somewhere i have never traveled

Sometimes it takes me a while to finish things

2011-05-21T13:51:00.000-07:00

I know you all have been dying to know what I've been crafting lately. I kept waiting to post until I finished this dress. My first ever done almost totally with my serger. It's got darts, pleats, sleeves, and a ZIPPER. That was the big hold up. I ended up using my sister's sewing machine over Easter - and it still took like 4 attempts and 4 phone calls to my mom. I need to get a serious sewing machine now with a zipper foot and buttonhole maker.

Punch needle onesie for baby Henry.

Hat for my mom for Christmas - fancy cables and bobbles.

One sock. Turning the heel was IMPOSSIBLE and I had to wait until Christmas to see my mom to get her help. And it turns out that the pattern had a mistake in it. Though I did need my mom's help to figure out that the pattern had a mistake. We'll see if I ever knit the other sock.

So there you go. I need new projects now. I've recently found some great vintage ribbons and I've got big plans for them. We'll see.

Viking Hat

2010-12-02T17:42:00.001-08:00

My newest creation. I let me neices and nephews try it on to see what size of child it would fit. Turns out they liked it so I let them keep it. I'm pretty happy that the ear flaps were actually in the right spot.

I love kids with missing teeth!

This fabric has been sitting in my room for weeks. I finally got this tube scarf done.

Now time to get working on Christmas presents.

Findings and Finishings

2010-11-14T16:42:00.000-08:00

I waited for an hour to get into the Goodwill Glitter Sale. I'm thinking this is gonna have to an annual event for me now. Here are my 2 favorite treasures. I'm such a sucker for necklaces.

Also, I worked on these mittens while flying to and from the North Carolina and I just finished them up. Now I think I've only got 3 half-done projects I need to finish.

Projects

2010-09-08T21:06:00.001-07:00

I've found that I suck at this. Unless I have something to brag about. Here's what I have to brag about.

1. I recently finished my first ever embroidery project. This purple pillow. Hand-embroidered by yours truly.

2. And this one is a big deal - I finished my first ever quilt that actually required lots of cutting, sewing, piecing, and hand-quilting. Yes, I hand quilted this guy. And a good portion of the corners lined up. Are you impressed? Luckily I had it quilted and just the binding left to do when my sister had her baby (about 3 weeks early and at a fire station when they didn't have time to get to the hospital). I finished the binding the day after she was born. All I can say is - Natalia - I'd better be your favorite aunt.

3. And this one I can't really brag about, so much as be grateful for grandmas and good timing. I had the idea to create an earring holder by getting an old frame, getting some wire sort of screening from somewhere and somehow putting it in the frame. Realistically, that was never going to happen. Then I was at my grandma's house one day and while walking out I saw these leaning against the side of the house. I asked about them and the plan was to take them to Goodwill. They are the most perfect things I've ever seen. And required zero effort and zero money. Magic! Look at the details! Perfectly worn paint, and I organized my earrings by color in the different spaces. Sometimes I feel like the universe aligns just for me.

lists

2010-07-14T19:40:00.000-07:00

So... if you haven't heard I passed my test. That means the ever growing list of things that I've needed to be doing, but haven't been doing because I've been studying or exhausted by studying, gets to be done. And it's about time. Here's where I'm at.

Done
1. Laundry
2. Clean room
3. Starting to work out again - went to Zumba yesterday and it almost killed me
4. Watching the Bachelorette
5. Miscellaneous personal hygiene - my legs have been shaved in the past few days at least
6. Reading books - just started a new one

Still needs to be done
1. Grocery shopping
2. Miscellaneous personal hygiene (ie eyebrows)
3. Blogging about a) a good book and b) a magical coincidence
4. Wash Jen's sheets after I slept in her bed for almost a week when it was so hot in my room
5. Planning packing/packing for Red Brick House Reunion 2010 - CANADA (I can't wait!!)

this will not be interesting

2010-06-29T19:29:00.001-07:00

When I started this blog I was working on my thesis. So many years ago - weird! I needed some sort of concrete way of tracking my progress and motivating myself to keep going. I feel like I blogged my thesis progress for maybe a few months before I told a few close, trusted friends so they could track my progress as well.

Well, I'm in that place again. Well, honestly, not nearly as bad, but still I feel stuck. I am scheduled to take the National Counseling Exam on July 10th. If I pass I can become Licensed Mental Health Counselor in Washington state. Which doesn't mean a whole lot, except it would open up a lot more job opportunities, earning potential, and would allow me to go into private practice if I ever wanted to go down that road. The issue that I'm facing is that I really am so sick of studying. So sick of it. I keep telling myself that I only need to stay focused for a week and a half more but right now that seems like a real long time.

I'm going to go on a short walk. Then I am going to come back. Then I will focus.

New Favorite

2010-05-18T13:45:00.000-07:00

This gem has joined the ranks of one of my favorite books. I gobbled it up in just a few days and am sad that it ended so quickly and I had to say goodbye to characters I just grew to love. The writing is incredibly charming and witty. I found myself giggling to myself all the time and having to go back to lines to share them with friends. Cassie can attest to my fits of giggles when trying to share one particularly cute/funny passage. The story is told through a series of letters between several characters, each with a distinct voice and dripping with personality - you just get into their magical little world and I loved it there. And it doesn't hurt that the main characters name is Juliet.

So, let me give thanks where thanks is due - Nathaniel's mom recommended this book to me. And thank goodness for that. Nathaniel - you better send your mom this link. And send her my warmest regards.

I'm bad at the internet

2010-03-28T19:17:00.001-07:00

Fact:

I got gmail a few days ago because a friend went and signed me up (Thanks Mary) though I'm feeling real hesitant to really make the switch.

Websites I normally frequent:

Yahoo for my email, facebook, friends' blogs, nytimes crossword, hulu, netflix. I've heard that there is a lot of cool, funny, interesting things on the world wide web, I'm not sure what those things are or how to find them.

What people I know blog about:

Babies (don't have any), funny things (I'm not that funny)

Fact:
My life is basically boring. My work can be interesting, but it would be unethical for me to blog about it.

How can I get better at this?

I will brag about my most recent crafting escapades. I made this dress.

twenty ten

2010-01-04T22:35:00.000-08:00

Do I put blogging on my list of resolutions? I'm thinking no.

