thoughts

Advancements in Garbage.

Dude. Garbage men don't even have to get out of there big trucks anymore. Is this only in Utah? Maybe I've just never dealt with my garbage so I didn't witness such an advance in technology till now...but woah!

This big claw comes out and snatches up the can, dumps it, and throws it back to the ground. He got a street done in minutes. I watched this all from my car in amazement. He gave me a funny look, probably wondering why I was taking pictures like a Japanese tourist at Disneyland...sigh.

I'm lame. I know. But I just found this bitchin.

Thus Becoming:

"My Daily Thing I Like About Utah"

<3shan

2/26 & 2/27

I found a new coffee shop called High Point. It's more of the type of place I've been looking for. In the center is a fireplace keeping my current shoeless feet warm. Surrounding me are people my age, tasty aromas and in the corner it's live Karoke Night. Lots of undiscovered artists and honestly there is some really great talent. Morgan, I wish you were here to enjoy these tunes with me; I know you'd love it. Coffee isn't bad either.

Today, was eventful, but crazy.

I started with a phone call to wake me up. PSS decided they wanted to expedite my possible career with them. This meant I needed to supply them with clean urine and fill out mas paper work. They have yet to interview a few applicants but Justin says I pretty much have the job.

From there I had three exasperating tasks to complete.

1. Get a new birth certificate.
2. Get a new Social Security card.
3. Get a pee test for work.

I somehow lost the first two and am sure I will need them soon

Everywhere I went, I GoogleEarthed it from my phone. If I'm in SLC it means I have no idea where I am going, so my phone comes in handy.

Okay, I must quit rambling about my day for a moment. The Emo version of Fogle from SuperBad just walked into the coffee shop; skinny pants and freak ass emo hair cut to match. Hah.

Sadly, not knowing where I'm going means I drive alot and don't pay attention to the road....as I am watching my phone. It's dangerous. Especially since in Utah I have like 5 lanes instead of the normal 3 or 4. It's to much space I tell ya, I drift over alot. Hopefully they see my Oregon plates and let it slide...who could ever be mad at an Oregonian; we rock and our state is GREEN!

Eventually I arrived at the "Office of Vital Records and Statistics". I waited patiently ( it was early in the day, my patience was still present) next to a few couples divorcing, some applying for the opposite certificate and many screaming babies; a vast majority of them being Mexican. As someone who enjoys people watching, it was a field day for me. So many different types of people there for different reasons; it always makes me wonder about there lives. I even got to help some of the Spanish speakers who couldn't figure out which form to fill out. I waited about 20 minutes only to find out my blood-father had petitioned to have his name legally on my birth certificate about 5 years ago and all of my file needed to be redone...costing me an extra $25.00 and 45 min. I decided to venture out to the SS office via iPhone.

Can you believe it? My phone directions TOLD ME TO FLIP A U-E. (That's U-Turn for all you lame-o's who don't speak the language.) Never have I been told to do that legally; it's so driving acceptable here and I love it! I embraced it fully. It feels good to be slammed against the side of my car, exaggerating that curve right in front or a PoePoe only to have him smile and wave. *sigh* God Bless America. :)

THE SS OFFICE. I walked in and exclaimed "Oh, My, Lord." It was filled with La Meh-He-Con-Oh's, old people, fakers mooching the disability system, those who desperately needed it and....Arturo. Arturo was a sweet, Canadian Columbian, with classy fashion skills, who decided to strike a conversation with me. Yes, Chris, he was incredibly good looking, a South American Lover to be honest, but your type, not mine. He moved here from Canada to go to school in Utah but is originally from Columbia. His accent was amusing and he smiled and laughed with me as I described my life in Tillamook. When asked about how I arrived in Utah, he was fascinated by the idea that I packed up & moved my life in a week. I actually showed him the coast on GoogleEarth via iPhone and he loved it. He seems like a nice guy to have coffee with every now and then and we exchanged myspaces.

I was there a good 45 min and when I left I felt the need to jump in the air and scream

FREEDOM!!

It added a few laughs and some smiles to the room.... my work was done and I skipped to my car.

