Pretty Awesome Valentine...

First off, thank you to everyone (especially my family) who makes me feel loved all year. But, I just wanted to share this awesomeness with all y'all. This, was from my Valentine this year...and I must say, he is ADORABLE!!

 Gorgeous flowers.

Don't you worry...there were three KitKats in there...they lasted less than 2 days.

Yes, that's the size of his cute little one month old hand. (At least I think...either that or she's just seriously talented at free-handing it, which totally wouldn't shock me...)

Hopefully you can read the awesome-sauce poem Derek's mama helped him write for me. LOVED IT!

You know you live in UC...

When your Zumba instructor mixes in a good bit of "Head, Shoulders, Knees, and Toes" into the routine...ha!
                   (literally happened last night)

Ya, I know seriously talented people... (no stealing these pix!)

Isn't that amazing?!?!  Holy gracious. AND, he's incredibly kind and told me I could use this one, so MERRY CHRISTMAS!

From one vague awkward-ity to the next...

Ya, it's a word. I said so.

Some days it doesn't pay to get out of bed...but it does pay DIVIDENDS of humor, if you're me. :)  We, of the XX genotype, do not particularly enjoy the restroom experience when fellow genotypes are present. Somehow, in our culture, it has become socially custom, nigh unto expected, to prevent one's bathroom experience from beginning until the other person is somehow rendered unable to hear it either by evacuation of premises or some other loud commotion (ie. a flush). Can I get a shout-out from all the females who have experienced something similar? Maybe this is only a problem because our work bathrooms only have two stalls...thereby inherently marking you as a plausible culprit in every incident.

There I go, entering el bano at the PERFECTLY TIMED moment...when the other toilet's flush begins.  Rock on. On this specific occasion, I have no lengthy plans for the event, which turned out to be helpful. Other-Stallmate, as we'll call her, is one of those people who simply doesn't seem to understand the game. Why does it take some people longer to interpret the silence as they....stare in the mirror? Fidget with clothing? Pluck eyebrows?!! I dunno, but seriously lady-whom-I-obviously-work-with...why are you unable to interpret the silence as your cue to leave? Be gone!

Awkward.

This triggers self-evaluation: why do I care? I usually pride myself on being a particularly savvy custom-smasher in this vein...why should I have to wait? Mind you, this quest for restroom independence only began to surface after years of perfecting my patience during prolonged silence-off's, as I like to call them. Like absurd mutations of a Staring Contest, sitting silently...glancing sideways at the stall wall as if to dare the other person to flinch, waiting for their demise--when they give up and leave so you can be there in peace.

Sometimes now, out of courtesy, I will be unnecessarily loud about washing my hands and excessively hasty about drying them just to give someone who is still suffering from the game some peace. But why do I care in the first place? Hmph. Here, it's even gone so far as for people to walk in, see ONE STALL taken and one stall open, only to have people turn around and exit. What is this madness?! So, then I start to laugh at the absurdity, as I'm sure you are already doing. Is it dumb? Yes. Does the situation create heightened feelings of awkward for all involved..yup.

Tossing my used paper towel into the trash, I try to disguise a snigger on my way out, so as to not offend Newcomer-Stallmate presently sitting in silence. "Hee hee. Aamateur...she'll learn," I think to myself as I unwittingly leave the confines of the restroom WHILST adjusting the ladies...and look up just in time to attempt a sort of whimper-smile at Male Coworker as he unsuccessfully averts his deer-in-headlight eyes and darts down the hall.

Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaand...awkward...

On to the next. :)

(for the record, I laughed REALLY hard about the whole thing when I got back to my desk...but that might be the lack of sleep comin back to bite me)

9...

So hard to believe. NINE!























9 years ago today, I was totally floored when my first staff meeting began with a prayer.

9 years ago today, I was completely overwhelmed by the extent of my new job...pssh. If I'd've had any idea.

9 years ago today, I started working here at the Y. I gotta say, I never thought I'd be here this long...and I'm not leaving any time soon.

Even technology loves me today...

Along with all the wonderful people in my life who have made me feel rather special today (a decorated office...still no idea who did that), even technology loves me today. :)

My office (that's right, homemade-handcrafted decor):

Did y'all know Google does this on your birthday?

 And then there's BYU's system. I think this is hilarious. Note the age...

Thank you, everyone!!!

No worries...

Just the EFY peeps...

 

Normal day. Totally normal day...