Fantastic Friday!

Today at work everyone dressed up and families came in to trick-or-treat. It was blast. I got nothing done.

And then came home to find this on my doorstep:

Here it is closer up, because I know you wanted to see just how it was packaged. And there is also my foot, because I love my new shoes. And my Halloween socks. And in case you were wondering, yes I wore these shoes and these socks with a knee length skirt to work today. HAPPY HALLOWEEN!

I’d been secretly hoping my parents would send something to me for Halloween. It’s always so fun to get random holiday themed things in the mail. I got this super cute pumpkin loaded with candy last year (pictured below), so naturally I was thrilled to see what I’d get this year!

So many emotions…

I opened the box… AND… tons of packing-air-things.

First I stepped on them.Then I made them into a smiley face. Because #1 I was happy #2 I was excited and #3 there were 3 of them in there – two small ones, and one long one. What else do you do with packing-air-things in that quantity and length?

With the packing-air-things removed and mutilated, I could now open my package.

And then there it (uh…. He) was!!

AAHHH! I admit I was slightly terrified.

But we bonded quickly.

And then he got a little too handsy! Just goes to show – you give a guy an inch and he takes a mile.

Thanks mom and dad!! I love you guys!

Love,

Brittney

Everyone LOVES yoga!

Yes, another embarrassing story.

So today I am running a meeting with something like 30 male engineers. It’s called Engineering Leads Forum, and it’s kind of a big deal. Because the room only has a certain capacity, and because Church engineers are in various places all over the Valley, we stream the forum. That means more work for me. I have to coordinated with the audio visual department, get them to arrange everything, follow up, and begin setting up for the meeting an hour before it happens – just in case something goes wrong. Which, it always does. Today, however, the problem was not with the equipment, the audio, streaming link or the network. Today the problem was with the faulty instructions given to me.

This morning seemed to be going pretty smoothly. The meeting was about to begin – and all was well. There is a big TV at the front of the room, which displays the presenter’s computer screen so everyone can follow along. There is a video camera at the top of the TV that can record everyone in the room, instead of the computer screen, if I so choose. So I am sitting in the middle, running the TV/video output. I’m the only girl, everyone knows me, and it is clear who is over the visual. Before the meeting began, just to make sure the TV was working – they put it on BYU TV.

Before he left, the AV guy switched views to the presenter’s laptop, and showed me how to switch views. The bottom button displays the presenter’s computer screen. The top button switches to filming the room. This is what is being streamed over the internet: audio and visual, to all those in other locations.

Mid presentation, one of the guys I admin for, whose meeting I am helping to run, leans over to me and asks if I know how to switch views to film the room? I feel like this is unnecessary – why film the room for all to see, of people looking at the power point presentation, versus having the presentation up on their screens? But that’s just me.

So the presenter goes to switch to a demonstration on the internet, and he can’t get it work. So while he is fumbling around, I figure – why not switch views? So I press the top button.

WHOOOPS.

BYU TV switches back on, and it’s yoga hour. A room with 20 or so women in tight pants, some exercise bras, and they are all lying on their backs with their legs wide open. Imagine the following picture, from the front, add their legs higher in the air, and add 20 more women.

YIKES.

I get the image back to the computer screen, after some major commotion. I’m beet red. Of all the things that could have been on the BYU channel, why did it have to be yoga? And right at that moment?

So what the AV guy meant to say was: press the bottom button to switch views between the computer screen and the video camera. Press the top button to give the guys a peep show.

Let’s just say that for the first time ever, the cookies weren’t the highlight of the Engineering Leads Forum.

Love,
Brittney

My life in pictures

Halloween Ice cream Sculpture

Practicing for...

POWDERPUFF!

My first time ever playing football. We did really well.

Powderpuff!

Day of... we rocked.

Alpha Membership Ceremony

We got amazing girls this year.

Barndance

One of the worst days/nights ever. I believe it went like:

* Was super sick

*My boyfriend and I broke up an hour before the dance

*Had to go to the dance - had to ask a guy out for the first time ever

*He was an hour and 1/2 late and I was alone the whole time. Awkward

*I missed my b/f the whole time

*I didn't feel good

*My car was broken into - window smashed to pieces

*All my CD's were stolen. All of them

*A Church projector was stolen

*It cost $200 to get the window replaced

*My date left before the cops even showed up. Left me there alone

My date and I before he left me

Catchphrase!

Hands down the most hysterical/fun game of Catchphrase I've ever played

Pledge Retreat

My 23rd Birthday Cake a dear friend made me. Tasted even better than it looks. Honest.

The most beautiful shalwar kameez in the whole world. If there was one piece of clothing that epitomizes me - I would have to say this is it. It's blue - naturally. Since everything I own is. And the pink embroidery is the most perfect accent. Did I mention I love this outfit? Thanks to Mrs. Ansari and to Samar... they couldn't have picked better fabric. THANK YOU! I have the best best friend in the world.