I then tried to Google myself to the Pee Test place, but got unbelievably lost, frustrated and teary eyed. Too much time in over-crowded offices and staring at my phone with no idea where too go....pisses me off. I ended up going back to the Birth Certificate place and a whopping $50.00 later I was the owner of two lovely pieces of paper that prove my existence. It showed I was actually born a Utah-ian...but everyone knows I'm an Oregonian at heart.

But it showed me more then just information about myself. Today, I learned about my blood-father. It sounds odd, but looking down at that piece of paper while crossing the street, I almost stopped dead in the middle of the street. To this day, I didn't know his birthday, his middle name, or that he was a Californian to start. It, just felt strange to come across the information. I'm really not sure what emotion I felt coming across this information. I'm still having troubles...with him...or even seeing him at all.. I need to come to terms with it all...but that's a blog and a problem for another day.

From there, I attempted to make my way back to the almighty LABCORP to donate my pee. I'll censor this paragraph and simply say I got incredibly lost, wasted an hour trying to find it when my directions said it was 7 minutes away, and cursed....allot. It finally turned up and I donated my urine. The attendant was a crack-up. She was a Southern Lady who informed me I may not flush or use the faucet and just how much pee goes into the cup. When I marched victoriously out of the bathroom with my ticket to a very well paying job in hand, she smiled and said "Good Job Hunny!". I'll admit, I smiled back. I had only 3 minutes to pee, and I did it...jealous...much?

Of only 3 places to go....it took 4.5 hours. Then rush hour traffic...it sucked.

A crazy, but eventful day. I also got all my W-2's. I feel very "Document Friendly" today.
Sadly, I forgot my camera at home so I can't truly paint a picture for you of my runaround day. But here is my "Daily Thing I like About Utah" ( btw. read the blog below this to figure out what that's about, I didn't have time to seek out internet yesterday, so it's posted today.)

Hunter, my youngest cousin at the brave age of four, is what I love about Utah. So sweet, so rambunctious, and always running out the door after you screaming "Me love you Nannon!". Always wanting to play football with me, cuddle and watcha movie, play games, and in the midst of a good wrestling match where he may get hurt, he always pops right back up and says "Me Otay! Es otay...Me okay!". I adore it when he runs around the house, ball in hand, screaming TOUCHDOWN, or Umble [fumble lol]! So congrats Hunter, you're my favorite (always) today.

He caught me the other day, attempting to throw the heart sign and take a picture of it at the same time. I was trying to take the picture for a friend and he decided he wanted to learn how to do the heart...this is his version. Love Boy, Love.






Night. See Below for yesterday's post.

<3shan>

2/26/08

Today, was bueno.

Last night, I attempted to take NyQuill so I could finally get some sleep and sadly the drugs couldn’t fight the climate. So there I laid, still sleep deprived, hair frizzy, face broken out, and still suffering massive cold symptoms. I admit it, I cursed Utah’/s altitude and climate like a sailor.

I don’t particularly enjoy being upset; I’d venture to say I hate it more then the next person. It just eats away at me, similar to when I’m upset with someone else. I decided, right there in my bed, I needed to buck up and stop being such a whiner. I move…A LOT and though this isn’t the easiest of moves, physically or mentally, I’m blessed. Utah has a lot of beauty (nothing like Oregon…yada yada yada) and I’m missing out on it in my pessimism. Waiting to start a job, missing friends, feeling sick, being cooped up in house all day…it got to me, and it’s time to make an effort not to let it anymore. I have family who rocks and new things to explore J. I’ve decided to find a few things I like about Utah every day I’m here.

With a more positive attitude, my day went a lot better. I woke up, 9:00 am ( dare I say the earliest since I’ve been here) and drove to my job interview at PSS.

In case your curious…it went fantastic.

They pre-screened me with this peppy lady named Tonya. She told me she had to ask me a lot of silly questions and to answer them as best possible. Before even finishing the “Name a time you went above and beyond” type questions, she exclaimed “You know what? I think you’re my girl. I’m going to try and get you an interview right now”. She then disapeered and came back with the boss man. I stood, shook his hand, and he gave me a tour of the facility. During our tour of all the possible things you could put into a hospital, he spoke of the job pay, which is like twelve or thirteen, and the benefits. They also give out not annual but quarterly bonus’. My uncles last bonus? $1200.00.

