Life is pretty dang good

You know, my resolution to update this blog more often has pretty much epically failed. I'm not really the blogging kind, I guess. I check Facebook pretty often, and that's how I keep in touch with people and let people know what's going on in my life, but I can't seem to find the time to update the good ol' blog.


Well, I can't guarantee that I will update this post regularly, or even every once in a while, but I will try not to completely forget about this blog and leave it floating around in the great, vast ocean that is the Internet.


To start out this post, I would just like to begin by saying that I feel so very blessed right now, and there are several reasons why, but they require a little explanation first.


This past year (2010) has felt almost like a waste of time, mostly because I felt like I had nothing to show for it (like a finished Bachelor's degree (or even a begun one), or a wonderful dream job that was bringing in lots of money.) I spent most of the year (well, it felt like most of the year) unemployed and looking for work. I did find a short-lived and rather undesirable position at a local non-profit organization, and then I did a brief stint at the LDS Business College Help Desk (again) while I decided not to pursue a Paralegal degree. I felt like I got a lot of nothing accomplished in 2010.


Which isn't to say that 2010 wasn't fun. Sure it was! Because I was unemployed and not really in school, I had extra time on my hands to spend with friends (summer movie nights, anyone?), and I was able to participate in wonderful events such as singing with the Mormon Tabernacle Choir one Sunday morning (thanks to the LDSBC Choir I was in at the time) and performing on Temple Square with The Harmony Sisters at Christmastime. All-in-all, I was a busy, reasonably cheerful woman.... but I still felt like my life was on hold.


Do you know what the problem was? I wasn't taking the time to realize that I really was accomplishing a great many things, even though I felt like I was accomplishing nothing:

• Getting into the Bells on Temple Square and being set apart as a special music missionary is not "nothing." (I was selected to become a member of the BOTS in February 2011.) In fact, it's been one of my dreams for the past five or six years to become a member of the Bells, and now I can officially say that I have accomplished that goal. 
• Being an active member of the Church and a dedicated helper to those in my ward is pretty special, too. I was able to hold a number of different callings in my former ward (the Bountiful Millstream YSA Ward), and I am very grateful for the opportunity I had to serve in a variety of capacities and learn more about myself and others in the process. I made some very wonderful friends during my time in that ward (almost exactly two years, I'm thinking), and I hope to keep in contact with them. There has never been a ward like the Millstream Ward, and I'm going to miss it dearly. Life won't be quite the same without it, but I will just have to find ways to serve in my new ward. (Rose Park YSA Ward >> Salt Lake Pioneer YSA Stake.)
• Finding a job (after much searching and almost giving up hope) with the Church is also a significant occurrence. For those of you who don't know (and I'm pretty sure all my readers DO know because, seriously, who reads this blog?), I work as a receptionist in the Information and Communication Services (ICS) Department of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. I don't quite believe in "luck;" I think "blessed" is a better, more accurate term. I feel like I wasn't just placed in this position by accident. Oh no. In fact, I'm pretty sure that I have the position I have now only because I had help; if I'd been left to my own devices, I don't think I would have made it past that first interview, if I'd even gotten an interview in the first place. *Side note: For those of you who don't know (sheesh, I keep using that phrase, don't I?), I'm horrible at interviews. Absolutely, fantastically horrible. In fact, every position I've ever interviewed for, I've never gotten. Every job I've had in my life so far is because I've been referred by someone I know, and I'm essentially the only one applying for the position. Granted, there are probably reasons (divine intervention, if you catch my drift) why I haven't gotten certain positions, but I still think that my abysmal interviewing skills are a slight factor in the problem. End side note.* But I feel like I'm where I need to be at the moment. Who knew I'd ever need to be in Riverton, UT?

I could go on with every tiny, seemingly insignificant accomplishment in my life to date, but that would take up WAY too much time, space and effort. I guess the point I'm trying to get across is that blessings and things to be proud of and grateful for are always there, no matter how small. Just looking at the three listed "accomplishments" make me feel like my life hasn't been such a waste after all. :)

Here goes...

Well, since I haven't posted anything really useful on my blog since 2008, I'ma just dive right in with brief updates of what's been happening since then.

