The Greatest Dad ever!!

Many will say I have the greatest Dad ever.  But none will be truer said than my Dad..  I will tell you why.  Can you claim that your Dad rescued you from Sasquatch?  I can.  Legend has it that one night as my Dad was taking out the trash while working at the Circle K he found me and Sasquatch in the trash can.  He felt so bad for me that he traded his shoes for me.  I think he got the best side of the deal.  Can you claim that your Dad was the best quarter back in high school, could play basket ball like a Harlem Globe Trotter, or got an Orange heart while serving in the war?.  I can! Well at least that's what he would tell us when we were growing up.  Did your dad make up crazy games like, Guess how much money is in my hat and I'll give it to you?   See how far the tape measure would go out before it would break?  If you got it right you got a Dairy Queen.  Did your Dad have a neighbor hood baseball game in front of the house all summer?  If you caught a fly ball you got a dairy queen.  If you could pop his big toe, you got a treat. 



Did your Dad turn into Santa's elf at Christmas time?  For as long as I can remember Dad would get goodies and have us deliver them ding dong ditch style on random peoples houses during the Christmas season.  It wasn't until last October while visiting Jesse in Delaware and reminiscing did we realize that he was doing that because when I was 6 my Dad was diagnosed with cancer.  It was a really hard time for my family as Dad was the bread winner for our family and was suddenly unable to work.  I remember many times coming home and having dinner brought to us by church members or Christmas presents left mysteriously left on our door step.  During this time my Dad's truck was stolen with all his work tools with it.  It left him totally devastated.  Our ward did a ward yard sale and took that money and bought him new tools to help get him back on his feet.  I know this really touched our family in more ways than can be said. 

I am so grateful for all the things my Dad has taught me.  He has taught me to be tough and not take crap from no one.  He taught me to love football especially the Cowboys and if the Cowboys are losing well then cheer for the Broncos. Sorry Dad I love the Cowboys and you will never catch me cheering for the Broncos.  Guess that's why you had Jeremy.  Dad taught me that the crazier your outfit the better.  Work hard and play harder, and no matter how excited you are to go on vacation we aren't leaving until the house is spotless and the driveway and street have been sprayed down.  Have pride in what you do even if you can't see if from my house.  The Church is true and Heavenly Father loves us and hears and answers our prayers. 

If you can claim this then you do have the blessing of having the Greatest Dad in the world.  I know I do.  Love you to eternity Dad!! 

Hoping for a Change

In the middle of May while helping the store in Espanola I learned that the Grants store was opening a Store Manager Position.  Grants is a perfect store for a new store manager.  So after praying about it all weekend I applied.  There are 3 steps to the interview process. 


1st interview if selected is with the Market Human Resource manager. Its about an hour long and is about the competencies of a Store Manager (which I am currently not)  I was selected for this interview and I just gonna throw this out there that it was the longest hour of my life.  But it went well and was done over the phone.

2nd Interview if selected is with the Market Manager and is about operations.  Randy my MHRM said he was recommending me to interview with Matt and I would be notified when that would happen. This was a Monday.  Well Matt came to my Store on Wed and interviewed me in person.  I was freaking out all night because I had to try to memorize all the numbers for the store, what we were doing to improve, have the store ready for a visit and meet with Matt after working all night.  The interview went well despite being nervous and working all night.

The 3rd Interview is a walk through of the Store you applied for.  Only 3 are selected.  You tour with a member of management from that store as if it were your store with a member of the market team monitoring you and evaluating you on your interaction with customers and associates and what you bring to the table. Then when that is done you meet before the panel and tell them why your the best for the position.  I have been selected for this interview.  It is next Friday.  Please keep me in your prayers.  I am excited for this opportunity but am very nervous as I have never been through this process before.

Priceless Treasure

Anybody that know Jeremy knows he has always been very particular about his shoes, clothes, and hair.  His shirt always had to match his pants which had to match his shoes.  His hair always has been different.  Shaved off, Bleached, Bleached with red tips, and currently sporting Long.  Anyways it has always boggled my mind that a guy with such style would give no care to the color of his socks.  This has caused him problems on more than one occasion.  Today we were talking about how at Jesse's wedding he was wearing white socks with his tux and the photographer was having a fit.  Justin asked if we remembered the day Jeremy went to church in my pants.  Mom actually has the note saved that we were passing in church.

Justin to Mom:  What did you do to Jerms pants?  I think there girls pants.  Brian is making fun of him
Me:  They are my pants!
Jeremy to Mom:  Why the heck would you put my church shirt with Jenn's pants.  Man I'm ticked!
Mom to Jeremy:  Grandma Swapp did it!  Don't you look at them or just put them on?
Justin:  He tells me "these pants shrunk I don't think I can even button them"
Me: You better not bust my button or I'm gonna be the one that is ticked!
Justin:  He wants me to take him home
Me:  He is fine.  Have him come sit next to his mommy so she can teach him the difference between girls and boys pants.

I remember this so well.  The thing that started us noticing were they were high waters on him and he had bright white socks that made it stand out even more.  I feel sorry for the speaker because from that point on all we were trying to do is keep from laughing.  Here are the actual notes

What's my name????

On February 21st I Jennifer Dawn Maynerich was born to goodly parents who loved the Lord and taught me his gospel. I have the best family.

