Nostalgia

Today as I was walking across the quad, the autumn leaves painting a picturesque seen, the crisp fall air tickling my face, the smell of "is it a good smell or a bad one?" trickling into my nose from the hub, I let out a long sigh and said outloud, "I'm going to miss this." I realized I'd already taken my last nap on the quad without even realising it. :( I'm not ready yet.

On a happier note, I finally put all of the pics from my wedding online. I had to divide them into several albums due to the large number. Links are below:

http://usu.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2004394&id=122800461&l=f1683

http://usu.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2004354&id=122800461&l=e2d6b

http://usu.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2004353&id=122800461&l=e3e4c

http://usu.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2004347&id=122800461&l=de325

http://usu.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2004345&id=122800461&l=f35a5

http://usu.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2003128&id=122800461&l=31f3c

evil magenta toner

the horror of our monthly magazine run is over, nicely and happily over. it went relatively painless this time.


now i'm working on a website for shae's place bakery and catering. it's quite fun.

shae herself is running around being the gracious hostess and front-woman of shae's place bakery and catering. i hope she's having fun with it. i know she is.


i don't really have much else to say.... hm.

life goes on. yeah.

p.s.
lookit this.

Oh the joys of a useable toilet!

NEWS!!!
This is what I received before after my class was canceled last thursday. Just thought you peoples might like to know.

Hi, everyone, I'm writing to tell you why I missed class yesterday. I
had to have emergency surgery yesterday (an appendectomy). I am already
home, but I am going to need a few days to recover. I hope I'll see you
next week, and I'll send an update email to let you know how we'll make
up for last night.

Take care,

Kelli


On a more personal note. I have not yet obtained a picture of my boy....because I don't want to be like....I need a picture of you that I can post it on the internet to prove to all my friends that I am dating an actual person. I don't know, I'm not sure if we have actually reached that point in the relationship.
I'm going to fly out to Chicago in October....just for fun. It's going to be awesome and I am super excited!!
Since last thursday I have not been able to use the shower, toilet, washer, or dishwasher in my home. Our plumbing has been flooding our storage room so we weren't allowed to do anything until today! when it was fixed. And since I'm wearing my last pair of clean underwear....it's not a moment too soon!
I have a cold sore on my lip. It hurts and I don't like it all.
I'm sure there are more things going on but that is just a small update

Hello Pumpkins

Read to the birthday song tune:

"Congratulations to you, congratulations to you,
Congratulations everyone on their joooobs...
Congratulations to you!"

a continuance...

"I'm so proud of yoooou and what you doooo
Congratulations to you! Yay!"

Yay indeed. I'm just tickled pink for all of us....being all grown up and such! I made a public scene when Kelli announced that Mandy and Hollie had jobs. Casey T. Allen was quite excited too...but I made an actual scene. After which, I was mocked by Kelli. ;) How degrading. But anything for you, my loves. Nessa, (This is your new nickname.) I would kill for a job at the Met!!! I'll be crossing my fat little toes!

Not much is happening in my life. We are extraordinarily poor. Not for long though, since I am working for Shae instead of USU....we will climb on top of our finances eventually. As for now, we cannot afford any extra activities....not even fast food. (Which is good considering I have gained a substantial amount of weight and am taking the Special K challenge.)

Since I eat cereal for two of my meals, I have an excuse to continue on my cooking adventures into scrumptious dinners by Chelsi Land. I'm a good cook, actually. Not without help though. Last night I made a pumpkin themed dinner. I made JeriLynn's Pumpkin Curry Soup (Which is to absolutely DIE for!!!!!!!!!!!!!) in pumpkin shaped bread bowls (courtesy of Great Harvest) and pumpkin icecream with a divine pumpkin swirl cheesecake. I'll post the recipe below...it's fabulous.

Pumpkin Swirl Cheesecake

Crust:
25 gingersnaps, crumbled
1/4 stick of butter, melted
1/2 c chopped pecans

Filling:
4 cream cheeses, softened
1 c sugar, divided
2 tsp vanilla
4 eggs
1 cup canned pumpkin
1 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp nutmeg
dash of ground cloves

Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Combine all ingredients for crust and press onto bottom of a 9 or 10 inch springform pan. Set Aside.

