He liked my boots.

Taken by Eric Delphenich, 5/19/2011

It's weird to think that in 6 short weeks I won't be working at the magazine anymore. It's also kind of exciting and kind of scary. At a recent photo shoot, our very favorite photographer asked if he could snap a shot of me. He said he couldn't pass by the red boots and jacket...well, I couldn't either!

Confessions of an Editor

etsy seller

Today at work, a man called and asked if he could talk with one of our freelance writers.

Me: well, she isn't in our office, but can I take a message for you?

Man: don't you mean MAY I take a message for you?

Me (thinking to myself): well, actually now I really CAN't take your message because you've hurt my editorial pride and I am now useless for the rest of the day. Plus, I kinda think you are rude.
Me (out loud): Of course, I mean MAY I take a message for you?

Man: Well, no you cannot. I need to speak with her directly.

Me (thinking to myself): Don't you mean "no you MAY not?"
Me (out loud): Let me transfer you over to my managing editor and she CAN help you.

everyone does it

i know everyone picks their nose at some point in their life. but for the most part, i think we should all avoid committing the act in public. seriously. do we not all agree that there is absolutely no one who wants to see someone else pick their nose?

"OK, OK," you might be saying, "but why are you looking if it bothers you that badly?" Well, I say-- when was the last time YOU looked away when someone picked their nose? It usually happens so fast that by the time you've realized you've crashed their should-be-private-moment, you have ruined your delicious breakfast egg and toast sandwich (which you were late to work in order to prepare).

etsy seller

I heard of a missionary who had a chronic nose-picking problem (DISCLAIMER: this missionary is of NO relation to me or anyone i know...but could likely be related to above mentioned breakfast-ruining culprit). While the mission president met with the nose-picker for a routine interview, he said to the 19ish-year-old, "Elder, you might want to be careful about how you scratch your nose--some people might think you are picking it."

So--to the public nose-pickers of the world--I ask you, in the words of the the president--please consider carefully how you are "scratching" your nose.

Two Goods and a Sad

This past week

I went to my sister's voice recital. She is amazing. I'll post the sound as soon as I can get my hands on it, but for now...you can just gaze and imagine the songs...I went on a Northern Utah adventure...on a quest for delicious ice cream and pyrex with my Retro friend. I found a lot more than that though...(more to come on my DI/Antique finds).
And, sadly, my managing editor left Utah Business to work for a national publication. She always called me "Miss Candace" and I'll miss that (among many, many things).

Honestly,

I cried the night before C1 started his new/first "real" job. This is how it went:

C1: why are you so sad?

me: I'm not sad.

C1: then why are you crying?

me: I'm not crying.

C1: why are you crying?

me: I just don't want to grow up.

C1: well then how about I just grow up and you don't?

me: OK!

But tonight, since the grandparents are out of town, C1 snuck upstairs and played the piano. I mean he really played it. And the music sounded so nice. And sooo much better than the sound doing homework makes (ummm...no sound at all?). I honestly can't remember the last time he did that.

And then I decided. OK. It's kinda fun to grow up. As long as it means there's more time for piano.

opportunity knocks

so, no one likes to clean the office microwave.

but everyone seems to like to dirty the office microwave.

result: dirty, splattered, smelly, crusty office microwave.

scary.

so scary my Lean Cuisine-eating coworker now goes hungry instead of eating contaminated food.

so scary I wrapped my twice baked potato in a double layer of paper towels to protect it from debris that just might fall off during the zap, zap zapping.

so scary that I finally decided to do something about it.

I spread the word that I would be cleaning the office microwave.

Three people gave me a dollar and said they'd pay me a dollar every week I cleaned it.

I then realized cleaning that microwave was not worth it for only $3.

Then I had an idea.

That night I left a note by my garbage can, it read:

Cleaning Crew

Do you clean microwaves?

If so, will you clean our microwave?

[ ] yes [ ] no

The next morning the sticky note was gone, but the microwave was spotless.

Everyone thanked me for cleaning it and promised my weekly payment.

I couldn't help but laugh out loud as I pocketed my first installment of $3.

That will almost get me 2 loads of wash...

p.s.

i finally felt too misleading and had to admit to them all that they paid me $3 to write a sticky note. I'm not sure if I'll get next week's installment...stay tuned.

