big day

Mark and I both had exciting days. His version of his day is on his blog, but it consisted of hanging out on the set at our apartment building with the film crew of a tv pilot. Here are some pictures he took. It sounded very exciting!


This is Jamie Kennedy, who Mark got to talk to and who has a new movie out next month.

This is Jamie and the Director, Paul Dinello. Mark said that where he was standing when he took this picture (below) was four or five feet from where Jamie came to stand between takes when he wasn't acting over by the doorway or on the grass.

This (below) is the view from our apartment window. They were setting things up last night and I kept hearing a guy yelling from where it sounded like he was standing on our fire escape.

(Below) is a good overview of what the whole street was like. There were cops and equipment trucks everywhere.
They were still working when I got home, so I got to see Jamie Kennedy, the director and a few other key players before they started packing up. (And suprisingly still got a decent parking place)

In other news, my second day at work was terriffic. I was able to sort of pin down what I am doing and get a deeper discrete idea of how to do it. I have come concrete tasks and some more arbitrary ones, but still, good solid goals and I am loving it. I created a spreadsheet report that filtered some data and drilled down to see some facts that may have actually been useful, had the report been real (it was an exercise... someone else had already completed it, I was just "redoing" it because it will be my job in the future.)

I got my loaner computer set up, some business cards on order, some special programs and a killer powerful laptop and desktop on order, some office supplies, some database training, and I got to sit down with the Chief Actuary.

work sick

I didn't realize how much I missed working.

I survived my first day. Barely. I woke up in the middle of the night sicker than a dog... but you just don't call in on your first day. So, I only got two hours of sleep and went in...

It was mostly human resources paperwork and reading risk management text books, so nothing too terrible. However, I doubt that [as miserable as I was] I made a delightful impression on my coworkers.

I love my job though. Great perks, great benefits, and it looks like I will have a lot of avenues there. I found out I get a bonus of roughly 15% of my salary every year... cool. I also do not feel in over my head, which is something I was worried about coming from a Math theory school to a real world application setting.

I hope I am not worse tomorrow, but I did give them a heads up that if I get worse, I will be calling in until I'm better... This is the most empowered I have ever been on a job.

me

Mark's latest photography experiment is a move toward portraits.

When I look at this picture, I can't even believe it is me...

peace

I've said this before, but scrapbooking really takes me to a stress-free and enjoyable place. I've spent a little time lately working on my 2006 book, and (despite promising not to bore the non-scrapbook appreciating readers of my blog) have some latest pics of my work.

(Graduation - above - using photoshop, I selected myself from the crowd as I am shaking hands and getting my diploma - lower left - and then turned up the saturation of colors on me, and turned down to almost black and white the saturation of colors of everyone else in the crowd to take a mediocre picture and make it awesome. I also included my "Yee-Haw" picture, upper right, which Mark hates because I am so animated I look like a vampire, but I love it because that is how I FELT... and I just love that the picture shows it.)

(The Disneyland layout - above - is done on black and greys with black and white patterned papers infused with bright colored paper to reflect the mix of the sad and happy of the trip. I didn't want it to be too upbeat and gawdy, because between our laughter we all had tears in our eyes that day.)

(This Christmas layout - above - is what I did today, and I am really proud of it. The design is a lot more streamlined and sophisticated than my usual stuff, and was inspired by this holly and argyle patterned paper. Also, my first attempt at hand stitching paper. I got a few design suggestions from Mark, who is always really honest and insightful with his artistic eye.)

the business

The Big White Van with many strangers staring at our building and "awww"-ing and then quickly getting on their cell phones. And then more vans. And more cell phones. It was weird. I actually took a picture. I heard one guy say "oh, yeah (pointing at the top of the building) that looks like it will just come right down" and for a minute there, I thought they were going to blow our building up.And then a van with a logo came and they started ripping out the base of a wall.

And then they called to tell us Buena Vista is filming in the apartment directly above us next week and give us a film crew schedule so that we wouldn't be alarmed. Just as long as there are no bombs going off...

got work

I just accepted a formal "Para-Actuary" job offer (Actuary in training).

I start on Monday.

Yee-Haww.

exotic

I made Indian Curry Pork for dinner.

