The Art of Warr

Latest Obsessions

2011-11-26T23:24:00.001-07:00

Three things:

Avatar: The Last Airbender - I devoured three seasons in about a month or so. It's one of those children's shows that you have kind of a hard time believing was written for children. It's rich in symbolism and extremely well written. I do have some issues with the ending, which are difficult to explain without spoiling it. So I'll just ask, why do we need a romantic story arc in a story about 12-15 year-olds? Isn't it enough that they're saving the world?

Sister Wives - A guilty pleasure? Sure. But I justify it by framing it as a fascinating anthropological study. In truth, I have doubts about the dynamic represented therein being the norm of polygamy. However, if it were I can't see any reasonable objections to that particular lifestyle choice between consenting adults. They make an excellent case for the benefits, and it's incredibly hard to not be sympathetic when they're all so darn wholesome.

Elna Baker - My obsession here stems partly from my inability to get my hands on her book, New York Regional Mormon Singles Halloween Dance. Ah, the allure of the unobtainable! I read the first ten or so pages online and became intrigued. Anyone who knows me well (and checks out the book's synopsis) will understand why.

Coral Reef

2011-09-03T23:09:00.000-06:00

Over the past several month I've been participating in the Lake Bonneville Coral Reef Project. Which means along with a few other inspiring women who gather at the Tea Grotto on Thursday evenings, I've been spending a fair amount of time crocheting coral and other sea creatures. It's been a rejuvenating force in my life over the past few months.

The reef will be going on display at the Meldrum Science Center at Westminster College October 28, which is coming up remarkably quickly. In the meantime, I thought I'd share a few pictures of my work.

To see more, including some that Aunt Laura has done, check out my Coral Reef Album.

Love, Loss, Hope, Repeat

2011-08-29T14:37:00.001-06:00

It's been a long time, and I'm sorry for that. I certainly wouldn't fault anyone for losing interest. If you are reading this, thank you.

Suffice it to say we've had a lot going on and have been keeping very busy. Instead of a long, boring update, I have just a few unrelated thoughts:

Last night I had a dream about my mother in which I talked to her about how I worried this was all a dream and I would wake up and realize she was dead. I did in fact wake up and sobbed with fresh pain. I can't help but wonder how long grief like this can last.

Over the weekend I attended a reading of Ibsen's A Doll House, as translated by a local playwright. I recall reading it in high school, and imagining it set in the 1970's rather than the 1870's. I still suffer from the delusion that progress is linear; it's difficult for me to accept that an ending that would be considered controversial today could have been imagined at an earlier point in time. While it was inspiring to attend such a revolutionary play in a packed theater, it was still vaguely disheartening to be reminded that the pendulum swings so violently.

I have now been with University College for two years. I have a tendency to grow restless at this point in any job. I really love my work. It's a good mix of tasks that I excel at and that challenge me. It's validating to have so many people recognize and depend upon the quality of my work. However, I'm plagued by the feeling that everything in our society is fabricated and that I'm merely part of an epic charade.

I also wonder about the ethics of hiding your true feelings from your friends. I feel the burden of the unspoken in so many of my friendships. In an effort to avoid hurt feelings, I've held my tongue - but I've also harbored resentment. I'm to the point in a few situations where I've withdrawn so much that ending the friendship entirely wouldn't be difficult. Sometimes it seems unfair to do so, but it also seems that when openness became impossible the friendship was already over.

Reading over this, I realize the tone is somewhat melancholy. I suppose that's how I feel at the moment. Overall though, things in my life are good. So much so that I have apparently acquired the luxury of ennui.

Relay for Life 2011

2011-04-12T12:43:00.003-06:00

In reality the American Cancer Society has been emailing me since December about the 2011 Relay -- and I've been putting off thinking about it until yesterday. So, we're late to starting again. Sorry.

I did also want to make sure people were interested in doing it again. So, I did what I do best and put together a very short survey to assess interest.

Relay Survey

Last year was a lot of fun. And f we do it again, it will be even better because now we actually know what we're doing.

Also, something to thing about, last year we had a full team. If we have slightly more participants this year, we would have to have two teams! We could spice things up with some have some internal competition . . . friendly competition, that is.

Resolutions

2011-01-03T18:53:00.000-07:00

It's been a really long time since I've blogged. I suppose I struggle because we really aren't very exciting. I'm still working at the U. Patrick's still in school and working at Primary.

But we have New Years resolutions, and I think airing them publicly makes the committment easier.

Get control of our finances.

Reduce expenses.
Pay off credit card.
Get ahead on car payment and student loans.

Get back in shape/lose weight.

Patrick and I have goals of losing 75 and 20 lbs. respecively.
Patrick's going to continue his weight lifting routine from a class he took Fall semester.
I'm going to take another yoga class and start swimming regularly.

Keep up on housework.

This will require some catch up, and then reviving the chore chart.

Pretty ambitious, agreed. I thought it might be a good idea to give periodic updates. Here's four days worth of progress:

Found free online software to manage money and weight loss.
Still deciding on a yoga class. Waiting for Campus Rec. to publish the Spring Schedule.
Looking for a new/cheaper apartment. I think I've got some good leads. In the process of contacting landlords. Hoping to move early February. Most of the places we're looking at have on-site fitness centers and pools, so kind of two birds with one stone there.
Chore Chart printed and posted on the fridge.

I feel good so far. But the toughest parts are ahead. What I'm looking forward to least is figuring out what to do with my brother's cats . . . anyone interested in cat-sitting for a few months???

Montana Trip 2010

2010-08-11T21:09:00.000-06:00

Patrick and I just returned from yet another trip to Montana. Here are a few of our favorite moments:

Seeing Jen and her adorable kids. Also, Jen being exceptionally kind and gracious when our dog threw up on her carpet.
Stopping in Bannack State Park's ghost town. A thunderstorm was heading in which made it extra creepy.
Spending quality time with the three lovely ladies of Grizzly Place.
Checking out the Saturday Market. Were we ever to move to Missoula, I think I could compete in the jewelry market there. The farmer's markets in Salt Lake intmidate me, but this seemed more on my level.
Playing in the pool at the Red Lion Inn where we were staying.
Enjoying pizza and floats while watching a BBC documentary titled Should I Smoke Dope?
The really awesome people we met in Yellowstone that helped us get our fire started when we discovered our lighter wasn't working. We seriously might have died without their help.

Celebrating our anniversary by roasting marshmallows and telling ghost stories. Okay, I was the only one telling ghost stories and Patrick doesn't buy them . . . but it was still fun.
Enjoying coffee icecream while watching Old Faithful blow.
Crossing the Utah border and feeling an immense sense of relief.

All in all, a pretty good weekend.

June

2010-07-08T14:47:00.000-06:00

So many things happened lately that I haven't had a chance to write about. So here's brief post to attempt to catch up.

Presented at a conference in DC. Conference was good. DC was hot and humid, but still a great time.

Relay for Life was completely amazing. We were one of the few teams to tough it out to the bitter end and did a pretty good job at fundraising too. Thanks to everyone who helped turn one of my crazy ideas not only into a reality, but a success! What can I say? My family is just amazing.

