Life after Conference

I hate when my life becomes defined by certain events. It seemed when I was in school, every week was unique in that I had a paper due or a midterm--something different to help me look forward if the previous week was horrible. Unfortunately, this doesn't work in the real world. Days begin to blend together, as do the weeks. Sure I have times to which I can look forward--mostly activities with my friends, but mostly things just kind of roll into one.


And then, General Conference happens. For three weeks, the office is in a flurry of activities. We receive talks for all the meetings, the editors make corrections and give them to the secretaries to make changes. These are the talks that are then put up on the prompters. Monday after Conference brings in volunteers who listen to the talk as it was given and make changes which are either accepted or not by the editors and the General Authority who gave the talk. My favorite day is when they lay all of the talks out in the hallway, and then line all the pictures that were taken by professional photographers or by members all over the world and they match up the picture with the talk. Meaning, they try to capture the message of the talk through the picture.


For example, in President Uchtdorf's talk from October Conference, he talked about rejoicing. The picture on the adjoining page is of a little girl skipping through the rain. Such is how the create the Conference edition of the magazines. I was planning on taking a picture of the hallway during this time, but unfortunately they didn't do that this year. I was bummed. But they are a little stressed. We have been trying to catch up after President Hinckley's death with changes to the First Presidency messages and Primary First Presidency messages, and the designers are swamped. So, you'll have to wait six more months, when I can again remind myself that there is a passage of time.

Tagged

I don't like to do these things. Mostly because I feel like whoever reads this should already have an idea about myself, more than the superficiality that sometimes comes with these little surveys. But my sister-in-law, Emily, tagged me, so here you go:

A- Attached or single: single
B- Best Friend: My journal
C- Cake or Pie: cake
D- Day of Choice: Saturday
E- Essential Item: chapstick
F- Favorite Color: blue or green...it all depends on my mood
G- Gummi Bears or Worms: Gummi worms. I found a store in my mission that carried them. So good. Yay for Lidl!
H- Hometown: Encinitas, CA...but currently I reside in Orem, UT.
I -Indulgence(s): Hershey's New York Style Cheesecake kisses, Stephenie Meyer's books, musicals
J- January or July: July. January is far too cold in Utah!
K-Kids: N/A (see "A" for further explanation)
L-Life is incomplete without: family, friends, the gospel
M- Marriage Date: N/A (see "A" for further explanation)
N- Number of Siblings: 7
O- Oranges or Apples: Hmm...both. Apples with peanut butter or caramel are good. Orange slices after a sports game are excellent.
P- Phobias or Fears: Mice (although I've become more relaxed around these creatures as I have killed 2 in my apartment already), snakes, most insects (I know--pathetic really), and my greatest fear is to die unloved and alone.
Q- Quote(s): There's so many. I'll just add a couple:
"Of course he wasn't interested in me, I thought angrily, my eyes stinging...I wasn't interesting. And he was. Interesting...and brilliant...and mysterious...and perfect... and beautiful..." (Twilight, Stephenie Meyer)

"Far away in the sunshine are my highest aspirations. I may not reach them, but I can look up and see the beauty, believe in them and try to follow where they lead." (Louisa May Alcott)

"It's so hard to say 'thy will be done.' That's what makes the Atonement that much greater--He remembered who He was and His mission in the moment of most suffering, pain and tempation. Can I be the same?" (My missionary journal, 1st January 2006)

R- Reason To Smile: general conference, a quiet apartment, sunshine outside
S- Season: Spring. After winter with cold, rain, snow, it's so liberating to be outside in the sunshine.
T- Tag Five: Melanie, Michelle, Angela, Becky, and Derry
U- Unknown Fact About Me: I'm obsessed with movies and movie trivia. I can't quote movies, but I enjoy knowing the trivia behind the movies and tv shows.
V- Vegetarian or Oppressor of Animal: Oh, I'm on the side of the oppressors of animal
W- Worst Habit: being too disorganized
Y- Your Favorite Food: avocados, tomatoes, strawberries
Z- Zodiac: aquarius