What haven't I done? (Two months in Boston)

Today is the two month anniversary of when I arrived in Boston.  (Incidentally, also the 6 month anniversary of being unemployed.)  As I've thought about the past two months, I'm amazed how much has happened and changed.  I'm amazed at all the things I've done.  Which brings the question, what haven't I done?

So, as a summary of a zillion things I'd like to tell you about, but haven't, and to celebrate the date, I've prepared a little multiple choice quiz.  As indicated by the questions themselves (at least I tried to do so), the correct answer is what I have not done (or otherwise is not true).

You should play along and answer in a comment.  The person who gets the most answers correct will win a prize.  Probably me singing them a song or something, because I am still officially broke.  Also, for all who play you will make me feel loved and not alone--and that's worth your time, right?  Really, I'd love if people answer.  [Only, Sherilyn, I'm sorry but I'm going to have to disqualify you.  You can email me your answers so no one else can see them.  And if you get them right, you can come make cookies with me.]   I'll post the answers in a day or two.  If you're reading this after that and you skipped the answers and tell me so, I'll include you in the prize winning contenders.  Regular blog readers will have an advantage, but there are still plenty of things no one knows, so come on--play!!

Okay, so in no apparent order of importance, here goes:

1. What weather have I not experienced while in Boston:
a. Gorgeous spring weather
b. Hot, humid, summer weather
c. Torrential rain fall (like, national emergency flooding rainfall-twice!)
d. Thick fog (like a cat, no more like a mountain lion)
e. Out of control, horizontal, broke trees and killed people, winds (sometimes coupled with torrential rainfall)
f. Snow

2. Which of the following interesting things have I not experienced in the past two months:
a. Been told I was a hick from the sticks (not quite those words, but...)
b. Been thrown up on by an adult
c. Been sworn at (still not sure why)
d. Fell down a flight of stairs

3. Which physical change has not occurred to my body in the past two months (probably only noticeable to me, but still):
a. gained a few gray hairs (by the way, Cheryl-Lynn, I only pulled the one out because it was a funny, funky texture and stood straight out of my head (differently than my other curls) so needed to go)
b. developed this odd acne patch on my cheek (hello, I have good skin, these things don't happen to me. you can leave now)
c. Lost 15 pounds (oh, yeh!  Better stop before I need a new wardrobe, which I can't afford)
d.Lost a toe nail (while all that walking helped in the weight department, doing it in bad shoes wasn't friendly to the feet)
e. Have become lactose unfriendly (I knew there was a reason I didn't eat cold (repaired) cereal for breakfast)


4. In my time in Boston I have lived with 6 other adults, one teenager and one dog.  How many of these 8 beings do not have curly hair (what are the odds?):
a. 6
b. 4
c. 2
d. 0

5. What legal-related (ish) volunteer work have I not done while in Boston:
a. Participated on a committee writing a history for a legal organization
b.Began representing a juvenile immigrant who has been abandoned by his parents
c. Trained to become a legal fellow for an international center focused on religious freedom
d. Meet with clients at a bi-weekly legal clinic for immigrants
e. Consulted via phone with an immigrant woman who was a victim of abuse
f. Gave advice to someone filling out their own immigration papers

6.  What jobs have I not done (and actually been paid for!) while in Boston:
a. Waitressed for one evening
b. Staffed at a convention (mostly a glorified line monitor/traffic director and information giver)
c. Substitute taught
d. Worked on legal cases
e. Consulted someone else doing a legal case (and got paid for it!)

7. What cool volunteer experience have I not done while in Boston:
a. Been part of Mormon Helping Hands to clean up flood damage in Rhode Island
b. Translated (into Spanish) for a stake Primary training meeting
c. Consulted at a specially-called Haitian Immigration Clinic
d. Worked in the temple's kitchen
e. Worked as kitchen help at a Turkish wedding

8. What languages have I not had clients speaking to me in:
a. English
b. Spanish
c. Haitian
d. Portugese (huge Portugese-speaking population in Boston--tell all your friends who complain about not getting to use their mission language)
e. Arabic
f. Armenian

9. What kinds of job have I not applied for in the past two months:  [answer this and 10 before you get to 11]
a. Serving at an awesome vegetarian restaurant
b. Hostessing at same restaurant
c. Early morning cleaning job (sounds like a BYU job--one I wouldn't touch back then)
d. Paralegal
e. Attorney
f. Kitchen coordinator for for a soup kitchen (it sounded awesome)

10.  What kinds of teaching jobs have I not applied for:
a. Elementary school subbing
b. GED
c. Spanish
d. ESL
e. English (high school)
f. English (college)

11.  What kinds of jobs did I not get an interview for:  [yes, that means I actually have gone to interviews!]
a. Subbing (well, not so much an interview, but still, I'm counting it)
b. Kitchen coordinator at Rosie's Place
c. Paralegal
d. English teaching
e. GED teaching

