Peace Out Provo

good news... I survived finals! :) I got a B on my Sociology
final, and I thought I was going to get way worse than that!
It was an essay final, 5 essays, and we didn't know the
questions before. But we knew the general topics (all about
issues dealing w/ immigration such as language, religion,
etc.) And I felt soooo prepared. I knew both sides of the
arguments, had references I could use from our book, outlines
of his main points and arguments, and I really understood it.
But then I get in there and all that confidence melted
away!!! The questions were in scenarios to where they alluded
to the main topic, but not enough to where you could use the
evidences from the book or the outlines from class discussions
or anything!!! So my answers were way choppy and short, and I
wasn't even sure if I had answered the question or not. And
the last one gave you no direction at all!!! It was like,
say you and your dad are talking politics and he says Guliani
said some quote where he said he promises to end illegals
immigration. He looks at you and says, you don't hear
any other candidate promising that do you?! How would you
respond?? Uhhhh, I wouldn't, I'd roll my eyes and leave,
or else just try to change the subject. lol, only I couldn't
put that because I'd fail. So anyway, needless to say I was
very surprised and very pleased to see I got a B on my exam!!!
But the bummer is I have an 89.something in the class!!!!!!!
Which happened to me when I took a different sociology class
my first semester, and it didn't round up!!! So my GPA
got butchered! And the teacher isn't going to round this
one either, and I don't think there is a curve... LAME!!!
But anyhow, all my other finals went very very well, and I
am still waiting to see what I get as overall grades. Oh man,
so I finished all my tests by tuesday (they all closed on wed,
I had to be out of my apt. on thurs) so I packed up all day
and night wed. Then went on a date that night, came home and
did my white glove cleaning, b/c our cleaning check was scheduled
for 10:45, and I was working that morning, and didn't know if
I'd have time to clean once I got home. So I was up till 3:00
cleaning, then got up at 4:00 to go to work, then I went to
breakfast w/ some co workers and got home about 9:30-9:45 ...
and Liberty Square (my apt complex) was a MAD HOUSE!!!!!! The
dumpsters were huge towering mountains of trash overflowing to
the streets; there were cars parking in the middle of the
streets, in the driving lanes of the parking lot; parents and
kids running around everywhere; things and boxes lining hallways
and balconies-- it was really like utter chaos!!!! Then I walk
into my apt and its the exact same thing on a smaller scale!!!!
Kendis woke up late and hadn't packed up her things, let alone
clean (and checks were supposed to be in an hour!) so she and
her mom are trying to pack things in the kitchen as there are
things strune all over the apt.... Kaylees parents and sister
are running in and out carrying things down... and heather is
trying to clean... So Teresa helped Kendis pack up her room
while I helped do the Kitchen... and by some miracle we got it
all done by 11, and luckily they hadn't come to check yet. We get
a phone call not long after from Heather's brother saying that the
cleaning people just left his apt and they were scheduled at 9:20!!!!!!!!
And that they were being cleaning nazis!!! so we had better use
the extra time toreclean and make sure everything is spotless.
So we did, we cleaned the tracks of the windows, the baseboards,
the doorframes, picked things up off the carpet with our hands...
then we still waited for 3-4 hours!! And for about 2 of those
hours they locked themselves in the office and were eating lunch!!
It was crazy! we were all just sitting there sleep deprived and
anxious waiting with NOTHING to entertain ourselves with because
everything had been packed up. Oh and the worst thing was two of
our friends were moving in for the spring semester, so they had
to put their things in the corner of our living room but werent
allowed to unpack until we had been checked... well they had job
training and interviews and things they had to be at by 3, and
they still had to shower, get ready etc but they couldnt b/c we
hadn't been checked yet!!! I felt so bad, they were way stressed
out! they were trying to dip through their huge pile to find their
clothes and shampoo to go get ready in their old apt and couldn't
find things and were way late... and we didn't want to leave b/c
anyone who wasnt there failed pretty much. even some of the people
who were there failed... a lot of those people actually. It's a
good thing I stayed too... b/c I jsut followed the lady w/ the clip
board around and she said, the radiator cover is still a little
dusty (even though I wiped it off twice...) and she said to just
wipe it down again, and then in the bathroom there was one corner
of the floor I needed to wipe and I passed. But had I not been there
to touch up those two things I would ahve been charged $35 for
someone to come in with a rag and drag it along the radiator!
Thankfully these ladies that checked us out let us wipe down while
they were there so we didn't get charged.. b/c I don't think they
were really supposed to do that. Anyway, so I finally left about 3
and it started snowing as I was leaving!!!! crazy huh??
So now I'm back in Vegas where the snow stands NO chance! Its in
the high 80's -low90's, and absolutely gorgeous at night!!!! I spent
the first day unpacking, going through my old things, cleaning, etc.
Then Saturday I researched jobs and got numbers; then Monday I started
the job hunt.... I sent out resumes, called, applied, and got shot
down quite a bit b/c I didn't have experience... only I
can't get experience b/c no one will hire me-- because I have
no experience.... Its a vicious cycle!!! But I do have a few options,
and I am waiting to hear back from a few more. I will probably either
work at LVAC or for a physical therapist.. So we'll see what happens.

