The BIRD Blog

Random thoughts

2012-02-03T11:19:00.001-07:00

- I wish Google Maps had an "Avoid Ghetto" routing option.

-More often than not, when someone is telling me a story all I can

think about is that I can't wait for them to finish so that I can tell

my own story that's not only better, but also more directly involves
me.

-Nothing stinks more than that moment during an argument when you

realize you're wrong.

-Have you ever been walking down the street and realized that you're

going in the complete opposite direction of where you are supposed to

be going? But instead of just turning a 180 and walking back in the

direction from which you came, you have to first do something like

check your watch or phone or make a grand arm gesture and mutter to

yourself to ensure that no one in the surrounding area thinks you're

crazy by randomly switching directions on the sidewalk.

-I totally take back all those times I didn't want to nap when I was younger.

-Is it just me, or are 80% of the people in the "people you may know"

feature on Facebook people that I do know, but I deliberately choose

not to be friends with?

-Do you remember when you were a kid playing Nintendo, and it wouldn't

work? You take the cartridge out, blow in it and that would magically

fix the problem. Every kid in America did that, but how did we all

know how to fix the problem? There was no internet and no message boards

or FAQ's. We just figured it out. Today's kids are soft.

-There is a great need for sarcasm font.

-Sometimes, I'll watch a movie that I watched when I was younger and

suddenly realize I had no idea what was going on when I first

saw it.

-I think everyone has a movie that they love so much it actually

becomes stressful to watch it with other people. I'll end up wasting

90 minutes shiftily glancing around to confirm that everyone's

laughing at the right parts, then making sure I laugh just a little

bit harder (and a millisecond earlier) to prove that I'm still the

only one who really, really gets it.

-I would rather try to carry 10 plastic grocery bags in each hand than

take 2 trips to bring my groceries in.

- I think part of a best friend's job should be to immediately clear

your computer history if you die.

-The only time I look forward to a red light is when I’m trying to

finish a text.

- LOL has gone from meaning, "laugh out loud" to "I have nothing else to say".

- I have a hard time deciphering the fine line between boredom and hunger.

- Answering the same letter three times or more in a row on a Scantron

test is absolutely petrifying.

- Whenever someone says "I'm not book smart, but I'm street smart",

all I hear is "I'm not real smart, but I'm imaginary smart".

- How many times is it appropriate to say "What?" before you just nod

and smile because you still didn't hear what they said?

- I love the sense of camaraderie when an entire line of cars teams up

to prevent a dick from cutting in at the front. Stay strong, brothers!

- Every time I have to spell a word over the phone using 'as in'

examples, I will undoubtedly draw a blank and sound like a complete

idiot. Today I had to spell my boss's last name to an attorney and

said "Yes that's G as in...(10 second lapse)..ummm...Goonies"

-What would happen if I hired two private investigators to follow each other?

- While driving yesterday I saw a banana peel in the road and I

instinctively swerved to avoid it...thanks Mario Kart.

- MapQuest really needs to start their directions on #5. Pretty sure I

know how to get out of my neighborhood.

- Obituaries would be a lot more interesting if they told you how the

person died.

- I find it hard to believe there are actually people who get in the

shower first and THEN turn on the water.

-Shirts get dirty. Underwear gets dirty. Pants? Pants never get dirty,

and you can wear them forever.

-I can't remember the last time I wasn't at least kind of tired.

- Bad decisions make good stories

-Whenever I'm Facebook stalking someone and I find out that their

profile is public I feel like a kid on Christmas morning who just got

the Red Ryder BB gun that I always wanted. 546 pictures? Don't mind if

I do!

- Is it just me or do high school girls get sluttier & sluttier every year?

-If Carmen San Diego and Waldo ever got together, their offspring

would probably just be completely invisible.

-Why is it that during an ice-breaker, when the whole room has to go

around and say their name and where they are from, I get so incredibly

nervous? Like I know my name, I know where I'm from, this shouldn't be

a problem....

-You never know when it will strike, but there comes a moment at work

when you've made up your mind that you just aren't doing anything

productive for the rest of the day.

-Can we all just agree to ignore whatever comes after Blue-Ray? I don't

want to have to restart my collection . . . again.

-There's no worse feeling than that millisecond you're sure you are

going to die after leaning your chair back a little too far.

-I'm always slightly terrified when I exit out of Word and it asks me

if I want to save any changes to my ten page research paper that I

swear I did not make any changes to.

- "Do not machine wash or tumble dry" means I will never wash this ever.

-I hate being the one with the remote in a room full of people

watching TV. There's so much pressure. 'I love this show, but will

they judge me if I keep it on? I bet everyone is wishing we weren't

watching this. It's only a matter of time before they all get up and

leave the room. Will we still be friends after this?'

-I hate when I just miss a call by the last ring (Hello? Hello?), but when

I immediately call back, it rings nine times and

goes to voicemail. What'd you do after I didn't answer? Drop the phone

and run away?

- I hate leaving my house confident and looking good and then not

seeing anyone of importance the entire day. What a waste.

-When I meet a new person, I'm terrified of mentioning something he or she

hasn't already told me but that I have learned from some light

internet stalking.

-I like all of the music in my iTunes, except when it's on shuffle,

then I like about one in every fifteen songs in my iTunes.

-Why is a school zone 20 mph? That seems like the optimal cruising

speed for pedophiles...

- As a driver I hate pedestrians, and as a pedestrian I hate drivers,

but no matter what the mode of transportation, I always hate cyclists.

-Sometimes I'll look down at my watch 3 consecutive times and still

not know what time it is.

-It should probably be called Unplanned Parenthood.

-I keep some people's phone numbers in my phone just so I know not to

answer when they call.

-Even if I knew your social security number, I wouldn't know what do to with it.

-Even under ideal conditions people have trouble locating their car

keys in a pocket, finding their cell phone, and Pinning the Tail on the

Donkey - but I’d bet my ass everyone can find and push the Snooze

button from 3 feet away, in about 1.7 seconds, eyes closed, first time

every time...

-It really frustrates me when I want to read a story on CNN.com and

the link takes me to a video instead of text.

-I wonder if cops ever get annoyed at the fact that everyone they

drive behind obeys the speed limit.

-I think the freezer deserves a light as well.

Modified from http://www.ruminations.com/site/index.php?sort=mostgourmet&range=0

Mom's Visit

2010-10-31T19:31:00.006-06:00

so, for those of you who don't know, I had a kidney stone that required lithotripsy (Funny note, blogger tries to correct lithotripsy to "deathtraps". True 'dat!) at the beginning of September. My mom came out to take care of me before and after the procedure. I tried to modify the hospital gown to give it an asymmetric hemline, but the nurse put a stop to that, kill joy.

Mom took some pictures of me before they came in and started abusing my body . . . well, almost before. They managed to take away my L. L. Bean slippers and replaced them with hospital slippers that gave me toe wedgies and not much warmth. I consider it abuse.

I think it's fair to say that when a nurse comes in and asks which side your procedure is supposed to be on and then hands you a red sharpie and tells you to mark that side with a big ole, "yes", it's a little unsettling. I still did it, better that than not mark it, right?

For those of you who don't know, I'm allergic to adhesives so you can see some of the bandage markings on my arms. Also, the nurse who was supposed to be putting my IV in wasn't having much luck. This is the work of the anesthesiologist . . . apparently I have small veins.

These are the handy work of the nurse. She was about to attack my other hand when the anesthesiologist stepped in. I am eternally grateful to him for the rescue.

Back To School!!

2010-08-25T07:58:00.003-06:00

It's the first day of school . . . . again. Apparently, this looks like a mug shot to some . . .

Apparently, Hayden wants to go to school too!

My roommate, Kim, is going to UVU for the first day!

She's growing up so fast!

Battle Against the Tree

2010-06-28T12:51:00.002-06:00

It was epic

Will I Ever Tire Of It?

2010-05-03T18:59:00.007-06:00

You'd think I'd get kind of tired of posting things randomly but . . . well . . . I don't. While driving home from a baseball game Monica and I noticed that someone had given Willy (UVU's mascot) some doughnuts. We thought it was funny and wanted a picture. I snapped one while we were in the roundabout so it isn't super clear but it still makes me laugh.

This is a picture of the moon rising on March 1 as I walked to work. Sometimes getting up early enough to be at work by 7 is tough but then I see things like this and I'm so grateful that I get to see things that other people sleep through.

Ok, so Michael B is working for the US Forest Service this summer. He is working out of a tiny town called Teasdale in Utah. I went down this past weekend and we explored the towns surrounding Teasdale but I think my favorite things we found were within walking distance from his house. We found these fields where the sprinklers had been turned on despite the cool temperatures. The trees were covered in HUGE icicles. I thought it was SO funny because, I mean , come ON!! Look at the amount of ice that has built up! It's not like this happened within an hour. Where are the people responsible for this land?

The weather was chilly, but not freezing. Michael was wearing a sweater and I had a sweatshirt and we were both comfortable. It was pretty amazing.
Right by the fence-line, the ice formed these weird ice balls. Michael and I both thought they were pretty cool.
This a picture of grass that had frozen over.
And last, but most definitely NOT least, The Mister Michael B.

I think he is pretty handsome!

Tracking

2010-03-31T09:31:00.007-06:00

Again with playing catch-up. I've decided to start putting dates with my pictures just to emphasize how random my blogging is.First, the Shaeffer, ready for church! (September 27, 2009)

Hayden, trying to sleep in while I got ready for work (January 26, 2010)

Some tracks that I asked Dad to help me identify (January 26, 2010)

Email from Jennifer to Dad:

Dad,

I saw these animal tracks yesterday morning and I'm trying to identify the animal that made them. Any ideas?

