No More Dr. Carpenstein

Hi everyone!  Bet you thought you'd never hear from me again.  Not to worry--things might have been a little crazy for a while there, but they're normalizing now.  And my life has changed a lot.  Remember how in my last post I said I was dating a guy?  Well, here he is!

Ah, U-Swirl, how I love you.

And here he is again!

 Yep, we got married!  Hooray!

Aren't we just so cute?

We got married on October 11th of last year, so the date was 10-11-12.  Handy, huh?  It's sure to be easy to remember!  

It's amazing what can happen in a year.  For example, almost exactly one year after my first date with Scott, we celebrated our 6 month wedding anniversary.  I find this very amusing.  Yes, to most people (at least the ones I work with), that's a bit quick.  But I have no regrets.  Being married is awesome!  You know, just in case you were wondering... Hopefully soon I'll tell you about some of the adventures we've had so far.  There have been quite a few--fishing for beans, trying new recipes, trying not to be eaten by alien potatoes (man, most of these revolve around food, don't they?  Weird...).  Anyways, we're happy and doing well.  And it's summer!  (Meaning no homework for the Mr.)  Hooray!  

More to come soon.  Ish. :)

GREat!

Guys--I just registered to take the GRE.  As in, graduate school.  Graduate school!  I will admit, a tiny part of me is freaking out right now, but the rest of me is almost excited (well, not for the test exactly, for the school part).  I am such a nerd...

Adventures in Paradise...Bakery

Earlier this week, someone needed to pick up lunch for a meeting we had going on in our office.  Usually another lady takes care of lunch stuff, but she was out sick.  (We missed her a lot.)  Therefore, I was the lucky one chosen to get the food.  We have a Paradise Bakery right around the corner from work, so it was not big deal.  Or at least, it wouldn't have been for a normal person.  Ha.

I walked in and found out that the menu we were basing the order off of was the catering menu, not the normal cafe menu.  Snafu #1.  Luckily, one of the workers (he looked like a manager) took pity on me, probably seeing the desperation in my eyes and the green Heliae shirt, and majorly helped me out.  He got the order all filled out and sent me over to pay.  I picked up a sandwich for myself (might as well...) and walked over to the cash register.  Snafu #2: my purse is huge, and I was now carrying a menu, a paper with our order on it, my sandwich and cookie, and trying to pay and get drink cups and all.  Again, the nice girl at the cash register took pity and was very helpful.  It was only then that I realized my biggest problem yet: the tea.

Two people wanted iced tea.  Now, my only experience with iced tea has been A) seeing other people drink it, and B) passing it by as an option at the soda fountain.  Snafu #3:  the soda fountain at Paradise Bakery does not have a tea option.  Instead, they have four huge metal canister-looking things with tea in them.  I literally sat and stared at them for a few minutes, totally at a loss.  

"Sure," I thought, "send the only girl who doesn't drink tea to get some for two of our VPs."  

I was about to call my boss and ask her what to do (she drinks iced tea all the time), but I realized that I left my phone sitting on my desk at work.  Great.  I finally just filled some cups with ice (going on a brain wave that iced tea is just normal tea, but with ice--brilliant, I know) and went for the plainest brew I could find and hoped it would work.  I also had a great conversation with someone else at the drink area.

Random Guy: So, you're not getting any of these? [motioning to the soda options]

Me: Nope, I'm not.  I'm getting iced tea, except I don't drink tea and have no idea what I'm doing.

Random Guy: Oh, OK....

Yeah, I pretty much just gave up on looking like a competent adult in any measure.  

In the end, I think everyone got what they wanted (at least I didn't hear any complaints) and I got a delicious Paradise Club sandwich to replace my PB&J.  Oh, and an opportunity to turn in my first ever expense report!  Get excited!

And who says office jobs are boring?

Labor Day Weekend--So Far

Hi people!  Labor Day weekend is only halfway through (ish) and already a lot has happened.  I will attempt to fill you in.

Friday night, most of our family went out to First Friday to visit the Arizona Science Center.  (I love that place!)  We had issues finding a place to eat, so we didn't get to spend a whole lot of time there, but it was an adventure all the same.  I will now show you pictorial evidence of our night.

The Coke machine at Five Guys.  Is this not the coolest drink dispenser ever?

Now I understand why everyone sits at this exhibit and laughs hysterically.

