Business Trip

I get to help clean the LA River tomorrow.

I'm going to have a BBQ with the other interns (awesome roommates and friends) tomorrow night.

I get to visit restaurants all day and talk to owners... (most of whom are from foreign countries.)

I get to drive to San Jose on Monday for a four-day business trip.

I got to drive past Hollywood today.

I love LA.

10,000

I would like to thank all those who read my blog... I just hit 10,000 page views.

City of Angels

Welcome to the beautiful city of Angels and the first day of work!

It was an amazing day at the office. We spent the whole day in the conference room listening to our manager and participating in conference calls with our other manager as well as our client. I enjoyed listening while taking notes and looking out the window to our incredible view: skyscrapers. (We are on the fifth floor in our office building.) It was quite a day. We six interns have a lot of work ahead of us, but it is going to be awesome.

I am totally in love with down town LA... this picture is just one block away from where I work. If you exit the front of our building and turn right, it is a dead end street. Want to know what is at the end of the street? The Los Angeles Public Library... it is large and beautiful. I seriously cannot believe I am here. I got on the freeway this morning and smiled... traffic. Wonderful. But you know what? It really was wonderful. I didn't mind it a bit, because I'm in LA. (Don't pop my bubble and tell me that I will be sick of it in a couple of weeks... I know that. I'm reveling while I can.)

"I'm too sexy"

This moment is too precious for words:

I'm sitting at my parent's computer and I'm trying to organize some things before I leave for LA on Tuesday. My Dad comes into the office to pull out his iPod that he has just been loading music onto. He plugged in his headphones and starts dancing to some music and then my mom comes in and he gives her the other headphone... they are dancing like there is no tomorrow. Seriously. I was almost moved to tears, I was laughing so hard.

My parents are so cool.

I was laughing... they were dancing (to silence)... but when they gave me a headphone to hear what song they were dancing to... I laughed even harder.

"I'm too sexy for my shirt too sexy for my shirt so sexy it hurts; and I'm too sexy for Milan, too sexy for Milan, New York and Japan!
And I'm too sexy for your party, too sexy for your party, no way I'm disco dancing! [Right Said Fred's song...]

This is why I love coming home. I only wish I could have caught the moment on my camera.

Playing Dragon

My niece and nephew came over today with their parents for Sunday dinner. (Their dad is my older brother.) These kids, 3 and 5 respectively, are absolutely adorable. I love being the only aunt at home because I get all of their attention. Today, that attention came in the form of playing "dragons!"

Rules to playing "dragons:"
1. You have to hiss a lot.
2. Run around looking like a T-rex with little puny hands. [Doesn't that pose an attractive image of AE Jones? Yes. Yes, it does.]
3. Pretend you have a stinger that will poke someone and kill them.
4. Randomly add super powers to your dragon as you go along playing. (i.e.: fire breathing, stingers all over your body, scorpion tail, and other such powers...)
5. Tickle and laugh A LOT.

I love being an aunt.

I am a member of the BYU Alumni Association

Mom, me and Dad after commencement

Walking into the Marriott Center

I'm DONE!

After convocation... with Caitlin! We have our degrees... kind of. At least the folder. 

Addie and I!

Graduation Quotation

My favorite quotation from yesterday's commencement ceremonies with Elder D. Todd Christofferson:

"Today, you trade your cap and gown for a robe and crown."

The sun is setting on our time at BYU, but it is rising for the rest of eternity. There is so much to experience; so much to do and only the best is ahead.

More of my thoughts on (and pictures of) graduation to come...

Two Random Thoughts

I was just reading a post on a friends blog. Two thoughts came to my mind:


1. He was talking about the fact that he is grateful to be at a school who does have Spring Break. He attended BYU for his undergrad, and of course, BYU does not have Spring Break. I must say, the "breakless" span of time between February and April is pretty hefty. But, being done with school and finals by April 20 isn't all that bad. Wait, what am I talking about? I'm done with school. I graduate this week! No more worrying about Spring Breaks. [PS: I got my cap and gown yesterday...commencement is today!] [PPS: Good luck with your exams, Zach!]


2. It just occurred to me today, that I read this guy's blog and I kind of feel like I know him, but I don't actually.  We've never met. I found his blog through a friend. I have a couple blogs in the same situation. I know their names and a lot about them, because I follow their blogs... but I have never met them face-to-face. I wonder if it would be weird to actually meet them in real life? Hmm, I don't know. Kind of funny to think about.

That's all.

Little Ditty

I've fallen in love... with Adobe Creative Suite. I'd like to introduce you to a logo I just made for my cousin's cake business. I thought this little cake turned out pretty cute - I made it on Illustrator and then added the fonts. You can see the logo below; the full product will be up and running soon. Happy cake eating!