Getting ready to party. And believe me, we did. Even if we got hit on by 22 year olds. No biggie, right, Bex?

Becki and I. We're pretty much dating steadily now. Until something a little more masculine comes along, of course. Oh, speaking of. Did I mention some guy at church today said I looked mid to late 20's? I'm molting. But that's another can of worms.

One of the great benefits of living with Becki - she's a hair dresser. This is me sporting my brand new do. I kept getting called a redhead - heaven forbid! This is my solution.

Love,

Brittney

A Life of Temporary

Since graduated from High School, my life has been so temporary. Every semester in school was different, different apartments, different roommates… and then I graduated, and the economy was horrendous and I have been an intern at two different companies since graduating. I am so thankful for the jobs – and they have been such great experience. But the stress of not knowing how long I will have a job is unbelievable. I worry about it all the time. The idea of having to look for another job for the fourth time in a year makes me sick. The idea of meeting new people, making a new routine, getting used to a new job makes me tired and very unsettled. I would love so much just to know where my life is going. Have the stability of knowing I have a constant source of income, I can move into a new place that isn’t below ground where I actually have cell phone coverage and roommates. After almost a year of living in SLC – I still feel so unsettled. Like I really haven’t made any type of life here.

I really love my job. I love the people. I love the environment. I even love my carpool. I’m learning a lot and have had some great opportunities. I don’t want to work anywhere else. Yet with this hiring freeze, I don’t think it’s going to happen. It just stinks so much that my co-workers love me and want me to be a permanent part of the team, but they can’t do anything about it. People tell me all the time that they are doing all they can to get me hired. They are going up every avenue. But you can’t change a hiring freeze. A co-worker told me today that everyone is working their hardest to get me on – but she isn’t as hopeful as I would appreciate.

I just helped to put on a big ICS Conference, SORT, which I will write about later. At the end, so many people came up to me and said what a fabulous job I did, and how after such a successful job, there is no way I won’t get hired. And I appreciate those bits of encouragement – but at the same time, it is so frustrating that no matter how successful I am, no matter how much I do, no matter how much everyone loves me – at the end of the day, if the hiring freeze is still in implementation, come December I’ll be jobless. Again.

Momma Would Be Proud

I LOVE tofu. There is this tofu stir fry dish that has quickly become pretty much my favorite food. Yuuuum.

Love, Brittney

Confessions of a socially awkward Church employee

So this morning, I was in a hurry as usual. It’s freezing outside at 7am, and I mostly only have dresses and skirts – and I wanted something warm. I found a pair of pants and threw them on – they are seriously from Jr. High School. They fit – just a little too tight in the OD (Kenzie and Camree’s word for bottom – opposite of down… don’t ask).

I wanted to wear the pants, but needed a shirt that was long. I was in a huge hurry, but finally found a long sweater, threw it on and left the house.

The bathrooms at work are totally awkward – the men’s and women’s restroom doors are opposite each other. So when you are coming out, and a guy is coming out (which always happens. There are something like 300 men on my floor) you get to look at him straight on, and see into the men’s room – unless you emerge from the bathroom with your head down. Every time I go to the bathroom, it seems like I have some type of awkward moment.

So I am coming out of the bathroom today, and run right into this guy. He is young, single, and he wasn’t working here anymore. He works for a company that contracts out to the Church, and as we moved from the Triad, he finished the project he was working on. So I didn’t expect to see him ever again. And there he was, right there coming out of the bathroom, in the most optimum place for us to collide.

We started talking, and I was embarrassed and shocked at seeing him and had a meeting coming up I was worried about. The following is the true and almost verbatim conversation that took place. Well, the fluff before is omitted – I skipped right to the disastrous part.

Him: “I like your sweater”

Me: “Thanks. I wore it because it’s tight.”

“Well not because it’s tight, but because my pants are really tight.”

At this point, I immediately realize what I’ve said. I start to get really red.

Me: “I can’t believe I just said that.”

I hang my head in shame, looking at the floor, thinking HOW in the world I just told a young single guy I wore this sweater because my pants are extremely tight? WHO does that? I get redder and redder, standing there in the hall. He’s just looking at me. I try to make small talk, but I’m just flustered and red and he’s just standing there, so I excused myself, and ran to my meeting. And the whole walking away part was lovely, because you know he’s going to watch me walk away, to see just how tight these tight pants really are.

Is it any wonder I’m still single? Haha.

Just a disclaimer – the rest of the pants are not tight at all… just the butt area. And the sweater was really long, and covered everything… it was still embarrassing as all get out though.

Love,

Brittney