Only in Utah...

I know I haven't updated in a long time...but there really isn't a whole lot to update on. I went to Clearwater, FL in the beginning of December for a conference. It was a good time overall. We met the most random people in the bar. It was hilarious! There was one couple that we would have called Whiskey Tango (WT) where I come from, and they were waaasted! They informed my coworker and I that they were married in a moment of passion earlier that day...even though they had been living together off and on for 20 years. They were drinking chocolate martinis (4 shots) like they were water. They were so devoted to each other that she even had his name tatooted on her chest...and she insisted on showing people. It was pretty crazy. The whole bar was laughing at them. The conference went pretty well...I got to meet more people and understand what I work on a little better.

When I came back from the conference, I had a new boss. There was a whole lot of politics behind that...and I am not quite sure how I feel about it...but there it is. I just got direction today on what I will be working on and he has been my boss for 3 weeks. So for the past 3 weeks I have been taking training classes like it is my job!!

Last weekend I got to hang out with Amanda and her posse. She had to drop them off at the airport at 6 am...I slept in. But we hung out the rest of the day and she got to meet my lieutenant posse...or at least a few of them. Then on Sunday night she came back in so I could drop her off on Monday morning. Which leads me to the topic of my journal. IHOP is advertised as being open 24 hours a day. That's right...all day, everyday. Since it seems to be a tradition that Amanda and I always go to IHOP before heading to the airport...we headed to IHOP at 5 am...fully expecting it to be open. Well the Utah Mormons in all their wisdom decide to close things on Sunday. Well not a big deal for us because its IHOP and its Monday morning. Apparently not. IHOP in Utah is apparently closed from 10 pm on Sunday night until 6 am on Monday morning. What kind of crap is that? The majority of the time they are closed is not even on their sabbath day. Only in Utah.

Which leads me to another story. I have an adorable little kitten that I got not too long ago. Well she was little when I got her...and now she needs to get some shots...and probably a checkup too...just to make sure she is healthy. So I didn't know who to pick for a vet. I have used 2 vets in my entire life. And there are a million vets in my area. So I had gotten a flyer in the mail with a coupon for this doctor that claimed to be a family vet. I figured I would check it out. Keep in mind...my kitten loves everyone. She is a big attention whore and just wants to be loved...all the time! So I bring her into the exam room...and I set her down...and the vet walks in and she hissed!! Her tail got all bushed up and everything!!! I have never seen her do anything like that...even when she is attacking Fiona (the other cat). I should have known right then...it wasn't going to be good. So the Dr. starts asking questions about her...how I got her the whole nine yards. (He has a nice British accent.) So I explained the whole story and that I just moved from New York...yadda yadda. So the first question he asks...are you married? Ummm....no but thanks for asking, ass. Not like I haven't gotten asked that 1200 times since I have been in Utah. Then the next question, Well how are you finding Utah? I was very PC and said it was a culture shock but that I was adjusting. The final question Are you LDS? Are you kidding me??? So I said no. (I was waiting for the next question to be Have you heard about the Book of Mormon?) Then he said oh well my family is. How the heck was I supposed to know that Dr. Hugh Grant was a freaking Mormon?

Right then I should have loaded the kitty in the carrier and peaced out. But I didn't. So he starts explaining options that were available to my cat. I knew what I needed...a checkup, a rabies shot, a leukemia shot, maybe a distemper shot...and that's it. Eventually, she needs to be spayed. That's all she needs. Well he starts pitching worming stuff ($64), spaying ($130), all the vaccines I need plus feline AIDS which I thought was feline leukemia ($50-60), declawing (way expensive), microchipping ($50) and teeth cleaning! She is 15 weeks old...she just got teeth!! She does not need them cleaned. So by now I am wondering if Hugh Grant pitches this to everyone or just his non-LDS clients...and I am also wondering if my bill will be higher because I'm not. So needless to say... we aren't going back there again. She got her checkup...she's healthy. I avoided all that other crap. And I profusely apologized to my kitten the whole way home...because she was perceptive enough to tell me it was bad news. On a good note I found out that there is a mobile clinic that travels around and gives shots, spays and microchips and I can get the whole thing done for $65. So yeah...we are doing that. If missionaries show up at my apartment...I know who sent them. Only in Utah.

I get to go home in 24 hours. I am pretty excited about it...but I am not excited about the red-eye flight that I have to take. But in 48 hours I will be back in New York!!!

That is all!

Quick Update

This update is going to be short because things have been really busy lately. I went back to NY for Thanksgiving and surprised my entire family...only a handful of people knew I was going home. It was fun...the plane ride back was not. It was a really long flight where I got delayed for almost 2 hours. Then when I finally reached Salt Lake at midnight...my luggage wasn't there. So I had to go to work the next day with minimal makeup and my hair looking like crap. I did get my luggage back though...at 6 at night the next day. But at least they found it and it wasn't lost forever. This week flew by rather quickly, mostly because I was exhausted from my travels.

This week is going to fly by because I am going to be in Florida for work. We have some sort of conference to attend...but my hotel is on the beach, so it should be really nice!

Utah is Utah. People are way nuts about Christmas out here...probably because we don't have many Jews out here. The mountains are covered with snow and look really pretty.

That is all.