Reamer Day.. a day late but worth the wait

Yesterday was the craziest Reamer day yet, I went to the clinic, Shelli went to the vet and both adults had school and work.

so, a day late... HAPPY REAMER DAY!

LOST Returns!

The excitement has been building and building ever since we started watching Lost from start to now (Seasons 1, 2 and 3)in order to get ready for the upcoming season of our favorite show in the whole world! We know we are freaks but don't care! This show is amazing and there has been a big giant void in my heart without its presence in my life every week!! I can't wait to see what is going to happen this season. Are they going to get off the island? I sure as hell hope not!! If they do, can John and I take their place?? I mean really, I think we would do pretty good on a magical mysterious island with strange others and black smoke monsters. Producers, think about it.. we could be ready to relocate any time after May!

and there were bubbles

Updates from a week.

Since we got Shelli she has increasingly gotten less active, less interested in us and stopped eating (or rather never started). After she started blowing bubbles out of her nose and two weeks went by without eating, we decided enough was enough.. the adventures with the exotic vet began. John took Shelli to the vet about a week and a half ago to discover that the reason why she has bubbles is because she has a upper respiratory infection. The hope was that once she got feeling better, than she would eat. John came home with a sick tortoise and a bag full of needles and antibiotics. John and I are now officially tortoise vet's giving our little reptile antibiotic shots every other day. Unfortunately, the shots made her even less active (to the point where she looked dead and we had to keep touching her to make sure she responded) and still no interest in food. On Monday, we took her back to the vet and discovered that she had lost a good deal of weight in a week, now we have to force feed her with a syringe and this awful looking greenish brown liquid (YUCK!) everyday. Thank god it is vegetarian or I think I would barf! The first day we had no problem feeding her, but now the little bit of food that she has had has made her strong and we can't pry open her little mouth.. who would of thought it would be so difficult to be parents to a tortoise. I definitely don't want kids for many many years.

Ebi also went to the vet this past week for her annual checkup and shots. Things went much smoother for her.

As for John and I, we have spent the last week in bed with bad colds and flu symptoms. I am so DAMN TIRED of being sick!! I have never been so sick so many times in one winter season my whole life!! We have had 103 temps, coughs, aches and pains, and been just plain miserable!! From now on, I am getting a flu shot.

and for the big finale TADA moment... are you sitting down?

After months and months of fighting, John and I found out on Monday that we are getting our house!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Oh my GOD!! I am so excited I can't even begin to find words to explain! We don't get to go into the house until mid March and plan on moving in sometime this summer, but we got our house!! We have such a great life!

Is It May Yet?

It has finally happened, senioritis has kicked into full force. With deadlines for graduate school quickly racing towards me and homework piling up, I really need to get to work. So why do I just want to take a nap... Is it May yet?

By the way, the picture above is only half a semester of reading for one of my classes. Wish me luck..

Binh Dahn

The past couple of weeks John and I and the crew have been very fancy attending lectures, a private tour and a dinner with the amazing contemporary artist, Binh Dahn. His family escaped to the US after the American Vietnam War and has been expressing ideas of memory fixed onto nature (leaves, foliage) through his art. He uses a photosynthesis process by placing photographic images on leaves and letting the sun transfix the image onto the leaf. His work is absolutely amazing!! Symbolically, the image will end up fading, like memory, over the course of time. I could go on and on.. but I'll stop. If you want to see more of his work, his exhibit is at Weber State in the Kimball Art Center Gallery! It is worth the drive to O Town.

Spring

With it being so cold.. I am definently ready for Spring! I am dying for warm weather and leaves on the trees!

Illumination

Another amazing find for my light fetish! This thing is so cool!! I hope the price goes down soon because I need one!!!

The Green Light is actually a very simple concept that does a few things all at once with solar technology. Using a solar awning to harness the sun's rays, a six watt LED bulb (60 watt equivalent) is illuminated and powers the photosynthesis process; plants grow in a shallow planter bowl, which then in turn filters the air of atmospheric contaminants. Simply put, it's an air purifying terrarium chandelier...

Developed through the xDesign Environmental at New York University, the Green Light was pioneered by Bill Wolverton, an environmental scientist and retired NASA researcher who wanted to flush out contaminants from the stale atmosphere of long-term life-support space stations. “We found that the most effective plants are the ones with high transpiration rates like palms,” he tells Popular Mechanics.

