Where I Work

Its only been three weeks since I started working at The Roof.  

I. Am. Loving. It!

I am constantly amazed at how well Temple Square Hospitality Corp takes care of their employees.  Each night, the head chef cooks a meal for the staff.  It is always delicious.  They provide us with free downtown parking.  The employees are all so very nice.  I love talking with people when they come to dine (something about learning about other people makes me really happy).  And the best perk... never working on Sundays!  

Well about 2 weeks ago, after I'd been working for a week at The Roof, the manager of H.R. called me up and asked if I would also like to serve at The Garden Restaurant.  They ended up being short staffed and would do well to train an additional server.  And since I have significant restaurant background, they thought of me.  Ya know, I may not have had much variety of employment throughout high school and during my time in Provo, but one thing I did right is work in the restaurant industry for a lengthy time.  Somehow there always seems to be a job available and my experience (and maturity, so they say...aka age, haha) is also a plus.

I just finished my training at The Garden yesterday and will be working most Friday nights.  I am hosting a few nights a week at The Roof and working their reservation desk on Thursdays.  And hopefully I will be trained soon as an assistant server at The Roof so I can pick up shifts as needed.  These are all blessings for me.  School is expensive and I still have bills to pay.  I am so very grateful to have these jobs and the great opportunity that comes with it.

Plus, the view from my work is pretty darn awesome!

I guess if one has to work on Christmas Eve, there isn't a better place to be then looking at His temple.

Cars, Cars, Cars

Cars.  A necessary money pit.

This past Friday afternoon as I was driving downtown for orientation at my new job, I experienced something that seriously got my heart beating.  I was pulling off the freeway when my car started jerking around.  At first I wasn't sure what was happening, but noticed after only a block that my check engine light had come on and the RPMs were way too high.
Oh no!  Transmission? Yep.  A couple more blocks confirmed it.  I could feel the transmission dropping gears while I was driving.  That is a terrible feeling!  I just kept praying that I would make it the last few blocks to work because how horrible would it look to be late on your very first day of work!  Thankfully my car stuck it out and got me there just in time.  Unfortunately, on the drive home after orientation, the transmission just kept getting worse.  I had to pull over several times and put my hazard lights on because my car wouldn't shift out of neutral or first.  It took me 45 minutes to drive a typically 20 minute route.

I, of course, then had to ask my dad to take me back to work that night and pick me up again after the shift.  Flash back to high school!  Wow.

The next morning, my dad took my car in to the shop to get it checked out.  The check engine indicator actually came out with three separate readings.  To fix all that is wrong with my car, including the transmission as expected, it would be nearly 5X the worth of my car...darn.  Part of me is really excited about the idea of driving a new (to me) car since I've been driving my accord since I was in high school.  But, now that I'm back in school again, I simply cannot afford the kind of car I want. This is absolutely the worst time for my car to fail me...right before the holidays...I'm no longer working full time...I do have a job now, but I'm only working part-time because of school, etc...  But, at least I'm living at home so there is usually someone willing to share a car or drop me off, and I can now walk to church, even in the snow.

So, together with my dad, we're deciding whether to fix the car and continue driving it further into the ground, or switch it up with a different car.  In the mean time, I'm stuck at home, borrowing my mom's car, or bumming rides to and from work.
As far as a possible car hunt...my dad keeps teasing me with the idea of an '89 Yogo.  [See right]
I tell him no and he simply laughs at me.  Even though he appears to be joking, I'm sure he secretly would love to see me drive it! 

Well, today I am very thankful for the upcoming Thanksgiving holiday which is allowing me a few days off of school; which also consequently means I don't have to leave my mom stranded at home while I have her car.  I guess I didn't realize that when I decided to go back to school that I was signing up for all the other struggles that come with being a student!

Oh, and for the record, I am now working for the Temple Square Hospitality Corp as a host at The Roof Restaurant!  Feel free to come down and see me anytime.  We have a great view of Temple Square which will be lit up for the holidays starting this Friday!

Festival of Lights

My favorite things to do is something I've never done.  Literally.  I love trying new things!  Or going new places, or experiencing something new, or learning about a new [fill in the blank].  It doesn't matter the time of year, the company or where it is, I just love it!