Some exotic facts about me:

HOBBIES

• Yodeling, and learning to sing Jazz
• Trying to walk my cat on a leash
• Art, mostly involving photography
• Sewing Barbie Clothes and other pointless crafts

PLACES I'VE LIVED

• Utah
• North Carolina
• Arizona
• England
• California

PLACES I'VE TRAVELED

• Wales, Scotland, Germany, France, Amsterdam, Belgium, Luxembourg, Canada, Mexico, Costa Rica, England
• New York, Chicago, Idaho, Yellowstone, Florida, Maryland, Four Corners

THINGS I HAVE TRIED

• Bungee Jumping, Rock Climbing, Skateboarding, Rappelling, Sailing, Wind Surfing, Snorkeling, Flying a single engine plane,
• Guitar, Piano, Violin, Viola, Banjo, Harmonica, Flute, Saxaphone, Trumpet, Recorder, Bass
• Writing a Novel, Film Script, TV Pilot, Music, and Educational Text

THINGS I HAVE NEVER DONE

• Tattoo, Skydive, Scuba, Hang Gliding, Sewn my own clothes
• Anything I regret

nature day

Adventures of the still-currently-unemployed continues... this episode, in nature.

We went to the "Lake Shrine" which is a garden/lake open to the public for all-faith spiritual reflection. We walked around and sat for a while, enjoying the smells and sounds. We saw a little mouse in the flower bed. Here is a picture of me trying to look relaxed: We also went for an unplanned hike up Topanga Canyon. I usually don't go hiking in a skirt but, we were being spontaneous.
So now you know that we have nature in LA. (Also... of note, I think they filmed the opening sequence of M*A*S*H in these hills somewhere.)

santa monica pier

We went out to the beach over the weekend. We caught it at the perfect time, just an hour before sunset.

We walked around a little taking pictures and taking in the scene. At one point, I sat down and just enjoyed the waves rolling in.

This beach has a lot of vendors hawking crafts, talents, and wares. This guy was twirling stuff for tips. Another guy there was squatting the weight of two volunteers from the crowd in shopping carts. Another played a one-man-band. In the past, we have seen sword swallowers, guys who jump off chairs onto shards of glass, and all sorts of fun entertainers. Right on the end of the pier at sunset, a guy was playing the pan flute.

After dark, the arcade seemed like the place to be. We went on a ride on a historical carousel, with hand carved unique wooden horses. There are only a few of these old ones in existence, and they go around pretty darn fast.
The horses are very detailed.

When we got home, we ordered in some Thai food. I had Thai on the lunch with my interviewer for the first time in my life, and it was so good that I couldn't wait to have Mark try it. Now, we are hooked and have gotten it a few times. We'll have to learn how to cook it... but getting the ingredients sounds hard... and I might not like it so much if I know what's in it.

I like the Yellow Curry Chicken. It is like a soup with chicken and potatoes in a coconut milk creme based sweet and spicy sauce, served with white rice. It kind of reminds me of what would happen if you mixed Chinese food with Indian food.

a pro

This is me in my fancy outfit the day I went to my interview. I was pretty nervous when this was taken, but by the time I got up there early and killed an hour at Starbucks with my favorite latte treat, I was all smiles. I filled out paperwork today to facilitate getting an offer.... looks good.

around town

We went to the top of one of the hills in Hollywood to a place called Yamashiros, which is kind of a famous for it's view. It was a nice clear day, so you can see downtown.

Then we went to Hollywood Blvd to walk around and saw this TV film crew shooting something.

time flies

We've been here almost two weeks, now.

I just had a neat chat with Aunt Velora, and she made some profound remarks. She said, 'To go from taking the horse and buggy to man-on-the-moon and the ipod generation, it's the biggest transition mankind has ever had to make and for those of us that have lived through the whole thing, it's a lot of transition.'

I had my big interview yesterday. I think it went well and I really hope they make me an offer. I should hear back within a week or two. The job sounds really fun and dynamic and the commute would not be as bad as I thought.

I decided to buckle down and take advantage of this period of unemployment to try to get a breakthrough on my actuary exam studies so that I can see the mark of improvement necessary to get success in May.

connected

We're going stir crazy. I never thought I would say this, but we can't wait to go back to work. It is nice to have some free days to lounge around, take care of things, or go do something. But, when all that is done, what do you do?

