If you have a spare 31 minutes (and 42 seconds)

Or even if you don't. Just listen.

And while you're at it you could listen to the second one down. And if you like it, maybe even this.

Conversation of the Day

The day isn’t over yet, but this has been my favorite conversation of the day so far. I was listening to an album a friend recommended while IMing my thoughts about it.

Me: Where have I heard Magalenha? SO familiar.
AB: Probably the last time you were in Brazil.
Me: That was the perfect response.

In related news, I was bopping along to that song a bit later, without fully realizing that I was chair dancing (remember how I'm afraid the rhythm will take me over?), when my boss was suddenly behind me tapping on my desk.

Busted.

And awkward.

Nice to See You Again

I've been thinking of some things I want to share with you, Internet. Life's been a bit frantic for the past while, but I've taken notes (literally) as these tidbits have popped into brain.

You're welcome.

+I spent a lot of time in PowerPoint this week. Too much time. As I was trying to make my slides more visually appealing (or "sexify" them as one co-worker called it) I remembered that at one point in my life I wanted to go into graphic design. I'm completely void of creativity so I'm not quite sure why I ever got this idea into my head. The end.

+Dilemma: I hate answering my desk phone when I don't know who is calling (caller ID only gets me so far) but I equally hate having unheard voicemail. They show up in my email inbox and my OCD kicks in. I received four VMs within 20 minutes on Wednesday and my head nearly exploded.

+I worked close to 20 hours in one day earlier this week. A new personal record and one that I wish I hadn't broken. But when I got to thinking about it I thought "Maybe I should consider rocking a few "Power Days" a week and then taking the rest off". And then I realized there are people who do that and they're called doctors.

+On Wednesday all I ate was four bags of chips. FOUR BAGS. Here's how something so ridiculous happened....

Lunch was ordered in for us during one of our three big client presentations, but since I was one of two presenters I couldn't eat during the meeting. After it was over I went to get food and the tuna sandwich was my only option. No big deal. I've been known eat tuna on occasion. But when I got back to my desk I realized that real tuna is different than canned tuna. I tried two bites, saw some weird things, and just couldn't do it. Thus, two bags of chips for lunch.

We ended up working very late that night as well. Around 9pm I went scavenging for food and found two leftover bags of chips in the conference room.

Chips for lunch and dinner. Being and adult is fun.

+Remember when the Internet was called "The Net"? I'm thinking about bringing it back. Tonight I used "surfing The Net" in a sentence.

+I ate Skittles & Diet Coke for dinner one night (are you concerned about my health yet?) and by 8:30 I was feeling kind of sick. I announced, "Guys, I've eaten so much candy I'm to the point where I just want to go brush my teeth." They didn't know what to do with that one. Sometimes I forget that my co-workers know a slightly less spastic version of me.

+A co-worker received a demo CD from an aspiring musician cab driver earlier this week so we played it while we were slaving away one night. I wish I could play it for you right now because it would make your night. Trust me. With lyrics like "I want to go to Australia. Shrimps on the barbie, chicks on the beach." you really can't go wrong.

+This morning I almost missed my bus stop because I was asleep. I don't know what made me think sleeping on the bus was a good idea when I continue to sleep through three alarms in the morning. Especially with headphones in to block out noise and my narcolepsy as a passenger in any vehicle, any time of day.

+Warning: This is a bathroom story. (Side note: I think of SO MANY things to post about while in the bathroom. Be grateful for the restraint I exercise in not posting 98% of them.)

I have a favorite bathroom stall. Is that strange? I don't really think so. But today when I tried to hit up my fave I was met with a kid that was left at the pool. Are you picking up what I'm laying down?

First of all, gross.
Second of all, are we two years old?

Regardless, my first reaction turn around and use another stall. Then I thought, what if I pretend I never saw the kid left at the pool, use another stall and then run into someone as I'm leaving who then tries to use my favorite stall, sees the kid left at the pool and thinks it was me? This was simply a risk I could not take so I sent the kid home.

