Pass the screwdriver please

This weekend Erin was out of town so I had the house to myself again. I really like having roommates but every once in while I enjoy having an empty house. I didn’t want to go out so I slept late and hung around the house. Kate came over for a while. We went for a walk in my neighborhood. While it was beautiful outside and I thoroughly enjoyed the atmosphere; this walk did nothing more then cement my belief that whoever created the roads in VA was severely disturbed (yet again a story for another time).

During a manic moment after our walk, I decided to rearrange and clean the common areas in our house. After moving the couch and small tables I learned our lamp would not stand straight. It only required a little tightening and I was onto the cleaning phase. Unfortunately the first thing that I noticed was that our vacuum was broken. There was no suction. This was a travesty; some things should suck when I want them to! A quick assessment proved that the hose was clogged. Not a big deal, I assumed it would be easily fixed. After about 15 or so minutes (it was really clogged, I should clean more often!) I realized that the clog was not the cause of the lack of suction. I sat down with a couple of screwdrivers and took the machine apart. I found and fixed the problem and then closed up the machine.

Now you might find me silly, but I actually had fun taking apart the vacuum and putting it back together. I had flashes of childhood memories. Helping my Dad put together the bunk beds when we moved to Utah, helping my grandfather build the playhouse in our back yard, fixing little things around the house. I remember my mother teasing me when I was 9 or 10 that I was going to grow up to be the family fix it woman. Lol! By the time I was 12 things had changed. Among them was the realization that fixing things required a coordination I do not possess. I quickly moved onto other things and became the family bookworm, a title I still hold. I rarely have reason to handle a screw driver or hammer any more but I still get a little thrill when I get to take something apart, especially when I can put it back together correctly. Lol!

Let me tell you a little story………

Once upon a time there was a young woman. We will call her….ummm… How about Rae. For various reasons Rae decided to move 2000 miles away from all of her family and friends. Upon arrival in her new land Rae knew no one, not one to make friends easily she was set to be very lonely. While sitting in the new member class her first Sunday, Rae caught a glimpse of two women, Steph and Boo, sitting at the very end of the long high council table. Steph and Boo were obviously already friends. They were laughing with each other over some irreverent comment Steph had made. (Really when is Steph not irreverent during church classes)
After Church that Sunday Rae approached Steph and Boo in hopes of finding a place to use a piano during the week (there is a long story for that which I will explain at another time). Alas there was not one available; but contact had been made. It is unclear when the friendship between these women started. It seems to have just happened. A fourth woman joined them, Gwen, and they became R.A.G.S. By summer time there were together all of the time. They sat together at church, they attended parties together, they went to the movies and they had dinners together. By fall, when Rae wanted to change jobs, she had Steph take over her old one. Then 2 months later when Rae lost her new job, Steph was the one to help her get back on with her old company.
Among the three of them there were boy troubles, and friend troubles, there were musicals, and birthdays, there were Christmas parties and Halloween costumes, deaths of family members and friends, classes starting, jobs ending, new jobs and new apartments. In a short 22 months they have run the gamut of experiences and emotions. Gwen was the first to withdraw from the group. She suddenly became a world traveler and after a couple of quick jaunts to Europe decided to settle in Utah. Now there are changes on the wind again. The remaining trio is breaking up. . Steph is leaving us. Things will never be the same.

A little of everything.....

No wonder I can never make up my mind! I am apparently a little bit of it all. Now if only I could get to London to feel like I fit in.........

You Belong in London

A little old fashioned, and a little modern. A little traditional, and a little bit punk rock. A unique woman like you needs a city that offers everything. No wonder you and London will get along so well.

What City Do You Belong In?

Out of Focus...

I am supposed to be working....How do normal people do this?

Here I sit in my office; I have a pretty nice office if I do say so myself. It is rather spacious, with two desks, though I am in here all alone. There is no window, yes sad I know but I have a great corkboard that I have had a lot of fun pinning various things to. Focus….

So here I sit in my office. I have lots of work to do. We are finally allowed to start recruiting again and HR is all abuzz with recruitment efforts. I love this part of my job. There is a hole to be filled and it is my job to find the person to fill it. It is an organizational thing, I have to read through resumes, co-ordinate interviews, gather and then report on all feedback; all to find the one personal with the right personality, skills and experience to fill the position that we need filled. Focus….

Again….. Here I sit in my office, with lots of work to do, and ready to work. I even turned on my iTunes to set the work phase. I have the most eclectic taste. My music will play Il Divo one moment and then Missy Elliot the next. I have Show tunes, Otis Redding and Monsters of Rock (80’s) which can be followed by Death Cab For Cutie, Radio Disney or Michael McLean. I love to put my music on random and see what comes up. It makes no sense, I know but it is the way I am. I like too many different things to be locked into one category. Focus….

Now Again……Here I sit in my office, ready to work, with lots of work to do, and the inability to focus on my responsibilities. I seem to do this often, Am I always like this? I don’t honestly know. I thought I was good at focusing. I can be single minded when reading a book and not even notice what is around me. But here I don’t focus well; there are always things that get in my way. This is driving me nuts!