2010 means...

3 years of marriage
C1 graduating and starting a job
running a race
turning 25
The Old Testament and Gospel Principles
more graphic design

more pretending to be Lois Lane
more exploring my favorite hobby (that would be food)
saying goodbye to The Village
Reading one more book than I read in 2009
dinners for C1 from this book and this book
Visiting Teaching
smiling, praying and scriptures

working with my mom on TheTableRunner.com
recording my grandparents' oral history
sending my baby brother on a mission to Michigan
lots of dishes

It feels good to do something you love.

When I was in elementary school, there was a computer game I loved..I think it was called The Daily Scoop. It took the player through all the steps of making their own newspaper. I wrote stories, I laid out the newspaper, I checked the weather for the weather section, and the computer game had "events" I could watch like crimes and baseball games that I wrote about. Then I'd print it all out on legal size paper, and roll it up in a tube, just like the real deal.

When I was in middle school, I started carrying around a tape recorder. For the most part I just thought it was fun to be sneaky and record people without them knowing...but when I realized I actually had some valuable and quite funny information recorded, I stuck with the hidden recorder and I think this practice continued into my sophomore or junior year of high school.

When I started high school, I went through this survey phase--I'd go around during lunch asking students of East High if they preferred jelly or jam, crunchy or smooth peanut butter, red or blue, and many other "or" questions. I kept a running tally...for who knows why. I guess I just loved knowing...and I loved asking (except I did get cursed at a few times). You can learn so much about a person just knowing they like jelly, smooth peanut butter and like blue more than red...don't you think??

When I was in college, I somehow forgot about my love for asking questions and evaluating answers, my love for descretely pushing the record button, and my love for reporting on animated crimes and baseball games. But when I was let go from my job last year (it's been exactly one year to the day!) and started working at Utah Business magazine, I was reminded.

This week, I asked hundreds of questions, researched and gathered funny and valuable information, I pushed the record button oh, 10 times, attended a really cool event and wrote an article about it.

Dear Candace of Yesteryear, how did you ever let me forget to do what I love?

It's 10/10 everyone

So it's been 10 days since I stopped storing September. The first part of October has brought a work retreat (well, technically it started on the last day of september), a trip to my favorite place on earth, and a totally crazy R.S. activity.

Work and Play

I spent a day here

with them.

We did a lot of brainstorming for the magazine, learned about communications styles, built balloon towers among other team building activities, and got a free night at Zermatt Resort in Heber. Sounds like a good deal to me.

At the Cabin for Conference

Other than the snow, Bear Lake was a perfect conference weekend get away.

My cousin Alyssa came with us. She has red hair and is an artist...I'm 100 percent jealous.

Kiss the Cook

The Relief Society Octoberfest was today--10/10 at 10 a.m., we had pumpkin waffles with orange butter, nutmeg syrup and toasted pecans and played a pretty noisy game of getting to know you BINGO. All the while C1 was cooking up our waffles and cleaning up. You can see more photos on our new ward blog that we introduced today.

Call me Lois

I started an internship at Utah Business Magazine and I really like it so far.

I always pictured journalists as people with extreme ideas or a lot of nerdy habits—two personality traits young Candace never wanted to deal with. On the other hand, I pictured them as adventurists, you know, solving crimes, interviewing important people, maybe even falling in love with a super hero. Such a romanticized view is probably what kept my head up when declaring my journalism major at USU (go Aggies) however many years ago.

But guess what—everything just mentioned applies to me. Extreme ideas (oh no, I'm not opinionated at all) nerdy habits (if you haven't noticed any--great), solving crimes (like who wrote my name down on the “expecting list” in church), interviewing important people (aren’t we all important? Everyone changes the world and it doesn’t matter how many other people know about it), and of course, falling in love with the super hero is pretty self explanatory.

I also realize, now, that being a journalist (because I’m totally experienced after two weeks on the job) just means you write stuff--and research a lot. So, here is to more google-searching, more thumbing through the AP Stylebook, and more midnight flights around Metropolis.

TSG "let me go" on Thursday: Now searching for a tennis team to join.

