The joys of retail

Today I was at work (my third day on the job) and we were unpacking all these boxes to restock the store. And we were using box- cutters, which I, personally, really enjoy using. There's something so satisfying about cutting through that tape :). And as I got to one box I ran my box cutter accross the tape, and as the cardboard split open to reveal it's contents one of my FAVORITE things in the world appeared.....drumroll please........BUBBLE WRAP! I was so excited. Who doesn't LOVE bubble wrap, I mean really? That super-satisfying popping sound from squeezing, twisting and (my favorite) dancing upon it, just can't be beat. But the story doesn't end there. I pulled the bubble wrap from the box and firmly pinched one of the bubbles. Nothing happened. I pinched again and noticed that the bubble next to it expanded, and the bubble next to that one and so on down the row. The pressure evenly dispersed accross the entire row and there wasn't a pop to be heard. :( Pop-proof bubble wrap. Pop-proof BUBBLE WRAP!! WHO DOES THAT!!?? It was very sad. But I'm ok. or will be at least. eventually. I mean, at least I've still got the box cutter:) and if you pinch those packing peanuts from the right angle they explode right out of your hand. It's a simple pleasure, but sometimes I think those are the most important :).

Aside from that story I absolutely love my job. I work with these four great guys: Frank, Allen, Peter and Tim. They're all really cool guys and I'm having a blast getting to know them. It's a shame I'll only be there for a month.

lots of miles and a salty face

Well I can't seem to get my computer to allow me to put my picture up BUT i GUESS I'll just continue on with the post as thought there were NOTHING WRONG.(I don't REALLY care it's just fun to pretend to be upset.)


So TODAY! I ran a really long long way. Guess how far! You'll never guess 8MILES!!!! That's the farthest I've run in a long long time. I was hard. My feet kind of hurt and my right knee wasn't much havin' it. But I DID IT! And when I got home I walked into the bathroom and looked in the mirror and thought "I look pretty good for having just run eight miles"- THEN I looked closer in the mirror and (this is the gross part) I had salt deposits all around my forehead, about an inch from my hairline. I took a picture to show you guys but my computer is a little bit weird. It's not as gross as it sounds. In fact I kind of think it's cool and a little bit hard core.

I'm hoping to run the marathon next year...:S... and I'm in pre-training training right now. I feel so clean and fresh! and HAPPY! I have realized today that I NEED to be really active to be this happy. When I don't keep my body going I am NOT as happy. It really makes you feel good inside and out. And on a spiritual note, I was thinking when I first got back that I was a pretty cool person taking initiative to run 8 miles and work towards a marathon and that Heavenly Father must be SO PROUD. Then I caught myself and really started thinking about it. And what I realized was that He doesn't doesn't care if I run 8 miles or 10 feet- if it makes me happy it makes him happy. And I don't need to be able to run a marathon to feel loved, He already thinks I'm amazingly beautiful just for trying and finding happiness. He'd love me infinitely if I DIDN'T try. And that's really comforting. :)

What brings YOU happiness??

Somehow people manage to spend hundreds of dollars on one piece of apparel.  

hm

RMs

So this post is one of those commentary kind. I'm seriously interested in everyone's opinion/observation/reaction.  I was talking to a good friend of mine about returned missionaries for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints.  The idea was brought forth, that missionaries generally go one of two ways after returning home from their mission.  1- After two years of hard work, self discipline, hard work, submission to the Lord's will and some more hard work, they see this return to the "real world" as their opportunity to do whatever they feel like doing.  A spiritual splurge if you will.  OR 2- they're so immersed in what they're mission has meant to them that they find it difficult to move on with normal life.  Dating is awkward, popular music is rough, and sometimes harsh judgment of others occurs.  Perhaps they find themselves wishing they were still on the mission.  

My questions:  

RMs- do you find this to be even remotely true? If so, how can your peers and family help you best overcome either of these extremes? 

Others- What have you observed that may be helpful to all of us? How can we help these guys out, or ourselves?  These are only two options- perhaps you've observed a third? (Let's keep this safe- avoid names if telling a specific story)

Those unfamiliar with the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints-  Would you be interested in hearing a message about the living Christ? 

finished

So a couple months ago I posted a story about one of my more difficult classes (the one where it seemed that everyone was speaking some alternate language).  Well I just spent the last four days on my final project for that class and an hour and a half ago I FINISHED!! It's so amazing.  I orchestrated a piece written by Claude Debussy (he wrote the famous "Claire De Lune" that everyone and their dog learns on the piano), which basically means I took his piano piece and re-wrote it for a full orchestra. 

 This may not seem like much, but to hold those eight pieces of manuscript paper in my hands and look at the hundreds of notes hand written in between hundreds of lines and spaces and think that a group of musicians could look at them and make MUSIC!--- It's a miracle. To think about how lost I was in this class at the beginning of the year and then see that I'm capable of doing something I never thought I would be able to do--it's a mazing.  And honestly I don't think I really did it on my own, in fact I know I didn't.  Prayer works my friends- it really really does :)

a long post

I hate to admit it but when I get on my friends' blogs and their posts are more than two paragraphs, I totally check out and don't finish reading the entry.  Which really is kind of impatient of me.  This is actually an insight into my ability to virtually listen.  If I'm not willing to read everything my friends have to say, would I be willing to sit and listen to them say it?  I mean, I usually think that blogs  and face book and such should be used to help your relationships with people, but maybe my balance is off.  How do YOU handle virtual sociality?