The Best Monday EVER.

Normally Mondays are uneventful, slow - boring, even, Not today, my friends!

Today I arrived at my desk to find the following: ninja body parts strewn across my computer speaker with a QR code. I scanned the code with my iPhone and was led to the following slideshow:

Lego vs. Ninja

Well, we couldn't just let that slide, could we? So we retaliated with this:

Ninja Vengeance

I must say, the people I work with are some of the most creative people. I just love working with them. How awesome are we?!?

And now we are in peace talks for the exchange of prisoners of war. Great Monday.

This week at work

Some really awesome things have happened at work this week - none of them work related. Mostly I just work with the best people in the world.

Monday was Monday.

But Tuesday was the statewide earthquake drill! Greg made up an audio track with rumbling and screaming and then had me and Seth play it loud over our computer speakers when the drill started. I was running to get under the big sturdy table in our little common area as Devon (also known as my non-romantic life partner because we have a zillion things in common) yelled my name and "I'll never let you go!"a la Titanic. Four of us huddled under that table. Michelle F. grabbed the Treat Tuesday donuts box and clutched it to her chest as if she were shielding a small child. It was hilarious. I felt like I was in elementary school again.

Then on Thursday three awesome things happened. Davy, my next-cubicle neighbor. has been throwing bits of packing foam over the wall at me and other such things, but sometime during the morning I found something rather disturbing - Davy's lego Darth Vader had lightsabered my ninja army! But of course my ninjas were just faking it (hello, they're ninjas). They tied up Darth, attached him to a string along with a note that read "We're keeping the lightsaber," and lowered him pulley-style over the cubicle wall. While the ninjas guarded the lightsaber, Davy prepared a peace offering. I soon received a note that read "Offering made. Pull wisely." I pulled the string back over the wall to find it quite cleverly attached to a measuring cup filled with Cadbury mini eggs. Offering accepted! So I placed the lightsaber in the cup and returned it to Davy.

Also, the Production department has had an ongoing battle with Marketing trying to determine who's the coolest. It started earlier in the week with a drawing on the Marketing whiteboard: Production > Marketing, which Marketing determined meant that Production was fatter than Marketing, which then turned into a drawing of a see-saw with Production being to heavy to play. By the end of Thursday, Marketing had dinosaur allies that could breathe fire and Production had a giant Marketeer-eating robot and laser beams - it just goes on and on. I love it.

To top Thursday off, we went to lunch at Zupas, and on the way back somehow started singing "Let's Go Fly a Kite" from Mary Poppins, only we sang it like a rousing drinking song, slurred words and all. Try it sometime - it makes the song that much better.

Man I love the people I work with.

Pottermore!

It's finally open! After months and months of delays and disappointments, Pottermore is finally open to the public! Yippee!

If you don't know what Pottermore is, you should - well, if you like Harry Potter you should. Pottermore is an online interactive reading experience for all of the Potter books. You look at and read background info for different scenes and chapters from the books. J.K. Rowling has written a bunch of new material for the site - character backstories, location histories, more in-depth object descriptions, and more. Basically it's a website to remedy the withdrawals all of us HP fans have been having since the last movie came out.

But the coolest part is that you get to be officially sorted into a Hogwarts house, which you then proceed to earn points for with other online participants. The house is decided based on your answers to various questions. It's like every other Facebook, MySpace, or general other social network quiz you took to find out which house you're in except for one thing - THIS ONE IS REAL. It's official. And you can't totally predict the outcome.

I've waited my whole life to be officially sorted. I've known deep down, since I began reading the Potter books, that I belonged in Gryffindor. How do I know? Because I pretty much AM Hermione. From the extreme obsession with school work and knowledge down to the rather large front teeth and male best friends, I am her. I know lots of girls feel this way. I have a friend who claimed she was Hermione, but hated school - how does that work? I really am her, with perhaps a bit of Tonks mixed in. A true Gryffindor. Nevertheless, I was concerned as I approached the sorting - it felt like I was actually a Hogwarts first year, praying to not be put in Hufflepuff (not that Hufflepuff is bad, per say, but I simply belong somewhere else). I could've been put in Ravenclaw, just like Hermione. But I wanted Gryffindor - and I got it! Woo! I'm official! Though I didn't really need a website to tell me so.

I haven't spent much time on the site - only enough to be sorted. But I am intrigued by the new material sprinkled throughout the site, and I am eager to learn more. I hadn't realized how much I really miss the boy wizard.

The Big Decision

Okay. I've made a decision. Drum roll, please......................

BOSTON UNIVERSITY!

It feels really weird to finally be saying where I'm going. I don't feel like its real. I haven't really told anyone yet either. And I don't really want to.

