Monday, August 25, 2008

Update...

I closed out my old apartment on Friday night, and hit up the Beav with Mark and Joel. I am now officially living out two vans. They are not near any rivers, but they might as well be.

All my stuff is crammed into two Chevy Express Vans not being used by company employees right now. I am living out of a box in my parent's basement. It's not too bad. I'm always on time for work, even though I get up five minutes before work starts. Dinner is always made for me, lots more TV channels to pick from, Julie is taking the place of my roommates for entertainment, Mom plays with Jack while I work, and the amount of gas I am using is next to none. It is a bit strange not to have anywhere to go. Before I would get off work and take off for home. But now I just walk back to the house, and try to find something to do. It is a bit strange, and I am looking forward to being back on my own.

Jack is learning how to run up and down staircases. When we let him into the living room that is all he wants to do. Up and down, up and down, up and down he goes. But when he tires of that, he darts underneath the furniture and finds all the tiny places he can cram himself under. It is pretty funny. Mom loves when he binkies. Last night, he binkied six times in a row. Now that is one happy bunny.

Now that I have access to a shop and tools, I am working on building myself a bookcase. I have designed it to be completely customizable. Each shelve is a unit in itself, and they have pegs that snap into another shelve unit, so I can make it four selves high, or two separate shelves of two high each or what ever I might find to work best. I made the selves varying heights too, so my tall books, photo albums, and sketch pads have a place to call home. I am pretty excited about my creation. I hope it turns out like what I am picturing in my head.

Joel bought me a guitar for my birthday and I am learning a song already. I have practiced my cords enough so my fingers are starting to stretch out. My finger tips are finally hard enough to play for an hour at a time. I would play so much when I first got it, that typing at work the next morning would be so painful. But finally I have hardened up my fingertips, and can now play for a long time. I am working on switching between notes fast enough. Right now, it is just pretty silly, but I can recognize what I am playing.

Well, that is about all that is new with me, well as least all that I can think of now. Peace.

Thursday, August 14, 2008

Sitting... Waiting... Wishing...

I'm sitting in the lobby of Glass Doctor, waiting for the windshield on the 1995 Work Van to be replaced, wishing I was back in the office so I could get something productive done. Charlie had a BIA-GA meeting this morning, and was running late, so I had no ride back to the office. So I borrowed mom's laptop, so at least I could I write my article for the next BIA-Newsletter. Now that I finished that, I have nothing but Internet cruising to do. Now, this might sound fun to someone, but all I can think about is the work back at the office. I feel guilty getting paid to sit here. Normally I would welcome this kind of task, but not this week.
We have turned in our applications for the new house. (P.S. I am moving - the rent at my apartment increased and I was not happy - I am moving). I really hope that we get this place. I am very excited. It will be interesting to live with two boys and no girls. (Did I mention they are both named Mark!). I don't see any trouble arousing from being the only female around. I tend to get along better with guys. I am a bit nervous about going back to the roommate thing. It has been really nice living alone, aside from the paying 100% of all bills - that sucked. The whole getting used to sharing space thing is always awkward... do we have our own cupboards, or do we just share all food, do we make a chore chart or just clean up as we go, who pays what, who's name on what account, all that kind of crap. Oh well, for my last year in Bellingham, I might as well save some money. Besides, maybe Jack will feel better with other guys around, he can have some guy time. :)

Speaking of my baby... Here are some of my favorite pictures over time...

Jack somehow unattached his potty from the cage and dragged it into his box and then sat in there for the longest time... what a funny bunny

Katie is napping and Jack is giving her a bath... awh how sweet! (P.S. those are not droppings, they were trying out raisins for the first time)

This was Katie's first bath, she LOVED it! She would kick her back legs and send water flying - I think I might have been wetter than she was!

Easter Bunnies!!

Katie was big that we just squished Jack inwhere ever we could, she was so big - and not very happy with me, as you can tell...


This is one of the last pictures I have of Katie, and I like it because they were always like this, sitting together, hanging out together in the their cage, always on the second floor...

Best Pals!

Monday, August 4, 2008

Going Public

I am so proud of myself. This morning I finally did something I have been thinking about doing for a long time now. I rode my bike to work; well actually it was a combination of riding the bus and riding my bike.

I rode my bike down to the Bellingham Bus Station on Railroad, then took a bus to the Cordota Station, then took a bus to the Lynden Station, and from there road my bike the three miles to the office. All in all, it only took me one hour to make the entire journey.

When I drive my car it takes me about 25 minutes to get work on the freeway. Even though taking the bus/my bike takes over twice as long, I get to read my book, listen to music or people watch while the bus. The three mile bike ride wakes me up, gives me energy and releases those happy endorphins in my brain so when I do arrive at the office, I am cheerful and ready to get started. Imagine that, without any coffee! I'm even going to log my miles on the SmartTrip website for the WTA. You can win money, gift cards, and fun stuff like that.

Last Saturday, Joel and I went to Wet-n-Wild in Federal Way. With his Microsoft PrimeCard, we get into the park for only $10, instead of the full $35 per person. It was a lot of fun. It has been a long time since I rode a tube down a water slide, or riding a roller coaster. The last time I was on swing set, I got an upset stomach, so I was pretty proud of myself of myself.

Friday, August 1, 2008

Now it is summer...

Summer quarter ended yesterday! Alright!

It was actually one of my best quarters at Western. I enjoyed my Comm 498 class, maybe one of my favorites overall. I've enrolled in this class before (but due to an illness had to drop out that quarter) and I definitely say that the group of students directly correlates to the amount of fun that class can be. Ethics tend to remind me of rhetoric, in the sense that there are dictionary terms for the concepts, but they are truly hard to define. During discussion of ethics, it is hard not to fall prey to violating an ethical code, even when you are being ethical. Just as when you are trying to define rhetoric, it is very easy to employ rhetoric. I love thinking about things like this. When the path becomes circular and complicated, but at the same time is straight and narrow. I love conversations and discussion when there are so many points of view which are just as correct as the next, and justifications can be made all. To challenge yourself to discover why you truly believe what you do. Man, is the communication department just right for me.

On the other hand, I love how all my Communication courses mix so well with all of my Sociology course too. It is interesting to examine how society has constructed itself, while also examining how we communicate with each other changes. There is a definite correlation between the two. What am I going to do when I am not in school anymore. Really, as much as I hate the homework, or the lectures that never end, or the nights spent writing papers. But I will miss the discussions, the people, the topics, the option to sleep in, and the option to leave when I want.

But I am excited to get back to work. I love my job. Talk about a challenge. Who knew I could write an entire Fall Protection Work Plan and Accident Protection Work Plan, and Respiratory Protection Work Plan, and Employee Safety Manual and Employee Manual that would stand up to legal criticism. Yahoo. I love going to conferences, consolation meetings with RAR, I like working on new plans and drawing up the as built. I am getting pretty good at it too. I am looking forward to finally having the time to get my three page to-do list knocked down.

Well, I guess I should get the day started! Cheers.