-Poke-

Psst...hey, remember me?
I'm the used-to-be blogger who started this site with the idea that I'd be able to make my random thoughts and adventures available to anyone who cared to read them.
After going on hiatus for about three months, I'm back.
And I'm writing.
Here's a little taste of what I've been up to....

Graduated from college.
Had a birthday.
Got a job at a broadcast station in Salt Lake.
Ran a crazy relay race from Logan to Park City.
Got myself a husband.
Moved into a basement apartment.
Got some awesome presents.
Cooked my first pot roast...all by myself.
Started getting into cycling.

Yes, pot roast is a big deal for me. It's my first culinary triumph as a housewife. Don't judge me.
Anyway, I've been reading my good friend's blog and realized that I haven't been doing nearly as much writing as I should be.
I'll try once again to get back into this. I just felt like I had to make this post so I have some excuse for my long absence.

Trip to Zion

I went on a trip to Zion this weekend. It was fantastic. I got to go
on some of my favorite hikes and not wear makeup for two days. Oh, the
good life.

Life lesson #56

Never use liquid detergent in a dishwasher.

Because no matter how small the amount, it WILL cause a flood in your kitchen.

Don't worry, I've already done it once before. I just felt the need to remind myself of it again today. I figured if I used a smaller amount of liquid soap, the dishwasher wouldn't overflow like it did last time. I even rolled up a small hand towel to stuff under the door of the dishwasher and turned it on the short cycle, just to be safe while testing it out.

But, a few minutes later, I returned to the kitchen and found it looking much like a bubble bath.

oops...

On the bright side, I can check "mop kitchen floor" off my to-do list.

The last question.

It's the question that few people think to prepare for in a job interview. Or maybe I'm the only one that forgets about it...

Perhaps it's because you've already spent so much time preparing your answers to the typical job interview questions: "Why do you want to work here?", "What's your greatest weakness?", "What kind of experience do you have?", etc...and you don't think about that ever-so-important last question.

Perhaps it's because you're already so confident that you'll get the job, you don't think that last question will mean much when all is said and done.

Perhaps it's because you expect to walk in there and astonish them so much with your brand new professional attire and charming demeanor that they'll just hand you the job before you even have to answer the first question.

And then, sitting in that chair in your well-cooked state, having endured 15-20 minutes of grilling...the interviewer shuffles his papers and says,

"Do you have any questions for me?"

Crap.

You frantically start racking your brain for one last shred of creativity and intelligence that will mask the fact that you didn't do your homework. You don't know enough about the company to ask an intelligent question with regards to the position your interviewing for or the infrastructure of the company as a whole. So you timidly offer some weak, nuts-and-bolts question about the hiring process or the shifts you'd be working.

The interviewer peers over the rims of his glasses with a look that could burn holes in your skin. It's the look that says, "You've just made my job so much easier. Thank you for making a complete fool of yourself." He calmly answers your question and then waits to see if you'll think of something better to say. But you can't.

Way to go, tiger.

He stands up and shows you to the door, tells you he'll make a decision by the beginning of next week, and sends you and your mangled ego out into the cold, rainy day.

It's that last question that makes all the difference.

A long time comin'

So, there's this documentary that I've been working on with my dear friend Kim...
and it's ALMOST DONE!!!

(Remember that time I went to Ghana? Well, this is what we went there for.)

The film is about a project to bring light to children who don't have electricity by installing electricity-generating merry-go-rounds at their schools. The electricity from the merry-go-round charges LED lanterns that the children can take home and use for nighttime studying.

It's titled "A Turn for Ghana: Bringing Light to the Children of Africa." We're premiering it on the 25th at BYU. The invites have been sent out. The final touch-ups are being made to the film before we burn it to a DVD. I've got my outfit all picked out and ready to go. And I have to say this is by far the most challenging/rewarding project I have ever worked on.

Kim and I have put in well over 300 hours in planning, writing, interviewing, traveling, and editing. I've laughed, I've cried, and sometimes I've just gotten downright frustrated with it all. But I wouldn't trade it for the world. I've learned how to use a new type of editing software (mostly through trial and error), I've become a much better scriptwriter, I've become a better interviewer, I've learned new editing techniques to make the story flow, I've learned how to edit and use music to add emotion to a story, I've become better organized while keeping track of production tasks...I could go on.