I think it's because I'm scared. I think I'm more scared than I've ever been. I'm trying to remember if I felt this way before going to London. I remember being nervous and trying to be brave, but this feels like its bigger. Because it is. I'm moving across the country to a city I've never even visited where no one knows my name.

In some ways that's liberating. I can re-create myself. I can be whoever and whatever I want to be. Of course, I won't change who I am really, but I can be more of what I'm trying to be - outgoing, selfless, caring, poised, alluring, etc. Super Jenny.

But mostly it frightens me. I'm trying not to be scared, especially since I feel my decision was directed by the Spirit. I fasted and prayed and studied and pondered. On Fast Sunday this last month I sat in Relief Society, praying to know where I should go to school. As I prayed, I felt a distinct thought come to my mind - Boston. It repeated throughout the hour. I thought to myself, well I guess I'll go to Boston if you want me to...but I really want to go to London. All of a sudden I felt a strong desire to go to London - it had never been stronger. But I knew that I was probably supposed to go to Boston. I think that's what made my desire for London so strong. I knew then that I wouldn't have it. Not now. And that was hard, giving up one dream for a better opportunity - another, newer dream. I was still kind of wishy washy about it when I heard that I got the assistantship at Boston, though that made me less washy. Then it was General Conference, and I went in with one question: should I go to Boston? And I came out with the same answer. Yes.

I shouldn't have questioned it. When I received my answer about not going to New York last summer to teach at the technology camp, I acted without delay. But this whole Boston thing seemed much bigger and expensive and I just felt confused about all of it.

I have begun telling people that I'm going to Boston. The words feel funny coming out of my mouth, like they're not mine. And maybe they're not. But I have to have faith that they're the words of someone who knows what is best for me.

People ask if I'm excited and really I'm too scared to be excited. It's been hard coming to this decision and I think it's been so stressful that I haven't let myself feel excited about it. But I'm beginning to get there. Thinking of things like spending Thanksgiving weekend with my brother Mike in New York and seeing broadway plays and making new friends and yes, potentially meeting the brilliant man of my dreams all come to mind and make me more excited. Bit by bit it's becoming more of a reality. The trick is figuring out how to tell everyone at work. I mean, there still is a chance I won't go - September is a long ways away. But I need to tell my coworkers and my boss what my possible future looks like. I think telling them will make me feel better about it too because I've been tortured by the idea that I'm somehow lying to them. I love them all and I love my job - its the best job I've ever had. But I need to go to Boston. The more I think about it the more I know it's something I'm supposed to do.

But I'll be acting on faith the entire way, praying that I can do the right things wherever I am. Sheesh, life decisions bite.

Collecting

So...I'm a bit of a collector. I follow trends, I catch 'em all, and I love every second of it.

It started with beanie babies way back in elementary school - I have 89. Yes, 89. Not all of them are Ty brand. Actually most aren't. I was basically an adoption center for lost beanies. They all had names, personalities, and stories.

Then there were digital pets. I have two Tamagotchis, a Nano Monkey, a Giga Pound, and 4 girls that grew up from baby to teen. I LOVED those things. I still feel the urge to pull them out and play with them sometimes.

Then came the Pokemon cards. I have hundreds upon hundreds. These were fun because they were a game too, though I was the only one of my friends who actually played the game. I had to convince my brother Josh to go up against me. He didn't enjoy it as much as I did - I think I almost always won.

Then the Furbies hit. I have three - a rare black and white one that was my first and favorite, an Easter egg colored baby Furby, and the wild black and brown zebra striped one Josh was given that I later adopted. Waiting for my birthday was never so hard as it was that year.

Around the time of Furbies I started into The Sims, the best computer games series ever (not just according to me either). I have The Sims, The Sims 2, and The Sims 3, and all of the expansions for each one (except the newest Sims 3 one).

My more expensive collections include American Girl dolls. I have three - Samantha, Kit, and a look-a-like one that I named Kate. They had the BEST adventures. I even had a little cast and crutches, a dog and dog sled, a bunk bed, a wardrobe, and a table and chairs. My mom let me build them a room in my closet that I could always keep. They had their own lamp and even posters on their walls.

In high school I took a liking to the Lil Homies collection that you'd find in coin machines in random stores or at the mall. That's one of my more regrettable collections. I just thought they were so funny.

I've also collected more intellectual things like rocks, books, and sea shells.

Its been a few years since I've had one of these collections, but when I discovered the tiny ninjas in the coin machines at the Arctic Circle across the street from where I work, I just couldn't resist. I now have 27 of them (a lot, I know, but I plan on giving away most of them). A few months ago I became a bit bored with them - no matter how many I buy, I never get the black ninja.

