Well hi there. It's definitely been a while. I figured that as long as I can't sleep, I might as well write a post updating you all on what's been going on.
So I quit both jobs that I had at the point in time of my last post (Bella Baby and La Jolla) and am now working at Myler Disability as a legal assistant. It sounds a lot fancier than it is. But it's full time and that's what I need right now. Myler Disability is an advocacy group for Social Security disability claims. I started out in the call center (everyone has to) but was promoted last week to hearing management! This means that I handle the clients' claims once they get their hearing scheduled. So far it's just been a lot of training, but I already like it better than the call center. Because let's face it: call centers suck.
So that's pretty much what's new with me. Other than that I think I've become pretty boring. Oh I guess I've had a few photo shoots lately...that's been fun. I shot my first solo wedding, and it was great! It probably won't be up on the blog for a while though, cause I'm swamped! But keep checking :)
http://kristinaileenphotography.blogspot.com/
Hans is just working as usual. He'll be starting grad school in the fall at BYU and he said he's excited to be able to not work and just focus on school. So hopefully this new job ends up being something I really like, because I'm gonna have to be the money maker for the next couple of years!
Other than that, we're planning a vacation for our anniversary week in August. We'll be going to Vegas and got a sweet hookup on a hotel thanks to my parents' time share trade. I'm super excited, but mostly just because it means no work and lots of sleeping in for a whole week!
That's pretty much it for us right now. Although I am anxiously awaiting the sale of my parents' house, which is currently on the market. The sooner they sell, the sooner they can move out here, which I'm so excited for :) For one, I haven't seen them on a consistent basis for like 6 years (I know that's what grown-up life is like, but seriously...it's kind of crazy!) and for two, when we move in with them I won't have any sleeping problems due to people watching loud movies ;)
6.12.2012
3.19.2012
Think Twice
Hello. So for any of you who don't know (or who didn't notice my facebook status), my purse got stolen this past Saturday. It was stolen from a room that was supposed to be locked outside of the laser tag arena at Nickel City. You see, when you go to play laser tag, you are taken into the room where you get your gun/vest and the attendant tells you to leave your stuff under the rack that you take your vest from. They tell you this every time. They tell you this because they then proceed to lock the door and stay in that room until your game is over. Unfortunately for me, the girl that was running laser tag that night was apparently a complete idiot and let some girls in to look for their "cigarettes" in the middle of our game. After they looked, they took my purse. I can only hope that girl was fired for her idiocy. But the point of this post is not whose fault it was or how it played out. The point is, there are some people out there who think that stealing is a good idea. I could not tell you why they think that. Maybe they grew up in such a situation where stealing was not demonized as it should be. Maybe they are trying to impress friends. Maybe they desperately need money for whatever reason. Maybe they just have no soul. I really don't know. But when you steal something, think about this: how will that affect the person you're stealing from? I know that if you're stealing someone's stuff, you've probably dehumanized that person anyway so as to not feel guilty. But really, consider this:
My purse contained the following:
-Keys to my car and house (including a little teddy bear keychain I got from New York when I went there with my family over Christmas break)
-My wallet (including not just my cash and bank cards, but a whole host of other cards, including my temple reccommend and a mini diploma sent to me by BYU. Also, I guarantee I'll never find another wallet like that one. It was my favorite I'd had in a long time)
-My cell phone (including many photos that I had not downloaded on to my computer; notes about photoshoots, books I wanted to read, ideas I'd had, etc.; my calendar, which is basically my brain; and all my work schedules)
-My iPod (lovingly named Fred II after my first iPod, Fred, who died of natural causes)
-Various lipsticks, chapsticks, and a necklace that I had just rediscovered
-And last and possibly worst, my camera (which I had owned for seven years, which contained recently-taken photos, and which I could still take better photos with than most people can with their fancy new cameras, even though it was so old and only 6 megapixels. It was the best point and shoot ever. That was my FIRST digital camera. Knowing I'm a photographer, equate that to me losing a beloved pet.)
