6 Long Months!

Today marks the 6 month anniversary of my move to Utah. I was talking to a coworker about it this week...and she said to me, "it's going to be really sad when you leave." This got me thinking about how slow/fast the past 6 months have gone.

6 months ago this very minute I am pretty sure I was walking through Wally-World trying to find sheets so I had something to put on my new air mattress to sleep on. How much so many things have changed in 6 months. I have learned a lot about myself and others, community and belonging and my relationships with others. If I had it to do all over again, would I do it? I'm not sure, but since I can't do it over, I'm not going to waste time thinking about that.

The past 6 months have gone by really fast...I feel like I just got here. I also feel like I have been here forever. This means that I have 2.5 years left. Not sure how I feel about that. Of course if a position were presented to me somewhere else sooner, I would take it in a heartbeat.
I'm looking forward to summer. I can't wait to take some of my free time and go lay out in the sun. It will be the first time I have had that freedom since I was probably 12.

Last week I got to fly an F-35 simulator. The F-35 is the new fighter jet that they are coming out with. It of course has the latest and greatest technology, most of which I don't understand. I wish I hadn't been born with less than perfect eyes...I probably would have made a decent pilot. It was definitely way cool presentation to go to. One of the perks of my job I suppose.


Since it's getting late I think I am done reflecting.

That is all.

So I totally just had another “Office” moment. Dwight sits in my cube. If none of you have seen The Office…you’re wrong. But this time instead of looking at the camera…my cube mate and I exchanged glances. If you want details…email or IM me.

So I ended up not going home last weekend. I was totally bummed out and my weekend consisted mostly of sleeping, working out and grilling on my balcony. I have however, rebooked my ticket and I am glad that I did. Getting stuck in JFK would really have not been much fun.

Nothing else really new going on. Next week I go to Clearwater with work again for a few days and get out of this snowy weather! We got dumped on again…and by dumped on I mean like 3 inches…but still the roads were kind of bad. It took me 15 minutes to get to work today instead of the usual 8.

By the way, I am sick of hearing about Anna Nicole Smith and Britney Spears, one is already dead and the other is headed that way…let it go!

That is all!

This is too long for an away message but too messed up to not tell. I hate:
1. my life
2. my luck
3. Mormons
4. This state
5. Jet Blue
6. JFK
7. NYC
8. Snow


A glimpse into my day:

3:00 I find out at the office that my flight is cancelled from SLC to JFK

3:15 I peace out of work to come home and figure out what the hell to do

4:00 After 25 minutes on hold I get some schmuck making $6.15 an hour and he tells me that they can give a full refund or book me for the same flight the next day...thereby reducing my trip by a WHOLE day and no happy hour

4:30 I try to find a cheap one way with another airline (because all other airlines BUT Jet Blue...the Mormon airline i might add...are running on schedule). There is no cheap flight to be found

5:00 I get put on hold for another 25 minutes. I finally talk to a human and find out that I can rebook for a later date with no penalities. This makes me happy because it means that I can fly home for my cousin's wedding for free. What they then tell me is that it has to be between now and May 22nd. Damn...no one I know is getting married in May.

5:45-9:00 I watch the Office (amazing show), contemplate whether I want to fly home for Friday-Monday or book a flight for May, and drink a little drinky drink to take the edge off.

9:00- My friendly neighborhood Jet Blue representative calls and tells me that my flight has been reinstated and that I can call 1800-JetBlueBLOWS if I want to confirm, but that all I need to do to make this flight is to show up at the airport. I quickly sober up, pack up and peace out.

10:15- still driving hoping that I can make the 11:25

10:30- I arrive at the Jet Blue counter. A chipper guy tells me that he is sorry, he does not know why Jet Blue is calling people, but yes the flight is still cancelled. I look at him in disbelief, jaw drops and I just stare at him. He is all chipper and informs me that I am still a go for tomorrow night. I turn around with my 100 lb suitcase and walk away. I contemplate taking someone's life...good thing for me I do not carry a gun. I then realize there is a TSA representative walking next to me and I should probably not be thinking aloud.

10:35- Parking people pick me up at the terminal. I look real happy to see them...but I try to hide it because it isn't their fault.

