Best practices week

Right now I should be asleep. But I realized due to bad sleeping habits I tend to get into over the weekend (staying up until 2 and sleeping in until 10) I can't sleep. So naturally I started thinking about goals and improving my life, okay I wish it were more naturally, but tonight I actually was thinking about this. I thought about how I'll get an idea of how to improve my life and I'll resolve to implement this everyday for the rest of my life. I try and it lasts maybe two days until I realize that this is totally impractical. It hasn't worked yet and I don't know why I expect that it will start working now. So I decided I need to not make five huge lifestyle goal changes at once, and I need to not expect that I can make goals that are all or nothing.
My new goal is to implement one "best practice" a week. This would be something that I wish I would do everyday for the rest of my life, but call me a pessimist, but I realize I won't. I hope that by following these best practices for a week, I can realize the effect it has on my life and at least make it somewhat of a more regular habit. Here is the beginning of my list, some are definitely easier than others, I figure I'll do easy, hard, easy, hard. What are some of your ideas?

• Pack lunch everyday for work
• Work out one hour a day
• No desserts
• Sleep eight hours every night
• Wake up at 7:00 a.m. each morning
• No internet after work (unless it's homework related)
• Scripture study one half hour a day
• No money spent on conspicuous consumption (only food other daily necessities)
  
• Eat Vegetarian
• Don't drive a car
• No gchat
• Call or email one friend I haven't talked to in the last three months each day
• Ten minute prayers night and day
• Listen to only classical music or church talks on my ipod
• One sincere, thought out act of service each day
• Don't go to bed until my room is completely clean
• Don't leave work until my desk is completely cleared off
• Don't leave a dish in the sink
• Invite one person that I don't normally hang out with to every activity I go to that week
  

Adventures with interns

Since I started my job almost (gasp) a year and a half ago, I have worked with the same four people, but occasionally we get an intern, it's fun to mix things up and add a little youth to the office, since the rest of my co-workers are all older than my parents. This last week we had a one week intern from Georgia, and she was a treat, for so many reasons. Thanks to gchat I was able to give my friends instant updates and ask for tips on what to do with my intern.

First I try to validate my need for an intern:

RKB: Since when did you have enough work to need/deserve an intern?
me: Ouch Ryan. I have been doing very important things today...ok not really.
RKB: just be sure to use and abuse him/her
me: of course send them to the copy machine to copy a 1000 page book
RKB: yes, and make sure it is a bound book so they will have to do it one page at a time

PK: I wouldn't really call your job work
me: whatever, I have an intern, I have arrived
PK: ooohh an intern, send em out to get you food
me: she did bring me back a cookie the other day
PK: How sweet
me: I'm a good boss
PK: so not a male thing to do

Then the intern comes...but I don't really know what to do with her. She just sits there and stares at me blankly (I know, I do have the tendency to cause people to become awestruck)
Luckily Grayden was full of ideas

G: just use for entertainment, make her stand on one leg, out in the middle of the office. Or sing "come sail away with me" when anyone says a secret word.

How I wished I worked the friends....

Then the fun really began when I related stories from my intern, who it turns out was a college freshman. We walked to lunch one day and she told me that she had thought about law school, but she was worried that she would be convict someone of a crime then they would escape from prison and murder her...right that happens all the time.

G: you should tell your intern that she's right to fear becoming a lawyer, I have to avoid death squads almost daily
me: but is that because you're a lawyer, or your mysterious/shady past
G: oh, well yeah, I guess you are right, but I always thought it was the lawyer thing
you should tell your intern that you have a friend who is a lawyer and who was almost kidnapped by the taliban and survived attempts on his life by the Fedayeed Saddam and who has a wicked scar on his chest from a knife attack

DJN: I love your intern, assassinated? WTF
me: and she was dead serious
DJN: Did you laugh
me: best intern moments from today
a) she brought me back a cookie from her lunch at potbelly's, I could really get used to this
b) she asked me if on a white house tour you get to meet the president
c) she told me that office supply stores smell better than any other store
DJN: spectacular on all fronts

Note: To those who I quoted, there have been some minor edits and combining of multiple chats.