So, aside from looking at the actual items stolen (amounting to over $1000 worth in losses), look at the memories that were stolen from me. But of course, the thief never would have thought of that. Because if you are so depraved as to steal someone's belongings, then you are probably past feeling anything about anyone besides yourself. So I just wanted to say that if any of you are for some reason considering stealing something from someone, or if you are ever tempted, just take a second and think twice about it. Not only are you breaking the law. Not only are you demoralizing yourself. But you are hurting someone. And you never know how that will affect them. Luckily for me, most of those things can be replaced, and eventually, I'm sure the hurt suffered at the loss of those memories and precious things to me will heal. But say my circumstances had been different. Say that camera had been given to me by someone now gone, whose photos on that camera had been all that I'd had left of them. Maybe that's a little extreme, but you get the idea. You never know how you're hurting someone. So, thieves, wherever you are, I invite you to rethink your life choices.
And if I ever see you again in real life, you'd better be fast runners.
My purse contained the following:
-Keys to my car and house (including a little teddy bear keychain I got from New York when I went there with my family over Christmas break)
-My wallet (including not just my cash and bank cards, but a whole host of other cards, including my temple reccommend and a mini diploma sent to me by BYU. Also, I guarantee I'll never find another wallet like that one. It was my favorite I'd had in a long time)
-My cell phone (including many photos that I had not downloaded on to my computer; notes about photoshoots, books I wanted to read, ideas I'd had, etc.; my calendar, which is basically my brain; and all my work schedules)
-My iPod (lovingly named Fred II after my first iPod, Fred, who died of natural causes)
-Various lipsticks, chapsticks, and a necklace that I had just rediscovered
-And last and possibly worst, my camera (which I had owned for seven years, which contained recently-taken photos, and which I could still take better photos with than most people can with their fancy new cameras, even though it was so old and only 6 megapixels. It was the best point and shoot ever. That was my FIRST digital camera. Knowing I'm a photographer, equate that to me losing a beloved pet.)
So, aside from looking at the actual items stolen (amounting to over $1000 worth in losses), look at the memories that were stolen from me. But of course, the thief never would have thought of that. Because if you are so depraved as to steal someone's belongings, then you are probably past feeling anything about anyone besides yourself. So I just wanted to say that if any of you are for some reason considering stealing something from someone, or if you are ever tempted, just take a second and think twice about it. Not only are you breaking the law. Not only are you demoralizing yourself. But you are hurting someone. And you never know how that will affect them. Luckily for me, most of those things can be replaced, and eventually, I'm sure the hurt suffered at the loss of those memories and precious things to me will heal. But say my circumstances had been different. Say that camera had been given to me by someone now gone, whose photos on that camera had been all that I'd had left of them. Maybe that's a little extreme, but you get the idea. You never know how you're hurting someone. So, thieves, wherever you are, I invite you to rethink your life choices.
And if I ever see you again in real life, you'd better be fast runners.
3.09.2012
The value of a quiet spot.
Maybe because I grew up an only child, I never truly understood the true value of peace and quiet. Never in my life (besides when the nephews/niece came to visit) have I had to wake up to screaming children or the pounding of feet. Maybe that was a disadvantage for me...obviously I'm going to have to put up with it someday. Except I swear if my kids make enough noise to make it sound like the house is caving in, they're going to get in trouble. Because as much as I didn't realize it until now, I very much value my quiet time. This is something that I have unfortunately come to realize of late because of my utter lack of it. The most quiet time I get is when I work at the hospital in Mother/Baby (yeah, ironic that the quietest part of my day is in the section of the hospital with all the screaming babies). Today was the first day in a couple months that I've actually been woken up by my alarm instead of the sound of my ceiling being pounded to pieces, and I suspect that that was only because I've been so exhausted this week that I slept right through it, because there was the pounding about twenty or so minutes after I'd woken up. And it's not just in the morning that that happens. It's at night, too. And it's constant. Not just a couple thumps and we're done. It literally sounds like the stampede from Jumanji is running around upstairs. Since I grew up with a very low noise level, I have a hard time concentrating when there's any sort of loud noise. I could never study when there was music playing, I find it difficult to focus in a room full of chatting people, and I'm having the hardest time getting any of my book read in my current living situation. Which is a real shame, because I very much enjoy reading. I can't tell you what I would give for a comfortable, sound-proof room with a big, cushy couch and some large windows (to let in the beautiful and rarely-seen-in-my-apartment sunlight) at this current moment in time.