At $6000, this is one pricey chandelier. Now if they could somehow incorporate a self-watering system!

The Beginning.. of the End

This week John and I began yet another semester of school.

For me, this week, the beginning of my last semester in my little career as an undergrad has left me spinning with an overwhelmingly diverse set of feelings. Spinning round and round and round and round, I need to throw up.

There is a feeling of relief that this is my LAST semester - exhale I can breathe. I have made it.. finally! This brings joy to my heart!

Then there is the feeling of laziness.. I'm so close to being done - can't you people just give me my damn piece of paper now? Do I have to take statistics?

Then the feeling sets in that I am standing at some great precipice, I'm done. I have a degree, so now what? Ok, masters makes sense, the papers are in the works, but can I hang in there for two more years? The more the education the better in this field, so ok its solved I'll hope to get in the masters program - but what if I don't? what then?

I feel like screaming... WHERE DO I GO FROM HERE? ANYONE? SOMEONE HELP ME!!!

Being the end of school also means the end of my wonderful and fun job at the museum.. I ask and hope with all my little heart daily for them to keep me on!
Which leads to feelings of fear and panic. What if they don't hire me full time, then what? What is next for me in my life path? The questions are piling over my head.. and if I pay too much attention to their looming shadows I am afraid I will drown in it.

The real world towers ahead, and I can't help but want to ask, "is it ok if I just stay here?"

I am angry for my schedule this semester. My final semester I have to take, math, statistics, Spanish and only ONE class in my actual major! Why the hell did I do this to myself? Maybe it was instinct, after this hellish semester I might just run away and never want to come back! Maybe that is how I want to feel but know I won't. If I had it to do over again, I would like to think I would do things differently, even though I probably wouldn't.

I miss art history all day everyday. Sitting in that dark room looking at images and learning about the theories, the people, the cultures, the context, the times that go along with the works is exhilarating and fascinating to me!! I guess I was meant to study this discipline despite all of my wishy washy ness about it. I am meant to do this.. this makes me feel good. I found something I love! Why ever did I think I wanted to be a dumb communication major? I'm thankful that I'm out of there!!

Then there is the feeling of sadness.. I look at my schedule and think this is my last class schedule - how sad. Last time getting a syllabus, sob. Looking ahead to the end of the semester.. this is my last presentation, my last final, my last class(what a surreal experience that will be)! Strangely I am sad.

I have really loved my experiences at school and have only realized very recently how lucky I am to have an opportunity to study and learn and become an intellectual in any subject that I choose. SO many people would do anything to have the same opportunity for themselves or for their children. It was just handed to me, a beautiful gift to educate myself and become anything I want to

...I am ashamed that it took me so long to realize this!

I am also sad that soon I won't be able to see some of my dear friends everyday.. people move.. were going global! I'll miss my dearest community!

Lastly, I am surprised. So many wonderful things happen when you don't even realize it. Only looking back can you appreciate your life thus far. I never would have guessed three or even four years ago that I would be where I am now. Life is full of surprises and it is absolutely fabulous!

Then frustration sets in, like when you are sucked into a good book or the feeling of a season ending cliff hanger - "Don't leave me in the dark!! Just tell me what is going to happen next, I'm dying here!!"

Looking forward, I know there is a forward and I know I am stepping that direction. That will have to be good enough for me right now. I'm headed where I should, maybe that is all I need.

I feel happy

excited

jittery

confident

and brave wondering and waiting for what is ahead.

Hapyp Birthday Mom

My mom has to be the cutest New Year's baby ever!!

Happy Birthday Momma! We had so much fun with you and dad!

10,9,8,7,6,5,4,3,2,1 HAPPY NEW YEAR

Happy New Year 2008!! This year is going to be full of adventure I can just feel it!! I can't wait to see what is to come!

New Years eve was so fun! John and I relaxed all day. In the evening it was off to Brain and Jessica's party for a minute and then finished off the evening at Cody and Tom's! Thanks for all the fun everyone!! What a great way to ring in the new year, with good friends, good laughs, good food, good drinks and my favorite.. good stories and gossip!

Happy New Year


Don't Hide Behind that Drink Matt!


Every Girl is a Princess


After All the Partying, Poor Pug is So Exhausted!