Good news is, I have an 6 1/2 hour interview on Friday for the commute-70-miles-a-day job. It seems like a good opportunity, and I guess I will get a test drive on how that commute goes when I go up for the interview. I've always wanted to commute to work in a helicopter. I hear they are hard to fly, though...

Our internet is up and running (fast) now. Please write me an email. I'm so bored and I don't have anything left to alphabetize or organize.

beachy

Mark and I drove quite far up the coast yesterday to feel the ocean wind in our hair. We stopped off at this rocky cliff side beach area in Malibu where a lot of folks were digging clams and mussels.

When we lived here last time, we went to the beach nearly every weekend... with a book, our rollerblades, or just a blanket to sit on. I think this is a tradition we will have to renew. It was so nice.

I hear some people in the family went resort skiing on the same day. What a fun contrast!

see our place

Our edifice. The building is four stories and a basement. The laundry is in the basement. Here are some of the features I love, from left to right and top to bottom...
The window in the hall leading out to the fire escape is lovely and keeps the hallway from getting dank... we open it periodically. The metal work for the railings, stairs, fire escape, etc all appear to be hand crafted and have lots of swirly touches. The tile is pretty groovy... it's old and spattered with paint in places, but lovable. The door knobs and cabinet pulls are all these crystal glass antique style that we used to have a long time ago. Our entryway has these great marbled mirrors and art deco interior design. All the ceilings are rounded out by hand. There is a great little gap between the stairwells with light pouring down from a skylight high above in the hallway. Some (not all) of our light fixtures are antique candelabra deals. The elevator door is a gate that you pull to the side.

The kitchen has lots and lots of cabinets. There are two ovens and I love the glass case for the dishes. It finally got me to set aside the not matching dishes. No automatic dishwasher...
This little nook between the living room and bedroom is (according to Scott) a common feature in upscale urban neighborhoods... it is for dressing to the nines for social events. We are using it as an office nook. I will do my hair and makeup at the dressing table, though. Our view from the front living room is really pretty. The houses on the street are all very architecturally interesting and it is a well groomed and affluent neighborhood.
We took today off. It was nice not to play tetris with real objects in real space and not carry heavy stuff up the stairs... well we did get groceries, but we get to eat them, so it is worth it.

We drove out to Malibu and I sat on the beach for a while while Mark took pictures. It was very relaxing, and it is starting to set in that we are actually here.

I hope you called Evan.

simple life

Wow. We have parking permits. It took most of the day, but we don't have to take turns driving around in circles while the other person unpacks. We also picked up some matching bedside tables with drawers to accommodate our new space. While we were shopping, a casting director asked us to audition for the "simple life."

We are almost done unpacking. Another day, maybe.

I feel like I have gone, nonstop, for two months. We decided to take Saturday off and not do anything productive whatsoever. Sounds well deserved!

home again

I woke up in our new home for the first time this morning.

We drove out yesterday morning (leaving at 4am.) Scott and Evan helped us unload the truck in a phenomenal five hours (considering that it took three days to load it.)

We're still swimming in a sea of boxes and I can't find my clean pants or our food, but we're here, and we're pretty blown away.

Our place is a lot cooler than I remember. Plus, I didn't notice a lot of the more amazing features... there is 24 hour access to the roof... with a beautiful panoramic view that includes an entire panorama of the city, the hollywood sign, and downtown. We have an elevator with the gate door that you pull to the side, like you see in movies. (That gate is heavy, by the way.) Plus our place is pretty big.

We're trying to sort out how this place works a little. We need a parking pass, and fast. We already got a ticket... Our street is preferential parking only and without a permit, we have to move our car every two hours during the day and cannot park anywhere between 6 and 7 (both am and pm) which is tiring. We have to jump through some hoops... get our car registered and DL's in CA, a confirmation of utility bill as proof of address, and so on... lots to do.

And we pretty burned out. I just want to sleep for two days. (And hire a temp person to unpack in the meantime.)

Since I am piggybacking on some strangers' wireless connection to write this, I will wait to post pictures until our cable guy puts in our high speed internet connection tomorrow.

