Working Girl

When I returned from BYU, I got a job at ZCMI in the china, glass and silver department.  I made $4.25 an hour and worked part-time.  Because I was working, I needed a car, so I went to Salt Lake with my dad and bought one.  It was a 1993 Toyota Tercel, manual transmission and I didn't really know how to drive one so the drive home was a little scary.  I drove up toward the state capitol, which is on a big hill and had to stop at a stop sign.  As I started to go again, I rolled backward and almost hit the car behind me, oopsy.  But hooray, I had my own car!

I didn't love my job at ZCMI, so I took a second temporary job at SPS Payment Systems.  After a month or so they offered me a full-time permanent position to dispatch tow trucks for Allstate Motor Club for like $5.82 an hour.  I was moving up in the world.  Later that year, I was asked if I wanted to be promoted to supervisor, but I would have to work graveyard shift.  I decided to give it a try.  That was a huge change for me and didn't last very long.  

Dispatching tow trucks was an interesting job.  When the members called in, it was usually because their car had broken down, they had a flat tire or they had locked their keys in the car.  They were usually in crisis mode and almost never in a good mood.  I did my best to help them get out of their tough situation as fast as I could.  It was sometimes difficult to find a tow truck for them, especially if they were in the middle of nowhere or in bad parts of town.  One time a got a call from a guy in Compton in the middle of the night.  None of the tow truck drivers that were contracted with us were willing to go to that part of town at night, so he was stuck and not happy about it.  I got yelled at a lot.  Once, a drunk, naked guy locked the keys inside his car.  I was willing to send a tow truck, but seeing as he and his girlfriend were locked out naked, I told him it might be better for him to find a rock, break the window and get inside themselves (probably not the best advice, but I was 19).  

My social life continued to be busy after I moved back home.  John did not go back to BYU either.  He moved home to Idaho to work and our relationship got complicated.  We talked on the phone most days and I was always super happy when I got to see him, but that didn't happen very often.  

When I wasn't working, I hung out with friends from high school and made friends with a bunch of co-workers.  I would also go to the dinner or the movies with my family and I seemed to watch Jessica a lot.  I got my first gym membership that summer and spent time doing aerobics classes, which I loved.  I continued to go to lots of mission farewells and attended the young single adult ward.  I loved to send and receive letters from my missionary friends.  My best friend during that time was Mark Murphy.  We hung out a lot.  He taught me how to catch night crawlers, we would play catch and basketball, and he was someone I could talk to about everything.  Eventually, he got his call to serve in France.  Before he left I took him to La Caille, an expensive French restaurant, for dinner.  I tried escargot, which I did not like at all.  

One night I went out with a friend from work.  We decided to toilet paper his best friend, Collin's, house.  Across the street was an elementary school, so we parked there while we did the toilet papering.  A cop drove up and told us we were under arrest for trespassing at the school and for vandalism.  I kind of started laughing, but he didn't think it was funny.  He told me I didn't understand the seriousness of the charges.  He had us stand in front of the car with the spot light on us while he went to the house to see if they wanted to press charges.  Of course, they didn't, so he couldn't take us down to the station to book us.   But he told us that our names are in the system as suspects for any vandalism that comes up in the future.  That was fun.  I found out later the Collin's mom was watching us through the window laughing like crazy.  

Early that summer David and Jenny both got married.  

David's Wedding

Jenny's wedding

As the months went on, I decided I should probably go back to college.  I still didn't know what I wanted to study, but decided to work toward my associates degree.  After working for 8 months I enrolled and started classes at Weber State University.  At Weber, I made more friends, but this time, I kept my social/work/school life in better balance.  I got a 4.0 my first semester back, woohoo.  

Went to Cali with Mindy and Marci
to sing at Geoff's mission farewell.
John and Matt came too.

Weber State Homecoming with Brian

Fun times with friend, Mark

At Weber State, I started getting involved with Institute and was asked to serve on the "Gospel in Action" committee, which was basically a service committee.  It was good for my soul.  I also got my patriarchal blessing.  

Hiked to the Adams Canyon Waterfall
On the way back I was running and hit a loose rock
I flew and landed on my knee on a different rock.  

Ended up with an infection and
in an immobilizer for a month.

I was still in a long distance relationship with John, which had been very difficult.  He eventually got his mission call to serve in the Japan, Tokyo South mission and I was excited for him.  But then, in a turn of events, he decided he didn't want to go on a mission and did not accept the call.  That made me sad.  We started seeing each other more often, and we talked about getting married, but I wasn't sure.  I worried about his testimony and dedication to the Lord.  

learning to snowboard to impress John

aw

sending a friend off on a mission

At home I was having some struggles.  As a 20 year old, I liked having my freedom to come and go as I pleased but my parents didn't approve.  They wanted me to let them know where I was going and when I would be home.  I decided to move out.  I moved in with my friend Marci for awhile and then decided to go away and work as a nanny.  I called up an agency, sent in my application and a couple weeks later I was offered a job in Westport, Connecticut.