H&R Block messed up our taxes, so now we're going to owe back the refund we appear to have not qualified for. On the bright side, we had used the money to pay down a credit card. Since H&R Block will be paying the interest on what we owe the IRS to make up for their mistake . . . we'll actually sort of end up saving money on what we would have paid Bank of America in interest . . . so . . . I'm counting it as a really inconvenient win.

Fireworks, live music, and community Tried to learn how to ride a bike

involvement at the Sugarhouse Arts with a modicum of success . . .

Festival. but mostly bruises and crying.

Other randomness:

Orchids are blooming for the third time! Edgar got a haircut.

Have been inspired by some amazingly funny blogging at Hyperbole and a Half -- seriously, check it out.

Oh, and somewhere in there I turned twenty-eight . . .

Relay for Life

2010-05-23T19:46:00.004-06:00

So, I'm starting off another ambitious summer by setting up a team for the June 25 American Cancer Society Relay for Life at Murray High.

As anyone who reads my blog is probably already aware, cancer killed my mother eight years ago. I've been looking for a way to sort of set the universe back in balance for a while.

I've done a couple of Susan G. Komen Race for the Cure 5K's, but that never felt quite right. While supporting breast cancer research is great, my mother had colon cancer that metastasized and moved on to her liver. I just didn't feel a connection with the Race for the Cure.

The Relay for Life seems to be a little more connected to what my family went through. I'm hoping the all night event will give us an opportunity to honor her memory and to work out some of the grief that still lingers.

Anyone who wants to participate is welcome. You can sign up or donate at our Team Page.

Confetti Pizza

2010-05-17T18:00:00.003-06:00

Another major culinary success was getting Patrick to eat a pizza with peppers on it. I threw this dish together on New Years Eve because I had some left over vegetables that had to be used before they went bad, figuring that even if he didn't eat it I would like it and the vegetables would be wasted either way. To my delight, he loved it and even requested that I make it again the next night. It's now a staple.

Confetti Pizza

Makes 8 servings.

Crust:

If you're in a hurry, a Jiffy Crust will do fine. Prepare according to directions on box. Or if you're feeling more ambitious I have a fantastic recipe for a wheat pizza crust that does not taste like dirt (Adapted from Art Smith's Back to the Table).

1 cup unbleached flour

1/2 cup whole wheat flour

1/2 cup warm (105 - 115 degrees F) water

1 1/4 ounce package active dry yeast

1/2 teaspoon salt

3 tablespoon cold water, as needed

Combine flours.
Combine warm water, yeast, and 1/2 cup flour mixture.
Cover and let rise for about 45 minutes.
Then add the rest of the flour and salt and put it all in a food processor and pulse.
While the machine is running add the cold water. The dough should ball up on top of the blade when it's ready.
You can add more water or flour as necessary if the dough seems to dry or wet.
Process for an additional 45 seconds to knead the dough.
Remove your dough ball and breifly knead it on a lightly floured surface.
Put it in a lightly oiled bowl, cover and let rise, until doubled (about 45 minutes again).
Preheat over to 450 degrees.
Punch down the dough and roll out to desired shape. If it's too elastic and keeps retracting, let it sit for a little longer.
Sprinkle cornmeal on the bottom of the baking sheet. Transfer the dough over.

Sauce:

1 can Organic Tomato Sauce

1 tablespoon Oregano

Garlic Powder to taste

Mix together and heat over the stove on low until warm (or in the microwave for 2 minutes).

Toppings:

2 cups freshly grated low-fat mozerella cheese (Patrick prefers cheese imported from Italy, but is usually happy with Precious)

1 cup sliced mushrooms

1/2 cup diced green bell peppers

1/2 cup diced red bell peppers

Top the crust with sauce.
Sprinkle 1 cup of cheese evenly on the pizza.
Evenly disperse the mushrooms and diced peppers.
Sprinkly remaining cheese on top. Toppings will be nearing overloaded.
Bake for 15 - 18 minutes. (Less is usually better).
Remove from oven and let cool for at least five minutes.

Peaches & Cream

2010-04-19T18:00:00.002-06:00

I've been trying to be healthier over the last few months and have had to come up with or find healthier recipes. I'm by no means a talented chef. Recipes for me have to be quick, easy, and require washing relatively few dishes. I also, don't like cooking meat -- but hate eating meat substitutes more. And I'm just enough of a hippy to prefer foods in the organic, local, fair-trade vein.

Finding recipes and foods I like (and that Patrick will eat) is not an easy task. So I thought I'd share a spot of success. This is a particularly tasty dessert we regularly enjoy around the Warr house.

Peaches & Cream

Makes 2 servings

1 can Organic Canned Peaches, sliced, in light syrup or juice

1/2 cup Organic Non-fat Vanilla yogurt
1/8 tsp Ground Cinnamon

Drain syrup from peaches.
Put half of the peaches in one bowl.
Dollop 1/4 cup yogurt on top of the peaches.
Sprinkle cinnamon on top.
Repeat in another bowl with the other half of the peaches and remaining yogurt.
Serve.

Adaptation

2010-04-16T18:00:00.006-06:00

Recently I learned that Disney's The Lion King was based on Hamlet. I suppose I should have seen it before. The whole uncle-kills-father-and-marries-mother set up is pretty obvious, but I guess I was thrown off by the fact that most of the characters are alive at the end. I suppose it is a children's movie, so I'll cut them some slack on that point.

This got me thinking about other movies that I love that are also adaptations of classic stories: Moulin Rouge (Orpheus and Eurydice); West Side Story (Romeo and Juliet); and 10 Things I Hate About You (The Taming of the Shrew).

Yes, 10 Things I Hate About You. I enjoyed it when I was seventeen and I enjoy it now, and it has less to do with Heath Ledger than you might think. As a student of classical literature, I revel in the idea that human problems that were important enough to write about centuries ago are the same problems that are important to us today. For me, these adaptations provide even greater depth and insight both the the originals they were inspired by and to what it means to be human.

In fact, I enjoy them far more than attempts at delivering myths and classic stories straight. Adaptations have the freedom to change things around, to drop less important characters, to turn a literal event into a figurative event. If you're representing your film as the story of the sack of Troy, it's annoying to kill off Menelaus so that Helen and Paris can live happily ever. On the other hand, set it in Bohemian Paris or the African savanna and it's forgivable.

The End is Nigh

2010-04-12T18:00:00.002-06:00

As the end of the semester draws to a close, all I can say is, "Hallelujah!!!"

Patrick's going to be taking a bit of a break for the summer, in a manner of speaking. He'll be taking an EMT training course and be working a bit more. So, I'm not sure how much that counts as a break . . . but that's what we're calling it.

The end of the semester doesn't mean as much to me. The projects continue. But we've wrapped up trianing for the planning software, and will be moving into preparing for next year. This includes bringing on yet another software to be used in recruiting transfer students. The next two months will be full of conferences and trainings, including a five day visit to D.C. It's kind of exciting, and kind of draining.

Now to just get through finals . . .

Utahn Grafitti

2010-04-09T17:44:00.000-06:00

One of the things I love about working at the University of Utah is the graffiti that occasionally pops up on campus. Some of my favorites have been:

The Pedestrian Crossing signs on North Campus Drive that for a while sported Grim Reaper sickles, but more recently sprouted wings and cans of Red Bull. I was unable to get a photo of either before they were taken down, but these slightly altered photographs will give you the general idea.

