Go a week without getting frustrated to the high heavens about fhe and my calling?
Answer: because I still get texts asking what FHE is after announcing it in church, putting it in the bulletin, branch newsletter and flyer, and announcing it in RS.
I realized that my calling has nothing to do with converting others to the gospel or bringing them closer to Christ. Nope, a more appropriate title would be "entertainment director for 6 year olds" because that is what I do and that is how old they act.
Also, I got the "I would come to FHE if it were something I liked" line again, and it was from someone who is not even in my branch. Yay.
K guys, I'll blog about my trip soon so there'll be something else on here besides my angst. Lo siento.
Monday, April 29, 2013
Sunday, April 7, 2013
abba
Was looking for a little ABBA action tonight, typed that in my iTunes and now I'm getting a strange mix of ABBA and my "Echoes of the Sabbath" cd, but I really like it. "Mama Mia" was on at the gym the other day. I watched it. That movie is silly and strange, but I do love it and it's really fun. High point of the movie is Meryl Streep. What can't she do? She totally sang those songs and sang them well! Plus ABBA songs are good music! "Slipping Through My Fingers" and "The Winner Takes It All" totally made me cry. The low point is Pierce Brosnan. He basically growls all his songs. I could have done without him.
Anyway, I wanted this shown for blog posterity, blogsterity if you will. It is my most favorite picture taken during 2012. Mike Theurer probs took it, Kameron Welsch editied it. I still laugh my head off when I see it. Thanks Kams!
Anyway, I wanted this shown for blog posterity, blogsterity if you will. It is my most favorite picture taken during 2012. Mike Theurer probs took it, Kameron Welsch editied it. I still laugh my head off when I see it. Thanks Kams!
Wednesday, April 3, 2013
here's one for ya
Warning: here comes a snarky post. I was bored tonight, and because it's my "off" night from the gym and I have been listening to Billy Joel, I'm all riled up. Although I could write for days about this I will keep it contained to one specific area within a topic. (but that doesn't mean this is short)
Topic: YSA
Area: activities, specifically me being the Activities co-chair of my YSA branch
Ok, so I've had this calling officially for a month and a half now. I will admit, I was not thrilled at all to get this calling. I knew it would be a lot of thankless work that no one would care about. Which it has been. And I struggle all the time with resentment and frustration like none other. Like I said, I could rant for a long time about this. However, let me tell you my story.
Each Sunday I get up in church and announce the activities for YSAs for the coming week. Basically nothing changes. There are always firesides on Sundays, FHE on Monday, Institute on Tuesday, Volleyball on Wednesday, Friday Activities, with an occasional Temple trip. The same stuff every week, sometimes something changes like no firesides on Easter, but you get the gist. This week we have an unusual week because there are a lot of things we are involved with. It is General Conference and my branch wanted to promote the watching of it so they decided to have a BBQ before the Saturday afternoon session and then watch it together. THEN we found out that our branch has building clean up this month. Ok, so we'll clean the building on Friday night because there is no way that YSA's will wake up to come clean the building at 8 am. (conference is on at 9 am pdt). Oh wait, someone scheduled a Temple baptism trip for that Friday night so we can't clean the building then. Ok, so we'll meet right after conference on Saturday morning clean the building really fast and then go eat BBQ and watch GC. Make sense? Ok, and I knew it would be a lot for one weekend so I started making announcements 3 Sundays ago so people could plan. Friday-Temple, Sat-right after morning session, clean the church, then eat BBQ, then watch GC. And we want lots of people to come clean so that it will go quickly and then we all can go eat. So last Sunday I did my announcement differently and asked someone what was happening Friday night, they had no answer for me. Then I asked someone else what was happening on Saturday, they said BBQ! And I asked what was going on before that, and they had no answer. I wanted to smack my head against a wall. Seriously? Does anyone listen? I don't just get up there to hear my own voice. We are all technically "adults" here and as such I would hope that someone would know what was going on. I don't make all this up because I am bored. I actually got questions like, "wait, what's going on?", "I don't get it, we're cleaning the church before conference?" I couldn't give two poops whether people actually come to any of it, so if my announcements don't make any difference then why do it. I probably didn't accurately describe the reaction to the announcements I made to show how frustrating it was. Anyway, I felt like I was talking to a bunch of 6 year-olds. And no one will show up to clean the church (which isn't my jurisdiction anyway) and everyone will come to eat. (But I already had someone tell me they weren't coming to the BBQ because they didn't know about it.) Again, I really don't care if anyone comes to anything, I would just like to be told I can stop talking if no one is listening.
