Playing Catch-up!

Ok, so it's been a while since I've put anything up here. So, I will start with the oldest stuff and work forward. Ok, well I had another birthday! Yes, I am now a quarter of a century old. I can't believe it.... 25. Somehow, I still don't feel like it though. For my birthday, my family and I went to go see Twilight since it came out on my birthday. For the most part I liked it, but I think if you haven't read the book it might not all make sense. Then the next day was my brothers' birthday and so we had a big family dinner on Sunday and I made homemade icecream cake. YUM!

About a week or so ago, we got a ton of snow!!! It's been pretty crazy because it doesn't ever snow here. Well, school was canceled and so Sylvia (our foreign exchange student from China) went sledding with my nephews. Here is a picture of them. From left to right: Teague (nephew's friend), Sylvia, Garrik, and Brekkon.

This next picture is of Sylvia and Brekkon.

And I just love this picture. It is my nephew, Garrik. He's such a cutie!

Since then, I have pretty much just been working and that is really it. By the way, I think when school is canceled, work should be too. Work is well, work, and I am looking for other options. Somedays it is good and I like it, but other days are very hard to deal with. So, I will just hang in there until something better shows up. Right now I am just very grateful to have a job.

Oh, I've been going to the single's ward here and it's got a lot better. I've made a few friends and everyone is really nice. I actually have to give the lesson in RS tomorrow, which I am actually really excited about. So, hopefully it will go well!

Christmas at our house was good this year. I got a lot of really great stuff and I don't think I have to take anything back! WOOHOO!!!! And as far as New Year's Eve plans, I don't really have any and that is just fine because I have this book I've been wanting to read and now I will have time to read it!

Corporate Espionage

Ok, so I have now had my first experience with a corporate witch... As you may or may not know, I am an Account Manager...meaning I manage accounts. Extreme concept, I know. Anyway, so there is an account that I am over called Rolls (Name of the company) and this last week my boss (the COO) asked me if I knew that Rolls dropped their account with us and told him I hadn't heard anything about it... which I hadn't. I knew they had moved locations and were waiting to be reconnected to our services, but that was it. Well, apparently, one of our IT guys told Charles (COO) that the manager ask them where to send the equipment back because they would no longer be using our services and that when Charles asked me if I knew anything about it...
So, I find out which manager talked to the IT guy and it turned out to be my contact (the branch manager for their company). I immediately get on the phone and tell him that I heard the craziest thing from my IT guy and Ken (the branch manager) confirmed that they were done with our services. So, I probed further and ask what was going on to find out why. He said that it had nothing to do with our service because he has always been pleased with the results they see from using our company, but it was because of the economy, they are cutting out all of their third party services. He said it was a direct order straight from the Owner of the company. I asked him if there was any way that we could work out some sort of deal with a discount/ payment plan/ less service, etc. and he said the owner said to "completely 100% terminate the services, no exceptions, no negotiations." So, what can I say to that really? I finally, just told him that I will be working with the CEO and COO to find something that will work out and that I would be in touch with him. He told me to contact him in 6 months to see how things were going. So, that's where it was left.
Well, about 10 minutes later, Melanie (the sales rep on the account) calls me and asks what's going on with the account and that she had just heard that Rolls quit. So, I told her everything I knew and told her that we will just have to be very accommodating to them in the mean time. She then asked for Ken's phone number and said she thought she could save the account. I told her I thought it was a bad idea to do a follow-up phone call 10 minutes after I got off the phone with him, that I thought she should wait at least a day. Well, Melanie thought she could find out more information and save the world. So, I warned her one last time that I thought if she pushed this too hard that she could jeopardize our 6 month contact because when you aggravate Ken, he will just quit altogether forever.
After that I went to lunch and when I got back, Melanie had sent out an email to EVERYONE in the company except for Charles (which is interesting because Charles really likes me, shares an office with me and knows what really happened). Anyway, she sends out an email saying that as soon as she heard about Rolls quitting, she took the initiative and made the first move by getting on the phone with Ken and this is what she found out...then stated everything I had already told her. The way she wrote it, it made it sound like I was totally slacking and not doing my job and that she was on top of it, so no one needed to worry that I wasn't doing anything. It's the account manager's job to contact the company and see what's going on and she made it sound like she did it since I didn't.
Well, MJ, the receptionist, asked Charles about it and of course he knew nothing about it because Melanie didn't send it to him. So, MJ forwarded to Charles and he responded very fiercely (also sending it to everyone to try to fix as much damage as possible). He said that there were some clarifications that needed to be made to Melanie's bold implications. He reminded everyone that he shares an office with me and that he was there for all of it, so he heard me immediately get on the phone with Ken and aggressively take care of the situation. He also said that I did everything that an account manager is supposed to do and that I executed it well and that I made the whole company proud by the way I handled the situation. He then stated that everything that Melanie said was obtained only through speaking to me after I spoke to Ken, but before she talked to him, and how she did not gain any additional information by calling a second time.
After he sent that email, I got back from lunch to see these emails...! I first thanked Charles for sticking up for me. (Being the new one in the office has been hard because the CEO has had doubts that I can be aggressive enough.) Then Melanie sent me an IM saying that the email was sent purely as a method of communication and not to make anyone look bad. Then she asked if the email was being perceived any differently and I told her yes. She immediately called her and asked how it was perceived and I told her very honestly and straightforward that I did not appreciate her going behind my back to send an email trying to make me look bad. And that I had already told her that it was taken care of and by her continuing to take further actions on MY account after I asked her not to, was not ok. Anyway, she immediately started back-pedalling and saying that that's not what happened and whatever. Well, I held my ground and told her that I expect her to not go over her bounds with my accounts ever again and that's about it. She later responded to Charles' email saying that Charles was correct and that she also thought I did an amazing job and apologized. So, who knows really what she's thinking, but I realized that there are people out there who will really just stomp on anyone to get ahead in life. Definitely a learning experience.