I think we look like pandas.

This is one of my favorite things at the Science Center.  It looses something in picture (versus video) form, but it is still awesome.

I almost had more pictures to take, which brings me to my next story.  As we were walking in downtown Phoenix (is it really downtown?  I have no idea.  It is to me), we saw some statues coming up.  They looked like dancers.  I was just saying to Sarah, "Hey, maybe we should take some pictures with them!" when we got close enough to see that they were all naked.  Yep, a bunch of naked women statues on the sidewalk.  Creepy!  Thanks, Phoenix!  (You can bet we walked down the other side of the street on the way back.  *shudder*)

On the way home from the Science Center, we somehow got on the topic of drinks at Sonic.  My brother-in-law and sister were telling us about some flavors of cream slushes that they really like, so then we were all in the mood to try them (even though we were still really full from dinner--Five Guys gives you a lot of food!).  Behold:

Oceanwater cream slush with cherry add-in

Lime cream slush with blue coconut add-in

Yeah, they look like the same thing (I think the guy taking our order got a little confused...), but they tasted different, I promise.  And they came in shiny silver cups.  Woo!

Yesterday morning, we came to Big Event #2 for the weekend: I got a car!

Isn't it pretty?  I have decided to call it Lucy.  Don't ask me where that came from, because I have no idea.  It's pretty much the same car I've been driving (my mom's is 2 years newer), but blue.  I have broken free of our family's silver Honda tradition!  Ha ha!  It's still a little weird that it's mine (or will be officially once I've paid it off).  I'm super excited, though!

Who knows what the rest of the weekend might bring.  (I have work off tomorrow--huzzah!)  I plan on cleaning out my closet tomorrow--should I be hoping that that is a big adventure or not?  Hmm...

Mousse Hunt

(Wouldn't it be way more awesome if it was this kind of a moose hunt?

Yeah, I thought so, too.  Sorry--it's not.)

So, last week I ran out of mousse.  When I went to Target to get more, I found that not only were they out of the particular brand I wanted, there didn't even seem to be a spot for it.  Hmm...odd.  (It's not like it's a really special brand or anything.)  I was not wanting to go somewhere else, so I just picked something else that I thought would work.  

What I usually use

What I decided to try out

When I was forced to use the new stuff, I quickly found out one important fact: my hair does not like Tresemme.  At all.  It was the worst bad hair day I've had in a really long time.  Ew.

After work that day, I was determined to get more of my mousse--my hair had spoken and I was powerless to resist.  I headed off to Walmart with my mom, thinking: "They've had this every other time I've gone to Walmart.  No problem."  Ha.  Ha.  Remember how I said it was Walmart?  True to form, they were conveniently out of what I wanted.  So, we tried somewhere else.  And somewhere else.  Finally, one Target, one Fry's (neither of which even had a spot for this mousse--but, of course, they had the shampoo and conditioner.  Does anyone else see a problem with this?), and one Walmart Neighborhood Market later, I finally found it.  At the Walmart Neighborhood Market.  (You better believe I bought two--and seriously considered buying them completely out.)  

*sigh* I guess I'll give Walmart partial kudos for that one.  

And in case you were all wondering (and I know you were), my hair is much happier now.  I'd say we can count the hunt as a success!

Weeds of DEATH!

Once upon a time, there lived two fair maidens.  Their cottage was surrounded by a beautiful garden.  One spring morning, the older maiden realized that the garden was not growing as it should.


"Oh no," she told the younger maiden, "the dreadful frost of winter has brought an evil into the shrubbery.  I can hear it whispering its wicked intent to overrun our home.  We must do something!"

The maidens donned their protective clothing, gathered their tools, and set out to put the garden to rights.  As they left the cottage, they met a kind Hedgehog outside their door.


"Allow me to assist you, fair maidens," the Hedgehog said.


"The Hedgehog's sharp spines will make the work go by much quicker!" thought the maidens.  Cheered by this happy coincidence, the maidens entered the garden and got to work.  They plucked out dead branches and leaves with delight and pruned the new growth with their shears.


When the younger maiden was beset with ants, they ran to the good wizard Google to help solve their problem.  "Sprinkle the ants with cinnamon," Google advised, "and they will leave you alone."

Some cinnamon was quickly found, and the maidens did as they were told.  What a pleasant smell filled the garden as they continued to work!


