Hair Cut

Yesterday, Andrew entered a realm of insanity. Okay not really. But he did let me cut his hair. You may say, "Thamina I didn't know you cut hair." I don't (hence his insanity). But Andrew doesn't believe in paying someone to cut his hair if he can find someone willing to do it for free. Enter me.

The last time Andrew got a hair cut I watched what the hairdresser did so I could replicate it. Then I watched some YouTube videos to remind me what I had learned. When I got to his place, I realized we only had clippers so I ran to the store and bought some real hair cutting scissors. I admit I was completely nervous. I didn't want to mess up his hair. But after 45 minutes, I was finished and I hadn't completely ruined his hair and had only snipped myself three times. Blending was the worst part of the job but my sister-in-law Kaylene gave me some tips for next time. I realize I'm a perfectionist. I keep looking at his hair, examining what I did, and figuring out how to improve because I realize I have many years of hair cuts a head of me.

Parcheesi

Parcheesi is a great game of strategy and luck of the dice. The goal is to block your opponents, to send them back to start if possible, and to make it safely home before anyone else. I loved this game! As I drive back and forth from work, I find many drivers miss playing Parcheesi so much they decide it should be played on the freeways. They create barricades forcing you to go slower than you want and yes sometimes that is actually below the official speed limit. My "favorite" move is when someone feels the need to move into your lane disrupting your constant driving speed. Seriously?! No one was in front of that car! Then I remember some are still playing the game. They block your move, slow you down, so they can make it home before you. Make it past the blockade and you will have smooth sailing the rest of your drive...that is until you hit the next barricade. :)

PS - I like creating metaphors for driving. One day I'll post how I-80 in Nevada is like playing Pac Man.

Come, Come Ye Saints

Is this how the pioneers felt after crossing the plains?

Mormon Messages

I love the "Mormon Messages" the LDS Church has posted on YouTube. They are inspiring and are able to lift your spirits in just minutes. How grateful I am for words of living prophets and apostles for they bring hope, peace, and a sustained assurance in the atonement of Jesus Christ.

Plain Brown Box

To the world, I am a plain brown box
I am simple, even boring
I look uninviting and predictable.
But I am more than a plain brown box.
Inside I am a world of possibilities.
I am the spirit of adventure who has
smelled the streets of Moscow
breathed the air of the Alps
yet desires to explore more;
I want to feel the history of Jerusalem
swim in the seas of Santorini
explore the walls of China.
I am the serenity of the earth who has
looked into the sky with amazement
watched a sunset in awe
yet wants others to see what I see;
I want you to see the stars fall from the sky
view the majesty and quiet of the mountains
listen to the waves crash softly on the shore.
I am not just the calm before the storm. I am the storm who has
felt the passions and emotions of life
cried with many and for many
protected the young, old, innocent, and vulnerable
yet I too feel weathered by the storm
tossed to and fro by the waves
broken and bruised by the wind
strengthened and supported by the fire.
To you who see me as a plain brown box,
take a step and peer inside
I am more than what you see.

Poetry

I love the poems my friend posts on her blog and I wanted to share her latest with all of you.

Love
by Czeslaw Milosz

Love means to learn to look at yourself
The way one looks at distant things
For you are only one thing among many.
And whoever sees that way heals his heart,
Without knowing it, from various ills--
A bird and a tree say to him: Friend.

Then he wants to use himself and things
So that they stand in the glow of ripeness.
It doesn't matter whether he knows what he serves:
Who serves best doesn't always understand.

Short recap

I can tell people really want details based on the amount of traffic my blog is getting. So to procrastinate getting ready for bed, I'll give you the short recap with minimal girl insights.