Response from Dad:

Hmmmm

They are very neat an orderly, indicating a creature that is fairly detailed and precise. There are no connections between the tracks, indicating the creature is capable of becoming airborne. The fact that each of these tracks is a different shape indicates that the creature has a certain amount of randomness associated with them. The size of the tracks is indeed impressive. This could indicate a very large creature, but I think not because the tracks aren't overly deep and because, if the creature were very large, the lift required for them to become airborne (see above) would create an airflow that would have either wiped out the tracks or significantly blurred them. So I think the creature is relatively small (compared to the tracks), but leaves a very large impression where ever it goes.

But I can't refine it much more than that. The characteristics generally point to some type of bird like creature. Generically, we could refer to it as Da Bird until we get better information.

Dad

Alyssa's Birthday Party:

(February 1, 2010)

She was laughing and didn't want to accidentally blow the candles out.

Me and Michael B with mouths died from icing.

We're weird!

I might have made a moustache for him with my fork . . .

I had a filling that cracked and then fell out. It may have had some help . . . WHAT??? It was all wiggly! (February 21, 2010)

YUCK!

A Random Collection

2010-01-19T13:27:00.006-07:00

We had a new employee start in our office today, her name is Amy and it just so happened that today was her birthday . . . either that, or she is queen of the office. From left to right: Stacy, Mindy, Amy, BIRD and Liz Michael B. and me

Michael B. and me again

Alyssa and me!! We spend a ton of time together but we don't really have very many pictures of the two of us together. We're working on it ;)

Hey, it's Alyssa and me again!

We have a lot of fun when we are together!Now, this may come as a shock to some of you. They don't have Fluff in most stores in Utah. Erica found some for me for Christmas and I was very excited!! Here is Michael B. eating his very FIRST Fluffernutter! He liked it.A droopy Hayden on New Year's Eve.

Erica's and my "fruit platter" on Christmas morning

It just wouldn't be Christmas without Breakfast Casserole. (Yes, that is capitalized)

My Christmas tree!! Michael B. helped me get it to my house AND decorate it and Jake and Alyssa helped me string popcorn and cranberries. I have GREAT friends!

Later all Y'alls!!

Tradition!

2009-11-25T13:20:00.003-07:00

Every year we decorate our office windows with handmade snowflakes. This year we bought some butcher paper and made a few large snowflakes. Fun, fun, FUN!

Shifer-men

2009-10-22T12:33:00.007-06:00

Ok, so I'm not starting out with the Shifing stories (that is how Nathan used to say 'fishing' when he was little), just some catch up, then the fishing stuff. Now, just a warning, if you are hoping to see Hayden . . . I actually don't have a picture of him for this post. Crazy, I know!

This is the sunset before a night of thunderstorms. You can't really tell from the picture but the clouds were kind of a greenish-yellow on the very edges. Kind of spooky.

Now, I posted some pictures of my crazy wavy/curly hair, so here it is straight. It is SO long! I'm not quite sure what to do about it. Heather, any suggestions?Yeah. Jess was taking pictures of me before work one day and kind of got carried away. I'm not self absorbed, in fact, I don't really like looking at those pictures, but I thought maybe my family, who I don't see often, would enjoy them.

Ok. This may not look like it, but this is a fishing picture. I just remember that Grammy K. used to have little animals made out of these plants and so when I saw them I had a flood of memories and wanted a picture to remember it by.

Michael B. (that's just what I call him these days) took me fishing on the Provo river on Thursday. He said I could pick the fishing spot, what a nice boy! This is the log that I picked to fish from, but then I moved up and down the bank a lot.

And another picture of the log. Yay for dead logs!

I just like scenery pictures, ok? This is looking back towards the mountains from the river bank.

See, I told you there were fish pictures! I caught a German Brown but I let it go. This is the Rainbow Trout that Michael B. caught and then, he let me gut it! I have to admit, gutting a fish is pretty satisfying. It kind of freaked me out when it started flopping around when I stuck my fingers into it, but Michael B. said it's normal and that the fish really was dead and couldn't feel any pain, so I just did it. I didn't really like cleaning out the kidneys. I didn't like the cracking feeling . . . ugh! I'd do it again though.

I remember when (my) Dad used to clean his fish and I always liked poking out the eyeballs. I'm not sure what that means about me psychologically.
And here is Michael B. holding his fish. I thought it was kind of funny because he was pretty chilly most of the morning and I wasn't. I think MAYBE aliens took over my body for the morning because I usually get pretty cold easily.

I packed a picnic lunch for the day and Miss Sherri Ann and I thought it would be funny if I brought champagne flutes to drink out of. We didn't find any good champagne flutes, but we did find these fun little cordial glasses! Michael B. was a good sport and drank almost a whole liter out of his glass. I had about three glasses and then gave up and drank from the water bottle.

I didn't bring my camera with me, so there aren't any pictures to prove that I'm telling the truth, but we also hiked to Stewart Falls which is up past Sundance. We took Hayden with us but, again, I have no pictures to prove it. When we got to the falls I thought it was kind of fun to stand a little behind them and get splashed. Then, since my feet were numb anyway, I crossed the stream and then crossed back over by going BEHIND THE WATERFALL!! (No Phouka. Sorry family) I got soaking wet and was laughing at Michael B. because he thought the water was too cold. His first words when I came out on the other side laughing "You crazy Vermontians!" Don't worry. I told him we're called Vermonters :D It was hard hiking back out b/c I had on jeans, and wet jeans are H-E-A-V-Y but I made it.

We went to my house and I changed into dry clothes and then went to Carrabba's for dinner. The service was NOT very good. I don't like that server, Landon. But the food was good. Then we went to my house and watched a movie.

I think sometimes a vacation day is a VERY good thing.

Pictures, Pictures, Pictures!

2009-10-05T12:09:00.010-06:00

Alyssa and I went shopping at the mall. We were both in a kind of bad mood. Apparently, this leads to the trying on of random accessories.A Tiara

Alyssa says she'll buy this one for me for my wedding day, if I ever get married.

Erica and I were driving to Wal-Mart and found this sign on a trash can. We're slightly confused, are they SELLING the dog or THROWING IT AWAY?

mmmmmmmmm. I still have a rash under my nose and I thought "oh, no! Maybe I'm not allergic to that medication I was taking" Then I saw this picture and remembered how bad that other rash on my face was. Thank goodness I got off of that stuff!

This semester I am doing "Student Research" which consists of helping my friend, Ally, find seeds in soil samples. Ally is holding up one soil sample, the boxes behind her are full of soil samples.

These boxes are also filled with soil samples.

This is what a soil sample looks like once I've sifted it. That little thing in the lower left corner is a seed.

Yeah, that tiny thing at the top of that picture.

Can you find the seed?

So far, I've found one. There are other people also looking for seeds. They've found NONE! That makes me the winner of the "find the first seed" contest.

Ahh. Nothing beats the Thai Village for Ricky's Birthday dinner! I think this year makes three years of going. We got to be seated upstairs this year b/c it was so busy and we had the dining room to ourselves . . . for about 3 minutes. Then an awkward couple on an early date (meaning they hadn't been out together much. We could tell because a) it was awkward and b) they were asking basic getting to know you questions) came in.

THE RICKY-TICKY!

Honestly? Did you really think you would get through one of my blog posts without a picture of the Hayden Monkey? I think he's adorable when he's sleeping, except for that snore of his . . .

I've been growing my hair out. I have a ridiculous amount of it!

My friend, Mike, likes to go hiking. Sometimes, he goes without a buddy. He also told me he doesn't take water or snacks with him OR a mirror in case he gets lost! Not safe, Mike! I put together a hiking safety kit for him.

Here he is, opening it. Included in the kit are the following items:

A sewing kit (losing a button can be embarrassing and awkward, even in the woods)
Nail Clippers
2 packs of Jelly Belly energy beans
A travel pack of WetOnes
A pack of Tissues
A bag of trail mix
A mini mirror (with two mirrors inside. He says now he can attract two rescue teams at one time!)
Two extra-strength, Rapid Release Tylenol
A first aid kit with one band-aid and some triple antibiotic ointment
A bottle of water

Ah, the Gordon-Carroll Family (minus the tag-along Jennifer) Clint, Ambrie and Shaeffer. Shaeffer will be turning one on Thanksgiving day. He's a big guy, which is good b/c we have a lot of love to give him.

Look at this kid! He's adorable!

VERY SUPER IMPORTANT

2009-07-30T15:28:00.005-06:00

ATTENTION: WIKIPEDIA HAS A KEY SO THAT YOU CAN NOW IDENTIFY WHAT SPECIES THE ANIMAL CRACKER YOU ARE EATING BELONGS TO!!!
CAUTION: THE IMAGES ARE REVERSED IN THIS KEY, DON'T LET IT CONFUSE YOU!

Surgery

2009-07-30T12:25:00.008-06:00

I had a ganglion cyst removed from my left wrist (yes, I know it rhymes) on July third. I know my siblings and I like war wounds so here are some pictures.

JULY 4TH
(does my hand look swollen? I can't quite tell)

JULY 5TH

JULY 6TH

JULY 7TH

I'll keep you all posted.
On a completely different note, here are the doughnuts I bought our office for Easter (I keep meaning to post this picture and forgetting.)

Ashleigh's Wedding

2009-06-30T12:58:00.006-06:00

My friend (and co-worker) Ashleigh go married. Here are some pictures. I don't have a lot of time so I didn't go into great detail about them. Sorry!
Future as a bartender?

Pals

in fact, GAL pals!

Flower Girls

A high five for Ashleigh on her wedding day In case you can't tell, this is the cake.

Bridesmaids

Hey look, Ashleigh & Jennifer!

Times two Mother and Daughter

The newlyweds

Just a Quick Catch Up

2009-06-29T12:48:00.002-06:00

I came home one Sunday to find this snake sunning itself in the garden. Those flowers are about two inches across, so it's just a little snake.