I swear I'm never having visitors when I get my own house (please please please let that be a not-too-distantly-in-the-future acquisition!). Or maybe I'll just have a separate guest house so they can't disturb me with their absurdly over-the-top volume.
That being said, maybe I should look at this as a blessing...so I can acclimate myself to high noise levels...for the future....
No but let's be serious. The sooner I get my own place, the better.
I swear I'm never having visitors when I get my own house (please please please let that be a not-too-distantly-in-the-future acquisition!). Or maybe I'll just have a separate guest house so they can't disturb me with their absurdly over-the-top volume.
That being said, maybe I should look at this as a blessing...so I can acclimate myself to high noise levels...for the future....
No but let's be serious. The sooner I get my own place, the better.
2.27.2012
What George eats for dinner...
So, pretty sure I had never seen anyone more famous than President Hinckley (not that that wasn't awesome) until last summer, when I saw James and Oliver Phelps (Fred and George Weasley) at Universal Studios in Orlando (see this post). Well, here we go for famous person number 2 (or 3 I guess, since Fred and George were 1 and 2).
So usually I don't work on Monday nights. However, I was scheduled tonight (Divine inspiration? Entirely possible), and when I got to work, who should I hear had a reservation there, but Jason Alexander! That's right, ladies and gentlement, this character right here:
Best known for his role as George Castanza on Seinfeld. Apparently he's in town doing some sort of acting seminar at UVU. Well, kids, I about flipped out. In fact, I did flip out. And definitely acted like a creeper for the rest of the night. He came in at 6, and I watched him go back with his little entourage to the private terrace dining area. Then, I went back to the kitchen and giggled myself silly (a ridiculous nervous reaction that I sometimes have). So then I spent the rest of the night creepin' on him through the windows and trying to get a picture from the bakery (there is a window that separates the bakery and the terrace). I did, however, get to go into the terrace to deliver food to one of his group members (thanks to my awesome manager for that one).
So around 8-ish (when I was in the bakery creepin' again), he and his entourage quickly got up from their table and made to leave. So, like a good little stalker, I went and walked out to the main dining room, trying my best to come up with a fast plan to get a picture or video as Mr. Alexander walked by. Well, as he got to the front, the server who had served his party asked if she and the managers could get a picture with him. He obliged, and I shot up to the front and leaned against the wall hopefully. And THEN, after they took their picture, I asked if I could take one of my own, since my dad is such a HUGE fan. And then he was like, "what, are you not cool enough to be in that group?" And I was like, "apparently not, haha," and then, after some height adjustment (he about came up to my shoulder), we took a picture. AND HERE IT IS:
That's right folks, I met and took a picture with freakin Jason Alexander!! KRISTIN FTW!!!! Anyways, this moment totally made my week. I kind of felt like I was living out my dad's dream (he is LITERALLY the worlds biggest Seinfeld fan. I'm not exaggerating in any sense. In fact, that's probably a gross understatement). So yeah. Freaking awesome night. Oh, and for those of you who were wondering, he had the salmon (with no sauce) and diet coke mixed with cranberry juice. So, if you want to eat like a star, come on in to La Jolla Groves and try our oven-fired salmon :D
So usually I don't work on Monday nights. However, I was scheduled tonight (Divine inspiration? Entirely possible), and when I got to work, who should I hear had a reservation there, but Jason Alexander! That's right, ladies and gentlement, this character right here:
Best known for his role as George Castanza on Seinfeld. Apparently he's in town doing some sort of acting seminar at UVU. Well, kids, I about flipped out. In fact, I did flip out. And definitely acted like a creeper for the rest of the night. He came in at 6, and I watched him go back with his little entourage to the private terrace dining area. Then, I went back to the kitchen and giggled myself silly (a ridiculous nervous reaction that I sometimes have). So then I spent the rest of the night creepin' on him through the windows and trying to get a picture from the bakery (there is a window that separates the bakery and the terrace). I did, however, get to go into the terrace to deliver food to one of his group members (thanks to my awesome manager for that one).
