As Christian, a Communication scholar, and a person rather familiar with different theories, including attachment theory, this article was particularly interesting to me.
http://religion.blogs.cnn.com/2010/11/12/our-take-your-relationship-style-determines-how-you-feel-toward-god/?hpt=C2
Saturday, November 13, 2010
Sunday, November 7, 2010
Travel the World
The above three-word phrase is so commonly used when people express their life dreams that it's almost cliché. However, I think it's a perfectly legitimate and reasonable wish for everyone. Reasonable, yes. Realistic, no. Unless we have tons of money, unlimited free time, and/or are lucky enough to land a job in which our requirements are to travel to all types of places on planet Earth, how many of us, when we get too old and frail to travel anymore, will be able to have proudly said that we have been to every place that we'd wanted to visit? Not nearly enough of us, that's for sure.
Unfortunately, I believe that the root of all inability to travel the world is money, because let's face it, we need money to travel. Usually lots of it. Sure, some people don't travel because they have kids which are often difficult to travel with, or other obligations like parents that need to be taken care of. But the main reason is money. Jobs are a hindrance to this desire, but what do we have jobs for? Money. Or, take a college student who has the summer off and a generous amount of free time, but has no job or doesn't make enough to go on a summer trip.
People get so caught up in their daily routines, schedules, responsibilities, and obligations that we forget that there is so much more out there. Who doesn't want to soak in all that the world has to offer and really get an idea of just how tiny we are compared to all that surrounds us? I am lucky enough to have been able to experience many different cultures, both in and out of the country, but still feel that it's not enough. Going through some kind of culture shock and learning about people and places that are so completely different (yet in many ways, the same) than I deletes any form of ethnocentrism within myself and is such a humbling and invigorating experience that I want more and more of it. I've become a travel junkie, but because of money, I can't feed that addiction nearly as much as I'd like to.
I wish I had a solution, but unfortunately, I don't. At least not right now. And until I land that dream job with National Geographic magazine and can visit, learn and write about people and places in every nook and cranny of the world, I'll continue with the list of places that I want to experience, both inside and outside of the United States.
So far, the list is as follows:
West Virginia
Maine
Massachusetts
New Hampshire
Vermont
Oregon
Washington (State and DC)
Illinois
North & South Carolina
Canada
South America (Machu Picchu, Patagonia, Brazil)
Central America (I've been to two countries here, but I want more!)
Spain
Switzerland
New Zealand
Amsterdam
Malaysia
Germany
Ireland
Tuscany & Rome, Italy
Jerusalem
Indonesia
Turkey
Africa (specifically, Egypt, Kenya, Zimbabwe, and Morocco)
Greece
Croatia
Paris
Scotland
And the list certainly continues. This list doesn't even include the places I have already been to but would give anything to see again.
Is this too much to ask for?
Unfortunately, I believe that the root of all inability to travel the world is money, because let's face it, we need money to travel. Usually lots of it. Sure, some people don't travel because they have kids which are often difficult to travel with, or other obligations like parents that need to be taken care of. But the main reason is money. Jobs are a hindrance to this desire, but what do we have jobs for? Money. Or, take a college student who has the summer off and a generous amount of free time, but has no job or doesn't make enough to go on a summer trip.
People get so caught up in their daily routines, schedules, responsibilities, and obligations that we forget that there is so much more out there. Who doesn't want to soak in all that the world has to offer and really get an idea of just how tiny we are compared to all that surrounds us? I am lucky enough to have been able to experience many different cultures, both in and out of the country, but still feel that it's not enough. Going through some kind of culture shock and learning about people and places that are so completely different (yet in many ways, the same) than I deletes any form of ethnocentrism within myself and is such a humbling and invigorating experience that I want more and more of it. I've become a travel junkie, but because of money, I can't feed that addiction nearly as much as I'd like to.
I wish I had a solution, but unfortunately, I don't. At least not right now. And until I land that dream job with National Geographic magazine and can visit, learn and write about people and places in every nook and cranny of the world, I'll continue with the list of places that I want to experience, both inside and outside of the United States.
So far, the list is as follows:
West Virginia
Maine
Massachusetts
New Hampshire
Vermont
Oregon
Washington (State and DC)
Illinois
North & South Carolina
Canada
South America (Machu Picchu, Patagonia, Brazil)
Central America (I've been to two countries here, but I want more!)
Spain
Switzerland
New Zealand
Amsterdam
Malaysia
Germany
Ireland
Tuscany & Rome, Italy
Jerusalem
Indonesia
Turkey
Africa (specifically, Egypt, Kenya, Zimbabwe, and Morocco)
Greece
Croatia
Paris
Scotland
And the list certainly continues. This list doesn't even include the places I have already been to but would give anything to see again.
Is this too much to ask for?
Saturday, November 6, 2010
203
That's how many days until I am Mrs. Jacob Stupka. It seems like a long time based on that number alone, but when you think about it, since we got engaged in April, we are more than halfway there. It's also just a little less than 7 months, which doesn't seem like much. And this semester, although not over yet, has gone by incredibly quickly, then I will only have one semester left before the wedding.
:) :) :)
Yesterday Jake had the day off from work, so we decided to spend the afternoon and evening doing wedding stuff since I have been stressing about it because I've hardly had any time to sit down and really get things done. We had gotten most of the big things done, like where to have the ceremony and reception, I bought my dress and veil, decided on bridesmaids and flower girl dresses, and we've chosen our attendants and booked our photographer and DJ. But the smaller things really add up and I definitely do not want to be figuring out all of those little details halfway through next semester when I'll certainly be just as swamped as I am this semester. So after I got off work yesterday, we had lunch and relaxed a bit, then started gathering emails and sending save-the-dates to as many people as we could. We took a break and went to see the movie "Due Date". It was soooo funny. This is the movie that they filmed much of here in Las Cruces last year. Part of it was filmed on the highway that is a two-minute walk from my apartment, so last year Jake and I went around 11 PM one night and watched them film a vehicle chase scene. It was really neat to watch that scene in the theatre and know that we were technically there. But the movie itself was really funny and I love Robert Downey Jr.
So we got back from the movie and ordered our invitations, updated our registries, corrected some details with the photographer, and...I think that was it. But it felt good to knock a few things off the list. Next time we will probably make a wedding playlist and designate the "special" songs like the first dance, father/daughter, mother/son, etc. Things we need to get done soon also include booking a place for a rehearsal dinner, talking to a florist, at least thinking about decorations, favors and gifts for the wedding party and families, and hashing out all the details with our reception venue such as food, final fees and prices, etc. And the list definitely goes on, and I can't think about everything that needs to be done too much or else I get overwhelmed. Actually doing it isn't so stressful, but thinking about it is. I've learned this: You may have somewhat of an idea about how much goes into planning a wedding, but I think you really don't know until you are actually planning one. That has definitely been the case for me. And sure, we could elope or have a courthouse wedding and save money and stress, but I definitely wanted a traditional wedding. I am trying to avoid a lot of unnecessary details or over-the-top demands, and I think I've been doing a good job. I never wanted a super fancy, super expensive wedding. Just traditional, beautiful, memorable, and one that fits Jake's and my personalities best.
And if I haven't bored you enough with wedding information overload this will do it:
Regarding flowers, I will hopefully be able to go talk to a florist in Los Alamos when I am there for Thanksgiving and figure out what types of flowers will be good in May, and which ones won't cost a fortune. I have an idea of what I want, but I'll need to see how much it will cost and if it's possible. I was thinking ivory roses, Abraham Darby English roses (because their color is close to the guava color in our wedding), and perhaps white freesia as an accent flower (and they have a wonderful fragrance). So the flowers don't have to be these exact ones, but I like this color combination.
Thanks for letting me update you with all the wedding goings-on. Have a wonderful weekend :)
:) :) :)
Yesterday Jake had the day off from work, so we decided to spend the afternoon and evening doing wedding stuff since I have been stressing about it because I've hardly had any time to sit down and really get things done. We had gotten most of the big things done, like where to have the ceremony and reception, I bought my dress and veil, decided on bridesmaids and flower girl dresses, and we've chosen our attendants and booked our photographer and DJ. But the smaller things really add up and I definitely do not want to be figuring out all of those little details halfway through next semester when I'll certainly be just as swamped as I am this semester. So after I got off work yesterday, we had lunch and relaxed a bit, then started gathering emails and sending save-the-dates to as many people as we could. We took a break and went to see the movie "Due Date". It was soooo funny. This is the movie that they filmed much of here in Las Cruces last year. Part of it was filmed on the highway that is a two-minute walk from my apartment, so last year Jake and I went around 11 PM one night and watched them film a vehicle chase scene. It was really neat to watch that scene in the theatre and know that we were technically there. But the movie itself was really funny and I love Robert Downey Jr.
So we got back from the movie and ordered our invitations, updated our registries, corrected some details with the photographer, and...I think that was it. But it felt good to knock a few things off the list. Next time we will probably make a wedding playlist and designate the "special" songs like the first dance, father/daughter, mother/son, etc. Things we need to get done soon also include booking a place for a rehearsal dinner, talking to a florist, at least thinking about decorations, favors and gifts for the wedding party and families, and hashing out all the details with our reception venue such as food, final fees and prices, etc. And the list definitely goes on, and I can't think about everything that needs to be done too much or else I get overwhelmed. Actually doing it isn't so stressful, but thinking about it is. I've learned this: You may have somewhat of an idea about how much goes into planning a wedding, but I think you really don't know until you are actually planning one. That has definitely been the case for me. And sure, we could elope or have a courthouse wedding and save money and stress, but I definitely wanted a traditional wedding. I am trying to avoid a lot of unnecessary details or over-the-top demands, and I think I've been doing a good job. I never wanted a super fancy, super expensive wedding. Just traditional, beautiful, memorable, and one that fits Jake's and my personalities best.
And if I haven't bored you enough with wedding information overload this will do it:
Regarding flowers, I will hopefully be able to go talk to a florist in Los Alamos when I am there for Thanksgiving and figure out what types of flowers will be good in May, and which ones won't cost a fortune. I have an idea of what I want, but I'll need to see how much it will cost and if it's possible. I was thinking ivory roses, Abraham Darby English roses (because their color is close to the guava color in our wedding), and perhaps white freesia as an accent flower (and they have a wonderful fragrance). So the flowers don't have to be these exact ones, but I like this color combination.
Thanks for letting me update you with all the wedding goings-on. Have a wonderful weekend :)
Tuesday, October 19, 2010
Adding to the noise
I'm sure everyone has heard how the olfactory sense is probably the most memory-invoking of all our five senses. Which makes sense; I can assume we've all had the experience when we catch a whiff of something and it takes us back to a time and place, and possibly a feeling. I know quite frequently I catch a whiff of some time of incense or perfume (I never know what it is) and it takes me back to standing in my great-grandma's bedroom with other family members and relatives, as she neared her final day. I can't put my finger on what the smell actually comes from, but every time I experience it I associate the scent with death. One time I was in one of those weird oriental-type shops and sniffed a stick of incense; I immediately had to leave the store because of that memory.
My intention of this post is not to depress anyone or myself, but I was thinking about this type of thing because of a CD I was listening to a while ago. I know I just mentioned that the olfactory sense gives us the ability to draw up memories probably more than any other sense, but I feel that our auditory sense is a close second, maybe just as capable of transporting an individual back to a time and place, particularly specific tones and music. I initially pondered this recently when I switched my alert tone for text messages on my phone to a different tone. Not really aware of this at the time, it was the same tone that I was using for texts on my phone in the time surrounding when Jake and I got engaged. I had gotten my cell phone not long before it happened, and had this tone as the default for texts. So the other day when I changed it back to that tone, the first time somebody sent me a text after switching it, I immediately felt this happy, excited, walking-on-clouds feeling, and this was before I noticed the memory. In the microseconds after these emotions, I wondered why I felt that way then traced the reasoning back to when we got engaged and concluded it worked just like the olfactory sense.
Now tonight, I decided to listen to an album I had not heard in a while, Snow Patrol's "Eyes Open". This whole album transports me to a time and so many different emotions, and I recall that the same album has always had this effect on me, because of the synthesis of the music and the time period during which I frequently listened to this music. However, tonight I wasn't thinking about that when I pressed "shuffle" and as soon as the first song, "Open Your Eyes", started playing, I was whisked back to the first semester of college, to when I had my heart broken for the first time, by my first love, and the hazy, obscure time period that followed as I desperately held on to that love. Hearing even just the first few seconds of the song was so compelling that my breath was taken away briefly and I felt that empty, lost feeling once again. It's like for a moment I forgot that I am currently 22 years old, a graduate student, and engaged to be married. It's as though I was 18 again, sitting on my bedroom floor after that phone call. Don't get me wrong; I have so much joy about where I am and where I am headed, personally and as part of another relationship, but it is only human to feel these powerful emotions even long after you've moved on. It's only human to feel hurt and confused and to question "why?", even if you are in a better place.
My intention of this post is not to depress anyone or myself, but I was thinking about this type of thing because of a CD I was listening to a while ago. I know I just mentioned that the olfactory sense gives us the ability to draw up memories probably more than any other sense, but I feel that our auditory sense is a close second, maybe just as capable of transporting an individual back to a time and place, particularly specific tones and music. I initially pondered this recently when I switched my alert tone for text messages on my phone to a different tone. Not really aware of this at the time, it was the same tone that I was using for texts on my phone in the time surrounding when Jake and I got engaged. I had gotten my cell phone not long before it happened, and had this tone as the default for texts. So the other day when I changed it back to that tone, the first time somebody sent me a text after switching it, I immediately felt this happy, excited, walking-on-clouds feeling, and this was before I noticed the memory. In the microseconds after these emotions, I wondered why I felt that way then traced the reasoning back to when we got engaged and concluded it worked just like the olfactory sense.