After a short break, the maidens returned to their work, certain that the task was nearly finished.  It was then that the maidens realized the immensity of the problem before them.  They peered at the bushes on the other side of the garden and saw...

The Weeds of Death!

They were hideous!

They were filled with sharp thorns!




"Do not fear, maidens," soothed the Hedgehog.  "I will protect you from these instruments of evil!"


With the help of the Hedgehog, the maidens battled the villainous flora all through the morning.  When the sun was high in the sky, the trio stepped back to admire their victory.


"Is this...[head tilt]...better?"

"It is for today!" the older maiden cried.


The maidens thanked the Hedgehog most graciously for his help and returned to their cottage, confident that the Weeds of Death had been driven back...at least for a time.

Wedding Week

Hey all!


I realize that I haven't updated in a while (despite promising to do otherwise...).  Sorry about that!  It's been a little crazy at my house lately.  Here's what went down last week:


Monday

• Work
• Helped Mom with piano group lessons
• Eva (sister-in-law) and nephews came in from Ohio

Tuesday

• Work
• Hospital
• Helped Mom with more group lessons
• Turned pages and played a duet at Mesa High's choir concert
• Breathed a little {just a little, mind you}

Wednesday-Saturday

• Worked extensively on making wedding food/watching children while Eva made wedding food {except for Wednesday, I think we stayed up until about 1:30 or 2:00 each night}
• Clayton (brother) got in from Ohio Friday afternoon {instead of Thursday--gotta love those flight delays!}

Saturday

• Seth (my brother) and Jaimee got married!!!

This, my friends, is the real reason for all of the craziness.  Not only was our family in charge of the luncheon (you know, groom's duties and all), but Awesome Chef Eva made all of the food for the reception.  And I do mean all--wedding cake, sheet cakes, pasta, appetizers, etc.  (OK, so she didn't make the cheese and/or crackers from scratch, but you get the idea.)  Notice how she got in on Monday night?  Yeah, we're only slightly crazy.  But, everything turned out in the end, with the help of an army of family members and friends.  Lots of people really like us, it turns out.  

Of course, summing everything up like this means that you're missing out on some of the best stories.  (You all know how much I like my stories!)  But, there's simply not enough time to write them all out.  So, if anyone is curious, the next time you see me ask me about blow-drying strawberries and warm potato salad.  And possibly flavored popcorn (although that will require video and may not be as fun for you as it was for me--just sayin').  

Up next: Adventures in Algae!

"In a New York minute....oohweeooh...."

Last Tuesday, I woke up with a plan for my day that looked pretty much like every other Tuesday.

The Plan

7:00--Wake up, shower, eat breakfast

8:45--Leave for work

9:00--Arrive at work and get down to business

11:00--Stop working, eat lunch, switch into my awesome volunteer smock, and head off to the hospital

12:00--Arrive at the hospital and help people (while having fabulous conversations with my desk-mate, of course)

4:00--Leave the hospital for home

4:15-ish--Be home and...well, that's pretty much what the plan was (except for Jenny/Kailei night, of course).

As you probably suspect, my actual plan went nothing like that.  Instead:

The Reality

7:00--Alarm goes off

7:30--Actually get out of bed

8:38--Check my phone and see that an unknown number called me and left a message while I was in the shower.  Listen to the voicemail and find out that it's from a staffing agency saying they found my resume on ASU's Career Link and they think I would be great for a position they're trying to fill.  {OK, random, but not a bad random.}

8:42--Call back the message-leaver, get some info, and agree to meet for an interview later that afternoon.  {You know, no biggie.  It's not like I already have a job or anythi---wait a second...}

8:52--Try to eat breakfast while simultaneously getting references together, e-mailing my boss to tell him what's going on, e-mailing my supervisor at the hospital asking to leave early, updating my resume, and calling my dad saying "What am I supposed to be doing right now?"

10:00--Decide there's no way I'm making it in to work, call in, and continue preparing until it's time to leave for the hospital.

12:10--Arrive at the help desk and find out that my desk-mate's kids are sick, ergo she will not be coming in. Find out that it's just going to be me for the next 3 1/2 hours and my book is at home.  Start panicking...

Several prayers and about 1 1/2 hours later--Stop panicking.  Deal with today's taxi craziness and general everyday busyness that is the front desk.  Make a few really stupid comments (such as asking someone coming in looking for a patient what department the person in question worked in), but overall help people.