Home at Last!!

Finals are finally over!! While I am glad to be done and have a break, I am going to miss Provo and everyone there. However, I'm ready for a break and having lots of fun with the crazy parents! It is Josh's birthday coming up, and his parent are putting together a slide show for him with people in the ward holding a happy birthday sign. We thought it would be better to take a funny picture -- you know stand out from all those boring posed pictures; make it a little more interesting so all of the pictures weren't the same... you know like it was one of those carnival boards you stick your head through... Anyway, we got to playing and couldn't stop! Dad didn't like it too much... he just kept saying "oh good greif" over and over again.. we had to force him to even take any. And he just laughed and said "I don't like you looking like that dear!" lol. (So sorry dad for posting these, but they just brought me so much happiness I thought Nicole and Alma would want to see them too and experience some of that same joy you brought me!!)I know its backwards... But it's kind of symbolic of our crazy personalities and humor...

Fee Fi Foe Fum!!!! Me want FOOD!!!!

Ahh, the old panty hose vending machines! Classics! lol. I had forgotten all about these until I was home over Christmas and dad was moving out of the storage unit... I went to help him and lo and behold, the machines in all their glory! lol. I remember going with my mom into various businesses and strip malls to get change, restock, or fix the broken or jammed machine (no doubt customers tried to reach in and grab many pair of these fantastically thick, itchy, stretchy skin coverers! and broke it in their attempt!) I didn't really understand what they were back then... but many years later I came to know them and their purposes when I'd go to the garage to grab a pair for my sister, my mom or myself before church. It saved many razor heads, seeing as how we wouldn't have to shave -- just cover it up!!! (this only worked to a certain extent though.. if you went too long w/o shaving, your hair would simply stick out through the tights and you'd earn yourself the nickname porcupine for the day... at least in my mind... ahahahah). Needless to say it was a happy moment to see these givers of concealment again! My dad is looking to sell the collection on ebay (a great investment might I add to all those readers out there) so I took some pictures of the collection. And if no one buys them, well.... they'll make great white elephant gifts for years to come! :)Man I forgot how colorful they are! truly a treat for the leg and the eye!

We also have candy dispensers!

Shmorgy-borgy-borg-borg-borg-borg

So I felt like the crazy chef on the muppets tonight when I was making dinner because I just threw pretty much whatever I had (and my roommates had) into a pot and served it for dinner. It ended up turning out really good though! I started with the Mexican Casserole recipe... but didn't have beef so I used chicken, and seasoned it with basil (i think) then didn't have tomato sauce so I used diced tomatoes, some ragu, and some salsa.... added the noodles and corn, then put in some ranch! yum yum! I also had it with ripped up tortilla instead of chips. Overall it was pretty good-- it was the first time I'd improved a recipe. :) I know its not a new one, but I thought this could count for this month's anyway. Hope you enjoy!

Update

It was our roommate Teresa's Birthday a few weeks ago and so we had a western cowboy party for her!!!! complete w/ vests, hats, and fake mustaches!!! (all compliments of Kendis Roney--she sure knows how to pick those things). The mustaches also make great unibrows :)


Then Nicole, Alma, and Jagger came to visit and the party apparel was still out, and Jagger decided to get into character. I know he's getting old, but boy, they sure are growing hair faster than they did in my day! :) I think its a good look for him though. His alias name is Haviar Garcia! hahahaha

Golden Birthday!!!

I'm not a teenager anymore, I'm a mature and sophisticated young adult now. lol, so how did we celebrate? We had a space part of course! :) I woke up for work, and saw that my roommates had decorated the apartment for me by putting tin foil over one of the walls, and attaching sticky notes, balloons and signs to it to make it look like buttons and knobs, They drew each planet on its own plate (complete with a fact on the back about that planet, such as If Earth had a twin it would be Venus; or Pluto is a dwarf planet lol, those are my two favorites... Thanks Becky for letting me tap into your well of knowledge!!) The hung the planets on the fan blades in order so it was like they were in orbit. They had glow in the dark stars on a wall, a control station, and green cellophane like a portal as you go into the kitchen. So after work (where I received a candy bar) I came home and opened a package my mom sent up for me, and it had a cook book!!! a yellow shirt (the one I'm wearing in the pictures) some mascara, lotion, candy and gum!!!! That sustained me through the rest of the long long day, and when I got home around 5:30 I went with Becky to the Sprint store to fix her broken phone, got lots of birthday calls and then we went home and Kendis had gotten California Pizza Kitchen for dinner, and then we made space helmets!!! Followed by some fabulous presents (wrapped in newspapers with pictures of things like an alien on a stretcher) I got a snow globe egg, a pokemon kite, a frizbee, "brass knuckles" that say GAME on them in fake diamonds hahaha, a pink duck that tells me when the bath is too hot, a movie "Teenagers in outerspace" and "Battle of the Worlds" (I've yet to watch them, but they sure look exhilarating!!) and a dog purse w/ leapord print on the inside, and you can wear the collar as a hair tie!!! woo lol Then Kendis and I painted our nails, I did a dark purple and she did Barbie pink lol, then we tried to splatter then w/ a different color (mine white, hers black) it seriously got all over! it took me like 20 mins to get it all off my hands and arm! lol and Kendis had a little too much flick in her wrist and she got some in her eye!!! she drops the brush and falls to the floor screaming "My eye! Oh oww!" (but laughing at the same time) "I'm serious its in my eye! ahh! ohh!! gahh!!" lol So she runs to the bathroom and washes it off, and then has mascara all down her face, and Becky was like "man, how much paint did you get in there?!" lol- she didnt know it was the make up, well i think she did, and was just being funny. Anyway, after than we did back massages and it was a glorious way to end a fabulous birthday!!!