I guess that's what happens when you care about what other people think of you. And your bathroom etiquette.

+I had a work event this evening and afterward met some friends for dinner a few blocks away. As I was walking to the restaurant I met a homeless man on the street. He told me to have a good evening and I smiled at him. He then said, "Oh! I got the dimples. Pretty dimples." Why is it that I can't manage to get a compliment from anyone other than old men on the bus or homeless men on the street?

+Tomorrow is Friday. I get to see Brandi Carlile for free. I can sleep in on Saturday. Next week is a three day week. All is well.

Glen, I'll see you soon.

PS - How awesome would that be to be waiting in line for a show and have the performer come out into the street and play for you?

Answer: Super awesome.

Ever the Optimist

AS: "Ahhh...I think I see a light at the end of the tunnel!"
Me: "I'll believe it when I see it tomorrow. My dreams have already been shattered once this week."


But can you blame me? It's nearly Midnight, I'm just finishing up at the office and I've already worked 47 hours this week. It's only Wednesday.

Yup. I'll believe it when I see it.

Here's my heart, O take and seal it

I heard this version of the song today on a TV show* and fell in love. Immediately.



*Just when I thought FNL couldn't get any better. It did.

Conversation of the Day

Chats McGee resurfaced this evening!

Chats McGee: Dude, are you at work?
Me: Sure am.
CM: Nice, that's bad ass.
Me: I wasn't considering myself very bad ass tonight, but now I will!
CM: You kidding? That's money, I'm this close to getting dressed and coming into work. That's how bad ass it is.
Me: Well, all the cool kids ARE doing it.
CM: I KNOW, which is why I feel conflicted for not being there, cause I "thought" I was one of the cool kids. Going to go contemplate. Okay, get back to work, otherwise you'll lose your street cred.
CM: (really high right now)
CM: (your street cred I mean, not me)
Me: Thanks for clarifying...I was curious, but I’m too "busy" working to contemplate your drug use.

Rehab

I previously mentioned how my cat is into eating things he shouldn't. It started out innocently enough with a few hair ties here and there. Sometimes a drawstring on a hoodie. And maybe yesterday when I went to put on my Chucks I could only lace them through half of the holes and then tie on a gnawed off piece of shoelace to another piece so it was long enough to tie.

Those things are kind of understandable. Cats play with strings and all of those things are string-like. Do most cats full-on EAT the strings they play with? Probably not. But we already knew that Max was "special" in so many ways. (Do I need to remind you that he CHEWS GUM?)

Tonight things got out of hand.

Exhibit A:That's Lindsay and that's her half-eaten shirt. I think he's addicted to cotton.

Anyone know of a good kitty rehab?

Confession.

I just listened to John Mayer’s new CD on Rhapsody.

But rest assured, I didn’t enjoy it.

Miracles Do Exist

Today is my lucky day. I decided to grab some M&Ms from the vending machine, you know, for dinner (don’t judge me) and a miracle happened. Possibly even 1.5 miracles.

I put in my dollar and the screen flashed “$1.00”, acknowledging my offering. As I punched in E8 I held my breath, like I always do, hoping that they wouldn’t get stuck. (Side note: Did I ever post about the time my M&Ms got stuck and I had to coerce a co-worker into helping me shake the vending machine? And as we were hitting it we failed to remember that anyone coming or going on the elevator could see us through the glass. Oopsy daisy.)

But back to today.

I held my breath and watched as the package started slowing down. It was on the verge of being stuck. But I was quick on my feet this time and shook the machine before the package had time to settle in to the stuck position. Miracle 0.5.

After I pulled my delicious dinner from the machine I reached into the coin drop for my change. None to be found. I hit the change return. Nothing. As I started to walk away, the screen caught my eye. It was still lit up with “$1.00”.

Do you see where I’m going with this?

I turned around and walked back to the machine and punched E6, because why not? And lo and behold a package of Peanut M&Ms began to descend. And (there’s more!) I got my 25 cents in change back!

Miracle, I tell you.