Guatemala

2009-11-05T20:27:00.001-08:00

More pics to come

Crafting

2009-09-10T17:46:00.001-07:00

I started making these little felt flowers (and yes I got the idea from Anthropologie). Not sure what I'm going to use them for yet... I think they'd be cute on a headband, or necklace, or pinned to a cardigan.

Car, Coast, Makeover, and The Bunny

2009-09-10T17:20:00.000-07:00

I know that I'm a neurotic and sentimental person. I like to hold onto things. I do not like changes. It was a sad day when my registration was about expire and I finally had to get Washington plates. I keep thinking that I should change my phone number, but I don't know if I can do it now. It's the one thing I've got that's connecting me to Phillly.

My neices at Cannon Beach. I finally made it down to Portland for my neice's birthday and we went to the beach. It eventually cleared up and we had a good time looking at tide pools, collecting hermit crabs, kite-flying, sand-sculpturing, etc.

Also, the saddest thing lately has been my roommate Megan moving back to Utah. After a lot of deliberation (trading closet space and a door for windows, higher ceilings, and sharing a kitchen/bathroom with one person instead of 3-4) I decided to move into Megan's old room. Which basically meant that I was living in chaos (and paint fumes) for at least a week. I almost had a breakdown in Ikea. Then Labor Day was just a horrible, terrible, no-good, very bad day... until I came home and found this.

My fabulous roommates Cassie and Kaylene, cleaned, organized, and decorated so much of my room. It was seriously like make-over shows on TV and yes I cried.

And they even rented me the Hannah Montana movie which I've been dying to see AND I got the Bunny, which is the most prized posession of the house (left by Megan - bless her heart) which gets passed around to whichever roommate is in need (oh the things this bunny has seen - someone should make a move - like sister of the travelling pants, only with the bunny)

Trips

2009-08-23T20:38:00.001-07:00

I went to Utah for Jessie's wedding reception. It was lovely, but the best was getting some personal time when we went to brunch. She's showing her ring so we can always remember why we got together.

I saw Ashley, Russ, and Alyssa (friends from Philly that live in Utah now).

I saw this girl a lot.

I met my nephew Blade. Isn't he the CUTEST!?!

And then this weekend I went to CANADA people. Victoria, BC. It was a lovely time.

My job

2009-08-11T20:41:00.000-07:00

Minus the fact that my phone got stolen at work today (one week after I got it to replace my broken one), I have to admit that I have a pretty awesome job. Here are a few of the things of I've done or places I've gone with kids this summer. Sadly the rollerskating fell through. Still not bad for a day at the office.

I am getting BRAVE

2009-07-09T21:25:00.000-07:00

1. There are BIG spiders here. The first time I saw one I was able to put a cup over it and then had to ask most of my roommates before I found one (go Kaylene!) to get it out of my room. And she said, "you need to work on this." Later I saw a spider in the shower (alright it was actually a daddy-long-legs, but I'll be honest, I don't get why people think that daddy-long-legs are not as gross as spiders - it just as gross!) and I went and showered in another bathroom. Then I thought, don't be a sissy, and that next time I saw a giant spider I was so BRAVE and got that thing out of the house all by myself. That's right people. I did it. And then, one day one of my friends was afraid of a spider in the bathroom and I went in all calm... it wasn't a total success because I couldn't catch him before he crawled into a hole, but still... I was calm.

2. I did NOT diving when I was a kid. I hated swimming lessons, because I hated diving. There's something so terrifying about going head first into water, in fact, I sort of hate just putting my head under water. And this summer, I've been diving so much.

3. Today for work we took a bunch of our clients to a ropes course. There's something so awesome about seeing a bunch of tough kids from the city, including a bunch of teenagers who act like they're not afraid on nothing, totally terrified when they climbed to the top of this pole. Anyways, the point was to climb to the top of this pole, stand on top of it, and then jump and grab this trapeze bar (oh my dreams of being in the circus). And I got a chance to do it too. Only two of the kids actually stood on top of the pole and none of them took the leap to grab the bar. But you know what... I DID IT! I am BRAVE!

Summer

2009-07-05T10:21:00.001-07:00

Things that I want to post.

Timmy was here.

I jump in Green Lake with these girls. And I've been practicing my diving.

I need to do more research on this, but my mind was BLOWN yesterday when we were walking by this plant that apparently oozes flowers - that look like normal yellow daisies. Is this normal? Who knows about this? I want to learn. I bet Annie Dillard knows.

So maybe I'm hormonal

2009-06-13T22:20:00.000-07:00

Sarra,

I made these for Scarlett. I just finished them... and I'm hoping her feet aren't growing too fast. I'm holding them hostage until you email me your address. They won't be a surprise, but believe me I've got a pile of things to send to you.

Oh and now that my new nephew Blade has been born (Congrats Eric and Allison!) and he's gotten his present, I can also reveal one of my other latest baby-related craft projects. With Blade's cousin Josh modeling. And I hand-quilted the center panel (my first time!)

And speaking of so many babies... This week I got to meet the babies of two good friends that I haven't seen in years.

Moses

Jett

Their moms, April and Melisa. There was so much nostalgia happening it was awesome.

Groundhog's Day

2009-06-07T16:36:00.000-07:00

Have you ever had one of those days when you've thought, "I'd be pretty happy if I could live this day over and over"? Well yesterday was one of those days.

1. Ate delicious breakfast on a ferry
2. Went to a Renaissance Faire
3. Got to learn about forging metal, making knives, and making armor
4. Did some archery and wasn't half bad
5. Put flowers in my hair
6. Ate funnel cake
7. Went to an antique sale and got cute fish plates
8. Got to read a book about how to be a "proper lady" circa 1900
8. Saw Nathaniel's mom and she gave us British chocolate
9. Went to Camera Obscura show
10. Got to spend time with two of my favorite people and this guy

BOOKS

2009-05-18T08:10:00.000-07:00

It turns out that since finishing grad school I've rediscovered my love of reading. As a kid I was totally the shy girl who loved reading. My favorites... Baby-sitter's Club, Sweet Valley High, and morbidly all these books about teenagers with terminal illnesses with titles like 6 Months to Live. Then, I'd say some time around Junior High or High School I totally stopped reading for fun. But I'll tell you one of the best things about not being in school is that no one is making me read or telling me what to read. I get to pick! Here are some of my favorites from the last few months.