Here is a quick glimpse:
Today is Wednesday…Wednesday…..Yoga Class…..I forgot my yoga clothes…..maybe I will not take the next set of yoga classes….what if I asked Kate to walk the National Mall with me after work. We could go in the evenings after work…we could even meet on The Mall to save us time……Print Job Descriptions……I hate the way that is worded if we change this just a touch….That sounds better I should get the okay here in a minute and then it can be posted……Good Song……New recruiting website to look at….I wonder if the cork board is up so I can post flyers in the basement kitchen…………Hmmm….I might be getting hungry….good thing I brought lunch…I am glad I cooked last night…….I wonder if Nessa could mail me the bridesmaid dress so I can try it with the shoes…maybe I need to have it fitted…Oh crap I have to find out if I need a liner for the shirt…email Nessa on list of things to do!.....

Etc…Etc….Etc….It never ends….Maybe now that I have gotten all the garbage out of my brain I will be able to focus.

Wish me luck….

....Did you know that to walk around the National Mall is 3 miles? Yeah for walking...I love to walk... Arrgghhh FOCUS!

My big Sister

I have an amazing sister. I am not going to share any details of my week. It has been an emotional one for my family and the experiences are not mine to share. I would like to share something I have learned though.

I have an amazing big sister. T is just over a year older then I am; we grew up together. We lived together. We were raised by the same parents. We went to the same church and schools. We were taught the same gospel principles. We are completely different people. Neither of us are bad people, as a matter of fact, I think we are both pretty good people. I am constantly amazed by my big sister. This week she has taught me the meaning of love. I am not talking the romantic love. Romantic love has many faces and I have even seen some of them. But this week I have watched my sister, in the midst of her grief, think of others. She has comforted and worried over everyone, even those that most people are not as considerate of. I have listened to her answer various tactless questions with patience and kindness. I have watched her interact with people who treated her with much less respect and kindness then she deserved. She never allowed it to effect her, she never once let others idiocy change her treatment of them. There was always understanding and caring. At least that is the face she presented to me and the world, even though I know that some of the comments were very hurtful. Not one person there could ever doubted her kind heart or genuine love for each person.

Again, I have an amazing big sister.

Love you Sis!

Sunday Pot Luck

I know I said I would be taking a break but I am feeling the need to write. Who knows why but this is what you are stuck with.

It is Sunday. I am at Nick’s house tonight, at least for the next couple of hours or so. This seems to be a weekly occurrence. My friends love football, they love food and they love when we put these things together. As it is football season, we gather every Sunday at one house or another for football, food, and games. Sometimes I even offer my home.

Personally, I am not a fan of football. I am usually a person that needs other people around. One of my favorite things to do is go with my friends and sit in the background reading a book or typing on my computer as I am today. I figure it is part of nurture not nature. I grew up in a family that more often then not is loud and obnoxious, with children running everywhere, lots of laughter and lots of food. Of course there are also moments where we are all occupied with our own things. We could each be found in a different room reading a book, playing computer, or just working quietly; each with the knowledge we weren’t alone. Maybe it is different for my siblings but I realize that I do not do well all alone. I need the knowledge that there are others around even if I am not interacting with them. Then should I want to actually talk to someone or join in a conversation I can, but I am not required to (except when Steph forces me to but that only happens when I am too antisocial for too long)

Hence, I like football season even if I don’t know anything about football and have no desire to learn anything about it.

I always liked Baby got Back......

This one gave me a needed chuckle..
Baby got book

Taking a break due to Family Issues...

I'll be back in a couple of weeks.

LIkes....

There was an interesting comment made last night. One of the girls mentioned that I happen to like guys with less then normal social skills. I believe the comment was I have to “knock the physics books out of their hands” to get them to pay attention to me. I thought about this and ironically enough, I don’t think it’s their social skills I am attracted to. I think it is the fact that they use their brains, there is something that is such a turn on about a man that can carry a conversation with my face.

Mornings....

I am not a real energetic person in the mornings. I am not one to jump out of bed ready and rarin' to go. It is never going to happen. I’ll admit that I love the morning; there is something peaceful in knowing that so far your day has no mistakes in it. The look and smell of morning is amazing; I love sleeping with my window open in the fall so I can wake up to the smell of crisp mornings. But getting going early is not in me. I like to wake up slowly. I plan my wardrobe from my bed. What is the point of getting up if you don’t know what you are going to wear? Once out of bed there is a nice hot shower and puttering around the house in the morning quiet before I am off to the office. All of this is done at leisurely pace, of course. Once at work I struggle, I know that come afternoon I will work like a mad woman, but until then I can’t seem to focus. I can’t seem to concentrate. This morning I am supposed to be working on a presentation for Wednesday. Instead I am staring at the screen of my computer drawing a complete blank.

Well back to the struggle……

I'm A Big Kid Now!

