friday brain-dump

This week I have had a lot of jumbled thoughts, but nothing really post-worthy by itself.

• Today is payday. I am still working at Pottery Barn, J.Crew and downtown at the PR agency, J.Simms. I have told myself that I was going to put my two-weeks notice in at J.Crew like eight times, but then they just keep scheduling me for four hours a week, which is worth keeping for the discount. I'll be shooting myself in the foot when next week's schedule comes out and I am working 60 hours again.

• I finally replaced my Michael Kors watch that went missing at Christmas. Pretty sure it was lost somewhere in Reno. Since then I had gone back to Provo, and then moved out of my apartment and to San Diego. No sign. It took me a while but I was able to let go, and swallow the fact that I wasn't going to find it. I went in to the Michael Kors store this week, and the guy felt sorry for me after my story and gave me 15% off.

• 

• It has FINALLY started to warm up down here in San Diego. For the past two weeks it has been overcast and chilly, not really getting above 70. Mid-July, and it's finally HOT. Well, considering. High 70's today, and mid-70's the rest of the week. At least warm enough to go to the beach.
  

• Cami is coming down here the end of July, I could not be more thrilled. I haven't seen that girl in way way too long. Considering we used to be pretty much inseparable and she probably still knows me better than anyone, that's not acceptable. Really wish Megan, Benita and Beth would get on that train.

• Really wanting to plan a graduation trip either in December or next summer. I've never been anywhere, and think that'd be the perfect time to go. Any suggestions?

• Fish tacos are just as good now as they were two months ago when I got here. They are never getting old.
  

• I should be at Seven Peaks.
• 
• Went into Verizon to get a new phone, but instead the guy gave me a new battery for free. Problem temporarily solved, and for free. Committing to a new phone is so stressful, I can't do it. But I will probably go with the Droid.

• After WEEKS of playing phone tag with Megan, I finally got a hold of her. Or her of me. Whichever. Immediately after talking to her, I felt better about things. She is seriously amazing. I hope all of you have a friend like her.

• I am still on a Facebook fast. I decided that checking it at night, in the morning, at work and inbetween work was a little excessive. I deactivated for a week, and today marks the seventh day. But I just don't miss it that much. I will be back, I just don't know when. I think I am getting more sleep.
  

• Stephen Jones is hilarious. Love him in BYU's rendition of the OldSpice commercial:

so what? I watch reality TV

Truth is, I like watching reality television. I try really hard not to do it unless I'm with my friends, who appreciate my meaningless comments, and on DVR, where we can rewind the most ridiculous parts to watch them over and over again.

This is my favorite time of year as far as television is concerned, airing my two favorites:

So You Think You Can Dance (or SYTYCD for all you followers out there)

and, the lovely Bachelorette.

I realize, without you having to say anything at all, that the second show is just absurd, and each season reaches a new level of ridiculousness. But that's besides the point. It is FUNNY. It is full of crazy people, cheesy comments, love, hate, evil stepmothers. Really, what more could you ask for?

Unfortunately, I've been watching my shows by myself this summer. But I do have some things to say.

The Bachelorette:

I was really sad the "world-tour" was over, because I loved just looking at all of the places they were able to go. Lisbon was absolutely beautiful. I will go there.

Ali goes to Robert's hometown first. He won the hometown dates for sure--he had it all. Even the baseball uni, which if you are unsure how I feel about those, go here. Playing in the park, the amazingly awesome hispanic family (I'm a little bit biased), and best of all, he appears to be one hundred percent normal. Not to mention, one of the best looking. I don't think he'd really propose though in the end. He's way too smart.

Next Ali goes to the Cape to visit Chris M. He is the second most normal, and the second-best looking. But let's be real, Ali why are you wearing those leather boots to the beach? Darling, but not your best judgment. And I thought her hair was bad before. YOU ARE ON NATIONAL TELEVISION. Where is your hairbrush?



Other than that, another normal trip. I was pretty sad about that part. His sisters seemed normal, and his dad could not have been more cute. And I have his sister-in-law's boots. Ali doesn't seem as interested in him as the others though, I can tell this because she is not constantly interrupting what he's saying with her tongue in his mouth.

Kirk's house is where it starts to get good. So so glad that Kirk is gone. His blonde eyebrows were always throwing me off, and the taxodermy Dad? That would have sealed the deal for me too. At this point I think that Chris and Kirk probably have the most genuine feelings towards Ali, but I don't see her picking Chris in the end either.

Finally, I have never ever liked Frank. Not even at the Hollywood sign on their first date. The glasses, the bad cardigans, his snaggletooth and insecurities, it's just not my thing. Plus he always seems a gust of wind away from a panic attack. Seriously. Calm down Frank. Plus I heard that you have a girlfriend too and break the news in Tahiti. That should be good.

