Chocolate vs. Dark Chocolate

Now for most of my close associates, the title of this post would be surprising because I don't eat chocolate. Not that I have anything against it, I just can't eat it. So the title of posting doesn't have anything to do with the food. However, I entertained myself by telling of my hair coloring adventure by this comparison.

I went to get my hair colored last night. I told my fabulous stylist that I wanted my hair dyed chocolate. However, after a couple minutes talking to me and hearing my school stories, including the flying monkey incident (literally a flying monkey), my stylist suggested a different color. It ended up being dark chocolate mixed with red velvet. My hair looks almost black. WOW! I couldn't believe how daring I felt. Yesterday (and for most of my life) my hair has been blonde or light brown. I kinda went into shock when I saw it afterwards. I'm pretty conservative in my appearance and this definitely is a change to say the least. I decided to play with my clothes today also. I've felt great and liberated all day. I'm not really a structure girl.

My roommate said she is excited for 10 weeks from now to see what color I go...However, I think I'll be staying with the same cut and color, but maybe not. I do like the freedom. So from here on out I will always say that I'm a DARK CHOCOLATE girl...with red velvet tendencies. Pictures will be coming shortly.

The Art of Persuasion and the Happiest Place on Earth

Just to clarify, I'm not writing about my favorite Jane Austen movie...but the ability to motivate people. I'm also not talking about the Temple or the Home...the other two Happiest places on Earth. I'm blogging about the communication skill and Disneyland.

What does the Art of Persuasion and Disneyland have in common? At first glance, not much. However, the more I think about it, Disneyland has mastered the art of persuasion. I think Business School has influenced me too much sometimes. As I enjoyed the thrilling rides and sore feet (not so much), I couldn't help but analyze the amazing organization that Disneyland has become over the years. From the moment, you walk in, everything is about crowd control and details. It's so blatantly subtle, it's magical.

Disneyland has established rules and employees everywhere to ensure that tourists are moving in the right direction. Fast passes allow Disneyland to control the amount of people entering a line. You have to keep your arms and hands inside at all times. You are warned that you will get wet or motion sick and yet people still stand for hours, waiting just for that opportunity. As I thought about it, the Happiest place on earth has more rules and regulations than a contract, but people don't complain. They've set up the rules to be informational, entertaining, fair and consistent. By this, Disney has persuaded its visitors to be willing to wait for hours without yelling at or beating other individuals just to soar over California or drop from the top of a Tower. Now...I started to compare that to people driving on the freeway...maybe Disney magic could be used to help the communte every morning.

I could go on forever about this. I find analyzing businesses fascinating, especially from an operational standpoint...but I think I'll just post some pictures instead.

Temples and their purposes

http://www.youtube.com/mormonmessages

I personally think this should be shared with everyone. I am always saddened by misunderstandings. I hope that we take time to make available true depictions of temples to balance out ones that people will see on a cable TV show.

http://newsroom.lds.org/ldsnewsroom/eng/commentary/the-publicity-dilemma This is an awesome position and put things into perspective for me.

You know you are a night MBA student when...

10. You get excited about running a manufacturing plant via a computer game.
9. You congratulate yourself for not only staying awake during class, but not spending most of the lecture reading other people's blogs.
8. You have your MBA team members' emails prioritized over friends' and families'.
7. Your roommates wonder what you are doing home before 10pm on any given night or home at all on the weekends.
6. Your family doesn't recognize you without your laptop sitting on your lap.
5. Your comments in every area of your life revolve around what you fell asleep studying the night before.
4. 6 AM is way too early to be moving, but work won't let you sleep in...
3. You feel guilty for watching a half an hour of anything unless you have your laptop on and you are doing homework.
2. It scares you how much the Wall Street Journal now makes sense and what it says can be even scarier.
1. You don't know what to do when you have 5 minutes of free time...heck, you don't even know what free time is ...
BUSINESS SCHOOL IS AWESOME!

Faster than a speeding bullet...

Wow! It is already February. I thought that last year sped by me, but this year is already moving even faster. I love the fast pace, but I also would like to catch a breath of air. However, I am grateful that I survived Managerial Accounting. I hope to never take another accounting class. Sorry all you accountant type people! I don't like it at all and I HAVE tried it. (However, I love my Finance and Operations class. They both use accounting principles. Knowing about income statements and balance sheets does pay off, I admit.)
My life pretty much revolves around school. Even when I got my undergrad, my life didn't revolve around school so much. Talk about learning by immersion! I realized that it has taken over my life this week. (I was warned that it would take it over for two years.) The realization was driven home by five things.
1. I'm falling asleep over my homework (face planted) at night and dream about it.
2. My roommates were surprised to see me home at all but not surprised to see me with my laptop out and doing homework.
3. I arrange my life schedule around what time I need to spend on homework individually and in groups, be in class, or organize things for the student committee.
4. I relate everything to something I learned at school...including my spiritual and social life.
5. My conversations all go back to something about school. The irony is as I was writing this one of the guys I work with came by and asked me how school is going.

How am I doing? My operational system runs on refined raw materials and the balance sheet of life is well...balanced. The NPV of this is that I will not have to do this all again in the future! What am I going to do next? Go to Disneyland!! I'm serious. ;-)

My final answer is Volleyball.

I've been hobbling around for about 3 and half weeks on an injured foot. When I'm at work, I don't usually leave my desk. However, I do have to get up to do a couple of things. When I do, I seem to have the same experience. I run into someone I barely know or don't know and they ask, "What happened to your foot." Then I have to stand there on my good foot for a few minutes while they grill me and give me advice which I try to listen to attentively, wishing I could hobble away to a chair. My response is getting to be second nature.
For example, today, I ran into a guy I work with once in awhile. He said 'hi' and instead of responding with 'how are you' or 'hello', I said, "Volleyball." He just started laughing. Yep, he had not even asked about my foot. He admitted he was going to, but I threw him off with my statement.
Serves me right I guess. Volleyball IS my destruction and my love. I can't say how many times, I've injured myself playing volleyball, but is definitely more than five or six times. Yet, I can't seem to give it up. I am paying for it by having to go to physical therapy. The therapy seems to be working though. I can walk with a much less noticeable limp and I get out of my aircast starting tomorrow. I also can drive again starting tomorrow! (I did kind of cheat today and drove myself to therapy.)

Thanks for Thanksgiving

Thanksgiving! I love Thanksgiving. I decided to list the top ten things I am grateful for about the actual day.

1. Turkey--I think Benjamin Franklin was right...the turkey is a magnificent bird...and definitely yummy.
   
2. Football -- This keeps my dad interested while I get to just chat with my mom.
   
3. Pie--no explanation needed.
   
4. No work--Tons of work, but nothing job related. I appreciate the change!
   
5. The NAP--Maybe I'm the only one, but I love taking an afternoon nap between the meal and the eating of pie...even if it is only 15 minutes.
6. Thanks List--I like hearing what my family is grateful for even only for one day.
7. Cooking--It is a day dedicated to cooking. I feel like I never have time to cook, but here is a whole day to spend in that pursuit.
8. A day to prepare--I think the eating is storing energy for the next day shopping trip!
9. Thanksgiving Movie--Traditionally, my mom and I go see a movie...yay!
10. MOST IMPORTANTLY--I GET TO LISTEN TO CHRISTMAS MUSIC WITHOUT ANYONE COMPLAINING ABOUT IT BEING BEFORE THANKSGIVING!!

"It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas..."