Cleaning fairy or cleaning nazi?

Okay, so we have cleaning checks every month right?? Well this month I got the bathroom and I cleaned it so well because I failed 3 times before (and I'm supposed to be a custodian... lol ironic right??) even though I clean way better than any of my other roommates and spend seriously about 2 hours cleaning (when I had the oven and 1/2 the kitchen I swear I spent 3-4 and still failed!). So I really cleaned everything to the detail, and I come home the next day to see fail by my name. Grrr! I've been able to laugh it off in the past, but seriously?! I mean this is just getting ridiculous!!! My roommate was like, I think it's because some of us took showers after you cleaned it. So I go into the office to explain my case, but what happens? of course the lady I need to talk to isn't there and won't be in until the next day after my rechecks are scheduled! So what does that mean? I have to reclean the tub to avoid the second fee ($35) and then come in later and state my case. So I do, I reclean it, and it looks exactly the same as it did the first time... some stains, but clean. So the next morning the cleaning lady shows up. Its an old woman, probably 75.. short, portly, glasses (too low of a perscription...just speculations :) And she says I'm here to check the tub, all sweet and innocently. (but oh i know better than to fall for the act) so I go back there and one of my roommates just got in the shower!!!! So I told her I think someone just got in... and she gets all upset, lets out a big sigh like I just took her so out of her way and says all annoyed, "well I guess I'm just going to have to fail it then" and I said, "Are you kidding me?!?!" and she replies "No! I can't wait around here all day, I have other apt's to check!" and I said "even if she gets out right now..." and she just repeats that she has to go... so she asks where the sheet is and I said, maybe I took it into my room... So on my way back to check I knock on the door and have to kick my roommate out of the shower... and then I can't find the cleaning sheet!!! Kaylee comes in and tells me she thinks she saw it in the garbage, so we go digging through the trash with the cleaning lady saying extremely irritated in a raised voice (in the cleaning nazi voice as I like to call it) "You threw it away?! You never throw that sheet away until I clear it!" and "I have to go!" "You never throw that sheet away!" (and she says never the say that check out lady told you you could never return your green sweater Nicole lol, I really had to try not to laugh at how dramatic she was being, and I probably would have if I wasn't so annoyed and angry at that time) lol sheesh we know! calm down! then she says "is that girl out yet?" and I say yes, so she goes back and checks it and comes back "well it passed, so don't worry about finding it," (which is good because at that moment we pulled it out only to find jam or strawberries or something had been put on top of it, and now 1/2 of it was wet and dissolved haha) "but next time, don't throw that sheet away!" Then returns to her sweet voice, smiles and says "Goodbye, have a nice day!" ahhhhhhhhh!!!!!! my roommate and I just stood there for about 5 seconds looking at each other in disbelief with our hands held away from us, covered in trash. Later that day the roommate who was in the shower (and told me why I failed the first time) said that the tub looked exactly the same if not dirtier than the first time I cleaned it (b/c she was in there). And that the cleaning lady was like "Oh, yes, this looks much better!" "Thank you dear, you can get back in the shower now" (in her cleaning fairy voice). I swear! Dad, it's like your haircut story at the MTC! I could have done nothing and she would have said that! My roommate (that was in the shower) said she bets they have a quota they have to fill or something, just like cops, b/c there has only been once when all of us have passed (lol and its usually me who doesn't). I would believe it, b/c there is always full sized candy bars in the office, and a sign in the yard that says "refer a friend and get $50!!" -- here's an idea, just treat your tenants right then they'd refer other girls on their own and you wouldnt have to pay them to do it, and then you wouldn't have to charge for everything to cover it!!!! My theory is that when she was little... maybe middle school or elementary that there was a girl in her class that was mean to her, or maybe she knew a Monique in High school and they were best friends, but then Monique stole her boyfriend or something like that, and she is seeking revenge on me b/c of my name... just one theory, but I think its promising! :) So what's the moral of the story? Check out the childhood of your cleaning fairy/nazi and change your name accordingly! :) Or, if you are a cleaning fairy (manager): give the tenants a break, they usually do clean and they have a LOT going on! Do your job of course, but be nice, and let them reclean it right then if you are there so they don't have to pay the fee. Because they are the ones who recommend others to live there the next semester, so you really get more money from a happy tenant then a failed cleaning check.
Sorry about the tangent, but I just had to get that out there... I find comically ridiculous