This text inscribed in the sidewalk outside the Performing Arts Building:

After the big financial meltdown in 2008 someone spray-painted "Capitalism Sucks" outside the entrance of the Business Building. Again no pictures, but I think you get the idea.

This manhole cover in between the Business and Architecture Building. Text around the edge reads: "There is just enough religion to make us hate, but not enough to make us love one another" - Jonathan Swift

Pearls

2010-04-05T18:00:00.010-06:00

June is a special month, because those of us born in that month have the option of not one but two lovely birthstones. Personally, I've always been a bit partial pearls. They're versatile and fun and come in all sorts of lovely colors. Here are some recent creations of mine, using pearls.

Champagne Pearl Necklace

Champagne Pearl Earings and Bracelet

Grey Pearl Necklace and Earings

Moral Disorder

2010-04-02T18:00:00.005-06:00

After I finished my undergrad, I started reading voraciously. When I started grad school reading for pleasure got put on hold and I haven’t really gotten back to it. So I’m taking my inspiration from my cousin Rochelle and trying to up the amount I’m reading by blogging one review a month.
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Margaret Atwood is probably my favorite author. I really haven’t read anything of hers that I haven’t loved. So she seemed a safe pick for my first go at this. I selected Moral Disorder and Other Stories.

Based on the title, I assumed it was a book of short stories. In truth, it was, but it’s more complicated than that. The short stories are all centered on one character, a woman named Nell. So, in some ways it takes on the feeling of a novel. Another of Atwood’s novels, The Blind Assassin, takes on a similar non-linear structure. About halfway through the third story, I started to suspect that I was reading a novel in disguise.

That was my mistake. I should have known better than to expect Atwood to simply re-do something she had already done masterfully. Make no mistake, Moral Disorder really is a book of short stories. The stories do paint a picture of Nell’s life from childhood to old age, but there is no over-arching plot that binds them. Each story can stand on its own very nicely. Expecting that larger plot to be revealed left me disappointed when it failed to appear.

However, if one were to approach the book knowing that it really is a series of short stories no more or less connected than those in any of David Sedaris's collection, I am confident Moral Disorder will not disappoint. Each story is beautiful, deeply layered, and vivid.

If you like Atwood, you’ll probably like this.

A few things I've been up to:

2010-02-21T21:58:00.004-07:00

1. Baked King Cake for Mardi Gras -- except, I substituted dried cherries for raisins and pumpkin pie spice for nutmeg. It turned out a tad dry, but that may have had something to do with leaving it on the stove (over the pilot light) overnight. Flavorwise it turned out well enough that I'll try again next Mardi Gras. Also, felt weird about putting a plastic baby in a cake, so opted for the dubloon option instead. Oh, and it really does take a minimum of five hours to bake.

2. Read Eve Ensler's I am an Emotional Creature: The Secret Life of Girls Around the World in one sitting. Of course, the book is filled with monologues which are more poetry than prose -- so it's not quite the accomplishment it seems to be. All the same, it was wonderful. It was touchingly heartbreaking and empowering. Delightful enought that I passed along my copy to my 20-year-old sister-in-law, and would recommend it to anyone who still has that teenage girl inside.

3. Took a lovely Valentine's trip to Lava Hot Springs. There is a great little motel across from the pools that have lovely rooms with jacuzzi tubs. We were unaware until we made our reservation, but it's actually managed by Patrick's first-cousin-once-removed.

4. Have watched a few movie classics that I'd never gotten around to before: The Godfather, Casablanca, Guess Who's Coming to Dinner?, The Graduate, and The Big Lebowski. Okay, I don't know that The Big Lebowski counts as a movie classic per se . . . but I needed to see it, if for no other reason than to confirm the comparisions of my dad to "Dude". The verdict, yes, I see it. Though, to my knowledge my father never bowled. Though, if you really want a glimpse of what my dad was like, you should check out Woody Harrelson's character in 2012.

A Light Has Gone Out

2010-02-04T16:23:00.019-07:00

When the kittens were born in May 2006, we had a male and a female who had identical markings. I was being kind of dorky and naming the kittens after Greek and Roman gods, so I thought it would be fitting to name them after Apollo and Diana. The trouble was, the little boy just didn't look like an Apollo. So, instead I selected one of the Sun God's nicknames: Phoebus - the shining one.

Phoebus lived up to his moniker, brightening our lives each and every day. He was not a normal cat. He had an extra dose of sweetness and goofiness. Earning him the nickname Dweebo, and a spot in our hearts as our favorite kitty.

He could be a brat sometimes. As soon as you opened a drawer or a cupboard, he'd find his way in. Whatever you were eating, he was sure that he wanted to be eating it too. But whenever Patrick and I would lie down together, he would run into the room and worm his way in between us and snuggle there happlily. If it weren't for his habit of sitting quietly in my lap purring away while I worked at the computer, I don't know how I would have gotten through grad school.

My two special boys shared a special bond. When Patrick would leave for work, Phoebus would stand by the door and cry. When Patrick would return, Phoebus would follow him around the house and meow at him until Patrick would lie down. Then he would snuggle up in the crook of Patrick's arm, wiggling to try to press himself as close as possible before settling down for hours. He was a source of comfort on hard days and during panic attacks.

Last night was no exception. He snuggled with us while we watched TV and had to investigate Patrick's ice cream, of course. He cuddled quietly beside me on the couch until I went to bed. This morning while I was getting ready for work I found him laying on the dining room floor. He looked strange, so I bent over to pick him up. He was already gone.

We have no idea what could have happened. He was young and healthy. As far as we can tell he had gotten in to anything. There were no obvious injuries. Judging from the way he was laying, whatever happened happened very quickly.

All I could think about today was a line from one of my favorite Latin poems:

The sun dies and is reborn again each day.

But when but once our brief light is extinguished

night is one eternal sleeping.

It's hard to reconcile that his light way so easily and inexplicably extinguished. Patrick and I are devastated. Hesta, his litter mate, has been wandering the house calling out for him. A darkness has set in. There is a palpable heaviness in the air of our little apartment.

In time it will lift. He will be missed, but it will fade. My comfort is knowing that he was loved dearly in this life and he knew it.

Patrick, the Phlebotomist . . .

2010-01-29T08:36:00.004-07:00

. . . is now board certified with the American Society of Clinical Pathologists. We should be getting his certificate in the mail any day now. This boosted his confidence, so yesterday he headed down to the Fourth Street Clinic, which provides health services to Salt Lake's homeless population, to begin the application process to volunteer his services there.

We are also planning to have dinner with one of his professors from last semester. Even though Dr. Bauman has retired, he enjoyed having Patrick in his class so much that he wants to continue working with him and has offered his services as a personal tutor.

Patrick has also started on new medication to treat his ADD, and the difference is noticeable. He's really excelling this semester.

With each little step, medical school seems a little more with in reach. It's starting to feel like it's not so much a matter of if, but where and when. Which is all encouraging, because I know he'd be an amazing doctor and the barriers have been so daunting for so long. It's nice to finally feel like the path is clearing.

Ringing in 2010

2010-01-18T17:40:00.000-07:00

Patrick and I recently had a new addition to our little family. Or re-addition perhaps. We are foster-pet-parenting my brother's two cats.

Edgar:

Erzabet:
Erzabet is actually the mother of two of our cats:

Phoebus: Hesta:
We were worried about reintroducing the cats. But after some initial hissing and hiding, everyone seems to be adjusting nicely.

