If a black cat crosses your path...

You have bad luck right?

Well what if the SAME black hearse passes your car on three different mornings when you're driving to work at three very different times? Creepy.

On Saturday I drove down to Fredericksburg for a big antique fair/flea market. I love this vintage wallpaper and wish I had found some to line my desk drawers.

I also wish this mirror had been cheaper. Like $200 cheaper...

On Sunday, new friends Kraig and Michael, plus Dawn and I spent time clearing snow from the banks along the side of the road. And by clearing snow I mean Kraig drove recklessly over large piles of snow while we held on for dear life. Goodness.


P.S. Did I forget to mention last week I got pulled over for the 14th time? (For reversing on a one-way road... I had driven past the person I was searching for and instead of going around the block I just backed up. Completely logical choice, no?) This time by a female cop. I thought for sure I would break my lucky streak. BUT NO. I have now been pulled over 14 times and only received 1 ticket. Ridiculous.

Love this.

Your dress should be tight enough
to show you're a woman
and loose enough to show you're a lady.

--Edith Head
(famous Hollywood costume designer)

Found here via here

Not quite...

As you know, I love my job. And I love the co-workers I sit by. I love the flexibility I have for when I arrive and when I leave.

BUT.

I do not love my desk decor. Or lack thereof as the case now is... I need to put up photos. I need to get control of the cords exploding all over my desk. I need to get some of those cute, stylish desk organization tools I see all over the blogosphere. I've been so focused on my apartment that the desk has taken a back seat...

Back in 2009, I spent a few weeks researching calendars and ended up with several lovely options in my mailbox. One particular favorite is this little $5 pocket-sized calendar with graphic prints on the back side of the little month pages. It's darling. But I haven't figured out a good way to use or display it at work. I don't want to tack them all up to the wall because the printing is really small so I wouldn't be able to see the calendar all the way on the side of my cubicle.

Clearly the only viable option was to tape them around the edges of my second monitor.

Nothing but class going on here.

In case you were wondering...

...what melon looks like when it sits out in The Commons over a 3-day weekend, here is a photo. I thought the janitors would have thrown it out Friday night but not so.

After

Before

Many thanks to Mr. Valentine #3 for the lovely gift delivered to the office on Friday.

In case you were wondering where your campaign contributions go...

Last night, roommate Dawn and I went out to dinner with fancy people at a fancy restaurant downtown. The city is full of staffers in town for CPAC, which I would know nothing about except for the fact that all my friends work in politics nowadays. When the bill came for this lavish meal, 'Bruce' took it and said "Don't worry guys, this one's on the PAC." Which I have come to learn means free dinner/drinks for all. Hands down best part of the night.

Good in theory, but not in reality...

#1 - Homemade Kettle corn...

Failed attempt number three displayed above.

#2 - Me in striped shirts...

I love them always, but I should wear them never. So I compromise by taking a photo in the dressing room.

Better in reality than in theory:
The fortunes in this month's batch of fortune cookies from PF Changs.
Seriously, go get one.

Storm watch!

You've probably heard about the storm in DC by now. I can attest that it is a real snow storm, although Utah will get 5 more storms like this before winter is over.

The snow hasn't really bothered me, except for the fact that I planned to unload my pod into my new apartment this morning. I had movers lined up and everything. But when 8am came, the movers did not show up and I have never heard from them since. I couldn't get the doors of the pod open myself due to the knee-high snow piled in front.


I may have found new movers listed on craigslist as snow shovelers to come shovel out my pod and salt the area tonight. They may have agreed to come back and help me unload it in the morning. They may have then proceeded to get stuck in their truck in a snow bank as they attempted to leave Arlington. They may have then asked for a place to stay. They may be sleeping on the floor in my new, very, very empty apartment while I stay upstairs in my old apartment. I may feel a little weird about it all...

Catching up: Thanksgiving in Utah!

I headed out to Utah for Thanksgiving. It's confusing to my co-workers that I'm FROM Los Angeles but go to UTAH for the holidays. Not exactly sure how I feel about that either, but I digress...

The weekend was so much fun. Particularly, wasn't it great to have two Saturdays in a row after Thanksgiving? Placing that holiday on a Thursday was genius. Or maybe keeping offices closed on the Friday after is the genius part. Where am I going with this...

Things started off with the Orem Turkey Trot. Few things make me happier than a good local community race. And a race t-shirt.

Dinner with extended family.


Of course the BYU vs. Utah football game was a highlight of the weekend!


Loved the vintage blue jerseys!

Did you know you can get a Neapolitan shake? That changes everything.


