E the Architect

too bad the architects never get any credit...

2010-02-25T20:35:00.003-05:00

The school project I've been working on for a long time got some press today. It is exciting to see a building I've designed in the news! Can't wait to actually start construction :) I guess we'll have to finish the design first...

Richmond County vocational high school plans move ahead | The Augusta Chronicle

Now E really is an Architect!

2010-01-07T21:46:00.002-05:00

So today is the day that will go down in history--I'm an architect now! I got the letter today that I passed my final exam, and the state has assigned me my Registered Architect number :) now I just have to get a stamp. And what's really cool, is that you can look me up on the Secretary of State's website--under the Board of Architects and Interior Designers! so cool.

now to figure out what the next life goal is to be. maybe this one won't take 10.5 years to complete :)

finally! a pass!

2009-10-01T17:37:00.003-04:00

After 10 long weeks of anticipation, I finally received the score report from the first division of the ARE that I took back in July: and I passed!!

So far:
1 test passed
2 tests taken, results pending
4 tests left to take

What a process this is! I'm taking the rest of the tests between now and December 15th...so that day will be a big sigh of relief...but not as big of a sigh (and a huge hooray) as the day I get the last score report :)

fripp fotos

2009-06-14T16:10:00.004-04:00

so I didn't manage to get my camera out until the last day at the beach, on our way back home. but boy, did we have a memorable trip out. On the way off the island, we saw a really big alligator swimming along in a pond. he posed for us several times, with the warning sign close by. great photo shoot, gator!

do you think they get good reception in there?

shots from the course

2009-04-13T19:59:00.007-04:00

Lindsay and I went to the practice rounds Monday, and had a great time. It is so beautiful out there!! Here are a few shots from the day.

The first group we watched. The group included Gary Player and Trevor Immelman.

Gary and Trevor discussing clubs. Gary was so fun to watch interact with the other players and the crowd.

Lindsay was trying for an up close shot of Zach Johnson (2007's champion). Unfortunately, he was applying massive amounts of sunscreen the whole time :o)

Vijay Singh teeing off on 7. Don't get behind him in a practice round, he goes slow and hits a ton of balls!

Zach and his caddy, with Anthony Kim teeing off.

Ian Poulter. Most definitely the best pants we saw on a player. What you can't see is the seafoam green belt that matches. I dig his outfit.

Ishikawa had the best club cover of the day--it's a stuffed version of himself!

The shark in the hunt. Greg Norman was back after 7 years. Great to see him!

Roar tickets on sale!

2009-02-24T20:49:00.003-05:00

Roar of Love tickets are now on sale for both performances: Saturday March 28th @ 3:00 and 7:00pm.

See the link below:
http://www.columbiacountyballet.com/tickets-Roar.shtml

it's Roar time again

2009-01-13T21:39:00.003-05:00

fyi, friends and fam: I'm dancing in the Roar of Love this year! I'm super excited. A group of ballet alumni are dancing penitents! One of my favorites! Mark your calendars: March 27th & 28th :o)

some belated Christmas cheer

2009-01-03T14:01:00.007-05:00

So I know that it's after Christmas & New Year's, but I am finally getting around to posting some pictures and videos of my house decorated for Christmas (after some encouragement from my very active-blogging sister-in-law). I've had the outside shots for weeks, and just never got around to posting. And then it was time to take down my very dried out tree, and I decided I needed a picture of it first. So, for all of you who did not get to come to my house this year, here is a tasting of what it looked like. It's kind of sad now, without any decor up. Just back to plain old house. But now, the cheer will at least live on in photo & video!

The tree this year received a new bow at the top, as well as a new skirt & matching ribbons. I really think they add a lot!

The front with the flash...

...and without. The wreath on the front door also got a new bow--made completely out of ribbon I already had. Sweet!

sorry for the sideways video--not sure how to turn it...

and this is the rear patio.

all in all, I had a great time decorating for Christmas (no surprise there). now just to get all of the storage bins back in the attic... :)

it must be a recession...

2008-11-21T20:48:00.002-05:00

because Christmas trimmings in the store today were 60% off! It's a week before Thanksgiving, and it's all already on sale. It makes me wonder how on sale it will be the day after Christmas. I'll think there will be some deals to be had!