The only one who has issues with the temporary additions is Priscilla, but she's being kept separate from the rest of the animals anyway because of some health problems. And really now that she has a room all to herself, she couldn't be happier.

So things are pretty much peaceful and quiet, that is until Erzabet goes into heat. All the other cats are fixed, so we're not worried about kittens -- but she screams like a banshee whenever Patrick leaves the room. Needless to say, Erzabet will have her day in the OR in the very near future.

Long time no blog

2009-11-21T17:54:00.003-07:00

As you may have guessed, life's been busy. We're still plugging away at this semester and looking forward to the next. Patrick has decided to work at Primary Children's a lot less (only on the weekends) and go to school full time next semester! We're both really excited.

Halloween was a lot of fun. We did a Alice in Wonderland theme for our costumes, and then spent the evening with my cousins. Here are some pictures/video.

Other than that, not much to report.

Dead or Alive

2009-10-20T19:00:00.000-06:00

Patrick and I love really love animals. Last Saturday we took another trip to Hogle Zoo. There are brand new baby tigers, a snow leopard cub, elephant calf, and baby giraffe. It was our third trip this year so we mostly focused on seeing the recent additions. Of course we couldn't resist visiting a few more of our favorites.

This week we made a trip to the Utah Museum of Natural History for their annual "What's in the Basement" event. It was so much fun. We even got to go in the Paleontology lab and got to see a recently discovered Triceratops head. In addition to the three horns, this variety has a frill on the back of it's head with an additional fifteen horns that laid flat against the frill. It was amazingly fun.

The Art of Warr on The Daily Show

2009-10-02T14:18:00.002-06:00

Just had to share this . . . well, for pretty obvious reasons.

The Daily Show With Jon Stewart

Mon - Thurs 11p / 10c

Democratic Super Majority - The Art of Warr

www.thedailyshow.com

Daily Show
Full Episodes

Political Humor

Ron Paul Interview

Updates

2009-09-27T10:48:00.006-06:00

I hope you've enjoyed the last couple of blogs. To help Patrick along with school we got a new laptop and a printer/copier/scanner, so I've been having fun scanning old photos.

In other news, although the neonatology research position fell through, Patrick has secured a position in hematology. He is researching ADAMST13, a protease that inhibits the generation of new veins. Because tumors and cancer cells are very vascular, they're hoping to find a way to target it in a small area. So, essentially Patrick's kind of working on a cure for cancer. He's only been at it for a couple of weeks, but he's learning the ropes quickly and making great impressions. The research may even be published within a year or so. All good news for med school, although he's enjoying it so much he's now thinking about an M.D./Ph.D.

Things are going well for me at work. We launched a new application that allows students to take classes that they need from a "roadmap" provided by their majors, and drag and drop them into a planning tool. We're calling it the Graduation Planning System, or GPS. The hope is that this will help students see the bigger picture and plan their schedules better so that they can graduate sooner and with fewer problems. We were the first school in the nation to implement it campus-wide, so the president of redLantern (the company that designed the product) flew in to be at the kick-off event on Wednesday. There are still a few bugs to be worked out, but I'm finding ways to make it better every day.

I neglected to mention earlier that I'm not teaching my class this semester. With everything that was going on with the new job, my boss thought it would be better to wait a semester. I was a little disappointed at first, but since I've barely been able to keep up -- I think it was a good idea. If all goes well and I can get 20 students enrolled, I'll be teaching spring semester instead.

Speaking of classes, Patrick is doing very well in school. He's taking two history classes and is really enjoying them. He has his first exam on Thursday, it's an in class essay on the events leading up to the Revolutionary War and the Navigation Acts. We just had a conversation about it, and I have no doubt he's going to blow the test out of the water.

Plans for a house have been put on hold for a while. A family emergency arose, and we had to dip into our savings. We're thinking of at least moving into one of the two bedrooms here in the commune. They're all first floor apartments, so it would be easier on me and on the dog.

Along those lines, no real news on what's going on with my health. Most recent doctor's visit revealed that I am rather anemic and have a vitamin D deficiency. Also, my blood pressure doesn't adjust appropriately, which is why I get lightheaded and dizzy. So, I'm now on some lovely vitamin supplements. Everything else looked normal though, which may mean that I'll need some exploratory surgery. We'll find out more about that at the next appointment October 22.

More than One Way to Scare a Rat

2009-09-20T18:00:00.016-06:00

October 2, 2009
Salt Lake City, UT

A Day in the Life of a Lobster

2009-09-13T16:12:00.024-06:00

December 24, 2002 -- Salt Lake City, Utah

Personality Theory

2009-08-16T20:30:00.016-06:00

As many of you are aware, I have always enjoyed personality tests. Even in my career, I still get to work with them - though now I call them "inventories".

Recently I had to take the Strong Interest Inventory for work. It's used in career and major exploration to identify your interests/disinterests and match those with the interests/disinterests of people who are happy in there jobs. There are six interest areas:

R- Realistic
A- Artistic
E- Enterprising
S- Social
C- Conventional
I- Investigative

Your type is the three you responded to most strongly.

Mine is ACS, and as such the career to top my list is Librarian.

But my favorites are the Myers-Briggs Typology Inventory (MBTI) and the Kiersey Temperment Sorter. Both MTBI and Kiersey are extrapolated from Jungian theory and use a system of four dichotomies which sort into sixteen distinct types.

MBTI is thorough inventory, but Kiersey really goes all out on the description. Kiersey also sorts the 16 types into four temperments, Guardians, Artisans, Rationals, and Idealists.

To give you an idea of the difference, I'm an INFP on both.

For MBTI, this just means that I'm an internal processor and while I enjoy people, when I need to refresh my system I prefer alone time. I often rely more on what my intuition tells me than what I can physically observe around me. I tend to be a little more emotional rather than strictly rational. I like to let life come as it may without a lot of planning, and given the chance to procrastinate I will.

For Kiersey, it means that I am an idealist who may seem shy or distant, but under the surface is filled with an intense capacity for caring. I had a fantasy filled, and perhaps misunderstood childhood. I am passionate about my views of the world, which are namely that it is a good, honest, ethical place. This passion may cause me to feel isolated from the rest of the world who don't quite fit with my ideals. I relate to other people well, and am attuned to their emotions. On the other hand, I'm deeply reserved which can make me feel even more distanced from other people. I enjoy interpreting and writing stories, often in a lyric style.

I'm sure you can guess which I'm partial to.

Three Whole Years

2009-08-09T18:30:00.010-06:00

And I realize in the grand scheme of things, that isn't a very long time. But even though I recognize that, it's still hard for me to wrap my head around our third wedding anniversary. So to refresh my memory, here are some pictures of us from along the way.

2/2006 -- Trip to Missoula for Patrick's 21st Birthday. These are the earliest pictures I have of the two of us together. Earlier pictures exist. I know Chantel and Nikki took pictures of us at Christmas that year, but I've never seen them.

3/9/2006 - The night we got engaged. Patrick thought he was being sneaky, but I knew something was up -- which is why I forced him into taking this picture before we left for dinner.

4/2006 -- Swan Lake at the Capitol Theatre with Caitlin, Leslie, and Doug. About the time I first realized Patrick has curly hair and began begging him to grow it out.