Now tonight, I decided to listen to an album I had not heard in a while, Snow Patrol's "Eyes Open". This whole album transports me to a time and so many different emotions, and I recall that the same album has always had this effect on me, because of the synthesis of the music and the time period during which I frequently listened to this music. However, tonight I wasn't thinking about that when I pressed "shuffle" and as soon as the first song, "Open Your Eyes", started playing, I was whisked back to the first semester of college, to when I had my heart broken for the first time, by my first love, and the hazy, obscure time period that followed as I desperately held on to that love. Hearing even just the first few seconds of the song was so compelling that my breath was taken away briefly and I felt that empty, lost feeling once again. It's like for a moment I forgot that I am currently 22 years old, a graduate student, and engaged to be married. It's as though I was 18 again, sitting on my bedroom floor after that phone call. Don't get me wrong; I have so much joy about where I am and where I am headed, personally and as part of another relationship, but it is only human to feel these powerful emotions even long after you've moved on. It's only human to feel hurt and confused and to question "why?", even if you are in a better place.
Wednesday, October 13, 2010
Viva Chile!
As I watch the last of the 33 Chilean miners emerge from the rescue capsule on live TV, I am filled with so much joy that it is overwhelming. The world has experienced so much pain and sadness and too many events such as this have come to a tragic end. This wonderful story fills my heart with happiness because the world needed something like this to boost its spirit. The hope and faith that kept the miners alive and from giving up has been apparent in the family members camping out at the site, holding hands with and hugging each other, praying, and the large portion of the world that watched and waited as the rescue workers courageously went down the chute and helped bring these brave, strong men to safety and into the arms of wives, fathers, mothers, sons, and daughters, who, for some amount of time, likely believed they would never see their beloveds again. I am fairly certain that I would start losing my sanity after being trapped merely for a few days; however, these men encouraged and supported each other throughout what was most likely the greatest trial of their lives, living in a cave with no light, limited entertainment, and eating 200 calories a day. That strength, along with hope and faith, brought them back to the world after nearly 70 days underground.
I think we can all learn a little something from these men.
I think we can all learn a little something from these men.
Friday, October 1, 2010
Happy Friday the 1st!
October is here! I like this month a lot. I'd like it more if it actually felt like October should. That's the problem with Las Cruces. But I'm not here to complain about how much I miss Los Alamos this time of year. I'm actually here to complain about pop culture; specifically a few names in Hollywood. One of the things I can't stand the most in pop culture is that the media pays WAY too much attention on people that just bring drama wherever they go and don't really do anything good for anyone. I'm not saying they should never have existed, just that they shouldn't exist in Hollywood :) By keeping them in the spotlight and in front of cameras, we are just fueling their annoyingness. Here are just a few of the characters that I wish would just drop off the face of Hollywood and the media:
Spencer Pratt and Heidi Montag...seriously, get a life. One that isn't whining about each other in your pseudo-divorce and screeching and passing it off as a music career.
Paris Hilton...grow up and stop hoarding innocent animals. And all the other stuff you do.
Snookie...I don't even watch Jersey Shore, never have, never will, and I can't stand the girl just from seeing her face all over the place and hearing about why she was most recently a public nuisance.
Lindsay Lohan...the girl has issues. I get it. Move along.
Jon and Kate Gosselin...Time to focus on your kids, folks.
Levi Johnston...wait, why is he famous anyway? Because he said some nasty stuff about the Palin family? Ah yes, a legitimate path to stardom...???
Lady Gaga...Must I explain?
And I apologize if I've hurt anyone's feelings; if any of you are fans of these people. It's nothing personal toward you, just my opinion.
Spencer Pratt and Heidi Montag...seriously, get a life. One that isn't whining about each other in your pseudo-divorce and screeching and passing it off as a music career.
Paris Hilton...grow up and stop hoarding innocent animals. And all the other stuff you do.
Snookie...I don't even watch Jersey Shore, never have, never will, and I can't stand the girl just from seeing her face all over the place and hearing about why she was most recently a public nuisance.
Lindsay Lohan...the girl has issues. I get it. Move along.
Jon and Kate Gosselin...Time to focus on your kids, folks.
Levi Johnston...wait, why is he famous anyway? Because he said some nasty stuff about the Palin family? Ah yes, a legitimate path to stardom...???
Lady Gaga...Must I explain?
And I apologize if I've hurt anyone's feelings; if any of you are fans of these people. It's nothing personal toward you, just my opinion.
Friday, September 10, 2010
Ok. I lied.
One minute later and I'm posting something else. The author of another blog I follow does this post every week called "Truthful Tuesday", in which she lists random statements of "truth". Even though it's not Tuesday now, I feel like doing the same.
Truthful Friday!
1. I should be grading outlines and speeches right now.
2. On that note, I really need to get with it and be a motivated, on-top-of-it grad student. No more of this undergraduate procrastination, bs-ing work anymore. However, I'm still trying to get into a groove of this new career. Perhaps making a very detailed schedule for myself for the next few weeks will get me going.
3. I know I need to break out of my comfort zone. Grad school and being a TA has already helped a lot, but I still need work. I'm just naturally introverted.
4. I had a "must break out of comfort zone" moment today. I was at the first Communication Studies Graduate Student Association (CSGSA) meeting today, and we were to elect officials. How it worked was that people just shouted out nominations for those that they thought would be good in the positions. Once we got to Secretary, someone nominated me, and other people seconded it. At first I freaked out a bit on the inside, thinking "I do not want to do this, not my thing! I can't!", because of the comfort zone thing. But then I got to thinking "This would be good for me. It will force me to make connections with people and organize something big and just overall break out of my shell a bit". So then I was hoping to be voted for. However, someone else won the election (and she will be great), but I was a bit let down. It was strange, I went from being very hesitant and considering declining the nomination one minute, to being sad that I didn't get it the next. Oh well, I still plan on being involved in the CSGSA as it will be good for me nonetheless.
5. I feel like a total loser right now. Thankfully it's Jake's last 3-11:30 PM shift for a while (maybe forever), because the past few weeks, when I'm not at school or work I've been alone in my apartment until he gets off. It's not as bad during the week, but Friday night, really?
6. Drawing from #5, another reason I need to break through my comfort zone is because I am one of those people who waits for things to happen, or for other people to ask me to do something, rather than making something happen. I whine and use the excuse that I have very few friends here. Yes, most friends are elsewhere now, but I'm starting to really enjoy the company of my colleagues so I can't use that excuse anymore.
7. I crave hamburgers A LOT. I like a lot of healthy food too, but burgers are the things I crave most often. Like right now. And two nights ago. And Monday after backpacking. I don't always give in to it, but I just might tonight...
8. I am very very eagerly awaiting my first paycheck from this job. I have a few big things to pay off right now, including part of tuition, and pay my dad back for my TV and rent (he enrolled his Chase rewards card for automatic payment at my apartment, because he really wants the points for a vacation for my mom and him). I probably won't have a lot leftover after my first paycheck.
9. I have a good relationship with my future mother-in-law right now, but I'm so scared of it worsening either during the wedding planning process or after Jake and I are married! I've heard that it happens often! Probably because there is conflict of opinions during wedding planning or something else.
'
10. I was a hypochondriac for about a year, starting summer 08. It started with a really dumb mistake when I was cleaning the old house for the family I babysat for so that they could put it on the market, and I cleaned up an insanely disgusting amount of mouse droppings from their pantry area (they were a very dirty family), and I was not careful about it at all. In fact, I shouldn't have cleaned it myself. For the next few weeks, I was so terrified that I had caught hantavirus and from then on, for about year, I always thought my headaches were something serious, or that a flutter in my chest meant I had arrythmia, or because I didn't feel good I had caught some terrible disease. I think eventually I just started telling myself to not think that way, that I was fine, and I gradually got over it. No counseling necessary :)
So now I've let you in on some deep dark secrets (not really)! This can be fun, if you care to join :)
PS Please don't use my truths against me :P
Truthful Friday!
1. I should be grading outlines and speeches right now.
2. On that note, I really need to get with it and be a motivated, on-top-of-it grad student. No more of this undergraduate procrastination, bs-ing work anymore. However, I'm still trying to get into a groove of this new career. Perhaps making a very detailed schedule for myself for the next few weeks will get me going.
3. I know I need to break out of my comfort zone. Grad school and being a TA has already helped a lot, but I still need work. I'm just naturally introverted.
4. I had a "must break out of comfort zone" moment today. I was at the first Communication Studies Graduate Student Association (CSGSA) meeting today, and we were to elect officials. How it worked was that people just shouted out nominations for those that they thought would be good in the positions. Once we got to Secretary, someone nominated me, and other people seconded it. At first I freaked out a bit on the inside, thinking "I do not want to do this, not my thing! I can't!", because of the comfort zone thing. But then I got to thinking "This would be good for me. It will force me to make connections with people and organize something big and just overall break out of my shell a bit". So then I was hoping to be voted for. However, someone else won the election (and she will be great), but I was a bit let down. It was strange, I went from being very hesitant and considering declining the nomination one minute, to being sad that I didn't get it the next. Oh well, I still plan on being involved in the CSGSA as it will be good for me nonetheless.
5. I feel like a total loser right now. Thankfully it's Jake's last 3-11:30 PM shift for a while (maybe forever), because the past few weeks, when I'm not at school or work I've been alone in my apartment until he gets off. It's not as bad during the week, but Friday night, really?
6. Drawing from #5, another reason I need to break through my comfort zone is because I am one of those people who waits for things to happen, or for other people to ask me to do something, rather than making something happen. I whine and use the excuse that I have very few friends here. Yes, most friends are elsewhere now, but I'm starting to really enjoy the company of my colleagues so I can't use that excuse anymore.
7. I crave hamburgers A LOT. I like a lot of healthy food too, but burgers are the things I crave most often. Like right now. And two nights ago. And Monday after backpacking. I don't always give in to it, but I just might tonight...
8. I am very very eagerly awaiting my first paycheck from this job. I have a few big things to pay off right now, including part of tuition, and pay my dad back for my TV and rent (he enrolled his Chase rewards card for automatic payment at my apartment, because he really wants the points for a vacation for my mom and him). I probably won't have a lot leftover after my first paycheck.
9. I have a good relationship with my future mother-in-law right now, but I'm so scared of it worsening either during the wedding planning process or after Jake and I are married! I've heard that it happens often! Probably because there is conflict of opinions during wedding planning or something else.
'
10. I was a hypochondriac for about a year, starting summer 08. It started with a really dumb mistake when I was cleaning the old house for the family I babysat for so that they could put it on the market, and I cleaned up an insanely disgusting amount of mouse droppings from their pantry area (they were a very dirty family), and I was not careful about it at all. In fact, I shouldn't have cleaned it myself. For the next few weeks, I was so terrified that I had caught hantavirus and from then on, for about year, I always thought my headaches were something serious, or that a flutter in my chest meant I had arrythmia, or because I didn't feel good I had caught some terrible disease. I think eventually I just started telling myself to not think that way, that I was fine, and I gradually got over it. No counseling necessary :)
So now I've let you in on some deep dark secrets (not really)! This can be fun, if you care to join :)
PS Please don't use my truths against me :P
New design!
Like it? I had been pretty sick of the last one I had for quite a while, but when I initially tried to change it I had to know something about HTML coding to keep my widgets, which I definitely do NOT! hahaha. But thanks to Alayna, I learned that it's way easier than it used to be!
I've had a thing for birds lately, hence the new design. Actually, I've always loved birds but I recently have been all about bird-themed designs. I bought a planner at Barnes and Noble at the start of the semester that is sort of Asian/bird theme, with branches and leaves, and I designed my own tote/purse with a somewhat similar style. My mom hosted a "Too Cute Totes" party at our house in late July, and we all got to design our own purses and totes! The business was started by someone who graduated from Los Alamos (a long time ago), and it's really starting to thrive. The idea is that you pick one of many styles of totes, purses, wallets, even diaper bags. Then you pick your main fabric out of hundreds that will be the outside of the bag. Next you pick the fabric to go on the inside, usually one that coordinates with the outside. And finally you pick a color and type of leather for the bottom and the straps. You can also add things like a zipper closure instead of clasp and extra pockets, then once you place your order, it gets handmade in Nevada (where the owner and store are from). So my mom threw this party, and if you know me well, you know that I'm not a huge bag/tote/purse person. I do carry a purse, but I rarely buy new ones. So I figured I would just watch people design theirs at the party, but before I knew it, I was designing my own small tote and having lots of fun doing it! I'm really excited for it to finally come in, and it should be here soon, I think.
I went backpacking over Labor Day weekend for the second time ever, and this time, I didn't almost break my nose! I went with Jake, Jeff and Mike. We started on Saturday around noon at the Catwalk trail head in the Gila Wilderness. After some break and about 6 1/2 hours later, we finally found a decent spot to pitch our tents and make dinner. It was a rough first night, because it was nearly dark when we were cooking and trying to set things up, and this spot wasn't very ideal for camping (i.e. trees were too close together, it was damp and muggy, etc.). A couple on their way back to their campsite that we had passed earlier told us that there was another good spot about 1/4 mile up the trail. So the next day we took a walk to find it, and as soon as we saw how much better this site was, we turned around, packed up our stuff, and moved. After we set up camp again, we took a day hike and just went up the trail for about two hours, stopping and goofing off occasionally. That night was much more comfortable and the next day we hiked back out. I got some monster blisters on my heels, due to various causes. My boots refuse to break in, I made the dumb mistake of wearing cotton liners under the wool socks, and my feet are just not used to this kind of abuse. So yes, monster blisters and really sore toes from the downhill parts, and oh lord, I woke up Tuesday morning with the sorest calves I've ever had, BUT it was all worth it and I definitely want to pursue this more! I hope eventually I will be able to have all my own gear.
Now onto my job. This week all the COMM265 students started giving their informative speeches, and in all honesty, I am so far quite disappointed and frustrated with how the majority turned out. You'd have thought that I didn't tell them what to do AT ALL and that there was no assignment information on Blackboard and handouts! There were a few good speeches, but it seemed as if the majority did not listen to a thing I said (and the really important stuff, I repeated in class several times, but did they get it? Noooo) and didn't read the assignment at all. So at first, I was wondering, What did I do wrong to make them so unprepared and do so poorly? But after talking to other TAs, I found out that they are having the same problems, so it wasn't just me. So I know that it isn't my fault, but this does give me the opportunity to figure out where the students did poorly and try to figure out a better way to pound it into their heads next semester. I may be a bad teacher for writing about this and not being encouraging, but I just needed to vent a little. It's so weird to refer to myself as a "teacher" still!! Who'da thunk it?