There is much more I could report on but without good photos what's the point right?
I'm so excited to head back to Utah for Christmas!

Catching up: Visiting Summer in Atlanta.

One of the first things on my East Coast To-Do List was make a trip down to Atlanta to see BFF Summer, Travis and little Finley. I'm so glad timing and flights worked out for me to do so. They have created a beautiful life and home and it was a pleasure to be with them all.


Summer and I talked for a total of 40/48 hours I was in town. It was just what the doctor ordered! We looked through old photos and reminisced about our almost 20 years as friends. Also of note, I had my first experience with the Twilight series. Summer gave me a complete rundown on the first book before we went to see New Moon. I can definitely see why people love the series!

I look forward to seeing them much more frequently!!

**I really need to go through my physical photo boxes and digitize them all. We have some better vintage photos but this is all that's on my computer at this time..**

Catching up: KHill comes to town!

Can you believe how lucky I am? Only a couple weeks in DC and I had my first visitor! It was so fun exploring the city with Kristen, we hit as many hot spots as we could over her long weekend in the city. Seriously, you name it, we checked it off the list.

Mt. Vernon was a particular highlight. I did not know George and Martha had no children together. Instead they raised hers from a prior marriage. While that is sad, in a way it seems inspired. In such a young country with people who were used to royal families and monarchies, it almost seems inspired that there was no "monarchal heir" for our first president. Instead the power shifted smoothly to the next elected official. There is much about the formation of our country that is inspiring, and Mt. Vernon brings a lot of that to mind.

Mt Vernon is also aesthetically inspiring. This is a snapshot of one of the room's inside George and Martha's home. I LOVE this room. I've been scheming ever since about how I can create a Kelly Green room. Look at that ceiling! And that woodwork! And those chairs! Oh I'm in heaven.

Of course the weekend involved great food. This is Eastern Market. Will you please come visit me? Because I NEED more excuses to breakfast here.

Lastly, this photo does a lot to explain why I had to live out here.
Just look at that.

Catching up: Turns out I love my job.

I'll start with a report about work. I really, really love my job. I feel so lucky to be in this office, this group, even sitting next to these people. I could not be in a better situation (at least I think so). I feel well prepared and eager to learn as much as I can (especially anything that can help me do my family/friend's taxes better, now and down the road!). It's our slow season so I haven't been overwhelmed with work which is nice (most of the time). I think I'll be well acclimated by the time busy season begins.

For the first few weeks on the job, we were training all day long. They had us in a couple conference rooms. That is a really great way to get to know people! And to share strep throat...

Even though I did not take a bite, it made me feel better to have the donut sitting right there, can't really explain why.. I mean, it's understandable that I felt awesome controlling myself in the face of such a blatant temptation, right? I thought so too. :-)

On that note, isn't it cute what Steve & IeLi gave me instead of cake on my birthday? Now that's love.

Figures...

>

> Tonight at 515pm...
>
> Me: 'Summer I'm about to miss my flight to Atlanta... There's
> another which leaves an hour later so standby for updates.'
>
> Summer: 'well you wouldn't be a Zackrison if you didn't miss a
> flight now and then!'
>
> Ah she knows me too well... But in my defense, I've gotten much
> better! I'm just adjusting to some new airports...
>
> So excited for the weekend in Atlanta!

Sweet.

These lovelies are out on the EA's desk which is to the left of mine. She's not in today and I'm hidden from view from the hallway. I get a kick seeing how many people come by and take a handful of these m&ms when they think no one is watching. Also interesting: who uses the spoon instead of their hands and who are the main repeat customers.


Oh the little joys of life.

Yesterday I had to be in our downtown office which is steps away from the White House. We finished up at 4:30pm and most people rushed out to beat traffic home (if that is even possible...). I instead took the time to check off some of the DC Walks on my list. I snapped this little shot of the White House. You know, just walking around after work, running into the White House, no big deal. :-) I really enjoy living here.

Last weekend I made the trek out to the DC temple and stopped by the house I lived in for the first 5 years of life. It was very lovely. Note to self: the iPhone gives you the route which is lowest in miles, nonetheless surface streets and backroads from Arlington, VA to Kensington, MD is NOT very efficient...

What a way to start a morning.

I can't believe my luck.

This morning I went to bootcamp so I was up and ready to go to work very early/on time. I wasn't far from my neighborhood when I was pulled over by an Arlington police officer. Apparently, I had rolled through a stop sign while turning right (very likely...) and I was not wearing my seat belt (I wasn't on the freeway yet, I would've gotten around to it...).