Things are going... moving along.

last az day

Today is the day we drive out to CA for keeps. The moving van is nearing capacity and our rooms are sparcely littered with only odds and ends around the perimeter, cleaning products, and trash bags.

It looks like a crack house.

Still plenty of work to do and now, just 24 hours to do it in.

The goodbyes have been harder than I expected.

contrasts

Our last move seemed a lot less complicated. I guess that life is accumulative, both with respect to the tangible and the intangible. This move has a lot more at stake.

It is surreal.

The house is looking pretty empty. Most everything has migrated to boxes stacked in the living room or is gone. We got rid of fantastic amounts of "stuff." If we haven't touched it in a year, it went. (Except nostalgia items, which we agreed had to fit inside a storage tub.) It was a difficult cleansing... but we are lighter for it, and prefer to be even lighter still. I think more will naturally go as we unpack and can't find places for everything.

Ever since our apartment burned, I like to remain unattached to our things, and remember that our stuff is not our life... our life is our life... that what we do is what matters, not what we have.

Also, I am reminded how awesome it is to have a partner who is in synch with me on the important things. I really appreciate Mark at times like these.

moving along

We are off work in 10 days, pick up our rental truck in 12, and move in 14. It is all very surreal and we are starting to realize that it is actually happenning.

This weekend we spend much time going through things and getting the apartment ready to turn in our keys. I spent most of today with cleaning gloves on. The stove is glistening. I love getting things done and working hard.

We have plenty to keep us busy next weekend, too. Our only caveat is that we really wanted to do a couple of fun things before we leave that we will miss, so fitting it all into next weekend will be our challenge.

I don't have any pictures of our apartment, yet. It is VERY quaint. I will give the whole gushing report when I can support it visually.

call

Farmers insurance wants a telephone interview with me :)

progress

Done and Done.

Done (1) We have the apartment we looked at yesterday. I looked around and as I suspected, nothing measured up to it, and when you are in love... love is happy. Now we just have to restrain ourselves from pimping the place out, as urges go when you have a cool place.

Done (2) Mark finished the process for his job-transfer, so one of us is working when we get here.

Still pending... my job... hire me, I'm extremely smart, talented and amazing and not at all egotistical!

Also all the tiny details that are involved with changing your entire life... I wish I could hire a personal assistant... smile.

Oh, and a BIG thanks to Kevin N. for getting me sick, since I really love cough drops and naps.

Oh, and if you owe me money... our move-in deposit is huge and cash only... so every little bit helps.

super

I watched the superbowl with nachos and bean dip and Mark and his brother. It was pretty fun. I was up for a ridiculous amount of hours beforehand so I fell asleep when I came to the sad realization that the Bears would need a miracle to recover.

However, on the way here, we stopped at an apartment Mark found last week that I had previously vetoed because it is a little higher in price. Mark knew if I saw it... all kinds of magical thoughts would begin, which was true. He suggested all the bugetary things he would be willing to give up to live there... and I could see sacrificing a little to live in such a pretty place.

We love it so much that it seems pointless to go out today and look for places that are cool and cheaper (because I'd be thinking the whole time... yeah, but for an extra $75, I can live in that one place.) I'm still going to look, because LA is just loaded with cool, tucked away places that are precious.

We HAVE to pick and make financial arrangements THIS WEEK so that all other things can fall into place afterwards. I will post the winner, soon.

good jeans

While I was job seeking, I came across ZAFU. They develop complex algorythms for determining what clothes will fit you best for mail/catalog items. I tried out their website and they recommended 37 different specific pairs of jeans that I should try and where to buy them. Data mining like this gives an educated guess to shortcut an otherwise random process of selection. The results are "suggestions" that narrow your search toward the most likely items, but not all of them will fit perfectly.

I particularly like the "wishlist" question, on which you place a checkmark on what you wish your jeans hid, such as "muffin top" and "saddle bags."

Off to LA again this weekend. Still no job, no apartment.

plans, planes, and pains

Mark has a class in LA this weekend for transfering jobs. He'll be driving out Sunday morning. I was going to go with him, but... Jared died this morning.

I'm flying to Utah Friday returning Tuesday morning to attend his funeral services, which are on Saturday.

Times are tough.

weekend away

We are running out to LA this weekend. I want to get a lay of the land and look at some front running employers and apartments options.