Welp, I suppose I've caught you up on the past couple week well enough, and hope for more interesting stuff to blog about soon!
I've had a thing for birds lately, hence the new design. Actually, I've always loved birds but I recently have been all about bird-themed designs. I bought a planner at Barnes and Noble at the start of the semester that is sort of Asian/bird theme, with branches and leaves, and I designed my own tote/purse with a somewhat similar style. My mom hosted a "Too Cute Totes" party at our house in late July, and we all got to design our own purses and totes! The business was started by someone who graduated from Los Alamos (a long time ago), and it's really starting to thrive. The idea is that you pick one of many styles of totes, purses, wallets, even diaper bags. Then you pick your main fabric out of hundreds that will be the outside of the bag. Next you pick the fabric to go on the inside, usually one that coordinates with the outside. And finally you pick a color and type of leather for the bottom and the straps. You can also add things like a zipper closure instead of clasp and extra pockets, then once you place your order, it gets handmade in Nevada (where the owner and store are from). So my mom threw this party, and if you know me well, you know that I'm not a huge bag/tote/purse person. I do carry a purse, but I rarely buy new ones. So I figured I would just watch people design theirs at the party, but before I knew it, I was designing my own small tote and having lots of fun doing it! I'm really excited for it to finally come in, and it should be here soon, I think.
I went backpacking over Labor Day weekend for the second time ever, and this time, I didn't almost break my nose! I went with Jake, Jeff and Mike. We started on Saturday around noon at the Catwalk trail head in the Gila Wilderness. After some break and about 6 1/2 hours later, we finally found a decent spot to pitch our tents and make dinner. It was a rough first night, because it was nearly dark when we were cooking and trying to set things up, and this spot wasn't very ideal for camping (i.e. trees were too close together, it was damp and muggy, etc.). A couple on their way back to their campsite that we had passed earlier told us that there was another good spot about 1/4 mile up the trail. So the next day we took a walk to find it, and as soon as we saw how much better this site was, we turned around, packed up our stuff, and moved. After we set up camp again, we took a day hike and just went up the trail for about two hours, stopping and goofing off occasionally. That night was much more comfortable and the next day we hiked back out. I got some monster blisters on my heels, due to various causes. My boots refuse to break in, I made the dumb mistake of wearing cotton liners under the wool socks, and my feet are just not used to this kind of abuse. So yes, monster blisters and really sore toes from the downhill parts, and oh lord, I woke up Tuesday morning with the sorest calves I've ever had, BUT it was all worth it and I definitely want to pursue this more! I hope eventually I will be able to have all my own gear.
Now onto my job. This week all the COMM265 students started giving their informative speeches, and in all honesty, I am so far quite disappointed and frustrated with how the majority turned out. You'd have thought that I didn't tell them what to do AT ALL and that there was no assignment information on Blackboard and handouts! There were a few good speeches, but it seemed as if the majority did not listen to a thing I said (and the really important stuff, I repeated in class several times, but did they get it? Noooo) and didn't read the assignment at all. So at first, I was wondering, What did I do wrong to make them so unprepared and do so poorly? But after talking to other TAs, I found out that they are having the same problems, so it wasn't just me. So I know that it isn't my fault, but this does give me the opportunity to figure out where the students did poorly and try to figure out a better way to pound it into their heads next semester. I may be a bad teacher for writing about this and not being encouraging, but I just needed to vent a little. It's so weird to refer to myself as a "teacher" still!! Who'da thunk it?
Welp, I suppose I've caught you up on the past couple week well enough, and hope for more interesting stuff to blog about soon!
Monday, August 23, 2010
She liiiiivvvees!
After a month and a half or so of not posting anything of new interest, I have quite a lot to catch you all up with. In July, my parents took Jake and I on a two-week trip to Yellowstone, the Grand Tetons, and Estes Park/Rocky Mountains. It was such an amazing trip, I absolutely fell in love with Yellowstone. During the trip we saw two black bears, two grizzly bears, a TON of buffalo, elk, deer, pronghorns, bighorn sheep, and two moose. We got lots of fishing in, and one day in Yellowstone my dad and Jake and I hiked to Bunsen Peak. It was a challenge, and I felt so good afterward for the accomplishment. I think everyone should visit Yellowstone at least once in their life :)
The day we got home from the trip, Shanda and Brian came by, and once we were unpacked and visiting in the living room, Shanda pulled out her phone and said she wanted to take a picture of the three of us (my parents and I). So we put on our smiles and she said "Ok now on the count of three, say 'Shanda and Brian are having a baby'". !!!!!!!! Our mouths dropped open and my dad just collapsed backward on the couch. She was actually recording us and the video is hilarious. So yeah, I'm going to be an aunt!! The baby's due March 18, about two months before our wedding. I'm super duper excited about that!
July also marked the end of YMCA summer camp, and I decided to work an extra week at what is called iCare Camp, and environmentally-geared day camp for kids before school started for them. We did some hiking, went to a wildlife park, and helped a teenage group at the Y with maintaining some trails in Los Alamos. It was fun, and I worked 40 hours that week in 4 days...10 hour days with no break. The time went fast, but boy was I tired at the end of each day. My last day at this camp also marked the end of my time with the YMCA. Perhaps I will work a week or two here and there when I'm home for Christmas break and such, but after we're married, Jake and I will live in Las Cruces at least until I'm done with school and I will hopefully find a job that is more related to my field of study. I'm okay with this; while I enjoyed my time with the YMCA (I've been there since my senior year of high school), I'm ready to move on to something else. I'm also SO over riding on buses for hours with noisy 6-year-olds while suffering a headache.
Now to catch you up on wedding details. Jake and I have officially set the date for May 28, 2011. We finally found a reception place that is friendly toward our budget (you know-the budget of two recent graduates and one grad student whose salary mostly goes toward tuition). It's at the Delancey Street Foundation sites in Espanola, and the property where we would have it is just beautiful. We will be having a wedding mass at the IHM church in Los Alamos. Even more exciting, I BOUGHT MY DRESS!!!! I have been looking for "the one" since May. I found one here in Las Cruces at a boutique that I really loved at the time, but there were some things about it that I was a bit wishy-washy with. Then recently I went to a David's Bridal in Santa Fe, and after many dresses, found one that was very similar style to the one in Cruces, only much cheaper. But as with the first one, I would love it one minute, then the next I would be uncertain about it. So when I moved back to Cruces last week, my mom and I went to the boutique here so I could try on the first one again along with another that I had tried on in May, and the consultant pulled out another dress that was similar style to both of them, so I thought "sure, why not." The dress she suggested was the first I tried on that day, and it was love at first sight. I walked out of the dressing room, and as soon as I saw myself in the mirror (even though the dress was many sizes too big), a smile instantaneously plastered itself on my face and didn't leave for a long time. My mom could tell that I was in love with it as well, and she loved it too. So I called up my dad, gave him the "I love you daddy, and I love this dress" persuasion mechanism (because my parents told me they'd buy my dress), and he said, "Ok. Have mom use the Southwest card." I am so so so happy about it, and cannot wait until it comes in. It was reasonably priced compared to the designer gowns you might see on "Say yes to the dress", and within our budget :)
Ok, last spiel. I started grad school last week. It began with grad student orientation on Monday (all day), then the Communication Studies department Grad assistant orientation on Tuesday. I attended the lecture of COMM 265 on Friday (the class for which I am teaching supplementary lab classes) where all the TAs were introduced. Today, I had my first day as a teacher! I taught three classes back-to-back, and I think they went fairly well. I was nervous, and it will definitely be a learning process, something I won't get perfect hang of right away. But I got more relaxed with each class. Today we just did introductions/ice breakers and went over the syllabus, and Wednesday we will start activities for public speaking. Then I had my first class as a student, Seminar in Communication Theories, with Dr. Morgan. I am both excited and nervous for the semester, and as my graduate student career in general. It will require a lot of perseverance, drive, decision-making, and discipline, but I think I can :)
Peace!
The day we got home from the trip, Shanda and Brian came by, and once we were unpacked and visiting in the living room, Shanda pulled out her phone and said she wanted to take a picture of the three of us (my parents and I). So we put on our smiles and she said "Ok now on the count of three, say 'Shanda and Brian are having a baby'". !!!!!!!! Our mouths dropped open and my dad just collapsed backward on the couch. She was actually recording us and the video is hilarious. So yeah, I'm going to be an aunt!! The baby's due March 18, about two months before our wedding. I'm super duper excited about that!
July also marked the end of YMCA summer camp, and I decided to work an extra week at what is called iCare Camp, and environmentally-geared day camp for kids before school started for them. We did some hiking, went to a wildlife park, and helped a teenage group at the Y with maintaining some trails in Los Alamos. It was fun, and I worked 40 hours that week in 4 days...10 hour days with no break. The time went fast, but boy was I tired at the end of each day. My last day at this camp also marked the end of my time with the YMCA. Perhaps I will work a week or two here and there when I'm home for Christmas break and such, but after we're married, Jake and I will live in Las Cruces at least until I'm done with school and I will hopefully find a job that is more related to my field of study. I'm okay with this; while I enjoyed my time with the YMCA (I've been there since my senior year of high school), I'm ready to move on to something else. I'm also SO over riding on buses for hours with noisy 6-year-olds while suffering a headache.
Now to catch you up on wedding details. Jake and I have officially set the date for May 28, 2011. We finally found a reception place that is friendly toward our budget (you know-the budget of two recent graduates and one grad student whose salary mostly goes toward tuition). It's at the Delancey Street Foundation sites in Espanola, and the property where we would have it is just beautiful. We will be having a wedding mass at the IHM church in Los Alamos. Even more exciting, I BOUGHT MY DRESS!!!! I have been looking for "the one" since May. I found one here in Las Cruces at a boutique that I really loved at the time, but there were some things about it that I was a bit wishy-washy with. Then recently I went to a David's Bridal in Santa Fe, and after many dresses, found one that was very similar style to the one in Cruces, only much cheaper. But as with the first one, I would love it one minute, then the next I would be uncertain about it. So when I moved back to Cruces last week, my mom and I went to the boutique here so I could try on the first one again along with another that I had tried on in May, and the consultant pulled out another dress that was similar style to both of them, so I thought "sure, why not." The dress she suggested was the first I tried on that day, and it was love at first sight. I walked out of the dressing room, and as soon as I saw myself in the mirror (even though the dress was many sizes too big), a smile instantaneously plastered itself on my face and didn't leave for a long time. My mom could tell that I was in love with it as well, and she loved it too. So I called up my dad, gave him the "I love you daddy, and I love this dress" persuasion mechanism (because my parents told me they'd buy my dress), and he said, "Ok. Have mom use the Southwest card." I am so so so happy about it, and cannot wait until it comes in. It was reasonably priced compared to the designer gowns you might see on "Say yes to the dress", and within our budget :)
Ok, last spiel. I started grad school last week. It began with grad student orientation on Monday (all day), then the Communication Studies department Grad assistant orientation on Tuesday. I attended the lecture of COMM 265 on Friday (the class for which I am teaching supplementary lab classes) where all the TAs were introduced. Today, I had my first day as a teacher! I taught three classes back-to-back, and I think they went fairly well. I was nervous, and it will definitely be a learning process, something I won't get perfect hang of right away. But I got more relaxed with each class. Today we just did introductions/ice breakers and went over the syllabus, and Wednesday we will start activities for public speaking. Then I had my first class as a student, Seminar in Communication Theories, with Dr. Morgan. I am both excited and nervous for the semester, and as my graduate student career in general. It will require a lot of perseverance, drive, decision-making, and discipline, but I think I can :)
Peace!
Friday, July 2, 2010
Celebrate!
The reason to celebrate: Jake got a job in Las Cruces!!!! We were getting a bit worried because he wasn't having much luck finding one. The job is not exactly what he was looking for, but it something that he would be really good at. He'll be working at an AT&T call center, taking calls from customers who have questions about the software and technology, and I think troubleshooting. He's really good with people and really good with technology. It's a full-time, 40-hour per week job, with many opportunities for raises and overtime work, and he gets benefits after 60 days of working there, which was a big concern for us since we are getting married. He did a phone interview last Monday and they offered him the job right away. I am so happy and proud of him :) This job means a) he will be with me in Las Cruces when I go to grad school, and b) we can get married May 21, 2011!!! He's going to start on August 9, where he will begin his 7 weeks of training (lot of training, huh?).
More good news, I got an apartment again in the place I lived last school year. I am really happy because I loved those apartments, plus it's on the second floor again, plus it's carpeted. Having a second floor or higher is important to me, especially since I live alone, because I like to leave the windows open sometimes at night and I definitely wouldn't want to if I was on a ground floor. Plus you get more bugs on the ground floor...
Two weekends ago Jake and I went to Santa Fe where we got our engagement pictures taken. They turned out really well, we just need to order the CD. Then we spent a large portion of the day hopping from one reception site to the other, mostly to be disappointed because they were either to small for the number of guests we want, or too expensive. However, we fell in love with one place that I've been eyeing on the Internet for a while and correspondent with a woman from called Sunrise Springs. It's in the outskirts of Santa Fe and it's a tranquil spa/inn that has a reception room that can hold up to 150 people, I think. That's our number one choice so far, we just have to correspond with the sales director more and make sure that aren't too many hidden fees that will knock it out of our budget. Later that evening our friends Danielle and Alayna threw us an engagement party at a place on the plaza called Dinner For Two. It was a lot of fun, and several friends and my sister joined us.
Work has been a lot of fun. It has its stressful moments, but I can't complain too much when I get paid to go ice skating, roller skating, swimming, to the zoo, and bowling :) Yesterday I went home halfway through the day because I've been somewhat sick and I was losing my voice, then stayed home today as well because I'm feeling even worse. I was bummed about missing it today, because I'm going to be gone for two weeks and I could really use the hours. Oh well. I just hope I'm doing better by the time we leave on our big camping trip on Monday. Tomorrow's my dad's birthday so we're taking him to Outback in Santa Fe, then having a barbecue at our house for the 4th of July.
God's blessings are coming our way! :) Hope everyone is having a lovely day and week.
More good news, I got an apartment again in the place I lived last school year. I am really happy because I loved those apartments, plus it's on the second floor again, plus it's carpeted. Having a second floor or higher is important to me, especially since I live alone, because I like to leave the windows open sometimes at night and I definitely wouldn't want to if I was on a ground floor. Plus you get more bugs on the ground floor...