Me likey.

I was shown my possible office and then to his office to discuss my resume. He had a lot of the same job choices as myself, Teller, Radio DJ; he said looking at my resume was like looking at his own.

Finally, he mentioned that he thought I was perfect for the job, and would be calling by the end of the week.

Wish me luck! I feel really good about it =]

I spent my normal time at the coffee shop, went home, changed out of my sexy seducing interview outfit, and hit the open road towards Orem UT to find a better dress for St. Patty’s. It’s the only town with my favorite store, Forever XXI. I shopped till I dropped and walked out with something I wasn’t sure about, and went to Panda. Sadly, I realized not being able to taste had been added to my cold symptoms and I trashed it. I went home and immediately tried on my dress.

Now? I love my dress. It looked better when I tried it on later.

You like? It’s not the best pic.




IT'S GREEN. Duhr.

It looks trashier then it is. lol. It's green and I have great black heels to go with it. Big chunky bracelets, and of course...A JACKET! St. Patty's is ours! Can't wait to Party! Mesa, Moge, Anup...it's go time.

Okay. Two things I like about Utah. That's right, I'm going big with two today :)

FIRST

I love love love love that my mail comes before noon. Nowhere in OR has that ever happened to me and BOY do I love mail. Will somebody please send me a package?? Txt me for the address.

It’s a silly thing to like, but I love it J. This BTW, is my mailbox.

SECOND:

Look at those mountains! I wake up to those every day and mannnnnn are they gorgeous. I always know which way I’m going to if I can see those mountains. Makes me wish I could ski or snowboard; somebody teach me? I took this pic while driving btw...I'm bad at that.

That’s all the love I got for today.

Love you.

<3shan

No good on UBANK

I'm still very sick.

I didn't get the US Bank Job. She called and explained that she really enjoyed our interview and that I was more then capable of doing the job, but she needed someone to bring an immediate lift to sales as that branch was so below benchmark. She chose a lady who worked for Bank of America for a few years. She told me how much she'd like to keep me within the company and to apply for one of the other open positions.

It's nice she gave me some explanation as to why I did not get the job, and yah, how can I compete with someone who's already been a banker in a town of this size, but it still doesn't make it any easier. In Tillamook I could have become a Banker without so much as an app, here it's a bit harder.

I interview with PSSD tomorrow and I have a guaranteed job no matter what with Discover.

In other news, I'm about to kill Noku. I'm wondering if my relationship with dogs is the same as women who don't want to have kids. You have them around, love them, spoil them, and send the suckers home. I love my dog, he's very cute, but I think he's got to be the stupidest breed out there. He's impossible to potty train and even when you call him he just sits there, cocks his head to the side, and stares...often flipping on his back.

He's retarded.

I know I'm just being a whiner, but I hope everything starts to get better in Utah. I can't complain, it's to premature, but I lay my emotions out there and being lonely is hard for me. At the very least, if it doesn't get any better, I'll get a job, bank up enough money to live successfully in the summer in Beaverton or some place else.

I'm not going to hang out with Ryan tonight, to tired, wanna read my book.

Loves.

<3shan

Wasted friday

This nifty little picture next to me, just happens to be my life. I spend so much time drinking coffee, blogging, web designing and what not....it's muy lame. Last night, I realized that, and cried. I really tried not to, but if I open my mouth to breath when I'm pushed that far, the tears just start spilling.


It all started when I was sitting downstairs in my house, and everyone was gone. I was watching some TV, and honestly, not having TV for so many years has made it less appealing then I thought it would be. I was mucho bored and wondering why I was not drunk, dancing, or causing some type of at least mediocre havoc with the crew. So, I called Moge. Her voice was all happiness as she was spending time with her future husband Perry. I'm happy for her, but it sure does make a girl wish she had a boyfriend. Needless to say, she was having fun on a Friday night and I didn't want to bug her, so I let her go. Then, I texted Don hoping for at least some SMS entertainment, but he was having friends over to hookah and guitar hero the night away....so I didn't txt back. Finally, the only person I have met my age in SLC offered to come over in a half hour.

