H1N1 (swine flu) Tips

I got these from an e-mail. They are consistent with what I've heard elsewhere, so I assume they're useful (I'm still not sick).


The only portals of entry are the nostrils and mouth/throat. In a global epidemic of this nature, it's almost impossible to avoid coming into contact with H1N1 in spite of all precautions. Contact with H1N1 is not so much of a problem as proliferation is.

While you are still healthy and not showing any symptoms of H1N1 infection, in order to prevent proliferation, aggravation of symptoms and development of secondary infections, some very simple steps, not fully highlighted in most official communications, can be practiced(instead of focusing on how to stock N95 or Tamiflu):

1. Frequent hand-washing (well highlighted in all official communications).

2. "Hands-off-the-face" approach. Resist all temptations to touch any part of face (unless you want to eat, bathe or slap).

3. *Gargle twice a day with warm salt water (use Listerine if you don't trust salt). *H1N1 takes 2-3 days after initial infection in the throat/nasal cavity to proliferate and show characteristic symptoms. Simple gargling prevents proliferation. In a way, gargling with salt water has the same effect on a healthy individual that Tamiflu has on an infected one. Don't underestimate this simple, inexpensive and powerful preventative method.

4. Similar to 3 above, *clean your nostrils at least once every day with warm salt water. *Not everybody may be good at Jala Neti or Sutra Neti (very good Yoga asanas to clean nasal cavities), but *blowing the
nose once a day and swabbing both nostrils with cotton buds dipped in warm salt water is very effective in bringing down viral population.*

5. *Boost your natural immunity with foods that are rich in Vitamin C (Amla and other citrus fruits). *If you have to supplement with Vitamin C tablets, make sure that it also has Zinc to boost absorption -- be careful & don't take too much zinc per day -- there can be side effects

6. *Drink as much of warm liquids (tea, coffee, etc) as you can.*Drinking warm liquids has the same effect as gargling, but in the reverse direction. They wash off proliferating viruses from the throat into the stomach where they cannot survive, proliferate or do any harm.

Pumpkins

"That the days of thy lot may be lengthened below,
And the fame of thy worth like a pumpkin-vine grow."

Today was more than I expected. A few days ago as I was driving home from Branden's office, I decided to text in for a radio competition. They sent me a text back saying that I was one of their favorite entries. I wasn't sure what that meant. Well, a few minutes later, they sent me a text telling me to call back in ten minutes. So I did. I'd never won anything before, but at the same time, I didn't really understand what I had signed up for. I really wanted to win the Wii, so it was all worth it.

This morning I woke up and took Amy to the doctor. Turns out she has swine flu. So yea, I've been totally exposed. I did this while trying to get ready for the big pumpkin drop (the radio contest). I drove up to Trolley Square later than I had hoped. I wasn't sure where to sign in at or what to expect, and I was still secretly hoping that I had already won the Wii. Turns out, I had to drop a pumpkin off of the water tower and get it in the "sunroof" of a car.

Here's a video. I make an appearance at 1:21 and my glory moment was at 1:32

Well, I wasn't even close, as you can see from the video (I got both the video and the slide show off of the K Bull 93 website). But it was fun to get dressed up, I got two tickets to New Moon (I don't really do movies made from books that I have read), and they gave me a Pumpkin! It's great. I just wish my morning wouldn't have been so crammed and I would have been able to bring a friend. Oh well.

Once it became apparent that there was no way I could get Amy's prescription filled, get back home, change, and then take the prescription and Gatorade to her before my class started, I decided to make an IKEA stop. (even in a costume it was worth it, though honestly, I wanted to get a bunch of tea lights for my pumpkins, because they are cheaper at IKEA). Whenever I'm on that section of highway, I stop at IKEA and go straight to the AS IS section . That is where they put anything that has been on display or damaged. I got a big circle mirror, two large picture frames, a set of plates, and a pottery jug. I'm very tempted to go back there this morning to get a few more plates. They remind me of home a little bit, and I think they'll fit pretty well with my old plates that I have so that when I feed people, I can do it on nice dishes.


Anyway, I've already made a few changes to my purchases. I painted the jug black, because I thought it'd fit in my entertainment bookshelf better that way. Not so much. I'm going to try brown next, and then a cream. My pride and joy, however, is the mirror. I like to do a little shabby chic. I don't know how well I do that, but the round mirror with a beveled edge and no frame wasn't exactly my style. As I was checking out my mind was spinning. I decided to go with an etched monogram, and I'm still considering adding a few embellishments.

