Those were the days...

So I was sitting at work today contemplating the ways of life, arguing with one of my bosses about the amount of water a camel can drink and talking diseases with the other one (you know a normals days worth of work) when it dawned on me... in 8 days (depending on when you read this) I will be 25. Now for my fellow blog followers I wrote an entry last birthday about how I was beginning my quarter-life crisis one year too soon when I splurged and bought a new car. Now that the date is really approaching (May 17th to be exact... all presents are welcome) I'm realizing how I am one step away from having the actual Quarter-life crisis mini melt down. Now is the time to start planning my retirement and becoming a regular at BINGO night. I'll look into buying my cane and start shopping for perfumes by Elizabeth Arden or Elizabeth Taylor that screams old woman. I'll revert back to the roller vacuum that is practically useless, purchase a rocking chair that I can use to sit on the porch and wave to the neighbors. I'll tell stories about the days in school when chalkboards were all we had and whiteboards were a rarity. Friends of mine will join along in the discussion how gas used to be .95 cents a gallon and the cool shows to watch were KIDS Incorporated, Saved by the Bell, Duck Tales and Rescue Rangers. Such things as Nintendo DS and Wii's weren't around. Every child was familiar with the music from Super Mario Bros played on the original Nintendo. Riding bikes and playing make believe was an everyday occurrence. Lunches at school were always phrased in a similar manner "Are you having Hot or Cold lunch today?" For me, it was always cold lunch and if I was really lucky I would get a snackpack or dunkaroos in my bag for dessert. Recess at the time seemed like it lasted for hours, where in actuality it wasn't more then 15 minutes. Nothing mattered back then. The biggest concerns I had as a child was whether or not I was going to get time to play with my friends after school.

Awe yes... those were the days...

The Biggest Loser

So I recently (well about 10 weeks ago) became a fan of the TV show the Biggest Loser. I can't help but get excited for every Tuesday night and watch the challenges that these people have to endure. I find that not only is it uplifting and changing their lives, I notice the longing I have in my own life to start eating better and exercise more. This is why I've set a little challenge for myself... (yes another one) I want to run a 10k before I move back to Colorado (oh wait... did I forget to mention how I told a little white lie in my last entry and have actually decided to go back to Colorado instead!?) Oops sorry! For my Utah friends... I've been here seven long and I guess I can say wonderful years. I have met my best friends here and I can honestly say that it will be difficult but I am excited to get back to Colorado and start new and fresh. Lets face it... Utah and I were never meant to be forever and if I don't leave now, I may never leave. So I will be venturing back to my home state sometime in August depending on school. Don't you worry though... I will still keep my blog updated and share all my exciting stories with you on here.

So back to my 10k, I always seem to down play running in my mind. For example, when people tell me the distances that they run I think to myself "Oh 9 miles, that must have been a little difficult but I can do it" (refer back to my entry about writing a story... I think I can do anything) Until I jump on that treadmill or I start running down the path outside and realize just how far a mile actually is. I'm lucky if I get to 3 or 4 miles before I'm gasping for air, looking for a place to rest my shaky knees. Sweat falls down my brow and I contemplate sticking the thumb out and showing some skin to get a ride back to my condo. Then the words of Bob and Jillian come into my head "Do it again" and I think back to my own trainer Johnny who pushed me when I thought there was no way I could do it again and somehow I find the strength to push through... so I can run this 10k! It will be my going away gift to Utah. (I know... some gift!)

Too Old?

Are you ever too old to start something new? Does there come a time when you have to continue doing what you know how to do and shouldn't attempt to start something new? I know God put us here on this Earth for us to learn and grow. So in answer to that question I don't feel that we are ever too old to try something different and that is what I decided to do...

I've been contemplating a lot of big decisions lately and for the few of you that I share my life drama with you know the stress I've been under. I have finally made decisions to the questions I threw around in my head for so long and am excited to share this with the few blog followers I have!

First and for most, I've been working on finishing school for quite some time. I've changed my major so many times that I've forgotten the one I originally came out for. I've taken a break from school at different points during my time in Utah and settled on one just to finish up. Having many talks with my dear sweet sister, I decided yet again to change life up a little bit (I mean everyone needs a little excitement in their lives) I have decided to go to cosmetology school. I plan to finish up my last semester at UVU this summer and then begin classes in August. I can't explain the excitement I have about this decision... I know its not going to be an easy road but it will definitely be worth it.

With this decision, I have come to appreciate more then ever having a job that can support me while I start this new chapter in my life. I am excited to be able to still work full time and take my cosmetology classes in the evening. It will be a long haul but I trust that if I put my mind to it and really have a desire to do this... all things are possible! And finally, for all those who were praying for me to stay in Utah... you got your wish (at least I'm 98.9% sure of it) I'll be residing in Utah for at least two more years (my Colorado folk... I will return some time in my life... don't you worry!)

I know some of you may be thinking... she turns 25 in a little over a month and she is just now starting to get her life on track? My response to that... I am young, I am single and I have the whole world at my feet. I can do what I want at this point and this is something new and exciting and something I can't wait to begin.

So for my faithful supporters I will need models starting in August so please contact me if you are interested.

WISH ME LUCK!

Festival of Colors!!

