DC Midsingles Conference! Sept 16-18, 2016

The 2016 DC Midsingles Conference is coming! I was part of the co-chairs that planned it in 2014, and I'm doing my part to help support the co-chairs of 2016.

They have an amazing event planned out. Party at the Hard Rock Cafe, Saturday activities, the annual formal dress night will be at the Institute of Peace (one of the more beautiful venues in DC), music, Sunday services, and more.

This conference has been bringing in about 500 people for the last 3 years and this year they are hoping to take it even bigger.

Registration starts at $115-135 depending on when you register.

Check out their Facebook event or group, and/or visit dcmidsinglesconference.com to register.

If I still live on the East Coast on Sept 16, I can guarantee I will be there! (If I live in Utah by then, we'll have to wait and see.)

COME SEE "FREETOWN"

Get your tickets to "Freetown" today!

Exclusive Washington, DC premiere with the director, Garrett Batty, at AMC Hoffman Alexandria, Monday, March 30, 7:30 pm. 

https://www.tugg.com/events/14730  - BUY THEM HERE!

Caught in the middle of a brutal civil war, six Liberian Mormon missionaries in Monrovia flee the widespread violence of their native country. Their destination: Freetown, Sierra Leone. With the help of local church leader Phillip Abubakar, the missionaries make the difficult journey, only to have their troubles compounded by a rebel fighter bent on killing one of their own. Based on true events, FREETOWN is a thrilling and inspiring story of hope and survival.


Due to the "on demand" nature of this special, one-time only showing, we must sell a certain threshold of tickets in advance for this viewing to happen. Tickets will NOT be available at the door or on Fandango. They are only available through Tugg.com. So buy today! Don't miss your chance to see this incredible new film.

The Toys 'R' Us of My Childhood is Gone

Tonight I had the chance to drive down the roads of my childhood. Really, I miscalculated the timing and route to dinner, and forgot about HOV restrictions, and had to go the long way around. And that meant driving surface streets through town, right passed the neighborhood I grew up in.

Being a DC native means accepting that nothing stays the same. Sure every town around the world changes with time. But growing up in DC it's a little more extreme. There are very few "natives" in DC. And when you tell someone you are a native, they tell you how they've never met a real local before. 

That's me. Local girl. Still living in her hometown. 

Long-term unemployment has a way with messing with your head, making you wonder if you are good enough, smart enough, anything enough. And then you drive down the street, and see how the world is moving on without you, everything is changing, everything but you. 

But there are some things you are never prepared to see change. 

The Toys 'R' Us of my childhood, my harbinger of happiness and dreams, is gone.
And a Walmart has been built in its place.
This breaks my heart. I'm being forced to acknowledge that the simpler, easier times of the past are gone. I'll never get to wander its giant, fun, overwhelming, noisy, and colorful aisles again.
I have to be a grown-up. And accept that all of my problems cannot be solved with a new toy.
I don't like this. I don't like this at all!

Reverence invites revelation

For about six months now I have been working weekly as a volunteer at the Washington, DC temple. Some nights are boring, some nights are fun, and some nights are traffic nightmares with beautiful endings. 

Our shifts technically begin at 7pm, but we have a 30 minute training each week that starts at 6:30. Typically we get updates on different issues, a short devotional, and maybe a short training video. A member of the temple presidency is usually present, and may or may not address us. (There are roughly 50 workers on my shift.) 

Just a few days ago the temple presidency was released and a new one put in place. The new temple president and matron are Pres and Sister Kent Colton. (I can't believe I just forgot Sis Colton's first name.) I've known Pres Colton for several years, as he used to be my stake president, and he knows my father and uncle. Pres and Sis Colton were also volunteers on my shift for several years before becoming called to be the president and matron. 

So it was extra special for us tonight to have him give a quick devotional. He's been an influence on my spiritual growth since I was 20 years old. And I continue to listen when he speaks and advises. 

Tonight he shared an interesting quote that really resonated with me. 

"Reverence invites revelation." 

