My cup runneth over

2010 has been a big year for me and I have a lot for which to be thankful.

• The Ogden Marathon
• Living rent free...again
• Ward choir
• Tuesday nights
• YouTube makeup tutorials
• The Budos
• Audiobooks and podcasts
• The potty watch
• Lake Powell
• Pittsburgh
• Zumanity
• 10 mile runs with Stephanie
• Carinessa II garments
• Extended calf boots
• Centaurs
• Red Rock Relay
• The BYU math department
• My Taralyn
• Donations to the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society
• Sparrows
• Worthy priesthood holders

As always, I have to add a disclaimer that this is not a comprehensive list. I'm grateful for so many things but most of all my family, the gospel, and the love of my Father in heaven.

Hope everyone has a wonderful Thanksgiving!!!

Do-Re-Mi

Have you taken the color code personality test? You know, the one that tells you what color your personality is and then delves in to all your characteristics and behaviors. Well, for those of you who know what I'm talking about, I'm a yellow.

As a yellow, I'm supposed to be very social, self-centered, and always craving attention. True, true, double true.

Growing up, I danced for years and years. I competed, performed, and pretty much just commanded the stage. And sprouting from the loins of two melodious parents, I also enjoyed singing and would often sing for many school, church, and extracurricular functions. Even now, I love love LOVE to sing and enjoy the limelight.

However, I have never been more nervous about performing than I am right at this moment.

Tomorrow is our big annual faculty retreat for the math department. The jam-packed day always ends with a department dinner that includes spouses, retired faculty, and the dean's office. This year, the special dinner entertainment is...

...you guessed it, ME!

I will be singing in front of all the people I've worked with for the past three years. Like 100 people or so. Generally, the size of the audience doesn't upset my nerves. Rather, it's the audience itself.

I've never had to perform in my professional environment. And to make matters worse, this is my very last event until I completely quit the math department for good. So, this will be the lasting impression I leave on all my colleagues. That is WAAAAYYYY too much pressure!!!

What if I screw up? The song I'm singing is "No Man Left for Me" from the Will Rogers Follies. For those of you not familiar with it, it's basically a Broadway tune meant to be belted.

I'm all for belting, but when I get nervous, my voice isn't very strong and this is a big song. I need all the strength I can muster. And at this point, it's too late to switch songs. What the hell did I get myself into?!?!?!?

Please cross your fingers for me. Say a prayer. Light a candle. Send me good vibes.

King of Sandwiches

I feel like I've totally been neglecting my blog lately. I've been CRAZY busy at work. I've only got about another week left at the office so I've been interviewing, hiring, and training my replacement. And in between training sessions, I've been running around the office trying to get everything ready to leave to Pittsburgh on Wednesday.

Twice a year, the Mathematics Association of America hosts 2 national conferences. This year, I will be attending the MathFest conference in Pittsburgh where I will be running an exposition booth for 3 days...and I couldn't be more excited!!!

Do I really love math that much? Not really. I haven't taken a math class since AP calc my junior year of high school. What I am really excited about is Primanti Brothers.

If you've ever watched the Travel Channel or Food Network, then you know exactly what Primanti Brothers is. For those of you ignorant and naive souls who don't know what I'm talking about, feast your eyes on this:

Yes. Those are two slices of fresh Italian bread, tenderly enfolding layers of corned beef, coleslaw, and a whole handful of fries.

"What in the what?!!?? Fries INSIDE the sandwich?"

Oh yes, yes, YES!!!!! As far as I'm concerned, that's the ONLY way to ever eat french fries.

I'll probably eat there every day. Except maybe not, cuz there's probably like 2500 calories in that one sandwich. But no worries. I'm packing my running shoes! See? I've got all my bases covered.

Productivity

After nearly 7 years, my time at BYU is coming to an end. Between completing my undergrad and working for the math department, I've been in the BYU community since 2003 and this August will mark the end of an era.

After next month, I will be resigning from my post as queen of the math department and I'll be taking on the duties of full-time stay-at-home mom

As I'm not very domestic and short on patience, I am kinda nervous about taking on this new roll of Susie Homemaker. I hope I don't go insane or kill my child. I imagine that for the first two weeks it'll be one big party.

Sleeping in.

Lounging around in my sweats 'til 2pm.

Actually having time to get Lolli's hair combed in the morning so she doesn't look homeless for the entire rest of the day.

Not having to go to work is gonna be AWESOME!!! That is, until I get bored and tired of my child. Still, there are a few big projects that I actually look forward to completing once I've quit work.

Organizing our house
Even though we moved back to Provo like 3 months ago, we've still got a whole back room packed with boxes. I'm excited to finally get everything unpacked and organized. Plus, the husband is kind of a pack rack, so I'm excited to go through his crap and either organize or de-clutter. I'm so sick of this house having piles of paper and folders lying all over the place!