If you know anyone who needs a simple beginner logo... send them my way. I would love to get some more experience.

 (Button size...)

Dear Golf: I take it back; you're not boring.

I had my first experience with golf today.

No, I didn't pop my collar, and no this wasn't just mini-golfing.

A friend told me that if I am going to LA for the summer to work, I have to know something about golf. So, he was awesome enough to take me and show/ teach me a few things about the game of golf... like the following:

[No laughing at my prior knowledge {or lack thereof} of golf lingo.]

Par: the number of hits you get from the tee to the green.

Green: where the hole is.

There are three areas of grass: the green, the fairway and the rough.

Birdie: one stroke under par [if it is a par 4, and you hit the hole in 3 strokes, you have a "birdie."] If you get two strokes under par, you have a... any guesses? Think birds... you have an eagle. [Go figure... the whole bird thing...]

My swing has improved from swinging the iron like a baseball, to actually swinging it like a golf club. Keep your head down, knees bent, feed shoulder width apart and never take your eyes off the ball. Bam - and there you go.

He also taught me a few names I could drop to sound cooler and that much more "legit":
-Greg "The Shark" Norman [He's an Aussie]
-Jack Nicklaus [not to be confused with the actor, Jack Nicholas.]
-Fred Couples [no, there aren't two of him...] [da da tch- the sound a drummer makes when a comedian makes a joke]
-Sergio Garcias [we dated... or so I was told to say]

My one claim to fame with golf, is that I had Sunday dinner with Billy Casper at his home. He was incredibly kind and gracious. He had a whole room dedicated to showcasing his 51 PGA tour wins, two U.S. Opens and one Masters win. Incredible, huh?

I can totally understand now why golf could get addicting - I totally want to go back.

Thanks, Petey!

Bugs bug

Yes, you read that correctly. Bugs bug. As in, bugs annoy me.

I went to the park today with my roommate and as we were sitting reading in the sun, this very bold and annoying bee came and thought it would be funny to do a few kamikaze dives at our faces. I tried squishing it between my flip-flops, but he was a little faster than I was. Stupid wings.

That is one thing I don't miss during the winter and really don't look forward to in the summer: bugs.

Ech.

The Last Supper

Today was my last Sunday in a Provo/ BYU ward. Wow.

Glendale 7th ward... here I come!

Funny Friday Film

Bippity Boppity Bacon!




[PS: If you like my blog, will you do me a favor and "follow" me? Just click that button up in the left corner of your screen. I would also love it if you left a comment on one of my posts with your blog address so I can follow your blog as well!]

Mormon? Wait, do you have horns?

What is a Mormon?

Well, for starters, not this:

Big Love [HBO television series]

The Witness [Harrison Ford lives with Amish people]

or this: Children of the Corn. [I have no idea where they got this idea.]

[Thanks for asking though.]

Here is a little clarification for the questions that are out there on who and what "Mormons" are:

1. Members of the Mormon church belong to The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. We call ourselves "members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints." "Mormon" has become somewhat of a nickname or catch phrase to identify members of the Church.

2. We do not practice polygamy - men are married to only one woman. There is confusion with the reports you hear of the Texas polygamists, which is understandable. The Texas polygamists (and any other polygamists) are their own faith - they have no connection to The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. In 1998, President Gordon B. Hinckley, former prophet and president of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, made the following statement about the Church's position on plural marriage: "This Church has nothing whatever to do with those practicing polygamy."

3. Not sure where this got started, but members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints do not have horns.

4. We are not any type of clan. We are a religion.

5. So, what do we believe?

Jesus Christ
Our beliefs are centered on Jesus Christ and his teachings. Our understanding of him and his teachings, leads us to try to live more closely to the way Jesus Christ taught.

Because members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints believe in Jesus Christ, they have strong families. Because they believe in Jesus Christ, members are hard working and successful because they believe in an honest and hard days work. Because they believe in Jesus Christ, they help people through humanitarian efforts.

Word of Wisdom
We do not drink alcohol or coffee. I have no problem being around people who drink alcohol or coffee, as long as they drink responsibly (out of safety and courtesy for everyone around them.) I am not forced to not drink alcohol - I have chosen not to drink alcohol or coffee. We do eat meat and sugar. We try our best to eat healthily as to take care of our bodies and not get sick - just like anyone else would.

Bible
You may wonder if we believe in the Bible. Absolutely. We believe the Bible to be the word of God, as far as it is translated correctly; we also believe the Book of Mormon to be the word of God. We read them both; we study them and live by the principles taught by Christ and his apostles in both books. I know that both of these books are true - they testify that Jesus Christ was and is.