10:45- I drive to the checkout window of the parking place. The woman there looks at my ticket in disbelief, the register rings up $.96. I then inform her that yes, I have been here for 20 minutes because some airline is run by morons...mormons...oops morons....damn those words are so similar. She feels bad for me and does not make me pay the $.96.

10:50- I am hysterical...I don't know whether to laugh, cry or swear....so I do all 3. I flip off the Desert Mills grainery as I pass and curse these sonsabitches.

11:00- I arrive home...I am ripshit pissed, tired and stone cold sober. I then consider drinking myself into a silly oblivion and passing out. I am upset and depressed. I wonder how I will last the next 2.5 years out here. I end up drinking water and going to bed.

The question is do I fly home tomorrow or wait until a later date??

So, not really too much to update. I went to Anaheim last week for another conference. Traveling is probably one of the best parts of my job, especially when it is to exotic locations like Anaheim. On Wednesday we got out of our meeting early and we drove to Huntington, Newport and Laguna Beaches. It was definitely an interesting experience and now I can say that I have cut across the country diagonally, having touched the Atlantic in Bar Harbor Maine and the Pacific at Newport. I'll try to add pictures tonight if I remember.

The weather here has been exceptionally warm. Well maybe not exceptionally warm for Utah…but compared to what I am used to at this time of year. It’s been between 40 and 50 everyday the past week…of course much colder at night…but nice weather nonetheless. We have had a few days of rain that caused some flooding because Utah isn’t used to getting rain…but nothing like I am used to in NY. This nice weather has made me think that it is lacrosse road trip season and has made me sad that I will not be driving to the DC/VA/MD area this year. To curb this wanderlust I think I will plan some spring/summer road trips to various locations in the west…such as Oregon, California and Montana. I think that if I don’t I might go stir crazy in Utah, since living with this culture has gotten harder and not easier.

Recent news in Utah…some crazy shot up a mall in Salt Lake City. This is especially shocking out here, because the people are too naïve to think that these sorts of things could happen in their Mormon safe haven. Well, welcome to America. No place is immune.
Mitt Romney announced his candidacy for president. I laughed. I laughed because this country has no idea what I live with on a daily basis…and they now will. The Mormon mudslinging has already started. This was taken from a CNN article from this morning. [Romney is a member of the Utah-based Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, commonly known as the Mormon Church, which is viewed by some conservative evangelicals as a non-Christian, cult-like organization. "I think there will be attacks on Romney that will be launched by third-party groups about his religion," said David Magelby, a political science professor at Brigham Young University in Provo, Utah, a Mormon institution where Romney received a bachelor's degree in 1971. "I think that's almost a certainty."]
So, Romney is a BYU grad huh? Guess we better get ready for the first, second and third ladies. Of course I realize that the mainstream LDS frowns on polygamy…however, there was a raid on a polygamist community in the 50s and the governor that conducted the raid didn’t get reelected because of public outcry against the raid. Hmmm. Interesting. According to the BBC there is also a case going to the Supreme Court to make polygamy legal. I guarantee if that happened some prophet would have a revelation that everyone would need 4 wives again. Guess how much longer I would stay in Utah if that happened…yup about 3 minutes. And conservative evangelicals calling LDSers cult-like…isn’t that the pot calling the kettle black? Regardless, it should bring up interesting discussions.
The other ironic twist…Romney’s candidacy announcement was overshadowed by the crazy Utah gunman. One headline a day Utah…that’s all you are allowed.

In other news, I really dislike the local news here. There’s a blonde chick reporter that exemplifies every stereotype that this culture has for women. She’s dumb and shouldn’t be allowed out of the kitchen. Actually, she probably shouldn’t even be allowed to cook in the kitchen because she would probably start a fire. Sorry, just an angsty rant. If you watched the news out here, you wouldn’t like her either.

I am heading back to the Cuse this weekend. I am excited to finally be attending a game in the Dome and seeing all my friends and family, however I don’t want to deal with the cold and snow; especially the 8 feet that my parents have at their house. Ugh. Although I can’t complain too much because I think I am going to manage another trip to Clearwater, Fl before the month is done. So basically, I go to NY for 4 days, fly back to Utah and then a week later fly to Florida. Yup, traveling is definitely the best part of my job.

That is all.