12. What have I not done to try to get a job:
a. Cold contacting (and when I say cold, I mean cold; chose to do this on a day where the side-ways wind was blowing sleet and rain into my face. Hard to say if it was colder inside or outside.  Good times all around)
b. Networking through professional contacts
c. Networking through church contacts
d. Used Craigslist (some success!)
e. Used Idealist (tiny success)
f. Responded to Help Wanted sign on window
g. Used career center of Harvard Law
h. Used LDS on-line employment center (very nice)
i. Used ward employment specialist--she's been spectacular
j. Used BYU Law career services counselor (also great)

 13. What did I not get an actual job for:
Oh wait, that's a rhetorical question.

Okay, no need to be so pessimistic.  I did get some actual jobs (see #6) and some are still pending

14. How could I forget the hotel jobs?  What hotel job did I not apply for:  [I didn't get any of them--I didn't meet the basic qualifications, so the email said.]
a. Banquet server
b. Bell person
c. Baker
d. Concierge

15. Okay, enough job stuff.  What tourist things have I not done:
a. Been to the Bunker Hill Monument
b. Been to North Church
c. Attended a reenactment of the Boston Massacre
d. Went to the museum for USS Constitution

16. What beautiful places have I not seen awesome flowers at:
a. Boston Temple
b. Boston Public Gardens
c. Mt. Auburn Cemetery
d. Something Conservation Area (real woods!! And right by my house)
e. Arnold Arboretum

17. In the past 2 months, what modes of transportation have I not used:
a. Car--riding
b. Car--driving
c. Train (metro one)
d. Ferry
e. Bicycle
f. Bus
g. My own two feets--a lot

18. What have I not done to pass time:
a. Nap
b. Write
c. Watch t.v. (NCAA tournament only)
d. Watch movies (Bollywood)    [these forms (tv and movies) of passing time are highly overrated]
e. Read books
f. Run
g. Walk around and look at cool things

19.  What fun Boston thing have I not done:
a. Stuck my feet in the Charles River
b. Played ultimate frisbee on the Boston Common (for F.H.E.)
c. People watched at the Boston Public Gardens
d. Watched the Boston Marathon
e. Enjoyed the beautiful Boston Public Library


20. What great thing has not happened in my family while I've been in Boston (in just two months!):
a. Niece born (Vivian)
b. Another nie-phew announced (to be born by my birthday!)  (by W&L, in case you're confused--only other married couple here, folks)
c. Brother came home from mission (Asael from Las Vegas)
d. Brother left on a mission (Hyrum in MTC en route to Nicaragua)
e. Sister still serving a mission (Nancy in Texas--though she got a release date--that's not a great thing)
f. Brother won state in track event (Benson in 800)
g. Brother graduated (Whitney, from BYU)
h. Sister had around a dozen (or more? maybe more) people she was teaching be baptized (Rachel, in Heber, in her role as Ward Language missionary)
i. Parents stayed alive and healthy (I didn't want to leave them out!)  They also made a crazy fast trip to Utah in April.  And celebrated another wedding anniversary.  And other good things.
j. Brother started attending BYU (Asael)

21. What fabulous answer to prayer has not happened (sometimes so directly and quickly it's amazing):
a. Phone I dropped in water resuscitated
b. Found a welcoming place to live when I needed to move out of Sherilyn's roommates house (Sherilyn's house is always open to me, but for the others I was a temporary visitor)
c. Was invited to house-sit for the summer--and to live in the house rent free until the summer came
d. Got offered a ride home when I just couldn't walk one more time in the rain
e. Another ride when the trip up the hill to the temple seemed insurmountable
f. Money came from clients and temp jobs when the bank was just about empty
g. Got a calling
h. At Sunday dinner, thrift stores became a topic of conversation--right when I was praying to know how to find some inexpensive clothing (because I'm here living out of 1 suitcase of clothing--all packed for winter)
i. Get to have a garden this summer (I'm ecstatic)
j. Friends and new friends
k. One such new friend calling within a few minutes of when I prayed to know how to interact with people so I didn't go crazy, calling to invite me to a picnic. The answer was so sudden and direct it was almost startling
l.  Sherilyn.  She needs to be her own option, because she's been so important

22. What scripture character have I not felt an incredible sense of connection to and am learning so much from:  [This is excruciating to have as a multiple choice question, because I could do an essay on each one. But it will have to do.]
a. Jonah  (I'm finally on my way to Ninevah, though, and that's good)
b. Peter (wow, those waves sure look scarey; amazing conference talk on this--was it general or stake? (two weeks apart for me))
c. Nephi (being called up to the mountain, raw meat made sweet, etc.)
d. Children of Israel (on-going miracles, manna, presence of the Lord daily physically manifest, and on and on)
e. Wise Man who built his house upon the rock (I've had the rains, the floods, the winds, the tempests.  Fortunately, I also have Christ.)

23. What overwhelming (and I do truly mean overwhelming, for each of these) emotion have I not experienced in the past two months:
a. Peace that passeth understanding
b. Lonliness (this, my friends and family, is why you should participate in my quizz)
c. Giddy with excitement 
d. Despair and frustration (I'm 29; all my life I've done everything I know to do to be able to take care of myself; and yet I still can't afford to provide myself food or shelter--it's not pretty)
e. Absolute assurance that the Lord loves me and that I am where I need to be

And that's why (especially option e on that last one), it's been a great two months in Boston!