nervous.

work starts today. ahh!

must be something in the water

When Provo starts to finally feel like summer these questions come to mind... 

1. How am I supposed to study for finals when I'd rather be out playing?

2. What do you do when all your shorts that fit you last summer are WAAAY too big to wear?

3. How did this happen? (not that I'm complaining..)

4. Where can I find someone to fund my much needed shopping trip? 

If you know the answers to these questions, particularly question #4, let me know 

officially CRAZY

I guess it just hit me today that I still have a lot to do and the semester is almost over. I'm starting to get very, very stressed.  This afternoon I started writing a 5 paper that's due tomorrow that deals with Greek and Roman mythology.  After seeing the little red squiggles come up basically every time I typed a new weird Greek/Roman name, I used spell check, double checked those names with the book, and thought, wow thank goodness for spell check, or I'd have 7 different versions of Hippolytus in this paper!  Towards the end, I got every name correct as I typed it, and I quickly read though my paper one last time to see if it was perfect.  Then I saw 2 more red squiggles under these 2 names...

Karee and Jurgensmeier 

I laughed and thought, "Wow, if I can spell Hippolytus, Phaedra, Euripides, and Theseus right, why can't I spell my own name correctly?"

I spelled them out a few times in my head k-a-r-e-e   hummm that seems right.. why is it underlined? J-u-r-g-e-n-s-m-e-i-e-r. That seems right too. Did I leave out an "e"? nope there's all 3..  Jeez, how did I forget how to spell my name correctly?  

Then I realized something as I looked for something with my name on it so I could check the spelling. Something that I've had to deal with my whole life and for some reason, I'm guessing stress from school, I forgot today. The computer, Microsoft word, any writing program for that matter, does not know how to spell my name.   I DO. 

Man, I love end of the semester stress. 

employed

Starting April 26th, I will be working at Myler Disability! Searching for this job has not been easy, but the search was well worth it.  I wanted to work at a law firm this summer since I am planning on becoming a patent attorney and, after being hung up on and rejected (see previous post "indecisive") Myler Disability called and wanted to interview me.  Since all my previous jobs haven't required interviews, lets just say I was a little nervous. I wanted this job as a legal assistant really bad, and from my previous encounters with people trying to schedule interviews, I knew I had to be decisive. Talk about nervous! In fact, I was so nervous when I got there for my interview, that I semi-ran through the rain to the closest door, not noticing that I wouldn't be able to open it because someone's desk was right in front of it. She just laughed and told me the real door was on the other side of the building. Great start, Karee. 

Sitting down to wait for my interview, my heart was racing and I was trying to remember everything I'd read about interviews, everything people told me about interviews, trying to relax, and trying to look professional as well.  All of a sudden, my cousin Erianne walked past me! We haven't seen each other in a long time, and it was such a relief to have someone there that I knew.  She told me not to worry, and that she'd put in a good word for me.  A couple seconds after she left, a guy came out and started talking to me. I immediately put in my "interview face" and tried to be calm, and well, decisive.  But instead of going to interview with him, he just left as quickly as he had appeared.

A couple seconds after that, Steve, the guy I was supposed to interview with came out.  We walked into a room and the first thing he asked me was, "How do you know Jon?"  I had no idea who he was talking about.  He continued, "Jon told me that you are really smart, nice, that you'd do a great job here, and I should hire you." I shrugged my shoulders like that happens all the time and said, "well, maybe you should." Just kidding. I just told him that I met someone a few minutes ago, who could have been Jon.  Jeez, boring answer karee. Then he started asking me a billion questions, one right after another.  After one question I thought I answered particularly bad, he said, "How do you spell anxiety?"  then laughed. Great, he's making fun of me because I'm nervous and I'm doing terrible on this interview. Actually, he really just wanted me to spell it because people call in and tell about their various disorders, diseases, ect. and I would have to be able to spell them.  Then he asked, "What is 25% of 1000."  You should know, I'm not really that great at doing percentages in my head, even percentages as easy as that one.  When I hear something like that, I immediately reach for my calculator and punch in the numbers.  However, instead of freaking out and failing my interview, I heard myself say, "250".  Karee, you're a genius!

Immediately after seeing that my spelling and math skills were top notch, he said that he wanted me to do a follow up interview. How many more questions can I answer correctly?  What if the next guy wanted me to figure out 23% of 19384? I don't know how to do that! However, the next interview went great.  The second guy I interviewed with (Jon, however a different Jon than the first) is a neighbor to my cousin Erianne and LOVES her family. Score! 

A few days later, I received a phone call.  "Hi Karee, we want you to work for us."  And just like that, I'm employed. At a law firm. Which was the exact job I wanted for this summer. I love how sometimes things just work out.

trisomy 21

Every time genetic disorders such as Trisomy 21 (also known as down syndrome) come up in any of my biology classes, they talk about this: a single line running across the palm of your hand known as a simian crease or a single transverse palmar crease. Apparently it is a sign of Down syndrome and I am one of the lucky few to have one and not have Down syndrome. 

Once, I was sitting in a class and the TA was telling everyone about the signs of Down syndrome. He said one way to tell if someone has Down syndrome was to check their hands for a line that goes straight across. Then he said, "I have never met someone who has this line and does not have Down syndrome." I looked down at my hands, remembered that I do indeed have a simian crease, and awkwardly looked at the people sitting next to me to see if they'd noticed. Sure enough, a guy sitting next to me noticed my hand, quickly looked at my face, then eagerly raised his hand. "SHE HAS IT!" Perfect. I never expected to hold/touch hands with that many boys (and girls) in my life, let alone one day. 

When I do something strange, say things that don't make sense, or lose the ability to focus on things, I sometimes wonder if there is something wrong with me and if it is connected to my "simian crease". From what I've found out (from wikipedia and other probably not so reliable sites) people with a simian crease generally achieve and accomplish more than most people. They usually develop techniques and inventions that last for generations. Which makes me think of my brother Cory and his inventing. (He is also privileged to have cool hands like I do)

Apparently, Robert De Niro, Tony Blair, and Hillary Clinton have a simian crease, BUT best of all I found out that a certain Mr. Dwight Schrute has a simian crease as well. I'm in good company.


 You can see it in this picture...