I liked the quote so much that I went back to him to ask if those were his words or was he quoting someone else. (And to make sure I remembered it correctly.) He said he was quoting President Boyd K. Packer who said it in the new temple president training a few weeks ago. (So if anyone else is looking to quote it, attribute it to Pres Packer.) 

As temple workers it's important to remember to be reverent for the benefit of the patrons. But as an individual, the quote means so much more. How often do I pray for guidance, and then forget to be reverent and attentive to hear or witness the answer? 

Reverence is often confused with quiet. Quiet and reverence are not the same. Reverence is so much more than that. It's in the root of the word- revere. Reverence requires that we revere the Lord. Reverence includes profound respect and love. A reverent attitude toward God includes honoring Him, expressing gratitude, and obeying His commandments.

And I don't think you have to be quiet to do those things. In fact, I think singing may be the best way I personally can do most of those things!

But back to the quote- 

Reverence invites revelation. 

It's so simple, yet so easily forgotten. 

Russia v. US

Vladimir Putin wrote an op-ed for The New York Times regarding the "conflict" in Syria.

This has been met with some very mixed reactions, including one member of Congress to say it made him "sick to his stomach" to read it. 

Putin attempts to remind and school Americans about diplomacy, what the Pope thinks, and almost inexplicably- democracy.
 
He goes on to say, "We need to use the United Nations Security Council and believe that preserving law and order in today’s complex and turbulent world is one of the few ways to keep international relations from sliding into chaos. The law is still the law, and we must follow it whether we like it or not. Under current international law, force is permitted only in self-defense or by the decision of the Security Council. Anything else is unacceptable under the United Nations Charter and would constitute an act of aggression. "

Vladimir Putin is telling Americans to follow current international law?!?

But before you start to think the man has a point, he then continues on to say that yes, gas was used on the Syrian people, but not by Assad's regime. He suggests the rebels did it to themselves to invoke sympathy.

And then this "former" KGB hack makes this gem of a statement, "force has proved ineffective and pointless."

And don't miss the part where on 9/11 Vladimir Putin in all sincerity asks Americans to recall the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.

"The world reacts by asking: if you cannot count on international law, then you must find other ways to ensure your security. Thus a growing number of countries seek to acquire weapons of mass destruction. This is logical: if you have the bomb, no one will touch you."

Be sure to stay to the end, where Vladimir Putin, the president of Russia, former KGB agent, the man who turned off gas to his own people in the middle of a freezing winter, possible Chechnyan war criminal, persecutor of gays, and human minotaur, says in response to President Obama's address to the nation:

And I would rather disagree with a case he made on American exceptionalism, stating that the United States’ policy is “what makes America different. It’s what makes us exceptional.” It is extremely dangerous to encourage people to see themselves as exceptional, whatever the motivation. There are big countries and small countries, rich and poor, those with long democratic traditions and those still finding their way to democracy. Their policies differ, too. We are all different, but when we ask for the Lord’s blessings, we must not forget that God created us equal.

Again, "it is extremely dangerous to encourage people to see themselves as exceptional."

And that, my friends, is what defines the difference between Russia and America.

Now I understand why the congressman was sick to his stomach.

Rolling with the Punches

Has it really been a week since I blogged? I guess I really have been as busy as I have felt. 

Just moments after blogging about "living on the edge of rejection," the phone started ringing. In a sudden whirlwind I booked FIVE job interviews (some in person, some on the phone) back to back. Knowing that potential employers may be looking me up online, I won't go into how I felt about the interviews. I'll just say some felt good, some felt meh, one felt wrong. 

Overall, having been through this process before, I decided to look at this as my practice round. I didn't want to get my hopes up too much. I noticed in my interviews I was doing something I consider to be a mistake in all of them. I need to work on that. And I noticed a few questions I needed to work on my answers to. My work history is not my favor (but my skills are), and I need to find a better way to favorably answer those questions. (Hey, I work in marketing and PR, knowing how to spin to the positive is expected!) 