And on an unrelated note. Happy Easter. Easter is fast becoming one of my favorite holidays and a tradition has begun for Sarah and I to play Easter Bunny. I think that was actually one of my very first blog posts. So we did it again this year followed by an easter dinner for 25, eggceptional! And nothing says spring like a picture of us posed among daffodils.

Life is a balancing act

This week has been action packed to say the least. I got TEXT announcements (what is the world coming to) that my dear friend and college roommate Liz is getting married. And that Des is pregnant. Those who know me well have heard Des stories she forms 1/3 of the formidable threesome Jenster, Mills and Deslee. As if that wasn't enough this weekend Uhle Street hosted an engagement party for former Uhle Streeter Suzy and her husband to be Stewart and all this made for an introspective, exciting and nostalgic week. I have realized that it hurts me to see that I can't relate with a lot of my good friends as they are going through this life changes, but at the same time I am so happy for them and this change and progression in their lives.
All of this excitement was compounded by a quick spring break trip to the Dominican Republic (I got back last Wednesday), Courtney's birthday party at Medieval Times Friday, a trip with good friends to Cici's (an all you can eat pizza buffet) Thursday, the arrival of spring in D.C. that prompted a morning roommate run, an all girl brunch, doubles tennis, and mountain biking at Foundtainhead on Saturday, and visits from D.C. ex-pats and good friends Jeff H. and Katy V. left me not hurting for fun. Then there are the logistics of my truly adult world with mid-terms this week, entertaining an office intern (she merits her own post which will come later) and prepping for Easter weekend.
Now that I've mentally vomited my last week onto this keyboard, let me post a few pictures to accompany the sound bites.
Here are the roommates (minus Steph) reunited and proudly showing off the results of an impromptu bridal shower for Suzy. We all painted our fingernails, I know that all these hands look a little creepy so I had to explain myself. We asked our friend to tell us which girls he would date based on our finger nail color only. After looking at our hands he decided Katy's color was hooker red and she would be easy, Erika was high-maintenance, I was fun loving and Jeanette was a hippy. Infer what you will, but it was an entertaining exercise.
That blurry body there is me. Coming down one of the 27 waterfalls on a hike we did in The Dominican Republic, which was called appropriately, 27 waterfalls. It was my kind of hiking, scrambling up rocks and swimming through crystal blue pools for two hours and then on the way down you jump off rocks and slide down natural water slides. B-L-I-S-S
This is Playa Grande in Dominica Republic. The beach was beautiful and relaxing, but getting there and away was another story. Our means of transportation included cramped mini-bus, three people on a motor cycle taxi, racist French surfers who picked us up hitchhiking and then finally a car where another passenger had an open container of alcohol he offered us and there were ten people in one sedan. The driver sat on someone's lap, there were two others in the passengers seat, four in the back seat and then two in the trunk. I loved every minute of it, while fearing for my life.
Friday was Courtney's birthday and to celebrate we went to Medieval Times where you are transported in time in a castle that is attached to the mall to the 1500's. It's unlike anything else, you wear a crown, eat with your hands, watch a performance where knights fight for the affection of a princess and battle each other in jousting and hand to hand combat.
Spence isn't sure if this piece of chicken is big enough for him. And yes we are a bunch of adults in our mid twenties and early thirties who consistently engage in activities better suited for nine year olds, I know, I know.

Stuff *I* Like

Last week I was introduced to this blog. I quickly realized that this stereotype that was being mocked on this blog was me. I opened the page and first read this post right after I took a drink out of my pretty Japanese patterned SIGG water bottle filled with water I had gotten from the purified filter in our gym. It makes this even more entertaining to read because I always felt that myself those around me truly feel like we are unique and different from the typical white Americans. But apparently all of us who think we are so different, can be neatly packaged into the person who is described by this blog. I absolutely love it. I think self-deprecating humor is something else white people like. Here are some more examples from my life (where I basically admit to stereotypes and make fun of myself) and please read the clever descriptions linked.