I know that everyone tells me I don't need to wear heels...

2008-11-06T18:59:00.002-05:00

and some people go so far as to tell me that it's not fair for me to wear heels.

but I can tell you this, they sure can make you feel good.

today I felt just a little more authoritative, a little fancier, a little more important, a little thinner, and a little prettier. I also think I walk a little straighter when I wear them.

my heels today were a whopping 3 1/2" tall. so they made me 6'-1 1/2". (definitely taller than I'm used to being)

so I'm sorry to those who think it's not fair when tall people wear heels--but I'm going to keep wearing them and feeling good when I do.

hooray for heels!

you know what's not fair? when all of your sleeves are about 2" too short. :o)

2008-10-21T21:28:00.001-04:00

I turned my heat on last night for the first time since last winter--hooray for that "just turned the heat on funny smell" that I love!

"I'm not a vegetable person...

2008-10-18T09:26:00.004-04:00

...but I think I'd like that."

This comment made me smile this week at lunch. My experiments in cooking "real" food have become a means to provide lunches during the week that are NOT a turkey sandwich if at all possible. Don't get me wrong, I enjoy a turkey sandwich, I just have had so many of them (years worth) in my lifetime--it's my default brown bag lunch.

I try to cook a big meal once a week (usually Sunday evening) and then take the leftovers to lunch during the week. While it can get old eating the same thing five days in a row, the repetition is far outweighed by the convenience of not having to come up with something the night before, after a long day at work (and various evening activities that keep me out till 8 or 9 pm).

This week's dish was a peanut veggie stir fry in a wheat wrap. (the recipe called for chicken, but I just added more fresh veggies instead--think broccoli, zucchini, cauliflower, carrots, & sugar snap peas ). A guy at work (four of us bring our lunches & usually eat together) made the comment, "I'm not a vegetable person, but I think I'd like that." This guy eats a microwave frozen dinner (or leftover fast food) for lunch every day (and I have yet to see any green veggies come out of his boxes) :o) The comment made me smile, and made me think there is hope for people out there who hate veggies (especially the green ones)--veggies can be yummy! You just have to know how to prepare them.

This particular recipe came from kraftfoods.com--one of my favorite recipe websites. For the link to this recipe click here (I used the variation at the bottom).

FALL!

2008-09-22T22:20:00.001-04:00

for those of you not on facebook, I reproduce musings from it:

I LOVE Fall. It's my favorite time of the year. I get giddy thinking about pulling down sweaters and blankets from the attic. I love turning off the AC and opening the windows. My favorite day of the year is the day I turn on the heat in my house. I LOVE the smell. I know, its a little weird. But even stranger is that I'm also strangely drawn to the cinnamon spice brooms they sell in the grocery store this time of year. The only thing that's kept me from buying one is the thought, "What the heck am I going to do with a spice broom?!" Also, there's something about them that I associate with grandmas. I think its because there was one (or something close to it) hanging in my Nana's house throughout my childhood. I try not to encourage grandma tendencies in myself, considering I'm only 27, and don't even have kids. But I can tell you this--if I ever become a grandma, you better believe I'm buying a spice broom!

our first real golf

2008-09-21T18:29:00.003-04:00

last weekend was our first real golf outing. it was definitely different being on a course as opposed to the driving range! lindsay scored a 70, and I scored a 72 (that's only counting the swings when we made contact with the ball). amazing, huh? well, not when you find out that was on 9 holes :o) but we had fun. I got stuck in one bunker, and lost one ball, but other than that, we did alright.
lindsay teeing off on the first hole--isn't her hot pink club cute!?

my tee shot on the par 3 No. 7--see the hot pink ball on the green? by far, my best shot of the day.

us posing with the No. 7 sign--it was our favorite hole. both of our tee shots got closer to the hole than our coach's! the highlight of the day :o)

17 things

2008-09-06T12:53:00.002-04:00

I know, I know, its been forever.... what have I been up to? well, here are 17 things I've been up to in no particular order:

redoing my bathroom,
rearranging furniture,
a blueprint art project for my wall,
working 10 hour days with a three day weekend (but that just ended),
joining facebook,
making jewelry,
starting Financial Peace Univ next week,
getting in the last few swims of the summer,
studying up on LEED for my first LEED project at work,
trying to get over a cold--lots of chicken soup and vitamin C!
work, work, work--designing a high school (I have such a cool job),
trying to finish IDP so I can take the ARE and become a real architect,
seeing old friends,
weekly evening activities: small group, adult ballet, & choir
trying to repair my internet--boo routers that quit on me!
going to the eye doctor lots and lots--boo my punctate keratitis!
recovering a $3 desk chair--hooray yard sales!