Ah, the joys of taking a nap under the desk.

Carpet marks . . .

And because of the nap, I was stuck in my office until the marks on my face wore off.

More Later!

All kinds of heroes

2009-06-19T13:18:00.022-06:00

I'd like to start out with a tribute to a best friend that had to leave me.

Thank you Blankie for all of your years of service! Putting Blankie into retirement is something my Mom has be hoping would happen for YEARS. I finally had to do it because every morning I would wake up and find pieces of Blankie on the floor. It wasn't fair to keep using him, it was KILLING him.

Our friend, Karen Findley, graduated with her Master's degree and we had a party to celebrate. By we I mean those of us that are from Vermont or have lived in Vermont and are now in Utah. It was really fun to be reunited with the three girls that I grew up with.

I haven't seen all of them (together) in a few years! From left to right we have Maureen, Candice, Jennifer and Summer.
Ah. The Anthrax scare. I work at a University (for those of you who don't know that, who are you and why are reading my blog). Recently a bag of white powder was found on a table in the hallway outside of the National Guard office. This caused them to shut down the ventilation system. As a result, particles began to fall from the vents in our office. Our office consists of Graduation, Transfer Credit and Veterans Affairs. Because the bag was by the National Guard office, it was thought that, perhaps, this was military targeted. Combining all of that information with the fact that we were relatively close to where the bag was found, we let campus police know.

I think they were afraid to come in because our office is mostly girls . . . just kidding! They came in and as a precautionary measure they kicked us out of our office while they checked it out.

What were we going to do?

Some chose to see it as an opportunity to get some Vitamin D. Here is a blurry picture of the back of the HazMat team. They looked like really big bugs. It was awesome!

Fortunately, what was falling out of the vents was just dust. Hey, it doesn't hurt to be careful!

Turns out the bag of white powder was baby powder. That's what I hear anyway . . .

I didn't know that such a thing existed, but it was recently Air Force Week. As part of the week there were big celebrations in three cities across the U.S. One of those cities was Salt Lake. Actually, not in Salt Lake but at the Hill Air Force Base. I drove to Erica's and then we took the Front Runner up to the base. We sat on the top level. :) Oh, here's the crew. Erica's friend Kieth (he'll try to tell you his name is Evan), Erica and her other friend Chris. I don't have any friends. NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!! I do. They just were unable to join us.

CUTE!! It's Erica, Chris and Jennifer.

There were some other people, but I didn't know them at all so I'm not posting the picture of them. HAH!

Oooooo. This is a Hornet (I think).

For those of you that prefer Sepia.

Ok, this is a really fun game. It's called Where's Erica. Apparently the guy in the red shirt is sad because he can't find her. (Oh, even if you who are reading this don't find it entertaining, I sure do. I can't stop laughing at that one!)A video of the Air Force Thunderbirds version of "Bombs bursting in air"

And a picture of the result. Pretty stinking cool, huh?

We're underneath at bomber. Some kind of bomber. Where I'm standing the belly of the plane is approximately four feet eight inches off the ground. Approximately. Another fun game. Which of these things does not belong, three are right the other is wrong. Three are tall and fly in planes the other is small and quite a pain.

Yep, I made that up myself. I thought it was funny because they are so tall.

Ah, Microbiology. I've labeled the picture so you can see where we got our samples from. I just want you all to know that people often throw their Frisbees in the pond and so the go swimming to find them. If I were them, I'd take a nice long soak in some Clorox after that!

Some more samples. Just for the record, Liz is the one who gets me sick and not the other way around. Sometimes we would debate about who was contaminating whom, but now I've got the proof. Also, I spray my keyboard with Lysol occasionally, so if you were wondering if the Lysol spray works or makes a difference, it does.

As for the scuttlebutt, yuck. I wiped it down with some Clorox wipes after I saw this.Utah has been having a LOT of storms. The other night I saw a double rainbow and thought it was cool. Then I saw April's picture of an upside-down rainbow and now I don't feel quite as cool. The moral of the story? God isn't going to flood the Earth again anytime soon.

The abundance of moisture has brought out some things that I haven't seen in Utah much. This snail. Let's name him Gary. (HA HA HA) Some of you will get that joke. For those of you who don't, I can only say "I'm sorry".

I found a Fairy Ring!!!! Kind of excited about that. For those of you who don't know what a Fairy ring is, it is a circle that forms where the Fairies danced in their circle the night before. If you find yourself standing in one (which I did) you make a wish and the Fairies have to grant it. I'd tell you what I wished for, but then I wouldn't get my wish! ;)Whew! That was a lot of catching up! I have my finals next week. One for Microbiology class, the other for lab. Wish me Luck!! Below I have posted some videos from the air show. Please watch them because it took me a really long time to upload them . . . oh, and I think you'll enjoy them.

There is one where they make a heart. They did this to honor our loved ones who are currently deployed and serving our Country. Nathan was deployed at the time we saw this and so I posted it for him, but also as a thank you to those who have served in the Armed Forces in any capacity. Thank you for what you have sacrificed so that we can enjoy the freedom that we have in this Country!

What I did this summer . . .

2009-05-28T07:13:00.006-06:00

CAUTION: THIS BLOG IS NOT FOR THE FAINT OF HEART!

Let's start with something fun. My sister, April, Sent these to me for Easter, They are so cute, I'm just not sure I can use them! I think the frog is my favorite.

This is what the Easter Bunny brought me. So far I've seen a few purple finches (I think). Maybe next year I can get a western bird guide (not to be confused with a western BIRD guide because I'm pretty up-to-date on all things BIRD)

Since Nathan is on deployment, I think I'm safe posting his birthday card on here. Tee Hee Hee. He may be bigger than me now, but I can still tease him like a big sister should.

Ok, this is where it starts to get not so nice. I tripped over my toe while walking barefoot in my office. I don't know why people keep insisting that I am clumsy or accident prone. I'm just not used to having toes yet!

For those of you who don't know, I'm taking Microbiology this summer. This is a culture from my lab partner's nose. Kind of grody, no? Not as grody as my throat culture!

Originally the whole plate was pink but it turns yellow as the bacteria ferment the Mannitol (If you're not sure exactly what Mannitol is, look it up b/c I haven't studied for that quiz yet.)

You can clearly see all of the bacteria that we were able to grow from my throat. My other lab partner (I have two) did the skin swab. She showers . . . No growth at all.

Oh, you were thinking, at least it is in her throat, I don't come in contact with that. Yeah. Check out the lips. This is a Blood Agar made with sheep blood. No, I did not lick my lips after I kissed it. I promptly wiped them off. The few spots at the top of the plate are from my DIRTY fingers. The clumps of colonies at the bottom are from my CLEAN fingers. Washed them with lab soap.

I couldn't decide which picture was more disgusting, so I just put both.Here is another throat culture! Yay! It makes me want to gargle with some industrial cleaner but I won't do it. Don't you worry!

This is "Unknown A" on a Bile Esculin plate. We determined that "Unknown A" is Streptococcus Faecalis. It grows in your intestines and helps digest food. And turns black on a bile esculin plate.

Now, after all of that, I would just like to say, SUMMER IS NOT WHAT IT USED TO BE! Today we are doing something with fecal samples. YICK!

The Magleby Ranch

2009-04-27T13:07:00.013-06:00

These are from Ambrie's family's ranch in Greenwich, UT

The entrance to the ranch (in black and white)Some water on the ranch and the mountains.
The swings

Some of the out-buildings during one of the many snow squalls we had over the weekend.

The storm lowering into the valley.

Yeah, another shot of it b/c I thought it looked pretty darn cool.

A color picture, mostly for Mom. I think she gets bored with all of my black and white and sepia pictures. I have to admit that I do think the color shots came out pretty good.

More outbuildings, ok, just one, with the mountains in the background and the storm descending.

The old school-house where Ambrie's grandmother went to school. Oooo. The entrance to the ranch with sepia tone. Can you see the little bird on top of the sign? It's not me, I was taking the picture.

I love this shot of the buildings. It really shows how isolated the ranch is.

I know, you all were beginning to think that I was having so much fun on the ranch that I forgot about Hayden. I didn't. He had fun too but it is times like this when I think, maybe a yellow dog isn't the best choice.

There was a dead cow carcass (how's that for redundant?) that had been bleached and tanned by the elements. I like to call this one "Stay away from my bones!" It was really cool because the head had been laying on its side so one side was just bone and the other still had the hide attached. I didn't take a straight on shot of that side because the eye was a little gross.

I don't have specific names for each of these shots but I like to think of them as the "I'm Watching You" series. Creepy . . .

Yeah. I just like flowers, even if they are dead.

Again, I just liked this. Look at the green against all of the different browns and the blue of the sky. Sometimes, I think God must really like us and that is why He makes such beautiful things. Yeah, it's the same place, just a different orientation of the camera and in black and white instead of color. I still like it . . .

I don't have pictures to prove any of this but while on the ranch I did the following activities:

Rode a four wheeler for the first time

Fired a shotgun for the first time

Built and maintained the fire to heat the house (according to Cummings Customs of Cleanliness, of course)

Cut fire wood, using a chainsaw for the first time (who cares if it was a baby chainsaw, I still used it and it is still a chainsaw.)

Did a LOT of math homework in preparation for finals. There is more, but my math final still looms . . . until the next time, the Cow is watching you. I've officially named it Cow, hence the capitalization of its name/title.

Ahhh, the burn

2009-04-21T07:11:00.003-06:00

Most of you have heard of my folly. I went to a baseball double header on Saturday without sunscreen. Here are the results. My face is so shiny because apparently excema doesn't like sunburn. Who knew?

Not all dogs . . . Promise

2009-04-16T12:48:00.004-06:00

But there are some. A smiling Hayden

Richard and Hayden. Finding a place for me to sleep can be tricky.