Beat Cream Cheese, 3/4 c. Sugar and Vanilla just until smooth. Add eggs and mix in one at a time. Remove 1 1/2 cups of the filling and put in a small bowl. Set aside.

Add remaining 1/4 c. sugar, pumpkin and spices and mix until well-blended.

Pour half of the pumpkin filling onto crust and top with spoonfuls of white filling. Repeat layers. Cut through the layers of filling slowly with a knife to create a marbling effect.

Bake 55 minutes or until center is set. Place a container of water in the oven with the cheesecake. (Not glass...it explodes...kneeh!) This way, your cheesecake won't crack. DON'T OPEN THE OVEN!

Let cool completely and then refridgerate for 4 hours or overnight. To serve, place the bottom of the pan in hot water for a few seconds. Remove from water and then open the pan. Tada!

Enjoy! I used two fat free cream cheeses and two light cream cheeses....it was still divine. Alter according to your Special K challenge status.

I saw Leisl yesterday. She's gorgeous and very strong, physically and emotionally (I can tell) just like her mommy. She liked my Red Sox hat. She enjoys Jay's receding, but very becoming, hairline. Frankly, I think she likes heads.

The Johnston's are throwing a Halloween After party after the Howl on the 28th of Oct. Clear your calendars!

We have an extra room and comfy couches if anyone needs to lodge. There will be a great pumpkin cake, a witches brew and green fondue.....Hooray!!!!!!!!!! (And that's only the food part.) Come one and all! Well, that's all for now everyone. Much Love and affection.

Liesl's Asleep on My Lap

Hello everyone. I figured that it's my turn to post again. I haven't posted because I haven't had a lot going on lately. Except Liesl. It's amazing how she can take up my entire day. It's all I can do to keep the dishes clean (thanks to the handy-dandy dishwasher).

My neighbor just came home with her baby today. She's a little thing-- a full three pounds smaller than Liesl used to be. My neighbor pushed for an hour and a half. I only pushed for forty-five minutes (and that time included turning her around), and most women who have eight or nine pound babies push for two or three hours. Yay for me. (Liesl was 9 lbs. 7 oz., just to remind you.) I'm still proud of myself. (Although I must mention that Karissa, too, did a good job: she pushed for only twenty-five minutes! But her baby was smaller than mine.) :)

Anyway, I'm so jealous of my neighbor. I seriously loved being in labor and all that. It was so much fun! And even though I cried when they told me it was time to start pushing (parenthood still scared me at that point), I even liked that part!

Well, it's good to hear from all of you. Wilson, I think you'd be awesome at Amelia's job. Mandy, congrats. Tell Lisa hi for me. Holly, thanks again for the bracelets. I'll send the others back to you with a measurement of Liesl's wrist. Also, way to have an awesome job title. Vanessa, I miss you. What more can I say? I hope NYU is treating you well. Are the guys there more attractive than those in UT?

Anyway, I'll update my blog again. Soon I'll even update Liesl's website with more pics. I should be getting my desktop today, so I can install my Photoshop trial, and hopefully by the time that expires, USU will have more Suites for my hubby to buy.

Its not what you know, but who apparently.

I got a job offer today. It was hand-delivered by my aunt who works in the human resources of the INL. Yes, the old addage its not what you know but who that counts.

I will be working with the engineers. As an engineering technical writer. I will be the prescedent. The first techncial writer hired who didn't have an engineering degree but an actual technical writing degree. (You mean hiring engineers to write makes them want to quit after a year is a *bad* idea but hiring people who actually want to write is a *good* idea?)

I interviewed for this job back in June. I was told in the begining of August they were going to extend an offer, but they needed a million people to sign off on it. Then two weeks later talk to my aunt again and she says technically new position so some mucky muck had them go back to corporate headquarters, define the new position, make sure that it was acceptable to hire me for the position of technical writer and then start the signature process again.