Have you ever read a mediocre book and when you finish it you're in a hurry to start another book to get the taste of the past book out of your mouth? (eg - Memory Keeper's Daughter... I hated that book and I'm pretty sure I started another book like an hour after finishing it) Well with The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao it was the exact opposite experience. It took me at least a weekend to finally pick up another book from my to-read stack and even then I was really sad to be leaving those characters behind. I just wanted to have Oscar and Lola and Beli and La Inca in my life a little longer. So just read it. And bonus - have a spanish-speaking friend translate the little Spanish bits in it and you'll learn a lot of Spanish swears.

Thanks to Kaylene for recommending I Capture the Castle to me. I cannot believe I survived my late childhood and adolesence without this book in my life. I was hooked from the first line.... "I write this sitting in the kitchen sink." Brilliant. Totally charming. Like a more hormonal and quirky Jane Austen. I giggled to myself throughout most of the book and found myself interrupting conversations to read passages to my roommates. Just brilliant. Totally adorable.

I heart philly

2009-04-06T21:06:00.000-07:00

Honestly, the best trip ever. It was like getting back together with an ex and the best make-up sex ever. I just love this city.

I love timing. Jen, my roommate, was coming back from the Dominican Republic and had a long layover in Philly. We went to Museum of Art, ran up the steps like Rocky, and got to see a fab Cezanne exhibit, who's one of my favorites, plus my other favorite pieces in the musuem. Rothko, I've missed you.

I love pretzels.

I love this kid.

And this one.

I love tender mercies. There were so many on this trip.

1. Rita's Water Ice opened a few weeks before I got there

2. The Philly Film Festival was going on when I was there

3. Cezanne Exhibit

4. Jen's layover

5. In one day I was able to successfully eat part of a pretzel, part of a cheesesteak, burger and fries at 5 Guys, and Rita's.

6. And the ultimate highlight and absolute MIRACLE - at the museum of art I ran into my absolute favorite client. He lives no where near there, but was spending the weekend at his aunt's and she took him there to run off some energy on the steps. Hearing a voice call "Miss Julie" and turning around and seeing his face was one of the best moments of my life. I love that kid.

I am a therapist

2009-03-16T22:17:00.000-07:00

I love being a therapist because I love secrets. I want to know peoples secrets. Whatever it is. I want to know. I love skeletons in the closet.

Except not literal skeletons.

This week one of the bathrooms in my house is being renovated. And in the process guess what a hot Aussie constuction boy found. More than 40 (!!!!!) dead birds and other animal carcasses (squirrels and mice and probably other rodents). Behind the wall in the bathroom!!!! More than 40 decomposed birds and animals behind a wall in my house. And that's only in one SMALL room in this giant house. Who knows how many other animals are living (or rather not living) in the walls of this house. eeeewwwwwww. And I'm having so many memories of when I found the dead mouse in my apartment in Philly a few years back. Just etched in my brain. Michelle you remember the smell....

Best Time at the Dollar Store Ever.

2009-02-22T17:53:00.000-08:00

Yesterday I was at the dollar store with my friend Cassie, in sort of shady neighborhood. I'm looking for art supplies for the arts and crafts table for Black history night at my job next week. A mid-30s, working classish, not-creepy guy squeezes by me and apologizes about invading my bubble. I keep shopping, then the same guy comes straight up to me, holds out his hand, and says "I just wanted to tell you that I think you're beautiful and have gorgeous eyes." And so I just shook his hand, which was so rough and manly and sort of hot and went on my way. It was a pretty good moment.

In other news, Michelle and Elin were here last weekend.

I made an adult-size penguin hat and neck cozy for Mich for her birthday.

Michelle, Elin, and Nathaniel at Snoqualmie Falls in North Bend where they filmed Twin Peaks. Apparently I really need to watch that show. Maybe after I've watched all the seasons of Lost.... Don't hold your breath.

At the Public Library downtown.

Thanks to Michelle and Elin for coming. Just move here already.

Look out East Coast, I'm coming back!

2009-02-12T19:12:00.000-08:00

Alright east coast people! I just booked a ticket. Mark you calendars - March 28-March 31. Things I want to do... steet vendors, Rittenhouse, Ritz, Pine Street Pizza, South St., subway, Reading Terminal, City Hall, Clothespin, Old City, Logan Circle, Art Museum, and everything else. I'm getting emotional just thinking about it.

Girls Night Out!

2009-02-08T20:41:00.000-08:00

I feel like it's pretty rare when I feel an obligation to recommend or not recommend something. Don't get me wrong, if someone asks my opinion I'll happily share my thoughts, but I don't really feel the need to go out of the way to tell people to do something or not do something. But in this case I feel like I have to.

This movie is terrible. I read a few of the reviews before getting dragged along on a "girls night out." I knew it was going to be bad, but I thought having really low expectations would save me. But no, it was way worse than even my super low expectations. It was terrible in a train wreck sort of way. You're hating it, but you can't look away. And it's long and it feels even longer, excruciatingly long. And why pay money to get made fun of, or to watch characters that you don't even like act like idiots and get fed the message that girls are stupid and boys never like them and that boys are basically a bunch of jerks anyways so what's the point. Or maybe that's a dose of reality that I'm not ready to accept at this point. bleh.

And maybe I'm taking this a little too far, but at my job I've been thinking a lot about internalized racism and I really think that this movie could easily fall into the category of contributing to internalized sexism. As women, we are already fed the usually subtle message that image is everything and that we need to be attain a certain level of perfection to be loved and valued. So to have a full movie where the not-even-subtle message is that women are idiots who are constantly making excuses for jerky boys is sort of frustrating. Maybe I was supposed to understand that fact and feel empowered to change or something, but that feeling never came. Give me Jane Austen any day. Rant over.

In my dreams...

2009-02-01T23:41:00.003-08:00

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Statistics

2009-01-25T18:30:00.000-08:00

The average American eats 2 lbs of pretzels a year. The average Philadelphian eats 20 lbs of pretzels a year. Thanks to Jenny for sharing that stat with me. I miss Pretzels!!!

Neck Cozies and Ferries.

2009-01-11T16:45:00.000-08:00

When I look at this picture I feel happy because the other day when I came home this boy was sitting in my living room wearing this neck cozy that I made for my roommate, Megan, for our roommate gift exchange. Notice the crossword pattern because me and Meg love to do crosswords and she brings me home crossword puzzles and I love it. And I love it when I feel like people actually like what I make them and they don't just put it on when I'm around to be nice. And even better when attractive boys like what I make and wear it while sitting in my living room.