In high school, I was on the basketball team. All 5 feet and 3/4 of an inch of me tried out my freshman year and after a week of tryouts, I ran through the basement halls of my high school thrilled that my name was on the roster.

Practice was hard, I went through a series of bad coaches and good coaches, I worked my guts out so I could stay on the team. Late nights in the East High gym were pretty regular (and I wasn't there to dance and sing, sorry to disappoint you, Disney). I remember a time when I stayed after practice two hours just shooting free throws. It practically took over my entire life, but I figured basketball was giving me something, too.

But I didn't always feel like my dedication, sweat, and stress was worth it. All 5 feet and 3/4 of an inch of me sat on the bench game after game. When I did get put in the game, I wasn't used to the pressure, quick decisions, and tall girls...(let's get real) but you know, I always added to my team, never subtracted. I ran just as hard as the star players and my shoes squeaked just as loud, as I covered my man, or my zone on defense and ran the plays on offense, I communicated on the court, and I even had a good time doing it. Over time, I improved, and gained experience I couldn't have gained anywhere else, but my part of the bench was still kept very warm.

Then one night it happened. After three years on the team, my coach came over to my home, sat on my couch, and asked me if I would like to be "team manager" the next year instead of play for the team. Really? Be a water boy? I don't think so. She didn't have to tell me I was cut from the team and I never checked the list.

But I took up tennis that summer, tried out for the tennis team, made it, played doubles with a freshman, and all 5 feet and 3/4 of an inch of me took 2nd in State my senior year. Sad I wasn't playing basketball still? Absolutely. Sad I had learned to play tennis, had a new team and coaches to hang out with, and felt rewarded after every match? Nope, not at all.

Besides, they actually make tennis uniforms my size.

BBQ and Bristol

So, these people know how to eat--and they know how to decorate for Christmas. I know it's kind of early, but let me tell you, it felt like Christmas today after all my events were over--and they went pretty darn good (stay tuned for some specifics on that). For now, I gotta post these photos of Scott and my "celebratory adventure" to the Bristol Speedway in Lights and Ridgewood Barbecue.


"You haven't had BBQ until you've had Ridgewood." This place is back in the woods (sort of like Ruth's Diner for those of you familiar with that). There is a smoke house next door where they smoke all their meat--delicious and moist. I'm not a BBQ expert by any means, but, this place made me want to be. They serve their fries with homemade blue cheese dip. And delicious baked beans. That white on the plate is slaw--oh yeah, we're in the south, baby.


It's like a huge Christmas street. They've set up themed lights that move and blink and everything all around the Bristol Speedway (hello, do we have any Nascar fans?? I don't even know how to spell it...). We actually drove on the track. Craziness!

More Tennesee and Trains

Track 29--that's the track the Chattanooga Choo Choo ran on. And if you're wondering why it's so famous/important (I thought it was because of the bright colors...but that's not quite it)....

I think "pappy" is such an endearing term for father. It's so southern, though, that I can't say it without feeling dumb--but I had to capture this sign while we were driving through a small town. Wish we'd had time to go in the store.

Instead of going back to the hotel yesterday night, we decided to go to the Chattanooga Aquarium. Some pretty cool animals...and pretty scary, too. My favorite is the polka dot ray. And that green leafy thing isn't a plant--it's a type of seahorse. Told you it was cool.

Chugga Chugga, Chugga Chugga

Choo Choo!

We are just chuggin along here in TN, meeting more people face to face that we email and converse over the phone with on a regular basis. It's always fun to guess what they'll look like (Scott, I owe you a shout out for being a better guesser--and it's coming on Twitter...sometime soon). There is so much to say and it's, well, too late to even get started--but, here are some photos I took today to spark your interest (or, completely bore you depending on how cool you are).

it's 20 degrees outside

but I've got a white hot chocolate and a comfy bed....that someone else made for me. Wow, that's nice. Scott and I visited many TV stations and newspaper offices all around Knoxville, Johnson City, and Bristol today. It was fun to see how different stations were set up. I even got to pretend to be news anchor at one of the stations. Way cool, I know. We also got some confirmations from media saying they'd be to our events so don't worry we got some work done too. More media visits tomorrow. Shovel all the coal in, gotta keep it rollin' woo woo Chattanooga there you are.