I missed going to Jared's Fundraising Dinner and Auction. However, if you missed it too, you can still donate to the family by depositing to: JARED HATCH Charitable Account at America First Credit Union. The funds in this account will be used to help his family cover the medical costs and expenses.

Life moves fast, lately. Lots to say, but no time to say it.

home sweet home

I had a great trip home to Utah and arrived back yesterday evening safely. It was all I hoped it would be, and Evan and I had a great time.

kurtis

Cuando estoy contigo (I used "with you" instead of "around you" because Spanish does not translate that word very pretty and it has other vague meanings like "around the corner.")
no hay cielo
no hay tierra
sólo hay un vacío entre nosotros.

still working

I went over my bosses head and get to keep my job. I guess that is why it doesn't pay to worry.

a new year

We went on a photo trip to Superior and Miami, AZ this passed weekend and I got this decent shot of my lovey. He is hard to get a good picture of because he always makes what I call "angry face." For the New Year, I spent the evening with Jennifer, Stephanie and Lindsay K at a **nice** house where Jennifer is housesitting. We watched movies, had a toast at midnight and screamed "Happy New Year." Pretty typical. I tried a Mimosa, which is a trendy champagne cocktail with orange juice and a slice of orange. Pretty yum. Mark had to work. Poor guy.

I always try to set goals at the beginning of the year and share them. Last year I wrote:

My New Years resolutions are the same every year. Go to the gym regularly,
eat raw foods more often, floss more often, pick up after myself everyday, go
somewhere exciting, and do my best in school. This year I get to add "graduate
with disctinction," "pass actuary exam 1," and "find a real job."

I didn't go anywhere interesting or eat more raw foods. I ate more fast foods. Fast is like raw, in that either way, I didn't have to cook, right?

Well, this year, for the sake of writing them down... I want to:

• build ties with extended family by sending bday/anni cards, emailing and calling more often.
• build my partnership with Mark by doing my jobs on time and picking up after myself and being more polite.
• build my career by joining a social network such as toastmasters, passing exam 1, and getting my first job.
• build my fitness level by cross training and working out for 2 hours three times a week instead of 1 hour four times a week, adding pilates, yoga and more weights. I also want to eat a home-prepared meal six days a week.
• build my relaxing outlet to creativity by joining a scrapbooking club and scrapping twice a month.
• Pay more careful attention to my appearance.
• "Adventure" at least once a month and attend an "event" at least once a month.
• Always be learning a new thing.

mantras

I have some sayings that I live by:

There are things in life you can't control. But there are some thing YOU control (like your attitude, your effort and your worth.)

Love is an action verb, NOT a feeling.

You get OUT only the result of what you put IN. (The definition of "function" in mathematics - so someone who doesn't function must not be putting in.)

Never stop playing, being silly and having fun.

Just do it and quit bitching.

Find joy or it will never find you.

Life sucks. Go somewhere else to cry.

Change or you'll be the same all your life (which goes together with "nobody's perfect.")

How you suffer the hard times is what MAKES you. Good or bad.

Tackling challenges is what makes you strong. Doing easy things is the same as doing nothing.

Living is doing, not sitting.

xmas snapshots

happy happy

I am like a kid at christmas right now.

Oh. I am a kid at christmas right now. Mark is making me wait until the pants he wants to wear come out of the dryer... meanwhile, christmas at the mccowen's awaits us...

THE PANTS ARE READY!!!!

Woo hoo.

disneyland on the fly

I have a story that you probably haven’t heard if you aren’t a Hatch, long, but good.

I was lounging around Sunday when I decided to check my email. There was a cryptic message from Katie that only had a flight itinerary in the body. I deduced that since it included a layover in Phoenix that she wanted me to meet her at the airport, so I checked when… the flight came in THAT DAY and landed IN 20 MINUTES! So I threw on some pants, grabbed my keys, and flew out of the house… I made it with plenty of time and we had a nice visit. They told me they were on the way to Disneyland, that Jared would be flying direct the next day. I wished out loud that I could go… and when Mary said Jared would like that… I went.

