Week 4: The Real World

This week I started my first "grown up" job. Granted this job is temporary and I'll be out of it in 3 months, but its a great opportunity to get to know what being an adult will really be like. So to keep with my top 10 list here goes:

1. Had to tell myself, being an intern getting a corner office on the "penthouse" / executive level while the other interns are sitting at desks in a huge wide open floor doesn't mean you are anything special... It just means you got lucky for the summer :)

2. I have realized I really enjoy sleeping in... I do not get to do that anymore...

3. Referring to the one above... I will not wake up early to work out unless someone else goes with me

4. People have awesome words or phrases that they always use. My boss will use the word "Frame/framing" in every conversation I have had with him. One of my coworkers uses the words typical and atypical in EVERY conversation... I laugh because I do it too

5. Even when the company has instituted half day fridays none of the executives leave at noon... which makes it awkward when you work on the same floor with all the executives and you just pack up and leave at noon on friday.

6. I do not know how many different ways I have heard "THIS INFORMATION IS CONFIDENTIAL, DO NOT SHARE IT WITH ANYONE"... my favorite is when subtle threats are sprinkled in with it.

7. Trying to play racquetball when there are small children in the court makes it a little dangerous, surprisingly not to the children, but to my brother-in-law who got a point blank range racquetball to the face.... sorry Kevin

8. When the windows in your office are made of glass tubes (thanks Frank Lloyd Wright) They howl like the dickens when it is super windy outside and you get sunlight but can't actually look out the windows.

9. Cute girls in a singles ward in Wisconsin get circled like hawks on the hunt. Which makes it a little hard for the not so aggressive birds so they are left to just fly circles by themselves.

10. For a girl who isn't afraid of anything and is the most energetic girl ever (shes 4) when she gets scared of a water slide at the pool its kinda funny, just a little bit. In conjunction, while trying to teach a 7 year old how to swim, As soon as you let go she puts her feet onto the bottom of the pool. When discussing the matter with her father (my brother-in-law) his response is "just teach her in the deep end"

Week 3 - 2 Lighthouses 2 Lakes and lots of fun!

This week was very different from the last few I have spent in Wisconsin. Tomorrow is the start of my internship with SC Johnson (yes, a family company) and boy am I ready to get started. Like last week here is this weeks Top 10 with some pictures and videos.

1. I have recently become a magnet to baby puke. In the last week I have been the target of random vomits that come silently and hit with all its gross glory. And the response of the vomiter is just a little smile and giggle.

2. My brother-in-laws sister was in town for a few days and we had the opportunity to tour SC Johnson (see below) and took a drive around Racine looking at the city in all its glory this led to the first stop at a lake and lighthouseat Wind Point on Lake Michigan, I have to say I never thought anything with the name Michigan in it could be so beautiful, but it was.

3. We stopped into '5 guys' this week and I come to find out that my 4 year old niece is more happy just sitting there eating the free peanuts then actually eating her hamburger or fries.

4. My youngest niece has a great affinity for a piece of equipment called a 'jumperoo' she just sits on it and jumps and thinks it is the greatest thing in the world (Click the Link below).

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iQpeREj9l8A

5. So before I even start working at SC Johnson I got a chance to partake in one of the perks of the job and that is the "Lighthouse Resort" a beautiful resort owned by the company with cabins that are situated on Fence Lake. This was a great opportunity to relax and enjoy a few days with family out on the water and just having some fun.

6. We got to spend an afternoon with some family and I got to see my grandparents I haven't seen in about 5 years. It was great to see them. If you want to know a pearl of wisdom from my grandpa here it is. "If I knew anything I'd be rich and famous"

7. My niece decided she wanted to try out boxing, until she realized once she hit the punching bag it swung back and hit her. She quickly moved on and decided she wanted to try something else out

8. Back to the little niece, she decides she likes to sing so I decided I'd share her beautiful musical talents.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VxVLAcdl2fw

9. My sister is straight up freaked out by water flies or whatever you call them. Now that is a video I wish I got :).

10. Have you ever seen a garage disguised as a pig??? Well I have!!!

Week Two, Same as the first a little bit different and a lot a bit ,,, well not worse!

Week two in Wisconsin has come and gone and I still have one week to go before I start my biggest adventure of the summer and that would be my internship. A few more fun things have happened this week.

1. It is great to talk to (Richard) and see (some relatives) people that I haven't seen or talked to in a few years!

2. Despite the belief that Wisconsin is an Icy Tundra it can get really warm here... too bad it was for only a day and then dropped 40ish

degrees the next day. :(

3. Apparently staying with family for free for a month means helping with lots of little projects around the house. But its ok cause it gives me something to do during the day.

4. I guess I actually learned something from my BIO 100 (aka Bird watching) class that I took 2 years ago, when I accurately identified a Killdeer that was feeding on the back patio.

5. Who would have guessed that you aren't actually supposed to be mean/scary when you are the evil guy/monster when playing make believe with your nieces, because you actually scare them and they think you are mean...

6. I guess stone washed jeans are supposed to come with small stones sewn into the inside of the pants, or at least thats what the customer service lady tried to tell me when I went to exchange a pair I had just purchased.

7. I made my first Gluten free dinner, which the children promptly decided they didn't want to eat so the adults got to eat it all.

8. I need to work out because I about died when my 4 and 7 year old nieces decide they both want me to hold them at the exact same time and carry them around a store and my arms about fall off.

9. I hold the awesome power of lulling an extremely energetic 4 year old to sleep.

10. Apparently I make a good pillow (see picture below)

My First Week in Wisconsin

I have been in Wisconsin for 7 days now. I have learned a few things over these last few days.

1. Don't fly through Chicago's O'Hare airport, apparently they have the power to cancel flights, delay them 6 hours, or give you the option of taking a 3 hour bus ride instead.

2. It is totally acceptable for a grown man to take showers while using pink princess shower curtains (as long as it is his nieces that pick out said shower curtains)

3. Reverting back to a slower Internet speed and no ESPN takes some getting used to.

4. 5 years of experimenting with gluten free food can make Gluten free Pizza taste a whole lot better!

5. I LOVE sleeping in, yet it gets hard when a 7 and 4 year old like making lots of noise because they have been up for 4 hours.

6. From now on I will try and make it a point to go out of my way to say hello to someone I do not recognize, because it sucks being on the other end of that.

7. Luckily there are cute girls in Wisconsin! :)

8. Expect tears when your 4 year old niece wants to play but you tell her "maybe later".

9. If dinner is served and you aren't home when everyone else starts eating, and the missionaries were invited over to eat (5 missionaries to be exact), you better be prepared to make your own dinner cause there won't be any left.

10. It's good to have a nice break from school and work, but I am glad I have something to look forward to in a few weeks cause I don't know how I could last 4 months of sitting around not doing anything.