• #73 Gentrification Six months ago I moved from a typical upper class Arlington neighborhood to a neighborhood I viewed as more diverse and "real." I definitely have mentioned this as a sort of badge of pride to distance myself from little BYU world I lived in to the "real city" telling stories about living in Guadalarlington, a few blocks from a taco truck, and having my eleven year old neighbor tell me about all the gangs that exist in our neighborhood.
• # 72 Study Aborad I definitely have been on a study abroad, want to go on more and have even hinted to one day wanting to be a professor at a community college and lead study abroads. I also remember a conversation I had with a friend on a study abroad where we talked about how we # 28 don't like TV he was teaching english to his class and when he was teaching love and hate he was listing things that he hated and put TV. Very white.
• # 12 Non Profits when I moved to D.C. or was in college and people would ask me what job that I wanted I would say "a non-profit or NGO." I admit I still take pride that although I wouldn't call my work a non-profit our website is a .org
• #71 Being the only white person around I can say that whenever we go to an ethnic restaurant without fail somebody will comment on the number or lack of white people. I can think of twice that this has happened just in the last month. At both an El Salvadorian restaurant and a Thai restaurant and in both situations the person I was with and I agreed that this was indeed a good measure of food quality.
• There are many other examples, but as I write this I just feel myself start to cringe as I realize how this blogger has me pinned. But a few more examples just for fun and because I know that anyone who reads my blog definitely will identify with many of these blog posts as well. I do have a netflix account and do look at it as a way to see documentaries, foreign films and movies that you can't find at blockbuster. I do bike to work at least three times a week. I bought a separate recycling can for our house last week and wrote instructions for the roommates. Traveling and the outdoors are obvious for anyone who knows me at all.
• And here is a picture of me from last weekend's 80's party

Twofer

I've never done a "tagged" post before. But I really enjoying reading other people's and learning new random facts about people that I previously thought I knew so well. So here goes (thanks for the nudge Sarah):

Two names you go by: The Jenster, JCore

Two things you’re wearing right now: Black with silver pin striped slacks (shhhh don’t tell anyone I wore them to work yesterday too), Grey American Eagle cable knit sweater with a hood

Two of your favorite things to do: Have conversations with friends that last late into the night that leave you laughing so hard you feel like you had a workout and anything else in the world is irrelevant. Being pummeled by waves, I love all activities in the ocean.

Two people you talked to last night: Sarah Stancliff and Melinda Skea

Two things you’re doing tomorrow: Having my environmental policy lunch group with Staci, Leslie and Julie, watching “Lost” with people that are more obsessed with it than I am

Two longest car rides: There have been a lot and I’m not sure exactly which ones have been the longest. I have gone cross country twice, once in high school for Heritage Tours with one hundred other friends from school the day after graduation and when I moved to D.C. Both were enjoyable. Another long and memorable car ride was renting a car and driving on the left side of the road from Johannsburg, South Africa to Cape Town.

Two favorite holidays: Christmas (it’s a given) and Thanksgiving a no pressure holiday with food, family and gratitude.

Two favorite drinks: Raspberry slush with ice cream from the ideal dairy in Richfield Utah and Fresh squeezed orange juice.

Two things about me you may not know: When I was in elementary school I was a total nerd. Evidence: captain of the knowledge bowl team, jeopardy was my favorite tv show and I would read the encyclopedia and take notes as a hobby. I secretly wish I was a rock star.

Two jobs I have had in my life: I worked at Utah State as a conversationalist, which essentially meant I hung out on the lawn and talked to the international students to help them with their English, probably the best job I’ve ever had. Ski instructor at Park City Mountain Resort.

Two movies I could watch over and over: There are very few movies that I will watch more than once, but I will mention two movies I’ve seen recently and really liked: “Bandits” and “Water”

Two places I’d rather be right now: Skiing in Utah, supposedly this year the snow has been amazing. Brazil, on the beach with a good looking latino, drinking some fresh passion fruit juice (or Costa Rica for that matter :)

Two people I tag…I feel like everyone who reads my blog has had a "tagged" post lately… any phantom readers I don’t know about?

This picture, I just wanted to post because it pretty much sums up my last weekend in West Virginia. So fun, details forthcoming.

The best and the worst

Yesterday I voted in the Virginia Primary. It always feels good to exercise your civic duty and being surrounded by people who also feel that they're vote does matter and are willing to wait forty five minutes to vote. This year's election is far from over, yet the media has already had a feeding frenzy analyzing every detail of the candidates history, policy, spouse, personal life, taxes, health habits, it's tiring and hard to actually know what the candidates policies are amid all the muck (and I even consider myself a political junkie). I will not go into depth about my opinions, the amount of opinion is already overwhelming. But I do want to share the best and the worst of the political ads that have been run so far this season. And I will say that the candidate whose video I chose as best, was also who I voted for yesterday.