3:40--Leave the hospital, put gas in the car, drive to interview.

4:25--Arrive at interview (on time!), fill out paperwork, and have a really nice chat with my (now) good friend Matt.

6:00-ish--Arrive at home

Later--Call my boss to tell him what's going on {and that I'm really not trying to ditch him...}

After later--Decide I'm really sick of calling, e-mailing, and texting people.

OK, that last bit sounds really ungrateful.  This was an amazing opportunity that just fell into my lap--the position they're looking to fill is an administrative position at a biofuel engineering company (pretty much an excellent combination of my work experience--small as it is--and education).  Right now it's just temporary, but there's a possibility that it would become permanent.  After the first interview, my information was passed on to the actual company looking to hire and I had an interview with them this afternoon.  It went pretty well--the people were nice and I didn't say too many dumb things (hopefully...).  I'll definitely keep you all posted. :)

40-Hour Celebration!

So...tired....

I did at least 7 flower deliveries at the hospital today (I think it may have been a bit closer to 10, actually) and went back and forth from the C-wing to the D-wing (opposite sides of the hospital) at least twice.  It was crazy busy!  At least I'm getting my exercise in!  Oh, and remember how I found our supply chain management office one day?  Every single week since, at least one vendor has come in looking for it.  I even learned a new way to get there that is way less complicated.  Whenever a vendor comes in looking lost and needing a badge, Eva (the girl I work with now) just looks at me and I jump up and take them.  I think I've found my niche!

I think my favorite delivery of the day was to a lady whose parents (I'm assuming--maybe not) were in the room with her.  I walked in, said "I have some flowers for you..." and realized that there were already at least 2 other flower arrangements (one of which was HUGE!) and various other gifts sitting all over.  So I changed to "Well, I guess I have more flowers for you."  Haha.  Then there's always the slightly awkward moment when they're looking at the card and you're leaving and wondering "Should I be saying something to them?"  (Saying "Have a nice day!" always feels weird when they're lying in a bed in the hospital.)  As I was backing out, the father figure guy in the room caught my attention and said "God bless you, young lady!"  It was such a nice thing to hear.

The funny thing about walking around with a cart full of flower arrangements is people comment on them.  And of course, me being me, I have no idea what to say.  

Typical conversation in the halls en-route:

Random Person: Wow, those flowers are beautiful!

Me: Yep, they are. [I can't really say "Thanks, I know!" because I in no way contributed to these flowers being beautiful.  They're not even being delivered to me, so I can't take any credit there.]

RP: And they smell so nice too!

Me: Yeah, they do.

[silence]

Yep, that's about how it goes.  Haha.  I directed and delivered some people around, too.  (In a wheelchair, not the cart.)  I think I've definitely earned my sleep tonight!

Oh yeah--I have officially logged 42 hours and 8 minutes now!  This means that I can switch around and volunteer in other places (i.e. the lab).  I may have to just go in on a different day, though--I don't want to leave the shift I have now!  I'm getting a bit attached...

To Boldy Go Where No Volunteer Has Gone Before

...or at least, I hadn't been there.

Today a lady came in to the hospital wanting to know where some classrooms were.  No one really knew where to find them, so I offered to go with her to search for them.  Before we could start that search, though, we needed to go to purchasing.  (I didn't even know we had a purchasing department/office/whatever!  Does this scream "adventure!" to anyone else?  Just me, huh?)  So, off we went to try to find purchasing.  

We passed:

• The cafeteria
• Cardon's lobby (where we asked for directions)
• Several electrical/mechanical closets
• The morgue (kind-of creepy to be walking down a hallway and see a door that just says "Morgue."  Oh, no big deal...)
• The mail room
• Several storage rooms
• A drinking fountain
• The purchasing department (it's actually called "Supply Chain Management"--who knew?)
• And walked into what looked like an indoor loading dock, where someone found us and took us back to the right door.

I was all ready to find some classrooms, too, but other people from the lady's group (including the guy who was giving the presentation she was going to) showed up, so they trekked it together.  Luckily, I'm slightly OCD and I found my way back without any trouble.  (I'm one of those kids that had to turn in a circle counterclockwise if I'd just turned clockwise.) 

I do love my adventures.