Part Deux
I am over the wall frustrated with FHE. My philosphy is that FHE can be for socializing, making friends, playing games, eating food etc. But I believe it can be so much more than that. Service, lessons, gospel discussions, and more can elevate FHE and make it more than just another Ward Stare. I struggle a lot with the concept that all the YSA program is is to get people married off, and having stupid FHE's just buys into that plan. I feel that we could accomplish a lot as a branch. We could have around 30 YSAs show up who are young and strong and do some actual labor and serve. But could I get 30 people from my branch to come? Nope. Never. It's not fun and it's not about food. On top of that I can't get my council to do anything about it. I have a select few that do the things I ask them, but the others refuse. And of course there are no guys to depend on, except for one. I actually had a girl tell me that she couldn't do FHE on the one Monday a month because she got off work at 6:30 and it would be "really hard" to get to FHE by 7. Ok chica, it's one monday a month. And you are a grown woman. You can do it. Plus, you don't even technically have to be there, just assign someone to give a lesson is all that you have to do. I've told them all to tell me if they would like to switch assignments. I've told them that I'm absolutely willing to assist them. Again it's like talking to 6 year-olds.
And then there's the naysayers. So, a few weeks ago we planned to have a service activity. I thought we could pull something off but as the day got closer we didn't have anything. On Sunday it was announced as a Service Activity, being vague, but still saying it was service related (and for us that usually means writing missionaries). I tried really hard to come up with a good service idea. I thought a lot. Talked to people. Looked up ideas on the internet. Wracked my brain. I finally came up with something that I thought could be good and wouldn't involve too much effort on my part (I quickly learned to avoid that because it never works out) and people could do easily. I do actually care that FHE is at least worthwile, fun or productive. Then Monday night came and we only had like 10 people there. I knew it was my fault too because I had been so vague about the activity. Then a kid showed up and actually said to me, "we're doing this? If I had known we were doing this I so would not have come." and then my sassy friend put him in his place and told him why people go to activities. (He did not know I was in charge). Ooooo I was so mad. I was probably more mad a him for complaining then at all the people who didn't come. (Which I actually don't care about that much because FHE attendance is not a prerequisite to temple attendance, so skip FHE all you want). It just makes me want to put in the effort of making these things worthwhile and/or fun. NOT. I had all kinds of snarkyness coming out in my inner dialogue. "You say you don't come to FHE because you don't like the activities, ok then, tell me what you like to do and we'll plan a whole Monday night just for YOU." Or to the girl on my committee who said "I don't come to activities where I don't know what's going on because I won't know if I'll like it." "Ok, well, I won't tell you anything that's going on so you'll just have to miss everything." Gheez Louise,guys. I guess it comes down to the fact that I feel like I'm the cruise director for a bunch of 6 year olds. It's just the expectation that church is for entertainment. I had someone say to me that they didn't want a lesson at FHE, that's what church on Sunday is for. They hear three hours of it on Sunday, they don't want to hear more on Monday. Sorry, dude, you joined the wrong church. I've occasionally had really good FHEs where we've had a deep gospel discussion and no one played any stupid game. It's totally possible. All this crap just makes it really hard to want to do my calling.