Two weekends ago Jake and I went to Santa Fe where we got our engagement pictures taken. They turned out really well, we just need to order the CD. Then we spent a large portion of the day hopping from one reception site to the other, mostly to be disappointed because they were either to small for the number of guests we want, or too expensive. However, we fell in love with one place that I've been eyeing on the Internet for a while and correspondent with a woman from called Sunrise Springs. It's in the outskirts of Santa Fe and it's a tranquil spa/inn that has a reception room that can hold up to 150 people, I think. That's our number one choice so far, we just have to correspond with the sales director more and make sure that aren't too many hidden fees that will knock it out of our budget. Later that evening our friends Danielle and Alayna threw us an engagement party at a place on the plaza called Dinner For Two. It was a lot of fun, and several friends and my sister joined us.
Work has been a lot of fun. It has its stressful moments, but I can't complain too much when I get paid to go ice skating, roller skating, swimming, to the zoo, and bowling :) Yesterday I went home halfway through the day because I've been somewhat sick and I was losing my voice, then stayed home today as well because I'm feeling even worse. I was bummed about missing it today, because I'm going to be gone for two weeks and I could really use the hours. Oh well. I just hope I'm doing better by the time we leave on our big camping trip on Monday. Tomorrow's my dad's birthday so we're taking him to Outback in Santa Fe, then having a barbecue at our house for the 4th of July.
God's blessings are coming our way! :) Hope everyone is having a lovely day and week.
Saturday, June 12, 2010
Favorites
The other day we had our sprinklers on in both yards, and I realized how much I like that sound in the summer. So I decided to make a list of my favorite sounds and smells.
Favorite Sounds:
Sprinklers in the summmer
Windchimes
Rain
Thunder
The sound coffee makers make when they're brewing coffee (not the noisy espresso machines, just the regular ones)
Little noises babies make
People breathing steadily
Crickets at night
Wind, whether a gentle breeze or howling and making ghost sounds (as long as I'm inside when it's super windy)
Rustling sounds trees make because of the wind
Sounds at the swimming pool-I often fall asleep to those noises
Cats purring
Piano, violin, and acoustic guitar
Favorite smells:
Rain (who doesn't like that smell?)
Lavender
Green chile
People's skin
Pillows (they smell strongly of the people who use them)
Babies
A house that has just been cleaned
Sonlight camp (it soooo has its own smell)
Favorite Sounds:
Sprinklers in the summmer
Windchimes
Rain
Thunder
The sound coffee makers make when they're brewing coffee (not the noisy espresso machines, just the regular ones)
Little noises babies make
People breathing steadily
Crickets at night
Wind, whether a gentle breeze or howling and making ghost sounds (as long as I'm inside when it's super windy)
Rustling sounds trees make because of the wind
Sounds at the swimming pool-I often fall asleep to those noises
Cats purring
Piano, violin, and acoustic guitar
Favorite smells:
Rain (who doesn't like that smell?)
Lavender
Green chile
People's skin
Pillows (they smell strongly of the people who use them)
Babies
A house that has just been cleaned
Sonlight camp (it soooo has its own smell)
Yes, I'm here
It's been exactly one month since I wrote my last blog post. Not that I haven't done anything since then, but I suppose I've been busy and whenever I am at home in White Rock, I spend less time on the computer for whatever reason. Probably because my parents have a big flat-screen TV with satellite...hehe ;)
I started work a couple weeks ago, by covering for people at the YMCA after-school program the last week of school for Los Alamos, and started summer camp a week and a half ago. It's been super tiring, but still fun. I work 8-5 every day with the group of kids going into 2nd grade. A lot of them I know from last summer (because I was with 1st grade), and there are also a few newbies. Several of them have the exact same personality as last summer, and depending on the kid, that's either a good thing or a bad thing. Nonetheless, I'm still enjoying it. We went to the zoo in Albuquerque on Tuesday, and with the heat, the long bus ride back (I had a headache and the kids were being noisy), and how active we were all day, I was exhausted. As in, I got home, laid down on the couch to watch TV, and was out cold within a minute. Good times. I like being busy and working though; being at home with not much to do was nice for a while, but I was definitely ready to do something else besides lay on the couch like a slug. Nah, I wasn't doing that the whole time, but it was also getting kinda boring with everyone at work.
Now for news in the wedding world!
Jake and I are getting our engagement photos taken next Saturday, June 19 in Santa Fe, which will be fun! We found a photography studio online that is based in Santa Fe, and they are pretty fairly priced compared to most other professional studios. We'll probably use them for the wedding too. That same day, my friends Alayna and Danielle are throwing us an engagement party at a restaurant in Santa Fe called Dinner For Two. It's so sweet of them to do this, and it is going to be a lot of fun! I have some great friends:) So there will probably be several people there, mostly friends and my sister, and maybe my brother. We haven't booked a reception site yet because we're still looking, and the date we set (May 21, 2011) is "unofficial" because it depends on Jake's career path. He's looking for something steady which will provide enough for us to live off of when we're married, so prayers and good thoughts would be much appreciated :). If May 21 it is, it will be about two weeks after I finish up my first year of grad school. And hopefully I won't be stricken with seasonal allergies as horribly as I have been the past few weeks... "Erika do you to Jacob to be your husband?" "I...I......ACHOOO!" Yeah that wouldn't be so cool.
Days til the Yellowstone trip: 24
Wait...did I even write about this trip? My parents are taking me on a graduation trip this summer, and I chose Yellowstone because I've never been there but have wanted to go for many years. So we will leave with the camper June 6, stay a night in Cheyenne, then to Gardiner, Montana for five nights, which is very close to Yellowstone National Park. After Montana and Yellowstone we'll go to Jackson, Wyoming for three nights and visit the Grand Tetons over this course. Finally we'll head to Estes Park, Colorado for three nights. I'm super excited. I love camping (whether it's "fake" camping with our trailer or "real" camping with tents), and can't wait to see the beautiful work of God that is Yellowstone, the Grand Tetons, the Rockies, and everything in between! Jake is probably coming too, and maybe my brother.
Okay...I think I've caught ya'll up with the goings-on of my life, at least the main ones. Hope everyone is having a wonderful summer!
I started work a couple weeks ago, by covering for people at the YMCA after-school program the last week of school for Los Alamos, and started summer camp a week and a half ago. It's been super tiring, but still fun. I work 8-5 every day with the group of kids going into 2nd grade. A lot of them I know from last summer (because I was with 1st grade), and there are also a few newbies. Several of them have the exact same personality as last summer, and depending on the kid, that's either a good thing or a bad thing. Nonetheless, I'm still enjoying it. We went to the zoo in Albuquerque on Tuesday, and with the heat, the long bus ride back (I had a headache and the kids were being noisy), and how active we were all day, I was exhausted. As in, I got home, laid down on the couch to watch TV, and was out cold within a minute. Good times. I like being busy and working though; being at home with not much to do was nice for a while, but I was definitely ready to do something else besides lay on the couch like a slug. Nah, I wasn't doing that the whole time, but it was also getting kinda boring with everyone at work.
Now for news in the wedding world!
Jake and I are getting our engagement photos taken next Saturday, June 19 in Santa Fe, which will be fun! We found a photography studio online that is based in Santa Fe, and they are pretty fairly priced compared to most other professional studios. We'll probably use them for the wedding too. That same day, my friends Alayna and Danielle are throwing us an engagement party at a restaurant in Santa Fe called Dinner For Two. It's so sweet of them to do this, and it is going to be a lot of fun! I have some great friends:) So there will probably be several people there, mostly friends and my sister, and maybe my brother. We haven't booked a reception site yet because we're still looking, and the date we set (May 21, 2011) is "unofficial" because it depends on Jake's career path. He's looking for something steady which will provide enough for us to live off of when we're married, so prayers and good thoughts would be much appreciated :). If May 21 it is, it will be about two weeks after I finish up my first year of grad school. And hopefully I won't be stricken with seasonal allergies as horribly as I have been the past few weeks... "Erika do you to Jacob to be your husband?" "I...I......ACHOOO!" Yeah that wouldn't be so cool.
Days til the Yellowstone trip: 24
Wait...did I even write about this trip? My parents are taking me on a graduation trip this summer, and I chose Yellowstone because I've never been there but have wanted to go for many years. So we will leave with the camper June 6, stay a night in Cheyenne, then to Gardiner, Montana for five nights, which is very close to Yellowstone National Park. After Montana and Yellowstone we'll go to Jackson, Wyoming for three nights and visit the Grand Tetons over this course. Finally we'll head to Estes Park, Colorado for three nights. I'm super excited. I love camping (whether it's "fake" camping with our trailer or "real" camping with tents), and can't wait to see the beautiful work of God that is Yellowstone, the Grand Tetons, the Rockies, and everything in between! Jake is probably coming too, and maybe my brother.
Okay...I think I've caught ya'll up with the goings-on of my life, at least the main ones. Hope everyone is having a wonderful summer!
Wednesday, May 12, 2010
Undergraduate Studies. Complete.
Finals week breezed by and I was done by last Wednesday. My parents came into town that day and we spent the next couple days packing and running errands. When my sister got into town on Friday, she, my mom and I went to the bridal store in Las Cruces and I tried on I think five dresses. I had tried two others on a few weeks before and really liked one of them, so I tried it on again this time. However, I didn't like it as much as I did the first time. Anyway, there was one dress that the three of us absolutely loved, and although I still plan on looking in some other stores, if I had to make a choice now that would definitely be it. I am not going to describe it in detail on here, in case Jake read this, but it's way different than what I thought I wanted in a wedding dress. I think that happens a lot though (and the consultant said I was right), that many brides-to-be look online or whatever and develop ideas about what they want and believe that they know exactly what type of wedding dress they will look amazing it; then they go and try some on, and what they thought they'd love don't look quite right, and something very different as perfect. That's what happened to me. My sister told me, though, that she had pictured me in something like this dress that we all loved. So I guess someone had the right idea. Anyway I look forward to trying on more dresses, just in case, but I will be far from bummed if I "have to" go with this one.
Anyway, graduation was Saturday and it was such a perfectly great day. Coincidentally (or perhaps not), Jake ended up right behind me after we marched into the Pan American Center and into our seats. So we were able to talk and goof off during the speeches that dragged on and the bajillions of names of the graduation candidates (I mean, of course I paid attention the whole time...) I also had my phone so I was able to text with my family and friends during the time, telling them to "Just look for tall Jake then look right in front of him for me" and complaining about the length of the ceremony. Don't get me wrong, I did appreciate the time there and soaked in the moments. But I was also glad to leave and arrive at the party and food. We had a nice joint party (Jake and I) and some family and friends came and we all had a very nice time.
The next couple days involved basically just more packing and transporting things to my storage unit. It was sad to leave my apartment on Monday, but it's so good to be home, and I am most likely going to be moving back into the same apartment complex in the fall anyway.
Since yesterday, I have been unpacking, organizing, and sorting all my stuff that I brought back with me and that was already here. We are having a garage sale probably next weekend and I already have three big boxes of stuff to get rid of. My family acquires so much junk that we have a garage sale about every two years. At least we're not one of those families who keeps everything then has to have professional intervention. At least we get rid of it every two years :)
Now I am off to start laundry and go through the junk in our shed...fun day ahead.
Anyway, graduation was Saturday and it was such a perfectly great day. Coincidentally (or perhaps not), Jake ended up right behind me after we marched into the Pan American Center and into our seats. So we were able to talk and goof off during the speeches that dragged on and the bajillions of names of the graduation candidates (I mean, of course I paid attention the whole time...) I also had my phone so I was able to text with my family and friends during the time, telling them to "Just look for tall Jake then look right in front of him for me" and complaining about the length of the ceremony. Don't get me wrong, I did appreciate the time there and soaked in the moments. But I was also glad to leave and arrive at the party and food. We had a nice joint party (Jake and I) and some family and friends came and we all had a very nice time.
The next couple days involved basically just more packing and transporting things to my storage unit. It was sad to leave my apartment on Monday, but it's so good to be home, and I am most likely going to be moving back into the same apartment complex in the fall anyway.
Since yesterday, I have been unpacking, organizing, and sorting all my stuff that I brought back with me and that was already here. We are having a garage sale probably next weekend and I already have three big boxes of stuff to get rid of. My family acquires so much junk that we have a garage sale about every two years. At least we're not one of those families who keeps everything then has to have professional intervention. At least we get rid of it every two years :)
Now I am off to start laundry and go through the junk in our shed...fun day ahead.
Thursday, April 29, 2010
It's Wiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiinnnndddsday!!!
Yeah, I used a line from Winnie the Pooh. What are you going to do? But yes. You know it's a windy day when you literally can't see the Organ Mountains, they close Interstates, you don't dare to let go of your skirt when you go outside, and you have your fiance walk you to your car not to be a gentleman, but to help you carry things and open the car door so you don't have to let go of your skirt. I knew it was going to be windy today, but wore a skirt because I had a big presentation for class. Little did I know it would be freaking 60 to 80 mph winds!! Good grief. Definitely staying locked up inside my apartment for the rest of the day.
It's been an insane three weeks since Jake's and my engagement. Last week I was offered the graduate assistantship starting this fall. I knew I couldn't turn that offer down, because I get paid, and it would be difficult to try to get it for the spring or even next fall. I should've been happy about it from the beginning, but we were sort of planning on a fall wedding for this year, as that has been my dream, and with school it would be very difficult. Anyway, after being a baby about it for a few days, I accepted the offer. Trying to make the wedding for this fall was probably a long shot anyway, when you consider money, planning, and convenience for everyone. I've come to peace, though, and we are thinking of having it either during spring break next March, or early summer. I'm nervous for the assistantship. I'm definitely not a natural public speaker, and while the classes I'll be teaching will probably not be very big, I'm already anxious. I'm sure I'll catch on and get used to it pretty quickly though. So because I am going to be back in school in the fall, I decided to try to just work at the YMCA again since it's a temporary job. My boss hired me on right away. So now I have a job for the summer and for when I'm in school :)
*Side note- Here's a picture of my ring! I'm not sure why it puts it at this angle, because that's not how the original is. If anyone knows how to rotate it on blogger let me know!