It is just about 1 am here. I am awake. This might be because I slept most of today, If Erin and I hadn’t had tickets to Toby Keith I am not sure I would have even gotten up. Which considering I am up at 1 am could have been a good thing. But that is another story entirely. The concert was good, I liked most of the songs, but realize as open minded as I think I am, I am really a prude when it comes to certain things. We met some nice people, some not so nice people, and one creepy older gentleman whose staring gave both of us the heebie jeebies.

Tonight I am blogging because I am missing my family; specifically my younger brother Paul.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY PAULIWOG!

Paul is the 1st half brother born to my mother and step father. I now have 3 half brother and 3 half sisters from both of my parent’s second marriages. Today I was trying to figure out Paul’s age; I couldn’t remember the year he was born so I had to think back to how old I was when he was born. He was born in the first year of my mother’s second marriage. I turned 12 the June after my mother married and Paul was born 4 months later in October.

Therefore he is 15 years old today.

There are only a few things I remember from when he was born. Someone standing in the Kitchen of the house in Provo, talking on the phone with Kent just after Paul was born to tell us his stats and what they had decided to name him (Was it Gretchen on the phone? Tiana? Ralph? Someone help me out, I can’t seem to remember?).Mom was in that tiny hospital room. And a month or so later all of us in white going to the temple to see Paul sealed to Mom and Kent. I wish I could remember more.

Paul is a nice mix of our two families. He has the famous temper that Ian and I share but he keeps it locked down tight; which is pretty impressive for a kid his age. He loves to read; as a matter of fact I try to send him a new book every birthday and Christmas (sorry this time it is late but I don’t know what series you are on now.) He has a wicked sense of humor that comes out at the oddest moments. He has the Hinkson build which is great for runners and he loves the computer. He can be really thoughtful and sweet. He has been playing the frech horn for 2 years now (he plays the theme song to Star Wars and Indiana Jones!!) He is also taking French classes (like me and Tallie instead of Spanish like the other 9 siblings in our family) He is an amazing kid; though I guess technically he is a young man now. I miss being able to see him all the time, knowing how his classes at school and church.

So this one is for you Paul! I miss you kid! I Love you! I hope you had a fabulous birthday!!

Love your Big Sister

Rachel

Hmmmm.....

People who find their way to my blog via a google search interest me greatly. The hit I get the most is looking for "a day when everything went wrong". Sadly that post is not one of my best. It wasn't even the worst day I have had in the last year. Though I remember feeling completely overwhelmed and frustrated at the time I blogged.

That this particular post is googled so often has made me contemplative. There are some horrendous days in our lives. The Fridays (as Elder Wirthlin called them) will come. Tonight I am going to be grateful that my "Friday" was an exploding bottle of perrier, a few drops of blood on the floor, a couple of trips up and down the stairs, and a backhanded compliment about my hair.

Milk is of the Devil

Saturday Tiana, Heather and I bought 2 gallons. We had to be sure we had enough for people coming over on Sunday. Ironically we didn't even drink half a gallon. So what am I going to do with a gallon and a half of milk when I do not even drink it any more? And to top that off, Steph Just brought over another full gallon. Heaven Help me. I am drowning in Milk. Agggghhhhh.....gurggle...gurggle....glub...glub...glub

Nothing really to say today......

I felt the need to blog today, but had no idea what to write. So here I sit, at 11 pm on a Monday night, trying to figure that out. There were a few interesting things that happened today.

I was finally able to ship the company package to our employee that was called up. Frank is currently in Iraq. It is amazing to see people respond to the call for support. Last Monday the email went out that we were sending another package to Frank. Under great duress Frank had created a list of things that he and his buddies could use over there. Our employees were given the opportunity to contribute money or drop something by my office to be put in the package. By Thursday I had received almost 200 dollars. Items from the list have been dropped off daily in duplicate and triplicate. Today I shipped 3 boxes that all together weighed over 65 pounds. That didn’t include the items that we saved so we can send them to Frank for Thanksgiving. People want to help, they just don’t know how. Give them specific instructions and they will jump at the chance.

I also came to a realization about myself today. Not anything new or exciting, as a matter of fact people have been telling me this for years. I have been telling myself for years but that doesn’t mean that it isn’t a shock when it hits me again. I am a very opinionated person. (Yes I know that made my family and close friends laugh, thanks for your support. Lol! :P ) I always view myself as someone who can let people make their own choices and tell me there opinions and not get upset. Recently I have found that I have a few nerves that can cause me to shout. I don’t think there are many, but pick just one of my hot topics and I can lecture for hours, usually in a loud voice, about how I am right. I do not believe that is a good way to act, I should be able to be calm. I am (*gasp*) like my mother in this way, the warrior for the underdog. Each one of my “nerves” involves innocent bystanders. The hottest ones are when the choices of one person, either directly or indirectly, affect the lives of others in a negative way; especially when the innocent is a child. It seems to be knee-jerk reaction, one I will now spend a considerable amount of time trying to control. At least I will try to get it down to a level where I am not shouting any more. It gets rather embarrassing when I get all hot about a topic in a restaurant and half the people there are listening to me rant and looking at me like I am nuts. It’s just another step on the ladder of making Rae a normal person. Lol! I hope everyone had a good Monday!