(The crowd... there were so many people behind me too)


(before the event)







(lighting the fire)







(in front of the temple)





Red, Yellow, Orange, Blue, Green, Pink, Purple... all colors that landed on my face, my hair and my clothes. This weekend I went for the first time to the Festival of Colors. A Hindu tradition of welcoming spring and scaring away the demons of winter, they light a wood witch on fire and at that moment all of these colored corn starch is thrown up in the air. According to the Deseret News, 15,000 people were there at the Harry Krishna temple in Salem, UT. It was so crowded as bands played music with only two words to their songs... "Harry Krishna" everyone with their painted faces danced around. Photos have been included so that you can enjoy this special event with me!

FYE

"Hello my name is Jennie Mower and I have a movie addiction" ("Hi Jennie" the monotone words are said around the circle. I take my seat next to an overly large plump man with a handle bar mustache who smells like cheap whisky.)

I realized this weekend that I have an addiction... some may say its not one to worry about but as I stare at the shrinking space on my book/movie case I realized I either need to get a bigger movie case or (gulp) I need to slow down on my movie purchases.

For those of you who have seen the movie Confessions of a Shopaholic, I feel that in someway I can relate to my dear sister Isla Fisher who walks into a dept store and feels at home. When I see those three letter F Y E something inside draws me toward those automatic doors. As if a magnet was placed inside of me during one of my many nights of slumber. A mother ship calling her troops back home and I am being beckoned to return. The staff there greets me with a big smile and an offer to assist me in anything I may be looking for. I hate to be rude but I simply wave them off... never could they possibly help me find what I am searching for, because even I don't know what I am searching for. I don't waste my time with the new releases, or the non-previewed DVDs... I walk straight back to my own personal Heaven... the USED DVDs! Before I say anything more... the person who decided to sell their already viewed DVDs for a lesser cost could possibly be my favorite person. Pure Genius! I begin with the Dramas, ensuring that I look at each one of those little White Cards with the different movies that are sorted under it in Alphabetical order. From there I move through Action/Adventure, taking a quick peek at Horror and ending in Comedy. After an hour and seven or more DVD's in my hands I have to sit in their brown comfy chairs and make some of the most important decisions I have made that entire day. Which movies do I ultimately need and which ones do I set back... Torture. Pure torture.

I went on Saturday (having slight with drawls not having been there in over a month) and was able to purchase six movies (yes I said six) for $20. A steal of a deal! I squeezed these six onto my already tight bookshelf/movie stand adding to my 200 movies I already own. Thank you FYE for bringing me such entertainment!

For those of you concerned...please avoid an attempt for an intervention... I will not go easily.

The Water Works

Its amazing how much water the human body can hold... I mean each one of us is made up of 2/3 water! Each day we are constantly loosing the water that we intake, through working out, using the restroom, even breathing we loose 250ml on a daily basis!
Assuming you're not reading my blog to get a biology lesson, I talk about water because I am amazed how many tears I was able to produce over the last three days. I don't write to reach out to you for sympathy or total concern. I don't need the hundreds of comments asking if I am ok or if an intervention needs to take place. I write as somewhat of a tribute to a great man that I cared for a ton, and to express my amazement of the human body.

For those of you who don't know I am originally from Colorado. Moved out here almost seven years ago. I transferred with the company I was working for at the time (and still am working for). Four years ago while working in our Orem location we recently got a new store manager. At the time I didn't care for him too much but over the months he began to wear on me. He was the age of my father and being away from home with no family out here, it was nice to know that I could look to him for advice. That was the start of our friendship. Skipping the details and the boring stuff lets fast forward a little... John got a promotion he was hired to be our new District manager. He left me in the stores after a year of working together. (No more water fights, marker fights or running races) I was devastated. I cried. I slowly moved on still seeing John once or twice a month walking our store and seeing our progress. Fast forward again...(hit play... now!) John's admin at the time decides to move into a new position. I apply for the open position as John's admin and am hired. John and I started a new path again... A year of laughs, frustrations, tears, trips, advice... a year of learning for me to say the least... has just ended. The beginning of this week, John told me that he would be leaving the company... to take some time for him and his family and then look for something else. It felt like my heart dropped into my stomach. The next three days have been a lot of tears.... (me curling up in a ball, sucking my thumb with my pink blanket... ok not that bad) but this now leads me to my amazement of the human body... who knew that so many tears (I mean three days of on again tears off again tears) can come from one body. I didn't drink much either. (You emotional girls know how it is... sometimes we don't eat or drink when we are upset). I think I could have won a record of how many tears were produced these last few days.

Needless to say... John is going to be missed. The days of pounding on the fax machine hoping it will work, throwing all the paper from the shredder onto the floor, or yelling at the UPS truck for its annoying beeps... won't happen anymore. Something good will come (by no means better) but I will definitely miss those days with John.

Taylor: More then just a singer!

I like to find songs that really have emotion and feeling. Something that I can scream to when I'm driving down the freeway while other drivers almost swerve off the road due to their stares at me. Mostly though, I like to find songs that explain exactly how I'm feeling and so far Taylor Swift has been able to express my exact emotions in her songs. I have become such a huge fan of hers.
Recently her Fearless album has consumed my life, I listen to it in the car, I listen to it while I'm getting ready for work. I consider taking it to work with me and listen to it there, but I don't think it would go over well. She has faced the same dilemmas with the same type of guys and I almost feel like we share a common bond. Like I could call her and we could compare notes. Tell our horror stories of the guys we have come in contact with, how much we hate them, love them, wish they would recognize us etc.

I trust her next CD will continue to lead my life in the right direction or tell me how to deal with the next set of loser guys that come into my life. Thanks Taylor!