Also, this weekend my dreams came true and I FINALLY got to ride the ferry across Puget Sound. This might not seem like a big deal to some people, but as someone who has never lived around so much water it was pretty awesome. And the thrill of it must have stuck with me because last night I dreamt that I was on a boat. Also, my friend Nathaniel gave me a tour of Bremerton/Silverdale and it really made me want to have people come to Fairbanks, AK so that I can give them a tour and tell so many stories and be so nostalgic because that's what I like to do best of all. Any takers?

At Sea Beck. I miss sunshine. But still pretty.

I'm on a boat!

I love December.

2008-12-29T21:25:00.000-08:00

More snow. I was in heaven. I'm not going to complain one bit.

Poor Ivanka, my car, couldn't handle it, but it sure was fun to try to get her out. Though I was lucky to have a few friends around to push her back into her spot. Thanks Andrew and Steven. A few days later I was barely able to get my car out to drive down to Portland. It was a pretty uneventful drive, on the freeway anyway, then it got crazy, but was pretty fun. It worked out that I drove down with a friend of mine and her dad deserves some major praise cause he drove up to Portland from Salem to pick her up. It's normally an hour drive..... it took him 4 hours. I love dads.

Christmas was fabulous. There was playing in the snow, making and eating lots of treats, High School Musical moments with my neices, shopping with my sister, and cuddling with my new nephew, and general good times.

Playing in the snow with my neices, Sierra and Elli.

My nephew Landon making treats.

Me and my Grandma.

Snow days!

2008-12-20T12:34:00.000-08:00

This week is snowed!!! And the city practically shut down. And I didn't go to work one day and stayed home and crafted with my roommates. Here is the result. Mine's on the right. We all fell in love with the one that Cassie made for our roommate gift exchange (her's is on the left).

I've considered giving this little guy as a gift to somebody.... but I'm not sure if I can part with him. If someone wants to give me an awesome present then I would maybe consider it, but it'd have to be good.

Also I LOVE winter. Maybe it's just being away from Alaskan winters, but I love going on a walk through the snow. And everything is quiet and pretty and I'm bundled up and I can go inside and drink hot chocolate. Perfect day.

Crafts and Christmas Parties

2008-12-07T23:24:00.000-08:00

Here's some pics of my latest craft projects. A baby blanket for my nephew Ian and a penguin hat for a yet TBD male 2-year-old. Seen here on my neice Jayda, but I think it'd be cuter on a boy.

And here's my fabulous roommates with our Christmas tree after a pretty awesome Christmas party that involved fancy hot chocolate, popcorn balls with lucky charms (not as good as you might think), and impromptu slow-dancing to Bing Crosby and the like. I am seriously soooo lucky that I was able to move to the other side of the country and somehow move in with the coolest girls in the whole city. Thanks to Rob Nyland for bringing me to them. And thanks to Megan for showing some leg in this pic.

It's 3 am...

2008-11-27T03:11:00.000-08:00

and I am posting.

Why? you ask.

Because I am about to begin day 4 of the WORST sore throat I've ever had in my life.
The past two or three nights it's been nearly impossible to sleep due to the excruciating pain when I swallow. And can I just say - we humans swallow all the stinkin time. I've been trying to just will myself to not.... just let the saliva build up and just drip out onto my pillow, but it's amazing how strong the don't-drool reflex is and I just end up swallowing and then wincing.

Also, as a weird side effect of this sore throat, with no other cold symptoms mind you, i have thrown up for the first time since I was 19. At 12:30 I got up and used one of those throat sprays which sort of numb your throat, and I don't know how, but that thing must have hit a nerve and I promptly puked 3 times. What is that?? And now I don't want to use that spray again, even though in the past it was one of the few things that gave me at least a little relief. But I'm done. Puking sucks.

And why is it that I have totally guilty conscience and only called out sick for a half a day and am likely going to suffer for my vacation. That sucks. I wonder what this is karma for.

Also, I drove down to Portland to see my fam for Thanksgiving... including my newborn nephew and Grandma..... both with their appropriately weak immune systems. If my grandma dies cause of me I'm gonna be pissed.

Music

2008-11-16T21:25:00.000-08:00

This weekend I got to see one of America's greatest singer-songwriters. Really. I'm not exaggerating. I love Lucinda Williams! She has been near the top of my list of people/bands to see for the past several years. And moved up to the #1 spot probably about a 2 years ago after I saw Ryan Adams and Wilco. And man! was she amazing. If you haven't heard her stuff, do so immediately. Her lyrics are so........ good. In fact, let me post a lyric or two.

Here is a verse from "I envy the wind" one of the sexiest songs ever written without being nasty.

I envy the rain
That falls on your face
That wets your eyelashes
And dampens your skin
And touches your tongue
And soaks through your shirt
And drips down your back
I envy the rain

Don't you just love that? Sooo pretty. And she was awesome in concert. So, that's been the best moment of the past few weeks.

The worst moment was/is the dying of my computer. Right now I'm using my roommates computer and my poor little computer is in trouble. She's been so good to me these past 5 years, getting me through grad school, surviving my thesis, and holding so much lovely music and pics, and allowing me to be entertained for all of the years that I didn't have a TV. As much as I hate to see her go.... I've decided it's time for me to move on. So, I'm seeking computer advice.... what do I get? My main requirement is that it be cute. Is a mac worth it?

Seattle!

2008-11-04T20:30:00.000-08:00

Well, I kept waiting to get some awesome Seattle pics to put on a post, but it just hasn't happened. So just watch an episode of Gray's Anatomy and picture me there. So... here I am, though it still doesn't feel like I really am here. I have moments of really missing Philly (mostly pizza, the diversity, walking everywhere, and just the "feel" of that fabulous city, plus the world series - go phillies!), but this new time in my life is also really exciting.

So, the stats. I live in the the northern part of Seattle and work in the southern part. My new version of Rittenhouse (my favorite park in Philly) is Green Lake - this super pretty lake about half a mile away from my house. My job is going well, it's really similar to my old job. I travel to a lot of different schools and work with the kids there. I work with a lot of teenage girls now, which can be absolutely frustrating, but it's good for me to get the experience and develop some patience.

I'm living with 5 other girls in a big pink house. They are all really cool, and my apprehensions about living with so many people have mostly been false. Though, I will admit after living by myself or with super-awesome and clean Preethi, I've become a bit of a neat freak and sometimes the mess of 6 girls drives me crazy. The good thing is that having so many roomates is making it easy for shy little me to make friends. Somehow, I dressed up for and not only survived, but actually enjoyed a giant Halloween party at my house. Go me!