After they caught their connecting flight, I called Evan. He was good to go, too, if I could wait until he got off work in a few hours. I drove home to wake up Mark to see if he was in. He woke up and groggily said he couldn’t call off work. I packed, took care of some things, and met some prior obligations (holiday baking with Jennifer) and we were driving to Los Angeles by 7:30 pm. Mark called when he woke up. He apparently had not completely woke up when I asked him and would have gone if he had… so he sent his regrets and went to work.

When we arrived extremely late, we took the Best Western Hotel Tour of Southern California (there are MANY on the same block surrounding Disneyland, and we went to three of them…) I feel sorry for whoever was in room 232 at the wrong one that we knocked on at 2:30 am.

We visited a bit with Katie and Mary and caught a few hours of sleep. I rode to the airport to pick up Jared. He didn’t know we came, so in the airport I snuck up behind him and hugged him. The expression I got was priceless. He expressed his disappointment that Evan couldn’t come. Ha. Ha. When we got back to the hotel and he walked in and saw Evan laying on one of the beds, he was so happy that he dog piled him.

We made it to the park about noon, had lunch and did the Disney thing. My favorite was the Tomorrow Land because Jared could go in with us and share the experience. I took the two girls (Kylee and Danielle) for a “girl” ride and we got princess ears. When Justice saw them, I imagine he was a little jealous. Evan then sneakily told me which ones he had his eyes on: a cap with led lights in the metallic ears. So I snuck off and got them, and had his name put on the back. Then I threw it on my head and pretended they were mine. When he saw them, he said, “I like those.” I told him they put my name on the back and asked him if they spelled it right. He read off all the letters one at a time, and then said, “You’re name is spelled like Justice?” all confused… I said, “No, this one must be yours” and popped it on his head. He lit up so bright.

The girls were with me for the parade, too. They had one of those classically magical reactions to the princesses. Their faces went hypnotically mesmerized and they started doing the parade wave and saying “hello princesses, hello princesses” with a whisper.

It was a marathon of adventure and at dark, we were tuckered out and cold. Some got hand stamps to go back for the fireworks and others (including myself) were done. We went back to the hotel, got warmed up, ate, visited, and crashed.

Evan and I took Jared for breakfast the following day and then had to take off to get home for work. The rest flew out at 4 pm.

It was ROCKIN!

notes from yesterday

Six other people got their Bachelors of Arts in Mathematics, and six got Bachelors of Science in mathematics.

The dinner show we went to was AWESOME!!! I just love music and I especially love a talent showcase, and this is it. Plus, they did a couple of yodeling songs, one in harmony, which had me grinning from ear to ear. I bought a couple of yodeling CDs so I can practice. So, if your ever in the area, Barleen's Arizona Opry is neat-0. The one guy was the actual same guy who sang the high part ah-weee-wee-ah-wee-a-ohm-a-way in the Token's tiger sleeps tonight. And he played the same Saxaphone that was used by the Glenn Miller Band to record the favorites such as "In the Mood." Pretty fun stuff.

woo hoo

blip, blip

I was ironing Mark's suit pants so he can wear them today for my graduation and found this in the pocket:

The last time he wore them was for the wedding. It made me smile remembering how hopped up on cold and flu drugs he was that day, swirling his theraflu in a wine goblet while he socialized.

Funny how much today has reminded me of that day... getting ready, getting the gown together...

wait over

grades are in.

we're good.

Tomorrow is the big cap and gown and the closing of a big chapter in my life and the start of a new one. It's sort of like turning 30, though. One more blip.

Done

Finals are over.

Now we wait.

last day of school

This afternoon, I take both of my finals and (assuming I don't fail them) I am done with college until I start my Masters. I'm going to wait a while.

I love how they call you and ask for a gift to the college right when you graduate. Shouldn't I pay my loans off first before I go helping poor students? I still am a poor student.

My ankle is fine by the way. I was off crutches in a couple days and walking gingerly. I'm ready to test it out in the cycle class, but haven't had a chance yet. It is still a little tender.

Last weekend, we went to Superior, AZ - an old practically abandoned mining town that is literally falling apart. While we were there, it was really windy and parts of the roofs of buildings were flying off, a window in an old hotel shattered and fell on the sidewalk, and phone lines looked like they were about to snap. It was an exciting photo shoot. We got some cool pictures of this crazy town.

This weekend I am studying for finals so we didn't go anywhere.

