Sunday, January 31, 2010

Celebrity Encounters

Ok this post is just for fun. I haven't had a ton of celeb encounters, but I thought I would catalog some fun ones...

The Lohans: Yes, I have encountered not one, not two but THREE Lohans, all while living in Provo! haha. This all happened a few years ago when Lindsay Lohan was in rehab. One day, I saw Lindsay and her mom shopping for sunglasses at Nordstrom (of course, where else would I be?).

But it gets better...

...a short while later, I was working at the Provo Marriott. I checked in a business man and woman from L.A. In small-talking, I learned they were Michael Lohan's publicist and lawyer. The man clued me in that Michael would possibly be in later. Sure enough, he sauntered in shortly thereafter, and asked me if he could take me out on a date. Ok just kidding, he didn't do that, but I wouldn't put it past the scum bag. hahaha. No but he asked if he could call up to the lawyer's room, and in talking, he said something about how Lindsay was at dinner but would be heading to the hotel later. My co-worker and I were freaking out because we couldn't wait to see Lindsay Lohan (and point and laugh- just kidding!), but she never came in while we were there, so who knows...most likely her dad was on crack and was only displaying some wishful thinking. Anyways, that was the Lohan experience.

The Osmonds: Once again, there are multiple. haha. No, but can I say, Donny Osmond is one of the nicest people ever. He stayed at the Marriott Marquis in NY for a few months while in Beauty & the Beast. On the day he was checking in, I was so excited because obviously, I knew who he was, but I was also hoping I didn't have to check him in because I get celeb-fright; ie, I get all nervous! But my co-worker who checked him in told him, "my co-worker reallllyyyy wants to meet you" and grabbed me by the hand and pulled me over to introduce me. hahaha. I was super nervous but I told him how I went to BYU and that I'm also related to his old publicist. He was so nice, and awesome, and later he gave me and another co-worker awesome tickets to see him in Beauty & the Beast. Oh and one of his sons (very nice also!) was there too and so it was great to meet him.

Then, I met Marie at the Provo Marriott. She was doing a photo shoot there or something. She was a lot quieter, but I didn't really say anything, just checked her in so as not to be annoying-- but she was a tiny little thing! I was really surprised. Then again, this was around the time she was in Dancing with the Stars.

Rihanna: This is going way back in the day when she was a teeny young 16 or 17-year old, just beginning her career. At the NY Marriott Marquis, the employees were gifted a free concert by Rihanna. Yes, that is how awesome the NYMM is to their employees! They rented out a nearby concert arena, and got her for a private concert. :) But in addition, she stayed at our hotel, and while I was walking up in the hotel, she walked by and even then I was star struck by her beauty. I'm a dork. But she is one of my favorite musicians even today, so it was cool!

So, those are just a couple, here are some others that I have encountered (not necessarily met, though some I have). Sorry I can't remember them all, as a lot of them I will remember just by watching tv and saying "ooh I saw that person at xyz": Taylor Hicks, Lily Tomlin, Bill Campbell (OC, lol), Nelly Furtado, Nick Lachey, Tom Green (yes, washed out Tom Green, hahaha), Patty Duke, and I have met some of the apostles of the LDS church too.

And, then, I met this professor from UVA whose name unfortunately escapes me but I'd recall it if I saw it..well anyways, he is a LDS professor and one time even talked at BYU about Joseph Smith. Whoopdee doo right? But I've read a good deal of his critiques on different religious topics..so he checked in one day at the Provo Marriott and I was like, "You spoke a year and a half ago at devotional about Joseph Smith...I really enjoyed it" lol. He was surprised that I even remembered but nice as well. It was just totally random because I couldn't tell you anything even the prophet has said, let alone some random guy.

But yea, now I want to know: what celeb encounters have you had?

Saturday, January 30, 2010

Yes I'm lame, but...