Bias

2008-08-24T15:21:00.000-07:00

Maybe it's just me.... but Alaska is stinkin' beautiful! Me and my parent and two of my nephews went down to Denali and went camping and hiking. It was awesome. We saw plenty of wildlife and it was clear enough to see the mountain. It was a perfect end to my trip home.

The last frontier

2008-08-20T11:42:00.000-07:00

I'm home!! I was super lucky to be able to come home for a few weeks before my new job starts. Apparently it's been one of the coldest and wettest summers ever, but I've been lucky to have nice days, though it definitely feels like fall. I've spent a lot of time with my sister and my nephews, including the new twins. They are so adorable and I can usually tell them apart now. Other highlights have been going to the fair and the farmers market. I've also finally gotten around to dealing with pictures from my drive across the country. So, here you go.

Good bye philly......... sad......

Hello truckstops...............

and Danish windmills in the middle of Iowa.

I really do think the sky in Wyoming is prettier....

And the most redneck gas station ever

And finally.............. the west.... phew.

Celebrity Crush

2008-08-04T17:41:00.000-07:00

So, in my free time while being crafty (you should see the fab feather earring I made) I've been watching some classic movies I've always meant to see. Yesterday I watched A Streetcar Named Deisre. And omg. I love Marlon Brando. He's so mean and dirty and broken and passionate and stupid and arrogant and destructive and totally totally hot.

eek!

2008-08-01T16:28:00.001-07:00

I took the job!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I'm freaking out.

Ah SHOOT!

2008-07-30T11:21:00.000-07:00

Well, I just talked to the job in Seattle and i got offered the job. CRAP! Before I returned their call I had a moment where I thought that it'd be actually pretty convenient if I didn't get the job because then my decision would be way easier. Of course now I have to do it the hard way. For the past few days I've been leaning toward going home, but now with a real job offer I'm finding myself leaning back to about 50/50. Goodness! What should I do????? I wanna throw up. I told them I'd let them know by Friday. Ugh!

In other news, I've been hanging out in Hillsboro, OR. Actually last weekend was way fun cause I had friends who drovo up from Salt Lake. Yay for Pioneer Day. We went to the beach and all over Portland. It was fabulous. Otherwise I've been trying to keep myself occupied...... I'm in the middle of a few craft projects, going to the library, reading, watching crappy tv, etc. Oh I also have been jogging a few times. Though it sort of stunk the other day when I got lost - the suburbs are such a maze. Oooh. I also went to the temple yesterday. That was nice. Oh. And the day before that I went and saw the documentary Young@Heart at a cheap theater here. If you ever get a chance you gotta see it. It is so tender. Old people can be so cute when they're not totally grouchy. And yes, I cried - 3 separate times. The song Fix You by Coldplay will never be the same.

Oh brother. What should I do?

Seattle/Portland

2008-07-19T13:15:00.000-07:00

Hey. So I had my interview in Seattle a little over a week ago. I think it went well - though it's always impossible to tell. I know they're in the process of checking out my references now - so we'll see. More of the problem is that I need to figure out if I want the job or not if I get an offer. Before, I kept telling myself that I'd figure things out once I had the interview..... shoot. In the meantime, I'm enjoying the pacific northwest. The highlights have been a day at the beach (but getting the car stuck in the sand sucked) and blueberry/raspberry picking. Plus, I've been trying to keep myself busy with projects - like making baby blankets for my new nephews. They're still in the hospital - they're doing okay, but they need to put on some more weight before they can be sent home. Here's some new pictures. I want to meet them so bad!

Twiners!!!!

2008-07-07T19:39:00.000-07:00

Here's Joshua (5lb 2 oz) and Jeremy (5lb 9 oz)! Cute!

Portland, OR

2008-07-06T21:11:00.000-07:00

So, I made it to portland after one more day of torture in the car. I've been staying with my sister and her kids. One of her daughters loves me and won't leave me alone for a second. Luckily some of her cousins also came to visit yesterday and she's lost interest in me. It's been nice seeing family and hanging out. Though, I'm getting seriously bored. The novelty of this big unknown adventure has definitely worn off and i'm ready for the next phase of my life to start already.

It's definitely been weird to be here and i've found myself missing philly quite a bit. Yesterday I spent the day in downtown Portland. Oh. actually crazy thing. I ran into Alex Quistberg at a giant bookstore in portland. (it was a way awkward side hug - I hate side hugs). He was there visiting Dave Bailley (maybe some of you know him?) another guy who I knew from philly from before my mission, who just moved to portland a week ago. CRAZY! And please spare me the comments about me and Alex. It was a total coincidence (not fate and I'm not Felicity).

Also went to a Blues Festival in Portland..... and I realized two things. One - I like zydeco music. Two - hippies can be sort of cute when you only see one at a time and with a big break in between...... but when there's a whole mess of them all in one town its not cute anymore. all the flowy dresses and beaded jewelry. ugh. I'm definitely missing the diversity of philly. I was sad that the only black people there were the people playing in the bands. I think Philly definitely meshed well with my middle child issues of liking to be different. Here I'm just another mid-20s, environmentally-conscious (or trying to be) white girl in a town full of them. Yuck.

Utah

2008-06-30T19:28:00.000-07:00

So, I made it to Utah. Barely. I knew Nebraska was going to be annoying so I wasn't surprised when Nebraska went on forever. But Wyoming about made me crazy. It went on forever! I listened to country music and went to an awesome gas station with animal heads hanging on the wall. The past few days I've been chillin with friends in Salt Lake. It's been fun to see old friends and see mountains and not have humidity to deal with. Still, right when i got to Salt Lake I was really sad to not be in philly. Tomorrow I will probably head to Portland. I can't believe I have to get back in the car!! ugh. Sometime I will post pics from my trip. Don't worry.

York Nebraska

2008-06-26T05:21:00.000-07:00

So I have survived two days in the car and 12 hours between me and Zion. Only a few nasty states to get through. The highlights of my trip have been seeing the Worlds Largest Truckstop in Iowa and a Danish town - also in Iowa - they have a windmill and Danish flags everywhere. The best part was that I was able to buy a abelskiver maker. Yes! For those of you who don't know an abelskiver is a delicious Danish pancake/scone sort of thing. I've been keeping my open for a pan for years. Who knew I would find it in Iowa. Alright. Time to get back on the road.

