A Spectrum

I went to Lake Geneva, WI with my mom this past weekend. Very fun, relaxing. No crazy stories to report besides getting lost a few times. I did get my very first pedicure and massage at the resort's spa. They were lovely, except the horrible bed at the resort pretty much negated the relaxing effects of the massage. We went on a boat tour and learned about some of the amazing mansions on the lake. There is a ton owned by the Wrigley family. We played mini golf, and got ice cream , and went swimming. Good times.

I finally have my other blog in a form I really like. Plus, I finally have it updated. Enjoy.

Movie Mania

COMPUTER ISSUES + FULL TIME INTERNSHIP = FEW POSTS

The most random thing just happened. I ran into my mom's college roommate in the 2nd floor bathroom of my building. Somehow there's a foreign language class in Davis that she's taking for her PhD. How Bizarre.

Although, I do plan on seeing Cars the movie this weekend, this post is not about that. I had to drive Trisha's Ford Explorer to work today because our car is getting its front end fixed after Tom hit a raccoon and knocked off part of the bumper. Let me tell you, Trisha's car does not like me. It took me three times to get it started this morning. Then the engine was making this weird hissing sound so I turned it off and a little bit of smoke proceeded to come out of the hood with this lovely burnt smell. I started it up again with the hiss and took off because I needed to go. Then at the first stop sign I come to I notice that while I am stopped the engine starts revving every 2 seconds and the volt gauge goes wacko. It was a fun drive. Then on the way back, it pretty much did the same thing. So when Tom comes home he takes a look and finds that SIX separate hoses have come off. He raves about how this is not possible and that someone is sabotaging her car. I am not sure how I even made it to work and back. Apparently these six hoses aren't entirely crucial but they do mess with the fuel pressure. He was able to put all but one back on (somehow we can't find the last one!). Hopefully, tomorrow will be a better drive and with any luck I won't end up in a blazing ball of fire.

Big Idea is making The Pirates Who Don't Do Anything: A Veggietales Movie and Universal Pictures is distributing. It's catagorized as being in production on Universal's website and I couldn't find anything about it on Big Idea's site. The pirates are my favorite. Aye, aye Captain Crunch. Hee he he he he.

In the past week I've been over to Seth and Crissy's house twice, both times for a party.

Party Uno.
The first was last friday for Crissy's birthday. It was the most bizarre party ever. Now, granted I had a wonderful time. But let me just relay some of the events of the night. It started off normal with introductions of other attendees, talking about what they had done to the house and eating dinner. However, after dinner our entertainment consisted of throwing a tennis ball back and forth over the top of their house. It took me a few tries but I finally managed to succeed once before we inevitably lost the ball. However, our friend Samanatha was unable to throw it over but managaed to somehow throw it straight at Seth who was grilling which resulted in a large "GONG" as the tennis ball bounced of the top of the grill he was holding. It was hilarious. This game also resulted in a great quote by Seth to Jacob who at the time was trying to catch the ball after it flew over the house. "Jake, that was one step away from a frolic." (Hmm, maybe that is not as funny if it's not in person). Anyway, the next game involved throwing the balloons which were decorating the house around until they popped, I did not participate in this but it took about 20 minutes of the party. Then we were outside again playing a normal game of bags and trying to light a fire. However, the fire was lit in part using table legs so the top of the table was free to amuse us as neccessary and of course did. The guys took turns standing on it, carrying and spinning each other around. Finally, before we left we played a great game of Scene it, also fairly normal, except my team lost. Oh well. It was really close and the other team had a similar crazed movie fan like me.

Party Dos.
The second party revolved around the season finale of Lost. This party was originally going to be at our place, but they have HD so why not. Seth and Crissy hadn't been watching the show like the other eight people there, but I think they are not sufficiently hooked. It was such a great episode that answered a suprising number of questions. My favorite part was Sayhid, Jin, and Sun finding the large foot statue with four toes. Plus there were some great storms coming through during the show which added to the mood and let us run outside during the commercials to watch the amazing lightning (They live in the country). I was with other storm lovers!!! Of course, what Lost party would be complete without some Dharma Intiative Chili. Now at your local grocer.

Check out my new movie mania blog. Now under "links." It will probably go through several variations before I land somewhere. Enjoy.

A goose hissed at me the other day. During my breaks at work, I walk to the East Lagoon on Campus to enjoy the nice weather which I don't usually get to enjoy on campus normally. The lagoon is populated with ducks, geese, birds, etc. The geese families have these adorable goslings. It's so fun to watch them swim in a line with the Mom and Dad guarding the ends. But apparantly as my coworker Katie and I were walking to the island yesterday one goose thought we were a little too close to her goslings and hissed at us. It was rather funny to think that my first ever animal attack could come from a goose.