I've also been finishing up classes. My big project/presentation that my class partner and I have been working on since early March was finished and presented today, and not gonna lie, all those hours in the library paid off and our presentation went very well. That was the only major assignment I had for finals. No final tests for me this semester :) I have two small papers to write, a small/informal presentation on a piece of music (you read it right), and my sketchbook assignments to do. Man it's good to be a senior.
It's weird to think that I'll be graduating next week. I think it might be weirder though, if I wasn't going to come back. However, while these four years have gone by fast, I look back on some things and it seems like they were soooo long ago. For example, for whatever reason today I was thinking about my English 211 class that I took second semester, freshman year, and it seemed like I had it a REALLY long time ago, much longer than the three years it's been. And I wonder if some things feel like they happened so long ago because you've changed so much since then. I remember that during that class I was not only three years younger, but I thought about things differently and my mind was capable of less. My personality is the same in some ways, and different in others. I perceived things dissimilarly than I do now, and I am definitely more open-minded now, as a result of growing and learning, in the classroom and outside of it. I've enjoyed the growth I've experienced and hope that it will never stop.
I am expecting a tree branch to crash through my window at anytime. What a blustery day! Until next time!
It's been an insane three weeks since Jake's and my engagement. Last week I was offered the graduate assistantship starting this fall. I knew I couldn't turn that offer down, because I get paid, and it would be difficult to try to get it for the spring or even next fall. I should've been happy about it from the beginning, but we were sort of planning on a fall wedding for this year, as that has been my dream, and with school it would be very difficult. Anyway, after being a baby about it for a few days, I accepted the offer. Trying to make the wedding for this fall was probably a long shot anyway, when you consider money, planning, and convenience for everyone. I've come to peace, though, and we are thinking of having it either during spring break next March, or early summer. I'm nervous for the assistantship. I'm definitely not a natural public speaker, and while the classes I'll be teaching will probably not be very big, I'm already anxious. I'm sure I'll catch on and get used to it pretty quickly though. So because I am going to be back in school in the fall, I decided to try to just work at the YMCA again since it's a temporary job. My boss hired me on right away. So now I have a job for the summer and for when I'm in school :)
*Side note- Here's a picture of my ring! I'm not sure why it puts it at this angle, because that's not how the original is. If anyone knows how to rotate it on blogger let me know!
I've also been finishing up classes. My big project/presentation that my class partner and I have been working on since early March was finished and presented today, and not gonna lie, all those hours in the library paid off and our presentation went very well. That was the only major assignment I had for finals. No final tests for me this semester :) I have two small papers to write, a small/informal presentation on a piece of music (you read it right), and my sketchbook assignments to do. Man it's good to be a senior.
It's weird to think that I'll be graduating next week. I think it might be weirder though, if I wasn't going to come back. However, while these four years have gone by fast, I look back on some things and it seems like they were soooo long ago. For example, for whatever reason today I was thinking about my English 211 class that I took second semester, freshman year, and it seemed like I had it a REALLY long time ago, much longer than the three years it's been. And I wonder if some things feel like they happened so long ago because you've changed so much since then. I remember that during that class I was not only three years younger, but I thought about things differently and my mind was capable of less. My personality is the same in some ways, and different in others. I perceived things dissimilarly than I do now, and I am definitely more open-minded now, as a result of growing and learning, in the classroom and outside of it. I've enjoyed the growth I've experienced and hope that it will never stop.
I am expecting a tree branch to crash through my window at anytime. What a blustery day! Until next time!
Monday, April 5, 2010
4/4/10
This is the date of Easter this year. Also the date that I got engaged.
That's correct, you read it right....Engaged!!!
I am so happy right now, even though it hasn't completely set in yet. It's getting there though! For those of you who have the time or enjoy sappy stories, here is the full story!
So it definitely hadn't been the best week of my life. A professor in the Communication Studies department (with whom I've had three classes, been advised by, and corresponded with about grad school) passed away unexpectedly (see previous post). I had been feeling very down/depressed about it. I felt so heavy and cried frequently. On Thursday evening I went to an informal vigil held for her on campus, and this gave me some closure and helped me to feel a little better. Secondly, I was somewhat down about not being home for Easter weekend and being able to spend it with my family. So Jake, Jeff, Mike and I planned on eating an early Easter dinner at my apartment then going to White Sands to play and watch the sunset. I had invited one of my best friends, Danielle, but she was in Los Alamos for the weekend and "was staying for Easter dinner with her family" (I'll explain the quotes later), and my other girl friend was in Los Alamos as well. So Sunday comes around, Jake and I go to church in the morning, and after that I made scalloped potatoes for dinner. Mid-afternoon Jeff and Mike showed up with ham, strata, and pie, and the four of us had a yummy dinner, then headed to White Sands. We played catch with a baseball, frisbee, and football for a while and just goofed off.
Around 7:15 or so the sun was beginning to set, and the boys told me we should move to a different dune. Being stubborn and wondering what the point of moving to a different dune was when they are all the same, they told me "That one is better. It has fewer footprints" and Jake tried explaining why we should sit on a dune without so many footprints because the grounds would be harder and less sand would get into our pants (???). Whatever. So we moved to a "better" dune and Jeff and Mike went back to the car to "get some things". Jake and I sat down on the dune and looked at the sunset for just a little bit, then he grabbed me and made me turn around and face him. After some protests and saying I couldn't see the sunset that way, he started a conversation with me. By this time I had noticed he was acting pretty sketchy and thought something was up, but I had had my suspicions before and nothing happened, so I figured it was the same. He was acting pretty paranoid though, like when I would turn my head to just glance around the pretty scenery, he'd be like "What are you looking at? Don't worry I'm looking out for Jeff and Mike."
After a little small talk, he said "Stand up. You have way too much sand on you, let me brush it off" and I was thinking "Um...this is White Sands! There's sand everywhere and it's not going to stay off of us!" But I stood up and by this time I was thinking "Um something's going on" but still trying not to believe it. Then after Jake did some meager sand-brushing off my legs from where he was seated on the ground, he looked at me and said, "You know how you have said that you don't know what you parents would say if we got engaged?" (We've talked about it) Then he got into a kneeling position and said "Well I already know" (By this time I am like OH MY GOSH!!!) "Because I already talked to them about it." Then he started reaching into his pocket and I started shaking like crazy and saying "No no don't don't!" or something like that for whatever reason (not that I didn't want him to...it was just a freaking-out reaction I guess lol!)and he simply asked, "Will you marry me?" I leaned over and hugged him around the neck and buried my face in his shoulder and let out a muffled "Yes" as he slipped the ring on my finger (he started putting it on my middle one haha!). I got teary eyed, but mostly I was shaking and I was kinda crying without the tears. We looked at each other happily, hugged some more, then he said "Look back there" and I looked behind me and Jeff and Mike and a third person (I didn't even notice a third person at the time because I was in shock)were walking toward us on the dune that we had been on before.
I turned back to Jake and he yelled "She said yes!" then I heard a high-pitched girly scream, and immediately realized, "Danielle!!!" So she ran over to me and hugged me. Jeff and Mike had, in reality, gone to the car to meet Danielle by the road, then the three of them were sneaking up on us, mission-impossible style, dodging behind dunes, and spying and taking some pics. Jake had known that I would have wanted a girl friend there, for female relief/support. Someone I could jump around and scream with. So two pleasant surprises :) Danielle had brought a blanket, some wine, and plastic wine glasses, so we spread out the blanket, cracked open the wine, and celebrated! Once we got back to the cars I made the first phone call to my house. My mom answered, and you could definitely hear in her voice that she knew why I was calling (Jake had let them know when to expect the call). I told them the story, and they told me about when he asked them, and my brother was at home too so I told him. My next phone call was to my sister, and after some nervous laughing I finally told her "Jake asked me to marry him!" She didn't believe me at first, and kept saying "Not uh. Are you joking?" And when she finally believed me, she started crying and made me almost cry too! Then the next was to Alayna, another best girl friend, and called her on speaker phone with Danielle. After another scream fest, many more calls to family and some friends pursued.
And that concludes the story of one of the greatest days of my life! White Sands at sunset. So perfect :)
Everyone has been very supportive of us and very happy :) I thank you all for that!
We don't have a date yet, but it depends on several things.
If you care to see some pics, check out facebook :)
That's correct, you read it right....Engaged!!!
I am so happy right now, even though it hasn't completely set in yet. It's getting there though! For those of you who have the time or enjoy sappy stories, here is the full story!
So it definitely hadn't been the best week of my life. A professor in the Communication Studies department (with whom I've had three classes, been advised by, and corresponded with about grad school) passed away unexpectedly (see previous post). I had been feeling very down/depressed about it. I felt so heavy and cried frequently. On Thursday evening I went to an informal vigil held for her on campus, and this gave me some closure and helped me to feel a little better. Secondly, I was somewhat down about not being home for Easter weekend and being able to spend it with my family. So Jake, Jeff, Mike and I planned on eating an early Easter dinner at my apartment then going to White Sands to play and watch the sunset. I had invited one of my best friends, Danielle, but she was in Los Alamos for the weekend and "was staying for Easter dinner with her family" (I'll explain the quotes later), and my other girl friend was in Los Alamos as well. So Sunday comes around, Jake and I go to church in the morning, and after that I made scalloped potatoes for dinner. Mid-afternoon Jeff and Mike showed up with ham, strata, and pie, and the four of us had a yummy dinner, then headed to White Sands. We played catch with a baseball, frisbee, and football for a while and just goofed off.
Around 7:15 or so the sun was beginning to set, and the boys told me we should move to a different dune. Being stubborn and wondering what the point of moving to a different dune was when they are all the same, they told me "That one is better. It has fewer footprints" and Jake tried explaining why we should sit on a dune without so many footprints because the grounds would be harder and less sand would get into our pants (???). Whatever. So we moved to a "better" dune and Jeff and Mike went back to the car to "get some things". Jake and I sat down on the dune and looked at the sunset for just a little bit, then he grabbed me and made me turn around and face him. After some protests and saying I couldn't see the sunset that way, he started a conversation with me. By this time I had noticed he was acting pretty sketchy and thought something was up, but I had had my suspicions before and nothing happened, so I figured it was the same. He was acting pretty paranoid though, like when I would turn my head to just glance around the pretty scenery, he'd be like "What are you looking at? Don't worry I'm looking out for Jeff and Mike."
After a little small talk, he said "Stand up. You have way too much sand on you, let me brush it off" and I was thinking "Um...this is White Sands! There's sand everywhere and it's not going to stay off of us!" But I stood up and by this time I was thinking "Um something's going on" but still trying not to believe it. Then after Jake did some meager sand-brushing off my legs from where he was seated on the ground, he looked at me and said, "You know how you have said that you don't know what you parents would say if we got engaged?" (We've talked about it) Then he got into a kneeling position and said "Well I already know" (By this time I am like OH MY GOSH!!!) "Because I already talked to them about it." Then he started reaching into his pocket and I started shaking like crazy and saying "No no don't don't!" or something like that for whatever reason (not that I didn't want him to...it was just a freaking-out reaction I guess lol!)and he simply asked, "Will you marry me?" I leaned over and hugged him around the neck and buried my face in his shoulder and let out a muffled "Yes" as he slipped the ring on my finger (he started putting it on my middle one haha!). I got teary eyed, but mostly I was shaking and I was kinda crying without the tears. We looked at each other happily, hugged some more, then he said "Look back there" and I looked behind me and Jeff and Mike and a third person (I didn't even notice a third person at the time because I was in shock)were walking toward us on the dune that we had been on before.
I turned back to Jake and he yelled "She said yes!" then I heard a high-pitched girly scream, and immediately realized, "Danielle!!!" So she ran over to me and hugged me. Jeff and Mike had, in reality, gone to the car to meet Danielle by the road, then the three of them were sneaking up on us, mission-impossible style, dodging behind dunes, and spying and taking some pics. Jake had known that I would have wanted a girl friend there, for female relief/support. Someone I could jump around and scream with. So two pleasant surprises :) Danielle had brought a blanket, some wine, and plastic wine glasses, so we spread out the blanket, cracked open the wine, and celebrated! Once we got back to the cars I made the first phone call to my house. My mom answered, and you could definitely hear in her voice that she knew why I was calling (Jake had let them know when to expect the call). I told them the story, and they told me about when he asked them, and my brother was at home too so I told him. My next phone call was to my sister, and after some nervous laughing I finally told her "Jake asked me to marry him!" She didn't believe me at first, and kept saying "Not uh. Are you joking?" And when she finally believed me, she started crying and made me almost cry too! Then the next was to Alayna, another best girl friend, and called her on speaker phone with Danielle. After another scream fest, many more calls to family and some friends pursued.
And that concludes the story of one of the greatest days of my life! White Sands at sunset. So perfect :)
Everyone has been very supportive of us and very happy :) I thank you all for that!
We don't have a date yet, but it depends on several things.
If you care to see some pics, check out facebook :)
Thursday, April 1, 2010
Dr. Rebecca Verser
Yesterday I found out some very tragic news. One of the professors of the Communication Studies department passed away yesterday morning after a short illness. I was in shock when I read this, and still somewhat am. Dr. Rebecca Verser leaves behind a husband Gil and a 5-year old daughter, Claudia. I have taken three classes taught by her (Nonverbal communication, Research Methods, and Family Communication) and learned so much from her. She advised me in November 2009 for my last semester as an undergrad student. Less than two months ago, she emailed me back answers to the many questions I had about graduate school, as she was the head of the graduate program for Comm., and she was in the hospital when she did so.