...I'm going to pass on an important message. Today, I saw a commercial with Oprah advocating the "No Phone Zone" in the car. I also coincidentally recently saw an episode of her show where she went into great detail about this. This is coincidental because I have seen maybe 5 Oprah episodes in my entire life, so yea. :)

Anyways, but about the "No Phone Zone", I. Totally. Agree. I can tell a marked difference in people when they are using the cell phone while driving. Like, if I'm in the car with someone, and they pick up the phone, I see the focus on the road vanish, and sometimes it's been pretty scary.

Actually kinda funny, but scary at the same time: One day we saw a semi-truck driving kinda erratically, and when we managed to pass him, he had a cell phone in one hand, a cigarette in the other. Umm hello, how was he driving?!?! lol. And, as commercial vehicle drivers, we have seen a crazy amount of truckers talking on their cell while driving. At least get a hands free, even though they aren't much better.

But this doesn't excuse ALL drivers, as I'm guessing less truckers have had fatal accidents than car drivers. 

So anyways, make a self-pledge to get off your phone while driving- because if nothing else, you don't want to be the one responsible for killing someone. Ok sorry that's morbid- but true! :(

Monday, January 25, 2010

#@%@^%&@!!

That ^^ is how I feel about interviewing people for jobs! hahaha. It's way harder than it looks! Ok actually, I am really glad for this experience- it is one of those that is going to form and shape me into a proficient leader. I'm already learning the signs of who to avoid, just based on how they filled out the application. I'm also learning a lot from the applicants' responses on questions- kinda like they're contributing to my conception of customer service. It's an interesting process. But can I be finished now? :)

Saturday, January 23, 2010

Have I Done any Good in the World Today...

So, I'm not gonna lie-- life has kinda been craptacular lately for me. Personal issues, a dying grandmother and so forth make for a very interesting start to 2010. And I had such high hopes for this year, too! Life is just super weird how it can be perfect and beautiful one minute, and then come crashing down the next.

Despite MY struggles, however, I've lately been reminded of how bad it could be, and how bad it is for some people. I mean I just read today about a British couple that are being held hostage by pirates, and how they're likely to be killed soon. One of the hostages was just saying she wishes she could be dead, etc. I know it's a weird example, but really? Being held hostage by pirates? It would be a nightmare.

Then of course there's the whole disaster in Haiti, which brings me to tears (especially the Hope for Haiti telethon- so heartbreaking!). I mean, it's not like life in Haiti was that great before, and now it is a total wreck. My heart goes out to all of those who have been displaced or broken from this disaster. I can't imagine the strength the people of Haiti must have to survive, and their endurance inspires me so much.

To think these sort of things and more are occurring everyday, and every moment- to think that somewhere there are people being held as sex slaves, people dying of AIDS, someone being murdered, someone starving, and so forth, and so forth, and so forth- really, the challenges I face are NOTHING in comparison. I have decided here and now that if ever I feel sorry for myself, I am going to look beyond myself and help others in need. Whether it be here in the U.S. or in a third-world country, there are plenty less fortunate than I.

Now, I don't say all of this to be facetious or holier-than-thou; I of all people have seriously lacked in the service department. I am often all too self-serving. But I just think of the torture some people are going through right this second, and it's like, really? Can I really sit there and cry about my issues? To do so just doesn't feel right. Anyways. Maybe this blog entry is really just for me. I don't think everyone else should be compelled by it to serve, but thinking about what blessings we have certainly makes our lives seem so much better, right?

Friday, January 22, 2010

Mrs. Manager

So, I am returning to Skagway, Alaska in April for my 4th summer up there. Fourth!! Crazy, it seems just like yesterday when I followed my true love up for the summer. It was risk I was willing to take, and I am so glad I did. I digress...this year, I am going to be Sales & Service Manager, which is an exciting new challenge for me. I definitely don't feel like a manager, but I have a lot of great ideas on leading my team, and I feel as certain as I can be that it will be a successful summer.