Ok, so that's my rant for tonight. Jenn and Monicky encouraged my snarkyness so I blame them. ;)
Topic: YSA
Area: activities, specifically me being the Activities co-chair of my YSA branch
Ok, so I've had this calling officially for a month and a half now. I will admit, I was not thrilled at all to get this calling. I knew it would be a lot of thankless work that no one would care about. Which it has been. And I struggle all the time with resentment and frustration like none other. Like I said, I could rant for a long time about this. However, let me tell you my story.
Each Sunday I get up in church and announce the activities for YSAs for the coming week. Basically nothing changes. There are always firesides on Sundays, FHE on Monday, Institute on Tuesday, Volleyball on Wednesday, Friday Activities, with an occasional Temple trip. The same stuff every week, sometimes something changes like no firesides on Easter, but you get the gist. This week we have an unusual week because there are a lot of things we are involved with. It is General Conference and my branch wanted to promote the watching of it so they decided to have a BBQ before the Saturday afternoon session and then watch it together. THEN we found out that our branch has building clean up this month. Ok, so we'll clean the building on Friday night because there is no way that YSA's will wake up to come clean the building at 8 am. (conference is on at 9 am pdt). Oh wait, someone scheduled a Temple baptism trip for that Friday night so we can't clean the building then. Ok, so we'll meet right after conference on Saturday morning clean the building really fast and then go eat BBQ and watch GC. Make sense? Ok, and I knew it would be a lot for one weekend so I started making announcements 3 Sundays ago so people could plan. Friday-Temple, Sat-right after morning session, clean the church, then eat BBQ, then watch GC. And we want lots of people to come clean so that it will go quickly and then we all can go eat. So last Sunday I did my announcement differently and asked someone what was happening Friday night, they had no answer for me. Then I asked someone else what was happening on Saturday, they said BBQ! And I asked what was going on before that, and they had no answer. I wanted to smack my head against a wall. Seriously? Does anyone listen? I don't just get up there to hear my own voice. We are all technically "adults" here and as such I would hope that someone would know what was going on. I don't make all this up because I am bored. I actually got questions like, "wait, what's going on?", "I don't get it, we're cleaning the church before conference?" I couldn't give two poops whether people actually come to any of it, so if my announcements don't make any difference then why do it. I probably didn't accurately describe the reaction to the announcements I made to show how frustrating it was. Anyway, I felt like I was talking to a bunch of 6 year-olds. And no one will show up to clean the church (which isn't my jurisdiction anyway) and everyone will come to eat. (But I already had someone tell me they weren't coming to the BBQ because they didn't know about it.) Again, I really don't care if anyone comes to anything, I would just like to be told I can stop talking if no one is listening.
Part Deux
I am over the wall frustrated with FHE. My philosphy is that FHE can be for socializing, making friends, playing games, eating food etc. But I believe it can be so much more than that. Service, lessons, gospel discussions, and more can elevate FHE and make it more than just another Ward Stare. I struggle a lot with the concept that all the YSA program is is to get people married off, and having stupid FHE's just buys into that plan. I feel that we could accomplish a lot as a branch. We could have around 30 YSAs show up who are young and strong and do some actual labor and serve. But could I get 30 people from my branch to come? Nope. Never. It's not fun and it's not about food. On top of that I can't get my council to do anything about it. I have a select few that do the things I ask them, but the others refuse. And of course there are no guys to depend on, except for one. I actually had a girl tell me that she couldn't do FHE on the one Monday a month because she got off work at 6:30 and it would be "really hard" to get to FHE by 7. Ok chica, it's one monday a month. And you are a grown woman. You can do it. Plus, you don't even technically have to be there, just assign someone to give a lesson is all that you have to do. I've told them all to tell me if they would like to switch assignments. I've told them that I'm absolutely willing to assist them. Again it's like talking to 6 year-olds.
