the perfect end to a perfect day

Today was my favorite day in NYC so far, hands down. It was perfect. First the fantastic job interviews, then Klane got off early and we packed a picnic dinner, walked through Central Park, and went to a free concert. Klane loves Josh Ritter, so we were super excited when we found out he was playing the opening night of Summerstage, the annual free concert series in the park. We ran into friends Carly, Tommy, Riley, Billy, Scott, Pat and Lindsay at the show. The weather was absolutely perfect, the park was beautiful, the music was great, the company was fun. It was definitely a good night to be living in New York. Everyone went to Shake Shack afterward for burgers, shakes and fries. We ordered the Upper West Side: strawberries, bananas and cookies in vanilla custard. Yum! Tommy introduced me to their cheese sauce and I am now addicted. We had such a great night and I am just so happy that we are where we are. We're loving it!

Bethesda Fountain


the line to get into the concert

Eating our sandwiches in line. Oh, he's cute. Even with his mouth full.

two awesome interviews!!

Bryant Park and the New York Public library. Found on Flickr.

I am LOVING this!! I had such a great day. I had two AMAZING interviews and I am so, so happy with the way things went. This is going to be so great!

One interview was with an office on 40th street. I love the area. I walked by Bryant Park and the New York Public Library on my way there; it was so beautiful! The doctors were young and so chill, funny and nice. We talked about snowboarding and waterskiing, as well as job interview stuff. They’re starting a hygiene program in their office, and they don’t mind hiring a new graduate! What an amazing opportunity it would be to start your own hygiene program and build it up. And this would be such a fun environment to work in. I felt so great about the interview, it went extremely well and we had fun and got along great. They’re having me back for a working interview. I’m really excited!

Afterward I went to Bryant park and sat here while telling my mom about the interview. It was a lot prettier today than this picture! More green and the lighting was beautiful!

The second was with the temp agency. I wasn’t very excited for this one. When I called earlier, the woman said she probably couldn’t help me. But after meeting me, it was a completely different story! She said she hadn’t realized on the phone that I was from “out of town” and now that she’d met me she knew she’d have absolutely no problem getting me temp work or a job, whatever I want. Amazing! She raved about girls from Utah and how they’re the best and all the doctors want to hire them. She has three offices in mind that are looking to fill positions and she wants to place me above anyone else! I couldn’t believe it!

As soon as the elevator door closed, I did a victory dance and jumped around and squealed. I couldn’t believe it. I’m so happy! Life is good!

if you give a mouse a cookie

I don't have a problem with mice. I think they're cute, actually. I just don't want to live with them. I don't want to share my food, or find their poop in my house.

A while ago Klane saw a mouse dash across the floor, but we hadn't seen or heard anything since then. Tonight I made cookies, and when I opened the drawer below the oven for a baking sheet, I found mouse droppings. On my baking sheet. No, no. Not okay. Right now we're listening to this noisy, incessant squeaking noise which we can't localize but which seems to be coming from behind the fridge... or maybe it's under the sink... or in the walls. I didn't know mice actually squeaked, repeatedly, for no reason at all. Apparently they do. There is a mouse-squeakin party going on in our walls.

We're going to buy traps.

the first interview

I went to my interview this morning. It went great! Thank you all so so much for your love and well-wishes. Your encouragement meant so much and helped a lot! I met up with Klane afterward for lunch and he insisted we do a little photoshoot in my outfit. What a cute husband! I was kind of embarrassed but it's okay. More on the interview below, for those who're interested.

"candid"

oh, hi husband. i didn't see you there, i was just walking...

wishing i had a job like all these other people in suits

he's so supportive. i love him.

The office was very high end; really really nice. And everyone was so kind and very professional. Great for a first interview. I also appreciated the way they run their practice, they emphasize teamwork and customer service, and it seemed like a really positive environment to work in. I spoke with the office manager as well as the doctor, and shadowed the hygienist for an hour to see how they do things. Oh, I would love to work in this office, it was so awesome! They allow their hygienists a full hour for each patient. They have all the best instruments and equipment, and they've got suction, which I guess it isn't so common out here. The dentist was so nice and very positive, and said he was impressed by me and that they'd keep my information and let me know if they decide to have me work there. However, he was very up front with me and told me they had interviewed a lot of great, qualified people who they were interested in. So considering I have zero experience, I'm assuming they'll go with the other applicants. That's the feeling I got anyway.

Either way it was a very positive first experience with job interviews and I came away feeling really great and a lot more confident. I wasn't expecting to get hired on my first interview, so it was just a good experience. We'll see if we hear anything from them.