I also noticed something else about myself- I need more practice socializing. I have mentioned many times before on this blog how I live in near seclusion. I can go for days without a real, in-person conversation beyond ordering a Dr Pepper at the drive-thru. I notice when I am thrown into social situations after days of seclusion, that I get a little too revved up, and it takes me a few minutes to get comfortable. (I have a lot of things pent up inside me ready to explode out and talk about!) And of course, job interviews aren't exactly comfortable to start with! I am glad I have friends coming to visit this weekend. It will help me get re-socialized with professionals. I also think I will start to make an effort to put myself in a social situation (go to lunch, visit a friend, etc.) before interviews.

I am also giving a lot of thought to interview coaching. I have somehow always been very blessed and lucky to be able to get interviews. I just don't seem to get a lot of job offers! Logic tells me I need to work on my interview skills. Obviously I am doing something right to get my foot in the door, and I need to work on being invited to stay inside that door! (I'm looking for places I can afford to get such coaching, and not coming up with much so far!)

As I write this I am watching "House Hunters" on HGTV. (Told you I have become obsessed with HGTV!) A young couple is looking for a house in Arlington, VA. It is fun to see people house hunting in my hometown, but it is also reminding me just how hard it is going to be to find housing for myself in the DC area. Small, tiny houses with ancient appliances (but always with one crazy nice upgrade), for insanely high prices. (I also cannot figure out how this young couple can possibly afford a $700K house!) Maybe I need to put myself on Apartment Hunters if I am ever going to find something I like, can afford, works for a commute, and accepts my awesome big dog? 

Or maybe I should focus on getting a job first!

That reminds me! (Attention: potential employers- do not take the next paragraph too seriously. Especially if you are not a DC native.) I interviewed for 3 jobs in Maryland. For this native Northern Virginian, that's tough. I could work in Maryland, sure. But LIVE in Maryland? I would feel like some sort of traitor! I don't think I could do it. (And all 3 jobs would mean live in Maryland, or put up with the worst commute in history.) I am a [northern] Virginia girl. Always have been, always will be. 

Don't get me wrong though, I wouldn't turn down a good job just because it is in Maryland. I just might have to ask them to please relocate their company headquarters to a better state, that's all. 

Don't miss my new novel, "You Heard It Here First!" on Amazon, Nook, and Kindle!

World War II Memorial in Washington, DC

It is hard to believe that in just one week I will be waking up in Cambodia. I've already started packing (and unpacking, and repacking, and unpacking). And to prepare for the inevitable jet lag that lies ahead, I've begun waking up earlier and earlier each morning (today was 4 am), and going to bed considerably earlier each night, in hopes that when I arrive in Cambodia, my jet lag will be minimal. (On the day I will leave for CAM I will have "naturally" woken up at midnight my time, which is noon their time.)
Yesterday I had to drive to Washington, DC (4.5 hours away) to expedite the renewal of my passport in person. It was a VERY long day. I had a few hours to kill and decided to go practice my photography at the WWII memorial. I am not naturally a very good photographer, and figured it couldn't hurt for me to practice a little bit before my big trip. Here are a few hits and misses from my one hour photo session.

The next three pictures are perfect examples of why sometimes a little practice can go along way.

Attempt #1- bad tourist shot. And I swear the Monument really does look like it is leaning to the left.

Attempt #2- standing in the same place as attempt #1, but trying to zoom and get artsy. My cheap little automatic just isn't allowing the focus to do what my imagination wanted it to do. Really lame picture.

Attempt #3- taken just a few feet away from the other two shots. IMHO, a much better photo. This is an untouched shot. You don't see clear blue skies like that in DC very often.

Washington Monument

World War II Memorial and US Flag

I had to crop this photo to make it closer to what I wanted it to be. I had envisioned it more focused on the flag, with the pillars leading up to it. Again, sadly my camera just isn't as fancy as my vision

World War II Memorial Fountain

I love taking pictures of fountains. I know I have some friends out there with real photography talent. Anyone have any advice for me on how I could have made these photos better?

Seriously, I need advice. Otherwise, there's going to be a whole lot of pictures like this one coming back from Cambodia. And really, I think we can all agree we don't want that, now do we?