What do you think?


Anyway, I didn't get home until around 5 or 6, and I spent the evening doing a little bit of homework, working on my "projects," and taking care of Amy. Overall, I'd say it was a very busy day. When I was thinking about everything that has gone on in the past two weeks, I can hardly believe it. I interviewed with two different companies. Then I scheduled an interview with another. I found and bought a nice suit (that took all weekend). I had my interview, I heard back about that interview, I had a second interview with that company, I drove to Salt Lake 3 or 4 times, I taught two sailing lessons, I held Sailing Club meetings, I took midterms, I got hit by a car, I got exposed to the swine flu, I dropped two pumpkins off of a water tower, and I got some awesome stuff from IKEA. Now I just have to re-focus on school.

Anyway, you can checkout the TV spot at Fox 13's website (and don't forget to click the related links). I don't think I'm really even on it for more than a second. I was too busy signing in.
http://www.fox13now.com/news/kstu-k-bull-93-hosts-pumpkin-drop-trolley-square,0,5888413.story

The opening quote is from "The Pumpkin" by John Greenleaf Whittier

Thank You

Who would have ever thought that a day where I got exposed to the flu, locked out of my house, and hit by a car would still be a great day?

This morning I started my day off by waking up and cleaning up my room. I don't know what came over me, but I finally actually took the task seriously, and got it back up to my regular standards. (Yay for getting over my funk!) After that I ran to the grocery store so that I could bring Amy some of the essentials for someone who might have the flu. You know, crackers, nyquil and dayquil, ginger ale, orange juice, and milk (her favorite, though I'm not too sure it helps with the flu).

I set her up with the phone number for two local doctors, and then I headed home to prep for my interview. It was probably one of the biggest ones that I've had, and I was really excited. When I came home I grabbed some of the blankets and camping stuff that I had left in my car, but when I got to my door, I realized that I didn't have my house key. Oops. That was the first time that that's happened. After making a humbling run to the office, I finally got in, cleaned more some stuff out of my car, did a quick 8 minute Tae Bo workout, and then started to get dressed. An hour and a half later, I was looking professional and armed with new knowledge about the firm, and I ran out the door (entirely on time).

I pulled up to the ominous building. It didn't say the name of the company on the side. In fact, it didn't even have a building name or number on it, so I was praying that I had found the right place on my drive on Sunday. Once I walked in, the secretary had me sign in, and I was sent up to the office. I stepped out of the elevators, and I felt a little flood of relief. It was what I was expecting.

I went through two interviews each with two people interviewing me. This was the second interview with this company, and I really felt like I did better this time. While I was driving there, my mom was talking to me on the phone, asking me the toughest interview questions she could come up with. It was a great warm-up, but I really hope that no interviewer ever asks me what my greatest disappointment in life is. (Really, who pays attention to and remembers all of their disappointments?)

An hour later I headed back home, and to my lovely surprise, I was stopped at a stoplight (2 down from my apartment) when I was rear ended. I'm still not exactly sure how it happened. Either it was a double hit, or I heard when a car hit the car behind me and I braced for the impact. Foot on the break, head back against the headrest. Now I'm waiting and watching to make sure that my head, back, or neck don't hurt. So far, I'm doing pretty good, and I'm so thankful that my car is still drivable.

My day "ended" with a sailing club meeting (though I was a half an hour late). It's my last meeting as Commodore. I guess you could say it's a little bittersweet, because it was being Commodore that allowed me to beef up my resume and really show interviewers and recruiters what I'm made of.

Now the task at hand is to sit down and formulate some thank you letters. I'm not entirely sure how to do that, but I can't help but have a huge grin on my face. I'm thankful to the recruiters for their time. I'm thankful for the opportunity I had to interview today. I'm thankful that the accident happened after the interview, and not before it. I'm thankful neither I nor my car was hurt worse. I'm thankful for my sailing club. And now, as I get ready for bed, it's time for me to settle down and really remember that none of this is mine, I owe it all to God.
And that one's for you!

Last Saturday

Last Saturday was just about the perfect day! Here are a few reasons why:

1. I actually started working on homework as soon as I woke up.
2. I found out that I got a second interview with a company whose interviewers I couldn't read.
3. I helped my best friend get ready for her interview.
4. I went to Jason's Deli for lunch with my other best friend. (I know the music sounds really lame in this clip, but it's Jimmy Buffett, so it's practically awesome.)