And then there's the naysayers. So, a few weeks ago we planned to have a service activity. I thought we could pull something off but as the day got closer we didn't have anything. On Sunday it was announced as a Service Activity, being vague, but still saying it was service related (and for us that usually means writing missionaries). I tried really hard to come up with a good service idea. I thought a lot. Talked to people. Looked up ideas on the internet. Wracked my brain. I finally came up with something that I thought could be good and wouldn't involve too much effort on my part (I quickly learned to avoid that because it never works out) and people could do easily. I do actually care that FHE is at least worthwile, fun or productive. Then Monday night came and we only had like 10 people there. I knew it was my fault too because I had been so vague about the activity. Then a kid showed up and actually said to me, "we're doing this? If I had known we were doing this I so would not have come." and then my sassy friend put him in his place and told him why people go to activities. (He did not know I was in charge). Ooooo I was so mad. I was probably more mad a him for complaining then at all the people who didn't come. (Which I actually don't care about that much because FHE attendance is not a prerequisite to temple attendance, so skip FHE all you want). It just makes me want to put in the effort of making these things worthwhile and/or fun. NOT. I had all kinds of snarkyness coming out in my inner dialogue. "You say you don't come to FHE because you don't like the activities, ok then, tell me what you like to do and we'll plan a whole Monday night just for YOU." Or to the girl on my committee who said "I don't come to activities where I don't know what's going on because I won't know if I'll like it." "Ok, well, I won't tell you anything that's going on so you'll just have to miss everything." Gheez Louise,guys. I guess it comes down to the fact that I feel like I'm the cruise director for a bunch of 6 year olds. It's just the expectation that church is for entertainment. I had someone say to me that they didn't want a lesson at FHE, that's what church on Sunday is for. They hear three hours of it on Sunday, they don't want to hear more on Monday. Sorry, dude, you joined the wrong church. I've occasionally had really good FHEs where we've had a deep gospel discussion and no one played any stupid game. It's totally possible. All this crap just makes it really hard to want to do my calling.
Ok, so that's my rant for tonight. Jenn and Monicky encouraged my snarkyness so I blame them. ;)
Monday, March 18, 2013
comrade vladdy
So I'm all fired up right now about stuff, it's not really important, but it has to do with the usual issues of being a girl/single/youngsingleadult/mormon plus people telling me what to do. Which is really not my thing. I have some serious authority issues. Anyway, I got some of my frustration out at the gym tonight. I am this close to writing a snarky op-ed piece and putting it on my blog and sort of am writing it out in my head, pero, it wouldn't be very fun for you, would it? So maybe another time.
I got Costa Vida at work today for lunch. Medical clinics have their perks. :)
And just so future generations know what we did "back in 2013," um, me and my friends, Will and Bonnie, get a kick out of looking up pictures of Vladimir Putin on google image search because he is the ultimate comrade and is always bear hunting, stalking a deer, swimming in the arctic sea, hand wrestling, etc. And for some reason, we find this hilarious. (partly because of the whole seriousness of it). So instead of learning how to use familysearch.org tonight for FHE, I fully intend to though!, I google image searched comrade Vladdy and these are some of the gems. Buenas Noches!
I got Costa Vida at work today for lunch. Medical clinics have their perks. :)
And just so future generations know what we did "back in 2013," um, me and my friends, Will and Bonnie, get a kick out of looking up pictures of Vladimir Putin on google image search because he is the ultimate comrade and is always bear hunting, stalking a deer, swimming in the arctic sea, hand wrestling, etc. And for some reason, we find this hilarious. (partly because of the whole seriousness of it). So instead of learning how to use familysearch.org tonight for FHE, I fully intend to though!, I google image searched comrade Vladdy and these are some of the gems. Buenas Noches!
ok, ok, I know that last one is photoshopped
i'm weird.
Tuesday, February 19, 2013
26
-When you turn 26 you have to work on your birthday because that's what "adults" do, work on their birthdays because they have to.
-When you turn 26 all your siblings will call because they love you.
-When you turn 26 your coworker is really nice and brings cookies to work to share.
