Home Sweet Houston

If you zoom in, I am definitely not looking at the camera.

Exactly one week ago today, I jumped into my adorable Civic, my two parents, and all my important worldly possessions, except for everything that didn't fit into my car, of course.  Since that time, I've sent my parents back to their newly re-emptied nest, moved into an apartment full of gals with full time jobs, started my first ever degree required full-time job, and am slowly but surely getting to know the fourth largest city in Amurica like the back of my hand (joke)!

For those of you interested in an update - this is it! 

I forget how important blogging is when you move away from all of your friends and family, but I'll try to do my best to keep you all updated! 

The Apartment: 

   It's a beautiful townhouse next to a nice neighborhood. I say next to, because Thursday night when I was across the street at the Church - three cars got their windows smashed into. So... that's interesting. Despite that I feel safe in my apartment complex and hopefully, I'll never deal with vandalism. (Cross your fingers team.)  The apartment has two bedrooms, 2 1/2 baths, and two large walk in closets. It's a pretty good set-up. Although me and my roomie think our room is the smaller of the two, but we do have the balcony. 

That is definitely an inflatable bed. Jealous?

The Roommates:

I share a bedroom with delightful Diana. She's got a great sense of humor, she works making maps from oil companies. She's going to teach me to salsa dance, and she's from Mexico! She's also a fellow Cougar! She's awesome! 

The other room has Elena and Ashley. I don't know them as well. Elena graduated from BYU in public health in December and now works at a plasma center in Houston! She's from Espana and is also awesome. Ashley is a nurse in the ER at a hospital. She also has a man. Which is apparently why I have only met her twice.

The Job:

   It's good. Like all jobs there will be some getting used to things that needs to happen. The population is mostly developmental disabilities that are somehow visually impaired. There are a few that are completely blind, but for the most part there is something developmentally wrong, although I do suspect there is a stroke survivor or two. It's definitely a place to get some experience and to learn some more skills. 

The Ward:

   Haven't been to Church yet, so this report will have to wait, but I knew there would be questions about this - which is why it made the list. Stay tuned for all the juice! :) 

Wyoming Rabbit

Graphic Content Warning

Although I've lived in Wyoming for the majority of my life- there is still a lot of Wyoming that I have never experienced.  I have spent most of my life avoiding/not acknowledging the extreme hick culture of my state. But times are tough, and I've been here for months, so I'm starting to hit my Wyoming stride.  

As a result, for the first time ever - I went SPOT-LIGHTING. 

For my more sophisticated readers, this is a practice where you drive around with a giant spotlight in hand scanning the area for pairs of eyes and a gun in the other to kill the eyes with. 

We went all over a farm in Lovell and we killed not very many things. I was a little grossed out by the killing and shooting so I stayed in the car and encouraged them to seek and destroy from my cozy seat in the back.  We did however get to kill a cotton-tail rabbit AND a snow-shoe hare, although I'll be honest we thought it was jack-rabbit.

Photo-op with the largest dead rabbit ever!

After our night of killin' critters, we decided to waste not and fry ourselves some of that delicious rabbit meat.  So the next evening the rabbit hunters, reconvened to have ourselves a rabbit-fry. 

Ever wondered what a snow-shoe hare looks like without hair? 

Just like that!

We eventually got tired of just plain fried rabbit and decided to try it raw. Yum! 

After the carnage, it looked we killed someone!

We were all a little leery about eating the rabbit, so our fearless hunter, Taylor, started us off. I think he enjoyed it! 

The snow-shoe hare actually looked a lot like deer: 

Check out the back-straps on those things: HUGE.

In the end, I think I would eat rabbit without hesitating if I was starving . The cotton-tail tastes like stringy chicken and the snow-shoe hare looks and tastes like some gamey-deer. It's very good with some barbecue sauce! 

D-Day: The Interview!!!

So team, it turns out the word "interview" does not mean the same place everywhere.

I showed up ready to feed sweet Shelagh all the wonderful answers I'd come up with, and all of a sudden, she was telling me where I should live and then taking me on a tour and then telling me well if you want to come - we want you here! JOB OFFER

Boom. It's there! I can leave Wyoming. However - there are still lots of things to think about, and I'm not sure if I'm ready to go! I'm going to think on it before she gives me an official offer!