The Book of Mormon is another testament of Jesus Christ. It is also a record of God's dealings with the people who lived in the ancient Americas. Prophets of the Lord engraved the original records on gold plates. On September 22, 1827, an angel named Moroni—the last Book of Mormon prophet (also the gold statue seen atop almost all LDS temples)—delivered these records to the Prophet Joseph Smith. By the gift and power of God, the Prophet Joseph translated the record into English.

Proposition 8
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints has been in the media a lot lately because of its stance on gay and lesbian marriages. This is a tender subject for many, and it deserves respect when being spoken of. If you have questions about the Church's stance on gay and lesbian marriages, and why the Church has taken such an active role in this subject, I would refer you to the Church's Web site.

If you have more questions about Mormon's and their beliefs, shoot me a comment and I would love to talk more about it. Or, visit this Web site for more information.

Cheesy moment...

Ya, ya, ya, this is kind of cheesy. But I feel like if there is going to be "cheese," this is totally the appropriate time to be cheesy.

"When one door of happiness closes, another opens; but often we look so long at the closed door that we do not see the one which has been opened."

-Helen Keller


Thanks Helen.

April 14, 2010

Umm...

I finished college today.

*Insert small dry heave here. If you're my friend you know what sound this is.*

Thank you, Cougar Creations

I just returned from Cougar Creations where I printed off my 100-page, campaign proposal for a client presentation for my senior capstone class. BOO YAH!

1. It is done.
2. It looks beautiful.
3. It is organized.
4. It is done.
5. It is very clean looking.
6. IT IS DONE!

On Wednesday, April 14 at 10:10 am, our group will present our campaign to our client (Central Utah Water Conservancy District) and after that, we will be done! Done with this class as well as our time at Brigham Young University.

[A shout out to the amazing group members with whom I had the opportunity to work:
(appearing in alphabetical order:) Jenny Boshard (finishing a few more classes before graduation), Elliot Hales (law school), Nat Harward (internship in NY) and Caitlin McCain (marketing job). It was a very smooth, organized and fun semester working with you! Thanks guys!]

Guilty Pleasure #89

Guilty Pleasure #89

Kellogg's Strawberry pop-tarts from campus vending machines.

*But only once in a while.

Funny Friday Film

Listen very carefully to this guy... can you understand him?

Booger Story

I think we have all, unfortunately, had an experience akin to the following:

I remember a lecture in my Intro to PR class a few (or more) years ago. I will keep the identity of my professor safe, even though he doesn't teach at BYU anymore.

He was telling us of an experience from his freshman year at BYU in what used to be the Cannon Center. (All you youngins out there don't know the old Cannon Center...) He and his friends thought they were "all that and a bag a' potato chips" so they dared *said professor* to walk over to a table of attractive girls and talk to them.

Being the cool guy he was (is), he sauntered over there, put his hand on the table, "leaned in" a little, and gave them a suave smile and just as he started to say "Hello ladies," a booger flew out of his nose.

Moment officially killed.

Eating Corn

Which way do you eat your corn?

Typewriter style? *insert typewriter ding sound here*

or

Ring around the Rosie?

Personally, I eat "Ring around the Rosie" style. It is so much easier. Sure, you look like a pig eating it cause you fasten your teeth onto the corn and then basically just open and close your mouth like a robot while your teeth plow through the corn that is flying into your mouth like wood shavings. [Yes. That was a horrible run on sentence.] But it seems so much more difficult to eat to the side when you could just go up and down.

After you finish one full revolution of corn, you lean back and take a moment to chew. Then, you smile. [For future reference, don't smile until you are completely done eating your corn. Toothpicking and flossing should play a role in your preparation to smile.]

Does Brian Regan do a routine on eating corn on the cob? For some reason, I feel like he does, and I really want to post the video here.

[By the way... there is sincerely no way to femininely eat corn on the cob. No matter how daintily you try, it cannot be achieved. So, I wish all you girls out there to never have to eat corn on the cob on a date.]

[I have two thoughts for this picture. 1. This man ate too much corn on the cob... hence... well, you can see. 2. I feel badly for him because he is missing out on some amazing corn on the cob eating experiences.]

Last day of class sermon

Today was the last day of my capstone class. (aka: senior project course.) [Insert celebration here!]

The last day of class in my introduction to PR class (Comms 235) my professor, Michael Smart, talked specifically to the women of the class. (Women kind of dominate the PR program. Woot.) He said it is wonderful to see women in the field and that they do a fantastic job. However, there is no greater calling for a woman, than as wife and mother.