In 2009:

• I had my penultimate and ultimate semesters at LDS Business College (for those of you who don't know, I got my Associate's Degree in General Studies in December of 2009.) During those semesters, I had myself a joyous little time. (See the following bullets.)
• I participated in the Saturday afternoon session of General Conference in April of 2009. I am on the second row, second person in from the right in the middle section, wearing a dark blue shirt. You'll see me. ;)
• I thought I was going to graduate in April, but didn't. (Although... I commenced in April, and sang a duet with my friend, Marisha, for the ceremonies.)
• I was in a production of Savior of the World (it was a multi-stake performance.) My friend, Katherine Voge, and I were in it together. We were some of Mary's cousins. It was a great experience.

From left to right: Casey Koldewyn, Katherine Voge (back in pink), MaryAnne Luker (front in green), Tali Marsh, Chelsea Bastian, Sarah Goaslind, Jessica McKnight.

• I moved out of Mom and Dad's house and got myself a tiny little apartment in Bountiful with Marisha (the one I sang at graduation with.)
• During the summer semester break, the family and I went to Mt. Rushmore.

• In September, I bought myself a CAR!!! A cute, silver 2003 Hyundai Accent that I christened "Minnie." I love that little car. :)
• In October, I went to Frightmares for the first time with some friends. WAY fun!
• I was Giselle from Enchanted for Halloween.

From left to right: (Rob Owens as Jack Sparrow in the background) MaryAnne Luker (Giselle), Daryl Embley (Anastasia), Ingrid Veliz (Snow White), Leah Tsiame (Whoopi Goldberg)

• Grandpa Luker passed away on November 2nd, 2009.

From left to right: Sarah Nicholls, Elizabeth Ellis, Christine Luker, Emma McNeal, MaryAnne Luker, Rachel Atkin

• Sydney Tittle, Katherine Voge, Effie Auga and myself formed a ladies quartet ("The Harmony Sisters") and ROCKED THE SOCKS!!! We performed for several devotionals, President Richards (president of LDSBC), and our choir's Christmas concert. No foolin', we were cool.

From left to right: Effie Auga (awesome Alto 2), Katherine Voge (Melody Soprano/ Alto 2), MaryAnne Luker (some weird person who sang Alto 1/ Soprano 2), Sydney Tittle (Stratosphere Singer/ Little Miss High C.)

• After LDSBC, I was briefly in a relationship with Robert Owens, although that is over and done with for now. He's a good guy.

I went to the spectacular Tabernacle Choir Christmas Concert and also got pictures of the Christmas lights...

• I am now currently unemployed, and looking for a job. :(
• I auditioned for the Bells on Temple Square! I have yet to find out whether I got in or not. Hopefully for now I can just continue to attend the workshops so that I can become a bell-ringing expoit! Er, expert.

Anyways, these are just a few of my exploits throughout 2009. Hopefully I will be able to keep up with 2010 as it comes!

Let's get back to bloggin'!

Ho-ly COW. It's been pretty much forever since I decided to update my blog.

I have decided (and I don't know how well I'm going to do with this resolution I've made) to be more consistent with updating my blog. I figured that since I don't have a hard-copy journal anymore, I may as well have some other source of, um, remembering. So, blogging it is!

I am also going to try and get better about posting pictures. Ooo, I can make it, like, a PHOTO journal or something! Yeah, yeah! That's cool, right? Which means that I will have to actually TAKE pictures. That is also another resolution that I don't know how well I will follow through with...... heh, heh-heh HEH-heh, yeah.

Anyways, HI EVERYBODY!!!! I'M BACK!!

*Sigh.* You know you're a college student...

...(especially a second-year student) when you find that you have no time to post to a blog that you created only because you had so much time on your hands in the first place.

...when you begin to miss the seemingly endless, and ever more dreamlike hours to kill in which you sat in the hall, ate Funyuns, and posted at least once a day on your blog that you have only because you were bored during work.

...when you find that your favorite pair of pants (which is usually your ONLY pair) has finally gone through the wash after being worn two or more consecutive times, which means that now you can wear them again for two or more consecutive times.

...when you spend most of your waking hours at school. (And, in my case, work does count; I am on campus from around 7:15 a.m. to at least 3:30 p.m, sometimes longer. That chunk of time right there already takes up more hours than I sleep at night, and I'm usually still "at school" when I'm at home... homework never sleeps.)

...when a sandwich from the Bookstore tastes like the best meal you've ever eaten.