Once all of the signatures were in, they had to check my references (who knew?) and they couldn't get a hold of one of them. So my aunt calls me yesterday and says: can't get ahold of one of your references. So I e-mail Kelli, beg and plead her to be a reference, she graciously agrees, I call my aunt back give her Kelli's contact info, they call her same day leave a message, then this morning they get a hold of her. My aunt says Kelli was the perfect reference so that if they decide to hire more tech writers out of USU, they're gonna contact her to spread the word.

So in my hand i have a letter that stars out The Bettis Atomic Power Laborartoy is pleased to extend an offer of employment as an Associate Engineering Writer ....

Tales of a Working Girl

So apparently now that I got a job and can no longer spend hours checking the blog, everyone decides to post! Unfair!

BTW, you read correctly, I got a job!

I'm working at Ellis, a division of Pearson Digital Learning in South Jordan with our favorite Lisa (Ms. Ferrara). I get my butt out of bed at 5:30 (quite a shock after not having a class before 9 for 3 years) and drive for about an hour and 15 minutes down to South Jordan. Other than the early hours, it should be a really fun job. I'm working as a Quality Assurance Software Tester. Basically, Ellis makes an English as a second language software program and my job is to see if the glitches caused by switching from a CD-based distribution system to a web-based distribution system have been corrected.

I started on Monday and it was quite an experience; at first I couldn't get in because my boss failed to mention that I'd need a key card and then when I was getting frustrated, Lisa showed up and let me in! Then she gave me a tour while some of the others were trying to figure out why half the cubicals had no power. Then my boss (who I'm not lying goes by Griz) showed me my cubical and realized that my computer had no tower. I spent the rest of the morning reading instruction manuals for the old system while the computer guy grumbled about having to find me a computer and then having to find me a computer with a working hard drive. In the afternoon, I had to listen to another computer guy grumble about how the computer with a working hard drive wouldn't install the software I needed and then wouldn't connect to the server!

Today was better because I had a computer and other than the fact that IE crashed every time I ran the software I was supposed to be checking because I'm missing a patch, I had a really good day. I feel like I accomplished a lot and I remembered the names of the people I met yesterday. We had a staff meeting at the Mariott down the street which didn't really apply to me, but was like getting paid for sitting in a class (ah memories!).

I think this is going to be a really good job and a nice place to work with friendly people. But for now, I'm falling asleep, so I'm going to sign off. I'll update again later so you can all hear about my wonderful life ;-)

short hours and long walks

today is full of posters

nine-foot posters for floats

more normal sized posters for shae's brother.

all sorts of fun stuff.

life in general is full of missing logan and autumn academia and stuff. i miss it all. i miss walking across the muddy quad. i miss the chime of old main. i miss that blasted canyon wind.

but. well, i've got a decent share of beautiful misty mornings, a nice picturesque drive to work, and lots of hours in which to practice writing novels. or procrastinate writing novels. whichever.

i took a long walk on sunday, which was really nice. i miss walking places, so i think i'll do it more often.


(yay for camera phones)

i found this neat little trail, and even though it was starting to rain and i had been about to head home, i had to turn down it and see where it went.

it went nowhere really. but it was lovely. i took several pictures. here are a few:





the horses were so big and friendly. i was almost afraid they'd eat my phone.

Elsie, take his picture

ok ok, a straight, unmarried, attractive male is running loose in Ray B. West? Take his photo and post it on this thing for all to see...I must see it to believe it. You are going to have a 10 Things I Hate About You romance. (at least that won't be a Brokeback Mountain romance). Or maybe a Knight's Tale romance. YAY! either way, take his damn picture and let us have a look.


:)

In RBW

I am sitting here writing this in RBW. You should all be jealous.