So around 8-ish (when I was in the bakery creepin' again), he and his entourage quickly got up from their table and made to leave. So, like a good little stalker, I went and walked out to the main dining room, trying my best to come up with a fast plan to get a picture or video as Mr. Alexander walked by. Well, as he got to the front, the server who had served his party asked if she and the managers could get a picture with him. He obliged, and I shot up to the front and leaned against the wall hopefully. And THEN, after they took their picture, I asked if I could take one of my own, since my dad is such a HUGE fan. And then he was like, "what, are you not cool enough to be in that group?" And I was like, "apparently not, haha," and then, after some height adjustment (he about came up to my shoulder), we took a picture. AND HERE IT IS:
2.21.2012
The obligatory Valentine's Day post.
Hey friends. So I'll be honest. I'm only posting about Valentine's Day to brag. Hans did an excellent job this year, and I just want to show off :)
So first of all, we had to celebrate on the 15th this year, since Hans was working on the 14th. No big, it's not like the date actually matters, it's just a fun excuse to go out and give each other stuff. So I got home from work on the 15th and hurried to get ready, since we were supposed to leave once Hans got home. Well, I get done with my shower, and what do I see when I exit the bathroom?
That's right. My cutes husband smiling at me from next to a carefully displayed vase of beautiful flowers and the BIGGEST box of chocolates I've ever seen. Seriously. It's hard to see in this picture, but here's one that I took for scale purposes:
See?? It's GINORMOUS! I was...astonished, I think is the right word. AND....this part just made my heart melt...the flowers, Hans explained, were chosen specifically because they were our wedding colors. HOW FREAKING CUTE IS THAT?!? And you think guys never think about detaily stuff like that. That's why Hans is so awesome.
So then that night, Hans took me out to Macaroni Grill (he picked, I told him I would have no part in the choice. LOVE IT.) And I had the most DELICIOUS meal of my life. I THINK it was called Chicken Scallopini. But I can't really remember. But in any case, it was delicious, and I reccommend it to ALL OF YOU.
Soooo yeah. It was pretty great. Oh and then afterwards, we went to play laser tag with some friends, which is a new weekly hobby that we recently discovered. It was actually kind of funny...Hans's friend texted him to see if we wanted to laser tag as usual that night, and Hans (being ever so thoughtful) texted me to see if I wanted to, since it was "Valentine's Day" and all...and I honestly did, so I told him yes. And this, he informs me, is why he likes me so much...because I'll go play laser tag with him on Valentine's Day :) True love.
And now I will leave you with more photos of my giant box of chocolate. I hope you can tell how excited I am about it. I'm not even halfway through eating it. (Not to mention the box of Belgian chocolate I got from my dad...I'm such a lucky girl :) )
So first of all, we had to celebrate on the 15th this year, since Hans was working on the 14th. No big, it's not like the date actually matters, it's just a fun excuse to go out and give each other stuff. So I got home from work on the 15th and hurried to get ready, since we were supposed to leave once Hans got home. Well, I get done with my shower, and what do I see when I exit the bathroom?
That's right. My cutes husband smiling at me from next to a carefully displayed vase of beautiful flowers and the BIGGEST box of chocolates I've ever seen. Seriously. It's hard to see in this picture, but here's one that I took for scale purposes:
See?? It's GINORMOUS! I was...astonished, I think is the right word. AND....this part just made my heart melt...the flowers, Hans explained, were chosen specifically because they were our wedding colors. HOW FREAKING CUTE IS THAT?!? And you think guys never think about detaily stuff like that. That's why Hans is so awesome.
Beautifulllllll!! And they really are light purple. I know they look pink. But they're not.
So then that night, Hans took me out to Macaroni Grill (he picked, I told him I would have no part in the choice. LOVE IT.) And I had the most DELICIOUS meal of my life. I THINK it was called Chicken Scallopini. But I can't really remember. But in any case, it was delicious, and I reccommend it to ALL OF YOU.
Soooo yeah. It was pretty great. Oh and then afterwards, we went to play laser tag with some friends, which is a new weekly hobby that we recently discovered. It was actually kind of funny...Hans's friend texted him to see if we wanted to laser tag as usual that night, and Hans (being ever so thoughtful) texted me to see if I wanted to, since it was "Valentine's Day" and all...and I honestly did, so I told him yes. And this, he informs me, is why he likes me so much...because I'll go play laser tag with him on Valentine's Day :) True love.
