Tracie's World

After a journey of over two years, yesterday I turned in my final assignment for my Master's program. I honestly don't know what to do with myself now. The last two years and then some have been as difficult and time consuming as I imagined it would be, but they've also been amazing. I've learned so many things, and hopefully positioned myself better for future career and service opportunities. Folks have encouraged me to take some time and take a break for a bit. And maybe I'll do that. Then again, I might not, lol. In the meantime, I'm off next week to walk in my Commencement and make sure I get that darn degree in my hot little hand.

This week I've been thinking a lot about the great Latter-day Saint hymn, Hope Of Israel. I'd heard it again one night while I was listening to a talk on YouTube, and it's stuck with me most of the week. It's a very dramatic hymn, a sort of "rallying of the troops" in a gospel context. The last phrase of the chorus tells us to "Vanquish every foe today", and that got me to thinking about what could be foes in today's day and age that I need to overcome. I thought I don't have a lot of people that I would consider as foes, but I definitely have weaknesses and temptations that I should be trying to overcome every day. Foes like impatience, anger, resentment, or anything really that could keep me from being a better disciple of Christ. So as I go about my day, I could perhaps vanquish those foes by not allowing myself to get impatient and irritated, etc. You get the idea. Anyhoo - it's been an interesting thought for me this week, one th...

Last evening, a few of us got together to celebrate our pal Angel's birthday. She chose to do dinner at a favorite local pub called Gracie's. The food is good, there's (usually) plenty of seating, and not the typical bar atmosphere. Usually.  However, it never occurred to us that this time around Gracie's would be hosting a pre-St. Patty's Day bash, with a live band, and plenty of rowdy revelers. We had to practically yell to hear each other over the crowd. Nevertheless, we enjoyed our meals - I definitely recommend the shrimp tacos, and I had even brought along a birthday dessert of chocolate mousse torte. Suddenly, to our surprise and out of nowhere, a very pleasant young gal stopped, and sat down at our table. She'd met some friends and had a couple of drinks, but had somehow lost her group, and after wandering upstairs and down, was exhausted, and looking for a safe place to sit and catch her breath. She was all decked out in her holiday wear, and was as p...

Whew! The last quarter of 2018 was a whirlwind! But I hung on, and am back for more in 2019. So to catch you up, here's a quick update: I completed the capstone project for my master's degree. It was a major challenge, and I admit I was at times fearful that I wouldn't be able to do it. But do it I did, and I was thrilled to come out of it with a solid grade. I was given some new opportunities at work. I was handed the company's most critical technology project, and tasked with getting it back on track, and delivered on time. While we did miss our deadline by a couple of weeks, the business signed off on the project and it is ready to go live. BA World Chicago. Our team went on a quick trip to a conference in Chicago, where we got some great information from some prominent business analysts. We also had some Giordano's pizza, got to visit the 96th floor of the Hancock Building, and attended the musical "Hamilton". Nephew #2 received hi...

There's been a new show on PBS recently called "Equus: The Story of the Horse". In it, the host takes us through the history of the Horse in many different cultures and locations. One of which was a visit to a "Horse Whisperer" fellow, who specializes in breaking and training horses. He describes his method as less about breaking the horse's spirit, and more about making a connection with the horse's mind. It's a much gentler method, that helps the horse get to the point that it chooses to do the thing it is being asked to do, because of its connection with the trainer. This got me to thinking about the concept of "having a broken heart and a contrite spirit". I guess previously, I'd thought of this concept mostly as the breaking of a spirit. Say if you're watching an old movie western, and the cowboys jump on the back of the horse, and ride it until gives in and just stops bucking. But this comment had me thinking about it differ...

If you've been watching Netflix much lately, you've probably seen the new series "Tidying Up", with Marie Kondo. She's an expert in cleaning, tidying, and storing stuff, and her method is quite inspiring. I enjoyed the show so much that I ordered her book "The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up", and spent several days trying to get my house more in order. Not that I'm a hoarder - I have a basically tidy home. But the Kon-mari method teaches you to look at your belongings and ask yourself if each particular belonging brings you joy. If it doesn't, it's time for it to move on. I went through all my clothes first, followed by my books and DVD's, followed by the office, followed by the kitchen and laundry room. Whatever didn't bring me joy or a happy memory went into the pile. And when all was said and done, I ended up taking an entire car full of stuff to the local Deseret Industries, to hopefully be re-purposed for someone else to find ...

In the LDS church, members are asked to serve in various ways. Church leaders come to us and ask us to take on a formal service assignment. No matter what is is we're asked to do, whether the task is large or small, we consider it a very sacred responsibility. Our "callings" generally last for a year or two, and then we're "released" and "called" to fill another assignment. Several months ago I was released from my calling as a Relief Society Teacher, and have been without another calling since then. It's the longest I've ever gone without a formal calling, and I have to say, I have struggled a bit not having one. I believe in serving in the church, and I felt a bit off. I prayed for an opportunity to serve somehow, and did my best to help out where I could. But I still just haven't felt quite right. Well, the opportunity finally came today and I was asked to serve as the ward choir director. Of course I accepted. Now lest you think t...