Speaking of team, I have been given the privilege of interviewing and selecting my employees. I am kinda in the middle of the interviewing process right now, and hope to be done by early next week. It is fun, but also kind of hard! I have, thus far, been impressed with all those who I've interviewed, and I am confident in their ability, but still it's a little agitating, realizing that hey, I'm ultimately responsible for the performance of these individuals. :) But, I am still really excited, nonetheless, and glad that I can have a hand in the process.

Anyways, I'm still enjoying my "Moosemobile", and will be sad when it's over, but also excited to try my hand at management, as I've never really done this kind of thing before! Should be interesting. :)

Tuesday, January 19, 2010

Big G

When it rains, it pours...

...And right now, I am all too familiar with that saying. I've been a bit absent from my blog, one because I don't have many hot topics on my mind, but more importantly, my personal life has kinda taken a few hits lately.

Most importantly, my grandmother, or as she is affectionately known, "Big G", is dying of lung/brain cancer. It's really hard to say this, because she is one of my best friends. This friendship has only really bloomed over the past few years, but it's a unique one, one that I don't think could ever be duplicated. 

When I first moved out to Utah, I took her close proximity for granted. I was so wrapped up in college life- all my new friends, dating, rebelling- that I didn't really visit her much. I admit that I didn't value her as much as I should have, and I think I've forever felt a little regretful for that. Yet as I matured, I committed to have a closer relationship with her. I realized that she was only getting older, and I didn't want to look back and feeling that I'd missed out on truly knowing such an amazing lady.

The things that I appreciate about Big G is that she loves, unconditionally. When, for example, a lot of people looked down on me and my husband for getting married outside of the temple, she didn't. She was there the entire way. She was supportive, enthusiastic, and didn't ask questions. 

Over many Sunday dinners, we had endless conversations about "tough" topics. Big G once again reserved judgment. She listened with care, and offered support. Trent and I have always felt that we could be truly honest with her, and she would listen and accept us with open arms.

The past year has been tough for her; she has had oxygen issues, been immobilized for 5 months due to a broken hip, had cancer, had surgery on her shoulder, had catyracts (sp?), and now lung cancer AND a  brain tumor. She has been fighting a good fight, to say the least. 

When talking to her on the phone, I can tell she is deteriorating quickly, and I have wondered how long she will last. Today, the doctors gave her 3-4 weeks to live. It is so disheartening, but at the same time, I have been praying that she may have peace. Of course I don't want to lose Big G-- I can't imagine living without her- but I also don't feel that her quality of life has been too good this past year. I want her to be happy; however, she will be greatly missed. Love you, Big G. 

Wednesday, January 13, 2010

What does Abby Quack even want?!?

That is the question I have been asking myself lately. It just struck me yesterday that I only have 4 months left of "moosemobile", meaning we're already half way done with this awesome experience! And I just don't know how I got myself into such a great job, and what I'm going to do without it. Sigh.

I am a bit conflicted, though, as to what I want to do with my life. I swear I must be bi-polar in the career/lifestyle area. One minute, I am loving the road and loving the transient lifestyle, then the next, I just want to settle down and live a "normal" life. Like, during the holidays when we spent time with our respective families, I had so much fun, and caught myself thinking, "geez we are so lonely on the road". But now that I am actually out here, I don't feel lonely at all. I feel perfectly occupied and normal. But I do look back at our time spent at Maggi & Kurt's house, and then with my family in the east, and think about how I wish we could be closer to all of our family. I guess there is something to family, huh? :) But then again, we have such an awesome job- er, practically a hobby, it's so awesome- that I think it would be such a shame to not do it again.

Oh, and admittedly, I have gone through a couple miniature bouts of baby hunger over the past few months. I'm not hungry right now, don't worry. And when I say miniature, I mean very mini! I still know I am not "ready"- if I got pregnant I swear you'd think I was carrying an alien, I just don't think I'd be able to handle it. But I have thought nicely upon the idea of being young enough to enjoy seeing my children grow up, and, I think sometimes seeing people around me having kids kinda makes me wanna jump on the bandwagon, especially when I see that their children bring them so much joy. But only in time...