I can already see that the big problem is going to be the fact that I just recently graduated. Everyone wants to hire someone with three years experience; even the temp agency said it would be hard to find work for a recent grad. I want to say to these people, "And how do you expect me to get experience if no one will allow me to work without already having experience?" It doesn't really make sense. I'll probably have to keep looking until I find an office that's totally desperate for a hire. Kind of scary but I think that's just how it's going to go. I'll keep you posted!

grown-up work clothes

I went searching for grown-up job interview clothes today, and found this lovely little ensemble at Ann Taylor LOFT for a screamin deal. All three pieces for under $100. Oh yeah, that feels good. Since I was a block away from Klane I went to visit him and hung out for a little while. Following that I wandered around, you can follow my journey here:

Klane in his cubicle in all its glory

St. Patrick's Cathedral, which is across the street from DDB

Rockefeller Plaza. Not sure why the flags were white today instead of all colorful like usual

One of my very favorite spots in the city; I went out of my way to walk by today

Flowers in front of Fairway Market

This building on 73rd and Columbus is totally purple. I love it.

everybody freeze.

I have my first job interview on Wednesday morning, at a real office. I am really excited and really nervous. Pray for me a lot!

I also found this talk on being positive, and am trying to think positive thoughts. Give it a read, it's a great one!

on a sunday

Our friends Pat and Lindsay came over for Sunday dinner, then we all went for a walk in the park. We explored the North Woods a little; it is so cool in there! You would never guess you're in the middle of New York City. If you stopped and listened, I don't think you'd hear the sounds of the city. It even smells like a forest. The weather today was gorgeous. We did get rained on a little at the end of our walk, but it was actually kind of nice.

taken by Lindsay

Klane and I are less healthy and topped our walk off with a treat.

Strawberry or caramel? How about both?

We're liking our ward a lot. I've subbed for Nursery and Primary the last two weeks and that's been fun. I did have kids running and screaming (literally. top of their lungs.) through the halls and locking us out of the classroom... and jumping off the chairs. Other than those little hiccups it was all treat-eating, toy-playing and picture-coloring fun.

Here's something to give you a good picture of the Harlem 1st Ward. There is a priest that comes into sacrament every Sunday wearing a do-rag (how do you even spell that?!). He walks to the front, takes his seat behind the sacrament table, removes said do-rag and proceeds to bless the sacrament like a perfect priesthood holder! I think it is awesome.

new york is good for browsing

the apple store. amazing, beautiful design.


kids in a candy store


we really want one of these

A trip to Midtown today took us by the Apple store. Klane is like a kid in a candy store there. Too bad it's all quite a lot more costly than candy. It was fun to look around though, and the design of the store is so cool. The whole thing is just perfectly branded as Apple. We noticed employees discretely polishing random pillars and windows in the store, keeping everything sparkling clean. Very cool to see a brand identity so perfectly executed by a team dedicated to the Apple image. The entrance to the store is awesome too! The whole thing is definitely an experience.

We went to the Home Depot to look at paint colors and other homey things. We're getting excited to paint, as soon as we can make a final decision. I never knew there could be so many different shades and tints of light blue. I really love the East Side and Midtown, so it was fun walking around. Such a nice, clean area. Third Ave, where Home Depot is, isn't as touristy as 5th Ave, so it was nice to walk around sans crowds in the beautiful weather.

friday night in harlem

Amy Ruth's. Famous for their authentic Harlem soul food, and of course, fried chicken and waffles.

Usually they serve the chicken right on top of the waffle, but since Klane ordered it smothered, they had it on a separate plate.
Either that or they thought the white boy couldn't handle it.

I ordered a slightly safer waffle option, which turned out to be really delicious. Bananas, cinnamon and walnuts.

Even after such a filling dinner, I had already determined we had to visit Make My Cake, because every time we pass it on the bus I want to try it out.



The shop is really cute inside, they have flowers and butterflies hanging from the ceiling

We met the owner, Aliyyah, who looks nothing like this caricature of her. She's really thin and very pretty. She struck up a conversation with me and asked me to email her the pictures I was taking. Very nice lady.

We braved the rain and went out for a night on the town in Harlem. These two famous Harlem gems are right around the corner from us. We'd been curious to try chicken and waffles. I was surprised, but it was actually pretty good! You mix the syrup right in there with the fried chicken. Totally different, but it was fun to try. Klane said next time he wouldn't have it smothered, but that he still liked it.