Friday, I walk the stage for graduation. Saturday is our "1 year" anniversary... corresponding with roughly 10 years together.

Some crazy week.

jingle bells

.

I love having a tree, which we don't always do, since we spend the holiday elsewhere... but this year, I couldn't help myself. The smell and twinkle always does something to speed up my heart.

gimpin'

This is a little embarassing. Yesterday, I fell down some stairs at my apt and reinjured an old ankle sprain. Not a bad one, but I'm on crutches for a while. As a point of reference, I'm not very coordinated and I was kind of groggy from just waking up. I'm not usually someone who falls down just walking. (Well, sometimes.) I guess I won't be cycling for a while.

I took the Exam Thurs and got a lot out of it. I think I missed way too many to even hope for a pass (it stands at an estimated 2% chance,) but I think it was a valuable experience for next time. And I know where I am at and what I need to work on.

I already passed the benchmark of my last day of school. All that remains is finals and I will finally be all growed up and smart.

holiday

We had a cool thanksgiving at the McCowen's. It was a beautiful day and we started it out with breakfast on the patio overlooking the golf course. Some hummingbirds were feeding with us. It was beautiful.

I prepared more of the meal than usual. I usually just make one item. This year I made a few. Some lessons learned.... My hand mixer broke so I used my food processor to whip the sweet potatoes. This was a happy accident, because they were so smooth and fluffy. I used fresh green beans in the green bean casserole and learned that they take longer to cook than the canned ones, and that the french fried onions on top are gross. Next time I will use breadcrumbs or corn flakes. The pumpkin cookies (recipe below) were a major hit, especially with Mark, who pestered everyone to have one all day. I also made a ham. They take over two hours to heat up.

After dinner, we talked for a while and then went home to go to bed early so we would be rested for VEGAS, BABY!

We went mainly to take some pictures, which we enjoyed. We also got to walk so much that we probably worked off some of our holiday calories.

However, since Vegas has "Taco Time," we put them back on right away. The picture below shows how pissed I am when I have to leave Taco Time behind to come home.

We just stayed over one night and came home. It was enjoyable.

Weekend Roundup

As usual last weekend, we went on a little excusion. This time, we went to the Lost Dutchman's State Park, First Water Trail... at daybreak. We got there early and took some interesting night shots. (My favorite one is on Mark's flickr.) Here are a few of my shots from the fun:


It was a beautiful place to hike. The trails are free and open to camping and overnighting (no motorized vehicles, though.) I fantacized going on a three day horseback camping trip into these mountains.

Great Pumpkin Cookies

I just made these terrific cookies in my quest to find the perfect choc chip pumpkin cookie. They are very delicious, so I thought I would share the recipe.

Mix and set aside:
2 c flour
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp cinnamon
1 c oatmeal

Cream together:
1 c brown sugar
1/2 egg
1/2 c granuated sugar
1/2 tsp vanilla
1/2 c softened butter or margarine

Add to wet mixture:
1 c canned cooked pumpkin

Mix well.

Slowly mix in the flour mixture.
Lastly, stir in

1 c choc chips
1/2 c chopped nuts (walnuts)

For each cookie, drop 1/4 c dough on lightly greased cookie sheet. Bake at 350 degrees for 20-25 minutes until firm and lightly brown. Remove and cool. Makes about 12 cookies.

goodness

This day has turned out awesome.
Things that contributed to it's goodness:

I got to talk to Evan until my phone died and we rarely have a chance to connect.
I got a check in the mail from an Actuary Club Scholarship I was not expecting that paid my exam fees for me. (Free money would have been enough to make my day great by itself!)
I got my invite to graduation convocation.
I got a test back with a good grade sustaining my senior-theory that you can go to college without ever actually going to class and still get good grades.
I mailed Eva and Mom's Christmas Packages... nearly done with that busy making stuff.
I went cycling at the gym for the first time in a while due to a crazy schedule and got a great workout.
I realized that the future holds:
Next week - the opening round of what I like to call the eating season: food, lots and lots of food and for once, both Mark and I are OFF for four straight days to eat it.
The next week - try #2 on the Actuary Exam
The next week - no school, prep for finals
The next week - Finals and Graduation
The next week - nothing, absolutely nothing.... nothing. Wow. nothing. Can you even imagine? Well, I will continue to study for the Actuary Exam on the high likelihood that I will need to take it again in February... but really, this particular week... I'm not going to. I'm going to do nothing.