17 has no particular significance--that's just how many I thought of. maybe I can get it together enough to post some pictures--we'll see :o)

golf in action

2008-07-12T10:05:00.004-04:00

sorry its taken so long, but I finally got around to downloading pictures from my camera from vacation/ birthday. here is a picture of Linds and I at the driving range in our FABULOUS golf attire on my birthday :o) we had a lot of fun, AND we're getting better at the game.

I swear we didn't plan on dressing alike, it just kinda happened :o)

quite a sight

2008-06-20T19:15:00.002-04:00

working in a field that is male-dominated makes for some interesting moments, especially on the construction site, like today. in my trunk, I keep boots and a hardhat for just such site visits. but because they don't really make "work boots" for women, mine are rubber galoshes-- white and black herringbone with pink insides. picture these with a white eyelet skirt, polo shirt,big sunglasses and a hardhat. quite the fashion statement. if only I had a camera...

arm strength? apparently not...

2008-06-17T18:15:00.002-04:00

so I had my first golf lesson this weekend. it was fun, but not as easy as it looks. on saturday i went and got my clubs, and learned how to hold the clubs, practiced putting, and hitting whiffle balls in the backyard. and then on sunday afternoon, I went to the driving range with Bob & Zac. (Bob is long-time family friend, Zac is his son & also family friend). Out of the like +100 balls in my bucket, I probably hit 5-10 good shots. quite a few times I failed to make contact, and quite a few other times I dug into the dirt. but it was still fun! I also woke up monday morning with sore arms and torso--clearly not muscles I use often :)

Lindsay and I are taking our clubs to the beach next week, so we may spend some time at the driving range there...but I don't think I'm ready for a real course yet. that day will come :)

Bob said I'd do better next time once I had my golf shoes ;0) (they should be arriving soon!)

hooray for new golf clubs and new golf shoes!

2008-06-13T17:40:00.003-04:00

thanks to the magic of the internet, clubs and shoes are on their way to my doorstep!

fence construction

2008-06-07T15:38:00.004-04:00

i have not fallen off the face of the earth...

2008-06-01T19:16:00.002-04:00

... although I understand if you think that I have. sorry for the absence of posts; but when I spend all day at work at a computer, its hardly the thing I want to do when I get home. And I've found myself very busy lately!

I hope to write more later, but here a few tidbits of what I've been up to lately:

1. A few months ago, we started a "Cell Group" for young peeps at church--we meet on Monday nights for fellowship, snacks, and bible study. It's really become a good way to plug in and spend time with other people from church that aren't grandmas or preschoolers :)

2. Last month I celebrated one year in my house, yay! and this week I will celebrate one year with my company (post grad school) and three years total. yay!

3. Last weekend, Dad and I demo'd my old fence around my patio and rebuilt it completely. Its now the best looking fence in the neighborhood. pictures to follow soon, hopefully :) (and Mom helped too)

4. Our church softball team has their very own Pep Squad, and yours truly is a C0-captain :) We even have our own t-shirts, which I designed. Tons of fun, and lots of hours went into those!

5. Vacation Bible school starts tomorrow, so I'm busy preparing to teach, as well as I spent all of yesterday transforming the church into a Beach Party Paradise! (with lots of help)

6. I think I'm going to learn how to play golf--don't have clubs yet, but Bob is working on that, and I bought some cute golfwear this afternoon :) so even if I'm not very good, I'll at least look good :)

7. I'm still working on my New Year's Resolution to cook more. Its really a lot of fun, and I sure am eating better since I started making myself real food. I've also been baking, too. That part is not so great for my waistline, but sure is yummy.