6/11/2006 -- Engagement photos. We shot at two locations -- the City & County building and the Cathedral of the Madeleine. We got these City & County shots first, and then got the shots we were a little more exited about at the Cathedral. Unfortunately, Jackie's camera was angry and didn't advance the film properly.

8/9/2006 -- Wedding Ceremony at the Gallivan Center. We had a tiny but long Episcopal ceremony outdoors, in August, with our wedding parties wearing formal black. Looking back . . . that wasn't very nice of us. But the pictures are beautiful.

8/2006 -- Honeymoon -- Cape Disappointment, Long Beach, Washington. Yeah, Cape Disappointment . . . I know it sounds bad, but it was completely gorgeous and the perfect temperature and mix of all our favorite things. The sort of place that you love visiting so much, you seriously think about not coming home.

12/2006 -- Lava Hot Springs -- Spur of the moment trip, which was a lot of fun. On the way home was when we realized travel gives Patrick panic attacks. Luckily it's not a long drive.

6/2007 -- Trying to take a trip up to Donut Falls. We ended up turning around after we got to the trail.

7/2007 -- Goofing around in the elevator at the Davenport in Spokane, WA. My last official business as a Certifying Official for the Western Area Veteran Education Speicialist (WAVES). We were on our way to dinner with Caitlin, Leslie, and one of Leslie's friends who lives in Spokane.

10/2007 -- Halloween. Patrick's year to pick, so we went as a surgeon and a nurse. I had to make my costume more exciting and added the wig.

12/2007 -- Goofing around while trying to take a photo to send out with our Christmas card. Not the most flattering photo, but I'm fond of it.

10/2008 -- NACADA conference in Chicago, and visiting Crystal & Jay. I was in meetings most of the time, and had a really bad cold the whole trip. But this was a fun day of playing around after the bulk of the conference was over. Again, Patrick loved Chicago so much he still talks about moving there.

10/31/2008 -- Halloween. This year it was my pick, so we went as the Frog Prince & Princess. Kanga was the Wicked Witch.

7/2009 -- Visit to the Zoo. Again, not a terribly flattering picture, but I just love Patrick's pith helmet.

Everything Sucks

2009-07-25T15:21:00.002-06:00

Using only song names from ONE ARTIST, cleverly answer these questions. Pass it on to 15 or so people you like (or think will actually do this) and tag me. Try not to repeat a song title. It's harder than you think.

Your Artist: MxPx (Yeah, like you’re really surprised)
Are you male or female: Rock and Roll Girl
Describe yourself: Well Adjusted
How do you feel about yourself: Self Serving with a Purpose
Describe where you currently live: Buildings Tumble
The first thing you think of when you wake up: Late Again
If you could go anywhere, where would you go: New York to Nowhere
Your favorite form of transportation: Do Your Feet Hurt?
Your best friend is: Young and Depressed
Your favorite color is: The Darkest Places
What's the weather like: Grey Skies Turn Blue
If your life were a TV show, what would it be called: So Kill Me
What is life to you: The Final Slowdance
What is the best advice you have to give: Get With It!
If you could change your name, what would it be: Middlename
Your favorite food is: More Everything
How I would like to die: Kicking and Screaming
My soul's present condition: Emotional Anarchist
The faults I can bear: Biased Bigotry
How would you describe your love life: Never Better Than Now
What are you going to post this as: Everything Sucks

Again, I don't tag -- but if you want to do it, it's pretty fun.

Brief Update

2009-07-24T12:00:00.000-06:00

Started my awesome new job yesterday. I think it's a place where I'll be staying for a while. Checked today and I have 14 students enrolled in my class. Just six more means I'll for sure get to teach it (and get the $1000 stipend).

Patrick's doing well and getting ready to head back to school in Fall. New medications are making a huge difference. He's excitedly looking in to undergraduate research opportunities with UofU Med School professors.

All in all, things are great.

Lapse in Blogging

2009-06-29T13:37:00.000-06:00

I know I should update this more. Here's what we've been up to:

On the job search, the Research Assistant position didn't work out for Patrick. We were pretty disappointed, but Patrick was sure it would go to someone with a biology degree -- and I guess he was right. All things considered, it was pretty neat to even be interviewed since he only applied on a lark.

I have my interview tomorrow. It will take approximately two and a half hours and includes a 10 minute presentation. While I do remarkable PowerPoint presentations, I thought since part of this presentation is to show how comfortable I am with technology that I'd develop a website instead. Last summer I had to do that for my internship class, and I think it went okay. I can't do my nifty animations, but I think it still gets the point across.

I've also been working on fixing up our basement. Yesterday I spackled, sanded, and repainted the door. When I get home tonight I'm going to put another coat on the front and as soon as the paint is dry enough, install a new lock. We've had a lot of problems with our neighbors and our basement lately. Including a mysteriously appearing and disappearing load of dirty thongs in our washer and a suspicious syringe that seemed to have been tossed through the hole in the wall where our dryer vents out. Yeah, icky.

On the whole, I'm really disappointed with our apartment. I love the space, and one of the reasons we moved in was the people. When we moved in it was all full of artists, hippies, and people that either worked at or went to the U. Since the change in management most of the people who've moved in seem to be really unstable. Like crazy, heavily-tattooed, with big vicious dogs, weird open-too-far eyes, who hang out in the yard wearing a wife-beater tank-tops and leave old mattresses and couches on the patio, keep us up nights with their screaming matches and wake us up early in the morning with a half-hour long smoker's hack. We have taken pains not to get to know them too well, so we refer to them with nicknames like Satan and his girlfriend Oh Mama, the Hag, Emphysema, and the Bloodhound Gang. I mean, growing up where I did -- I'm used to a certain level of trashiness, but it's getting a little out of control. Especially for as nice as the rest of the neighborhood is and how much we're paying to live next to these crack-heads.

But with luck, not for much longer. We just got pre-approved for a mortgage and are going to slowly start looking for a house. We're hoping to move before Christmas, but we want to save up a little more and find the perfect house (and price).

This Week in Warr

2009-06-14T23:30:00.000-06:00

Patrick and I took a lovely vacation from work. We've both been really frustrated with our jobs lately and we just needed some time to actually see each other and rest.

Mostly, we've slept in, gone to bed early, and taken naps -- but in between sleeping we managed to fit in some more exciting things too.

Patrick's been going to a lot of meetings. He's getting ready to get back into school and had to get some things in order. As part of that, he was diagnosed with ADD and found out his little sister Caitlin was diagnosed just last week! We're not really surprised, because pretty much everyone on the McKenzie side back to his great grandfather has had the same diagnosis. Not great news in some ways, but awesome news in other ways. Namely, it partly if not totally explains so many of the problems he's had. We're also excited that if he's done as well as he has at school without treatment, he's going to really excel now. It also gives us a heads up that when we have kids we're going to need to get them tested early.

Unfortunately, the medication they put him on, Strattera, interacted badly with his other medication. His blood pressure shot up, and he had to spend much of the end of our vacation in bed. But there are other medications out there, so there's still hope of getting it all under control.

We also have been getting our house in order, including putting up some kitty safe shelves for Patrick's orchids. Have I ever mentioned that Patrick has an amazing green thumb? He has a particular passion for orchids, which I don't mind one bit. My contribution to them thriving is merely to not touch them. I am a more effective plant killer than most herbicides.