For that matter, finding space for anyone but Richard is tricky.

But they are both cute and I love them.

My brother, Nathan, came to visit over conference weekend. We went shopping at Old Navy.

A pretty cool shot from the baseball stadium.
I finished the last star on my Star Quilt that has been six years in the making!

I'm not sure if this picture shows how big the quilt is or how small my living room is.

Erica and I went to Salt Lake to do some family history research.

The Temple

See, April, there are flowers there.

And some not so springy stuff

I've been told this picture is depressing. What does it mean if I like it?

Sorry, these pictures kind of jump around a little. These are from conference weekend. Hayden was pretty attentive

It would appear that he likes the Mormon Tabernacle Choir

and he didn't like me distracting him from the singing.

You would think that April in Utah means that it is spring . . . not this year.

But there is still hope that spring is coming.

Alright. That is it for now. Back to work for me!

Quick Update

2009-03-17T13:19:00.002-06:00

All is well in my life! Clint found a dog two Sunday's ago and brought him home. I named him Richard but Clint says since he found him, he gets to name him, so Clint calls him Nixon. I also call him Little Richard and have decided his full name is Little Richard Pablo Nixon. He was hit by a car and very underfed, but we're correcting those problems.
Anyone want a puppy? Hayden has been very good about sharing space.

Some pictures of flowers from someone who loves me . . .

I really like the berries.

And this is what happens when an exuberant puppy tries to greet you with an open mouth. I told (My) Dad that Richard bit my nose to spite my face. Bwah Ha Ha. Back to work! Scurry, Scurry!

Random Stuff

2009-02-24T12:38:00.005-07:00

First, the AWESOME! The way the light is making a beam in the sky, not a trick of the camera, folks! It really looked like that! As an added note for those of you who don't know, this is the view from my office window.

Then, the yicky . . . Because of my "Estrogen Sensitivity" (I feel like both words in that phrase should be capitalized, even if you don't), I have to take a birth control that is all progestin, no estrogen. It makes me break out. OBVIOUSLY. The worst part is, it itches like crazy!

Apparently, I've inherited (my) Mom's zeal for shoveling. I have fabulous mittens that I wear sometimes, but then my hands get hot. Ah, the fruits of my labor. I had blisters on both hands. Pretty sweet if you ask me!

(my) Mom is working on collecting and then hanging a variety of gold frames. I got this one at an antique shop out here in Utah. I'm a little bit in love with the picture. Lucky for (my) Mom it doesn't match the decor in my apartment or she might not be getting it!

Ah, the well loved Hayden pictures. At least with these recent ones, you have to admit he is entertaining! You'll see what I mean . . .

Puppy eyes. Not entertaining enough? Wait for it . . .

Ok, so he folds his feet when he is laying down. Odd, but still not entertaining? Wait for it . . .
He used to sleep in this chair when he was a puppy but it's been in the garage for awhile. I reintroduced it and he still thinks he fits. He usually curls up in it and whines as he breathes, kind of like when you are sitting on someone, and they try to breath but it hurts them. One day I had a basket of laundry next to "his" chair. Things got a little more comfortable. wait for it . . .

and smooshy faced

TA DA! My entertaining sleeping dog! Where did this monkey come from?!?

Not Pictures Of Hayden

2009-02-19T12:11:00.010-07:00

Well, here is proof for those of you who were beginning to doubt that there were other living beings in my life besides Hayden.

I went bowling with some girls from the office. They are both co-workers and friends, for which I am grateful.Our handy, dandy bowling balls! From left to right: Monica, BIRD, Sherrina and Jess

I did this as a tribute to our pregnant co-worker. She just had her baby yesterday! I'm glad I didn't have to give birth to my "baby"

Bowling shoes are hot to begin with, but with these leg attached to them, they are BEYOND hot!

Without our bowling balls: Sherrina, Jess, Monica and BIRD

Congrats to Sherrina, winner of the first game!

Jess and Monica, good buds. Aren't they both beautiful? What is even better is that they are great friends to me. Sherrina is too, even though she isn't in this picture.

For our second game, we did crazy bowling which included the:

Side-kick bowl

Left-handed-ballet bowl

Bum-scoot bowl

SLLLLOOOOOWWWWEEESSSTTTT bowl (Sherrina was the winner at 1MPH), the FASTEST bowl (no picture)

Between the legs of someone facing you (aka the scariest bowl!), the spinning bowl

Backwards bowl

booty bowl

Well, how's that for getting out and doing something?

These are Valentines that I got from two of my nephews, Mica and Skylar. I look forward to them each year, I still have last year's hanging on my bulletin board.

The backs, with the love attached.

Some more pictures

2009-02-10T13:20:00.005-07:00

Cute! A Hayden nose with some eyes!

Ooo, Hayden's nose with droopy eyes! He has freckles on his nose. I think they are cute.

A profile picture of the monkey.

I made a few magnets as Christmas presents for my friends in Utah.

See that big freckle on the end of his nose? Shhh, he's sleeping in this picture.

Sometimes he sleeps on my bed, my favorite is when he uses my pillow too. Sometimes I pull the covers over him. He is so funny! This is a cloud, I didn't even photo-shop it to make it look like a lightning bolt. It just happened.

Hayden has a cowlick on his nose. I think it is a "J" for Jennifer's dog. He was meant for me!

Erica gave me TWO of the beloved glass egg that I bought and then returned for financial stability. Aren't they beautiful? Here is a color shot.

Gorgeous! Last, but not least . . . (I SWEAR I have a life!)

Ok, maybe I should work on getting out more. I have pictures of other stuff, but I love Hayden and I think he has a lot of personality. Just pretend you like seeing all of the photo's of him.

I did have a roommate for a couple of weeks, but I didn't take any pictures because I was having too much fun. I went bowling with some friends & co-workers (they are both) and I'll post some pictures of that as soon as I kife them from Monica's blog. :) Love (most of) you! (Like the rest of Y'alls)

Been awhile . . .

2009-02-02T08:43:00.003-07:00

Sorry I haven't been keeping up on my blogging! This isn't even a catch-up blog, I just wanted Dana (my brother) to see some of the class titles that I've had to fix for work. I thought he would get a kick out of them.

I guess it doesn't matter unless "you're anal. Super, super anal".

BIRD

2009-01-13T14:17:00.000-07:00

Turkey Day in Vermont

2008-11-30T16:10:00.022-07:00

Well, I will add words to this later on this week. Until then, you can enjoy looking!

This is a shot of our Thanksgiving Table, my Mom and Nieces (Sierra and Emma) made the turkey place cards/name thingy-ma-bops. They were very cute but I'm not sure where mine ended up . . .

This is Mary Lou climbing up in the antique child rocker that my mom re-upholstered, my sister-in-law, Kristin and my brother, Dana. I love them!
This is a fish tank Waldo that I found in the Attic. It is now hidden, along with 24 sets of googly eyes for Erica to find when she goes home for Christmas. Where's Waldo?
This is a Creemee stand. Yes, that is how we spell it! For those of you NOT from the east coast, a creemee is soft serve ice-cream, but it tastes five trillion times better when called a creemee.

This is an actual, working fire engine for the town of (look and squint) Londonberry. I love the names of towns on the East Coast. So quaint and poetic. Orem, Provo, West Valley City??? Utah's got NOTHING on Vermont!

Yay! Kristin, lookin' lovely I might add, at Aunt Linda (you'll all meet here in a few pics) and Uncle Leon (also to be introduced in a bit)

This is Mica. He is so incredibly funny, he had me in tears at Thanksgiving dinner. He looked over at some younger child in the family who was fussing and said "I'm going to take an egg stick and crack you over the head!" at which point I began to laugh and his father (Dana) scolded him. Realizing that I shouldn't condone such behavior, I pretended I was crying. Mica began to look like he was going to cry b/c he was so upset that he had made me cry. Then someone made me laugh again and he realized I wasn't crying and began to say it over and over. Funny kid, that Mica!

Krisitn, with Skylar. Skylar is a cuddle-bug (as you'll notice in later pictures) but he never warmed up to me. I'm not sure why not. Maybe kids find it offensive that I just call them "kid" rather than using their names. Who knows?

This is my Uncle Leon. Now, in case you can't tell, he is leaning against the fridge, or refrigerator (NOT frigerator. If you're going to say that much of the word, add the 're' for heaven's sake! Right Liz?) Anyway. This IS a full sized fridge, and yes he is that tall. I know you all are wondering, "Where did he get that height?" Well, from his parents. Uncle Leon is married to Aunt Linda (coming up next!!!) and his family owns the Corse farm which has cows, and maple syrup and Christmas trees and Christmas Wreaths and I think Lumber. BUY CABOT! It isn't (usually) died orange!

Here is Aunt Linda. She is my Mom's sister. You'll meet Grammy and Grampy in a bit, I can't wait. I love my family and I'm so excited to be able to share them with all of my friends!

This is my younger cousin, Caleb. He belongs to Linda and Leon, and obviously gets his height from his Father's side of the fam.

This is Lindsay, Caleb's Finance. Oh la la. She is very nice. I'm a little intimidated by her b/c I think she might be smarter than me . . . and Sklar loves her. But she is very nice! I just met her this weekend, and I already think she fits great with the family. Especially Skylar (oh, sorry, that was Jealous Jennifer. Love you Lindsay! I really do! You'll learn that I'm a little crazy!)

This is my cousin, Adam and his girlfriend, Casey. He belongs to Aunt Denise (Mom's Sister) and Uncle Glenn (her husband, and by "her" I mean Aunt Denise, not my mom.) I didn't get to spend a lot of time with Casey, but she is also very sweet. These lucky cousins of mine!

Ah, The Henry. I love this kid. Yeah, I know. He doesn't look like a kid, but he is younger than me, so I can call him that. He is the youngest of Aunt Linda and Uncle Leon's. He has an amazing sense of humor, in case this picture isn't saying that without a thousand words.