8. I've been Mom's assistant of sorts in the real estate world--hosting open houses, going to open houses, touring neighborhoods, etc. I always am imagining what I would do to the houses that we see if I were to live in them. Not looking to move, but its fun to think about.

that's all that I can think of right now. hope you enjoyed the update :)

an afternoon at the master's

2008-04-08T20:09:00.006-04:00

this afternoon, I was fortunate to get to spend the afternoon at the master's practice round. big time thanks to my boss who gave me the two tickets. i took my dearest friend with me, and she had the most wonderful hat on the entire grounds. the hat was her grandfathers, and on it is every badge from every masters from 1959 to 2002 (except for maybe one that didn't make it on the hat). He attended every year without fail. but since he died in 2003, the hat hadn't been back to the tournament. but today, it made its triumphant return.

with Amen Corner in the background

Augusta native Charles Howell III putting at 17

Martin Kaymer teeing off at 18--we liked his pink shirt

lawnmower parade at the end of the day. what could possibly need mowing? we wondered...

roar 2008

2008-04-04T18:05:00.002-04:00

Last weekend was the 23rd annual production of the Roar of Love. How I miss dancing in it! But I was able to be involved--I worked backstage. All of the girls who were little bitty when I was in the company are now the senior company members. It makes me feel old!

Above is a picture of the alumni who were at the show. Some watched in the audience, some worked backstage, and one danced as a guest artist in the ballet--she was the lead. We're all so proud!

It's a tradition to always take a picture of the alumni who show up for the performances. Last week was no exception!

the limp handshake

2008-03-14T19:04:00.003-04:00

"Andrea, a pleasure to meet you," Gabriel said, extending a hand and taking mine in one of those annoyingly delicate I'm-not-shaking-your-hand-as-I-would-a-man's-because
-I'm-sure-I'd-just-snap-your-girly-little-bones
-in-half-clutches. "Christian has told me a lot about you."

"Really?" I said, pressing a bit more firmly, which only caused him to loosen his already slack grip...

Lauren Weisberger, The Devil Wears Prada

Have you ever been a victim of the limp handshake? I absolutely hate it! I was on the receiving end of one this afternoon in a meeting. Did this guy really think he was SOOO strong that he was in danger of crushing my hand? Do I look that fragile and breakable? I mean, seriously!

To all the men out there, PLEASE shake my hand as opposed to offering me a limp fish to shake! Women around the country will thank you. Especially this businesswoman!

the COOLEST plastic EVER!

2008-03-11T22:09:00.005-04:00

I must say, I think I have the coolest credit card company EVER. Not only do I earn cash back on purchases, but I recently got to design my own card--like with a picture I took myself! for free! on the website. you can even just play around, regardless whether you have a card with them or not. AND, I can change my card image lots of times (I just have to wait 30 days between each time).

The designer in me is giddy!

Cool, huh?

more of those cheeks!

2008-03-03T22:18:00.002-05:00

Mom thinks that I look mostly like Dad--so I just hope my kids have cheeks like his!

2008-03-01T08:04:00.003-05:00

guess who's having a birthday soon!?

the joys of tax time

2008-02-23T09:05:00.004-05:00

well, I've officially reached another level of adulthood--itemizing my tax return! what fun! and what a complicated year 2007 turned out to be. I think the only way it could have been more complicated is if I had changed my name! I'm sure that some of you are well acquainted with the 104o form, but for a girl who is used to the 1040EZ, it was one big frustrating step for me. a big thanks to mom for guiding me through the process.

and on an entirely different note, below is a watercolor that I painted at Christmas for my bosses. In a few weeks, our office is having an Open House to show off the new building the firm purchased, renovated, and moved into not quite a year ago. And guess what is going on the front of the invitations?

maybe I'll start up a side business...

the most fabulous grits EVER

2008-01-28T21:02:00.000-05:00

this recipe came from the Southern Living 2007 Annual Recipes. Definitely the best grits I've ever tasted, and that's saying something!

p.s.--for those of you who don't like cheese, or cheese doesn't like you, the grits still taste yummy sans the cheese--so this recipe is definitely adaptable. I highly recommend it!