And now, for me, I am going to stop rambling and go do something productive. :)

It's Headband Time (Again!)

Just thought I'd share another one of my completed headbands. I wasn't so convinced by this one, because it is HUGE on my head. I didn't want it to look like a horribly mis-matched toupee. But, tonight I tried it on, and it just looked right with my hair. Don't know what it was, but I liked it. I mean, I wouldn't wear this everyday, but on special occasions, I think it looks great.

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The above photo is the best one I have that shows the fun jewel detailing I added. I saw something similar on a headband at Nordie's that they were selling for like $50! When all was said and done, my headband wasn't necessarily cheap to make, but it was maybe $10 max. I still need to find a cheap feather producer...

And, just so you can compare, here is a photo of me earlier in the day, sans headband...
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Don't I look so boring?! I definitely think headbands instantly spruce up an outfit and hairstyle! And they are extremely helpful if one wants to bide some time between hair dye sessions. :)

Anyways, I will have more to share soon- I just got some more feathers today!- so I hope I get some good results from them! :)

Tuesday, January 12, 2010

Wacky Technology

Hi. So we just got back from a truly delicious dinner at a Mexican restaurant called Mi Cocina. The guacamole was truly mouth-watering. And my ensalada was good, though I think I had the same one for lunch at McDonald's today. Nonetheless, the experience was great.

Anyways, I love to gossip. Let's not lie here, ok? I love to gawk at the 7'0'' woman who walked past our table. And I love to eavesdrop into random people's convos. The victims, in this specific case, were the desperate housewife- dallas rejects. They were trying, I'll give them that. But I just don't think they were quite as good as the real desperate housewives.

Regardless of who they were, it was their conversation that got me thinking. They, too, were gossiping. Their target was some mutual acquaintance who wrote such and such on facebook. Unfortunately my usual keen senses were slightly out-of-touch tonight, so I didn't catch the whole thing.

But, it got me thinking. About facebook, and the internets. And technology. And how freakishly advanced we've gotten in just a few years. I can easily hearken back to the "AIM" days, where one's SN was just as good as one's calling card. The cool thing was instant messenger. I still get a little reminiscent when I use facebook's chat feature.

Then, there were websites that one could make, free of charge, on many different host sites such as angelfire and geocities. I was slightly disappointed last year, when I learned that Geocities was closing down forever. I wish I'd known a day or two earlier so I could've saved my obscure, out of date sites that I built when I was in my teens. Clearly, the demand to create (from SCRATCH!) an HTML site is no longer.

We are living in the dawn of the facebook page which, in one "page" instead of multiple, can tell ones story. Or the blog, which is simpler, perhaps even more personal than an entire website.

It's all gotten a lot more condensed. Twitter is a device that basically forces you to spit out what you want to say, without going on and on and on, such as I am doing now. Plus, it's instantaneous and accessible, which means I can tell you I'm going pee the moment it happens, not a few minutes or hours later.

It's just all so crazy! I mean, I wouldn't go back to AIM days, not if I had the chance. I hated the long goodbyes. You'd say "g2g" (meaning I gotta go, lol). Then they'd say, "ok have a good one" or "c-ya". Then you'd say "c-ya". Then it just got long and drawn out. It was just annoying. But it is crazy.

And to think, when I was a little kid, I prided myself in living in the most advanced era. We didn't even have the tiniest idea of what the internet was. Now it feels like we were living in the dark ages, with fax machines being a "new" technology.

Now I know how my parents felt growing up.

Saturday, January 9, 2010

U to the G to the H!