Sidenote: Remember Kiptyn from last year? I do. He is by far the best-looking contestant they have ever had on the show. Too bad Ali didn't have nearly the pool of applicants as Jill did. I heard he's recently off the market and with a Jake cast-off from last season...but seriously.
Kiptyn, if it doesn't work out, I'm 100% available and in San Diego until further notice.




I realize this just very quickly became a Kiptyn shrine, but I don't care.

rebuild, breathe

I've been having a pretty rough time this year, magnified by the ample amount of time I've had to spend by myself this summer.

I'm getting ready to finish school this fall, and begin looking for jobs.
(Hopefully doing something I actually like to do.)
My bestest graduated and moved away from me back to Austin, TX, I didn't get to live with my friends last year and dating ups and downs (mostly downs). Training for the marathon earlier this year, I also fractured my tibia, which has really discouraged me in my running, and trying to regain where I was before.

I know my trials this year have been for a reason, and I'm still hopeful to find out the why's.

I went for a run though this past week, and decided to do it without my iPod.
(this is almost a for-sure adrenalin killer)
But this time, it worked out even better than I could have hoped.

I ended up running 7 miles, which is twice what I have normally been doing during the week, and I felt amazing. I had the chance to just be left alone with my thoughts, and a silent prayer that lasted the entire run.

Turns out, I had a lot to say. And even more to listen to. The two words/phrases that kept coming to my mind over and over, were

rebuild. just breathe.

I know how simple it sounds, but it was exactly what I needed to hear. I may have been battling the injury since March, but it has given me the opportunity to rebuild the foundation I had, and to do it better than I had done it before. If I rebuilt better, I can be faster, stronger, and healthier than I was the first time. And not only as it relates to running, but to my everyday life as well. I tend to get caught up in the things that don't matter, and I start to immediately doubt. I doubt things I know for sure, and things I said I would never doubt again. I doubt everything except what I can do myself. But I can rebuild. I can start over, and I can do it better than I did the first time.

And of course, just breathe. Any runner will know what this phrase can do for you, but all of us have had similar experiences where we just need to tell ourselves that everything will be okay, and we need to regain perspective on what's currently happening.

What an incredible opportunity all of us have been presented with, to start over. At any age. At any time of day, no matter our circumstance.

I'm going to continue this summer, with a renewed enthusiasm for my jobs, for the people I've met and have not met yet, and rebuild,so that I can be stronger, and a better friend for my friends, and for the people that need friends. A better sister, and a better daughter.

President Dieter F. Uchtdorf gave a talk in May of 2009, about losing our way, and losing sight of what matters most.

Nehemiah from the Old Testament set to rebuild the city Jerusalem, no small task. As the walls of Jerusalem were being built stronger, his opposition began to intensify, but it never distracted him. Nehemiah's response:

"I am doing a great work, so that I cannot come down."

When faced with trial and suffering, we respond, “I am doing a great work and cannot come down.”

When faced with ridicule and reproach, we proclaim, “I am doing a great work and cannot come down.”

"Our Heavenly Father seeks those who refuse to allow the trivial to hinder them in their pursuit of the eternal. He seeks those who will not allow the attraction of ease or the traps of the adversary to distract them from the work He has given them to perform. He seeks those whose actions conform to their words—those who say with conviction, 'I am doing a great work and cannot come down.'

We have a great work to do. We stand overlooking the horizon of our age. It is my fervent prayer that in spite of temptations, we will never lower our standards; that in spite of distractions, wherever they may come from, we will not lose focus on what matters most; that we will stand resolute and together, shoulder to shoulder, as we valiantly bear the banner of the Lord Jesus Christ.

I pray that we may [keep ourselves worthy] and, to a man, lift our heads and with unwavering voice proclaim to the world, “We are doing a great work, and we will not come down.”

Yup. this is definitely what I needed to hear today.

j.simms internship

so far this summer, I've had the amazing opportunity to be working in San Diego at a PR/advertising agency. I've been working closely with the City of Imperial Beach, who hosts the U.S. Open Sandcastle Competition every year. The largest sandcastle competition in the U.S., this event attracts over 325,000 people over a three-day weekend, and is probably going to be bigger than I realize even now. I've been working with the local San Diego television and news stations, gaining local and national press attention for the event.

I also was asked to design two advertisements that were approved, and ran in two different publications. I'm pretty excited about them! Like my experience with Vida, seeing something you've designed printed in a magazine is a completely different experience than creating an invitation, or poster. I may or may not be addicted.