Under the Skin

As many of you may know, I am not creative. A lot of people say, "Oh, I'm not creative," when they really mean, "I'm not Monet, but I have creative aspects." When I say that I'm not creative, I mean "I really am not creative." I cannot paint, sculpt, draw or design. Given, I can draw a very cartoony banana, but that comes from the fact that when I was in fourth grade, I ran for ASB vice president, and my posters had cartoon bananas on them. I learned this from my mother (who is creative) drawing a cartoon banana, which I then traced using a light table so many times that I can now draw cartoon bananas. I cannot sew. I can follow a pattern, but I cannot actually come up with anything, and I need the fabric to be chosen for me before hand. I have zero ability to assemble outfits in the morning that match, and I cannot do artsy hairstyles or makeup. I cannot dance. I have become a passable Irish dancer, but that's solely muscle memory...

It seems that I keep on thinking of things that I should blog about, but then it never happens! School is back in full force, but I don't feel like I took enough credits this semester. I am not nearly busy enough. Main places my time goes this semester: 1) Classes. I'm taking Chem 107 (General Chem Lab), MMBio 241 (Molecular Bio Lab Techniques), PHSCS 121 (Physics 1: With Calculus. It's the one for physics and engineering majors, but I'm taking it anyways because I need physics, and my father really encouraged me to take this version), PWS 340 (Genetics), REL C 324 (D&C), REL A 211 (New Testament). I don't feel like it's enough. I have too much time on my hands. But, oh well. 2) Work. I'm an American Heritage TA. And where many TAs just go to lecture and grade papers every now and again, and then lead review before tests, American Heritage TA is a 10-20 hr./wk job. We prep lab sections (the 30-student section of the class we teach), grade, ent...

Do you have something that you do when you're blue? Something that helps you fall asleep? An odd quirk that makes you happy? Well, listen up, because I've decided to bear my guilty pleasures. Don't worry, there's not anything bad, just kind of odd. Ready? Okay! -When my roommates aren't home, I sometimes turn on spy music and run around my apartment with my fingers making a gun, hiding behind doorways and shooting the bad guys -Sometimes, I go to itsaboutlove.org (the LDS Family Services Website) and read the profiles of the Hoping to Adopt Families. They're just such cute families! It makes me feel fuzzy inside. -I secretly believe turning on Vivaldi's Winter from the Four Seasons makes it snow harder (it's kind of one of those things that you know it doesn't, but you kind of feel like it does) -I kill time by playing Gingerbread Circus 2 -Christmas music makes me happy and so I occasionally listen to it regardless of the season -watching old...

(A little background music while you read my post): Back in New York, and not quite sure what I'm doing with my life next. That is Hannah. I am currently working as a CNA at Finger Lakes Health (specifically Soldiers and Sailors Memorial Hospital). I am glad to be working here, and as I've gone through their training on their technology, equipment and gone through their protocols and policies, must say that if I'm injured in the Finger Lakes, and I don't need emergency services that exact minute, I say go to Finger Lakes Health. They have top notch technology, comprehensive injury prevention protocols, their accident prevention is phenomenal (particularly their medication verification systems), and their infection control protocols are great. Their transport policies are above and beyond to avoid injury, and after seeing their billing policies as well, so long as they follow them, they will be one of the fairest healthcare systems you'll have ever worked with. N...

So, more correctly, Canandaigua, New York! But, here's my update. I have a job! I am a CNA at Soldiers and Sailors Memorial Hospital. And I'm currently a Regents Biology tutor. Regents is the test that New York high schoolers must take if they intend to receive a high school diploma. As such, this is very much so harvest time for the tutors. To be completely honest: I hate tutoring! I'm not a great teacher, and though I don't mind teaching (I've taught lunchtime French catch-up in high school, I teach merit badge clinics for the Boy Scouts, and I have been hired as an American Heritage teaching assistant), I despise teaching those who do not want to be taught. Which most children who need tutors are. But, I am quite happy to have a job. My new job has the most amazing amenities, including a kosher kitchen (for Ultra-Orthodox Jews), and a barn in the parking lot (for the Amish).

Today, I am musing about people who are convinced their lives are terrible, so they make them that way. As I was flying home from Utah (I'm back in New York), I flew through Chicago. I'm not a big fan of O'Hare Airport, but that's the way that it happened this time, so that's life. Anyways, there was this super bitter gate agent. She hated her job and mostly her life, I think. She was so miserable, that she was making everybody else miserable. I tried to make her day easier and lighten the area around her, but she would have nothing of it. For example, there was a lady who came to check in for the flight. She was seventy-five years old, and was going through chemotherapy and so she was very weak and feeble. When the gate agent found out that she was booked for a seat in the emergency exit row, the bitter gate agent informed the woman that this was not going to be possible. The emergency exit door was much too big for her and she was not legally able to serve...

Tonight, I picked my favorite religious paintings for the purpose of building a screen saver that I liked. So, here's the thing: I could add more later, but here are my current favorites. (Simon Dewey) I really like this picture of Christ because He looks protective and contemplative. (Simon Dewey) I guess I'm the type of person who looks pictures of the things we don't usually picture. And usually, we show pictures of Christ talking to Mary Magdalene and such. But I like this picture of Him emerging from the tomb because it takes the Resurrection to an event rather than a before and after. I think too often we think of it as "He was dead, then He was alive," and skip the part in between. (okay, so I really like Simon Dewey) I like Joseph's paternal stance in this picture mostly. I think too often we think of Joseph as a "the guy" in the story. Joseph must have been a pretty awesome man for several reasons: 1) God trusted him as the surrogate f...