The job is going fairly well. I enjoy Davis Hall in the summer, much more relaxed. I've been named team leader which means I get to boss around the other students, all undergraduates. However, one of them has a personality that just doesn't mesh with mine and I could really use some prayer on how to respond to him. Other than that I really enjoy the work even if it is boring some of the time and I like the challenge of being the lead on the project, the creative opportunities, and that my computer is the only one with headphones. Yahoo radio is such a blessing.

My friend Jamie sent this to me. I laughed heartily. ;)

Not that you need another post to confirm I am a geek, but here it is anyway. I am one of the 10,000 finalists of The DaVinci Code Quest on Google. I finished their 24 puzzles and now am qualified to compete in the final challege where you can win some pretty awesome stuff valued at about $130,000!!! A trip for four to New York, London, Paris, and Rome, and a bunch of Sony Electronics like a laptop, a large flat screen tv, a walkman, digital camera, etc... Not that I have any chance of winning but it will be fun anyway. Plus as a finalist, I received a limited edition cryptex in the mail. (You can ooo and ahhh at my picures below). Plus, a congratualtory message from Sir Ian McKellen. Ah, Gandalf... Anyway, Make that my number two piece of free movie souveniers. My first was 3 pieces of actual film from the Lord of the Rings for going to Trilogy Tuesday. Who knows what else will I be able to obtain in the future? Mwah ha ha.

The monkeys behind Lost are some darn good typers. I am so hooked, it's ridiculous. Now they have a companion book Bad Twin(which I will read soon), a commercial for the fictional Hanso Foundation that aired during the show, plus (so far) three websites, an interactive game, and print ads. How crazy.

The Hanso Foundation

Oceanic Airlines

SubLYMONal

Friday, April 21: Tom graduted from UTI from the auto/diesel/industrial programs with perfect attendence, 3 Student of the Course awards, and a nomination for Alpha Beta Kappa (some honors thing). YEA! Happiness.

Monday, April 24: Tom is laid off from his job with Chicago International Trucking. Bummer. Temporary? Permanent? Who knows?

Friday, April 28: Tom gets his job back with Firestone.

Monday, May 1: I secure full time work for the summer with NIU working on a GIS project for a municipality. I get to work 10 hour days Monday throught Thursday 7:30-5:30 but hey I get Fridays off. (Unfortunatly, this is really all I know about the job. I don't even know what town/city it is. And the project manager isn't sure what's going on either. Typical. Maybe it will be like the beginning of my assistantship and I will get paid for doing nothing... doutbtful...)

Wednesday, May 3, 11:00 a.m.: I defend my thesis with a 30 minute oral presentation in front of my 3 member committee. They offer helpful suggestions/comments and try to delay going to their faculty meeting at noon. I was so thankful that they were all laid back. It helped calm my nerves.

Saturday, May 13, 9:00 a.m.: I walk for my graduation. Plus, I get to wear a hood.

Sunday, May 14: PARTY!

Monday, May 15: Tom starts school with International Trucking, 10:30 a.m.-5:30 p.m. which means he can work for about 2.5 hours each morning and Saturdays. My summer job starts.

Mid-August: My job ends and I technically graduate. Tom's other school ends. BIG OLD FAT QUESTION MARK. Isn't life fun? (Who knows, I'll probably end up in Idaho. Actually, Idaho has fairly low gas prices, hmmm...)

I recently visited the Museum of Natural History here in my town. Who would have thought, right? Anyway, I guess some benefactor donated all of his "stuffed animals" from various hunting trips and safaris. So the musuem is mostly just these animals. They apparently have the largest African Elephant in the states. (They had to cut out part of the ceiling and raise it up in order to fit him in.) Anyway, while myself, Tom, and my Mom were visiting, there was a birthday party who were about to be subjected to a creepy crawler show so we joined too. We got to see geckos, scorpians, tarantulas, snakes, etc. So of course, that means, I got to hold them. I was quite suprised I did it, but I successfully held a trantula and a corn snake. Tom left when the tarantula came out. (He mumbled something about a "phone call.")

I wish I knew how to cook. I won't even tell you the two meals I had today, but they were both of my husbands choosing (mostly) and if you know my husband you know how he eats and what he likes. However, last night we went to a barbecue at a friend's house and whenever we go there it just proves how completely inept I am. The food was excellent and all really healthy. We had carrot sticks, celery, and cucumber slices to munch on while they were grilling. Then, they grilled asparagus, these huge portabello mushrooms, onions, scallops, zucchini, etc. Then for dessert fresh pineapple and papaya. My first experience with papaya, very interesting texture. The time before that they made this spicy grilled pork stuff that tasted really good, but was way too spicy for me to eat too much. (They found out later that the recipe called for 4 chilies and they put in 4 CANS of chilies, I am surprised I was able to eat the little I did, Wow). When I do try to cook something, I am very anal about following the recipe exactly which results in either Trisha making fun of me or Tom complaining that I put something in it that he didn't like. Anyway, bad cooker, out.