Today, almost five years later, I had my last class in the PR program, Comms 485, and my professor, Dr. Robert Wakefield, expressed his appreciation to women in the field of PR and how well they do, but that there is no greater calling for a woman than to be a wife and mother. He wasn't saying this to deter us from careers or to convince us of what we should already know. He was simply reminding us of something we already do know.

I have seen it in PR classes myself, but Dr. Wakefield shared an experience of asking students in one of his classes what they wanted to do in the PR field. One said he wanted to work in non-profit PR. Another said she wanted to work with a large agency. On and on they went, until they came to one girl. She kind of had her head down a little bit and when asked what she wanted to do, she quietly and almost hesitantly responded, "Be a mother."

Why do we sometimes feel ashamed for saying that? Why do we feel that we will be mocked or considered a "waste of an education" for wanting to gain an education but wanting nothing more than to be a mother? There is no greater purpose, career or calling!

My professor stood up and, with tears in his eyes, told us, how much he cares about us. He spoke of commitment, not just to our respective careers but most of all to our Master, the Savior Jesus Christ.

Wow. I love BYU and I love my professors.

Traffic School

Yep.

You've got it. This post is dedicated to all of my fellow traffic schoolers. I don't know if you have ever had to sit through traffic school, but I did for the first time tonight.

I had been warned, by the few I actually told I got a ticket, that traffic school is like, well, you know what. I heard reports of this large and impersonal therapy group lasting four to eight hours. Bah, seriously?

Side story: As I was trying to find the correct building, I followed another girl a few steps and asked her if she was heading to traffic school. I was trying to find a "friend" by whom I could sit and, you know, not feel so lame. She looked at me with a totally emotionless and kind of scary face and said, "Finger prints." Oooookay! Sorry sister. You just go get your fingers printed and I will go get traffic schooled.

I finally found the correct building and room... it was a large dormitory filled with a lot of drivers. I felt comforted to know I wasn't the only one who was showing up for breaking the law.

I found a seat in the auditorium - not too close to the front, but close enough so the teacher would see me and know that I wasn't a "bad" driver. We all do it in our classes on campus too - some sit in the front; some sit on the side; some sit in the back. I usually sit front row, left or right side. Either way, I was there to pay attention. (Riiiight.) Then, the teacher walked out.

For any of you who have seen the Mad TV/ Youtube where the black guy is in the movie theatre and he sees the cute girl and he tries to "get her numba," you will hopefully understand the voice with which I say this sentence: "Oh okay! Okay! Uh huh! Okay!" (See video here.)

At this point, I didn't mind traffic school.

The officer was awesome. He said that this traffic school would last 1.5 hours and that he was going to make it funny. He wanted to review the laws for us but he didn't want to bore us to death. He proceeded to show us clip after clip to show us what not to do in driving.

And you know what, it worked. I feel like I have been through my own little "Alma the Younger" process, but for driving. I will never drive the same way. I learned a lot tonight. I saw some nasty crashes and realized that I do not want to put myself, or others, in those situations.

Did you know that, in the state of Utah, it is not illegal to change lanes in the middle of an intersection? Nope.

See? Look what you learn.

So... next time you get a ticket, I hope you get Officer Paul Jaunda for your traffic school teacher.

1. Please don't judge me for having to go to traffic school. Remember: karma.
2. No, I won't tell you what I was doing to deserve that ticket.

Funny Friday Film

Nike Air- pretty funny.



Nike- really cool.

Apple eating

I watched a girl eat an apple in the library today. It was one of the most curious things. She held the apple with both hands and ate it like a piece of corn. (She went around, not side to side.) Then, after each bite, she would chew for about 30 seconds. (I didn't realize a bite of apple had that much substance to chew for 30 seconds.)

I don't have enough patience to chew a bite of food (let alone an apple) for 30 seconds.

A few things to do in LA

Some of you know what I'm moving to LA for the summer for an internship with Edelman PR. I've been doing my research and am slowly compiling a list of things I want to see/ do on my weekends when I'm not working. Any other suggestions?

Farmers Market

Free summer concerts in LA

Huntington Library, Art Collections, and Botanical Gardens: Free on the first Thursday of every month from 10:30 a.m.–4:30 p.m. Note that advanced tickets are required. Reserve tickets online or call 800.838.3006.

Los Angeles County Museum of Art (LACMA): Free on the second Tuesday of every month. After 5 p.m. every day, museum admission is on a pay-what-you-wish basis.

The Museum of Contemporary Art, Los Angeles – The Geffen Contemporary at MOCA: Free every Thursday from 5–8 p.m.

The Getty Center

Los Angeles Public Library

Dodgers Baseball game

(For more info...)

April 1

I think the falling snow is Mother Nature's April Fools joke on us...

I really want to think of an April Fools joke to play on my roommates... except that they will probably be reading this post.

Watch out darlings...