being a budget deputy

I'm enjoying working in the Physics Department so much more this year than last year (it's amazing to have a boss who actually likes you . . . unlike last year). I really like all the other student workers and one of the girls I work the most with is Brooke and we have a pretty fun time for the most part. We dubbed ourselves "budget deputies" because we're just that cool and we want to make badges and capes, but that's still a work-in-progress. I can't remember exactly how the term came about, but I think we were trying to find a description for what we actually do and 'budget assistant' didn't seem to cover it because really we only do budget-related things some of the time. Then it hit us: we are Budget Deputies--we have special skills and do whatever needs doing. We thought the term 'deputy' had more clout to it than 'assistant.' If you're unclear about what a budget deputy actually does, here are a few skills and duties to give you an idea.

• run errands in the van
• wash the dishes
• organize the refridgerator
• answer the phones
• gas up the van
• make donut runs to Ream's
• bake brownies
• eat sandwiches
• clean up after parties
• cater big blow-out Physics parties
• pick up cookies for SPS meetings (Society for Physics Students aka Nerd Central)
• organize plasticwear in the new rolling storage thing
• balance plates and such when taking them down the hall to organize them
• playing plate hockey down the hall when the aforementioned balancing doesn't work out so well
• going down to the back with wheeling carts, meeting Nan (or whomever), and taking the merchandise back up to the Physics Department
• running packages down to Mailing Services when it's too late to schedule a pick up
• taste testing while on the clock (score!)
• organizing Nan's desk on Fridays when she leaves early
• putting up tacky Christmas decorations all around the Physics Department
• file purchase orders occasionally
• talk to Timm and Jessie when Nan tells me to (this one is a favorite even though it's only happened once or twice ;) )
• oh yeah--keep the budget under control by entering purchase orders into the Budget Book, approving them, and a couple other things
• keep the Physics and Astronomy Department exciting and fun with our vivacity

So, that's what a budget deputy does. Most of the time I like it; however, there are those days when I don't like it so much. Today has been an excellent day so far--we made a run to Ream's to use some coupons for free donuts, ate cake at a Physics birthday party, and did a little bit of budget stuff this morning. Not a bad Friday.

I mentioned this before, but I just have to say it again: I love the other student workers. We all get along really well and have fun doing the crazy things we have to do. On Wednesday, I was having kind of a rough/frustrating day at work and my feet hurt (probably because I was wearing my sexy toe-cleavage shoes . . . but they're so cute!!) and Nan was in a snippy mood. I was in a moment of exasperation when one of the workers (Sarah) came around the corner and said to me: "Oh Charlotte--you look so beautiful today!!" Talk about a tender mercy right when you need it--that pretty much made the rest of my afternoon and made the rest of the craziness more endurable. Also that afternoon as I was leaving, another student worker (John--he reminds me of my own little brother John--in a good way--and so I just really like physics-John for that reason) told me I reminded him of Nancy Drew with my red peacoat, big brown earrings, and chocolate patent leather headband; I love Nancy Drew!! That was most definitely an excellent thing for me to hear. :)

So while last year I complained about my job more often than not, this year that is not the case. Nan is an awesome boss (when she likes you) and I get paid $7.70 for doing the various duties mentioned above--not bad, eh?

end of november and an excellent tuesday

So I tried posting before I left for Thanksgiving, but blogger wouldn't let me post pictures and so I gave up on that front. Anyway, I'm back to reality now and Thanksgiving was most excellent. I flew back to Denver early November 17 (a Saturday) and early means at 6:45 in the morning--good grief. It was totally worth it though because I was home by 9:30 a.m. and could spend the entire day with my family. My aunt Susan and uncle Fred came in that same night, my uncle Lee and cousin Ross stayed with us for a couple nights on their way home from a hunting trip, and then Tuesday night Michelle and her whole family came in to enjoy the Thanksgiving festivities with us, so it was a great visit home! I wasn't quite ready to come back, but at least I get to go back home again in a few weeks for Christmas!! (and let me tell you I am SO ready for this semester to be over).