HaLLoWeEn!!

Well, this year for Halloween it was kind of interesting because we have a foreign exchange student from China living with us and she didn't know anything about this holiday before she came to America. It was so funny watching her in the Halloween stores looking at costumes and decorations. She was taking pictures of EVERYTHING!!! Anyway, being that I am such a noble person (and I love trick or treating myself), I thought it would be fun for her to experience the whole trick or treating experience. So, we decided to get all dressed up and go with my brother, sister-in-law and their boys. So, here are a couple pictures of us after we dressed up. I was supposed to be Malificent (sp?) from Sleeping Beauty but I couldn't find the horn things, so whatever. Sylvia was supposed to be some sort of princess, but ended up looking like a gothic witch-type person.

Here is a picture of us making a funny face... I don't know if Sylvia was ready or if that was her funny face...

I had the longest eyelashes I've ever seen on....they were pretty crazy. Here is a picture close up. (ok, I know not the best picture of me, but you can really see the lashes...just call me lash-tastic!)

This is my cute little nephew, Garrik, who was afraid of my lashes at first, but the he warmed up to me. He even tried pulling them off!
Then after we went trick or treating, Mom needed Sylvia and I to go to Wal-Mart and it was so funny watching people stare at us (especially the polygamist people). I've never thought about how they probably don't do Halloween. And then after we got a pizza from Hungry Howie's (amazing if you haven't ever had it!!!) and headed home. At home we were talking about how people were really rationing out the candy more than usual. I remember as a kid I would go a few blocks and come home with a pillow case full of candy. This year, I think it was MAYBE 3-4 inches.... so sad. And the funniest part of all of this is that Sylvia doesn't like chocolate (I know she's kind of crazy), but she had a good time and that's what matters, right?!?!