I’m saving the miracle package of M&Ms for a rainy day. Or for later this week (read: tomorrow) when I’m working late again and need dinner.

Today's Lesson

This evening Lindsay and I were discussing some of the frustrations we've experienced over the last few days. As the conversation was winding down I let out a sigh of defeat to which she replied, "Life was easier when we didn't have friends".

She has a point.

Nevers

I've been known to frequent Dooce.com. And today she posted a question from her community that asked people what their three "nevers" are in life. I read through some of the responses and a few of them made me laugh out loud.

• Never eat meat from a gas station.
• Never chop up fruits and vegetables in the kitchen while you are naked.
• Never date a guy who shows up to your house in an El Camino. If he can't make a commitment between a car or a truck what hope do you really have?

I actually don't have experience with any of these situations, but I've taken note.

My Repair

For some reason I've felt the need to put this song on repeat today.

Lists: Better Than an Eating Disorder

When my life gets a little crazy, I find that making a good list helps me feel like I have control over something. Some people choose eating disorders to gain control. I choose lists. (That wasn't funny, was it?)

+I'm ridiculously behind on TV. And when I say behind I mean that I just don't watch it. I know, I know...my priorities are completely out of whack. But have no fear, Grey's Anatomy is something there is always time for.

+I have a new bus boyfriend. One day I'll tell him. For now he'll just be known as "Cute Bus Boy Who Reads". Maybe my standards are low, but I'm impressed by a man that reads for fun.

+Halloween. It happened. I was stressed for days about figuring out a costume and where did all the stress get me? Nowhere. Finally Farah and I decided to be zombie-ish things (an hour after the party had started) but after Cara did my eye make-up the plan changed and I decided to go as an olive. AN OLIVE. Oh boy. To make matters worse, I never took off the half-way finished zombie-ish make-up. So not only was I an olive (Really? An olive?!) but I guess in the end I was a zombie olive.

I know I like to embarrass myself here, but don't be expecting me to post any photos of the disaster. Although, there is one on Facebook and I've been debating for two days about whether or not to untag myself...

Moral of the story: Better luck next year.

+I might have to stop eating M&Ms and/or Skittles because my OCD kicks in and I feel like a crazy person. It's as if the earth might explode if I eat two greens and only one orange. Clearly it would be necessary to even it up with another orange. Even numbers are my friend...and yours.

+A month ago I had a brief love affair with Veronica Mars and watched all three seasons in two weeks. People have been telling me for at least two years that I would love it, but I resisted. And I was shown the error of my ways. Logan was a dreamboat. Albeit an awkward dreamboat.

+I've only seen 1.5 episodes this season, but The Biggest Loser still makes me cry.

+My bus takes a new route on the way to work and instead of driving down 2nd Ave, we take 3rd Ave. It's amazing the difference one block can make, because YIKES. The crazies rock Third Avenue bright and early. It's almost enough to make me stop sleeping on the bus. Almost.

+Emily spent a few days in Seattle and I wish she would just move here already. If she did I would never be short on laughter in my life.

+My job has been on the stressful side lately and I'm not the expert at dealing with stress. One might say I'm a novice. Today I let life get to me and had a mid-afternoon breakdown in the bathroom. No crying involved; just some deep breathing and talking to myself. The usual. But after that I decided that I needed some spiritual uplifting and went to Institute. Definitely a good choice, but unfortunately I wasn't able to escape all that I had hoped.

+I got my haircut on Saturday and I think it might be safe to say, for the first time in nearly a year, that it's not too short. Let's see how long this "growing it out" phase lasts.

+My cat eats all kinds of strings. Shoelaces, drawstrings on pants and his all-time favorite is a hair-tie. Twice I have pulled a tank top out of my laundry basked to find that an entire strap had been eaten. It's a problem.

+I might be complaining about my few weeks of stress but lots of fun things have been happening as well. Maybe I'll rock a photo post in the near future. If you're lucky.

