thought it would be hilarious to get married on Groundhog's Day, but the Egyptian consultate ruined that plan. He is town today and we will be having lunch and a Model Arab League meeting with him. Then later tonight he will be speaking at the Utah branch of the Council on Foreign Relations. Mr.3 will be going tonight, but not I. I didn't want to cut out early from class again, and I think that I would be able to get a lot of cleaning done tonight. I think that part of the reason why I don't clean too much now is that Mr.3 is normally home at the same time that I am and I don't want him to be around when I clean. I want him to see the results not the process.

Incidently, just about everyone in the office today but the bug will be going to the Egyptian consultate meeting and lunch and man, you can tell that she is sooo pissed. Honestly there is no reason that she should go anyway, but she has been pissy because she couldn't get Linda to pay for her dinner tonight anyway. Oh dear...I would like to say that I really feel bad for her, but that would be an outright lie.

hee hee...should I start to refer to myself as "the future Mrs.3"?