5. Branden took me pumpkin shopping at a pumpkin patch.

6. Branden and I saved his tent on the way home and then went shopping. You can read his post about it here: http://www.brandenespinoza.com/site/2009/10/24/rite-of-passage/
7. I met a really great guy who took me out for sushi and hot chocolate.
8. I watched a little bit of Stardust with a bunch of friends before going to bed.

I could write a whole lot more about it, but you probably don't want to read it. So, these are just the basics about why I loved last Saturday.

(P.S. "Our lives change like the weather but a legend never dies." from the Jimmy Buffett song in the clip. It's "Last Mango in Paris.")

Growing up.

{Life takes you down roads that you never thought you'd be on.}

And I'm only now beginning to appreciate that. I am NOT where I thought I'd be with only 2 months of classes left.

Yesterday I went to go find the office of a company that I'm interviewing with this week. It's up in Salt Lake, close to where the belt route meets with the highway that goes into the canyon. I live on the other side of that canyon highway. The drive over there felt different than it does here in Provo. In part it was because there were more trees, in part it's because it was more developed, in part it felt like a city with a university in it (it was really close to part of the U's campus). But sure enough I felt more at home over there. Even Amy mentioned that it felt/looked a little more like North Carolina. We grew up in Raleigh, and I still love it. It really may have only been the warm colored leaves that are still hanging to the trees, but I'm so excited for this part of my life. I'm learning that I love interviewing. I love the anticipation of my "future." All of my schooling has lead up to this. In just a matter of months I will consider myself a self-supporting, full-grown adult. It feels different. I feel different. Instead of driving to class every day, I'll be driving to work. Instead of living in student housing, I'll find a place with some friends, or even get my own and find roommates. Instead of working a part time job to try to scratch the surface of my tuition, I'll be working a full time job and building a career. It's exciting and wonderful, even though it's not what I thought would be going on in my life right now.

• I thought I'd travel to South America while I was in college to do humanitarian aid. I wanted to teach English and see how people lived. I wanted to practice my Spanish and have a new adventure so I could take tons of pictures and show them to anyone interested in a lifestyle different from their own. As I tried to make myself "marryable" I put this experience off, until it was near impossible to fit into my college years. While I may still travel to South America to teach people employment skills, I've started exploring a new option.

I never expected that I'd get the chance to apply for an internship in Mexico. This is an internship that could give me the skills and experience that I want to build on as I pursue a career in the United States. I want to live in the US, but I also think it's crucial to understand how an office works abroad if you're going to be working for an international company.

• I thought I'd be married. So many things in my life pointed to that. The funny thing is, just over two years ago, I was preparing myself with the mindset that I would graduate single. Life convinced me otherwise, and I was delighted. I started preparing for the wedding, and trying to adjust my habits so I would be a more suitable spouse. I learned to keep things tidy. I learned to schedule time to cook meals and time to eat them while I still fulfilled my other commitments. I learned to be on time to things, so I wasn't inconsiderate of other people's time and so that my actions wouldn't reflect negatively on someone else. At the beginning of this semester, as a once again single girl, I felt like I had somehow failed. I would look at the sparkly rings on the left hands of the women in my classes, and even the simple bands on the left hands of the men, and I felt sorry for myself. To me, the wedding rings were symbols of acceptance, success, love, and achievement. I wanted to be married before my time ran out. The thought of graduating single scared me to death.

I never expected that I would grow up so much. I'm looking at graduating single with no romantic relationship in my life. And now I'm ok with that. In fact, I'm thankful. I had no idea how much time job searching would take (I couldn't imagine trying to plan a wedding now), and I'm glad that I get to look for and start a job. I'll get to pay off my student loans. I get to feel secure without having to depend on someone else. It doesn't mean that I don't want a family one day, but I don't know that I'd be as motivated to find a good job if I had one. I'm just thankful for the opportunities and motivation that I have now as a result of being single--not to mention that my attempts to learn the skills which would make me a good spouse have blessed my life. I'm actually GLAD that I'm more organized and punctual. I love who I am now.

• I thought that if I was single at 21 I'd be going on a mission for my church. I always wanted to share the Gospel of Jesus Christ, and to focus my life on learning about and serving Him. Going on a mission would be the perfect opportunity to do this.