This is the barn attached to Aunt Linda and Uncle Leon's house. This is mostly for nostalgic reasons. I used to go every other summer to their house and this barn is good times!

Another shot of the hay, in the barn.

These are the heifers near the house. I really like them, except for when they go into heat, then they are a little bit noisy.

Another shot of a heifer.

Sadness! This heifer had an encounter with a porcupine. Poor thing! Every time she goes to eat something the quills get hit and I can only imagine her pain. :(

This is the barn in the heifer field, and a tree. If you didn't know it was a tree, you need to go to the East Coast. We've got a lot of them!

Ok, the following are pictures of the walk to the milking and calf barns, and the sugar house. These stone walls (some of them, at least) date way back and were used during the revolutionary war as shields and gun stabilizer things. I made that name up, but not the history. Look it up if you doubt me!

Caleb, Lindsay, Aunt Linda, My Mom and Dad, walking up towards the barns and sugar house.

Bundled up Skylar. REALLY bundled up, makes a cute shot, eh?

Yay for those rock walls!

A conifer with a big rock and a picturesque background. Look at that beauty!

Mostly just trying to get back to my photography skills. It's been awhile, so no mockin' of my composition!

A large fungi. Dana wondered if it was a gourmet fungi, but Dana wasn't willing to taste it, and neither was I. I guess we'll all just have to wonder . . .

Photo skill brush up.

This is the Milking Parlor, and I L-O-V-E the smell of it. It brings back so many memories for me!

Ok, for those of you who haven't been to the milking parlor, let me explain. Uncle Leon coaxes the cows in by pulling a handle that releases grain into bins and the cows want to eat it (those crazy cows!). This cow figured out how to get the grain and I caught her as she pulled the string herself. It was entertaining to watch her, but Uncle Leon says she doesn't deserve extra grain because she doesn't produce much milk. Naught 698! (some of the cows are named, but I don't know their names. Good thing they have numbers on tags!)

Yay for the Calves! I love them too. Each year there are new ones. If you want to know where they come from, ask your mother about artificial insemination. I don't want to go into it!

A calf, eating my hand . . .

and some more of my hand . . .

This one is eating my dad's hand.

These are pictures of spore capsules from moss. We used to go into a clearing full of moss and play while others in our family looked for Christmas trees. There was a little bit of snow (hence the white stuff in the picture) so you can't see all of the moss, but I think you can get an idea of how prolific it is.

From a little bit further away . . .

I really liked the composition that this photo had to offer. I love all of the spore capsules and the tree branches. I think Vermont is so beautiful!

Another of the branches, but closer up.

yet another . . . I couldn't decide which was my favorite!

I caught Mica in the act of eating some snow. Cute kid. He is standing next to his Christmas tree!

This is from the driveway of the sugar house.

The Tree! Cut and hoisted on to the back of Mom and Dad's car for the journey from the sugar house to the house. You can see my Mom's little tree peeking out of the trunk.

This is Grammy D., my Mom's Mom. She doesn't like having her picture taken, but I did it anyway. She loves me :) I love her too! One of my favorite things to do when I'm at home is visit my Grandparents. I'm pretty sure they are the funniest Grandparents EVER! I think they've always been funny, but I didn't get a lot of it until I got older.

Grampy D., husband of Grammy D. I love Grampy too! He does woodworking and he is AMAZING! The furniture he makes is beautiful and then he makes toys too. Talented man!

This is Aunt Denise, Mom's Sister. She is crafty. Not like a fox, crafty, Roberts and Michael's Crafty. She also likes tea sets. Aunt Denise and Uncle Glenn have an AMAZING yard with trails and a fish pond and a vegatable garden. Best part, the golf cart. I think that is where I learned how to drive. Hee Hee.

This is Uncle Glenn, married to Aunt Denise. He has an amazing smile, eh? He works for IBM, which I'm pretty sure means he is smart. I've always thought so anyway!

And last, but not least, Uncle Glenn, Aunt Denise and me. I'm really excited to have a picture of us together. I wish I could go home more often. I hope I've been able to show a little bit of how beautiful Vermont is, and how wonderful my family is. I'm so grateful to have been able to see so many of them over the Thanksgiving weekend. Love to you all!

Sadness!

2008-11-24T13:00:00.001-07:00

I was going to post another blog update, but my phone isn't sending the pictures to the computer correctly. :( So, this is my post.

Weekends are SO fun!!!!!

2008-11-17T12:35:00.004-07:00

So, to start the weekend off, Erica and I went to Target (HO, HO, HO)! I hope I don't have to remind you all that I love a good deal!
Hayden has been having a hard time adjusting to the wood floors in the Great Room (Yeah, that's right. Capital G & R. It is not a great room. That looks so dull and boring.) and the laminate wood flooring in my apartment. The apartment is the hardest adjustment for him. Every time he tries to leave his back paws slip and he gets hurt. I've been thinking about buying him dog boots, but they are a little bit expensive. In the dollar section at target I found these sporting purple socks with pink gripper spots on the bottom. Hayden L-O-V-E-S them. I just have to add some elastic to the tops so that they don't fall off of him.

On Saturday, I promised Hayden we would go to the park and play, but I didn't have any easily portable treats to entice him to return the ball to me, so we went to PetsMart first. Even though I found those AMAZING socks at Target, I wanted to check out the dog booties. Right next to the booties were some . . . Doggles!!!! I kid you not, that is what they are called. For all of you out there thinking it is a crazy name, you don't have much of an imagination b/c it is just a combination of the words "dog" and "goggles" and it makes perfect sense. The pair that he is sporting in this picture are ALSO sunglasses! Amazing. My Dad asked why you would ever need them. I think they are for dogs that ride skateboards and surf . . . and maybe they like to stick their heads out of the car window. Maybe.

I have, on occasion, been accused of being slightly OCD. I don't know where people get these caaarazy (no Brienne, not Lrazy.) ideas from! I just like my Q-Tips (which, in case you were wondering, stands for Quality Tips.) to be orderly. I mean, sure, they are in a cupboard where no one else sees them, but I don't want to try and grab one and have a bunch fall on the floor! That would be very yucky! When they are stacked neatly, you grab one, you get one.

Just another shot of my Q-tip stacking skills.

This is Willard. He is my co-worker Ashleigh's, 3 month old beagle. Ashleigh and I took them on a longish walk and then let them play in a baseball field. Basically, playing consisted of both of them running around for a bit and then Hayden, aka fatty, would lay down and . . . They would doggie play and bite each other. When Hayden would get REALLY tired,

Willard would climb around on his back giving him a nice little massage. Or surfing. We're not sure what Willard intended to do, but it looked to the humans like one of those two things. For those of you who have not met Hayden, his skin is loose so as Willard would walk along Hayden's back the skin would slip and Willard would try to keep his balance.

When Hayden was rested and ready to play again he just let Willard know (sorry the picture is blurry, but Hayden is lifting his head to nip Willard's toes, or ears. Whichever was closest.

For those of you who don't know, I'm kind of on a magnet making binge right now. This is one of my magnets holding up 13 envelopes with two pieces of paper in each (a white paper with a canary carbon copy thingy-ma-bop). Pretty strong, eh?

So, that is what I did this weekend. It was a fun packed weekend, that's for sure!

Work, Work, Work!

2008-11-11T12:17:00.007-07:00

This is a picture of the tile that Clint & Ambrie put in on the wall by the stairs. The glaze is kind of iridescent and is fun to look at, not to mention the fact that it feels cool.

Clint & Ambrie were cleaning up in the garage so that they would have more room to paint and so I had 3 beds for Hayden for a few days. He really liked having that thick bed! I was tempted to put a pea in between the two beds, just to see if he would notice. I bet he would have!

I think that by now you should all be aware of the fact that I have a strange dog, and I really like it when he is weird. I take pictures because I wish you could all know just HOW strange he is, but the pictures only tell a tiny piece of the story. So here are a few more sleeping pictures.

I think this is a great picture because Hayden looks like he is stretching, but really, it is just another odd sleeping position.

I did some yard work this past Saturday in preparation for the winter. I thought that all of our flowers were dead but then I found these. In the next few pictures it should become clear why I didn't find them for awhile.

BEFORE:

AFTER:

Isn't it AMAZING what cleaning up clutter can do for a space! You can hardly tell that it is the same garden, huh? I was slightly nervous while raking this garden because along the back, against the cement blocks, there were snake skins. They were empty, but there was a lot of detritus, and if I were a snake, that is where I would be hiding!

In the second "After" picture, there is a big rose bush that you can just see the edges of on the far right. Next to that is a smaller rose bush that I planted just this summer. It has grown to about three times the size that it was when I got it and has bloomed about once a month. I bought two bushes at the same time, the one in the picture and then one that I planted in the back yard. The one I planted in the back yard is about 3/4 of the size that it was when I bought it and it hasn't bloomed once. I'm not sure if you are supposed to transplant roses in the fall, but I moved it to the front garden. I'm hoping it will do a little better there.

BEFORE:

AFTER:

Once again, I just find the difference amazing! I didn't even finish raking this garden. The far side of it still hadn't been raked when I took the picture but my hands were bruised. That makes me sound like I don't ever do anything and so any work makes my hands hurt but give me a break! That was a LOT of raking. I should have taken pictures of the piles of stuff I raked up.

There weren't any snake skins in this garden, but there was an animal hole . . . maybe it was a reptile hole (Shivering with disgust). Really, I kind of like snakes but when one slithers across my path and surprises me, I have a tendency to scream. I find it really embarrassing because I like to think that I am not a girly girl. Mice and snakes . . . they are fine as long as I know where they are and I'm expecting to see or touch them.