Thrifting
Since I'll be out of the job and no longer raking in the Benjamins, I'll have to be more frugal. I'm stoked to start thrifting. I've been reading a lot of blogs lately whose authors are big on finding vintage clothing pieces at consignment shops. I've tried my hand before at thrifting, but I've never really had the time to fully invest in it so I've never found anything that great. You'd better believe I'll have the time to rifle through old digs next month!

Potty Training
Ok, I don't really look forward to potty training as I'm not a fan of poopy panties. However, I swore that I would not have another child until the previous one was out of diapers. Our plan was to potty train at the beginning of this summer, but with Lolli going to Grandma's house every other day, it would have been too hard to get her on a schedule. Though, Lolli's ready to potty like a big girl. Well, really she just wants those Dora panties.

Any big projects on your to-do lists?

Fresh Fish

Our office is very diverse. Therefore when lunch rolls around, there are many ethnic palates and appetites. Because of this, our workroom and lunch room are always doused in a variety of competing aromas.

Many days, the smells wafting out of the microwaves are your usual cup-o-soup and last-night's-macaroni-and-cheese scents. But some days, it's all you can do not to loose your cookies after inhaling the toxic fumes of one pungent meal or another. It's because of these acrid incidents that have made me very aware of the lunch choices I make while at work.

I don't want people cursing my name for stinking up the office with my lunch time feast. So, I tend to bring simple, brown bag lunches that don't require any nuke time in the microwave.

Well, last night I made some wonderful salmon fillets with fresh sage and basil butter. They were absolutely delicious! Even my husband who is not a big sea food fan said that they were mouth-watering. So, I'm not just bias!

There were 2 fillets left over so I figured I'd package them up for our lunches the next day. All morning, I was so excited for lunch time to roll around so I could once again sink my fork into the flaky fillet goodness! I pop the fillet in the microwave and next thing you know, the office absolutely REEKS!!! As soon as I grab my salmon from the microwave and bring it to my desk, one of my coworkers says, "Ugh! It smells like nasty fish!"

I quickly ate my salmon, discarded the remains in a far off garbage can, and scourged my empty Tupperware with soap and boiling water! But the worst part, right after I finished eating, I had to interview a couple different students and interact with a few faculty members. If the office had smelled so badly from my salmon, just imagine what my breath smelled like! I was so embarrassed.

The poor high school recruit who's face I was breathing into...he'll probably reevaluate his choice to attend BYU and be a math major, thinking that our department is full of stinky people.

99% Perspiration

Today is the Major Fair on campus. All of the university departments have booths set up in the ballroom, trying to convince uncertain freshman that their department is the best. As recruiting tools, many departments have candy, pens, Frisbees, brochures...all that. How original, right?

Well, the math department wins. Not only do we offer our recruits all of the above, we also are the only department sporting sweet sweatbands. Yup, sweatbands for all you Olivia Newton John fans and math geeks alike.

And the best part is? They're not only free advertising, but they're so practical, too! I wear a sweatband every day to go running. Seriously! And how dope is it to be wearing a BYU Math sweatband?!? Everyone automatically thinks I'm smart and sporty!

These other departments ain't got nothing on our propaganda! Take a seat Business Management and Recreational Therapy. Geniuses at work!

Plug for Math Department

Many of us have the misunderstanding that math is string of formulas, theories, and equations that requires hours of memorization. Even more frustrating is the misconception that math doesn't apply to our everyday lives beyond balancing a checkbook or paying a mortgage. But in reality, math will help you with more in life than by simply saving you money on car insurance. Critical thinking and problem solving skills are the foundation to any successful career, and mathematics is the gateway to strengthening those abilities.

As corporations begin to rely more heavily on mathematical modeling to reach its truest potential, the demand for innovative mathematicians has sky rocketed. Industries are overflowing with job opportunities for those with mathematical ability. And to promote such opportunities, the Brigham Young University Department of Mathematics has created whenwilliusemath.com in an attempt to reveal the numerous career options available in mathematics.

On this website, you will not only find mathematical careers, salaries, and job requirements, but you will also find tips and advice on how to succeed in mathematics, introductions to new mathematical discoveries, and even tidbits on the role math plays in pop-culture. This website also offers resources for math instructors or those struggling with bringing to light the applicability and practicality of mathematics. Teachers are encouraged to participate in the forums to brainstorm curriculum ideas, exchange lesson plans, and to simply find support.

Additionally, the BYU Math Department has created posters, sweat bands, t-shirts, and other displayable materials advertising the diverse opportunities in mathematics. These materials, along with ordering instructions, are available on our site.

Overall, the goal of our website is to promote the life-long study of mathematics. We hope that our efforts will cultivate a greater understanding and love for math.