Saturday Andrew asked me to get "prettied up" for the night because we were going to dinner and a play. I usually dress up anyway but when I asked if I should wear skirt, pants, or nice jeans and he said "skirt", I thought something might be up. We went to dinner at PF Changs, a place I had never been before. Great food! Then went to Costco to pick up food for a dinner group we are both part of. I was in charge and wouldn't have time to go on Monday. At Costco he asked me to pick out some flowers. I thought to myself that if he were going to propose I wanted roses. Truthfully he was going to propose at Costco (that is where we were first introduced to one another) with the flowers but accidentally left the ring in the car. So according to him, he had to rethink his plan. Next we went to the play The Giver. Most of you have read the book and know it isn't that depressing. Well, the play was awfully depressing! I'm glad he didn't propose right before because that would have been such a downer on the play. After the play we went back to his place where his roommate was throwing a "French Night" party. My thought was after that horrible play there is no way he will propose. However, right before curfew he asked if I wanted to go star gazing. We went to the base of Y Mountain and found a rock to sit on as we enjoyed the view. After talking for a bit he told me he talked to my dad that afternoon, pulled out a ring, and asked me to marry him. I was caught off guard with the ring because we hadn't gone shopping together. What he had done was gone to Walmart and picked out a nice "fake" ring that I could wear until we bought a "real" one. Truth be told, I'm getting attached to my fake ring and I'll probably continue to wear it on my right hand after we pick out a "real" one. I loved that he wanted to surprise me! The picture below shows the roses he bought at Costco and the ring he used to propose. Hopefully that recap is sufficient.

I'm Engaged!!

...details will follow

The Natural Man

Do you ever do something and afterward think, why did I do that? It drives me crazy that even when I know better, I don't always make the smart choice. How do we combat this natural man tendency? How do we allow the atonement to change us and strengthen us so we stop giving into the deceits of the adversary? I'm bothered that I haven't figured it all out yet.

Discover All That is Human

I read this article this morning and felt it had a profound message for all of us. I highlighted the areas that struck me.


PHILADELPHIA (AP) — The head of the world's most popular search engine urged college graduates on Monday to step away from the virtual world and make human connections.

Speaking at the University of Pennsylvania's commencement, Google chairman and CEO Eric Schmidt told about 6,000 graduates that they need to find out what is most important to them — by living analog for a while.

"Turn off your computer. You're actually going to have to turn off your phone and discover all that is human around us," Schmidt said. "Nothing beats holding the hand of your grandchild as he walks his first steps."

He also urged graduates not to lay out a rigid path for themselves. Rewards will gravitate to those who make mistakes and learn from them, Schmidt said.

"You can't plan innovation or inspiration, but you can be ready for it, and when you see it you can jump on it and you can make a difference," he said.

The Class of 2009 is graduating in a tough economic climate, but such downturns can be a time for innovation, Schmidt said. He noted that Rice Krispies, Twinkies and beer cans were all products of the Great Depression — not to mention staples of college life.

He playfully compared today's "Google and Facebook generation" to his own: cell phones vs. phone booths, Wii vs. Pong, blogs vs. newspapers, Red Bull vs. Tang.

Perhaps most notably, Schmidt said, members of his generation spent all their time trying to hide their most embarrassing moments. Today's generation records and posts all those moments on YouTube, he said, drawing laughter from the crowd.

"And I am looking forward to watching these for the next 30 or 40 years," Schmidt said.

Copyright © 2009 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.

The World is Flat

I have stat counter attached to my blog. It shows me how many hits I have, how many direct hits I receive, where referred hits come from, what cities people live in who are accessing my blog, etc. etc. However, one thing I wish it told me was who you all are. Today someone accessed my blog from Thailand. I have a bunch of friends traveling the world but I have no idea who is in Thailand right now. I love that someone half-way across the world can stay in touch with me. This technologically globally integrated world fascinates me! Thanks for reading!

(PS - For those worried about privacy factors, I can't stalk you with this analytical information. It just gives me statistics.)

And So It Begins

Today I worked out after a long hiatus. My body groaned and ached and panted as I pushed myself up the hills around my house. But oh! how good it felt! After spending months in the Tanner Building and the last two weeks sitting in a cubicle today felt liberating. It feels great getting back into this habit. Attached is a picture I've posted before, but felt it was appropriate for my exercising today.

Rendezvous

This picture titled Rendezvous is one of my favorites. I find the mystery and romantic feel intriguing. My words are gone from me today so I'll leave you to decide your own thoughts and feelings about the painting.

Seriously?

Did I mention that yesterday Andrew and I have officially been dating for seven months? Wow! It has been quite the ride. Okay, truthfully it hasn't officially been seven months, but October 3rd became our "official" day. Here is the quick story that I hope he doesn't mind me sharing. We were hanging out the night of the 3rd. He was going to Salt Lake that night because the next morning was general conference. Instead of going up right after the BYU football game, he came over to my place and we watched The Hunt for the Red October. He will say I seduced him. But he gave me the invitation. :) The next week was crazy but we still were able to spend some time together before I left for Atlanta Thursday morning. We didn't see each other again until Monday 13th. That is technically the day everything became official but the 3rd is really the beginning of our dating story.