Skillet Grits With Seasoned Vegetables
1 (32 oz) container of chicken broth
3 Tbsp. butter
1 tsp. salt
1 1/2 cups uncooked regular grits
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
1/3 cup shredded parmesan cheese
1/2 tsp. pepper
Seasoned Vegetables

1. Bring first 3 ingredients to a boil in a large saucepan over medium-high heat. Gradually whisk in grits; return to a boil. Reduce heat to medium-low, and simmer, stirring occasionally, 10 to 12 minutes or until thickened.

2. Whisk in cheeses and pepper until cheeses are melted. Spoon Seasoned Vegetables evenly over grits, and serve immediately. Makes 6-8 servings.

Seasoned Vegetables
1 medium onion, chopped
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 Tbsp. olive oil
4 carrots, chopped
3 small red potatoes, diced
2 small turnips (~1/2 lb), peeled & chopped
2 celery ribs, diced
1 medium zucchini, chopped
1 (14-oz) can chicken borth
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. dried thyme
1/2 tsp. pepper
1 tsp. cornstarch

1. Saute onion and garlic in hot oil in a large skillet over medium heat 5 min. or until carmelized. Add carrots and next 4 ingredients, and saute 12-15 min. or until veggies are tender. Increase heat to medium-high; stir in chicken broth and next 3 ingredients. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium-low, and simmer, stirring occasionally, 5 min.

2. Whisk together cornstarch and 1 Tbsp. water until smooth. Whisk into vegetable mixture in skillet, and cook, stirring constantly, 3 to 5 min. or until thickened.

caroline's party

2008-01-27T20:29:00.000-05:00

sharing crayons with Nana. her favorite was the box, anyway :)

her very first tutu. because every little girl needs a pink tutu :)

in awe of her tutu. a future ballerina for sure.

in the news

2008-01-07T20:41:00.000-05:00

check out this article from Sunday's newspaper about downtown development, an interview with my boss. and if you follow the link on the thumbnails, you can see me in several of the pictures and see what my office looks like. I'm the one with the black V-neck sweater.

http://chronicle.augusta.com/stories/010608/bus_179256.shtml

note: i think you may have to create a profile to see the article, but its free to do so :)

new years resolution

2008-01-02T21:35:00.000-05:00

my resolution this year is to cook more. now that I am not in school, I have the time to create delicious and nutritious meals, but I don't often take advantage of that. It becomes too easy to just eat a bowl of oatmeal for dinner, or to drive through chick-fil-a if I'm out, rather than plan out, buy, and prepare real food.

whenever I do cook, I enjoy it, and get a sense of satisfaction from it. so far this week, I've made spinach artichoke dip for a new years eve party (technically not real food I know); chocolate-cranberry-oatmeal bars for easy breakfasts; and a chicken & veggie (mostly veggie) pot pie/casserole (multiple lunches and dinners, for sure!) It's delightful when I try a new recipe and it turns out yummy. I also think my independent streak likes that I can nourish myself :)

thanks to my boss, I now have the Southern Living 2007 recipe book (a great Christmas present)--definitely no shortage of recipes to try!

we'll see how the culinary experiments go...

pictures from christmas

2007-12-30T23:28:00.000-05:00

aunt erin's party pics

2007-12-20T18:07:00.001-05:00

O Tannenbaum

2007-12-01T09:09:00.000-05:00

Last weekend I got my first live tree (since not living with the 'rents). With Mom and Dad's help, we got it in the door and set up in the stand. I'm so happy with my tree! It smells wonderful, and it makes me smile when I come in the front door. I was experimenting with some of the settings on my camera to see what kind of shot I could get without using the flash. I know it's not perfectly in focus, but I liked this one.

Merry Christmas season!

2007-10-31T17:42:00.001-04:00

Happy Halloween!

civic duties part II

2007-10-30T17:44:00.000-04:00

I did report today, and spent all morning in the courtroom, but I didn't get selected or even questioned for the case, in which the charges were theft and aggravated assault. One of the defense attorneys I thought I recognized, and then when he was introduced, I realized that he has a daughter my age that danced with me at ballet for years! I remember now that her dad was a lawyer, but I hadn't realized at the time that he was a public defender.

I'm very thankful that I didn't have to go on Monday--the case that was scheduled for then was a murder case. It was postponed because one of the witnesses (who resides a few states away) was ignoring his subpoena, so they were having to send the police to round him up.