I never thought that I would be applying for a job and finding major ways to serve the Lord every day. I'm not on a mission now, and somehow, I feel like it isn't what Heavenly Father wants me to do right now. I am in a leadership position in my church, and I can use this opportunity to serve those around me without putting my life on hold. If I continue to spend time every day in the service of my neighbors and friends, and I continue this pattern throughout my life, I can do so much good and have a lasting impact. I'm moving towards my future, and I feel like I'm building a great foundation for my future family.

• I thought I'd find a job out of state and move out of Utah as soon as I graduated. I still miss the beach.
  

I never expected that I'd want to find a job and settle down here. But now, I want to be in Utah while my little sister is here, where my friends are, where my job leads are, and where my life is. I hope that I'll meet new friends, and not have to uproot myself from my life. I do still miss the beach, but I'm only 14 hrs away, and maybe I can even buy myself a sailboat and drop it in the Great Salt Lake while I'm here. While I hope to live in NC or FL again one day, that may just have to wait for retirement (or maybe grad school).

As surprising as life is, I'm very happy with the way mine is going.

A Piece of Advice About Interviews

Wow! I haven't posted in for ever! But, that's because I've been ridiculously busy ever since the career fair. As it turns out, I didn't just get one interview, but I'm on my 5th this week! (granted, this is a second interview with a company, so I did only get three initial interviews). What I wasn't expecting was that I'd be moving forward in the interview process with multiple companies at the same time.

With this whole experience I've found some things that I wish I had done differently, and I'm amazed at what I actually got right. Here's some advice for anyone in college now who might ever want to start a career:

1. Seek out {leadership experience} during your undergrad years. This can begin as early as your freshman year. Look for something that you can put on your resume. As long as you can figure out how to relate it to your future career, you can include it. Even if you can't, interviewers like to see examples of leadership.
2. Do an {internship}! This experience really sets you apart and can be crucial to getting an offer.
3. Don't save your internship until your last semester of school or for after you graduate. Complete it the summer before you junior or senior year. This means you need to start {searching and applying} the fall semester before your internship.
4. {Review} your resume with as many people as possible. Some people have great advice, others are just so-so, but you'll learn what different companies are looking for, which will make you more confident as you are applying and interviewing.
5. Don't plan a heavy class load {your last fall semester} (of your senior year). This is when all of the recruiting and interviews occur. You may not be graduating until April, but you should be applying in August and September and interviewing in October and November. Once you graduate it's a little late to start looking for a job.
6. Attend campus information sessions with companies. {Network} all you can. Remember, you're trying to stand out in a crowd of a bunch of paper. If you happen to meet someone who will be reviewing your resume, and you've done this you're suddenly more than just a piece of paper.
7. Always remember to {be yourself}. You're looking for a job that will be a good fit for you. An interview goes two ways. The interviewer is looking to see if they think you will fit in to the company, but it's also an opportunity for you to form opinions about the position, company, the industry, and the culture. If you get a job by being anything other than yourself, you may find that it was the worst thing you ever did.
   
8. Don't let your education discourage you. College teaches you how to learn. It does not equip you with the technical skills to fully jump into a job on day one. It gives you the necessary background info that you need so that you can build on it and draw from it to help you learn exactly how to do the daily tasks that you are assigned with. (I'm a Spanish major interviewing mainly in the financial sector).
   

Success!

It's been a very busy week. I still have to finish some old posts, and they'll be on here shortly, but right now I'm feeling very contemplative. It's hard to express what I've been feeling in the past few weeks. Something between anger, betrayal, fear, and relief.

However, today was marvelous! Last week I went to the career fair at BYU. It was a neat experience, and I left at least five resumes. My goal for the day was to land at least one interview, and as it turns out, I did! On Friday I got a call from a financial group to come in for the interview. It was my first interview for a real job. This morning I was running in circles around my apartment trying to calm myself down. I finally got there, and chatted with the nice receptionist as I was waiting in the office. I have to say, now, I feel like the interview went quite well, and they've got me interested in the position.

The amazing thing is that this one interview gave me hope. Before I was just feeling fear about the huge decisions ahead of me. I felt totally unprepared to meet the world as a full-grown adult. Now I realize that I have true potential. I have options. I can make the move from the familiar school that I've had all of my life to the unfamiliar world of the workplace. It's a unknown world to me, but I'm ready for it. I'm ready to move to this new phase of my life. It will all work out.

So, for those of you wondering, I haven't been extended an offer, that comes later during the "interview process," however, I am interested, and I've decided to continue the process with this company.

Life, here I come.