I know that this flower is pretty much dead, but it has nice color! I was really happy to be able to get out and work in the garden. I just got my new medicine for my pelvic pain and I'm hoping that I will be able to get out on a more consistent basis. :)

I don't have any pictures to go along with the rest of my news, but I'm hoping that my writing will be entertaining enough to make up for it!

I started going to the singles ward again on November 2nd. I'm trying to be more involved this time around so that then I can blame other people when I still don't have friends. What? I'm trying, it isn't my fault if they don't want to be my friends. Anyway, back to the involvement thing . . . I decided that I should go to ward prayer on Sunday night (for those of you who don't know what ward prayer is, it is a chance for all of the single people to get together, sing, have a spiritual thought and a prayer to close out the day . . . and pick up on people of the opposite sex.) My dad calls it ward scare and I think his name for it has been more appropriate in the past. This new ward is good though, it was actually more of a discussion than a staring contest and I really enjoyed it.

I was working on a craft project (HO HO HO) and lost track of the time and so I asked Ambrie if she could give me a ride. She graciously did so. I got out of the truck and she drove away and that is when I realized that the church was awfully dark. I looked at my phone and realized that I had been so stressed about running late that I got there an hour early. Luckily there is a baseball field behind the church and it has covered dug outs. I hid in the shadow of one, partially to protect me from the wind and partially to hide from the people who came to open the church. My greatest fear at that moment was that someone would see me and ask how long I had been there. No one found me. The people got there and opened the church about five minutes before we were supposed to start and I snuck in and hid on some stairs in a dark hallway. Again, I feel that some of you are wondering why I do these things. The answer is, because being the first one there, and being new, would make me look over anxious and slightly crazy.

So I go into the room that we hold ward prayer in & I'm sitting in a chair (what, did you think I'd be sitting on an apple? Don't be ridiculous!) and the guy next to me introduced himself, asked for my name, blah, blah, blah. He then asked what year I graduated from high school.

Me: I graduated in 2001

Dan (for this is the name of said guy): Oh, you're getting older! Not really old yet, but getting there. I graduated in 2005.

Me: Yeah. I only feel old because I live in Utah Valley. When I really think about it I realize that I am still really young.

My thoughts: What kind of a jerk are you? Come a little closer and I'll show you what happens when you get older. You get crabby and kick people!! I only feel old because people like you say rude things like that and think that I should be married. Guess what buddy, I'M NOT READY TO DATE ANYONE SERIOUSLY, LET ALONE GET MARRIED!!!! I'M HAPPY TO BE SINGLE!

Some people think I should say what I think because it is entertaining. I think I should so that guys learn to not say stupid things.

Coming up on my next blog update . . . "I may be a crazy dog lady, but I am NOTHING compared to this crazy cat lady I met. Seeing eye cat, indeed!"

'till then

BIRD

My Halloween Treat

2008-11-04T12:23:00.004-07:00

This is the character that the mask is based off of.

I left Dave an anonymous letter requesting that he measure the distance between his eyes (without having them crossed) but he never replied, so I had to reveal that I was the one making the mask for him. This is why he doesn't have any eye holes in the first picture.
Then I made him show me where his eyes were, and I cut eye holes for him.

Most of you have seen these pictures, but I just wanted to get them onto an unproducted web-site so that all could have access to pictures of Dave. In case you didn't get the email, for Halloween, I decided to make a Strong Bad Mask. I've been wanting to make one for awhile, but I didn't know what I would do with said mask after I made it. I finally decided that I would give it to my friend Dave, because he is also a fan of homestarrunner.com.

Now, if you DID get the email with these pictures, you probably also got a follow up email from Dave. He was concerned because he thought that the pictures weren't flattering. Sorry to Dave for that. But you all have seen the other pictures of him that I've posted, so you know that he doesn't always have his mouth hanging open like that. :) Don't worry Dave.

Although I didn't dress up for Halloween, and went to bed at 6:00pm, I did celebrate. I just did it by making a mask for Dave, the day before.

A sensitivity to WHAT???

2008-10-28T11:43:00.003-06:00

Most of you know that I have had issues with chronic pain for the past 6 1/2 years. Well, I went to the doctor today because a recent medication change has had me in more pain than usual. His conclusion, I'm sensitive to estrogen. Weird, I know. The reason he came to this conclusion is that, when I was getting shots that shut down my ovaries, I had very little pain. Almost as soon as he switched me back to a regular birth control (containing 70X the normal estrogen that I make) the pain flared up again. I have to ship off my new prescription, and then we'll see where it goes from there. Who knew that there was a problem with being sensitive to estrogen?

On a happier and less weird note, Clint and Ambrie have been preparing the house for their new arrival. This weekend that preparation consisted of tearing up all of the carpeting and baseboards in the house, and putting up new baseboards. The carpet was supposed to be laid yesterday but . . . I digress. Clint's sister, Stacy, and his brother-in-law, Kevin, come to help out with these projects. On Saturday I stole their daughter, Hayle and we took the "boys" for a walk to the Junior High near my house.

When we got to the athletic fields, football was just finishing up for the day. We were walking along and Hayle and I noticed that someone got a little bored during practice/the game. They made this smiley face out of torn up grass, and we found it entertaining.

Hayle impressed me, not only with her gymnastic skills, but also her maturity. It was a lot of fun getting to know her better, but makes me miss my nieces and nephews that much more :)

As we were walking to the school (sorry this is a bit out of order) I noticed that the curb had been freshly painted, but there was something odd about it. Upon closer inspection, I found that the city had first painted the curb, then killed the weeds growing along it. I don't know who's idea it was, but it made for beautiful "natural art" as Hayle said. I think it is pretty cool!

Erica and I decided that this is the best picture, in the compositional sense. Ok, it is just the best picture ever!!

On Sunday I was laid up in bed b/c of my pain, so I stole their other daughter, Ainsley (not sure on the spelling) and took her out to my room to play with me. I was bouncing her up and down and singing "Little baby Ainsley" over and over. Every time I said her name she would shriek and smile in delight. In case any of you are wondering, I still think babies are yucky.

Little baby . . .

AINSLEY!!

Fun stuff! Don't worry, I'll have more fun stuff soon!

Financial Stress

2008-10-23T12:30:00.003-06:00

First of all, thanks for all of the comments on my last post. It is fun to hear what you all think. Unfortunately, the state of the economy . . . fine! The state of my personal bank account was making me stressed, so I returned the two tall ladies and the egg. I know most of you would have gone for the African bust, but I LOVE it, and she doesn't creep me out at all.

I H-A-T-E paying full price for anything, and that is why I chose the egg. I'm pretty sure in a few months it will go on clearance and then I'll get it for half as much. The tall ladies, I liked them a lot, but they were still on the expensive end for me. Honestly, I'm not going to take any of this stuff with me when I die, so there isn't really a good reason to pay a lot of money for it, right? Clearance, clearance, clearance! I'm all about it!

Let me just say that this is my favorite Halloween decoration yet. It is on a house that I pass everyday on the way to and from work each day. I don't know exactly what it is about it that I love so much, but there you have it. I know it is kind of blurry . . . WHAT? There was someone sitting in that car while I taking a picture. I didn't want them to yell at me.

Cassius (Clint and Ambrie's [my landlords] dog) is a very enthusiastic greeter. He just loves the people so much! The other day I was wearing shorts and I noticed a line on my leg. I thought it was dirt and tried to wash it off but no luck. It may have had something to do with the fact that it wasn't dirt! I took me awhile to figure out what it was from. Yep. It is a "Welcome home! I love you and I can only express that by jumping!" bruise from a Cashy claw.

That is it for now. Sorry if my leg makes you uncomfortable. I think it is a kind of funny picture b/c look how small the things on the floor look! (I'm giggling about it right now!)

New Stuff!!

2008-10-16T12:06:00.008-06:00

So, most of you know that I have a LOT of stuff, but I guess it just wasn't enough. There were still some bare spots in my apartment, so last night some friends and I went to Pier 1 and I did my thing! I don't think I have any skill with decorating (in case any of you think that I'm trying to brag.), I just get stuff that I think is fun/interesting and, most importantly, on clearance!
I found these funky dogs awhile ago, but I wasn't willing to pay full price for them (I am hardly ever willing to pay full price on non essential items), so I waited. There is a Basset Hound and an Afghan Hound.

As you look at the pictures, please remember that they are taken with a camera phone, thus some are pretty blurry. The pictures where the walls look white reflect the actual color of the dogs the best.

Then there are these ladies. A splendid combination of ceramic and metal (and wood, but just as the base), I think they have a lot of character, especially for people without faces!!! Again, I've had my eyes on these for a few months. They were still on the more expensive end, but there were only two left, so I splurged. (No worries, I didn't cross the $20 line on either one.) This picture is particularly blurry, I'll try to get a better one during the daylight hours sometime.

I'm big on texture, and glass. I love smooth glass (much better than jagged, trust me!) This paperweight was full price, but I needed some color, and you'll see why in a bit. It is heavy, smooth and cool. Holding it makes me feel very calm. I think it is almost perfect for the OCD sufferer, only thing is, it ISN'T round. Then it would be perfect.

I love this lady. I did cross the $20 line with her, but I HAD to have her. There is a paperweight at an antique shop in Orem that will go well with this piece, and it was on clearance. I really love Egyptian stuff (Mom and Dad, if you want to include the "Book of the Dead" papyrus with the Acorn bedroom set when you die, I'd be OK with that.) If you click on this first picture of (I call her Nefertiti, I know that isn't really who it is . . . ) you can see the reason the egg-paperweight was such a perfect choice. Leave a comment explaining why you think it is such a good choice!

Yeah, another one.

and yet another, I want you to get the full effect!

The base is black wood.

