Music for the Season

I really love this song. It was on repeat this morning on my way to work.

And what's great is she isn't even American :0)

It's What Fun Is!

I really do like Lagoon. I got a season pass with several friends and we've been going pretty frequently - which for me, is anything more than 1 time a year.

Something that is noticeable at Lagoon is the employees - running around in their polo shirts and khaki pants, carrying the biggest mug filled with who knows what, but hopefully they don't get dehydrated while operating the rides. And of course, their ethnicity. Yes. I said it. None of them are from America. Okay, maybe that isn't really true, but there are so many of them from different countries. My favorite is Svetlana. Just because I like her name.

A friend of mine that comes worked for the census this past spring. Oddly enough, she canvased my apartment complex and found out that there were a lot of people living there from not America. And they all worked at Lagoon. What? I was told that they have a bus that takes them back and forth. It's only 15 minutes away.

Well, the other night, the myth was busted. I was driving home and saw some Lagoon workers walking by my complex, and then, that night, I saw the bus and all the Lagoon workers get off. They are my neighbors! The fable is true! It was kind of creepy to see a bus stopped in front of my apartment complex at 10:45 at night and see a bunch of blue polo shirted people getting off.

I wish I would've taken a picture. I might start a stake-out so I can prove it.

But, I did find some excellent employee benefits online. I don't know if they have a work program or anything, or if they target a specific culture, that wasn't listed:

• Seasonal Employee Benefits
  Free entrance to Lagoon
  End of season bonus*
  Family Days, when your family can come to Lagoon at an incredible discount
  Discount coupons for friends and family
  Earn high school credit through the School to Careers program
  Excellent incentives and employee recognition programs
  Employee parties throughout the season
  Discounts on park merchandise
  Meet new friends
  Competitive wages
  Opportunity to advance and gain supervisor experience
  College scholarships through the Robert E. Freed Foundation

Oh, and I found the cool pictures from Sarah Ackerman, Flickr

And I'm super bugged that my post is not spacing correctly. Sorry!

You're Not My Boss

A few years ago, I pulled that line on my sister. I don't know where it came from, or even what the context was, but we laughed for such a long time about it.

Lately, I've had issues with authority figures in my life.

Mostly it's this: who decided that 8:00 was an appropriate time for life to start? Why does my job have to start at this time? Why did school always start at this time? And WHO decided that 40 hours of work a week was necessary and essential to life? And when all this was decided by who ever this chump was, why didn't anyone oppose it and say "actually, sir, 40 hours is not going to work, nor is 8:00 going to allow the most productivity"?
The powers that be were probably all in this early morning meeting and the people that I identify with, were probably still sleeping or doing something better to do with their time, and the silly vote took place. Grr.

Deep down, I know this is a good thing, but I am also wanting a different job with less hours and maybe something that requires not so much sitting.

Getting Inside

This is a really old video, but luckily I just found it. Sometimes we see interesting things at work.

2 Continents Later...

My vacation was delicious.

Even though the plane rides were eternal....I got to stop unexpectedly in Paris - which may or may not be the highlight of my trip :0) It was so cool. I really could not stop smiling.

Eventually, we made it to Kenya. One of the top 3 hugs from my mom (when she picked me up from my mission and when I went to Kenya the first time being the other 2). We got showered and began a trip to Kitale for a branch reorganization. The road was typical Kenya - bumpy as bumpy could be. There are so many potholes, it's kind of ridiculous, but it makes me laugh so hard. We even got to visit the equator - I didn't "see" it, but I did see a demonstration that shows the different ways water drains, north & south and right at the equator. Interesting.

Kitale was nice, the bathroom at the church building there was just a hole in the floor. I am amazed with my mom - she dealt with this for 3 years. Wonderwoman?

Monday we went to Lake Nakuru - saw a lot of beautiful wildlife, and Russ kept hitting his head on the handle above the window. Ha ha... Oh, and randomly I got a phone call on my dad's phone from my branch president, extending a calling to me. That was nice ?

My mom is putting together a collection of testimonies from the Kenyan women. It is incredible. Every conversion is a miracle, and the love and depth they have is inspiring. Luckily, I got to help with compiling these books.

One day, we did some souvenir shopping - I got the ring I've wanted for 2.5 years. Ahhhh. Not a wedding ring, please. It has elephants on it.

Sister Dalton the General Young Women President came and did some trainings in Nairobi. It was really fun to listen to her, and it made me want to be in Young Women's so badly.

I read roughly 4 books on this trip. Love it.

Ultimately, the best part of this trip was just being with my parents. They make it so easy to feel loved, and in turn, accepted in every way. It was part of my soul that I needed to be filled, and I didn't realize it. Yes, technology has made it easier, but being with them was more than words could express. I can't help but draw conclusions to how our relationship with our Heavenly Father should and actually is. He loves us deeply and we need to be with Him again. It's a really good thing there is a veil that keeps us from remembering exactly how it was to be in His presence.

Anyway, that's a bit of a recap of my trip. Feel free to ask questions :0)

Oh, and God Bless the U.S.A.