Update

2008-06-20T16:45:00.000-07:00

Hey. Well, it's official. Today was my last day at work. At the beginning of next week I'll be packing up and driving out west. Not exactly sure where I'm gonna end up but that's a small detail. good heavens, I feel a little crazy. whatever. it's good to be young and unemployed. work it out.

positive coping

2008-03-11T15:50:00.000-07:00

All the time I talk to people about coping skills and now I'm needing to follow my own advice. What I want to do is put on pajamas and lay in my bed for hours despite the fact that it's not even 7 pm. I am trying to resist and have compromised to jeans and a hooded sweatshirt (with the hood on which makes a difference).

Something really terrible happened with one of my clients this week. And it is affecting me. Up until now I've been pretty effective at "turning off" when I come home from work, but now it is too intense. It is too much. But it's so much less than what my client is confronting that I feel guilty for feeling overwhelmed. How dare I feel bad when she feels so much worse. How dare I complain about headaches and the desire to wear pajamas 24/7 when her suffering is exponential compared to mine. I feel guilty about my attempts to avoid the pain when for her it is unavoidable.

And I don't know what to do to help her. Right now I hate that there are no perfect answers. And that time, passes so slow. It would be nice to fast forward a few months when things will be a little easier. It pisses me off. Yesterday when I was driving home a car honked (I don't know if it was necessarily at me, but it felt like it was) and I yelled at full volume (not at the car, but just out at the world) I noticed smiling people walking down the street. Some people could be experiencing some of life's happiest moments while for other people the world is literally falling apart.

Still, I am glad for the connections I have with my clients. There suffering is real whether we are there to witness it or not. And maybe my presence matters is some small way.

INFP

2008-01-04T18:17:00.001-08:00

I used to pride my self on being an INTP, but sometime in the past few years I've become a feeler instead of a thinker. I like it.

You Are An INFP

The Idealist
You are creative with a great imagination, living in your own inner world.Open minded and accepting, you strive for harmony in your important relationships.It takes a long time for people to get to know you. You are hesitant to let people get close.But once you care for someone, you do everything you can to help them grow and develop.
In love, you tend to have high (and often unrealistic) standards.You are very sensitive. You tend to have intense feelings.
At work, you need to do something that expresses your personal values.You would make an excellent writer, psychologist, or artist.
How you see yourself: Unselfish, empathetic, and spiritual
When other people don't get you, they see you as: Unrealistic, naive, and weak

What's" Your Personality Type?

ch-ch-ch-changes

2007-09-16T13:41:00.000-07:00

it's funny that when i was supposed to be working on my thesis this blogging thing was a welcome distraction. now it feels like a chore. so i apologize. here's the update....

I am back in philly. i totally loved being home. here are a few more highlights - a moose in the backyard, and a day at the lake with my nephews.

Then on to Utah. It was absolutely lovely seeing old friends and new babies (at least they were new to me). Another highlight was watching centerstage. I also went to a friends wedding which was great. It was a pretty great 5 days.

So, now I am back in philly. In the two weeks I have been back I have moved into a new apartment, started a new job and bought a car. It's been a little hectic so I apologize to anyone who's calls i have ignored and for not calling people. Also, my mom wanted to see pics of my new car so here you go momma. Isn't she cute! A 2002 honda civic. The couple I bought her from is Polish.... so i was thinking about a polish name for her.... any ideas?

eight stars of gold on a field of blue

2007-08-19T21:55:00.000-07:00

I'm in Alaska!!!

Mt Mckinley was out on the drive up from anchorage.

We went wild blueberry picking

Also went to the farmers market where I saw a typical alaskan truck - complete with an "alaskans for independence" bumper sticker.

Home sweet home.

avril lavigne lyrics

2007-08-08T19:35:00.000-07:00

I wasn't sure what to title this post, but somehow I felt like some avril lavigne lyrics would probably fit, though unfortunately I couldn't think of any actual lyrics besides "hey hey you you". Anyway, just imagine some melodramatic, slightly annoyed, with a tinge of angry lyrics... sung by a canadian.... maybe alanis morisette would fit too.

the point is that I'm still confused, but it's building up past the point of just being slightly unnerving and I'm starting to get mad. Really, I should be grateful. I got an official job offer. Positives: working with the same kids I already know and love, strong team focus - I think I'd feel a lot of support, would need to get a car which I've been craving, learn lots about family therapy. Negatives: working more with families (I totally believe that family work is the most beneficial, but I'm scared.... I feel fine, even confident, about doing therapy with a kid, but I'm a little nervous about telling a 35 year old mom from innercity philly about how to parent her child), doing therapy in the home (distractions, jealous siblings, general chaos, seeing the situations some of the kids live in, etc), having to transport art supplies could be a total pain. There would be a lot of challenges, but the prospective of learning from the challenges is kind of exciting.

Since I've never dated a boy for longer than about 3 months I've never gotten to the point of real commitment, but I've always sort of wondered if maybe I'm a commitment-phobe, but just haven't gotten a chance to find out. This job search, decision-making stuff makes me think that I probably am. While I'm hating being so unsettled, it's almost better that being settled and feeling stuck.......

shoot.

Done!

2007-07-25T10:26:00.000-07:00

Today I gave my three final copies to the library so they can be bound into real life books. I can't believe it! Honestly, that thesis has been occupying space in my brain for almost a year now. Now I can officially free up that space for more pop culture. yeah.

Still, this final push has cost me a chunk of change. $100+ for printing and $60 for binding. Dang. But still, it's nice to know that it those are my last official school expenses. Though I have to admit as the back-to-school commercials start popping up I'm a little sad that I won't be buying fresh notebooks this fall.

I am still in a major state of uncertainty these days. I was getting closer to a decision to leave Philly and head back west in the direction of Portland (probably), maybe like 70% decided. But yesterday I got an email from my old boss at my internship about a job opening at a new school that's opening in the same area that a lot of my clients last year will be going to. It's pretty tempting and I would LOVE working with some of the same kids...... so now I'm back to 50/50. Brother.

no i haven't finished harry potter

2007-07-22T14:45:00.000-07:00

This weekend has been busy. one of my good friend/neighbors/washer-dryer lenders/DVR owners/dinner providers is moving this weekend. So most of my weekend was spent helping her move. I took a small break to pick up harry potter which I haven't even been able to crack the cover of. When I wasn't helping to move, i had to find a hot pink t-shirt to bedazzle as a birthday present. bedazzling is cool, but more time-consuming than you'd imagine. I was barely able to sneak in a shower before going to see harry potter at the IMAX 3-D for the second time (first time at the imax). if you ask me, not worth $15, but whatever.