In other news, on my way home from the 'interview' I got a call from another company in Indianapolis (or an hour outside-ish) asking me if I was still interested in their job. Crazy huh? Life is funny sometimes!

Houston Day 3

Today was not my best day in some ways, but in others ways it was! I was feeling rather sad. I woke up for my free breakfast and although I was up way before 9 I decided to wait till 915 to get my food. Only to show up and all the food was gone. GONE. They were cleaning up. Apparently breakfast ended at 9, not 10 like I thought. Rough go. Good thing I got an apple at Wal-Mart! #winning

But I buckled down to prepare for the interview. Read several questions and good answers as well as watched some on line and proceeded to write my own down! Hopefully sweet Shelagh, likes my answers as much as I liked them! And hopefully she asks me those questions! ;) She's really nice though, so hopefully it goes well.

Anyway, back to my day. I tried on my interview outfit options. I brought 2 pairs of pants and 2 shirts. I HATED THEM BOTH.

In one, I felt too pretty and not businessy enough and therefore not confident.

In the other, I looked like a pre-pubescent Afghani male. The flowing white garb just wasn't working.

So I headed off to buy a new cardigan and those tweezers. (BTW EYEBROWS HAVE BEEN TAMED.) I found the perfect power outfit.

But while I was shopping in a moment of weakness -- many tears spilled out of my very active tear-ducts. (In case you couldn't tell, I'm a cry-er! Even when I try to hold it together  -- I just can't!) So I mumbled a quick prayer. Something like "Heavenly Father, I need to feel some love." This is a prayer I have mumbled before, but never before with this kind of response. My mom texted me: Can we talk? I told her to wait till I checked out - so I could bawl in my car in peace. But before I got out - I got a call from sweet Amanda Nordhagen. It was great to talk to her and get her great loving perspective. Then I called my mom. She was so nice and cute to me! Then a text from my friend at Craig Hospital, saying she missed me! Then a call from my brother asking for advice- it was nice to feel needed!  Then I got to call one of my besties - Sweet Stacey who was so nice to me as always and lets me talk to much like I always do with her!  Then a call from one of my friends in the YSA ward in Powell. I definitely could see the hand of the Lord in all this love! And wasn't it was just the sweetest out-poring of love? just what I needed right before the big interview!

PRAYERS ARE WELCOME TOMORROW!  

Houston Day 2

It was Sunday so it wasn't too grandiose and I imagine today isn't going to be much more so. It's interview prep day! I may sneak out to take care of those tweezers and some no-show socks! But before that I'll post this sucker and get some free breakfast!

I took a relaxing morning and then headed off to Church. It was only about 15 minutes away, which was nice! I got in there and sat by myself at first, but I decided that wouldn't work because I was trying to figure out if I wanted to live there! So I picked up my things and headed up a few rows to a girl that had smiled at me.  She didn't know she was volunteering herself to let me to sit by her and then take me to Gospel Doctrine and then Relief Society, but she was.

It was good idea though because she was so nice! Sweet Amy gave me all the juice on Houston and the ward was great! After sacrament, they do announcements and as part of that they said: okay stand up if you're new or visiting here and introduce yourself so we can get to know you.  Needless to say - I did NOT stand-up, even though Amy kept looking over at me.

Several people asked me who I was and it was so nice to feel so welcome! I may just like this place! There are three YSA wards here, but I went to the main one! Good find LDS.org!

After Church, I headed out to do some touristing. There is something called the "Waterwall" near the Galleria, which is apparently quite the shopping center. As it was Sunday, I avoided the glorified mall and headed straight to the Waterwall.  The wind made it very cold - like a windy spring day in Wyoming.  So ... I took a few pictures and then headed back to my car after some minutes of pondering on a bench. It was quick easy and painless! And it was pretty neat. I can see that it would be an awesome place to go in the Summer -- it's cool and misty near the Waterwall.