Most recently, I headed down to Spanish Fork, UT with some friends for Diwali - Festival of Lights at the Sri Sri Radha Krishna Temple. 

This is the same place that hosts Holi - Festival of Colors every March (see this post for some great pics from Holi).  This festival is not as popular as the Festival of Colors, but it was very interesting to me.  Below is some information about it.

The Tradition
Diwali is a shortened version of Deepawali (deepa=lamps, wali=row: rows of lamps). Households in India put lamps in every window, and temples brightly illuminate their altars to bring in the best for the upcoming year. The date of the festival coincides with the return of the avatar of God, Sri Rama, to His ancestral kingdom after 14 years of exile and many adventures. All the citizens welcomed Rama home by brightening up his home city of Ayodhya and setting off fireworks.

The Festival of Lights occurs during the lull between fall harvests and the onset of the monsoons. Thus it is a time of thanksgiving, and that corollary festival is called Anna Kuta (literally meaning “heaps of food”). Lord Krishna inaugurated this festival by inspiring the inhabitants of His village (Vrndavan) to worship the cows on this one day per year and to prepare a huge celebratory feast consisting of no less than 108 preparations.

Guests are encouraged to prepare vegetarian dishes at home (without onions or garlic) and bring them to the temple to augment the devotional offerings. Optionally, one could bring fruits, or flowers.

We didn't take any food offerings, nor did we arrive in time for the cow worshiping.  But, we did arrive in time to see some  

classical Indian dancing...

I didn't take any pictures myself because I didn't want to be obnoxious

the lighting of the lamps and wishes for the new year which each person placed in the pond as they made their wish... 

and of course the fireworks!

It was really fun for me to experience this celebration.  I think it is important to understand other religions and respect the things they believe.  The more I learn about other beliefs, the more I can appreciate the people who believe it, and the better I am for it!

"We...have a great responsibility and opportunity to show to others our love and tolerance and respect to those who believe in other faiths. This attitude makes friends out of  strangers..."    -Gerald E. Jones

Halloween

So I'm a little behind in my blogging.  It seems everyone else has had their Halloween pics up for an entire week already and I'm just barely getting around to it.  Oh well.  At least they're coming, right?

I only dressed up once this year.  I originally planned to make some elaborate costume but about 2 weeks before Halloween, I realized I had other things I'd rather do with my time than sew, so I got online and bought one.  WAYYYYY easier!

That's right.  After my nephew's "Anga Birds" tantrums, I thought the funniest costume would be just that.  Here I am with my sisters.  Left to Right: Me, Dairy Queen (Deb), Scarlet O'Hara (Cath), Princess Leia (Sarah), and Amelia Earhart (Bec).

We had a blast at Deb's annual Halloween party as usual.  There were some pretty great costumes.  I'm always impressed by the quality of costumes I see there.  Everyone goes all out which makes it so much more fun!

The hosts, Burger King and Dairy Queen, with their homemade, life-size Cabbage Patch Doll pinata.

Princess Leia and Hans Solo, the costume contest winners.   

FYI, their costumes are HOMEMADE.  I seriously need to learn to sew better!

The Angry Bird and King Pig

Taking out the pinata!

 Halloween.  One of my very favorite holidays!

How Great Thou Art

O Lord my God,

When I in awesome wonder

Consider all the works Thy Hand hath made,

I see the stars,

I hear the mighty thunder,

Thy pow'r throughout the universe displayed; 

When through the woods and forest glades I wander

I hear the birds sing sweetly in the trees;

When I look down from lofty mountain grandeur

And hear the brook and feel the gentle breeze;

Then sings my soul,

My Savior God, to Thee,

How great Thou art!

How great Thou art!

Then sings my soul,

My Savior God, to Thee,

How great Thou art!

How great Thou art! 

 

Stuart K. Hine, 1899-1989 

 

Yesterday, I took the time to experience fall in the Wasatch Mountains.  Part of me longs to live elsewhere, just for the experiences such a change would bring.  But, as I climbed higher and higher and looked out over the magnificent mountains, I repeatedly thought I cannot believe I live in this beautiful place!