It's strange when you learn that someone you know has passed away, because all of these memories, some seemingly insignificant or small, come flooding back. After I learned of her passing, I cried a short time for her family, and began recounting to myself random things I remember about her. The first day of the first class I had with her two years ago, I remember she began by stating rules and purposes of the class. The last rule she stated was "You MUST have a sense of humor." That's how she was. Never taking class too seriously but providing an environment that the students can thrive and learn in. The second class I was nervous for because it was Research Methods; I had heard scary things about it (but a different professor had taught it previously). I did so well in that class and credit Dr. Verser for teaching it well and helping me and the rest of the class to understand difficult concepts. There was plenty of humor in that class as well. Because my regular adviser was out of the country last semester, Dr. Verser advised me instead, congratulating me and telling me how exciting it was that I would be graduating in May. She was her usual cheerful mood, and she wrote down the classes I needed/wanted to take on an index card and gave it to me. Just a few days ago, before leaving home to come back to Las Cruces, I was vacuuming my car and found that index card, with her writing, and threw it away because I didn't need it anymore. I'm not saying I should have kept it or I necessarily regret throwing it away, it's just disconcerting to think about. Near the beginning of this semester, one of my classes signed a card for her because she had been in the hospital in El Paso. A few weeks later, I thought she was out and that's when I emailed her the questions about grad school. I am pretty sure I saw her not long after in one of the other professor's office talking with him, when I walked by. But I can't remember if that was her.
I am not trying to draw parallels or make these memories and events ironic, but this is what happened when I found out. As stated by the COMM. department, "Dr. Verser was an untiring advocate for our students." She taught me so much and even though I haven't had a class with her for a while, I still feel deeply sad that someone who contributed greatly to my and others' college careers is no longer with us or her family.
RIP Dr. Verser.
It's strange when you learn that someone you know has passed away, because all of these memories, some seemingly insignificant or small, come flooding back. After I learned of her passing, I cried a short time for her family, and began recounting to myself random things I remember about her. The first day of the first class I had with her two years ago, I remember she began by stating rules and purposes of the class. The last rule she stated was "You MUST have a sense of humor." That's how she was. Never taking class too seriously but providing an environment that the students can thrive and learn in. The second class I was nervous for because it was Research Methods; I had heard scary things about it (but a different professor had taught it previously). I did so well in that class and credit Dr. Verser for teaching it well and helping me and the rest of the class to understand difficult concepts. There was plenty of humor in that class as well. Because my regular adviser was out of the country last semester, Dr. Verser advised me instead, congratulating me and telling me how exciting it was that I would be graduating in May. She was her usual cheerful mood, and she wrote down the classes I needed/wanted to take on an index card and gave it to me. Just a few days ago, before leaving home to come back to Las Cruces, I was vacuuming my car and found that index card, with her writing, and threw it away because I didn't need it anymore. I'm not saying I should have kept it or I necessarily regret throwing it away, it's just disconcerting to think about. Near the beginning of this semester, one of my classes signed a card for her because she had been in the hospital in El Paso. A few weeks later, I thought she was out and that's when I emailed her the questions about grad school. I am pretty sure I saw her not long after in one of the other professor's office talking with him, when I walked by. But I can't remember if that was her.
I am not trying to draw parallels or make these memories and events ironic, but this is what happened when I found out. As stated by the COMM. department, "Dr. Verser was an untiring advocate for our students." She taught me so much and even though I haven't had a class with her for a while, I still feel deeply sad that someone who contributed greatly to my and others' college careers is no longer with us or her family.
RIP Dr. Verser.
Sunday, March 28, 2010
Spring Break
My last post was posted on March 8. I've kind of been slacking on the blogging, but I think it's because in all honesty, my life isn't too interesting right now. It's good, just not very interesting. I feel like I'm becoming repetitive in my blog posts because they've basically been about my near future and complaints about how I still don't know what I'm doing after I graduate. So I guess I am sort of boring myself (and probably anyone who reads my blog) because I haven't had anything new and exciting, or at least interesting to talk about.
This past week I've been at home in Los Alamos for spring break, where I worked a little bit at the YMCA After-School program and babysat a couple times for our family friends. I spent a lot of time with my parents, a couple evenings with my sister and last and this weekend with my brother, which was all really great. I'm really close to my family which is the main reason for the apprehension I have of breaking out of my comfort zone (aka New Mexico) and experiencing somewhere new, as in, to try living somewhere farther and very different from here. It's different from just traveling, because when you travel you pretty much know when you'll see people next and it isn't very much time. But yes, it was nice to be home and relax and make a little bit of money which will help for the rest of the semester.
I ordered my cap and gown and announcements the week before break, and it finally set in that graduation is coming up quickly. Didn't I just start???
My parents are taking me on a graduation trip this summer, and I have always wanted to go to Yellowstone so that's where we are going! As of now we're going in July and the trip will be just under two weeks in which we will spend time in Yellowstone, the Grand Tetons, and Estes Park. However, we might change it to August because my brother really wants to go, and I really want him to go (we have a lot of fun together), and since he might be taking college classes during the summer, the only time he'll be able to go is in August. Jake is probably going too! I am really looking forward to it. I love camping, and I love the beauty of nature and wildlife and I'm just so freaking excited! Even though it's ~4 months away.
I didn't even glance at any homework during spring break, so I need to get on that...Out for now. Hopefully next post I'll have something exciting to blog about.
This past week I've been at home in Los Alamos for spring break, where I worked a little bit at the YMCA After-School program and babysat a couple times for our family friends. I spent a lot of time with my parents, a couple evenings with my sister and last and this weekend with my brother, which was all really great. I'm really close to my family which is the main reason for the apprehension I have of breaking out of my comfort zone (aka New Mexico) and experiencing somewhere new, as in, to try living somewhere farther and very different from here. It's different from just traveling, because when you travel you pretty much know when you'll see people next and it isn't very much time. But yes, it was nice to be home and relax and make a little bit of money which will help for the rest of the semester.
I ordered my cap and gown and announcements the week before break, and it finally set in that graduation is coming up quickly. Didn't I just start???
My parents are taking me on a graduation trip this summer, and I have always wanted to go to Yellowstone so that's where we are going! As of now we're going in July and the trip will be just under two weeks in which we will spend time in Yellowstone, the Grand Tetons, and Estes Park. However, we might change it to August because my brother really wants to go, and I really want him to go (we have a lot of fun together), and since he might be taking college classes during the summer, the only time he'll be able to go is in August. Jake is probably going too! I am really looking forward to it. I love camping, and I love the beauty of nature and wildlife and I'm just so freaking excited! Even though it's ~4 months away.
I didn't even glance at any homework during spring break, so I need to get on that...Out for now. Hopefully next post I'll have something exciting to blog about.
Monday, March 8, 2010
My eyes are starting to focus...
Yes, a metaphor for my post title today :) What it means is that this "take it one step at a time" process is (at least it seems) starting to prove that it actually works. A mere 4 days after I turned in my documents for my grad school application at NMSU, I received an email with a letter attached congratulating me on my acceptance to to the program!! :D So now I know I have the ability to put into affect at least one of my 76 ideas.
Last week, Jake pointed out to me in the student paper an advertisement about census 2010 jobs. He told me I should call the number and see about it because I've been trying to get a part-time job while I go to school since like my second semester in college. So that day (or maybe the next) I called the Las Cruces census office and signed myself up to take a skills test in order to see if I qualify, and for what positions. I took the practice test online and it seemed pretty simple; just assessed one's abilities regarding math, judgment, reading, and clerical skills. The test on Friday was just as easy, and I got one of the top grades in the group that took it at the same time as I did (not to brag...) and I filled out an application. I should be hearing about it late this week or early next week. I was hesitant to talk about it on here for fear of jinxing it, but please cross your fingers/pray that I get this! I've been trying so hard to get a part-time job, and I'm not sure if it's because I have bad luck or just haven't qualified as much as other people that I haven't been able to get one. The nice thing about the census job is that it is temporary, flexible hours for students, pays well, and would look good on a resume!
The last thing to make my weekend so awesome was something that happened last night. Last week I had needed a manila envelope for something, and the only one I could find that I had was one that I had taken on my trip to Costa Rica 7 months ago, to hold important documents, like my immunizations records, passport, and temporary study abroad insurance info. So I emptied out all the papers from the manila envelope so I could use it and just tossed them all onto my bookshelf. Last night, I remembered the papers and realized I should go through them, as I hadn't even opened that envelope since the trip home to the US. So as I sorted through them, throwing some out and filing some others, until I came across a regular envelope that had been in the larger one. I opened it up slightly and saw...money! I was happy, even though I figured it would only be like a $10 bill that I had forgotten about...but, lo and behold, I opened it up all the way and found 3 $20 bills! There had been $60 hiding in my closet since my return 7 months ago! I wonder, had I not needed the manila envelope last week, how long the money would have been left forgotten?
SO much better than finding a $5 bill in a pocket of jeans you haven't worn in a month!
:)
Last week, Jake pointed out to me in the student paper an advertisement about census 2010 jobs. He told me I should call the number and see about it because I've been trying to get a part-time job while I go to school since like my second semester in college. So that day (or maybe the next) I called the Las Cruces census office and signed myself up to take a skills test in order to see if I qualify, and for what positions. I took the practice test online and it seemed pretty simple; just assessed one's abilities regarding math, judgment, reading, and clerical skills. The test on Friday was just as easy, and I got one of the top grades in the group that took it at the same time as I did (not to brag...) and I filled out an application. I should be hearing about it late this week or early next week. I was hesitant to talk about it on here for fear of jinxing it, but please cross your fingers/pray that I get this! I've been trying so hard to get a part-time job, and I'm not sure if it's because I have bad luck or just haven't qualified as much as other people that I haven't been able to get one. The nice thing about the census job is that it is temporary, flexible hours for students, pays well, and would look good on a resume!
The last thing to make my weekend so awesome was something that happened last night. Last week I had needed a manila envelope for something, and the only one I could find that I had was one that I had taken on my trip to Costa Rica 7 months ago, to hold important documents, like my immunizations records, passport, and temporary study abroad insurance info. So I emptied out all the papers from the manila envelope so I could use it and just tossed them all onto my bookshelf. Last night, I remembered the papers and realized I should go through them, as I hadn't even opened that envelope since the trip home to the US. So as I sorted through them, throwing some out and filing some others, until I came across a regular envelope that had been in the larger one. I opened it up slightly and saw...money! I was happy, even though I figured it would only be like a $10 bill that I had forgotten about...but, lo and behold, I opened it up all the way and found 3 $20 bills! There had been $60 hiding in my closet since my return 7 months ago! I wonder, had I not needed the manila envelope last week, how long the money would have been left forgotten?
SO much better than finding a $5 bill in a pocket of jeans you haven't worn in a month!
:)
Tuesday, March 2, 2010
I've gone and done it.
Totally jinxed my phone. Last week I went into Verizon to look at phones because I was due for an upgrade like several months ago. I found one I liked, the LG Chocolate Touch, but realized later that it's one of the phones you have to get a stupid data package for. It comes with the least-pricey data package, but still! They're charging for something I wouldn't even have wanted to use in the first place. So I decided not to get a new phone yet because mine was "still working perfectly fine!" I should never have said that, because my phone decided to crap out on me yesterday. When I tried calling people, I couldn't hear it ringing on my end and I couldn't hear the person if they answered. And same deal when others tried calling me. Because it was still like that today, I made a trip to Verizon again and bought the dang phone that I wanted and decided to suck up having to pay extra money each month, because inevitably most phones (at least the ones people want) will have the data package soon enough...I'm sure. I've only had the phone for an hour and a half but I like it so far. I just need to get used to the touch screen...when I try scrolling through the screen on the photos page, I keep opening photos instead of scrolling. But I'm sure I'll get used to it. My old phone had served me well for over two years. Never a problem until yesterday.
In other news, I finally turned in the rest of my supplementary documents for my graduate school/assistantship application for NMSU, so that's out of the way, yay!
Friday night Jake and I made a really good salad for dinner. It had pasta, sweet potatoes, asparagus, tomatoes, spinach, feta cheese, pinon nuts, and a balsamic vinegar/olive oil dressing. It was soooo good! But I made way too much pasta for that so tonight I'm going to use some of the extra pasta and make homemade baked macaroni and cheese. Mmm sounds good.
Off to start that!
PS. Most beautiful thing about New Mexico: Sunsets! No other state can beat them. Sure, a mountain sunset or one at a beach is also beautiful, but the ones here are just so infused with many colors that it's hard to compare. I am looking out my bedroom now at a sky of purple, pink, orange, and blue, accentuated with clouds of fascinating shapes.
In other news, I finally turned in the rest of my supplementary documents for my graduate school/assistantship application for NMSU, so that's out of the way, yay!
Friday night Jake and I made a really good salad for dinner. It had pasta, sweet potatoes, asparagus, tomatoes, spinach, feta cheese, pinon nuts, and a balsamic vinegar/olive oil dressing. It was soooo good! But I made way too much pasta for that so tonight I'm going to use some of the extra pasta and make homemade baked macaroni and cheese. Mmm sounds good.
Off to start that!
PS. Most beautiful thing about New Mexico: Sunsets! No other state can beat them. Sure, a mountain sunset or one at a beach is also beautiful, but the ones here are just so infused with many colors that it's hard to compare. I am looking out my bedroom now at a sky of purple, pink, orange, and blue, accentuated with clouds of fascinating shapes.
Monday, March 1, 2010
Here comes March.
Wow I haven't written on here in nearly two weeks. Hmmm guess my life is just not too exciting right now! I am sitting here munching on Thin Mints trying to think of something funny/interesting/weird/etc. to write about that has happened, but I'm having a difficult time doing so. Yes Thin Mints...I love the Girl Scout cookies time of year! No girl scout actually came to my door, but I bought a box in front of Lowe's. Wait, correction: My dad bought a box for me in front of Lowe's. My parents tend to spoil me a tad when they come to visit :) I'm a poor college student! Which is why, unfortunately, it looks like I won't be doing anything exciting for spring break again. Stupid money. Always a hindrance. So I am going to be spending the week in Los Alamos and working at the Y, making a little money to help me along the rest of the semester.