Short story from switzerland.
One fine day we are riding the bus back to our little city when a small section of the group decided to be rebels and sit in another train car. Little did we know the adventures that would ensue. While sitting innocently in this car we discovered that our fellow passagers had had a little too much to drink on that fine afternoon. I'm sure some french profanities were used. One of the girls occupied the WC when a male and a female model walked towards the WC in a purposeful manner. To our shocked and bufuddled minds we wondered..are they going in together?? There's just not enough room for that to happen! What can they be thinking? But they did enter the WC together! We of course wanted to see the state of their attire when they exited the WC but our stop was coming up. Right before I was to step off the train they exited the WC with a bang....and her hair was disheveled. Makes you wonder what they were doing huh?

and about the boy....yeah that would be terrible if he found this and all my secrets were revealed. I would say that we are dating....but not exclusively at this point. It's freakin' me out a little bit. He says all sorts of cute things that I just don't know how to react to. I'm not usually a cute things sort of girl....but he's doin' something to me. I'm just going with the flow right now...and keeping my eyes pealed for more Heath Ledger look alikes. We talk every single day. If I was listening to myself I would say that I'm sickening....but I am rather smitten with this fellow at the moment. So.....umm...yes.

There you go.

haaa. pardon the eff word, yo.

from Vanessa--My Darling loves from RBW!

'tis our lasting affection for one another that will transcend the bounds of time and space...oh how nice it is to hear from everyone!! Elsie, who is this man with whom you had a one night stand? Is he a dirty European or a scandalous Utahn? I must know. Wilson, my dear dear friend, is the man you broke up with recently the same man that I met after Chelsi's wedding? I'm sorry to hear you are wayfaring through thorny paths right now. Well spoken on that end, might I add. I thought it was sickly poetic. I am right next to where our nation's president is currently hanging a memorial wreath for 9/11. Everyone is nostalgic here in the tri-state area after five years of post-9/11 sentiment. I can't believe it has been five years, by the way. I want to share a comic, above. I will add more later, as I find them invariably hilarious. J. lynn, did you hear that B. Spears wants to name her new daughter Jailynn? I thought of you when I heard that...KARISSA oh my GOSH put a picture of your child on our fine blog for hell sake...unless I missed it somewhere. Ummmm, Shae if you're out there, I left you a voicemail not so long ago, and never heard back. Something you wanna tell me Tam? Is Pappy in the loony bin again? I tell ya, I been all over town these days tryin to find a decent bologna sandwich...half the time I just say I'm out doin that just to get away from Joe (is that my husbands name?)

Well darlings, hope to hear from you all soon...if you ever need a break, come to New York!

much love,

vanessa

Slanting into Minestra

Okay, let's get this thing started. I haven't written or even read for a while, but talking to Els' on the phone yesterday inspired me to change my ways. I've managed to date the same guy for the past four months and - let's face it - guys take up a lot of time. So I've been absent, but absent no longer, 'cause I had to break up with him on Tuesday. Not fun. I had realized subconsciously that I wasn't ready for the kind of commitment he was looking for and we were just starting to get in deep with each other. I started actually having these incredible spells of anxiety whenever I thought about him. They were so strong that they inspired me to break up with him in spite of the fact that I REALLY didn't want to. Wasn't very nice for him, because I couldn't really explain it at all. Only afterwards did I realize that I had realized that I'd only hurt him more if I stayed and let him fall in love with me. Being the break-upper is harder than I expected. I cried whenver I thought about him for about two days. Ugh.
Anyway, I have work! Not pizza delivery, no. I work at Automatic Data Processing in Murray as a Design Services Intern. I'm finally having to learn Quark, but I'm realizing how truly piffling learning new programs is now. People in the workplace don't expect you to know them - most times they don't even know them. They use them for what they need and then they move along, leaving all the cool features. I'm also becoming intimate with Illustrator, and am picking up a new 3D prog called Milkshape. It's fun when I'm busy and, of course, I've picked everything up very quickly. When I'm not busy I'm allowed to simply read a book, or model in 3D. My computer's not fandabular, but it works for all I need it to - and there's money coming in. Not as much as I'm worth, for sure, but I haven't actually had that much to do so far. Maybe a faster paced job? I'm considering your job in January, Amelia, considering that this internship only lasts into November.
Now that I have no one, I'm really ready to go just about anywhere. I've got no strings to hold me down - and it's interesting the path I trod to get here. God's nice, but he sure likes you to take the dark and scary path through the briars on your way to sunny fields. Of course, if we only had sunny fields, we never would have invented Velcro, so let's be thankful.
As you can see, my writing - as well as my ability to think in complete sentences - has left me completely. My comma's are getting out of hand, and I'm pretty sure that I've "ran-on" at least three times in just this message alone.
Lorgily,
Wilson

Another Job

Look at us networking! Craziness!

