The Month of Susan

I must admit, there is some stuff that has happened since I last blogg-o'd. Some events happened, I learned a little about myself, and etc. Instead of using my High School English technique of organizing all my info into neat little paragraphs that all flow together, I'm pretty much just going to make a list. I like lists......I have a whole planner full of them.

Work

I have been fortunate enough to be named the Employee of the Month at Los Hermanos. This entitled me to a small check bonus, two movie passes, and a free Los Hermanos T-shirt. I also have my picture up on the wall and my name on a little plaque on the Employee wall thing. My name tag now also reflects this change. My parents, sister, and grandpa ended up coming in one night, and my mom was pretty excited to see this, and my sister took a picture of me at the table with my name tag. It is all very exciting.

I actually really love my job. It is easy, and the people I work with are a lot of fun. But as I mentioned before, this month is all about learning about myself, and I have learned this lesson especially in the past couple of days: I am a HUGE klutz. I never thought of myself as a very clumsy person, but now seeing how it reflects in my work, I look back and realize it has always been this way. I have broken my arm, cracked several toes, and taken way more tumbles then necessary.

This revelation has become stronger because in the last three days at work I badly burned my thumb on a fajita pan, jammed my inner elbow on a ice machine corner, rammed my arm into a banister, and hit my shoulder about 8 times. I have so many bruises on my arms and legs, it's not even funny anymore. This same thing happened while I worked in the Winner School snackbar during high school. And to top it all off, every Sunday for the past 8 Sundays, I have hit my little 4th toe on each foot very hard. It's not like it is a long toe, but both are still painful even 2 months after the initial injury.

Boredom

Due to my colorful and wide rooted vocabulary, my roommates have called it "strange" and the words I use "not real", and have started a Vernacular Dictionary for me. So far, it contains real words and phrases such "Red Letter Day" and "(in reference to someone angry) Having Kittens". I must admit that I do make up words sometimes, or shorten them, in the case of 7-11 "the Sev", but I feel as though this is an injustice, and they are the ones who are not cultured. Either way, in true Apartment #61 fashion, this idea will abandoned shortly enough.

One weekend night, I got home from work to find my roommate Becky and her friend Mallory hanging out in our apartment. I don't know what got us started on the subject, but we started talking about music. This is a topic that can get me very heated, but mostly excited. I had recently checked out a book called Legends of Rock from Whitmore Library which contains the groups that shaped Rock and has big pictures of them. We commenced to do a full on show and tell with my book, with Becky at the iPod controls.

This episode helped me realize (another learning about myself event) that I am only slightly obsessed with listening and learning about music. I love reading my books I have about it, and will buy (or take in some cases) lots of music. I go on music kicks, and I am currently on an 80's metal kick. I don't think this music classifies as metal by today's standards, but that is what they called it then. I am currently listening to Whitesnake. I think this 80's tradition of glam rock with big hair and little onside leotards is an art lost in today's rock culture.

Scholastics

You may wonder why I added this paragraph into this already too long blog post. Well, as it turns out, I have officially applied to Grad School. I got an email that all my application materials were in, and now all I have to do is wait!! I am a bit scared out of my pants, because this is the only school and program I applied to. If I don't get in, it may be another year of Los Hermanos. Probably not though.......... Anyhow, I will hear back in March sometime.

And because I feel a bit dumber since I graduated, I have been trying to keep my brain active. I guess I feel if I am actively learning something, I won't lose too much in these months before school starts again. I have turned to literature to fill this intellegence gap. Since October I have read a bunch of books, most recently Wuthering Heights. This is a very good read, though a bit tragic. I am currently muddling my way through Sense and Sensibility, which is a bit harder because it seems for every word that Emily Bronte would use, Jane Austen throws about in 10 more.

Recent Major Events

I did get a big haircut recently, which I topped off with a dye. This following picture was before the dye, but picture a dark brown.

It is a good change, I have always known I look better with short hair, but because of laziness, and just a tad of wishful thinking, I always try and grow it out. Once it gets just past my shoulders, the weight of my thick hair kicks in, and I chop it. I am enjoying not having the ponytail at work, and the dark color seems to elicit positive responses.

Bad news readers, I blew my tire the other day. But in true January fashion, I realized through this event how calm I can be faced with panicky situations. I was going about 70 MPH on the freeway, almost to my exit, when a large pothole appeared out of nowhere. Yes, I hit it. At first, I thought I was safe, but then I heard and felt the thump. I pulled off to the side of the freeway assuming I would be dead in 5 minutes. I called AAA first thing, then tried to contact the parentals since they were waiting for my safe-back in Provo call. I had to wait about 50-55 minutes for someone to come for me due to confusion in my location. He was a nice guy, and even pumped air into my spare tire. Through all this, I remained a cool cucumber, and only shed one or two tears as the cars zoomed by me and shook my little Mazda. Now I just got to go get new tires and hope they don't take advantage of a young ignorant girl.

A Final Moment

I have been having such good days this past week, and I think it may because I am trying to be more positive about crappy tips at work. But I really think it is because I have started an earnest daily scripture study. I have actually been enjoying reading the D&C, and the student guide companion. I am also reading the History of Joseph Smith by his mother Luck Mack Smith. It is a very good read, and not at all would I would have expected. I look forward to my study sessions, whenever they end up being.

And on a completely different topic, the Superbowl is upon us. And though I usually could care less about this blessed event, there is one part that I am pretty excited about. One of the coolest peole on earth today is performing at halftime. Yes, that's right friends, the Boss, Bruce Springsteen is enlightening us with yet another tame halftime show. Let us cross our fingers that Born to Run will be blasted. But until then, I have much more work to do. Hope this montly long blog-bore was an easy read though there was not as many pictures as I am usually so fond of doing. I'll see you next month.

Susan