 

I hiked by myself on purpose.  This was the first time since the leaves began to change this year that I have made it to the mountains. I wanted to see them up close.  I wanted to meander through them, looking closely, picking out the ones I loved most.  I wanted to be above them and look down.  And I wanted to do this uninterrupted.

I've had many emotions running through me the last two months with so many changes happening in my life.  I have felt much peace through it all, even though I still feel like I'm adjusting and getting settled and organized.  Hiking Grandeur Peak yesterday took me to a place for which I've been longing.  So much peace comes from being alone in the midst of God's creations.

 

As I approached this colorful opening, I recalled a few lines of the hymn, I'll Go Where You Want Me to Go

 

"But if, by a still, small voice he calls to paths that I do not know, 

I'll answer, dear Lord, with my hand in thine: 

I'll go where you want me to go"

 

I've been studying the hymns, their origins, and the meaningful doctrine in my institute class this semester.  I find myself singing them with more passion, more conviction, and in so many more places.  Yesterday was a testimony of the words I sing so often.

Only by the powers of heaven are we able to enjoy, to bask in, to appreciate the miraculous creations on the earth.

How grateful I am to live in such a beautiful place and to experience His creations so closely.

I can't imagine having spent my day any better.

 

Fall Break

Fall Break.  

Ahhhh.  Something I've never had before in my life.  

BUT I AM SO EXCITED!

The U has a full week off for fall break.  I've never had a fall break before because apparently BYU does not believe in it, and the closest I ever got in grade school was a 2-day break for UEA weekend.  So, this is just glorious!  I have all sorts of plans for this week.  I have some furniture to stain, a Halloween costume to design and sew, lunch with a few friends, finish putting all my boxes into storage since the move back to my parents' house, studying (probably a good idea to get ahead while I've got some time), and a couple other smaller things.  Its going to be a fantastically productive week, which is my favorite kind!

I started this glorious break with an exciting weekend.  I went on a fun double date: 2 male best friends going out with 2 female best friends.  It was a blast!  We carved pumpkins, played the piano, ate pumpkin pie, and got down with "Just Dance" on the Wii.

Then on Sunday, my sister Becca and her family came down from Layton to eat dinner with me.  It was a really nice gesture since I'm living here alone while my parents are driving cross-country.  Although, I suspect it might actually have been the fact that I had chicken they could use for dinner, but either way, it was fun having them here...especially when Angry Birds made an appearance.  My nephew, Gus, may or may not be addicted to Angry Birds.  :)  You decide.

I hope you can tell how much Becca and I were laughing!  Each time we watch this video, we just laugh even harder.  I think we had a good 10 minutes of "Anga Birds" tantrums from Gus.  It was so hilarious!

So here's to a fantastic start to fall break! 

Internal Conflict

Mid-August, right before school began, and even for the first few weeks of school I felt like my childhood Utah Fan was beginning to burst out from my chest.  As many people know, I grew up going to Utah football games with my dad.  I was a pretty committed Utah fan.  That is, until I went to BYU.  I remember standing in the bleachers at my first BYU football game and feeling like a traitor.  It took several months of being in Provo before I started feeling like a true cougar fan.  Then I got my job doing events for BYU and my Cougar-love really took over!  So as you can imagine, I was a little confused as to where my true school allegiance lies now that I'm in school at the U.  Just like I did when I went to BYU, I decided to embrace the school I am attending and see what happens.

So, I geared up and went to the first football game of the season.  I don't have season tickets, but bought a couple off a friend who got stuck going to his brother's wedding dinner instead (poor planning, right?)

My roommate, Sarah, and me

Maybe it's because I cheered in high school, but I always find the stunts entertaining!

The game was exciting!  All the crowd cheers came back from deep in my childhood memories. Sarah and I had some good laughs at the frat boys who were standing behind us... it was the end of Greek RUSH week so the conversations revolved around a lot of pretty stupid things, if you can imagine.  By the end of the game, I was sure I could be a Utah fan again!

A couple weeks later was the BYU-Utah game.  All my friends, and even some family, asked what color I would be wearing that day and I had no idea.  I ended up telling everyone black!  Then the day of the game came.  I had some studying to do so I watched the game from home...in white.  