Still Bad at Halloween

Last year after Halloween I made a commitment to step up my game in 2009. I believe my exact words were, "I'm committing now to have a brilliant costume in 2009. Check back with me next year and I'll let you know how it goes."

No need to check in after the holiday because I can tell you right now how it's going to go. Let's just say brilliant is not the word I would use to describe my non-existent costume. Why is this such a struggle for me?!

I did have one idea and tonight when I asked a friend how bad this idea was on a scale of 1 to 10, with 10 being the Worst Idea Ever, the response I got was, "Well...". Apparently I scored a 10.

I still have a couple days for genius to strike, but I'm not holding my breath.

This has been in my head since I woke up this morning. Eight and a half hours on repeat in my brain is enough to drive me crazy.

I would like to know who is responsible for even showing me this in the first place.

And why is it a banana?

I Can't Help It

I hate to break this to you, but my niece and nephew are cuter than yours. There, I said it. It feels good to get that out in the open.
William has gained enough weight to have a double chin!

He's just providing a little bit of comfort to his sister.

And Elizabeth rocks one leg out of the blankets like I do. I think we're going to get along just fine.

Inside Out

There was a time a few years ago when I was living out of boxes. I had graduated from BYU the year prior and Tatum, Ranya and I moved from our lovely two bedroom to a four bedroom on the West side of town. (Side Note: Looking back, I have no idea why we moved. Sure, in the new place we each got our own room, but I know for a fact Tatum LOVED sharing a room with me, especially when I made her read her scriptures out loud to me at night. You know, since she was doing it anyway.) I had been commuting 90 miles each day to Salt Lake City and back for six months and right as we were moving I decided that I was tired of the drive and wanted to move to Salt Lake (Insert boy drama in Provo that I wanted to get away from and the opportunity to live with Lindsay, current roommate extraordinaire).

This was an awesome decision to make after just signing a year-long contract.

But I had made the decision and felt like it was the right thing to do so I went through the process of trying to find someone to buy my contract. I was looking for someone to take my place immediately and didn't know when I'd have to pack up and leave, so I just never unpacked to begin with. This brings me back to where I started.

There was a time a few years ago when I was living out of boxes.

And I was getting up early due to a 60+ minute commute and, still being fairly new to the job, I was adhering to an 8:00 or 8:30 start time (as opposed to the 9:15 start time I was rocking when I left). It was early and it was dark and everything was in boxes and for some reason I rarely bothered to turn on any lights while I was getting ready.

One day I ran into my kooky supervisor (She could be the subject of another post all on her own. One quick tidbit: she had a vest and matching socks for nearly every holiday.) and she made a comment about me getting dressed in the dark. I was almost always confused when she tried to make jokes so I gave her a courtesy laugh and said, “Actually, I usually do get dressed in the dark.” To which she replied that she could believe it because my sweater was on inside out.

An embarrassing moment made even worse by the fact that I needed fashion advice from a woman who wore holiday vests. Not as a joke.

Luckily I had arrived early enough that she was one of the few people who had seen me that day, but that didn't really matter because, in true Stephanie style, I told the story that day to anyone who would listen (and even those who weren't listening).

I mean, why keep all the fun to myself?

And now I’m sharing with you. You’re welcome.

Brandi Day

Brandi Carlile's new album, Give Up the Ghost, came out today. You should buy it.

No, seriously. It's insanely good.

There's only one song on it that I'm even tempted to skip (but I don't) and according to Cara all you need is a repeat button and a box of tissues and you're golden.

I was at Easy Street Records picking up a copy tonight after work when I ran into a friend who lives in the neighborhood. She asked me what I was doing, I explained that it was Brandi Day and she said, "Wait, haven't you been listening to a bootlegged copy for the last week?". She was correct, but of course I still needed to have the real deal.

I hopped on iTunes tonight to download Greg Laswell's new EP, Covers, (because Easy Street failed me and didn't have it) and noticed that Brandi's album was in the #1 spot!


Did I mention that I think you should buy it? Because you should.

Little Ones

I think they missed each other.