This has been my full-time job for the past three months, and I'm not getting paid to do it. I've hardly noticed, though, because it's been so much fun. It's been a long time coming, but I've loved the experience.

I think I might cry when it's finished...

No Pork Burrito for Kellie

The line was too long...I wonder how many new Twitter accounts were created last night for that pork burrito. Some people will do anything for free food...especially college students.

Was I disappointed? Well, maybe a little. But it was nothing a plate of fully-loaded chicken nachos from a less-crowded Mexican restaurant couldn't fix. I was quite satisfied.

I think I'll keep the Twitter account, though. I'm actually enjoying it.

Twitter

I just joined Twitter.

I've been considering it for a while...but, to be honest, the tipping point was the free Costa Vida pork burrito for anyone who starts following Costa Vida on Twitter. I'm a sucker for those sweet, cheesy, smothered heaps of goodness.

Within five minutes of creating my account I had received 69 tweets from the 11 people I was following, and three people had started following me. In another five minutes, I had posted three tweets and another person had started following me. And two people had sent me personalized messages.

Next I installed twhirl so I can twitter from my desktop.

Then I installed Twitterrific on my iPhone so I can twitter from there too.

And if that wasn't enough, I then installed the Twitter app for my facebook page so that my facebook status automatically syncs with my Twitter feed.

I've been bombarded with a constant stream of twitter updates and new information. All in less than 15 minutes.

And all because of a Costa Vida pork burrito.

Welcome to the Revolution.

Job Hunt

Enter.
Inquire.
Apply.
Submit.

Wait...

I've been through this process several times now. Most times I don't get past the inquiry part because no one is hiring. But in the rare case that someone is, I'm all over that application.

But now the application is out of my hands, and in the hands of the employers. Hopefully the Kellie that is portrayed in "application" form is impressive enough for them to want to interview me in person.

New Year's Resolutions

Some of my loyal blog readers have pointed out that I've been slacking on my posts. This is true. I was just shocked to find out I still have loyal blog readers. So, in honor of the new year (though it's already a month and six days old), I've resolved to be more consistent in posting the Stuff of my thoughts...

Speaking of New Year's resolutions...I've set a few for myself. However I fear I was not very committed to some of them throughout January, so I'm re-resolving them for the month of February:

1) Clean my room - I'm not talking about just straightening it up from time to time. I'm talking about a full-blown attack on all the junk I've accumulated over 3 1/2 years of living in Provo. I'm no longer saving every sheet of notes from Physical Science 100. I'm not keeping any more boxes from old cell phones I don't use anymore. I'm getting rid of all those sweaters in the back of my closet that I keep thinking I'm going to wear and then never actually do. Oh, and all those packet readings from American Heritage? Gone.

2) Exercise - Yes, I know that seems overbroad. Perhaps I should specify that I want to improve my cardiovascular fitness. Looking at me now, you probably wouldn't guess that I've run two marathons. I've let my endurance slip to virtually zero. This became dreadfully apparent on Monday when I decided to go out for a little jaunt and found myself walking after only a half mile. I knew my condition was bad; I just didn't know it was THAT bad.

Previously, my excuses for not running were these: a) the cold air hurts my throat, b) I need new running shoes but can't afford them, and c) I don't have time. One by one, those excuses have been eliminated. Because I'm done with school and have not been successful in finding a job yet, I have plenty of time to get out and run. And in conjunction with this, I now have the option of running in the afternoon when it's warmer, therefore I can run without feeling like I'm swallowing a razor blade every time I inhale. And just last Monday, I bit the bullet and bought new shoes.

See? No excuses.

So I've started running again. It's a love-hate relationship for me right now. I can't say that I've been fully re-converted to the sport. But something inside me won't let me stop. Not to mention people outside of me won't let me stop, either. Every time I walk out of my room in the morning and see my sister's running shoes sitting by the front door, I know she's been running and I think to myself, "If running is good enough for my sister, it's certainly good enough for me." Every time I want to give up and just admit that running isn't "my thing," my boyfriend starts talking about the run he did at the gym earlier that day and how good it makes him feel to get that exercise. And I think to myself, "I want to feel that post-exercise satisfaction, too." And now, every time I see my new red-and-white running shoes sitting by the front door, I think to myself, "I'm the only one who can determine whether or not I enjoy this. I might as well make the best of it."