More knick-nack shelves were also hung up as part of my birthday present. My bookshelves and built-in are overflowing with picture frames and cherished objects. It's hard to find a way to tie together artsy black and white photography with small plastic cows and stuffed sea fauna . . . but I think we've done a fine job. I've also been slowly working on finishing as many of my craft projects as possible. I still have a number of things from last Christmas that I need to finish.

In other birthday celebrations, I had lunch with my friend Kat on Tuesday and got to play with her little boy Spencer. Then on Wednesday Crystal and I did what we always do when she's in town -- eat something wonderful (Biaggi's), go shopping (I bought a lovely turquoise top at Express, David Sedaris's most recent book, and a book called Tarot for Today), and see a movie (Angels and Demons -- I realized that I have a little crush on Ewan McGreggor). Then I had dinner with Tracey, and we stayed up til midnight laughing about people we work with - seriously, economists are some of the strangest people I've ever met. And Laura brought me some beautiful flowers on my actual birthday.

Patrick and I made a lovely breakfast, an even lovelier dinner, and an ill-fated cake and topped off the night by seeing Up! at the drive-in. It's a pretty touching little cartoon and I've been extremely emotional lately, so I pretty much sobbed all the way through it. Very glad I saw it at the drive-in and not at a crowded theatre.

In other exciting news, Patrick had a job interview with a Neonatology Department at the University of Utah. Patrick's being cautious, because the job description calls for someone who's already completed their bachelor's. I'm optimistic (shocking, I know), however, because Patrick has some amazing and unique experience and Dr. Beachy told him in the interview that she would be perfectly willing to work around his school schedule. If he gets the job, he would be doing research to further treatment for infants with seizure disorders -- by experimenting on mice. So, since it's research and not patient care, it doesn't matter very much when he comes in. Any prayers/spells/positive affirmations that can be sent out on our behalf would be appreciated. This is exactly the missing piece in the getting Patrick to med-school puzzle.

Also on the employment front, I was invited by the Associate Dean of Undergraduate Studies/Director of University College Advising to apply for a Advising Coordinator position that was just created. Again, I'm cautiously optimistic. Sharon approached me before writing the position description and intimated that how she wrote that would depend a great deal on how interested I was. She is also half of the team that made the hiring decision for the teaching position I landed for fall -- so if she's already hired me once . . . However, HR just forwarded my application to her on Thursday, so it's still very up in the air. If I get the position, I would be working with the univeristy's degree auditing system, which is undergoing massive updates, and doing training and coordination with the various departments across campus -- and would have limited interaction with faculty. It may possibly be my dream job; so, again, any incantations, burnt offering, etc. would be gladly and graciously accepted.

All in all, it was a great week. I almost feel ready to go back to work in the morning . . . almost.

Graduation

2009-05-11T17:33:00.004-06:00

Hurray! I made it! Thanks to all those who were able to come and who have sent along their congratulations. Everything went really well -- no tripping or falling. I felt extra-special because Patrick declared "I LOVE YOU!!" as I walked across the stage at Kingsbury Hall to receive my diploma cover, which made everyone including the Dean laugh.

It was bittersweet to part with my good friends. Krystin and Suzanne were also part-time students, full-time employees and we had every single class together over the last two years. There's definitely a special bond that forms from an experience like that. We really had a great support system in each other.

As a parting gift I got them each a "Moo" key chain, which is what we're all holding. The significance goes back to the first day of the Fall 2008 semester when Krystin, who commutes from Logan, locked her keys in her car. Suzanne and I waited with her until campus police were able to get her car unlocked, which took until 11:30 or so. Anyway, we used my keychain flashlight, which is cow shaped and moos when in use, as an essential tool in getting the car open. It brought some much needed comic relief to a stressful situation. Yeah, you probably had to be there . . . but that's the story.

Face Update

2009-05-06T08:40:00.003-06:00

The swelling has gone down, though still hasn't totally gone away. Patrick has an idiopathic platelet aggregation disorder -- which basically means every now and then his blood won't clot properly and they aren't exactly sure why. Patrick found a couple of articles in medical journals that note unexplained facial swelling is common after dental work for people with platelet aggregation problems. Again, they don't know why -- but it seems to happen with fair frequency.

Anyway, thank you to all for your well wishes and positive thoughts.

Patrick's Latest Visit to the ER

2009-05-04T12:54:00.005-06:00

As you may or may not know, in December 2004 Patrick had a root canal go awry and ended having a portion of his upper-right jaw and cheek bone removed, including two teeth.

Over the last couple of years he's been working with our dentist and an oral surgeon to repair the damage. This has included a bone graft and titanium implants, and is set to be finished on May 20 when he finally gets his replacement molars.

This last Wednesday he had some cavities filled and had the moulds set to make up his new fake teeth. They had to trim back some of his gums, but for the most part everything went okay. Then Friday his face started to swell. It looked like he was hiding a softball in his cheek. Because that's how the whole mess started in '04, we decided not to take any chances and went straight to the ER.

They did a CT scan, and couldn't find any infection. So they pumped him full of a steroid called Toradol to help reduce inflammation, but the swelling hasn't gone down at all. Because of other medication he's on, they can't do anything for the pain -- so he's on Clindamycin, a broad spectrum antibiotic, and we're hoping for the best.

Really, I would have liked to send a card . . .

2009-04-28T16:15:00.003-06:00

. . . but I ran out of -- well, a lot of things.

All the same, I will be graduating next Friday (May 8) at 1:30 pm at Kingsbury Hall.

Anyone who would like to come is welcome. I will also post some pictures (if any turn out).

Just one more exam to go!

Professor Warr . . .

2009-04-10T15:24:00.002-06:00

I just got the call, and I will in fact be teaching a college class. I don't have all the details yet, but 25 new students will be my responsibility for an hour twice a week this fall.

I'm a little excited - but mostly nervous. At least I won't be totally on my own. There are a group of advisors who are each taking a class, and we'll be doing training and debriefing together so that there's consistency between the sections.

Wish me luck!

8 things

2009-04-06T13:00:00.001-06:00

8 Favorite TV Shows

The Daily Show
House
The Office
Bones
The Colbert Report
Evolve
MonsterQuest
My Name Is Earl

8 Things I did yesterday

Discovered a talent for sculpting (sort of)
Listened to a lot of NPR
Napped
Iced my dog's newly repaired knee
Tried to calm Patrick down (he's a little anxious about our dog)
Talked on the phone with Kim for about an hour and a half
Eavesdropped on the neighbors (they fight a lot)
Cuddled with my kitties

8 Things I am looking forward to

Graduation
Professors being gone during the summer
My appointment with the Pain Management Clinic
My new office
Warm weather
No more homework!
Reading for pleasure
The new X-men movie . . .

8 Favorite Restaurants

Biagi's
Bombay House
Aristo's
Settebello
Red Iguana
Paradise Cafe
Red Rock
Wild Mushroom Pizza

8 Things on my wish list

Application and graduation processes to be fully paperless.
The dishes in my sink and the laundry in the hamper to magically be washed, dried, and put away by the time I get home.
Patrick to get into a med school in a temperate climate.
A dishwasher (I really, REALLY hate washing dishes).
An unlimited travel budget -- so I could use the six or seven weeks of vacation I have to visit all my far-flung friends.
No wait-list at the library for the books I want to read.
For certain person to be eaten by a bear, and for another certain person to take over his job.
To get my health under control enough that standing in the shower for ten minutes doesn't completely exhaust me.