Until tomorrow:

Houston: The First Day

Travel Tips from an Inexperienced Traveller

• Never have try to make a quick connection when your winter travels take your through Denver - your plans will go awry -- mine did not go that awry - but several of my passenger friends did have some issues going through Denver!

• Don't rent a car until you are 25.
• If you rent a car online before you are 25, just know that the little bill they give you online is about HALF the amount you'll actually pay. Say goodbye to your dollars.
• When you do get a car and drive it an hour away from the airport to a sketchy motel, and you realize the car doesn't work that well -- just know you can get a replacement car for FREE! 
• If you show up right as the rental car place closes and the worker tells you can't get a new car even though you called ahead to tell her you were coming to get a replacement, look as if you are on the verge of tears and ask when they open the next day - you will get the replacement car AND "a FREE upgrade for your trouble." Goodbye junky Ford Fiesta (former car of my dreams -- good thing that dream went unfulfilled - I may have had a terrible transmission for the rest of my life) HELLO NISSAN VERSA that smells slightly like smoke (don't charge me Dollar-Rental Car).
• After you realize you've spent WAY more than you'd ever thought you'd spend on this trip - get the rest of your meals at Wal-Mart:
• 2 Cups of Noodles (Beef)
• 2 Pizza Pockets
• Apple
• Southwest Salad
• Turkey and Colby Jack on Croissant  Sandwich 
• Party Aisle Plates and Plasticware (cheap and in smaller quantities!)

• After you've bought that food and a few other essentials, except for the very important tweezers (no one hires a wild-eye-browed-gal - you got to tame those things if you want the job!) - you realize you'll spend less than 30 bucks on food for the whole trip. SCORE!
• Don't swim in the pool at the skeezy motel - it's outside and has Raman Noodles Wrappers floating in it.
• Speaking of hotels, DON'T just book the cheapest hotel Travelocity gives you -- CHEAP HOTELS = SKEEZY HOTELS.

Hopefully these Pro-Tips help you on your life journey!

Pittsburgh in Pictures!

BEAUTIFUL PITTSBURGH

The week before Halloween, I made a quick trip to Pittsburgh to visit my beautiful sister and fantastic brother-in-law and their family. It was fantastic!  I observed in my time in the 'Burgh that the key to the vistas is the rivers. The rivers provide a break in the scenery and allow you to admire the city lights, the rolling hills, and the millions of trees!

The picture above and the others that I'm wearing this outfit in were taken at Mt. Washington. Bryan took a night off his studies to help show me the town.  This was one of the best stops! I loved the view! Especially at night -- there's just something about the city lights that's beautiful!

I know these pictures are blurry I know, forgive me. 

But isn't the content of the picture worth the blur? 

Isn't Camilla a darling?

 

There is a fro-yo shop below Bryan's lab, so after he gave me the grand-tour of his lab, we went to get some. For Dawn and Bryan this was a experience native to Pittsburgh, which is something I cannot forgive them for.  THEY LIVED IN UTAH and the FIRST time they had Fro-Yo was in Pittsburgh. That's like living in the South and having your first BBQ in Wyoming. So while I do love their cute fro-yo place, it's like comparing a candle to a bonfire - there's just no comparison to the fro-yo places of Utah.

Aren't they sweet?!

We made Halloween cookies, but it turns out Dawn and I could improve our cookie making skills. I was distracted and added too much flour and Dawn misread the recipe and added too much cream to the frosting, BUT they were delicious and fun to make Camilla is a pro-decorator.

 We also made Camilla's Halloween costume - she was a super hero and it was so cute and fun to make. Dawn is a fantastic mom and goes all out for her babies -- considering she hates Halloween, it was quite the sacrifice to travel to the 'burbs, pick out the fabric, and sew the costume!

We went out to eat and got Camilla grilled cheese sandwich and some broccolini. It was a GOURMET sandwich, which Camilla didn't eat. She did seem to enjoy the broccolini though!

We also visited this really tall building on a college campus--see below. It's one thing to take the babes on BYU campus, it's a totally different thing to take them to a normal campus. I felt like we stuck out, but we braved it anyway, for something to do!  It was so fun to adventure around Pittsburgh with Dawn, and I'm so glad they let me sleep on their couch for a whole week!