Kind of a Stressful Week

This week was STRESSFUL.

My boss was out of town, so I had plans to work an archiving project for him, but my days were somehow filled to the max with day to day operational stuff.

I also had other big projects on my plate, such as...

-writing Ernst and Young Award Application...due Friday

-Annual March Madness party for One on One...also Friday

-car is in the shop, needs a new engine, got to decide what to do...by Friday

-driving Mom and Dad's 15 passenger van and ran out of gas on the freeway

-got a speeding ticket

-finishing my solo for our concert in April, driving to SLC 3 days this week

I was kind of a basket case-hello emotional eating... yikes!

I have been having my green smoothies in the morning and oatmeal with raw pumpkin and sunflower seeds in it. But I snacked a lot... on chocolate and jelly bellys, shoot.

So, the story with my car.

I blew the head gasket and when they tore it apart, they found some scarring on the engine.

My options:

-fix the head gasket for $1800

-get a new engine for $4000

-fix the head gasket and sell it, probably get $1000

-fix it sell it, buy a cheap-o car

-sell it as is, get....?

-see how much Tunex (the shop fixing my car) would offer me

It was a wild ride with this and I was really frustrated on Monday that I am in this pickle feeling unprepared and like a total victim of circumstance.

Needless to say, I had a good cry and a long chat with my journal after calling my Dad and Rose.

My conclusion: this could be an awful experience, or it could be a great one.

Okay, okay. I can see a positive side to this.

Anyway, I finally negotiated to sell my car to Tunex for $1750. I owe them $750 in labor costs already, so they will cut me a check for $1000.

And i am done. finished. moving on. hooray.

Sad to lose Georgie, he is a great car, but ready to move on, get out of debt, etc.

I will get the title from Curt and Dad and do the deed this week.

Also, it didn't help that the couple of guys that I am interested in were totally withdrawn and dumb this week. I was in my stuff, a little more whiny and needy than usual, so the guy situation just added the cherry on top. I am a little frustrated about that.

Now that I feel ready to date, there are no guys to date.

Anyway, enough about that. I decided to cut the drama, I could feel myself building up a lot of drama over these male interests and it was kind of tying me in knots.

Stop it!

Yes, thank you.

Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday I went up to Salt Lake to work on my solo with Laura (my dance friend who choreographed my solo). It went really well. It is the piece I did for my OSU audition last year, so we remembered a lot of it and shaped some new stuff in it as well.

I am happy how it turned out. Can't wait for our show April 8th and 9th. Actually I can, there is so much to do before then. And I will be grateful when it is over. It's kind of a milestone. First performance since graduating and this show officially makes me a professional dancer...

Well, Friday came and March Madness was going to happen ready or not. And it was going to be a total flop or a smash hit success and I was prepared for it to go either way.

Every year for March Madness, One on One does a March Madness Party at NOAHs where we take the first Friday of March Madness off and just play, all afternoon.

Ping Pong, Raquetball, Wallyball, Pool, Games, and this year we had Rockband and Just Dance on some wii consoles.

I was nervous about how it would turn out

BUT IT WAS GREAT!

Thank you Thank you Thank you is all I can say. Everyone had fun, the caterers came through, there was something for everyone, and it was relatively easy set up and clean up for me. (I simplified :))

Anyway, I was so relieved when it was over. But typical schedule for Mere, I was done at NOAHs at 5 and went to rehearsal at 5:30 til 9 pm. It was brutal for the last hour.

Then Saturday morning I worked on my solo with Laura up in SLC and THEN I was free for the weekend.

I ran my errands, unloaded from March Madness, visited with Mom and Dad, etc. Then Bonnie and I had a roommate date.

We went to Bajio for dinner, cleaned up our condo, did manis/pedis, talked, laughed, and unwound. This is us on Saturday night soaking our feet.

Finished product. mmmm.... love pedicures. And the budge was happy that it was self served :)

Note my poor wounded feet. I acquired a big blister on the bottom of each of my big toes, a large split under my second to last toe, and some floor burns on the tops of my feet.

...the things we do for the sake of our art.

And my gorgeous manicure. A light pearl polish. Yes, thank you I know I am very professional :)

Oh boy. Nothing beats natural beauty.

Sunday I went Visiting Teaching in the morning. First time in 3 months, since moving and getting in the system. After church I was asked to deliver some of the VT assignments and also drop by to visit a few of the inactive ward members. Bonnie and I went together and had about 2% success. It was super deflating.

I didn't know that gathering sheep was hard. It's not a cake walk.

But as Bonnie and I talked about, the goal is not to 'fix' them and make them come back to church. It is simply to extend the invitation and let them know that I am here for them. Anytime. Just as Christ is. He doesn't make the sheep follow him. He seeks them out, loves them, and they choose to follow Him.

Wow. I am working on living and being as Christ is and today I saw the next level of embodying that.

That experience really made me think.