Snippets of a Conversation at a Retirement Reception

A male employee sees a female employee that he apparently hasn't seen in a while.

Male: I thought you retired ages ago!

Female: No, I'm still here. I can't retire. I don't have a sugar daddy!

Keep in mind that I work for the Church. And that these two employees were probably at least in their 50s.

Movie Reviews

It's been a while since I have posted a review of any movies, so I decided to just post a bunch of little reviews of the movies I have seen lately:

The Last Song

MPAA rating: PG

My rating: 1 star

I was pretty disappointed in this movie, especially I since I have liked Nicholas Sparks' books/movies before. Too much happened that I couldn't concentrate on the big conflict. I felt that the story arch was undeveloped. There was a touching moment where the little brother insists on finishing a project he and his dad started.

Ramona and Beezus

MPAA rating: G

My rating: 5 stars

Anyone who has been a younger sister, a middle child, or just one of those kids who could never seem to do anything right will love this movie. I wouldn't have thought it when I started it, but it had both my mom and I in tears by the end. A good film showing a strong family, with strong values. I loved the Ramona books when I was younger and I loved this movie.

Post Grad

MPAA rating: PG-13

My rating: 1 1/2 stars

I watched this movie because I am a recent grad. The irony came when I learned that not only was the main char a recent college grad like me, but wanted to work in publishing as an editor, just like me! It was a pretty stupid movie with a few funny parts, and a few cute parts, but it's probably not worth your time to watch.

Flipped

MPAA rating: PG

My rating: 4 stars

This is almost just like the novel, except it is set in the 1950s instead of the present day. It's a beautiful story about growing up, seeing the truth, and asking and giving forgiveness. It is told from two points of view, which adds some comedy.

Eat Pray Love

MPAA rating: PG-13

My rating: 3 stars

An interesting story about a woman who goes off to find herself. It definitely made me feel like taking some time to run off somewhere and find myself. There were times when I felt like either that she just was too lucky, or that she whined too much, but for the most part I liked it.

So, there you go. Just a few movies to check out (or not). I just realized that they are all kind of girl movies, but that's what I've been watching lately.

Reminder for Me

Therefore, take ye no thought for the morrow, for what ye shall eat, or what ye shall drink, or wherewithal ye shall be clothed. For, consider the lilies of the field, how they grow, they toil not, neither do they spin; and the kingdoms of the world, in all their glory, are not arrayed like one of these. For your Father, who is in heaven, knoweth that you have need of all these things. Therefore, let the morrow take thought for the things of itself.

Doctrine and Covenants 84:81-84

"Mom, Dad, I'm moving to the DR."

I love Wednesdays because there is something to look forward to: my brother's e-mails! Bro is on a mission in the Dominican Republic and Wednesday is his P-Day. I wait anxiously all morning, checking my e-mail constantly until I see "1 Unread email" in bold. Then I wait with bated breath as I start to read.

Well, this morning's e-mail was the highlight of my day . . . and not just because it was an e-mail from bro. It's because what it said. I'll put in a little of it for your enjoyment:

"I want to take a minute to talk about a barber here in Navarrate though.

"We first went to his peluqueria (babershop) two weeks ago. My companion was getting his hair cut and the barber started telling him that he should tell me that if I arranged for him to go to the US he would cut my hair for free, for my whole life. He obviously thought that I didn´t speak Spanish, but I just started laughing, and after a few minutes he realized that I was understanding what he was saying. So then he started to talk to me about it. And after a little bit he asked if I have a sister that he could marry.

"Well, we went back there today and he started up again. At first it was just the free haircuts, but then he started to up the ante. In the end he told me to tell you that he´ll give you a thousand dollars if you come here and live with him. I just laughed. But I took a couple pictures of him just in case you were interested. ;D"

This is the man who wants to marry me.

Don't you wish you had a Caribbean barber offering you $1000 to go to his island and marry him? ;)

Have a good one!

(By the way, this was my 200 post!)

My Unique Job

Things that make my job unique.

*President Monson is, literally, my boss. (No, really. He is the CEO of the company I work for.)

*Every meeting starts with a prayer.

*There are sets of scriptures in every room.

*I use those sets of scriptures almost everyday for my work.

*The elevators have uplifting thoughts from prophets, seers and revelators.

*It isn't strange to see a GA. I saw Sister Beck. Twice. In one day.

*I spend hours reading about other people's spiritual experiences.

*We use vocabulary like "prophetic priority" when talking about upcoming issues of our magazines.

*All the men wear shirts and ties (and sometimes jackets) and all the women wear knee length (or longer) skirts and nylons.

*If you feel like it, you can go to the temple after work, without going outside.

My First Day

Well, I got through it. One day down. A lot of you might now how nervous I was to start.

I work at the Church Office Building in Salt Lake on the 24th floor. And guess what? I have my own office! With four walls and a door! And a plaque with my name on it! So much better than the cubicle I was expecting.

After hours of orientation, I finally got into my office. I went to a meeting, and learned about what is expected of me. I am in charge of the "Instant Messages" part of the magazine, which means that I get to pick out the submissions and do the editing for them. I also got my first writing assignment (well, technically, first two). I'm also the admin for the New Era facebook page.

Everyone is really nice and hopefully I can be just what they are expecting.

A Top 10

The Top 10 Handsome Men in Classic Literature:

(These are in no particular order, as picking 10 was hard enough)

Gilbert Blythe, Anne of Green Gables by LM Montgomery

*Who could resist his curly hair and Canadian "sore-y"s? He is everything that Anne needs.

Mr. Fitzwilliam Darcy, Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen

*Of course. This list would not be complete without him. He might start off as seeming arrogant, but we (and Elizabeth) realize by the end that it was just a cover for his shyness.

John Thornton, North and South by Elizabeth Gaskell

*He is very similar to Darcy, but he wins over Margaret's heart at the end.

Mr. Henry Tilney, Northanger Abbey by Jane Austen

*I consider Mr. Tilney Austen's best hero. He is so friendly, and kind, with a slight joking side to him. He is perfect for the dreamy Catherine.

Sydney Carton, A Tale of Two Cities by Charles Dickens

*He seems a jerk throughout the whole book (probably because he is a little), but that is just because he is so in love with Lucy Manette. This love causes him to make one of the biggest and most beautiful sacrifices in all of literature.

Peter Pevensie, The Chronicles of Narnia by CS Lewis

*I have been in love with High King Peter since I was eight years old. I don't know what it is about him . . . maybe the way he watches over his family, or he accepts Aslan's decrees, but he has always been one handsome man/boy in my mind.

Theodore Lawrence, Little Women by Lousia May Alcott (You've got to scroll a little bit to get to his description)

*Though Lairie goes through a stage of jerkiness after Jo refuses his proposal, he is such a good friend to all the March girls that it is hard not to like him.

Peter Pan, Peter Pan by JM Barrie

*Technically not a man, but who wouldn't go to Neverland without a second thought if Peter Pan showed up at their window?

Dickon Sowerby, The Secret Garden by Frances Hodgson Burnett

*Again, not technically a man, but he is my favorite character in The Secret Garden.

Mr. George Knightley, Emma by Jane Austen

*He is the perfect balance for Emma's strong (and snobbish) nature. He is kind to everyone he knows.

Runners-up:

Colonel Brandon (Sense and Sensibility)

Mercutio (Romeo and Juliet)

Sir Percival Blakeney, Baronet (The Scarlet Pimpernel)