Then he didn't show.

That was it for me.

I was already alone enough, wasting away the beauty of my young life and drowning a Friday. With my friends having tons of fun without me and the only friend I have here mysteriously not showing, I had had enough. Tammy & Justin came home and started watching movies on the big screen and I went upstairs to call Mesa. I thought I wouldn't cry but it just managed to happen.

I hate being alone, I hate lonely nights, I hate not having friends, and I HATE spending so much time doing nothing.

Mesa reminded me I've only been here a week and it just takes time. Time, the mother of all problems. I had previously given him advice about the fact that sometimes it's not our problems that are stressing us, it's waiting them out, waiting for normalcy and the slowing of time during this process. It's like when you break up with someone, it's often not really the heartbreak, it's changing your life around and waiting for the hurt to, inevitably, go away. Sometimes I need to just eat my own words. I truly love that boy and am unsure what I would do without him sometimes. He's a blessing and I am so thankful God granted me him.

Mesa comforted me for a long time, just like the Bestie that he is, and then I got a text from that guy that he had fallen asleep again and was on his way over. We had a fun night, but we were supposed to have coffee today and again, no response.

Nice guy, but good luck working your way outta this one.

DAMNIT NADER.

Why on Earth does this guy decide to run? He gave us Bush in the first place, taking 2.7 percent of the national vote as the Green Party candidate in 2000. He easily cost Al Gore the election in Florida's razor close race. Think about how different life would be if that 2.7% of the vote had gone to a Gore victory and where we would be now. We can't be sure if it would be any less negative, as we never had the chance, but it sure can make one wonder what America would be like without a Nader candidacy; if the Presidential chair would seat a different person.

I swear, if he fucks things up this year, I will personally kill him myself; Patriot Act...are you listening? I'll kill him myself! I wouldn't doubt that he is, some how, on the Republican Party's payroll, under the section about keeping Democrats outta office and being a big fat election spoiler. I like what Obama had to say about Nader's possible election run.

“Anybody has the right to run for president if they file sufficient papers,” Mr. Obama responded.
“The job of the Democratic Party is to be so compelling that a few percentage of the vote going to another candidate is not going to make any difference.”
“Mr. Nader is somebody who, if you don't listen and adopt all of his policies, thinks you're not substantive. He seems to have a pretty high opinion of his own work.”

I hope to, within the next week or so, decide on a candidate I want to support. We shall see how it goes.

I'm off. Love you.

<3Shans

The Vaccination Argument.

I just had to blog about it.

In about the last year and a half, the vaccination debate has really started to pick up. With Gardisal, the human papilloma virus vaccine, now out on the market, the debate has struck as to whether or not it should be made mandatory for young girls.

Naively, I assumed this would not be an issue. Who would like see a female in their life be diagnosed with cervical cancer or genital warts?

A little info on Gardisal. Gardisal can effectively protect against the infection of HPV types 18, 16, 11 & 6. These four types combined cause roughly 90% of all cases of genital warts. Even more frightening is Type 16 that causes about 50% of cases of cervical cancer, and Type 18 that follows up with an additional 15-20%. Also, though the evidence is not obvious as it is shown in cervical cancer, Types 16 & 18 are more then likely a contributor to the development of vulvar, vaginal and anal cancers. Gardisal is just about 100% effective against these four types and is, so far, only indicated for girls and women ages 9-26.

HPV is not just a sexually transmitted disease, but is the most common STD. In health classes when I was growing up, I was told (while being scared into abstinence) it was genital herpes that frequented the most people. I was shocked that 1 in 4 people are knowingly or unknowingly carrying the Herpes STD. That, is nothing compared to HPV whereas 80% of all sexually active adults will have contracted some type of HPV by age 50. This points out that it doesn’t matter if you’re a young girl being promiscuous, a responsible condom carrying twentysomehting, a homosexual, or monogamous married wife of two…it’s irrelevant, you can still contract the infection. Unless you have taken a vow of celibacy…for the rest of your life mind you…you are at risk.