I don't know if you have been following the Susan Powell case, a Utah woman who mysteriously disappeared about a month ago, and whose husband is OVERLY suspicious, yet no charges have been filed against him. If you haven't heard about it, the KSL article will catch you up to speed. Now, I am no law enforcement agent, so I obviously don't know how much evidence one needs to charge someone, but I have seen plenty of cases with FAR LESS evidence go to trial, so I am still at a loss of how this guy is going free, given the evidence.

But even more disturbing (and probably more telling) is the fact that, despite his wife's disappearance, he is now moving out of his crime scene of a house (see article). Yep, just packing up, leaving to start a new life. Does that not ring even the tiniest bit suspicious to anyone? Your wife disappears, and you are not doing anything about it, rather leaving town?!? I mean, sure, due to the suspicion on this guy, I don't think he could ever live a normal life there, but if you were innocent, why would you be moving at a time like this? Why wouldn't you be spending your time searching for her, or at the very least, grieving long enough to hold off on the move? Unless, of course, you are positive that there's nothing to search for. Even if they were estranged and she had just run away (which is unlikely), wouldn't you want to help police out, so your name could be cleared?

If this doesn't sound strange to you, definitely read the article and see the evidence against him, and you will know that no sane or innocent person would behave in this manner. It grosses me out that people do this- if you don't want to be with someone, just divorce them! I know that a lot of religions look down on divorce, but I'm pretty sure they look down on murder a little more.

 And, if I am wrong in judging, so be it. I guess I'll be the one to stand before the Lord on judgment day, right?

P.S.- I know, I know, I sound way too Nancy Grace in this post, but I get grossed out by this sort of thing!

Friday, January 8, 2010

Back to Reality

I guess the holiday break couldn't last forever, huh? We are back in Dallas to start work back up...and I've decided that I don't like to work, but I lovvvvee a paycheck- funny how that works, right? But, if I have to have a job, I think I have pretty much the best one out there! I get paid to travel to awesome places, who wouldn't want that?! 

Anyways, I'm sure you'll hear more from me soon, but that's about the most exciting dirt on me right now. :)

Wednesday, January 6, 2010

Thank Goodness for Useful Gag Gifts (a.k.a. Ode to Snuggie)

Let it be known from this day hence that the Snuggie is an inspired product. It just saved my life about 10 minutes ago when I nearly froze to death on the sofa, but was too lazy to get up and do anything about it. Thank goodness the Snuggie was laying within arm's reach, otherwise who knows what would have happened!

My gratitude as follows:

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The End.

Displaying my Inner-Mormon

So after wearing my sunglasses as headbands for the past couple years, I decided to spend a little bit of my makeup-buying budget on some real headbands. However, headbands can be addicting; once you buy one, what's a few dozen more? Yet as I was looking for headbands, I had a hard time finding the ones I had in mind. So, I thought, why don't I make my own? Which is exactly what I did! I made this one below:


Exhibit A
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Exhibit B
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As you can imagine, I was quite proud of my creation, as it was just what I envisioned, and little did I know I would get tons and tons of compliments- everywhere I go women stare at my head, only to comment how much they love my headband. At first, I thought of telling them I made it myself, but I didn't want them to get the idea that they could go and make their own too. That's MY secret :)


Now I have tons more feathers and plain headbands waiting to be joined in unison:
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So if you wonder where I am, I am probably working in my slave shop. I love craft time- I must be Mormon! :)


What do you think of my headband idea?


Tuesday, January 5, 2010

Wuthering Heights

I recently finished re-reading the novel, and when I finished the last page, I mourned a little because I wasn't going to be able to be so enthralled anymore! It is truly a magical book. I read a lot, but no book has really captivated me like this one. So, to keep the suspension of disbelief going, and as a reward for completing such an intense book, I bought the 1992 film version, starring Ralph Fiennes and Juliette Binoche. Well, I just got finished watching it and...