This morning I got up at 5 to take someone to the airport, came home slept, and prepared a talk for sacrament meeting.

since first seeing the harry potter movie a few weeks ago I've been re-reading book 6 in preparation for 7. I actually was able to finish it this morning before church. Now I can't wait to get home and start on 7. And this way, when timmy calls to discuss what's going on with the book i won't have to yell at him to not tell me anything.

p.s. I still don't know what I'm doing, though for all of you who want me to come live by them start making your offers. Jenn and Meagan have offered DVR, meals, and wardrobes that I can share. What do you have to offer?

2007-07-10T11:49:00.000-07:00

I had my defense today. I passed!!!!! yay! Really yay! I'm so so glad to have that done. What a relief! I have a few revisions to do of course, but really not much at all. Nothing that should take me more than 1 or 2 hours. Awesome. In fact my thesis advisor said that I have the least revisions to do than anyone that she remembers. yeah. man oh man. I'm so glad. I literally leaped and skipped out of the building. Then I stopped quickly because it's like a hundred degress out and humid and I'm wearing my professional clothes.

Now I'm starving because I was too nervous to eat most of the day. I'm gonna go get myself something good. Actually, it will likely end up being Wendy's because I have to walk by there on the way home and a frosty is sounding pretty good right now. We'll see.

I passed!!!

my shoulders hurt

2007-07-06T13:17:00.000-07:00

I've been working at the summer camp I worked at last summer because they were desperate and I had fond memories of last year. They're supposed to be hiring someone else and I have an interview with their behavioral health program. We'll see. anyway, my shoulders hurt from carrying around a bag full of inhalers and epi-pens. Kids have too many allergies. I wonder if I really would've been able to stab a needle into some kids thigh if they ate a peanut. Luckily i didn't find out today.

My birthday is tomorrow. 26. I don't want to do anything. People keep calling me, texting me, wanting to know what I want to do. There's also a ward activity. I signed up to bring drinks because it was the easiest, but I dont' want to go. They could survive without drinks. I've been in a mood lately. A grumpy mood. Or maybe just an introverted mood. I was at this bbq for the 4th and I had some major social anxiety. Well, maybe not major, but enough that I had to sneak away and hide. Then this one girl came and sat on my lap and kissed me on the cheek. I know she meant well, but I was isolating myself for a reason and then she invades my personal space. Annoying.

My defense is on Tuesday, so in all reality, I'll probably spend a chunk of my birthday working on that. I don't really care though. I don't get the point of birthdays. Man, I really am in a grumpy mood. bah humbug.

i guess i did something

2007-06-29T09:13:00.000-07:00

I was sitting here thinking that i didn't do anything this week.

then i remembered that i went to manhattan on wednesday. i went to the manhattan temple for the first time. it was lovely. i mean really lovely. i love mini-temples. i love normal sized temples too. but there's just something more intimate about the mini's. it was a shock walking out into the city. its like you forget.

after the temple i went to see jared's art at a gallery in chelsea. it was great to see. so smart.

then i went to the virgin record store at union square and bought a few cds. those $10 sales get me every time. the new ryan adams, an old rufus wainwright which i loved and lost (if i lent it to you i guess you can keep it now), and the new mandy moore.

then i made it home and watched so you think you can dance. my fav's at this point - lacey and kameron, dominic and sabra. my favorite of the night though was definitely jamie and hok. wow. wade robson is one great choreographer.

finally

2007-06-22T12:11:00.000-07:00

I did the math yesterday. I have loved wilco since 1999/2000. My first year in Philly I had no TV and 5 or so DVDs. One was the wilco doc. that I watched over and over. I have been itching to see them for 7 years and finally my dreams came true somewhere in Maryland. It was completely satisfying and I left feeling a little giddy. Plus, I played MASH when we were waiting for the music and I have the best future ever. Married to Brandon Flowers, living in NY as a fashion designer, riding the subway, 5 kids and a pet mini-mini poodle (which sounds ugly, but my cousin has one and it is the cutest dog ever - and no shedding!) It was a good night.

shopoholic

2007-06-21T07:53:00.000-07:00

Two sundays ago i gave the relief society lesson about "living providently" - keeping a garden, food storage, reducing debt, etc....

I am a hypocrite

Yesterday I bought three pairs of shoes........ I've been itching to buy shoes for a while now. I think that last pair of shoes I bought was back in November for my brother's wedding so it's been awhile, especially for a shoe-lover like me. My fav - red flats with a little leopard print trim. only $10. Cute - yes, unnecessary - yes. I also bought a pair of jeans that were on-sale for $10. The last thing I need is more jeans, but..... they are totally Lenny Kravitz-worthy.

I realize that I am almost 26, but I still buy clothes that are marketed to 16 year olds. Is that wrong?

President Kimball would be ashamed of me. That's the problem with being unemployed. There's nothing to do but walk around and spend money that I don't have. Still, the job hunt continues. I just applied for a job working with geriatrics..... I've been focusing on child/adolescent jobs thus far, but figured I might as well. Old people give me the heebie-jeebies a bit, but maybe I should broaden my experiences so I'll have more options later......

good thesis news

2007-06-19T10:55:00.001-07:00

I met with my thesis advisor yesterday. The first thing she said to me "I was so impressed!" YES! She said it was so so nice and that my writing was really good. yeah! There are just a few little points to change and a few typos.... my favorite "the participant'sexperience.... ha. freud would've gotten a kick out of that.

In other news... I went to DC over the weekend and played with my friend jessie. We went to a singles barbeque where I ran into the james dewey.... who started the poetry club that I went to my last year at byu. that was kind of exciting. The best part was that he didn't remember my name, but remembered one of my poems. I think that is an enormous compliment. He provided me with a little motivation to open up my notebooks and write a little more poetry.

In other news.... I think I want to buy the new Mandy Moore album. I don't know what my fascination is with her, but i just think she's mature and classy, especially compared to a lot of the young celebrities these days. And I've heard some of her new stuff and it actually sounds pretty good. And co-writing with rachel yamagata. classy.

the best afternoon ever

2007-06-15T11:34:00.000-07:00

Saw Ryan Adams for free today. It was ..... lovely. yum. My thanks to Alex who is a member of XPN and who checks his email lots and was able to get the tickets. And thanks to Ryan for being sober and for writing lovely songs and for the voice.