My work (New Dawn Technologies) is looking for another technical writer...it's just part-time so I suppose it is mostly for those who are still stuck around here. Jerilynn....are you looking? I think you could maybe even like it! But you are probably busy and successful working at Shaes.

I'm having a dessert/Whitney Todd's birthday party this friday. You are all invited should you be in the area....it is going to be a ton of fun and I am super excited. You can bring a dessert...or not.

Boys are trouble. The guy I was talking about in my previous post....is still around. It's weird. I guess you could say we're dating if you define dating as "going on dates and like each other" but he lives in lindon....and I live up here in logan. Anybody else see a problem here?

There is a guy who looks like Heath Ledger in my lingustics class....I'm attempting to sit next to him....it's pretty much the only reason I've been going to that class.

Babies and Dresses, my two favorite things!

Hey everyone! It's so great to hear from you all. I love it. Where's Wilson lately, though? He hasn't posted in a while. And Elsie, you never did tell us any more about that boy or Switzerland. Lets just hope he hasn't Googled his name and found your post. That would be embarassing at this point, eh?

Anyway, life is busy. It's amazing how long it takes to adjust to normal life. My sister-in-law said it's hormones that make even the smallest task seem impossibly monumental. Well, I'm easing into things. Yesterday I did two loads of laundry. Today I have the worst headache in three years. I've taken two Rx strength ibuprofins, but it still throbs.

Hey, guess what! I bought a ball dress! WA HOO! Okay, so I'm still making payments on it, but I'm excited. I was having a bad day on Saturday, so I ditched my hubby and kid for about 5 hours and went dress shopping. An officer's wife has to have her a nice formal gown, right? Anyway, Levans was having this sale, and I tried on about ten dresses. I put one on hold because I couldn't decide then: it was $195. It was a pretty, tri-layered, princess-waisted fuschia colored gown. Well, I went back to buy it today. But I ended up not getting it. Instead, I settled for a slim-fitting, rose pink two-piece. It was cheaper, first off, but it's also more professional. As much as I like frilly and extravagent, like that fuschia piece, it would have been impractical: I would've worn it twice and then have been to embarassed to wear to important officer's functions. This pink one is pretty without being over-the-top, and it's simple enough that if I really wanted to, I could wear it to church and nobody would blink an eye. Anyway, I'm excited. I have a new formal dress. Yay.

Liesl is getting so big. She smiles when I change her diaper. She can hold her head up dependably well, and she can also do more pushups than I. Yesterday she started swatting at toys, so that's a step. It's fun watching her grow, but she's such a snugly, sweet little baby that I'm sad for her to get any bigger. Oh well, I guess that just means more babies for me.

xo -jeri

p.s. I saw Karrissa's baby last week. She has very pretty features and hazel green eyes. What a beauty!

New York baby

hi everyone!

I miss everyone so much, let me say that much...I am starting my first day of classes today at NYU and I'm getting a little less nervous as I carve out some sliver of an existence here in the concrete jungle. I want to put up some pictures soon (as soon as I get internet and get my act together). I was thinking...things are going to be pretty tough without all of you guys to solve my problems and keep me updated on what's due and when. I realize how nice I had it when I could come to class, feel completely lost on whatever Cheryl's latest and greatest syllabus change was, and just ask for help and you all would be there for me. Even Wilson will say he told me so when I find that I cannot do things I thought I could without him sitting right next to me holding my hand.

I have my little (LITTLE) apartment, and I have not been mugged yet. I have sat next to transient individuals on the subway who tend to laugh maniacally at the absence of just about anything. I have made a fool of myself plenty of times, met some interesting characters, eaten strange fare, and gotten hopelessly lost. But, all in all, I am learning already and classes haven't even started (until tonight that is). Wish me luck, I will need it. I really miss the nurturing, accessible nature of Utah and Utah State in particular. But you what, so far, I have found that my experience at USU has really prepared me for graduate school. I had my moments of skepticism, but I am really suprised to learn that I actually know what's going on around here thanks to my years of struggle at USU. God bless the Aggies.