Make My Cake is known for their red velvet, so we picked up a cupcake and headed home. It was our intermission treat for the LOST finale (which was amazing, and sad, and confusing, and I can't wait for the final season). Here's my cupcake analysis, for those who care: the cupcake was good, but after the one from Butter Lane the day before, it just wasn't the same. I just didn't think it was that good. A little dry. But it probably comes down to personal preference. If you're looking for something light and fluffy that melts in your mouth, go to Butter Lane. If you like your cake more dense, thick and rich, Make My Cake is great. It's a different ball game. I think I just prefer the type of cupcake Butter Lane delivers.

the forecast

Yesterday it rained. A good excuse to stay inside and maybe get a little bored (hence the oreo/peanut butter episode). I did catch up on some reading, had a couple good long phone conversations, and took this picture of the raindrops hitting the railing on the fire escape. Seemed really cool at the time.

Today it was beautiful. Overcast; not cold, not hot. A good day to meet some new friends for lunch and cupcakes. I met up with Kathryn and Kelsey at Caracas Arepa Bar, which I've been wanting to try for a while and will definitely be back for. It was fun and the food was really good. Then down the street to Butter Lane for a cupcake, which was amazingly delicious. Probably the best I've had so far. Banana cake with cream cheese frosting. Oh yum. It was light and fluffy and just perfect. It's good to know someone who knows their way around. Thanks Kathryn and Kelsey, it was fun!

I did not, however, get many pictures. Just this really awful one through the front window. Lame, I know. All the more reason to go back soon, right...? I'm kind of in a photo slump but I'm going to pick myself up out of it and go shoot something.

As far as the job search goes, I'm waiting to hear back from the temp agency, which is the route I've decided to go. All the hygienists I've talked to have pointed me in that direction. Once I have an interview I'll still have to wait to get my license to practice, which shouldn't take longer than a week or two.

this is what unemployment looks like

I'm going to get out more, I promise.

inspiration for the day

image by the incredible justin gaynor

I found this great talk today and thought I would share it with you. It's about adjusting to changes in our lives. Those who know me best know I usually resist big changes in life. I make a big deal and think the world is going to stop spinning, and then I adjust and everything ends up being just fine. Usually things end up great! But it's no surprise that adjusting to the idea of living in New York has been a bit difficult for me. I can't believe I didn't remember this talk from April's general conference, it's like it was meant for me! Hope you enjoy it, and here's a few favorite quotes:

"Most of us do not seek or even welcome dramatic changes. But change is an essential part of life's experiences... Too often we are reluctant to enter the next stage, begin the next challenge. Maybe we are too comfortable, fearful, or lacking in faith."

"...keep an eternal perspective. Understand that change and challenges are part of God's plan. By design this mortal existence is a time of testing or a time "to see if they will do all things whatsoever the Lord their God shall command them". In order to test our use of our God-given agency, we as mortals undergo a series of changes, challenges, trials, and temptations as we proceed through life. Only then are we properly tested."

something beautiful to see

If you're into weddings like me, check out this one, captured by one of my favorite photographers, Jonathan Canlas. Besides the great photography, I thought the wedding itsself was really beautiful, interesting and very unique. They had an intimate reception where everyone ate dinner at tables set up on a beach. No shoes allowed, and the bride and groom even lounged in an oceanside hammock for a few moments. It's a little more casual than I would've done, but I thought they pulled it off extremely well, making it still feel like a mostly formal event. Anyway, check it out. Very very cool.

ddb & subway etiquette

After having a slight meltdown this morning at the prospect of searching for an actual job in a big scary city, I decided I needed a good healthy dose of husband to calm me down. I packed turkey sandwiches and headed for midtown.

I finally got to see Klane's office; when I got there he took me up and gave me a tour. It was really nice and the people were all so friendly. I even got to meet the famous Eric Silver, the CCO, whose office is like ten feet from Klane's. I really liked DDB a lot. I got to see some of what Klane's working on, and of course it was all really good! He's awesome.

original image via ihaveanidea.org

Anyway, we ate our sandwiches and oreos on 51st street, and Klane gave me a nice pep talk. He's a great husband.

And now for a question on subway etiquette. I hopped on the crowded train at the Rockefeller station. I sat in an empty seat between two people. At 59th street, the woman on my left got off. Here's my dilemma. There's now an empty seat next to me, and I'd prefer not to sit right next to someone if I don't have to. But I didn't want the man on my right to be offended if I scooted away from him, like I thought he smelled or something. Is it more rude to invade his personal space, or to scoot away so I don't have to sit next to him? The man seemed pretty occupied by his book. I decided to just stay put. The subway car continued to empty, and by 96th there were tons of empty rows and seats, and the only people sitting right next to each other were me and this stranger. I wasn't sure if it'd be weird for me to suddenly scoot away as if repulsed by this person, so we stayed that way until I got off at 116th.

image via flickr

I know I over analyze things. But out of curiosity, what would you have done?