Now, I bet you are wondering, "how did she put this all together?" Keep on going, and you'll see!! I put the lemon trees up b/c they need to be somewhere semi-warm (aka, not out in the freezing cold) for the winter. I think I may need to find something live to go there when they go out next summer, but I've got a couple of months to decide.

Now, if you think I have hideous taste, I'll be fine. What matters is that I LOVE to look at this stuff. Hey, it's my apartment!

Leave comments, I love hearing what you all think!

Love you all (that it is appropriate for me to love!)

Da' BIRD

More Randomness

2008-10-13T12:46:00.004-06:00

Sorry my blog is so random! It is just that, I don't have my own camera, so I have to post when people get pictures to me. So, LET'S GO!!!

This is a golden lobster that is on the wall at the Thai Village. This picture is from when Erica and I went there for her birthday.

This is me, at the Kennecot Copper Mine. I had never been before, and when my Mom came to visit Erica took us there. I was so amazing. I think I want to work in a copper mine . . . (Lauren, if you are laughing at me, I can be a fire woman, forensic anthropologist, egyptologist, frankincense harvester, firework chemist, transfer specialist AND a copper mine worker.)

This bucket is HUGE (for those of you reading this blog who are blind), but I managed to lift it.

Erica, My Mom and Me in front of . . . the big tire. (Kudos to all of you who identified it before you read what it was.)

On Saturday, Erica came to take me to the Thai Village for MY birthday (Lauren suggested we just go once and pay for the other person's meal, but then we only get to go ONCE). We got all the way to American Fork only to find that it wasn't open yet! It was 3:30 and they didn't open for dinner until 5:00. We drove around, looking for good places and finally decided that the answer was IHOP. (There wasn't a Denny's on the other corner though. I know Don was wondering.) This series of pictures is Erica trying to get a picture for me to put on my blog, but I was really tired and so I was being silly. I was doing my AMTM pose, just like at Erica's Birthday, but I was so entertained by myself that I burst out laughing. Picture three is me, bursting. Erica told me which moment she had caught on camera and I thought it was so funny, I laughed until I cried. As I write this, it isn't very funny, but it sure was then!!!

These are my super-cute shoes that I bought. I was getting breakfast at Einstein Bros Bagels and decided to take a picture for my mom.

These are my new winter boots. I wore them for the first time today on my way to work. Lauren said she probably wouldn't go to the L. L. Bean website to look at them, so I decided to put them on my blog.

I love my life! It may seem weird to some of you who live structured lives, but I really like it!
That's it for now.
Da' BIRD

Various Hayden Sleeping Pictures

2008-10-08T13:01:00.004-06:00

Hayden is a pretty funny dog, but I find him especially entertaining when he is sleeping.

Hayden gets kind of annoyed when I stay uplate reading. He usually sticks his nose under the blanket, but sometimes he just smooshes his head into whatever is most convenient.

At other times, he uses his paw to cover his eyes.

I'm not quite sure how this position is comfortable . . . Hayden seems to like it. He sleeps like this a lot.

Here we go, sticking his face under the blanket. He does NOT like the light.

and then we have Cassius, who likes to sleep on the garage floor, but I convinced him to try the couch one day. I'm not sure how he felt about it.

Random stuff!

2008-10-08T12:48:00.005-06:00

One day Cassius came out to the apartment to hang out with Hayden and me. It was a pretty chilly day, and apparently Cassius didn't want to lay on the cold floor.

I think you can tell what hayden thinks of Cassius taking over the bed!

I guess we all know which way Cassius is voting this year!

Just a close up of Hayden. I think it's funny how saggy his face gets.

I went for a walk with Hayden last Sunday and I saw this HUGE squash hanging from a chainlink fence. I took the picture with my hand in it for reference.

Sherrina and Monica got this bag for me for my birthday. They also got me a yoga mat. I love them both!

Most of you have probably already seen this. I like to call it "Where's Hayden". Can YOU spot the puppy?

What? He gets cold in morning. I'm up and getting ready, so I let him use the bed.

Oh, look at that face. It is just SO precious.

YAY! I had a birthday!

2008-10-07T12:53:00.005-06:00

My friend, Alyssa, threw me a surprise party at my favorite restaurant, Carrabba's!

Sherrina, Monica, (There I am!) and Heather are my co-workers who came. As soon as I get more pictures of the event, I'll post them. I was very flattered that Alyssa took the time to plan this for me, and that people came! I think of people as my firends, but I'm not sure if they always feel the same way and so this just made me feel so loved!

Wolverine Wednesday!!

2008-09-17T13:27:00.000-06:00

The marvelous institution that I work for has "Wolverine Wednesday", where we are supposed to wear green, or UVU apparel. Josh forgot that it was Wolverine Wednesday, so I was kind enough to loan him my UVU Hoodie. I think the pictures say it all. Josh is a great guy, and my buddy. I am so glad I was able to help him out of a tough spot!

Tell me you don't think the pink is a nice touch . . .

Tikki tikki tembo-no sa rembo-chari bari ruchi-pip peri pembo

2008-09-15T12:46:00.000-06:00

Tikki tikki tembo-no sa rembo-chari bari ruchi-pip peri pembo (AKA Ricky, or Erica for you boring people) celebrated her birthday on September 6th, even though it isn't until the 8th. We've decided to start a tradition of going to the Thai Village in American Fork for her birthday . . . and mine

This is Erica eating her meal at OUR table. It is the same table we ate at last year.

They had cool shaped ice cubes, so Erica wanted a picture of her drinking from her glass, plus, sometimes water just tastes so good, you wish you could remember that particular glass forever. Now Ricky Can. :)

Yay, me . . . with out any food . . .Hey, these pictures are NOT in chronological order. Chaos!

For those of you who watch America's Next Top Model; Do you recognize my look? I am smiling with my eyes, just like Tyra says. If they ever make a "Little People's America's Next Top Not Really Thin Model", I've got it in the bag! (Is someone sending these to Tyra?)

Erica and Me, with our food. I always get the Massaman Curry. At the Thai Village, they cut their veggies into really cool shapes.

That's all from Da' BIRD for now.

The Game . . . Meaning Baseball.

2008-09-12T14:55:00.000-06:00

Sorry it has been so long, I go through dry spells. Once again, pictures are thanks to Monica. With out her, I would have to use more stock photos. Yick!

A lot has been happening. School started, I'm taking a math class, yoga, and aerobics. Unfortunately, it seems that aerobics falls into the catagory of activities Jennifer shouldn't do b/c it exacerbates her pelvic pain. I am thinking about adding a second yoga class instead. I am really enjoying yoga, it isn't easy, but it is fun. I feel bad for my classmates because I sweat a lot. Thanks for the genes Mom and Dad!
Here we go with the photos:

This is me and my friend Dave. He is 6' 5". For those of you who don't kwow, I am 4' 9". Yes, that is short enough to make me a little person, yes I can get a handicapped sticker, I don't know if it is hard being short b/c I've never been tall. Nothing to compare it too. Does that answer everyone's questions?

What a great night for a baseball game, eh? Except I got a bug bite. I HATE BUG BITES!

Ummm, this is number 15, at bat . . . that is all I know.

Doesn't it look like Dave and I are having a TON of fun? I actually did have fun, as for Dave, you'd have to ask him. Dave just told me it was fun for him too.

Aha. I was trying to stay squised up in my seat b/c I had some serious pelvic pain, but those seats are narrow. I put my arm on the back of Dave's seat to try and keep myself balanced. He thought I was putting the moves on him. Silly boy.

Mindy's getting married

2008-09-12T14:35:00.001-06:00

Mindy is my Supervisor, but I think we are friends too. :)
Technically, she is married now, but she wasn't when these pictures were taken!

Me (Jennifer), Shantelle, Mindy and Monica

Hmmm, If you can't tell that these are the same people as from above . . . I don't know how to help you.

Yay! Mindy opening a slightly risque present from Monica, Sherrina and I.

Liz Childs chekin' out the goods!

Ah, the office crowd. Starting in the back, going from left to right:

Liz, Stacy, RayNette, Kathy, Lexi, Sherrina

Mindy, Melissa, Heather, Jess, Me, Shantelle

Brienne and Pam

Starting in the back, left to right again.

Liz, Stacy, RayNette, my head, Jess, Sherrina (standing), Shantelle

Mindy, Brienne, Melissa, Heather, my head again (look at those buggy eyes)

Pam and Monica

I'm IN!!!

2008-08-24T18:21:00.000-06:00

I think I have officially been accepted into my ward. Oh, sure, they read my records in a couple of weeks ago, and I got a calling, but as of today, I know I'm in! You may ask yourself, "What happened that Jennifer finnally feels like this is offical?" Well, I'll tell you.

I got Visiting teachers. That is not what did it for me though . . . The ladies in Relief Society are setting me up on blind dates. That is how I know it is for real! They would never try to set me up with their brothers, sons, nephews etc. unlesss they thought I was one of them. So there we go! I don't know how I'll be able to tell once I'm married . . . . maybe they will have me over for dinner. I think that is what they do with non-single people.

I have a new favorite artist too. Her name is Kate Nash and I think she is HILARIOUS. Don't worry, I'll let you all know how the blind dates go. :)

See Mom & Dad, I do have friends!

2008-08-12T12:41:00.000-06:00

Yea! I have a life.

These are my office people. Starting in the back, from left to right, we've got: Kathy, Sherrina, Mindy (-kins), Brienne, Liz (in the brown shirt), Pam, Jess & Doug. Front row: Monica, ME (Jennifer) & Ali.

Friday night I went to a Demolition Derby with my friends Dave, Monica, Gavin, Jess and Nick.

This first shot is me and Dave

Monica and her husband Gavin

Me and Monica (and Gavin is in there too!)

This is one of Dave's previous roommates (?) Monica had a picture of him, so I posted it.

Jess and her husband Nick. This was my first time meeting Nick. He's a nice guy.