During the past week or so I've sort of pushed myself into job-searching a little more. I went into the career counseling center and took an interest-aptitude test or whatever it's called, in which the results of all my answers create a list of careers that would probably fit my interests the best (disregarding actual ability). I've also been researching jobs in New Mexico to the best of my abilities (I'm not sure if I missed something during my years in school, but I'm having a difficult time finding good sources to search for jobs). And because I'm not sure what I really want to do career-wise, it is even more difficult to just browse job openings. I really just need to find a decent-paying job, full-time and possibly temporary so that I can attend grad school sometime. If I didn't have student loans to start paying off then I would do something spectacular like volunteer or just travel abroad, or even just around the country. And I wouldn't mind working an hourly-wage job for a while either (I know I've said this before), but it would need to be sufficient enough to make those monthly loan payments and everything else. AND I don't know whether I'll be staying in Las Cruces. I really like my apartment and it would be nice to stay in it and not have to move everything out, but I should save money by moving back home, even if just for a few months (and I would like to live at home for a while at least once more before I really go off on my own...is that weird??), but if I decide to go to grad school in Las Cruces (granted I get accepted), then should I keep the apartment no matter what so I don't need to move and find a storage unit yet again? There is just way too much to think about and it's overwhelming! I still like considering my idea (even if it can't work) of just traveling for a while before grad school, but alas, money is a deterrent. I found this article on a career/education guide website that I got from career counseling last week. I'm not sure if you need the password to read it, but if not, it's a good read and something that I've always believed myself. It's about how traveling and/or holding a "fun" job or a job that isn't a "real" job can be very beneficial for a college graduate, before they attend grad school or get a "real" job. Of course there are some drawbacks, but overall it can really help a person find him/herself, straighten out priorities, become well-rounded, and find the answer to the question, "What do I want out of life?" Anyway I hope you are able to read it (if you want to).
https://access.bridges.com/portal/student/article/exploringCareers/whySomePeopleArePostponingGettingARealJob.do
During the past week or so I've sort of pushed myself into job-searching a little more. I went into the career counseling center and took an interest-aptitude test or whatever it's called, in which the results of all my answers create a list of careers that would probably fit my interests the best (disregarding actual ability). I've also been researching jobs in New Mexico to the best of my abilities (I'm not sure if I missed something during my years in school, but I'm having a difficult time finding good sources to search for jobs). And because I'm not sure what I really want to do career-wise, it is even more difficult to just browse job openings. I really just need to find a decent-paying job, full-time and possibly temporary so that I can attend grad school sometime. If I didn't have student loans to start paying off then I would do something spectacular like volunteer or just travel abroad, or even just around the country. And I wouldn't mind working an hourly-wage job for a while either (I know I've said this before), but it would need to be sufficient enough to make those monthly loan payments and everything else. AND I don't know whether I'll be staying in Las Cruces. I really like my apartment and it would be nice to stay in it and not have to move everything out, but I should save money by moving back home, even if just for a few months (and I would like to live at home for a while at least once more before I really go off on my own...is that weird??), but if I decide to go to grad school in Las Cruces (granted I get accepted), then should I keep the apartment no matter what so I don't need to move and find a storage unit yet again? There is just way too much to think about and it's overwhelming! I still like considering my idea (even if it can't work) of just traveling for a while before grad school, but alas, money is a deterrent. I found this article on a career/education guide website that I got from career counseling last week. I'm not sure if you need the password to read it, but if not, it's a good read and something that I've always believed myself. It's about how traveling and/or holding a "fun" job or a job that isn't a "real" job can be very beneficial for a college graduate, before they attend grad school or get a "real" job. Of course there are some drawbacks, but overall it can really help a person find him/herself, straighten out priorities, become well-rounded, and find the answer to the question, "What do I want out of life?" Anyway I hope you are able to read it (if you want to).
https://access.bridges.com/portal/student/article/exploringCareers/whySomePeopleArePostponingGettingARealJob.do
Tuesday, February 16, 2010
Fat Tuesday
My parents came to visit for the weekend and we all had a lot of fun. Friday my dad made a big yummy dinner (almost too big for my little apartment!) of pork loin, mashed potatoes, and corn. We watched some of the opening ceremony of the Winter Olympics, and I was truly fascinated by it. Saturday my parents mostly just hung out and did some shopping, and then Jake came over and we all went to have our day-early Valentine's dinner at St. Clair Winery & Bistro. I've known about it since I started school here but neither Jake nor I had tried it yet. It was a really nice place, with reasonable prices and delicious wine and food! Sunday we did a little more shopping and putzing around town. My mom and I went to see the movie Valentine's Day in the evening, which was so good! It was really funny, and I honestly don't think it was that much of a chick flick. Anyone could probably enjoy it. Valentine's Day is definitely not my favorite holiday. I'm not really anti-V-day but if the holiday was banned I wouldn't be too upset. I even have a boyfriend and I don't like it too much. However, I still wanted to give Jake something so I found some amazing-smelling men's body wash from Bath and Body Works, and added a card and Bottle Caps (his favorite candy). He gave me a card, a balloon, and a photo album. It's kind of between a regular photo album and a scrap book...hard to explain. It's really pretty and I guess I'll have to print some more pictures sometime :)
I can't believe it's already the middle of February. February is the best month for Las Cruces, in my opinion. It's not too hot and not too cold...just starting to hint at spring. October is pretty nice too, but the summers are pretty brutal and the winters can be really cold, but normally dry (although this year there were a few snowfalls...quite an excitement for this desert city!).I'm dreading March because that's when the nasty winds pick up, then April brings allergies and the temperatures rise.
Whoa, just saw the time and realized I have to leave for class soon, so I'm cutting out!
I can't believe it's already the middle of February. February is the best month for Las Cruces, in my opinion. It's not too hot and not too cold...just starting to hint at spring. October is pretty nice too, but the summers are pretty brutal and the winters can be really cold, but normally dry (although this year there were a few snowfalls...quite an excitement for this desert city!).I'm dreading March because that's when the nasty winds pick up, then April brings allergies and the temperatures rise.
Whoa, just saw the time and realized I have to leave for class soon, so I'm cutting out!
Monday, February 8, 2010
Baby steps
I have completed my online graduate school application for NMSU. I paid the $30 application fee. I am in the process of applying for graduate assistantship. I sent one recommendation form over email to a family friend. Another, intended for my supervisor at the YMCA, will hopefully be sent via fax tomorrow. The third will be given to my independent study professor within the next three days. I have decided which research paper to use as my sample of scholarly writing. I intend to begin my letter of intent within the next three days. I have filled out my application for financial assistance for the assistantship. Tomorrow I will have my transcript sent to the correct department.
But the question still remains......
What do I want to do after I graduate in May?
Baby steps. I'm not going to get anywhere or open doors of opportunity for myself if I sit around waiting for the answer to come to me. Hence the application for the graduate program at NMSU. It's the easiest academic option so far and figure if I just apply, no harm can be done. Just because I apply and, granted, get accepted, there's no need to commit just yet.
We'll see when we get there.
But the question still remains......
What do I want to do after I graduate in May?
Baby steps. I'm not going to get anywhere or open doors of opportunity for myself if I sit around waiting for the answer to come to me. Hence the application for the graduate program at NMSU. It's the easiest academic option so far and figure if I just apply, no harm can be done. Just because I apply and, granted, get accepted, there's no need to commit just yet.
We'll see when we get there.
Wednesday, February 3, 2010
I think I need a life
Or at least a new hobby. I have three sets of measuring spoons, and last week I noticed the tablespoon of one of the sets was missing, and just could not find it in any of the drawers or cabinets. This morning I started wondering again where it might be and suddenly remembered that last semester I had a bag of off-brand coffee that wasn't very good and over Christmas I acquired some much better coffee, so when I returned to my apartment after break I stuck the not-as-good coffee in the cabinet. I realized that I may have left the tablespoon in the bag, so when I pulled out the bag and opened it up and saw the beautiful glimmer of clear plastic resting inside, I actually said out loud, "Yaaaaaaaay!" For the next few minutes I was giddy because I found a tablespoon.
I need something that I'm excited about, something normal?
I need something that I'm excited about, something normal?
Sunday, January 31, 2010
Is it Friday yet?
Because Monday isn't even here yet and I am thinking about all I have to do for this week and a bit stressed already. Even though I'm only taking 12 credits this semester, they're still keeping me pretty dang busy. My drawing class takes up a surprising amount of time away from class, with all the sketchbook assignments. My independent study is great to do, and so far I'm having fun with it, but it's a lot of work that I have to really motivate myself to do. I've been helping my professor rewrite the public speaking chapter for the second edition of Principles of Communication (did I tell you this already? I think I did...). So I've been going through other communication books and picking out what I think is important information and turning all that information into an outline for him.
Last time I met with him he confused me even more about what I want to do after graduation. After we had discussed my assignment for this week, we started talking about grad school, and he told me he thinks I should apply for graduate assistantship here. I'd get health insurance, take home about ~$500 a month (which isn't a whole lot, but it's reasonable when you're going to school, plus the part that I'm not taking home would be going toward tuition). I would teach about 3 classes a week, the Principles of Communication classes that nearly everyone at this university has to take. It sounds like a great opportunity for me too, which stresses me out even more because now I have to think about applying to grad school and for the assistantship here soon! Then he went on to highly discourage me from taking a break from school. Trust me, I know how risky it is. Too many people "take a break" from school and never return because they get comfortable working and not having to worry about studying. I understand the risks completely, but I am still drawn to the idea. I'm thinking maybe just one or two semesters, tops. I'm also still thinking of the place in Illinois too. Did I already write about that? I don't think so. Anyway about a week and a half ago I came across this small university in Deerfield, Illinois (near Chicago) which offers a master's program in Communication & Culture, which is the field of communication I am most fascinated by. It's a smaller Christian university called Trinity International. So I'm going to list pros and cons of getting my master's program at NMSU and TIU.
NMSU Pros:
I already know Las Cruces and the university.
I'd get in-state tuition.
I'd be able to teach communication classes.
I really like the communication faculty here.
I'd get paid, plus benefits.
It's not too far from my family.
NMSU Cons:
Nothing against Las Cruces or New Mexico or NMSU, but I have this restless urge deep within to experience somewhere completely new, a longing to try living elsewhere in the country.
Doesn't offer an emphasis in culture.
TIU Pros:
(See above about experiencing someplace new in the country).
Smaller, Christian university might be an interesting change.
Illinois is lovely.
Near Chicago; I'd have the ability to experience this city at my disposal!
Near Lake Michigan.
Offers the Culture emphasis.
TIU Cons:
Doesn't offer the grad assistant opportunity.
More expensive; no in-state tuition.
Far from my family :(
Likely colder, longer winters!
I like winter, but I'm usually ready for warm weather by the time January rolls around.
¡¡¡¿Qué voy a hacer?!!!
Last time I met with him he confused me even more about what I want to do after graduation. After we had discussed my assignment for this week, we started talking about grad school, and he told me he thinks I should apply for graduate assistantship here. I'd get health insurance, take home about ~$500 a month (which isn't a whole lot, but it's reasonable when you're going to school, plus the part that I'm not taking home would be going toward tuition). I would teach about 3 classes a week, the Principles of Communication classes that nearly everyone at this university has to take. It sounds like a great opportunity for me too, which stresses me out even more because now I have to think about applying to grad school and for the assistantship here soon! Then he went on to highly discourage me from taking a break from school. Trust me, I know how risky it is. Too many people "take a break" from school and never return because they get comfortable working and not having to worry about studying. I understand the risks completely, but I am still drawn to the idea. I'm thinking maybe just one or two semesters, tops. I'm also still thinking of the place in Illinois too. Did I already write about that? I don't think so. Anyway about a week and a half ago I came across this small university in Deerfield, Illinois (near Chicago) which offers a master's program in Communication & Culture, which is the field of communication I am most fascinated by. It's a smaller Christian university called Trinity International. So I'm going to list pros and cons of getting my master's program at NMSU and TIU.
NMSU Pros:
I already know Las Cruces and the university.
I'd get in-state tuition.
I'd be able to teach communication classes.
I really like the communication faculty here.
I'd get paid, plus benefits.
It's not too far from my family.
NMSU Cons:
Nothing against Las Cruces or New Mexico or NMSU, but I have this restless urge deep within to experience somewhere completely new, a longing to try living elsewhere in the country.
Doesn't offer an emphasis in culture.
TIU Pros:
(See above about experiencing someplace new in the country).
Smaller, Christian university might be an interesting change.
Illinois is lovely.
Near Chicago; I'd have the ability to experience this city at my disposal!
Near Lake Michigan.
Offers the Culture emphasis.
TIU Cons:
Doesn't offer the grad assistant opportunity.
More expensive; no in-state tuition.
Far from my family :(
Likely colder, longer winters!
I like winter, but I'm usually ready for warm weather by the time January rolls around.
¡¡¡¿Qué voy a hacer?!!!
Tuesday, January 26, 2010
grilled cheese
Some interesting takes on grilled cheese that I'd like to try!
http://www.delish.com/recipes/cooking-recipes/best-grilled-cheese-sandwich-recipes?gt1=47001
http://www.delish.com/recipes/cooking-recipes/best-grilled-cheese-sandwich-recipes?gt1=47001
Lists
Two lists today. One is of things I'd like to invest in; when I start saving up more money I can eventually by these one at a time. The other is books I would like to read in the next several months.
Things to invest in:
Reebok Easy Tone shoes
Video camera
CamelBak
Snowpants (I have no need for these in Las Cruces, and I probably have no need for them at all til next winter, but now is probably a good time to buy them because they'll be on sale!)
Snowboots (see above)
Hair straightener (I never used to straighten my hair, but on New Year's my sister straightened my hair with her straightener, and I loved it!)
Snowboarding lessons-ok, this is a random thing to put on the list, but recently I decided I want to learn to snowboard. I tried skiing once, three years ago. It was fun but SO hard. I can just see myself more as a snowboarder than a skier, not that it will be much easier to learn. This probably won't happen for a year or two though.
Books to read:
Into the Wild-I just started reading it...one of my favorite movies.
The Lovely Bones
The Kite Runner (I saw the movie on TV not long ago, and now I want to read it)
Blue Like Jazz (I have this, I just haven't gotten around to reading it)
Harry Potter-I've read all of them, but I want to reread them.
Things to invest in:
Reebok Easy Tone shoes
Video camera
CamelBak
Snowpants (I have no need for these in Las Cruces, and I probably have no need for them at all til next winter, but now is probably a good time to buy them because they'll be on sale!)
Snowboots (see above)
Hair straightener (I never used to straighten my hair, but on New Year's my sister straightened my hair with her straightener, and I loved it!)
Snowboarding lessons-ok, this is a random thing to put on the list, but recently I decided I want to learn to snowboard. I tried skiing once, three years ago. It was fun but SO hard. I can just see myself more as a snowboarder than a skier, not that it will be much easier to learn. This probably won't happen for a year or two though.