I found it interesting that the judge talked about all of the crime dramas and court t.v. shows that are on now, and how we would have to put aside all our notions of how things are supposed to go, because this was real life, not a t.v. show.

I have to go tomorrow as well, because the case from today would only take one day, so a new one will start tomorrow. When you get selected for jury duty, they actually have you for the whole week. So, we'll see how tomorrow goes!

civic duties

2007-10-28T14:11:00.001-04:00

Tomorrow morning, I have been summoned to court. To be a potential juror, that is. It should be an interesting time, I believe. I've never had jury duty before. Some people go their whole lives without ever being called. I got called 4 months after moving into town. Crazy!

What's even more crazy, is that my boss is summoned too. Isn't that wild? No doubt, we both won't be chosen (at least not for the same case). I don't think they'd put someone on the same jury as their employer :o)

I'm a little nervous just because I don't know what its going to be like. But its a pretty neat thing, our judicial system. I just pray I won't have to serve on a jury for some kind of violent crime. I'm not sure I'd be very good at handling that.

Who knows, they may not even want me...

my stay-at-home-wife

2007-10-21T20:37:00.000-04:00

I have been blessed with every working woman's dream...my very own stay-at-home-wife :o)

Who else will be at home to meet the repairman/serviceman between the hours of 8:00 and 5:00? Who else will run to the store, pick up milk, and deposit it in my fridge--the milk magically appearing between the time I leave for work and when I return home? Who has even vacuumed for me while I've been gone? Who else has volunteered to paint rooms of my house while I'm out earning a living?

I must say, I'm blessed indeed. Thanks, stay-at-home-wife!

She's also been known to go by the name of Garden Fairy at times...

mixed emotions

2007-10-07T15:40:00.000-04:00

Architecture is a disturbing art; it destroys places. Building sites always have the scent of sacrifice, barely masked by the hopeful and exciting smell of a new construction. It is our job to assuage the sacrifice and make building an act of understanding and adoration of the place. So in our work we concentrate on trying to achieve this difficult objective, in the hope that our buildings will seem part of the place, rather than just being sited on it, and will gain strength and meaning from the alliance.

W. G. Clark, Clark and Menefee Architects

I came home from church this afternoon to find the scent of sacrifice; two of the trees next to my house had been cut down. While I am glad that one in particular is gone (its roots were too close to my foundation & starting to crack it) I am struck by a certain sadness at the loss. Gone is the tree that used to shade my patio, the home of the birds that I listened to as they sang in the morning. The emotions I felt reminded me immediately of the author (and architect) quoted above, one I very much admire, for his theory and for his practice.

I don't know exactly what the plans are for that land, but I know it will involve some re-grading to fix some drainage problems my neighbor was having. I hope that what replaces it will somehow atone for the loss of the trees.

Sean's visit

2007-09-15T16:06:00.000-04:00

Last week, Sean came to visit for a couple of days as you all know. Sorry we missed you, Lisa! It was so nice to see him in person. I actually had forgotten how tall he is. That probably sounds crazy, I know. I'm used to being one of the tallest people in a group--so I always notice when someone is taller than me--especially if I have to look at eye level, or (gasp!) look up to look them in the eye. I was definitely noticing that I was looking up to look Sean in the eye. :o)

(see, I really do have to look up to look him in the eye)

Spending time with him reminded me of high school, the last time that we really spent a lot of time together. Fun times. I was definitely having some flashbacks while he was here.

Can I just say that I'm just about ready for those two to move a smidge closer!

Now, if I could just find some way to hang out with both my bros at the same time, that would be really awesome. Can't remember the last time that happened...

work work work

2007-08-30T20:21:00.001-04:00

some architecture humor:

It seems I've gotten a few questions lately about how work is going, so I thought I'd just blog an update about it here. All in all, work is truly good. I am enjoying the fact that I know more (I actually learned stuff in grad school) and I have more responsibility on projects. I've moved from the realm of the draftsperson--CAD monkey, as we affectionately called them while in school (see above)--to the realm of people who get to use their brains and design skills and get paid for it :)

Most recently, our CEO and I have been working on a project together, a dormitory house for a local university. It's going in a neighborhood close to campus, that has many old houses in it. The current house on the lot was built in the 30's (we guesstimate) but it terribly rundown and in disrepair now. This week, I've been working on designing the elevations (what the building will look like from the outside) and everything that I've done the boss-man has approved of, and we are feeding off each other to get the design complete. It's been a lot of fun to see decisions I make find their way onto paper, and will eventually find their way onto a real building. VERY cool.