This car got pushed through the dirt wall, it was really cool and, well, I think I'm lucky to have seen it.

Dave and I got to play musical chairs. We didn't win the grand prize because one of the kids playing totally cheated. I'm not even kidding.

We didn't get the "Grand" prize, but come on, these are pretty "Grand"! Maybe I'll go to a ball sometime and wear this . . . Oh, wait! Dave convinced his friend to trade a t-shirt for the

visor. It didn't fit my little head.

We did try to make the visor work for me . . . it squished my ear.

Jess, Me and Monica.

Ah, the casualties of war.

That's it for now kids. I'll beef it up a little later.

Lauren made me do it.

2008-08-05T12:22:00.001-06:00

1. As a comment on this post, leave one memory that you and I had together. It doesn't matter if you know me a little or a lot, anything you remember!

2. Next, re-post these instructions on your blog and see how many people leave a memory about you. It's actually pretty funny to see the responses. If you leave a memory about me, I'll assume you're playing the game and I'll come to your blog and leave one about you.

Not much is new

2008-07-25T12:32:00.000-06:00

So, just in case I have really devoted people who check my blog regularly . . . not much is new. At work we've switched from sending paper evaluation forms out to departments to sending electronic evaluation forms. SO MUCH FUN! It really isn't bad, but like any new thing it takes time to get used to.

I am still reading a lot of books.

Oh, I know! I tore up the carpet in my bedroom yesterday. I was using a crowbar thing to take up the tack strips and I hammered the crowbar, it slipped and cut my knee. The cut is . . . 3/4 of an inch long (I just measured it). Then I was cleaning my bathroom and, not thinking, I was kneeling to clean the floor when I noticed blood all over where I had been kneeling. What???? You didn't know cuts bled either? So relieved, because I thought I was the only one who didn't know that. Ha Ha. Just poking fun at my self for not thinking through the whole "cut on the knee" thing. Since I still don't have a digital camera (Student loans and medical bills come first!), I've attached a picture I found online. Just so everyone can relate better.

Update and a request

2008-07-13T11:47:00.000-06:00

Ok. New stuff in the life of BIRD: I have just transitioned to working a four day week rather than a five day week. It is not to save energy, it is just something that that our department is doing. We have some people taking Monday off and some taking Friday off. It is true that some Utah State offices are only open four days a week to save on energy costs, but UVU is not one of them.

My pelvic pain is back. Not quite in all of its glory, but it is there and annoying. I finally took some pain killers, thus admitting that it is back. I will call the doctor on Monday and see what they have to say about it.

Now to the fun stuff. I am NOT planning on dying anytime soon (what 24 year old does?) but nor do I plan on living forever. We live in a crazy world and I want things to be in order when I die. Yes, I said when, not if. Like I said, I don't plan on living forever.

On to the question. Is there anything in particular that any of you feel like you want when I die? The Government already pretty much owns my brother (He is in the Navy) and I'd rather not leave them all of my worldly possessions. I have some plans for Hayden and his future, should he still be alive when I die. Please don't freak out. I am just getting ready. Mom and Dad are my Beneficiaries for life insurance. I think I will have them put it into a trust fund for the grandkids (theirs, not mine) to use for college education. I don't know what happens with a 401k when you die, but all of my investments have lost value this past quarter, so there isn't much there. I will do some research on what happens with that.

Here is a list of some of my possessions that will need to be dealt with:

Hayden (like I said, I have an Idea of what to do with him, if he is still around, but still willing to hear what you all think.
my swirl sculpture (Probably going to Kristin)
all of my black and white pictures . . . (hey, once I die they might be worth a lot of money. It happens to a lot of artists.
The rest of my portfolio
My books (Picture, juvenile fiction, young adult fiction, adult fiction and other)
extra-long twin bed
star quilt
patchwork quilt
My PEI painting (my only piece of real art that is not by me.)
clothes
TV
Chemistry Goggles (not yours Dave!)
Entertainment center
Tall bookshelf
Little bookshelf from Grampy
My Precious Moments figurine that Grammy and Grampy gave me for my 8th birthday (my baptism present)
Jewlery
The star Mobiles that were Grammy K's
My glass ball collection
Little tiny couch
Tall people Statues
Lemon trees (Probably for Clint and Ambrie)
My MP3 player
My Blankie and Buzz (for those of you who have no idea to what I am referring, it's probably better that way.)
My new Blankie that Mrs. Claus made for me last year
Dishes (dinner plates, salad plates and bowls, plus glasses)
Silverware set (it is good stuff! Not your typical college student cheap stuff)
Grammy K's sewing machine and my other sewing stuff (self-healing mat and Rotary Cutter)
The acorn bedroom set . . . Just kidding Dad. I know it isn' mine . . . yet.

That is all I can think of. I would like you to think about this for yourselves, but also please includ your children. I want to know what my Nieces and Nephews would like. Those of you that I work with, remember that my family is in Vermont and probably won't want to ship all of my stuff out there, so I want to hear from you too! I know that it is not a lot. Afterall, I am only 24 and I don't have a house, or children. This is just in case. As time goes by and I accumulate more stuff that I can't take with me when I die, I will update my will accordingly. If there is anything not on this list that you are interested in, just let me know. I am going to try to make it so that you can post comments to this blog post. Please don't freak out about this, but also please don't ignore it. I am serious about making up a will and I would be really sad if you all say you don't want any of it. Once again, I AM NOT PLANNING ON DYING. But think how much easier it will be once I do have more stuff if I already have started a will.

That is it for now. I hope you all take this as it is meant to be taken. Just a preparatory measure.

Da' BIRD

Utah Valley State College To Utah Valley UNIVERSITY

2008-07-03T14:41:00.000-06:00

For those of you considering a blog, think carefully. It can become an obsession . . . an annoying one. If anyone can give me hints as to how to put pictures on easier, PLEASE tell me.

This is a series of pictures documenting my activities for June 30th and July 1st.

On the 30th UVSC held "UVUphoria", an event celebrating our transition to University status. There was a concert with Josh Gracin, Colin Raye and Joe Nicols.

Monica and I went together. We didn't get off of work until 5:15 and gates opened at 5:30. There was a mondo line, but because of our VIP status . . . fine, we cut in line. As you can see from the first picture, cutting has advantages. Look at how close we were!

The babe in the yellow shirt is Ambrie. (I snuck a picture). Then Monica and me. (I'm the one in the green shirt) Oh, Monica is my co-worker . . . (sigh) fine, and friend. Just kidding, I am glad we are friends. This is a picture of Clint . . . he took it himself. :)

The next picture is Josh Gracin. Since you now know what he looks like, I don't need to document which pictures are of him. The guy with the Aviator sunglasses smokes, but I still thought he was cute. Plus, I am pretty sure he doesn't use hair gel. Monica was kind enough to take a multitude of pictures for me.

This is a picture of Monica and her sister, Brette.

Then we have the bull from H-E-double hockey sticks.

You can't really tell from the picture, but there was this huge inflatable bull (with horns, maybe we should call him Devil Bull, DB for short.) when they set off this "V" (we assume it stands for the "V" UVU).

it looked like it was coming out of his head, and the fire works were red and yellow (for those who are slow, these are also the main colors of fire).

Ok, bed at 12:30AM on the 1st, then at work by 8:00AM. Our office went to the library ribbon cutting ceremony. It was dang hot. As you can see from the pictures, we started out in metal folding chairs, but when I asked Monica if the sweat on my back was soaking through my shirt, and the guy behind me said, and I quote (hence the quotation marks) "Gross", we moved to the shade. The people in the first picture are (left to right); Monica, Melinda, Mindy and Ali. All co-workers of mine (Mindy is my supervisor). The picture of me is more than it appears at first glance. It is actually a picture of me with the new UVU logos. Ha! Caught y'all with that one, eh?

President Monson (The Prophet of our day and President of The Church Of Jesus Christ Of Latter-day Saints) was there to give the dedicatory prayer. The Minister from The Church of Christ gave the opening prayer. During the dedicatory prayer this guy (I call him sideshow Bob, a reference from The Simpsons) yelled "what about separation of church and state?" I thought it was funny, 'cause he missed the fact that there were actually representatives from several faiths on the stand, which was reserved for VIP's. Anyhow, this is a long blog, but it was a busy couple of days!

Thanks to Monica for letting me use her camera, and her pictures.

Da' BIRD

Introductions

2008-06-27T19:52:00.000-06:00

So, this is me, working on the white house.

Clint wants to strip it, so we are! Ambrie is not allowed, due to her preggie status.

Oh wait! Introductions. I am me. I live in a studio apartment located on the backside of a garage. The garage is attached to a house (SURPRISE!) owned by Clint and Ambrie Gordon-Carroll. They own Cassius, a black lab/golden retriever/chow mix. Cassius and Hayden are really good buds, as are their owners.

Clint, also working on the white house

And this is Cassius. Wonderful, cuddly Cassius.

I will have to get Ambrie to get on the other side of the camera so Y'all can meet her.

That's all for now.

Da' BIRD

day of days

2008-06-27T19:48:00.000-06:00

So, today I was asked to help the Graduation department prepare the new Utah Valley University diplomas for mailing on July first. One of my duties was to put honors stickers on the diplomas. I got the Honors and High Honors stickers on and sealed the diplomas in their envelopes only to discover I had mixed the two up! I had to open the envelopes, fix the diplomas and get new address labels printed. I felt so stupid.

2008-06-23T13:01:00.000-06:00

So, to those of you who know me well, you may be wondering how I am going to have a blog. I mean, what fun is a blog with no pictures? NONE AT ALL. I am planning on buying a new camera with my stimulus check. Thanks Mr. President! Until then, here are some older pictures that Y'all might enjoy.

That's it for the day.

THE BIRD

P.S. In case you can't tell, I LOVE my dog. (And I like to dress him up.)