Books to read:
Into the Wild-I just started reading it...one of my favorite movies.
The Lovely Bones
The Kite Runner (I saw the movie on TV not long ago, and now I want to read it)
Blue Like Jazz (I have this, I just haven't gotten around to reading it)
Harry Potter-I've read all of them, but I want to reread them.
Monday, January 18, 2010
Happy MLK, Jr. Day!
Yesterday I was depressed because the Cowboys lost, therefore no more Cowboys til next season, so I went and bought shoes. About a week ago I was at Payless in Santa Fe and found these really cute black dress shoes, but decided that I didn't need to spend money on them. But then yesterday happened, so I went to see if the Payless in Las Cruces had them. Sure did! So now I have a shiny new pair of black slingbacks to wear with my graduation dress. I'm obsessed with my new dress, and here's why. About three weeks ago I was in Albuquerque with my parents, and my mom and I decided just to check out the expensive dresses in Caché. I wandered to the back where the sale dresses were and came across this particular dress. It was very different and oh-so silky soft! I thought, "I'll just try it on for the heck of it." I slipped it on in the dressing room, and immediately thought, "Ok, I can't not buy this dress." It was like it was made for me! Perfect fit, amazing colors, I had to buy it. I showed my mom and she agreed. I looked at the price tag...originally $179, then marked down to $90, plus it was on a 50% off clearance rack. I paid $45 for it! So I will wear it for my graduation in May, but I wish I could wear it to something sooner! See the pic at the end of this blog :) I am so excited to wear it. It's very unique, as it has both halter straps and regular straps and the pattern is just so different.
Changing subject...I met with my independent study professor on Friday, and for now I am going to be helping him rewrite a chapter for the third edition of the Communication 265 book (the class that pretty much everyone at the university has to take). It's the chapter on public speaking, and I'm starting off with the section on informative speeches. I hope I do well with this, I don't want to disappoint. However, I think I'll succeed because I have usually been good at picking out information that seems to be most important and writing outlines, plus editing is one of my strengths :) So we'll see how it goes the next time I meet with him.
Hope everyone's had a dandy three-day (if applicable) weekend!
My new dress and shoes!
Jake & his Bears jersey that I got him for Christmas
Both of us...we were bored yesterday evening :)
Changing subject...I met with my independent study professor on Friday, and for now I am going to be helping him rewrite a chapter for the third edition of the Communication 265 book (the class that pretty much everyone at the university has to take). It's the chapter on public speaking, and I'm starting off with the section on informative speeches. I hope I do well with this, I don't want to disappoint. However, I think I'll succeed because I have usually been good at picking out information that seems to be most important and writing outlines, plus editing is one of my strengths :) So we'll see how it goes the next time I meet with him.
Hope everyone's had a dandy three-day (if applicable) weekend!
My new dress and shoes!
Jake & his Bears jersey that I got him for Christmas
Both of us...we were bored yesterday evening :)
Thursday, January 14, 2010
Adventure South!
First day of class was good...all I have on Tuesdays and Thursdays is International Communication, which is from 1:10 to 2:25 in the afternoon, so that's pretty sweet. It's taught by my favorite professor (with whom I'm doing independent study) and it sounds like it will be a very valuable class, what with increasing awareness of and discussing global issues and such.
Now about my blog title...
My great-great uncle Kenneth VanHee (who I never met) has become an inspiration to me. I believe the year was around 1941, and he and two other men, funded by Plymouth, took a small four-door 1941 Plymouth on an expedition down the Richardson Panamerican Highway. The journey began in Detroit, Michigan, went down to Mexico, all the way down through Central and South America, until they reached Cape Horn, SA, the very southern tip. The purpose of this expedition was for Plymouth to market their car and show what a perilous journey it could survive (not to mention the men themselves). This was when most of the roads in Central and South America were still unpaved, and sometimes the men and the car had to catch a ride across rivers on a raft pulled by donkeys or oxen. Somehow they made it to Cape Horn, the automobile still alive, the men fulfilled after encountering so many interesting and amazing characters along the way (including the Presidents of Mexico and another CA country).
I hadn't given this jewel of family history much thought until a few weeks ago, when my dad did some research online and found the documentary on this expedition, where we are able to see video shots of my great-great uncle (who definitely looks much like my late great-grandma, his twin). Seeing the documentary inspired me, and I dug out the book that my family owns of the same expedition, called Adventure South! (yes, the exclamation point is part of the title). I browsed through the pages, smiling at the humor and crazy situations and hardships and the photos taken along the way, including shots of the travelers, the natives they meet, the animals...one could probably see the gears turning in my head, ideas forming, as I flipped through the pages, reading bits and pieces of this experience.
A couple months ago I was talking to my second cousin about my desire to do some traveling and cultural immersion, as well as my previous experiences doing so (like in Honduras and Costa Rica), and she told me, "You definitely have you Uncle Ken's travel genes." At this time I knew Ken had done some traveling in South America and that we had one of the copies of the book, but I didn't know much about it. So when my dad found the documentary and I actually sat down and looked through that book, I was amazed. It got my imagination worked up again, and I began thinking, "Wouldn't it be great if I cold retrace my great-great uncle's path to Cape Horn?" Obviously the journey would be easier, but perhaps more dangerous, with the political, economical, and other situations at hand in many Central and South American countries. A quote from an article about this expedition online (which was updated March of 2006) says, "The Richardson Pan American Highway Expedition was perhaps the last great automotive adventure undertaken on the face of this earth".
Wouldn't it be great if I could do it again?
Now about my blog title...
My great-great uncle Kenneth VanHee (who I never met) has become an inspiration to me. I believe the year was around 1941, and he and two other men, funded by Plymouth, took a small four-door 1941 Plymouth on an expedition down the Richardson Panamerican Highway. The journey began in Detroit, Michigan, went down to Mexico, all the way down through Central and South America, until they reached Cape Horn, SA, the very southern tip. The purpose of this expedition was for Plymouth to market their car and show what a perilous journey it could survive (not to mention the men themselves). This was when most of the roads in Central and South America were still unpaved, and sometimes the men and the car had to catch a ride across rivers on a raft pulled by donkeys or oxen. Somehow they made it to Cape Horn, the automobile still alive, the men fulfilled after encountering so many interesting and amazing characters along the way (including the Presidents of Mexico and another CA country).
I hadn't given this jewel of family history much thought until a few weeks ago, when my dad did some research online and found the documentary on this expedition, where we are able to see video shots of my great-great uncle (who definitely looks much like my late great-grandma, his twin). Seeing the documentary inspired me, and I dug out the book that my family owns of the same expedition, called Adventure South! (yes, the exclamation point is part of the title). I browsed through the pages, smiling at the humor and crazy situations and hardships and the photos taken along the way, including shots of the travelers, the natives they meet, the animals...one could probably see the gears turning in my head, ideas forming, as I flipped through the pages, reading bits and pieces of this experience.
A couple months ago I was talking to my second cousin about my desire to do some traveling and cultural immersion, as well as my previous experiences doing so (like in Honduras and Costa Rica), and she told me, "You definitely have you Uncle Ken's travel genes." At this time I knew Ken had done some traveling in South America and that we had one of the copies of the book, but I didn't know much about it. So when my dad found the documentary and I actually sat down and looked through that book, I was amazed. It got my imagination worked up again, and I began thinking, "Wouldn't it be great if I cold retrace my great-great uncle's path to Cape Horn?" Obviously the journey would be easier, but perhaps more dangerous, with the political, economical, and other situations at hand in many Central and South American countries. A quote from an article about this expedition online (which was updated March of 2006) says, "The Richardson Pan American Highway Expedition was perhaps the last great automotive adventure undertaken on the face of this earth".
Wouldn't it be great if I could do it again?
Tuesday, January 12, 2010
In two days...
I will begin my last semester as a undergrad student! It hasn't exactly hit me yet how exciting/scary that is. In a way, I hope this semester doesn't breeze by because I want to soak it up and enjoy these next four months; however, I don't want it to drag on either. I have a feeling that I will have plenty of free time; I'm only taking 12 credits, and although I'm sure my classes will keep me somewhat occupied, I will likely have time to fill with (hopefully) a job, job-searching for after college, etc. I miss my family and the two cats (lol), but it's nice to be back in my apartment and into the school groove. Somehow I accumulated so much over the break and had to haul it all back to Las Cruces. I didn't think I got that much for my birthday/Christmas, but it sure seems like I did! I'll have to go through all my old things and figure out what I do not need, especially clothes. I have this habit of keeping clothes that I never wear, thinking, "Oh, I will wear it more often", or "This would be great for [insert whatever occasion I think of at the time which I never have experienced, nor never will but since there is a minuscule possibility, I keep the attire]". I need to break the habit, and if I come across something I do not wear, stop fooling myself into thinking it will come in handy someday or that I will miss it, and just stuff it in a bag of things-to-get-rid-of! Garage sale in the summer? I think yes.
I suppose I should sign off soon and go to Wal-Mart for groceries. I came home yesterday to these foods (some of which I brought with me):
Shredded cheese, okra, Oreos, butter, caramel corn, saltines, hot chocolate, taco shells, raspberry jam, and condiments. If you can think up a meal using these, major props. I "had" to go to Blake's to get a lotaburger last night because I have nothing sufficient to eat. I know, woe is me.
Later dudes.
I suppose I should sign off soon and go to Wal-Mart for groceries. I came home yesterday to these foods (some of which I brought with me):
Shredded cheese, okra, Oreos, butter, caramel corn, saltines, hot chocolate, taco shells, raspberry jam, and condiments. If you can think up a meal using these, major props. I "had" to go to Blake's to get a lotaburger last night because I have nothing sufficient to eat. I know, woe is me.
Later dudes.
Monday, January 4, 2010
Podcasts galore!
Thanks to Jake I've become addicted to listening to podcasts. It started with This American Life, which he told me I'd like because it is full of stories about everyday life in America; some are funny, some are moving, some are just random. But he was right, I subscribed to it on iTunes and now I listen to it when I'm just relaxing in my room, driving the long road between Las Cruces and White Rock, and even sometimes before I go to bed. Today I decided to expand my podcast-horizons and started searching for others that I might enjoy. I ended up subscribing to a couple NPR podcasts and also The Onion (I know...SO mature, but I actually find the dumb, made-up stories of The Onion really funny). I am in the process of searching for a good sports podcast that I will like, because while I am totally all about the Cowboys and watch every game I can (usually) and understand 98% of football, I want to expand my sports horizons as well and keep up to date with all the happenings in the sports world. I am hoping to one day be able to follow all the NFL teams' stats and standings and know what's going on all the time, like my dad does haha! I also would like to learn more about hockey, as that is Jake's sport and dating him has made me more interested in it. So I need a sports podcast that isn't just sports news, because sports news is boring to me, but more like inside glances and opinions. The best thing about my becoming podcast-happy and downloading them in mass quantities is that most of them are free! Anyway I recommend you try listening to some if you do not, and maybe start with This American Life.
Friday, January 1, 2010
2010 here I come!
Well I am going to be slightly cliche and post a happy new year post on my blog...so, HAPPY NEW YEAR 2010! Last night my family, Jake and I went to the New Year's Eve party at Home Run where we all played lots of pool, air hockey, and shot of fireworks in front of the shop. It was fun, and we did not get to bed til about 3 AM. Then we had to wake up early this morning because some family friends who we have not seen in a couple of years were in town and came to visit. So I guess I don't really need to point out that I'm a little more than tired; I even ended up dozing off on the floor in the family room earlier (all the seats were taken :( ). If this were any other year I may not be as excited about it, but this year (I'm hoping) will hold many opportunities and defining points in my life, although I hope that every year will be that way for me. I'm graduating this year from NMSU and will be starting that era of life called career. That means I will soon have to figure out what I want to start with job-wise so I can begin sending out resumes. I probably need to go visit the career counseling and exploration center on campus, because I definitely need some help. And I know I don't need to figure out "my calling" yet, but I should start thinking about what I want to begin with.
Changing subjects. So my parents have been wanting to get a kitten since all three of us "kids" will finally be out of the house at the same time, and they want another companion. I went to Albuquerque with my parents from Wednesday to Thursday to do some after-Christmas shopping, and we stopped at the Santa Fe shelter (where my aunt works) on the way back yesterday. My parents were wanting one male kitten, and we came back home with two females instead :) My aunt had one on hold for them that she thought they would like (a 2-3 month old orange tabby), and my mom fell in love with her. Meanwhile, my dad decided to just go "look around" at the other cats, and one black and white kitten (6 months old) in particular caught his eye, so he took it back to where my mom was and this one just flopped down in his arms and fell asleep. So they ended up with both lol! The younger one likes to follow the older one around and is very shy and was really scared when we first brought her, but she is starting to enjoy human company a little more and exploring the house bit by bit. The older one, on the other hand, seems completely comfortable with anyone in any situation. As soon as we let her out of the crate when we got home, she did not seem nervous at all, just curious, and will go up to everyone to cuddle and rub her head against. They are both very sweet. I will post pictures in one of my next blogs.
I hope you all have a wonderful 2010!
Changing subjects. So my parents have been wanting to get a kitten since all three of us "kids" will finally be out of the house at the same time, and they want another companion. I went to Albuquerque with my parents from Wednesday to Thursday to do some after-Christmas shopping, and we stopped at the Santa Fe shelter (where my aunt works) on the way back yesterday. My parents were wanting one male kitten, and we came back home with two females instead :) My aunt had one on hold for them that she thought they would like (a 2-3 month old orange tabby), and my mom fell in love with her. Meanwhile, my dad decided to just go "look around" at the other cats, and one black and white kitten (6 months old) in particular caught his eye, so he took it back to where my mom was and this one just flopped down in his arms and fell asleep. So they ended up with both lol! The younger one likes to follow the older one around and is very shy and was really scared when we first brought her, but she is starting to enjoy human company a little more and exploring the house bit by bit. The older one, on the other hand, seems completely comfortable with anyone in any situation. As soon as we let her out of the crate when we got home, she did not seem nervous at all, just curious, and will go up to everyone to cuddle and rub her head against. They are both very sweet. I will post pictures in one of my next blogs.
I hope you all have a wonderful 2010!
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