Talk about slaughter house!  Two minutes into the game BYU fumbled the ball right by the end zone and Utah was able to pick it up inside the end zone for the first touchdown of the game.  And that was just the first of SEVEN turnovers.  Every time we went to commercial break, ESPN showed a mash up of BYU fumbles. It was just awful!  However, by the end of the first quarter I had figured out what color I truly bleed.

I cringed for the first 3 quarters of that game and every time the fumble mash up was shown.  By the fourth quarter, I couldn't bare it any longer (I went upstairs to clean the kitchen and just listened to my roommate's commentary).  It was such an awful game!  But, when your team is losing and you still root for them, you know it is real.  I might be a Utah student right now, but I will always be a Cougar!

GO COUGS! 

Fall 2006 - with the ROTC after I shot off the George Q. Cannon

Whirlwind

Where did the summer go????

It feels like just yesterday that the sun was beginning to shine.  And now its fall.  I'm starting to take light jackets with me to school.  And when I wake up in the mornings at 6:30am, its dark and a measly 50-something degrees.

Summer came and left again so quickly that I am amazed I found the time to do anything!  But true to the way I want to live, I managed a few exciting things.

Here's what I loved about my summer.

* running Ragnar Wasatch Back with 11 amazing people: Team "Risky Business"

* going to the Oakley Rodeo with my cousins

 

* Stadium of Fire - the military flyover, the crowd, the patriotism, the music, the skydivers, the fireworks.  LOVE.

* Hanging out with family on the 4th of July (my favorite holiday ever)

*Taking my CNA course.  Maybe it wasn't a major highlight, but it was a great start to my future nursing career.  It took 3 weeks out of my July - 4 hours a day, 5 days a week and 2 8-hour clinical shifts.  And ya know what?  I still want to go into nursing!

*Skydiving!  Best "IQ Demands It" experience yet! (See post below)

*Bear Lake with my old Holladay 30th Ward (now the Holladay 3rd YSA Ward).  No pics, sorry.

*2nd Annual R.S. Keddington Family Reunion in Eden, UT
     -including: "Minute to Win It", Lagoon, and other great stuff (I missed the first day because I was in Bear Lake as previously mentioned.  But my fam had fun then, even without the COOLEST AUNT EVER!) :)

Quick Post

One thing I have missed since quitting my job to start school...

Being well-informed on what is happening in the world, in the government, the stock markets, and all other current events--local, national, and international.

As a student, I am finding it hard to stay informed when all my free time is needed to study for the next exam or read the next chapter in a text book (not to mention social and religious obligations I commit to).  Even so, after spending the last few years in an office with a constant stream of information, I can tell I am left with a void from not being informed.  So, I am trying to up my ante and make time for important things in addition to my scholastic studies.  It it hard, and I am grateful for sweet apps on my iPad which help me to know what is happening at any time I might be available to listen.  And today, I heard a quote I particularly like.

"I am not defined by my government.  I am defined by the constitution. I am defined by the principles that God laid out, and I am defined by my actions; but not by my government and who my president is, or who's in congress.  I refuse to be that way."  -Glenn Beck

This comment stuck with me immediately.  Regardless of what is happening with the government, etc., I still have the right to choose how I will conduct my life.  It is my responsibility to take charge of the things in my life and to make a small difference in which ever way I am capable. I must do my best.

Ready, Set, Jump!

That's right my friends.  After at least three years of saying I wanted to do this, I finally took the plunge..er..uh...flight!

Yep, I went skydiving!  My friend, James, needed to get in a few more jumps this month to keep his certification current, so I decided to tag along.  After all, this was a Bucket List item for me!

 Gearing up!

 Climbing aboard the small plane

 If you notice the altimeter, you can see that it says 12.8, which means we were 12,800 feet in the air when we jumped!  Crazy!

I'm pulling the cord to open the parachute here

 Coming in for an insanely smooth landing.  About 0 mph wind that afternoon

Phil (instructor) and me.  I made it back to land safely, despite my now-crazy hairdo!

For a more in depth look, here's a sweet video!