...when you fear that the world's forests are about to disappear from your doing alone, what with all the papers you have to write and the Kleenex you have to use. (Just FYI, I haven't gotten sick yet, but it's only a matter of time.)

...when you started this post two weeks ago and it still hasn't been finished.

I'm Back!

For those of you who don't know (it's funny how many of my posts have started with those exact same words), I am back and living in Salt Lake for good. Until I move out, that is. (But I don't know when that will be, so don't hold your breath. *wink wink* You thought you could get rid of me so easily, huh? Well bwa ha ha haaaaaa! I ain't going nowhere, yo!)

Yeah, it was fun in Provo, but I am glad to be home, mostly because now that means I won't have to wake up at 5:00 AM to get to work on time. THAT was a killer. Let's just hope that I don't forget that I'm back in Salt Lake and hop on the 801 to Provo and realize, too late, that I am on the completely wrong bus. (That would not be funny while it happened, but afterward I would get a real kick out of that.)

I just realized that other than being back in Salt Lake, I have nothing interesting to say. Everything else is pretty much unchanged. I work all day, I haven't been to any cool parties, there are no vacations or days off from work in sight, and school doesn't start for another month. (Well, a little less than a month. Which reminds me.... I should prolly go figure out what textbooks I need soon. *Sheepish grin*)

Um... lemme see... I went to see WALL-E the other day. Hi-larious. A definite must-see. Oh, I've also seen Get Smart. It's funny as well, but WALL-E is the one that you'll want to see first.... trust me.

Well, blog on, my friends. Until next post, I'm Some Crazy Person. (And I can assure you that I'll be Some Crazy Person next post too. That just doesn't change.)

Work is funny... especially today

It's the day before Pioneer Day and you'd think that I wouldn't be super-busy because everyone is out preparing for holiday festivities. And you'd be right. Except, of course, for the fact that when one person calls with a problem, that means EVERYBODY starts calling at the EXACT SAME TIME.

I am not joking. It was dead silent for about an hour and then all of a sudden, the phone started ringing. I picked up the phone and it started ringing on the other lines as well. And you've got to understand something about my work phone. If someone calls you in the middle of another call, you can't just transfer the person already on the phone whenever you please and THEN pick up the other line... you have to answer the other line(s) first. And if you've got, say, five other calls on the line, you forget where you need to transfer people and they end up waiting for a ridiculously long time to talk to whomever it was they needed to talk to. (Although we do have really cool hold music. I think it's the MoTab singing "Love at Home." Maybe the pretty music is supposed to have a calming effect on the callers. You never know.)

Man. Crazy stuff.

Life in Provo

To anyone who doesn't know, I'm living with my sister in Provo while her husband is off conquering llamas in Peru. (Or at least the law, if not llamas.) 

So far it's been fun. A little stressful, perhaps (what with me having to wake up at 5:00 in the morning in order to catch the bus that will get me to work in SLC on time), but fun nevertheless. There's not a whole lot to DO in Provo if you're in Salt Lake for most of the day, but so far we have managed to find the time to go shopping twice (and come away with some dang-cute things) and watch several movies in order to expand my cinematic horizon. (We've watched Treasure Planet and Jurassic Park. Oh so great movies.) We have also gotten dinner at a great place called Zupa's. They have excellent soup and sandwiches there. Seriously, I'm not a soup person, but this place makes me want soup. 

Well, that's about it so far. Between work, bus rides, and sleep, I've managed to squeeze in a few hours of Provo living. Rock, rock on. 

Rejoice!!!

So, I just noticed that it has been a while since I updated this post. Man. So much has happened since then.

But I digress. You must be wondering what "Rejoice!!!" is supposed to mean, and that's the point of this post: I Got A Job!!!

Granted, it's kind of my old job back again, but still... ! Here's the story: my old boss called me up and said he was in a pickle; the guy who is working at the help desk (which is not where I worked before, but it's and extension of my "department") right now is going to BYU and my boss needed someone to take his place... so he called me up. And I accepted. Hooray!!! I can stay on at the help desk when fall semester starts, or I can go back to being a computer lab assistant if I want. (Which is probably what I want. I dunno.)

Yeah, that's my "rejoice." Oh, and sooner or later I'm gonna put up a slideshow of our recent camping trip, but that's going to have to wait until I have hi-speed internet to use.

Laters!