What I am most looking forward to is seeing some of the projects that I've been working on all summer start construction. That, I would have to say, is the greatest part about my job.

Well, its off to the mountains tomorrow after work for Labor Day weekend--hopefully I'll remember to take some pictures while I'm there! Now, if I could just start packing...

day pictures

2007-08-26T22:24:00.000-04:00

okay, so call me lazy if you want, I don't mind. I've never been one to photograph my car...so instead of taking some myself, I just took the ones off the dealer's website! I figure they're more experienced at photographing cars anyway :)

cars, cars, cars

2007-08-19T06:52:00.000-04:00

I finally did it! I bought a new car yesterday! I'm so excited about my new car. I need to get a better picture of it when its not dark outside, but I don't have one yet. I traded in the old Acura in the deal, which wasn't worth much at all, but I decided it was worth getting a little less for it rather than trying to sell it myself. There's not a real huge market out there for 17 year old cars :)

My new car is a black '07 vw jetta 5-speed. I actually bought it "used" -- someone had purchased it in May, put just under 1,000 miles on it, then sold it. crazy! So, I get a "new" car but not for the new car price. Quite a steal. Mom says it matches my new young professional image. hehehe. I think I may be most excited about the bumper-to-bumper warranty! Woohoo!

I also had to say goodbye to the car I've been driving for 9 years. It was a little bit sad, but since it stranded me the last time, I began to emotionally detach from it. So, not as painful to let go. I did have to clean it out first--I kept the front license plate, for posterity. I think I may get a new one for the new car.

Acura sitting at the dealership in the wholesale department:goodbye little car, I'll miss you!

New car in Mom and Dad's driveway:hello new car!

e the electrician

2007-08-09T19:24:00.000-04:00

This past weekend, I exchanged a drab light fixture from the mid-80's for a fun new one from 2007. Following Dad's step-by-step instructions, I replaced the fixture in my upstairs bathroom. I consider the project a success, since I wasn't electrocuted, and we only had to make ONE mid-project trip to Lowe's :)

Before:

After:

car update

2007-08-02T20:52:00.001-04:00

it has been repaired! my car is now back in its rightful home, the parking space in front of my house. so glad that it is back home. while I definitely enjoyed tooling around in dad's bug for a day, my car is so familiar and comfortable to me. I know where everything is.

However, I think I may begin shopping for a new car in the next few months-- I have been stranded one too many times. but there's no time crunch or pressure like there would have been if I decided not to repair my old car. I also have more time to save money!

the car that had 9 lives

2007-08-01T21:59:00.000-04:00

Well, it happened today friends. My car once again died, and left me stranded on a busy traffic corridor. If I remember correctly, this makes the fourth time its quit mid-route somewhere. (the previous three were on interstates!) This morning on the way to work, it decides to die (fortunately at a stop light) but in the center lane of a major traffic corridor between the burbs and downtown. NOT GOOD! Fortunately, after calling Mom and Dad to come rescue me, (and several honking motorists--seriously, like I was camping out there just for kicks!) two police officers appear out of nowhere and push me through the intersection and into the bp parking lot. Where I wait for the parentals and the tow truck, passing my time next to the transient worker (on foot) who has decided to take up residence two parking spaces over. That was a fun 20 minutes!

The car gets towed, and I get a call from the repairman a few hours later, telling me it is going to cost upwards of $800 to fix. EVEN MORE NOT GOOD!

Now, I must decide the fate of my little car. How many more lives does it have in it? How many more times must I be stranded on the side (or the middle of) the road?

I have known for the last couple of years that it won't last forever, I was just hoping to get a little more life out of it.

I just thank God that I was not hurt (someone could have easily rear-ended me, for sure), and I was able to get to work, and that I have parents who come to my rescue and lend me their cars!

Oh, decisions!

The Blooming Banana Tree

2007-07-26T21:45:00.000-04:00

Yes, you read correctly, banana trees bloom!