The best evening ever!

2007-06-14T13:48:00.001-07:00

Went and watched the new flick "once". there are no words..... beautiful. My heart feels bigger because of that movie. beautiful.

Came home and watched "so you think you can dance". Lacey and Kameron. there are no words. beautiful. my heart grew even more.

the best evening ever.

Nauseating

2007-06-12T10:59:00.000-07:00

I am unemployed and bored. I won't be able to defend my thesis until early July.... So that leaves me with about a month of time. I've been job-hunting. I hate it. I hate sending out resumes because I hate feeling like people are judging me. Plus, it's terrifying to think about starting a new phase of my life. After a few hours of looking for jobs online I start to feel sick. In fact, this morning when I was getting ready to leave my apartment to work on resumes, etc I started to feel nauseous..... Pavlov was right.

2007-06-06T09:33:00.000-07:00

Here are 3 of the 22 bed bug bites that I got sleeping at my dad's hotel. Holiday Inn sucks.

And here is the 3 copies of the first draft of my thesis. are you impressed?

I don't know!

2007-06-04T12:59:00.000-07:00

These days, the questions seem to be coming more often.... Or maybe I'm just more sensitive. Either way, the answer is the same..... I don't know. I don't know what I'm doing in a few months. I don't know where I will be living. I don't know what I will be doing. I don't know.

I missed church last week and I heard from two friends that there was a perfect new boy for me. He wasn't there. Dashed hopes.

Its a boy!

2007-05-29T08:53:00.000-07:00

They say writing a thesis is like giving birth.... I was going to go into the details of where my baby is in terms of anatomy, but I was started to gross myself out, so I'll hold back. In all reality, it's not born yet, but I'm getting close. I submitted the first draft of my thesis to my committee members today. One trip to Staples, $110, some huge binder clips, and it's in. I was honestly nauseated while it was getting printed and copied. And then to see it - all 236 pages, it was a moment - liberating and terrifying.

In other news, I went to a catered dinner with my dad yesterday for this conference he's at here in philly. They were serving steak.... Now I am not a vegetarian, but I honestly can't remember the last time I ate red meat. I think my friend Jenn made some taco soup with hamburger in it.... but when was that... months ago? So, they set this plate in front of me, one big, rare chunk of meat. And I'm thinking, "okay, julie, you can do this" and I picked up my knife and fork and started to cut into it and the weirdest thing happened - I honestly felt nauseous. Just thinking about it, I'm feeling sick. Weird, I think it was the cutting that really put my over the top. I feel like I could eat a steak fajita, or a hamburger without too much problem.... because then I don't really have to see it. I hate to eat meat if there's any bones involved - it's just too much like an animal. I like to image that there's a chicken breast tree somewhere. Now I've discovered that I can't cut red meat. Oh, and my story has a happy ending - they had a vegetarian option - and I had a lovely dinner of grilled vegetables.

a disaster and a miracle

2007-05-27T06:14:00.000-07:00

last night I cried about my thesis for the first time. I mean cried. A computer glitch made me lose an hours worth of work. Really, not that big of a deal.... but for some reason I just couldn't deal. The thought of having to rewrite what I'd done was terrifying. I'm to the point where every moment of working on it is pretty much torture and I just want to be done. So I just let the tears come. Actually, I'm pretty impressed that after about a year of working on I've only actually shed tears once. Not bad really. And after all those tears, by some miracle. I mean a real miracle I found what I thought I'd lost. miracles.

2007-05-24T08:50:00.001-07:00

I am so mad. I am absolutely seething. I'm madder now than I've been in a long time - maybe ever. Computers stink!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Something that should have been so simple has now taken up 2 and a half hours of my life that i can't get back - and it's still not right. ooooohhhhh I am so so angry. I want to stamp my feet, pound my fists and just yell at the top of my lungs. I HATE THESIS!

almost there....

2007-05-23T13:23:00.000-07:00

So, last night and this morning I finished the results section, conclusion, and wrote the abstract. The only thing left to do is finish up/edit the discussion, and finish up the formatting and put it all together..... I can almost taste it..... still, I can't really motivate myself to work on the discussion. I am just so tired and thinking about, reading about, and mostly writing about this stuff. Today I spent the afternoon at Borders reading magazines and listening to CDs. Bought the new Wilco and the semi-new Feist. I've been avoiding the work for a while and need to get back to it, but I really don't want to. We'll see.

American Idol was really unfair - making Blake sing that silly cheesy girly song. I think I voted for him more than I would have out of sympathy. I need a boy who wears argyle sweater vests.

2007-05-22T13:46:00.000-07:00

So far today I've updated my intro - added bits about the results and discussion. I wrote it months and months ago so it was a bit of a mess, but I think I got it. I also spent forever working on some formating. I swear I spent hours on the stupid table of contents. I never knew that dot leaders existed and I had know idea how to put them in. After trying some stuff I finally got it, though I'm not exactly sure what I did. It's getting more and more tedious. But the good news is that I'm getting down to a "to do" list that isn't too terrifying. Add a little bit to the results, finish the discussion, finish up the conclusion, and write the abstract, finish formating and put it all together...... we're getting close.

I'm excited cause my parents are coming to philly tonight for a week. I'll have to ditch them a bit to work on thesis, but I feel like I've got things under control for the most part. And a break tonight to watch American Idol tonight. I recognize that Jordin is a better singer, but I can't help loving Blake - he's got style, and I generally love the personal spin he puts on things..... I'm afraid Jordin will just turn into a robot.

But something more exciting than American Idol is coming on thursday. That's right people - so you think you can dance! I can't wait.

one week

2007-05-21T13:02:00.000-07:00

my first draft is due a week from tomorrow. I need to update my intro, trim my results section, add a bit to my discussion and conclusion and format format format. miraculously I actually think I'm going to get it done. Though I am not excited about paying for 3 copies - with my thesis likely being a bit more than 200 pages. but 200 pages! I can't believe I've written 200 pages of something. Yay for accommplishments with page numbers attached. back to work.

2007-05-18T11:31:00.001-07:00

In an attempt to salvage my sanity and to self-congratulate myself (redundant) and provide motivation in working on my thesis I begin this blog. I hope no one ever sees it. Thank you.