Last Sunday was a bummer of a day for the most part because once again I had a really early flight and so Katelyn and I basically bummed around all day sad because break was over and we didn't want to go back to school. One of the good parts was that we did take 3 hours naps in the middle of the day (we went to an early sacrament meeting so we could crash all day because we were both so tired from traveling and sleep deprivation). I forgot my Bear at home so I couldn't wallow with him Sunday (fortunately though Michelle brought him home with her and I picked him up this afternoon--it's lame but I just love my Bear). The best parts of the day though were seeing Stacy and Julie (my other two roommates) and Trevor (the note ask-outer) invited my entire apartment over for dinner and so that gave us all a good chance to be distracted from the fact that we weren't on break anymore and that we had to go back to school. So that was Sunday.

School and work were okay yesterday--not great, but what can you expect after coming off a Thanksgiving break high? Today was definitely better--I only have one class on Tuesdays and so I spent my afternoon doing homework, running a couple errands with Katelyn (which included going to pick up Bear :) ), helping Katelyn bake cookies, and watching TV shows online. It was really relaxing, semi-productive (it could have been more so, but whatever), and a better ease into real life.

Oh and when Katelyn and I got back to our apartment Sunday morning, we realized the heat wasn't working so we were freezing. What a stellar welcome home right?? I called the landlord the other night and fortunately it is now functioning and we won't freeze all winter.

I'm still counting the days down to Christmas break because I so do not want to be back at school and work, but oh well--what can you do?? I'll edit this post with some pictures later tonight (I'm currently at work), but if you want real photographic documentation, look at Michelle's blog! She has a slew of Thanksgiving posts!

8 days and counting

So I didn't realize how fast the time went since my last post and then I started thinking about it and realized that I haven't had too much to post about. My life for the past two weeks has basically been the same, dull routine with a little bit of excitement thrown in here and there. On Halloween my apartment had a party which was fun, but I would have been content to be a hermit (as I almost always am). Here are some pictures from the night:

Katelyn was Harriet the Spy and I was Nancy Drew

I had on brown argyle tights to go with the ensemble, but you can't see them.
I promise I had them on.

So Halloween was fun. That week for FHE we carved pumpkins at the boys' apartment which was fun, but there was a bit of a sad disaster on the way there. For that particular night, it was just Sean and me in charge and so I said I'd cover the refreshments and made a lovely loaf of pumpkin bread. It was pretty much amazing.


And then, as I was transferring the loaf pan to Katelyn so I could run upstairs and grab the carving kits I forgot that I promised to bring to FHE . . .

Yeah . . . it was sad. So there were no refreshments for FHE that night. I brought the bag though with the glass shards and the bread remnants to FHE so I could prove that I really did make something. It was still warm . . . sigh.

Oh! I can't believe I didn't post about this as soon as I found out about it (blame it on the second round of midterms--good grief I feel like school is all I ever talk about). Anyway . . .

I'm going to London!!

A few weeks ago I completed an application for the London Theatre Study Abroad program and I had my interview last week and I heard back later that afternoon!! The London Theatre program is different from the regular London Spring program in that it focuses on the theater (go figure). I'll be taking Shakespeare and Modern British Drama, which both fill major requirements. I'm way excited!! The money thing is a bit of an issue I'll have to figure out and I'm not quite 100 percent sure I'm going to go, but I'll have it figured out here pretty quick. AH!!

Also last weekend, my friend from home Cheyne came out to visit his cousins and we got to hang out a bit. We had an Office marathon on Friday night (we watched 2 discs!!) and Saturday we went over to his cousins' apartment and played a bunch of games. (My crowning moment happened when I answered a guy question in Battle of the Sexes. Q: Who won the 1994 World Series?? And who knows where this came from, but I correctly answered: no one, because there wasn't a World Series because there was a strike. Dad was proud).

Well, after 4 midterms in the span of a week and 8 days (almost 7) until I go home, I'm exhausted and will retire now. It's time for a relaxing weekend.