And now I will leave you with more photos of my giant box of chocolate. I hope you can tell how excited I am about it. I'm not even halfway through eating it. (Not to mention the box of Belgian chocolate I got from my dad...I'm such a lucky girl :) )
2.18.2012
A note on restaurant service
Dear world,
Let me just start out by saying this: if you cannot afford to tip your server, then you cannot afford to eat out. Go eat at Burger King, Tabo Bell, Zupa's, or Costa Vida, where tipping is not necessary.
Now that we've covered the basics, let me explain how to tip, since obviously, a lot of you have forgotten. The STANDARD for tipping is 15%. That means that if your server is STANDARD, you should give them 15%. If your server is, in any way, above average (say, extra friendly, gives you good recommendations, refills your drinks, etc.), you should tip them 20% or more. ONLY if your server is INCREDIBLY below average should you tip 10%. And by this, I mean that your server either COMPLETELY ignored your, or very obviously spit in your food for no other reason than that they felt like being an idiot to you. If your food took a long time, NINE TIMES OUT OF TEN, it was NOT your server's fault. DO NOT penalize them for this. Most of the time, they are in the kitchen, trying their hardest to get your food out to you faster. IN ABSOLUTELY NO CIRCUMSTANCE should you EVER tip your server under 10%. You might think you're making a statement, but let me tell you what you're ACTUALLY doing. You are SCREWING OVER YOUR SERVER'S LIFE. In case any of you don't know, servers make approximately TWO DOLLARS an hour. That's not even a THIRD of minimum wage. In other words, SERVERS RELY ON TIPS. So when you think you're being smart by not leaving any sort of tip, or leaving your pocket change, you are not only RUINING that server's night, you are also WASTING THEIR TIME, because they could have spent that time they spent on you taking care of another table that actually knows how to tip. So next time you go out to dinner, think to yourself before hand, "Hmm, do I have the money to leave a decent tip for my server?" If not, rethink your decision to dine at a restaurant, and maybe go pick up some Lean Cuisine from the grocery store. Thanks.
Much love,
Kristin
Let me just start out by saying this: if you cannot afford to tip your server, then you cannot afford to eat out. Go eat at Burger King, Tabo Bell, Zupa's, or Costa Vida, where tipping is not necessary.
Now that we've covered the basics, let me explain how to tip, since obviously, a lot of you have forgotten. The STANDARD for tipping is 15%. That means that if your server is STANDARD, you should give them 15%. If your server is, in any way, above average (say, extra friendly, gives you good recommendations, refills your drinks, etc.), you should tip them 20% or more. ONLY if your server is INCREDIBLY below average should you tip 10%. And by this, I mean that your server either COMPLETELY ignored your, or very obviously spit in your food for no other reason than that they felt like being an idiot to you. If your food took a long time, NINE TIMES OUT OF TEN, it was NOT your server's fault. DO NOT penalize them for this. Most of the time, they are in the kitchen, trying their hardest to get your food out to you faster. IN ABSOLUTELY NO CIRCUMSTANCE should you EVER tip your server under 10%. You might think you're making a statement, but let me tell you what you're ACTUALLY doing. You are SCREWING OVER YOUR SERVER'S LIFE. In case any of you don't know, servers make approximately TWO DOLLARS an hour. That's not even a THIRD of minimum wage. In other words, SERVERS RELY ON TIPS. So when you think you're being smart by not leaving any sort of tip, or leaving your pocket change, you are not only RUINING that server's night, you are also WASTING THEIR TIME, because they could have spent that time they spent on you taking care of another table that actually knows how to tip. So next time you go out to dinner, think to yourself before hand, "Hmm, do I have the money to leave a decent tip for my server?" If not, rethink your decision to dine at a restaurant, and maybe go pick up some Lean Cuisine from the grocery store. Thanks.
Much love,
Kristin
2.13.2012
Yay Hans!
So Hans just got accepted into BYU's school psychology grad program! I'm so ridiculously happy for him, I knew he could do it! At this point we're just waiting to hear back from U of U, because that's our other top choice, but as of now, we at least have some sort of a plan! ...which is much better than having a wishy washy plan and like 10 back-up plans haha :) Anyways, short post. But I am so, so, SO proud of my amazing Hansy. YAY!!
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