The more math you know, the more options you have! Please explore our website and utilize the resources available to discover some of the countless opportunities in mathematics.

PDA

I'm all about being affectionate with your loved ones. In fact, I'm a very touchy-feely person. My entire family is. We love hugs, back rubs, tickles, and especially little baby lovies. But leave it up to idiot BYU students to take it one step further and ruin it for the rest of us. 

On my first day back to work, the last thing I wanna see is a geeky couple sucking face on campus; but of course, that's exactly what I'm greeted with the second I pull up to the office. And even worse? Their make-out session is taking place in a car idling right in front of the parking space I'm trying to pull in to. So, in order to claim my spot, I've gotta sit  and watch this crap until they come up for air and decide to move their car. By the time they're finally done, there's an entire line of traffic spilling out of the parking lot and back into the street. 

"Oh, don't mind us. We're just playing a little tonsil hockey while we block the flow of traffic and make everyone late for work...and sick"

Nasty and inconsiderate. Thanks. 

Police beat for Feb. 25, 2009 Suspicious Activity Feb. 18 A woman at Wymount Park requested that an officer help her get her money back from the male solicitors selling magazines. She said before she realized, she wrote a $65 check for a subscription. The officer directed her to cancel the check. Feb. 20 An employee arrived to her office in the J. Reuben Clark Building to find her month’s worth of mail gone. It is unknown if the mail was stolen or misplaced. Feb. 21 Grounds workers reported students tying a tight rope around the trees west of Bowen Hall. Students complied when asked to leave. Feb. 23 An employee in the BYU Bookstore called police to report a student violating Bookstore policy on the text floor by studying out of a textbook. The male was asked to leave and he refused. The suspect was gone when police arrived. Unfounded Theft Feb. 23 A student reported his scooter stolen, but found that his roommate had moved it.

2009 BYU NewsNet

Oh Daily Universe...I'm so glad to know that you and the BYU campus police are keeping our streets safe from unlawful text book readers and magazine salesmen. I never knew Provo was such a hot spot for criminal activity.

College Professors

For being some of the smartest people in academia, they have got to be some of the stupidest, most helpless people I know. How can you tell me that you have published articles on numerical solutions of partial differential equations, yet you don't know how to open an email attachment? You've given lectures in D.C. on enumerative combinatorics but you can't make the copy machine collate your documents? I don't understand.

UVU vs BYU

Last Saturday, Ryan had a rugby game. I arrived at the pitch ready to get angry over the coach not playing my husband or my brother. To add insult to injury, UV was playing BYU...aka a division 1 team ranked 3rd in the nation. Poor little UV was just a little blip on the map next to BYU. Needless to say, I honestly wasn't expecting very great things from UVU. Therefore, I wasn't prepared for the havoc that was unleashed on the field during the second half of the game.

As I suspected, Ryan side-lined it for the first half of the game. However, Jordan got to start and was out there, rucking with the best of them. About 10 minutes in to the second half, we see one of UV's huge Poly players, Manu, get all kinds of beligerent. he starts yelling and mouthing off to one of the BYU players. UV team mates are holding Manu back as he is starting to take swings at the cocky BYU guy, who's being just as beligerent. The game continues and the teams play on.

Not five minutes later, I see two guys come out swinging from a ruck. Low and behold, it's the same BYU kid and this time, my brother. They're not just yelling at each other, they're full on fighting. I stand up and start screaming, "Jordaaaaan!!! Kill him! Kick his ass!" (As I'm now graduated, I no longer have loyalty to BYU...only the women's rugby team...Women's Cougar Rugby for life!) Jordan gets a few good hits in on the guy's face and then his team mates break up the fight. As they're dragging Jordan away, I see a brown fist of fury, in the form of Manu, flying throug the air. All of a sudden, CRACK!!!! The BYU jerk is on his back. Manu laid him flat out! Of course, both Manu and Jordan were ejected from the game. But at least they went out, guns blazing! Plus, Ryan got to sub in. And as icing on the cake, Ryan even got to shove some other BYU kid's face into the dirt. He said the kid kept holding on to his leg, dragging him back down in to the ruck as he was trying to roll away. So, what does Ryan do? He resorts to violence and starts ramming the guy's head into the ground. Good boy! He makes me so proud!!!

All in all, the game turned out to be pretty exciting. The most interesting thing of all, though, was that the fight between Jordan and the BYU kid wasn't actually instigated by Jordan. I think that's a pretty big breakthrough! It seems that at every rugby game, Jordan does anything and everything he can to get into a fight. It's not rugby unless Jordan gets into a fight! But for the first time, this fight actually wasn't his fault. Surprise! I just hope from here on out, all the rugby games will be as exciting.

Give blood. Play rugby.