-When you turn 26 your new coworkers have no idea how old you really are and look a tidge disgusted when they find out how old you really are, but try to pass it off as, "you look really young!" But your employer gives you a gift card to Barnes & Noble so it's all good.
-When you turn 26 you will get lots of birthday texts and fb blasts from cool friends.
-When you turn 26 you will be ok with not having a rager party because you are so tired from having to work on said birthday.
-When you turn 26 your mom will make you homemade pizza and birthday cake and buy you flowers.
-When you turn 26 your mom will not light the candles in a strategic manner, then she will have to go to the bathroom causing dad to take over from the lighting, but because she did it so wonky, the candles on the inside of the cake will still need to be lit causing dad to burn his fingers, and since you are so old the number of flames will make it really hot. (video to come if I can figure it out)
-When you turn 26 your dad will sing you "Happy Birthday" and then notice the placemat is on fire, take it over to the sink and pour water on it to put it out. And because the candles burned so long they will burn down a lot and a lot of wax will be all over the cake.
-When you turn 26 all your siblings will call because they love you.
-When you turn 26 your friends will take you to Isla Bonita because they think you're special and even get you birthday presents.
-When you turn 26 your awesome brother-in-law will send you an autograph of the Olympian Apollo Anton Ohno because he met him once and he knows how much you love the Olympics.
-When you turn 26 your buddy in the branch will find a large Giant Panda at Goodwill and give it to you for your birthday because he knows how much you like pandas.
-When you turn 26 you will keep said panda in the kitchen because he is as large as a small child and you have no idea where else to put him. He will then be dubbed "Joe the Panda" and be invited to family dinner each night.
-When you turn 26 you will realize that it's not as bad as turning 25 and that birthdays large or small are still special.
Sunday, February 3, 2013
the world needs more rock organ
So I was listening to my new Neil Diamond cd in my car (Hot August Night-Live, and I love it, thanks Stephen!), and this song came on that I wasn't familiar with. Neil was just spouting a bunch of names and got rocking, and I was really confused. But then it got to the rock organ part and I was hooked, it got really crazy after that. And I realized, the organ is something you don't hear too often in music. So I thought about other songs I knew that had organ, (besides motab or classical) and I didn't have too many. It's a shame though. Here they are:
Ok that version doesn't have organ, but just imagine it with organ on those trumpet/trombone parts. I just love Neil.
STYX Blue Collar Man-Monicky, I always think of you when I listen to STYX. Oh, and this is also a really good song to run to or drive fast in a car to.
STYX probs had organ on lots of other songs 'cause they were classy. I'm probably missing a Led Zepplin song or something.
And then! We were listening to the stream of Josh Groban's new album and he has organ on one of his songs! It's more in a classical music way, but it totally works. The song is Sincera and it's in Italian. Way to use the organ, Joshy!
Also, I missed celebrating Neil Diamond's birthday on January 24th, but let's just say every day around here is Neil Diamond day.
And tomorrow Mom and I are going to the movie theater for the cd release show of Josh's new cd, All That Echoes. I am going to pee my pants, I'm so excited. The album is awesome and probably going to be my second favorite after Awake.
Also, one time, I touched Josh Groban twice.
Ok that version doesn't have organ, but just imagine it with organ on those trumpet/trombone parts. I just love Neil.
STYX Blue Collar Man-Monicky, I always think of you when I listen to STYX. Oh, and this is also a really good song to run to or drive fast in a car to.
STYX probs had organ on lots of other songs 'cause they were classy. I'm probably missing a Led Zepplin song or something.
And then! We were listening to the stream of Josh Groban's new album and he has organ on one of his songs! It's more in a classical music way, but it totally works. The song is Sincera and it's in Italian. Way to use the organ, Joshy!
Also, I missed celebrating Neil Diamond's birthday on January 24th, but let's just say every day around here is Neil Diamond day.
And tomorrow Mom and I are going to the movie theater for the cd release show of Josh's new cd, All That Echoes. I am going to pee my pants, I'm so excited. The album is awesome and probably going to be my second favorite after Awake.