My two worlds

I've had sufficient time now since I returned back from my two week Christmas break in Utah to settle back into my DC city life routine. I've started graduate school (I'm getting a Master's in Public Policy at George Mason University) and I'm back to the full-time work grind. Coming back and forth from Utah to D.C. has become an emotional roller coaster ride for me. Whether I'm flying to DC or I'm flying to Utah, I feel like I'm going home and I know that there are people that I love and familiar places in each of them. This feeling is amplified by my acknowledgment that these two places couldn't be more different, which is obvious in the activities that I participate in and I notice subtle differences in my personality depending on where I am.

Exhibit A:

Here I am at Silverton Mountain Resort in Colorado with a bunch of "Mormon Hippies," or my people. We had skinned up (skinning up a mountain involves attaching skins to the bottom of your skis which prevents you from sliding backwards so you can go up and then when you take them off you can ski down) and then we skied down one of the most incredible runs I have ever taken in my life. Probably a foot and a half of fresh power on a clear day in a big open bowl. It was indescribable, the rush that I felt taking my first turn when we were up at 12,000 feet with friends cheering me on was one of the highlights of my break, maybe even my year, or maybe even my life.


Then this is me a few weeks later in the President's press room. Yes that podium right behind me is where President Bush speaks at the press conferences he holds. My old roommate Staci was kind enough to ask me if I wanted in on a last minute opening she had for the prized west wing tour. You can only get one if you know someone who works in the White House and will take you. She works in the President's speech writing office, and I can testify that you can't blame his writers for how he manages to mangle his words. We were the only people in the west wing besides secret service agents and one of the most memorable moments was when we were in the lobby and taking a picture in front of the presidential seal when my friend who was taking the picture said "I really wish I was lying when I said a secret service agent is walking towards me like he wants to arrest me." Secret Service Man was not happy with us and our cheesy tourist ways.

Exhibit B:

One of my favorite places and a few of my favorite people. Cross country skiing in American Fork canyon with Brad, a friend from college, my brother Brian and our puppy Jackson. I love downhill skiing, but there is something about the tranquility and fluidity of cross country that is totally addicting. And Brad and I have a yearly cross country reunion tradition, he is what I would call an extreme cross country skiier. I know, you would think it was an oxy moron, but he really is, he goes off jumps and everything. Such a blast. That is another great thing about coming home over the holidays. I get to see friends like Brad, who is going to law school at Pepperdine, but also comes home for the holidays to spend time with his family. I also got to spend a lot of time with my dear family and especially with Brian who had recently returned home from a mission in Jackson, Mississippi.

This was a beautiful evening I had last week ice skating with a few friends at the sculpture garden that is part of the Smithsonian. You walk there and are surrounded by monuments and museums and then you enter the sculpture garden which has a lot of beautiful pieces that rotate periodically. They also have jazz concerts here and you can just bring a blanket and listen and lounge on the grass in the summer, and during that time the ice rink is actually a fountain. Last week the atmosphere was perfect with white Christmas lights hung around the rink and everyone stylishly bundled. The weather was perfect as well. Sarah and I choreographed an ice skating routine, it had some very elegant moves including twirls, but also some non-conventional moves such as the funky chicken and the robot, but don't you worry the judges gave us perfect tens.

Exhibit C:

I am probably the least fun person in my family, seriously. Those are definitely my parents, and they are definitely sledding while being pulled by our truck in the church parking lot (hookybobbing is the correct terminology for those of you not yet aware of this cutting edge sport). So I think you get an idea of how my family rolls, this was my parents idea for a Christmas morning activity. Is it any wonder why I just can't get enough of them?


Another highlight in my month that I have been home was visiting the Ansel Adams and Annie Leibovitz exhibits at the Corcoran Museum. Also this gem, Nuttin But Stringz, I saw perform at a civil rights tribute on Martin Luther King Day at the Kennedy Center. Absolutely incredible.