Prop 8

Ok, so I have a bit of a sticky situation with one of my good friends from BYU-Idaho named Nathan (he graduated the same time I did and then moved to NYC to work for a PR firm). Well, Nathan has SSA (same-sex attraction) and he has fought it his whole life. He told me about it while we were at school and I didn't really care as long as he didn't act on it, and he knew that's how I felt. Well, since he has moved to NYC, there aren't many people there to help him stay strong and fight his urges. (Now, I don't know what he's been doing and if he is still trying to fight it or not.) But he is from California so the Prop 8 stuff has been pretty huge and he has been an ACTIVE part of publicizing it; however, he is trying to persuade people to vote NO (FYI- if Prop 8 fails(more people vote no than yes) then gay marriage will be legal.) He has also come out saying that anyone who is FOR Prop 8 is a bigot. I already discussed my issue with that with him; however, my question is this: in the temple recommend interview, it asks if you associate with anyone or any party who is against the church's teachings....so, how does all of this work together? I mean, Nathan and I have VERY different views on gay marriage (obviously), but I still believe that it is important to love and be kind to everyone. Can I be friends with him and still maintain my temple recommend? He knows my stance on the issue and he knows it is not the same as his. In addition, on this issue, the Church has come out with an official statement, so if he says everyone who is for Prop 8 is a bigot, then is he not saying he thinks all of the Big "B" Brethren and the Prophet are all bigots? Sorry to ramble on about this, but I am just having some serious issues here and any commentary would help.

I've Dyed!!!

Ok, so a week ago I decided to take the plunge and go dark...yes, dark, as in BRUNETTE!!! I've never been anything but blonde a day in my life, so this was a big change. I don't think I will stay brunette as far as the long run goes, but it's a good change for now. I think I will always be a blonde at heart. Anyway, let me know what you think.... Don't worry, my feelers won't be hurt if you don't like it.

Vacay!

Okee-dokee... So, this weekend I went to Provo to get a break from life and it was a much needed break! I stayed with Bethany and her husband and it was so good to spend time with them. I spent some time on Saturday with Mike and we went up Provo Canyon...SO PRETTY!!! I actually think it's kind of funny that earlier in the week Mike asked me if I wanted to go hiking and I told him no, so he decided to not listen to me and take me on a mini (very mini due to my stubborn personality) hike. Plus, I got stung by a stupid bee...it was pretty crazy. But honestly, it didn't hurt as much as I thought it would. Later that night, Bethany, Nathan and I went shopping (one of my favorite past times). And we spent some time in a REAL mall. St. George has a shortage on those. This is a picture of us being dorks in one of the stores!Then we went to a stand-up comedian show on the BYU campus called Humor U. It was pretty funny. Has anyone else ever noticed that there aren't very many female comedians? I have to admit that generally, guys really are more naturally funny. I think girls just try to hard. Anyway, so that's about all...I left to come back home on Sunday and now...it's back to the office...

Limbo

Oh, where to start? There has been so much that has happened in my life lately. I graduated from college about two months ago, went on a few vacations, got a job, and dropped Kelli off at the MTC. Back to my job for a second. I am an Account Manager with a company called ContactPoint Solutions...now what that really means is that I have different accounts that I am over and I coach the employees in the company on how to communicate more effectively and how to be more productive in sales. I am still in the training mode, so we will see how it all fits together eventually.
I am also in the process of figuring out which ward I should be going to. There is always the home ward, but honestly, since my parents moved to a new ward it kind of stinks for people my age. So, then there is also a young college ward and another singles ward that targets 24 to 30-year-old people. I went to the college ward one Sunday and they were all really nice and accepting, but I felt a little beyond where they were: EX. the lesson in RS was on making the transition from high school to college....ummmmm, I'm a little past that. But the older single's ward just seemed old, and maybe I am getting "old" or whatever, but still, it doesn't mean I feel like I am. So, for now I am kind of in limbo. It will all work out. I will find my place in everything when the timing is right.
This last weekend I went to a training for my job called Power Training. Actually, anyone can go, the CEO of my company just wanted me to go, so that's why I went. Anyway, it was a really good experience. I was super skeptical about it, but I figured that if I was going to spend this much time doing something than I would at least try to really enjoy it and learn as much as I could. I'm so grateful that I decided to let go and let myself experience everything whole-heartedly. I met some really amazing people and I hope to remain friends with them. Maybe I will think a bit more about my experiences at the training and write about that later. Well, that's about it for now!