The song the house that built me reminds me of my family. Dad always had some kind of project going on around the house if not inside than out and we were all apart of what was going on. He remodeled our entire house on Coyote Canyon even adding on an addition although if you drive by the house today you would not be able to tell. While we were doing those projects such as sweeping the street, or picking weeds, cleaning the house.  Dad would even spray the street down in front of our house once a week for crying out loud.  When Dad built our new house for Mom every day we were down there scrubbing the cement, sweeping etc.  At the time I didn't know they were teaching us the value of hard work, showing pride in what we do, and taking care of what you had. We just thought they were slave drivers :) I can appreciate that now that I'm in the workforce with people that have none of those values and I find it sad.

I started with my name because I'm amazed I even know what it is with all the nicknames I have been given. Jenna, Jenna Bug, Buggy, Bugster,Jenn,  Jenn Jenn, Goonie, Arnie, Rooney, Ronney two shoes. I know there is more but they are even more embarrassing than these or I don't know how to spell them.  Slug bug was my least favorite game to play because well I was Bug so I got slugged.  When I graduated the plan was for everyone to shout out one of my nicknames when I walked, but no none knew where I was sitting so I got out of that one. I pretty much answer to anything but if you call me Jenny you are sure to get a go to hell look unless you are Grandpa Maynerich or Zackery.

When I was little and even sometimes now Dad would tell me that my real Dad was Sasquatch. He said that when he was working for the Circle K he went out to take the trash and found me in the trash can with Sasquatch. The guy really existed he was a hobo around town. I would freak out when he came around because I thought he would take me back. Dad said he traded me for a pair of shoes. I soon realized I looked to much like my family and I had my dad's big toe so it must have been a story.

I always wanted a sister growing up. When Jeremy was born I was devastated. I wanted a Sara. I would dress him up like a girl and call him Sara but that didn't last too long. Then I go a cousin named Sarah on Mom's side and a Sara on Dad's side. LaDonna was and is my sister and best friend. Growing up with just brothers we needed each other. I will cherish every summer we spent together.  All my sister cousins mean so much to me. I love each one of them with all my heart.

I am so grateful for every single one of my family members in helping me become who I am today. It's not always easy being alone but I know there's always someone just a phone call away.  I don't know what I did to deserve the family I have been born it to but I thank my Heavenly Father every day. 

New Roommates

I really want a dog.  But every time I decide to just do it Mom talks sense into me.  I am allergic to dogs.  I am never home.  I wouldn't be able to bring it with me when I leave to make a trip to Gallup or wherever I am going.  So I decided to go for something else.  I have 2 new roommates.  Their names are Franklin and Squirt.  If you can't tell they are turtles.  They are baby turtles and I am hoping I have better luck with them, then I had with birds. 

When I lived in Flagstaff I had a friend that was going into the Walmart training program for 12 weeks.  He had 2 parakeets that he couldn't take with him so I offered to keep them.  I did pretty good with them for a month and then one day when I came home for lunch I noticed something different in the cage.  One of the was spread eagle dead at the bottom of the cage and the other was flapping around yapping like crazy.  I couldn't believe it I killed my friends bird.  I was devastated.  To make matters worse I'm kinda scared of flying things so why I offered to take care of 2 such things is beyond me.  Now I have to stick my hand in there to get it out.  I decide to use my kitchen tongs.  Reach in get the bird out freaking out the whole time.  I put it in a trash bag and take it out to the dumpster.  When I get back to the store I tell my Best Friend Adrianne and some others what happened.  I'm crying and they are laughing.  They ask me if I flushed it or buried it.  I told them I buried it in the dumpster which wasn't what I should have done I guess.  Anyways as I said I was devastated.  How was I going to tell my friend I killed his bird.  I was sick about it for a week.  Anytime he would call I would almost get up enough nerve to tell him and then I would chicken out.  Well after about a week of this one morning as we were doing our morning tour of the Store he called.  He said he was glad to have a weekend off finally to come home and he and his wife were wanting to stop by and see the birds.  I wanted to die right then and there.  After catching my breath and my heart started beating again I told him I had something I needed to tell him.  I told him one of the birds died.  There was a long pause and then he said he knew that, the Store Manager (who at this point with one of the assistants were practically rolling on the floor laughing)  had called him and told him what happened and that I was afraid to tell him so they came up with this little joke.  He told me he really didn't care about the birds and that if I hadn't offered to take them he was just going to release them.  Hahaha! I can't tell you how I could feel relief, anger, and gratitude at the same time but I did.  I decided no more pet sitting for me and gave the other bird to my friend Adrianne to have. 

Fast forward to my first year in Farmington. I don't know what brought it up but I told my current Store Manager that story.  In January his wife's mother passed away and they left town for a while.  He called me and asked me if I would go feed his fish and check on his bird.  Sure no problem.  I go to the house feed the fish, go to check on the bird and found it dead at the bottom of the cage.  Are you kidding me! This can not be happening again.  Only this time it is a whole lot worse because they are already dealing with a death in the family.  I called the other Co-Manager and told him he had to get over there and help me get it out because I couldn't do it again.  He shows up with a plastic fork and knife.  I asked him if he thought we were going to eat it.  What a goober.  Anyways we send the Store Manager a text telling him the bird is dead.  Right as were are getting the bird out my phone starts ringing (Disturbed, down with the sickness).  It scared us to death.

Needless to say I do not pet sit anymore and I hope I can keep my turtles alive.

Vacation

Saturday was the start of my vacation.  What better way to spend it than a girls day out with Lindsay and Rylie.  We decided to go to the Flea Market, something neither of us have done in a long time and Rylie has never gone.  While we were driving around looking for a parking space Ry says from the back seat "  Where are all the shopping carts and all the shops"  Needless to say Lindsay and I had quite a laugh.  When we were walking around I was telling her how Grandma and Papa use to live out there.  She said well it looks like they tore it up and covered it up with all this junk.  Man that girl cracks me up.