I will post pictures soon, and I cannot find pictures of your baby ANYWHERE Jerilynn, ( I am sure I am not looking in the right places) but either tell me how to view or resend por favor. I must see. I know what you mean about being depressed about not going back to school (even though I am looking down the barrel of a loaded gun of reading and homework--about 600 pages per week of book assignment reading with loads of articles on top of that) but I was in Logan not too long ago feeling that excitement in the air of everyone coming back from the summer and starting school and just...I felt really nostalgic and sentimental about everything. A big part of me wished I had one more year left. I thought of a lot of things I wanted to do still. I love Logan, and of course you never realize how much you love something until you lose it (that is my last rote comment for the day, I promise). Also, I turned 22 today! I think that's a nice number but I was crying last night because I will never be 21 again. I hope everyone is marvelously happy. I can't wait to see Bundy in December (though we have been playing a wild game of phone tag).

much love from the stinky streets of New York,

vanessa

Silly Story Time

Its now time for silly stories with your host, Hollie. This story was written during church (its one of many, trust me, trying to get my roommate to laugh out loud and if I had a scanner it would have the pictures to go with, but you will just have to suffer without).

Once upon a time there was a cheese grater named Gregory. He grated cheese, that was his raison d'etre. Unfortunately, Gregory was a bit of a snob. He only like to grate cheese of higher importance than the average, every day sorts of cheese. He put up his nose at cheddar, rolled his eyes at mozzarella, laughed disdainfully at Amerian and hid from Monteray Jack.

He would crawl his little metal body to the back of the utinsel drawer, cower in the corner and pretend to be a spoon when his ownders pulled out a hunk of less than worthy cheese.

"Give me Gouda! What about Parmesean or Feta? Perhaps a pepperjack! Something different, something refined." He shrugged glumly, "I'd even take Swiss or Roker if it came to it."

His friend Steve the Sieve wasn't sympathetic to his friend's plight. "At least you get used! The last time they thought about me they were canning applesauce! They haven't looked at me since. Plus, cheese is room temperature at most when they want to grate it. Unlike boling hot applesauce."

It was a common discussion, Gregory complaining followed by unsympathetic Steve's diatribes getting louder and then the belittling of Gregory's frustrations.

Gregory got tired of this so one day he shoved Steve down. Steve jumped up and pushed Gregory down. There was a bit of hand slapping until Gregory picked up a metal kebab skewer. Not to be out done, Steve picked up a skewer as well. "I challenge you to a duel." Gregory declared.

"Bring it on." Steve replied tauntingly.

"Engarde!" They crossed skwers and the game was on.

It was hard to keep track of who was winning because neither one could bleed and even if they could, the skewers kept passing through the holes in their metal bodies. After several hours, they both sat down, exhausted and sweaty.

"Truce." They declared at the same moment, out of breath and slightly frustrated.

"Let's not fight. This isn't accomplishing anything." Gregory shrugged.

Just then the utinsel drawer opened and Gregory was too tired to hide. He was forced to grate mild cheddar. Once cleaned and replaced in the drawer he turned to Steve and said, "I guess cheddar isn't as bad as I thought. It could be worse, I could be a pickle grater." He smiled, "By the way, I heard the coulander has decided to move out and they're having pasta for dinner tomorrow. You may be used yet."

Steve smiled. "Even if that isn't true, its a nice sentiment. Friends?"

"Friends." Gregory agreed. Gregory learned not tro be so snooty and Steve learned other uses and they lived as happily ever after as two utinsels are capable.

The end.

manuals and documentation and the future

creatingpassionateusers is a really great blog that i read all the time, by a tech-writerish type woman, Kathy Sierra.

this recent post is all about documentation and how it should work.

Elsie and those still in school could defintely make use of some of its information when writing silly manuals for Shook or Hailey or whoever. Some of us in the working world might make use of it in writing documentation for the big huge xerox that nobody else quite knows how to operate.

anyway.



still no takers on my job in january?

when is final's week anyways? just curious.

mandy, writing grants to help a school buy more musical instruments sounds like a real challenge, but a very good cause. i'm kind of excited for you.