Then a couple of days ago a guy at work introduced me to what i think will be my newest collecting phase: Lego Minifigures! These things are SO cool. I've always been a Lego fan because not only are the people who design them super creative, but they give you the option of creativity too. These Minifigures are like tiny works of art. Today I bought my first four - a minotaur, a sexy Latin lady, and the cave woman twins that I've named Oogey and Boogey. And I already want more.

Now, it probably sounds like I was either spoiled or wasteful with my money. I assure that it's not the case. My parents made me earn every penny for all of the things I bought, and the more expensive ones were saved for my birthdays and Christmas. Sure, some of my purchases haven't been lasting in value (like the homies) but I can promise I got my money's worth out of each toy or card or figurine. And I still go back and play with some of them every now and then, if only to relive elementary school days. Plus, my kids will be given every single toy that I loved to play with, and it will be so fun to see the toys have another life in their hands and imaginations.

Maybe this is why Toy Story 3 means so much to me. It really hits home.

A Doozy of a Day

Today has been a whole lot of awkward, and it's only 10:00am! First, I went to fill up my cup with hot water for some apple cider (my stay-awake and anti-snack staple). There's a hot water tap in the water filter in the break room at work. I filled up my cup and as I picked it up I didn't have enough grip on it and I spilled the scalding hot water all over the floor and did a little dance to avoid getting it on my feet. Fortunately three of my co-workers were in the room watching me spill and dance around like an idiot.

Then, I go back to my desk where my co-worker discreetly informs me that my fly is down. Since I went to the bathroom over an hour ago, it's been down quite a while. I wonder how many people saw?

And then (here's the best one) I go to the bathroom, sit down, do my business, and reach for the toilet paper. Here's a disclaimer - normally the TP is in one I those dispensers, but when it runs out we just use a free roll that is kept on top of the dispenser. There was one such free roll this morning, which explains how I managed to drop it and watch it till into the next stall. Luckily, someone was in the stall. They kindly gave the roll back to me and I hurried out of the bathroom (don't worry, I still washed my hands).

Embarrassing! Today has been just wonderful - just one of those stupid, awkward, klutzy days. Oh well. Makes for good stories, huh?

It is one of those blah days...

This week it has been really hard for me to wake up, but today was the worst. I'm at work now, but I wish I was anywhere but here. I'm at a dead point in my work (we have to get feedback on our project and there's nothing to do but wait) and I have fallen into a bad habit of after-work naps that make it so that rather than sleeping for 8 hours each night I'm sleeping for 2-3 hours after work and 4ish hours at night. In between sleeps there's a couple of hours of very unproductive time where I think about working out, playing the guitar or piano, watching a new Bollywood movie, going to the temple, or some other such thing that doesn't happen because I'm stuck with a major nap hangover. So I do nothing. And then I start to cry because I'm so lazy and I wasted an entire evening, and now I have to go back to work where I have nothing substantial to do. It's a viscious cycle. And I'm getting fatter and more tired every day, despite the fact that I don't eat candy or desserts or anything and I'm getting tons of sleep. Ugh. I just have a bad case of the blahs. What can I do to get out of the blahs?

The Final Results

I submitted a total of 6 graduate school applications, and I have now heard back from all of them. Here are the results:

University of Texas - Austin, American Studies : not accepted

Boston University, Film and Television Studies : accepted!

University College London, Film Studies : accepted!

New York University, Film Studies : accepted!

New York University, American Studies : not accepted

University of Southern California, Critical Studies (Film) : waitlisted

So there you have it! Possible options for me are BU, UCL, NYU, and USC. I have already dismissed NYU and USC, the first because there's no way I can pay for it and the second because they waitlisted me AND there's no way I can pay for it. So we're down to BU and UCL. Which is where I was at the beginning anyway since they were my top two choices.

So really this post was essentially pointless...but hey, now you know! :)

Conference Weekend

As a kid I didn't care much for General Conference. I enjoyed not having to get dressed up for church, and I appreciated being able to play while conference was on. I was expected to watch, and I tried. But I never watched on Saturdays and I often fell asleep on and off through Sunday. I figured I could always read the talks later.

However, since I started college I've put more effort into Conference. It became a bit of a holiday for me. I would drive home for the weekend and hang out with my family - just relax. Then I took a Living Prophets religion class at BYU and really caught the vision of the importance of conference. And this past weekend I had some really big questions that needed answering - where should I go to school? What should I change about myself? etc. And guess what! I believe I received some answers! My feelings about schools have become more clear and I know exactly what I need to work on to be more of the kind of person I should be.

So....watch conference with questions! It works! And don't take notes on what the speakers are saying, necessarily. Take notes on what you FEEL. That's actually the key to all church things I think - scripture reading, talks in church, Sunday school lessons, all of it. I have a renewed love and appreciation of the Holy Ghost and am extremely grateful that I have it with me. As for which school I'm going to choose....stay tuned!