He took my license, info, etc and wrote me up a ticket for both offenses. As I waited, I was mostly bummed about the fact that my clear record was going to be ruined right when I'm about to start paying my own car insurance. Lame.

You see, in the exactly 8 years that I've had a license I have only received 1 traffic ticket. All the other times I've been pulled over, I've been given only a warning. Can you believe that?? I can't explain how I have been this lucky but for some reason I am always able to get out with just a warning. I hope this is some kind of magical, life-long ability! My one ticket was for a carpool violation the summer of 2002. I've had a sparkling, spotless record ever since, of which I'm very proud. I've more than made up for it in parking tickets, but that's besides the point.

I figured my streak would end sooner or later. Officer Peart brought my two citations back to my car and we chatted a bit about having just moved here, the procedures for contesting a ticket should I choose to (that's when I said "uhh but I WASN'T wearing my seatbelt, how can I contest that?"), I asked if I could just pay today instead of waiting for the court date, etc.

As we were about to part ways he said "You know what, I'm going to go ahead and switch these two tickets to official warnings instead of citations. You seem like a nice person. Welcome to Virginia." He extended his hand for a welcome shake and I happily drove away.

Which means, officially, as of today...

I've been pulled over 13 times and only received 1 ticket!!!

Dear June,

I miss you! Almost all the time. I hope you don't forget me!

Love,
Rachel Z.

What's the date again?

Today I spent a lovely birthday lunch in the mall with Steve & IeLi,
MeiLi & Stephen (thank you so much you guys!). As I was walking
through Neiman Marcus to get back to the office (yeah, pretty awesome
right?) I realized I was walking through a department store that is
fully decked out for the holidays. What? It's not even Halloween
yet! Seems like a bit of a stretch to me...

First day of work.

Today was my first day on the job! Exciting times.

Mostly it was a long, cold day in a conference room.. I had a hard time staying awake so I'll have to make sure to get more sleep in general. It was really nice to have a fellow BYU-er Ben starting his first day today too. Having even one friendly face in a room makes all the difference. I am very happy to have this job and I think I'll be able to work on some great projects. I'm so lucky for that.

Anyway, posting over the next while will be sparse. Sorry! Just don't have any wind in my sails for this right now...

2,316 miles later....

And I'm in DC!!

I didn't realize I hadn't blogged in so long... I know I'm much overdue for an update. I have lots to share about the drive, our weekend in Annapolis, my transition, etc. So I promise updates over the next few days.

But just know I'm here, I'm getting set up, I'm trying to get everything taken care of before work starts on Monday. CZ comes out this weekend for a fly-out which will be so much fun!!


Overall, I'm nervous, excited, happy, sad, annoyed, intrigued. Much to follow...

The Informant.

Have you heard of Matt Damon's new movie The Informant? I've seen commercials and thought it looked mildly funny. But after listening to this week's podcast, seeing the movie became a high priority.

The current This American Life podcast is about Mark Whitacre of a company called ADM. It's about a scheme he was involved in with price fixing and how he went under cover for the FBI to reveal this crime. His company was fixing the price of a corn derivative which happens to be in just about everything we eat (Read In Defense of Food and see King Corn for more on that...).

Anyway, this podcast was really good and I think you should listen to it. A very fascinating story. You can download it for free HERE, but only until Sunday. After that you'll have to pay for the podcast.

We listened to the podcast on the way to and from bootcamp. Once back in Provo, we drove straight to the movie theatre to see the film version of the story we had just heard. I really enjoyed it all, and I'm still not sure why it was rated R.

Enjoy!!

Utah State Fair!

I'm working my way through the list of suggestions everyone made about what I should spend my final time doing. One thing I knew I had to do was visit the Utah State Fair! Kirstin posted about it here.

Foot-long corndog. Once a year so why not?

This is the butter one cow produces in a year.

Also, when asked "what food does butter go with?" the number one answer was corn (52%) with the second being bread (36%). I don't think corn would have made my top 5 answers, although it is a good combo.

Halloween spirit
Driving home.

Now it's back to heads-down CPA studying so my life excitement will diminish greatly...

New header!!

I have finally fixed my header! Following Annee's recommendation, I asked Alyssa of The Tip Top Shop for help. She came up with a design incorporating what I already had and put together this lovely piece. It's cute don't you think? She is so good, you should all let her re-vamp your header. Fast, easy, creative.

I've linked above to the store's blog/shop and I'll add a button to the sidebar as soon as I figure out how to do that.

Thanks so much!!

What would YOU do?

I need you to complete the following statement:

If I did not have to work* full-time today I would _______________ .