So at the state level, governments are throwing around whether to make the vaccine mandatory. Why make anything mandatory? Well usually mandatory vaccines are decided upon how they are transmitted, like measles or something along the lines of that. But by putting this on the mandatory immunization list your not only protecting your child, but vaccinating in groups can in theory provide safety to a community as a whole. More info on that? Wikipedia: Herd-Immunity. Basically though, when a disease becomes an issue of public health, we look at making it mandatory.

When googling the topics, I was saddened by an opinion where the author suggests that requiring the HPV vaccine is what you would call morally unethical. He says: "Here we are talking about forcing a person to undergo mandatory drug therapy (vaccination), when they have no disease, under the presumption that they might get a disease based on future poor behavior."

Whah? Are you kidding me? Future poor behavior? Please refer to my 4^th paragraph dear sir and educate before you publish.

Is it not clear that regardless of the behavior of your sex life, waiting till marriage or something otherwise, you are and will continue to be at risk for this? Yes, you will be at more risk with several partners, but please don’t think because you are of a more exclusive sex life that you are free from exposure to HPV; you are still at risk for cervical (and vulvar and vaginal and anal) cancer.

The issue, is simply, and issue of medicine and moral values. I’m not a parent, but it is surely unpleasant to think of your children having sex, whether as children or adults. But while your busy despising the picture, its happening. In front of our eyes or hidden, consensually or by pure force, after school or on dates, in marriages and in monogamous relationships, in what we think is “love” and the flings, for money, when your home and when you are not. Are they rushing to the health dept. to get their partner tested? Is that the first thing on their minds or sometimes…do they have a choice? Often, no. And when it happens, a virus may come with it, a completely non-destroyable, indestructible virus that may even cause cervical cancer.

And now we have a vaccine protecting against it, and there is even an issue of not making it mandatory? It bugs me, it scares me, and I don’t like it. When it comes down to it, you don’t have to vaccinate your child, regardless of if it’s mandatory or not. There is always a little checkbox that can explain your way out of it, personal, religious, health, reasons and what not.

But please understand, you are dooming your child to yet another risk to experience in a world that’s already dangerous enough; to a time where they may have to search to find a specialist that knows how to treat cervical cancer as it is so very rare.

I don’t know what brought all this up, it just struck me in my daily google news indulgence how frustrating this argument is. As someone who went through the three dose vaccination process, I find nothing morally unethical in protecting myself & my partner. We have this medical advancement in our hands, and because someone can’t bare to think of there child having sex and is oblivious to the fact that regardless of the habits of there sex life, they are still at risk….we have an argument. There are plenty of more important issues, let it go.

Infiltrated

Infiltrated

Meet: The Body Hijacker.

This smirky, rotten, mild version and partner in crime to Influenza, has attacked me in my sleep and is currently taking over my sinus', throat, nose, sleep and general mood. sonofabitch.

I'm not happy, obviously. Somebody please call and throw me a Pity Party, because I'm wallowing in it.

I got a new camera today! I managed to break my Kodak already and Staples gave me a more expensive, nicer, Sony Cybershot as they couldn't get a replacement in for the one I have by the time I needed to have a camera (in otherwords, I wanted it now.). My Sales Assc. apologized for the amount of time it took for them to get on the ball, that he was completely taking care of me, and he loved Tillamook Cheese. Nice guy he was.

Hott Date decided to text me today. He assed out at ten without thinking. Friends and family who read this, (and don't comment...losers) please raise your hand and tell the class what my biggest pet peeve and irritant is?

Punctuality and Accountability?

A+ Dear, A+.

We'll see how this goes.

Currently I'm indulging in my daily news obsession. The years of doing debate have held up in it's habits and here I sit. I'm really interested in a current article I'm reading and I may post about it in a bit.

Anyways, TGIFriday!

Oh wait, I still have no life and no friends.

Bummer.

20 days till I see my loves, Mesa & Moge. Why don't you guys come in a Utah version?

<3shan