8 People I Tag

. . . um . . . I don't have eight people I can tag . . . but Christine, I bet you'd do it . . . :)

Love and Death

2009-04-01T17:00:00.000-06:00

It's been a while, so I thought I’d write just a brief update.

Patrick is adjusting to working nights. Since switching schedules he has lost 20 lbs! We’re not sure if it’s just the extra running all over the hospital, or that I’m actually awake enough to pack him a lunch before he leaves . . . either way, we’re really excited about it.

Our poor little puppy blew out her knee and has to have surgery next week to repair it. I keep joking with Patrick that I would never pay the exorbitant prices they charge for a pure-bred puppy, but I’m more than happy to pay roughly the same amount to have our old mutt fixed up. I guess you just can’t put a price on that unconditional puppy-love. In the meantime though, poor Kanga has to limp up and down our stairs several times a day. On the bright-side, she hasn’t been chasing the cats around our apartment as much.

In happy and exciting developments, I passed my paper and presentation. I can make a few corrections and resubmit to earn distinction. The corrections are so minor that it almost seems silly not to, but then I’m also so happy to be done that it’s kind of tempting to just call it good enough.

In less happy news, my grandmother passed away on St. Patrick’s Day. In a lot of ways it was more of a relief than anything else. I loved my grandmother dearly, and she’d been trapped for so long in that shell. It really felt like I’d lost her four or five years ago, when I couldn’t hold a conversation with her anymore. Having long talks with her is probably what I miss the most, that and giving her a hard time. When I would tease her, she would always tell me that I was just like my grandfather. So, it’s comforting to think if she and my grandfather have been reunited, that someone is there to give her a hard time and make her laugh.

On the upside of grandma news, Patrick’s grandma, Georgia, who is in her 80’s, is recovering nicely from a hip surgery she had this fall. She’s really amazing.

Other interesting things just on the horizon? I have an interview tomorrow with the Undergraduate Studies/University College Advising Center about teaching a course this fall. If I get a position, I’ll be teaching an 8 week course about how to navigate higher education to a group of up to 25 freshmen. It’s so not in my nature to volunteer for public speaking, but I really think this is something I could do. Essentially, it’s what I do all day, every day but with a group rather than one-on-one.

Then next week, Patrick is going to be meeting with some representatives from St. George’s Medical School. It sounds really interesting. They’ve been sending Patrick information for about six months, and having current students call and chat with him. The program itself looks really cool, and then there’s another sub-program where he would study for a year in England, then a year in Grenada, and then finish up in the US. It’s pretty competitive, so we’re not getting our hopes up too high – but wouldn’t that be neat? I certainly wouldn’t mind tagging along for that!

Integrative Paper

2009-02-26T10:16:00.011-07:00

Yesterday at 4:50 pm, I turned in my integrative paper. This is the body of work that is supposed to encapsulate everything I've learned in my masters program into 20-25 pages of material that adds to the scholarship of student affairs enough, that it would also be publishable. Yes, that is just as fun as it sounds.

As per my personality type (INFP on Myers-Briggs and Kiersey -- more on this to come in a future post), I had grand, ambitious ideas . . . and procrastinated to the very last minute actually putting them into action. So, I spent yesterday locked in my office chained to my computer furiously scribbling revisions on draft after draft.

This is a representation of what was produced:

Apparently there's this website were you can take bodies of text, paste it in, and then it figures out which words you use most frequently and mashes them all together in a word cloud. It is remarkably similar to what my brain felt like afterwards.

I will not find out for two weeks whether or not I have passed, but regardless of the outcome I owe some people thanks.

Terese for suggesting the topic. Karleton for working with me on the presentation that informed the topic. Krystin for giving me direction. Paige for helping make sense of it. And last, but not least, Crystal for being my APA savior. It pleases me no end that I was writing a paper about instant messaging and social networking and working with friends across the country using those mediums to help me write the paper.

In other random update news:

Patrick has moved from working day shifts to graveyards. This is his first week and it is wreaking havoc. We're hoping things will get better, but this week has been rough.

Laura chipped in and we have jointly purchased a beautiful front loading, energy efficient, amazing washer and dryer set. I never have to go back to that laundromat that only plays Fox News. I am giddy.

Six Things You May or May Not Know . . .

2009-02-15T22:34:00.013-07:00

Kimi and Britteny tagged me, and I am powerless to resist the siren song of internet surveys. So I must post six things that most people do not know about me.

I do not believe in germs or physics.

Well, I should clarify that. I am fascinated by physics at the quantum level, but I’m pretty sure the stuff that they teach in General Physics is watered-down bunk because they don’t think the lay people can understand the real stuff. Sort of like how the taught us to subtract all through elementary school, and then we got to pre-algebra they introduced negative numbers – which makes way more sense. Don’t treat me like I’m stupid, just tell me what’s really going on.

And really, I just think germs are overrated.

On the other hand, I do believe that some power in the universe tries to send me messages through the radio – like really. If you’d ever heard an old song in the car, then at the bank, then at the grocery for no apparent reason, they’re trying to reach you too.

Contrary to what you might think, I am not naturally inclined to be a good student. For example, the only way I will actually do reading for my classes is if I take a nice long bubble bath and bring the reading with me. If not for this and being able to draw elaborate Celtic knots in my notes, I would not have made it through graduate school.

I have been collecting baby-name books for thirteen years. I have a fascination with the meanings behind names, and in the short stories I write my characters are very intentionally named. I probably spend more time selecting the names for my characters than I spend on titles.

I have an irrational fear of fish. I can’t eat them. I can’t look at them. I certainly can’t swim in water in which they might be – this includes the brine shrimp in the Great Salt Lake. I can’t watch them on television. I can’t even go to certain areas of the pet store without subjecting myself to a week’s worth of nightmares.

I used to hate my nose. It’s rather large and has this funny little "ski-jump". Then I found a picture of my Great Grandpa Hill, and discovered that I inherited my giant nose from him. After that I began to accept and even celebrate my nose. Going so far as to find men with large noses incredibly attractive (such as Ringo Starr and more recently Demetri Martin). However, I am still surprised when I see a photo of myself in profile.

I cannot quite bring myself to tag anyone else, but to all who read this, I would greatly welcome you to respond in kind.

The Soundtrack of My Life So Far . . .

2009-01-26T10:41:00.002-07:00

As I’m sure many do, periodically I find a new favorite album and play the poor thing until I can’t stand it anymore and move on. That music then comes to stand in my memory for a certain period of time in my life, and whenever I hear any of the tracks I’m taken back to that couple of months when I was fully obsessed.

In a bout of insomnia last night, I got thinking about what those albums were and realized it makes for a pretty succinct autobiography. I’ve selected one track from each album that I think sums up why it was my absolute favorite at the time, so from age fourteen up to twenty-five, here we go.