Back when I was home over the New Year, my mom gifted me with a treasured family heirloom. It's an antique anniversary clock that belonged to her Grandmother. All my life, for every move, the clock went with us. Sadly though, I can never remember the clock having worked. So, when I brought it home, it was with the intent to see if I could get it fixed. I even managed to get it home in one piece, thanks to Mom's packaging efforts. I happen to live in a neighborhood that has a family owned clock shop, that's been in business since the 1940's. I took it to them, and they assured me they could get it up and running again. I handed it over to them, and they had it for about 6 months (they have quite a backlog). Finally, about a month ago, the shop called to tell me it was ready. I ran down to the shop, and got a quick lesson in proper care of anniversary clocks, then brought it home. The great news is that the clock runs! And it's beautiful! As a time keeper however,...

Made it to a late session of the Jordan River temple last night, my first session there since it was rededicated. I walked out of the session around 10:00 PM, and this was my view. The temple was so bright and the moon was so lovely, I couldn't resist a quick picture.

My friend and former visiting teacher dropped by the other night with a big bag of tomatoes fresh from her garden. And what does one do with that many tomatoes, and it's stifling hot outside? One takes said tomatoes, puts them in the ninja blender and makes gazpacho. And I have to say it was particularly delicious because of the homegrown tomatoes. It's how gazpacho should always be made. YUM!

I have some pretty great neighbors. A couple of weeks ago we got together for a community watermelon party out by the pool. There was plenty of watermelon, plenty of music, plenty of chit-chat, and a good time was had by all. And I have to say, the watermelon smoothie was amazing!

Look at that cute smiling face. I think I have a pretty happy kitty...

For the past year or two, when I go to the temple, it's generally the Oquirrh Mountain Temple. It's a bit of a hike to get there, but it's also a little quieter, and easier to get in and out than in Salt Lake. I've had some amazing experiences there. I made a quick trip to do some initiatory last week, and couldn't resist this photo op from the parking lot. The way Moroni seemed to be flying in the breeze from the top of the steeple, made me think of Revelation 14:6-7, where John refers to a vision he sees of an angel flying to share the everlasting gospel to the whole earth. Needless to say, it was quite a moment.

C.R. England is a very patriotic organization, and every year they honor a few drivers who are veterans of the armed forces, as well as have a superior safety record. Each driver has his praises sung in a special patriotic program, and is decked out with a beautiful new truck proclaiming their company status. Isn't is a beauty?!

C.R. England held it's annul Summer Games the last couple of weeks, and as part of that event, they held a truck rodeo. The truck rodeo gives a chance for any employee and their families and friends to drive an actual big rig. Of course, I couldn't pass that up, so I jumped in and backed up a truck and trailer, then pulled it forward again. It was great fun, and in case this Business Analysis career doesn't work out, I just might have something else to fall back on.

What with school and changing jobs, I've neglected putting in a garden this year. But the other day on a whim, I purchased a few basil plants and some flowers, and yesterday, I planted them. It's not as much as I'm used to doing, but it will at least be manageable, and give my balcony some color.

As a general rule, I avoid hot dogs (it's a mostly vegetarian thing). But this week a friend sent me a recipe for a "Carrot Dog". It's basically a carrot boiled in a special sauce, placed in a hot dog bun and covered in favorite toppings. At first hearing, it sounds unappealing. However...I figured I'll try most things at least once, so I cooked some up for myself yesterday, and topped them with some yellow mustard and relish. And you know what, they were actually pretty good. And since they were all healthy, I could afford to eat two! I think I'll make them again!

If there's anything Toby loves besides food, is a good nap. And said nap is generally right on top of ME. Here we have a few examples of him napping and lazing away in all his enormous glory... Toby loves the niece and nephew and will interrupt his naps to snuggle with them One of his odd quirks - He has this thing where he rests his back leg on my arm, then nestles his head in my hand Need I say more?

This past week, after a little over 3 years at SelectHealth, I left my role there and started a new job. It's difficult to really know how to share the journey that got me to this point, but let's just say it was full of trials and miracles, all at the same time. My career at SelectHealth was difficult to begin with, and became even more so this past April. For months I had been looking for a new job, off and on, without success. But it eventually got to a point where something needed to change, and quickly.  Towards the end of April, in desperation, I applied for a couple of jobs, and changed my LinkedIn profile to allow recruiters from other companies to reach out to me directly. The following Monday, a recruiter from C.R. England Trucking company sent me a note. He didn't know if I was open to opportunities or not, or if I knew anyone who was, and sent along a job description.  Now, let's just say that a job in the trucking industry was never at any time on my rad...

About 15 years ago, I was diagnosed with something called Meniere's Disease. It's an inner ear condition, which results in episodes of dizziness and vertigo, and eventual loss of hearing. I know several people who are afflicted with it, and it is not pleasant. This last number of years, I've lived my life as a meniere's patient. I've dealt with periodic dizziness and vertigo, had my hearing tested regularly, been mostly off salt, and otherwise lived my normal life as best I could.  Earlier this year, I started having more dizzy spells, so when it was time for my annual checkup, I brought it up. My ear doctor thought this was odd, that all of a sudden I should be having more difficulty. And I've never lost my hearing, so he was suspicious something else might be going on and had me re-tested. I then went through a battery of balance tests, and an MRI, and was referred to a middle ear specialist. Lo and behold, after all these years, I DO NOT have Meniere's ...