I fully realize I am in a unique period of life where I have very little to do. Unfortunately I'm running low on ideas. The most exciting thing I did today was buy bread at Great Harvest. And gas at Chevron. And exercise. And listen to Oprah's Best Life podcast. Studying for the CPA exam often does feel like a full-time job, but there's still room to squeeze in whatever else I want. I'm trying to take full advantage of the next 6 weeks before I start working.

But what should I do?

I want your suggestion, I want to know what YOU would do. Because maybe I want to do that too. So give me an idea. (And ask your neighbor to give me an idea too!) I'll do it, and report back.


*Obviously, raising children is full-time work. And so is school. Etc.

Obama's speech to the students.

Have you read it? I really liked it. Uplifting, motivational, encouraging. What was all the fuss about? Lame.

I would've sent my kids to school. Afterall, he is THE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES and all. That deserves respect.

Our kids should have exposure to leaders of our country. Fifty years ago when asked what they wanted to be when they grew up kids often said "President of the United States." Nowadays, the #1 answer is more along the lines of "Britney Spears." Not awesome.


*This is a comment I left on lovely Lindsay's blog post back in August which I've adapted to include here on my own blog, with the links the comment section wouldn't allow me to include.

*Over the last several years, I have been frustrated and disappointed by the lack of respect for our president that was so widespread in society and especially the media. It was completely socially acceptable to bash on President Bush for ANY and no reason. It got to a really disgusting point in my opinion. (You could not watch 2 minutes of early morning or late-night television without hearing something stupid and rude) And people were, just like you mentioned, HAPPY to see him fail. Failure served as some sort of self-vindication of one’s position. That is sad. I think the fact that we see this same behavior transferring to the other side of the political spectrum is a bit of a tit-for-tat type game, “getting back at each other” so to speak for the Republicans putting up with so much open criticism of the leader affiliated with their party.

I am 100% behind you in the sentiment that we need to teach our children to have respect for authority. Whether criticism is warranted or not, there is a certain level of decorum and respect that is owed to our leaders. As members of the church we should be great examples of showing respect for proper authority, whether that be God, the President of the United States, a Senator, the President of the Church or even the president of our local relief society.

In traditional Asian cultures, they have a great awe and admiration for their older and wiser members of society. This perspective and reverence has been ingrained in children from a very young age. We could learn a major lesson from that culture as it seems a similar respect for elders, wisdom and authority no longer exists in America. (And sadly, it’s fading a bit in those Asian cultures as well… Remember that talk Elder Wirthlin gave about the tsunami coming in Indonesia? The people were saved because the elders of the society knew the signs and got everyone out of the way.)

You’re right that although one may not agree with a position or a decision, there is still a measure of respect due to any human being, let alone the President of our country. I have tried to channel all my frustration with the treatment of President Bush into focusing on speaking respectfully of President Obama, despite the ways I may disagree with his positions or tactics. And hopefully, if/when a Republican holds the office of President again, people will remember to extend the same courtesy back to the other side.

My whole world fits into a 6x7x8 box.

It is finished!! Can you believe it?? I FINALLY loaded all my belongings into this pod which will be magically transported across the country and stored until I am ready for it. I just realized I left out two items: my bike and my tall brown boots in Sarah's basement, both of which I'll add into the tiny spot at the front.

Javier and Victor were immensely helpful. They approached the challenge like a puzzle, working hard to fit everything in. And they were VERY careful with my furniture, which can't be said for the college kids who helped me last week. (I won't post a picture of the top of my red desk because it will make me cry... They put my dresser on top of the desk and slid it all the way across. DEEP gashes. Definitely angry about that...) They also helped mom and dad load and unload tons of stuff at their house and in storage. Seriously, if you need help with that sort of thing, call Javier: 801-953-9147.


It is such a relief to have this task completed. Seriously it was preventing me from thinking, blogging, sleeping, party planning, CPA studying and just general life enjoying. But now it is done.

I still haven't figured out where in DC I will be living, but there is still time and I've got some leads I'm following. Hopefully CZ will join the great Zackrison eastward migration with a winter internship for PwC. Wouldn't that be awesome? Steve, CZ and I would have to have a mini family photo shoot in the office to celebrate.

Over the next 5-6 weeks that I am in Provo I will be studying for and taking 2 more sections of the CPA exam and trying to enjoy life before I begin full-time work. This "enjoying" will include naps and mid-day movies, time with the Wiley children, and hopefully the Utah State Fair. I've been working out with this running/exercise group every morning in Draper for the last 2 months and that will certainly continue until the day I leave. It's great. I've even gotten over the drive.

Anyway, I feel better about life now. I predict that will translate into more posting. Stay tuned.