8th/9th grade (Sleepovers with Tracey): Alanis Morissette – Jagged Little Pill – All I Really Want
10th/11th grade (Sleeping at Paige’s almost more than I slept at home): The Beatles – Abbey Road – Golden Slumbers
Summer 2000 (Andrew): Blink 182 – What’s My Age Again
Spring 2001 (The Soc Shop): Sixpence None the Richer – Love
Summer 2001 (Tie One On-Crossroads): Eve 6 – How Much Longer
Fall 2001 (Hanging out with Mandie & Paige): MxPx – The Ever Passing Moment – My Life Story
Spring 2002 (Hanging out with Kat & Kim/Losing my Mom): Jimmy Eat World – Bleed American – Get it Faster
Summer 2002 (Living Downtown with Nikki): Good Charlotte – Waldorf Worldwide
Fall 2002 (Bohemian Life with Paige/Working at HRO): Cake – Prolonging the Magic – Cool Blue Reason
Spring 2003 (Falling in Love with Joseph): Ben Folds Five – The Unauthorized Biography of Reinhold Messner – Magic
June 2003 (Breaking up with Joseph): Evanescence – Fallen – My Immortal
Summer 2003 (Healing after the Breakup/Living on 200 North): The All American Rejects – My Paper Heart
September 2003 (Chasing Aliens with Kim): MxPx – Before Everything and After – Well Adjusted
September 2003 (Chasing Boys with Serena): Reliant K – Two Lefts Don’t Make a Right, but Three Do – Falling Out
Spring 2004 (Living in the Avenues/Rob): Maroon 5 – Songs about Jane – Sun
Fall 2004 (Dean): AFI – Sing the Sorrow – The Leaving Song
Spring 2005 (Living with Crystal/Spiritual Awakening): Ben Lee – Awake is the New Sleep – Begin
Summer 2005 (The move to Sugarhouse/Peter the Photographer): The Killers – Hot Fuss – Change Your Mind
Winter 2006 (Moving in with Patrick): Death Cab for Cutie – Plans – I Will Follow You into the Dark
Summer 2006 (Planning the Wedding/Trolley Square/Patrick’s Singing Phone): Panic! At the Disco – A Fever You Can’t Sweat Out – London Beckoned for Songs about Money Written by Machines
Spring 2007 (Driving in the Canyon with Patrick): Say Anything – Is a Real Boy – Woe
Summer 2007 (Turning 25): Regina Spektor – Begin to Hope – Hotel Song

We Heart Obama

2009-01-23T07:25:00.004-07:00

Just a little note about this past Tuesday and how truly neat it was. In addition to the general awesomeness of Obama's election and inauguration that need not be delineated here, I just wanted to write a little something about my experience on Tuesday.

When mysteriously none of my morning appointments showed up, my coworkers and I snuck into the conference room where some of our doctoral students were watching C-SPAN's coverage. After we sat down, more random people filtered in from the hall into the darkened classroom. It was just amazing to me the power this event had to draw people together. I've seen moments like this before on this campus, but those were darker times when we pulled together in shock and fear rather than joy and hope.

Those who know me well will not be surprised to discover that I am very excited about President Obama. When I heard a snippet of the speech he gave at the 2004 Democratic National Convention, I wept openly and have been desperately hoping to see this moment ever since. But I'm a dyed-in-the-wool flaming liberal and I live in Utah; I'm not used to having large groups of other people feel inspired by the same things that inspire me politically. It was such an affirming moment. As it turns out, there is a little hope left in Pandora's box after all.

Confessions of a Needleworker

2008-12-21T20:49:00.002-07:00

Yes, Paige, we are turning into those women we feared - and we're only in our twenties. I've even recently taken up knitting. Not tradition knitting mind you, it is loom knitting that has won my heart . . . or at least my spare time.

(my first project)

It's incredibly easy. Essentially, you just wrap a peice of yarn around this circle shaped loom with little pegs poking out. Then use this tool that looks like it belongs in a dentists office to flip the yarn over the pegs and repeat. Before long, voila! Adorable knit-wear galore.

The downside: none of these projects were part of my original Christmas project list . . . so I'm now way behind.

The upside: When Patrick told me last night that he needed a red headband for his Secret Santa exchange at work, I was able to produce this with ease.

Whether or not that's something to be proud of . . . well, that's another story.

It's Beginning to Look a Lot Less Dreary

2008-12-15T15:01:00.020-07:00

Finishing classes has added an extra layer of cheer to this December. Fall was kind of a rough semester and I haven't really been enjoying my classes. In one class I enjoyed the reading, but hated the class and had the reverse experience in the other. So, with that passed (with luck) and gone, I've been able to focus on getting ready for the joyous holiday.

Although Christmas is not my favorite holiday, I'm quite thrilled this year. I'm really looking forward to hosting Christmas breakfast, and getting to see the extended family on Christmas Eve.

On Saturday we decorated the tree:

while listening to some of our favorite Christmas songs (for playlist scroll down) and watching:

As always, I was inconsolable when poor Mew got frozen forever.

This year the excitement truly is about the giving, and not the receiving. Patrick and I have been hard at work since August handmaking all our gifs. After the season, I'll post some pictures. I'm really quite proud of our craftiness, but I don't want to spoil the surprise for anyone . . . but I can't totally resist so I'll just post a couple of reasonably safe ones. (Meaning, I've already delivered the gift and/or I'm pretty sure they don't read this blog.)

<--Throw pillow designed by Rikki

Baby Blanket, also designed by Rikki -->

Over the River and Through the Woods . . .

2008-12-01T10:26:00.006-07:00

For Thanksgiving this year it was our turn to travel up to Missoula to enjoy the holiday with Patrick’s mother (Lezlie), sister (Caitlin), and maternal grandmother (Maryanne). We brought our dog, Kanga, along for the nine-hour drive and passed the time by reading Lemony Snicket’s A Series of Unfortunate Events. We started our journey with The Bad Beginning and met the incredibly deadly viper as we passed through Anaconda. Patrick and I were enthralled; Kanga was a bit bored.

While in Montana we stayed with Lezlie and Caitlin, and Kanga got to hang out with some very friendly labs named:

<--Shana

& Suzie-->

Thanksgiving dinner was an intimate affair with just the four immediate family members attending. Lezlie prepared an excellent meal, and I had great fun preparing the fruit salad.

On Saturday morning we headed back to Salt Lake and picked back up with A Series of Unfortunate Events. As a hurricane hit Lake Lacrimose, we hit a storm system passing through Montana and Idaho. We finished our trip up with a little time at The Miserable Mill, and were almost sad to reach Salt Lake before reaching The Austere Academy.

When we arrived home we discovered that my aunt (Laura) had cleaned our apartment for us and stocked our fridge with soda and goodies. So, it was certainly a happy homecoming.

Hello

2008-11-24T11:11:00.004-07:00

As you may have guessed, I’m starting a blog. Mostly because so many people I know are doing it so very well and I’m jealous. Also, I so enjoy being kept up to date about everybody’s lives that I’d like to reciprocate in kind.

Unfortunately for you, I don’t do anything terribly interesting. On the other hand I do have really strong opinions, so with luck that will balance things out.

For general update purposes, here are some of the most exciting things that have happened recently:

Patrick and I visited Jay and Crystal in Chicago:

(Our reflection in the Silver Jellybean)

Tracey and I took Ghost Hunting 101:

(Some of our best “orbs” in Pleasant Green Cemetery)

My not-so-little-anymore brother got married:

Anyway, there will be more to come. I hope you’ll enjoy it.