Also, one time, I touched Josh Groban twice.
Tuesday, January 22, 2013
i'll have literature for 400, alex
So I've been having this literary crisis for about a month now. I can't find anything to read. I use Goodreads. I browse my local library's catalog online. I've been through Barnes & Noble twice and left sorely disappointed. I even tried the used bookstore and found a book that was mildly entertaining but a fifth grader could read it. I am desperate to find and decide on something that will fit the bill of being entertaining or educational and take me longer than three hours to read. I'm not that picky, I do like a quick read every so often.
And then I hear this conversation between two of my coworkers today, a little embellished "OMG you guys I finally finished the Hunger Games! It was soooo good. It took me forever but I'm so glad I read it. And next on my Kindle is Fifty Shades of Grey. It's soooo addicting and I hate it because you have to find out what happens next. I can't wait to read that series."
I just had to shake my head. No doubt this person has read all the Twilight books too. But here's the thing, I wouldn't call the consumption of these books "reading" per se. I guess one does have to physically read them. But they are definitely not literature. Ok, I have read the Hunger Games, they were entertaining, but I read them the summer everyone else was reading them and they were way over-hyped. They are decent. But not the breakthrough literature everyone made them out to be. They did make a good movie though. I also read the first Twilight book to see what the big deal was. Bella seriously made me want to vomit. Whenever I think about reading that book I think about Jenn's reaction, (paraphrased) "The description of Bella touching Edward's cold clammy body...ewww that's disgusting. What's romantic about clammy skin?" Tee hee. So yeah, I stopped there. And Fifty Shades of Grey? From what I hear, besides the fact that it is fan fiction spun off from Twilight (maybe that should tip you off), it's just plain smut.
A Plea: America, I need better than this. And keep it clean, please.
In other news I heard a charming story about Grand Central Station in NYC today on NPR which celebrates its 100th year this year. I also learned that the word commuter came from the railroads starting to offer commuted or discounted prices for tickets for people who were taking the train into and out of the city each day, as in "commuting a sentence" only their trip price. And that's how that word came to be. Knowledge. I like it. Thanks Mr. Vanderbilt. I've never been, but I'm sure I'd enjoy that historic piece of architecture.
And then I hear this conversation between two of my coworkers today, a little embellished "OMG you guys I finally finished the Hunger Games! It was soooo good. It took me forever but I'm so glad I read it. And next on my Kindle is Fifty Shades of Grey. It's soooo addicting and I hate it because you have to find out what happens next. I can't wait to read that series."
I just had to shake my head. No doubt this person has read all the Twilight books too. But here's the thing, I wouldn't call the consumption of these books "reading" per se. I guess one does have to physically read them. But they are definitely not literature. Ok, I have read the Hunger Games, they were entertaining, but I read them the summer everyone else was reading them and they were way over-hyped. They are decent. But not the breakthrough literature everyone made them out to be. They did make a good movie though. I also read the first Twilight book to see what the big deal was. Bella seriously made me want to vomit. Whenever I think about reading that book I think about Jenn's reaction, (paraphrased) "The description of Bella touching Edward's cold clammy body...ewww that's disgusting. What's romantic about clammy skin?" Tee hee. So yeah, I stopped there. And Fifty Shades of Grey? From what I hear, besides the fact that it is fan fiction spun off from Twilight (maybe that should tip you off), it's just plain smut.
A Plea: America, I need better than this. And keep it clean, please.
In other news I heard a charming story about Grand Central Station in NYC today on NPR which celebrates its 100th year this year. I also learned that the word commuter came from the railroads starting to offer commuted or discounted prices for tickets for people who were taking the train into and out of the city each day, as in "commuting a sentence" only their trip price. And that's how that word came to be. Knowledge. I like it. Thanks Mr. Vanderbilt. I've never been, but I'm sure I'd enjoy that historic piece of architecture.
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