...I WAS SORELY DISAPPOINTED! Argghh, it was so horrible. Granted, it was made in 1992 (which we all know was not exactly the height of filmmaking), but still! It had such good reviews on Amazon which is why I purchased this one over the 1939 or 2003 versions. Oh well...

Now, I hate to sound like one of these "the book is sooo much better than the movie" people, because I'm really not. I actually took a film study course in college in which we focused almost the entire semester on how a book and its film counterpart can never have the same "essence", hence they are incomparable, but that's a story for a different day. Aside from the fact that it was a totally watered-down version of the book, this film was simply a poorly-made film.

Has anyone read this book? If you haven't, you absolutely, positively must go read it, STAT. The first couple chapters are a little slow and perhaps confusing with all the characters, but once you get into it, you won't put it down- it is dark, depressing, scary, and its very own little world. There are a lot of gothic themes, like imprisonment and the supernatural (being two of the biggest themes, actually), so I guess not super realistic, but you won't know the difference when you read it! :)

I think it might be the Twilight for English majors, or for the 19th century, at least. It has to be at least 2000x better than Twilight :)

Anyways, go read and if you already have, let's be dorks and chat about it!

Monday, January 4, 2010

Bra-Burning Party!! (Possibly TMI)

But not that kind of bra-burning party!! I might be a feminist deep down, but I see nothing wrong with a nice over-the-shoulder-boulder-holder. Which is why I am holding a bra-burning party, because in case you'd like to know, I just got back from a fabulous bra shopping trip after realizing how frightening a couple of my bras have become. So they must be destroyed.

Now this whole bra thing reminds me of a Dear Prudence article in which someone inquired how long one can go before washing a bra. It was from a gentleman whose wife hardly washed her bra and he found it disgusting. Well, Prudie went around and surveyed some ladies only to discover that most women didn't remember the last time they washed their bra. Some people wrote in, outraged that people don't wash them after every use, while others applauded the dirty truth of women and bras.

I for one, am in pooled in the group that doesn't recall the last bra-washing. I am sure it sounds gross to an outsider that doesn't wear a bra, but I too have surveyed some close friends (I actually did it this summer, before I ever read this article) and was glad to learn that I was totally normal- these girls, too, went up to a month before washing. And to make it even better, I've just now surveyed some other close women and found the same results!

To top it off, I asked my husband what he thinks and he said: "well, if you were lactating, then I would care, but since you're not, then who cares" and "How often do I wash my jeans?" Case closed! If it's not (forgive me for this next part!) a moist area, it really isn't a big deal. And I don't stink, don't have b.o., but if there were any chance of b.o. due to my bra, it would definitely be washed every day. lol.

Plus, since bras are so delicate, they are difficult to wash (hand-washing), and will be messed up very quickly from constant wash, so it's simply not worth it to wash them so often!

Anyways I just thought this was an interesting topic. I'm sure there are women who are OCD about bra-washing, but at least according to the women I know, I am more normal than I'd like to believe :)

Sunday, January 3, 2010

Happy New Year!

I recognize that I am a couple days late on this front, but I wish everyone a Happy New Year, and the stamina to keep all those resolutions. :)

Speaking of resolutions, I guess I should tell you mine! As always, I want to get physically fit via a combination of nutritious eating and diligent exercise. The good news is, I should have constant access to a gym for the rest of the year, and I have been trying to get educated on healthy eating, which I think will be a lethal combination. Gotta get back on the horse!

Also, I really would like to keep busy on these blogs. I have three blogs: Quack's Passion Pit (makeup blog), Adventures of Abby & Trent (travel blog), and of course this blog. They all serve different purposes, and I hope to really make them worth reading. I have a goal to actually have more than one commenter on my blog by the end of 2010! :)

Well, seeing as though I really haven't given the whole resolution thing much thought, I think those are good resolutions. Oh and I wanna kick a at my job this year and be awesome. I hope that is possible :)

Happy New Year, and here's to 2010 being as good or better than 2009!