My day just got even better just thinking about it. I'm giddy. I don't know how I'm ever going to get to sleep. But, when I do, I will have sweet, sweet dreams about nothing. Nothing and eating. Maybe I should fit a few extra trips to the gym during the nothing to make up for the season of eating.

Birthdays

According to the article in the Salt Lake City Tribune, titled
"Happy Birthday - times 3 - Generations share the same date - what are the odds?"
by Jennifer W. Sanchez the fact that my sister, her daughter and her granddaughter all have the same birthday, Nov 7 is a coincidence that only happens with a probability of one in 133,225.
I love my family. We defy the odds all the time.

Organizing

NOTE: I have a new flickr photo sharing account. Take a look at my photography and artwork, if you like. I have two layouts to do and I will be done with my first complete scrapbook, 2005... I am scanning the pages and making them available on that site. When they are all up, i will put them in order so you can select "slideshow" and flip through. I will let you know when that time comes.

I have also altered my scrapbooking blog to be a weekly tutorial - I try something new each week and learn stuff the hard way so you don't have to. (i.e. the embossing heat tool will melt your carpet if you don't put your work on a phone book first.) I also offer step-by-step Photoshop 7 tips to acheive the results on the layout I feature. I will try to post something new every week by Monday, unless something comes up.

I have been trying to figure out how to get all my millions of craft crap items into some storage solution that allows me to use them with ease and then put them out of sight with ease. I came up with this: I bought this rolling cart, which is the right size for the tools and basic items that always have to come out. It is super cute and has canvas pockets down the side. I keep all my tools in my tool tote, and my layouts in progress in special folders. If only my brain were this organized.

Then, I bought little plastic tubs at the dollar store to put the stuff that only has to come out when you are working on a project of a certain type. In my case, I chose to go with type = color. This was a hard choice for me because I like all my similar items together (embroider floss in one container, embossing powder in another...) but I listed over 40 different items that I use with scrapbooking... and chose 8 color bins and 3 neutral tones bins instead of 40 dissimilar sized containers. Me doing my thing. I really should work at a desk or something, but I love sitting on the floor with all my crap spread out around me. Usually, Mark hangs out with me while I scrap, either working on his photos for his flickr on the laptop or putting on a movie for us (which I half-watch... which is perfect for the titles he really wants to see but I only sort of want to see.) Lately, we've been doing old Star Trek: Next Generation episodes. We saw the one that was written by the officiant who married us (Susan Sackett.) It's called "The Game."

I am going to spend my weekend pulling everything out of my "Craft Closet," throwing much of it out, making a spot for my cart, and then moving everything back in beautifully. I have a feeling I will need some motivation, so I am telling myself that once I fit everything in, I can see how easily it comes back out... and make a page for my book.

Here is a business plan to make you rich... offer a photo scanner that has a 12x12 bed... The closest is the Mustek A3, which is 11.6 x 17... while you are at it, you could make a printer that prints on 12x12 with archival ink and you could sell it for $450 and still be backordered...

Flickr

This is a test post from , a fancy photo sharing thing.

State Fair

I think what is happening is that since the weather finally became tolerable and we haven't done anything for such a long time, that we are binging on activities. This weekend we went to the State Fair. We went on a 15 story Ferris Wheel, which was actually pretty scary, and that's coming from an extreme adventure junkie.

We got some fun art pictures and had a fun time people watching and hanging out. Here are some pictures:

Hallo-Whine

We went with Stephanie Trick-Or-Treating. It seems like this is really a dying tradition. There is so much of a push toward "Fall Festivals" or Trunk-Or-Treat parking lot deals that for a while, I thought we had the wrong day. For the first half-hour, I only saw one other T-O-T-er and it was a little 3 year old cow. It picked up a bit later when the teens came out because those kids see an opportunity when one presents itself.

I personally Trick-Or-Treated this year. I got a lot of strange looks, because, well, I'm 30. I guess they expect you not to pander for candy past a certain point, but I still got some loot. I dressed up as a fairy godmother to all those princesses out there. Apparently, I looked like someone named "Ugly Betty."