Week 12

I really ought to take notes on what I do throughout the week because by the time we get to the end of it, I've forgotten half of what happened. I can share a few small things this week though.

Sheri Dew said hi to me this week. She was coming out of a meeting with Large-and-in-Charge. Afterwards he said she was really intimidating. I was surprised, since everyone says she is so nice, and I said so. He said she's amazing and she makes him "feel loved and appreciated and intimidated all at once." That is a strange combination, but I believe him.

I really like Large-and-in-Charge. I felt below the notice of our last director, but the new one greets me by name and asks how I am doing, which is nice. He also stresses me out a lot less. Also, I help with his calendar which tells you a little more about a person. He comes in early and works long hours, but he always blocks out his home time so that he leaves on time to be with his family, which I think is really great.

Big Announcement: I have a desk! Okay, so it's not really my desk, but I have the run of a cubicle with a giant desk now. The reason for this is that my friend and part-time supervisor, Gretchen, finally had her baby. I'm really happy for her, but I'm also slightly terrified, because it means that I am now in charge of doing her job. She's trained me really well though, and her bosses have said that I can make mistakes and ask as many questions as I need, which is very comforting.

I also have a funny story for you, courtesy of my primary class (names have been changed):
Jimmy, one of the boys in my class, loves to talk. He could talk the whole time if I let him. This time he raised his and said "Can I tell you just one thing?" I kind of know where this is going, but I give him a chance because I want the kids to feel loved. Sure enough, this one thing is a story that seems to have no direction. It started off with him puking a lot and then running into his uncle at the hospital. After about two minutes, I gently interrupt him and ask, "Does this story have to do with our lesson, Jimmy?" He looks at me, his brow furrowed deep in concern, "Nooo....but...." I had to smile at his expression, but I tried to convince him to leave his story until the end of class. Then Eva, who is a real firecracker, puts her hand over his mouth and orders sternly: "Don't leave it until next class. Leave it until you're dead."   I probably shouldn't have let her get away with that, but I was too busy trying not to laugh and to get the kids involved in the lesson. Oh, eight-year-olds are priceless.

I also had a mini-epiphany this week at institute that I can share with you: We always talk about  how the family is essential to the Plan of Salvation. I don't think that's quite right. The family doesn't support the Plan of Salvation, the Plan of Salvation exists to support the family--the family of God.

That's it for this week. I hope you are all doing well. I love you!

Week 11

I feel like I didn't do anything this week, but in reality I just did thousands of small things that add up to consume a lot of time. I don't mind doing them, but if you are trying to work on something that takes extended thought (like writing), getting derailed every two minutes makes it impossible.

Here are some of the things I did this week:

• Institute
• Explain that I only deliver mail, not pick it up, so it's not my fault if it goes to the wrong place nor do I know how to fix the problem.
• Move eight boxes (not reams, boxes) of paper.
• Deliver a case of tissues.
• Use the maintenance elevator in 3 different buildings.
• Schedule about 30 meetings (we finally fixed the calendar problems!)
• Work on a memory book for the previous director
• Interview one writer and finally write their bio.
• Nag one more writer--I finally got a response!
• Avoid answering the phone because I'm still afraid people will ask questions I don't know the answer to or I will drop the call.
• Get lost in City Creek Mall while trying to run an errand.
• Find a phone case that is both cheap, indestructible, sleek, and "not zippy." (The director's last phone shattered when he dropped it, so we're trying to protect our new investment).
• Practice processing resignations and re-entering them as empty positions.
• Process receipts.
• Celebrate that my companion's cancer was miraculously removed when it was first discovered.
• Work on a puzzle...more on this to come. =)
• Tease Ringo about his new haircut.
• Take a VIP tour of the tabernacle with my district and the producer of all MoTab performances. Did you know there is a Native American buried underneath? They discovered him/her while doing renovations and the Ute tribe requested that the person be replaced and then built over. I think that makes for a pretty cool burial site, personally. They can listen to MoTab practice. Also, the organ in the Tabernacle has over 11,000 pipes. For comparison, the one in the Conference Center has more power but has only 7,000 pipes. We got to see all the recording rooms and things. The sound studio is specially built to remove excess sound and so its only connection to the rest of the building is by sitting on a styrofoam platform.
• Juggle meetings
• Become a companion study leader (making me the official boss of companion study instead of the sheepish but impatient unofficial one).
• Create a powerpoint for an employee meeting that I don't attend because it is on Wednesdays.
• Schedule about three meetings at 3:30 AM instead of PM and have to reschedule them because people know exactly what I meant but don't like the way it shows on their calendars.

Sometimes when I am tired I get discouraged. Fall is my favorite season and it is hard to go to Salt Lake every day when I know school is in session. I've been a full time student until now, and I love learning, so it is hard to do something new. As the weather gets colder I also miss my comfy school clothes more. I miss jeans. A lot. I kind of had a minor emotional breakdown because I had to buy winter church shoes and I don't want to wear them. There's nothing wrong with the shoes, I just wanted more casual ones.

Despite the little difficulties, I also know that I am where I am supposed to be. I don't really understand why, but I feel at peace with where I am and what I am doing. I may not be serving a traditional mission, but I am still serving the Lord, and I am just as valuable in his sight.

Week 10- Big Changes, I Spy Traffic, and Two of my Favorite Things

One of the biggest things changes that happened this week was that we got a new managing director of Publishing Services. This is like getting a new CEO, and my supervisor is his assistant. So the office has been mad lately. The new director is super nice, but he also looks really stressed. I don't envy him. I would hate his job. His code name is now Large-and-in-Charge because he's as skinny as daddy but about 6'6'' tall and now is the manager of a huge department. He doesn't act like it though. He almost sounds apologetic when he asks for things. Poor man had to schedule in "thinking time" because he has so many meetings to go to. An interesting tidbit: taking this job is a lot like taking a calling. A position that important has interviews but is ultimately up to inspiration through the Presiding Bishopric.