A Fun Update

I have neglected blogging for important things like finals, moving Andrew apartments, and starting a new internship. Andrew and I have had some fun intermixed with school. We went to the Draper Temple open house in February. Since both of us have been temple workers, we were both amazed at how small and quaint it was compared to Provo temple.

In March, Andrew's friend Jon came to visit. That weekend we went to a Passover dinner. It was an interesting experience and fun to watch Andrew down spoonfuls of bitter herbs. Since he loves horseradish, he thought eating them in that quantity wouldn't be a problem but even he was overwhelmed by the after taste.

Last October I bought two tickets to Wicked at the Capital Theatre. I had just started dating Andrew so had no idea who my date would be when the show was playing in April. Happily Andrew agreed to be my date. He wanted to see the play without any previous exposure to the music or storyline. Granted some of his guy friends made him think we were seeing a "chic musical". Fifteen minutes into the show he realized those guys were wrong. The show was phenomenal! Absolutely amazing! I saw it in Phoenix 1 1/2 years ago and this production was superior. Even Andrew gave the cast a standing ovation, something he doesn't do very often which shows the quality of the performance.

To cap off April, we went to the MBA grad night. It was to have a night of fun games, yummy food, and good conversation. Right now I am looking forward for the snow to melt so we can go play at my parents' cabin. Until that happens, I am keeping busy with my internship and organizing the chaos that happened while I was in school.

Jon eating bitter herbs

Andrew reacting to the bitter herbs

Playing rock band

First Year Done!

Almost done

I have one more final due today at 4:00 and then my first year of MBA school will be completed! I finished the multiple choice on Monday but haven't had any motivation to do the case write-up. I can't put it off any longer. Time to get to work.

An Apostle's Easter Thoughts

I love Elder Holland! His words have a sacred spirit to them that are always able to touch my heart. At this Easter season, let us remember the divine gift of our Savior's atonement and His miraculous resurrection. Anything we have is because of Him. Anything we do should be in honor of Him. Anything we are able to become is only through the means and power of Him. I know Jesus Christ is our Savior. I pray we all may repent, come unto Him, and be His disciple.

The Unexpected Strikes Again

I am amazed at how quickly life changes. One moment you think you know exactly what is going on in life; you have direction, focus, understanding. And then in a blink of an eye, it is all gone. It is days like this that I have to remember Elder Maxwell. "There have been, and will be times in each of your lives when such faith must be the bottom line. You don't know what is happening to you or around you, but you know that God loves you, and knowing that, for the moment, is enough." How blessed I am for a testimony of God's love for me, because for this moment it has to be enough.

Light at the End of the Tunnel

I finally have an interesting update to share. I officially have an internship! It will be nice not to have that on my plate as I am finishing up semester projects. The company is called Allegiance and they are based in Salt Lake. They want me to start now but school gets in the way of that. :) So I'm "on-call" in the sense that they will keep me in the loop on email and I'll go into the office a couple of times to stay up to speed on the project. School is first and they know that.

My job will be to help them conduct focus groups with their customers and take those results to conduct a market research analysis to help the company know how others perceive their product and how to best tap into the underserved market. They already asked me to fly to Seattle and LA for a day each to help them with their focus groups. I am excited about this because I'll work directly with VP of Marketing, get to travel a bit, get paid!!!! (many of my classmates will probably have to take unpaid internships), and still be able to be part of all the fun here in Utah this summer.

I remember when Bank of America offered me a flyback the beginning of last October for their HR internship. I felt very distinctly not to take it. I didn't know why. It would have been a great internship, with great experience, and with a great location in North Carolina. I am grateful I listened to that prompting even though it created a lot of uncertainty about a summer internship. Life is full of unexpected detours but I am reminded of a phrase one of my religion teachers said: The Lord leads us to the path we would have chosen if we had realized it had been an option. I can testify that has been true for my life. The Lord has directed me and though the path has been difficult at times, it truly has been for my good.