Well, not actually. Two months ago Mom & I planted what we thought were baby banana trees in my garden. Last weekend, I found out they may not be banana trees...One that Mom had planted in her own backyard turned out to be a canna lily, with a big yellow flower.

Well, this week, I discovered that I too had canna lilies. Because the big one is blooming :) Once it fully blooms, I'll try to post a picture.

Funny, I feel a little bit differently now that its not a banana tree--as though it pulled a fast one on me.

UPDATE:

Banana?
I think not!

the evolution of a chair

2007-07-09T20:59:00.001-04:00

see below for 4th of July post...

Yesterday's adventure was recovering the chair pads on the dining room chairs. As I pulled off the accumulated layers of fabric, I felt like I was taking a trip back in time. Can anyone identify the decade of each? I'm curious!

Independence Day, Big K Style

2007-07-09T20:50:00.000-04:00

For my brother Sean and anyone else who has had the pleasure of experiencing the 4th of July Big K style...
I give you this year's extravaganza!

festivities began at Mom and Dad's pool with BBQ...

...and proceeded to the Big K parking lot. See if you can find Dad...he's the one in the festive hat!

A few of my attempts at using the rack on top of Susan's minivan as a makeshift tripod for my camera:
At least you get the idea! :o)

upstairs

2007-06-22T19:15:00.000-04:00

I had a housewarming party last weekend, and while I failed to take any pictures during the blessed event, I did take pictures of the upstairs beforehand--the first time it was actually cleaned up enough to do so!

The guest bedroom/office:
with the drawings of Paris Gramma bought when she was there-I love them!

I love the sunlight in this room-it's very calming.

The chest of drawers survived the car ride! The door on the left it to the shared bath.

My bedroom:
with memaw's bedroom suit and nana's side tables as bedside tables :) (and the other bathroom door)

looking back toward the door.

The bathroom:

the vanity (with the HEAVY mirror I installed myself)

Looking to the left of the vanity (and on the wall behind you)

The tub is on the left, looking back toward the vanity and my bedroom (standing in front of the toilet)

and finally, at the landing looking into my bedroom and down the staircase. and that's it!

Susan, Lindsay, and Nancy throw a great party, I must say. It was a lot of fun to have my first official party at my house. It is now thoroughly warmed!

the garden fairy

2007-06-16T10:43:00.000-04:00

While I have long outgrown santa clause and the tooth fairy, I have recently become acquainted with the garden fairy. She comes to your house while you're at work, and plants flowers in your garden. I must say, I'm a big fan of this fairy!

She's come to my house twice now, and there are happy little flowers greeting me when I get home from work. I can take little credit for how my garden looks now. All I do is water it :o)

Thanks garden fairy!

work, furniture

2007-06-09T17:07:00.000-04:00

this week was my first week back to work--back to being a productive member of society, as Mom says. it was a really good week, actually. Right away I was handed a project to be the lead on; they gave a brief of what was expected, and then set me loose. it was great! I pretty easily got back into the flow of being in the office, and remembering how things work. It was great not having that awkward orientation period where you don't really know how to do anything, or where to find anything, and you don't feel like you're being productive.

the other great part is that we have three summer intern students. One is a friend of mine from grad school; she is a year behind me, and we went on the same study abroad in Europe last summer. The other two are undergraduate students. It's great no longer being the low man on the totem pole :o) There are plenty of other people to do the gophering. Being higher up is good!

the adventure of the day today was moving the last of my furniture into my house. still to be retrieved was furniture for the guest room/office: a bed, that was Mom's when she was a little girl, and a chest of drawers that had been in my room several years ago--the topiary chest, for those of you who know which one I'm referring to.

we put the bed in the back of mom's explorer, which took up the entire back. so, we thought we would have to make another trip; but dad said that he thought it would fit in the back of his tr! So, that's what we did! It rode beside him all the way to my house, with mom and I behind in the explorer, laughing the entire way because dad was so cute in his little car, and the chest made his car look so tiny--like a toy car. below are my attempts at photographing the humorous event :o)

more downstairs

2007-05-30T12:21:00.000-04:00

second post of the day...see below for the first half...

the kitchen, with my new fridge :o)

more of the kitchen. the window above the sink looks out onto the back patio. Also notice the rotary phone on the counter--it was Gramma's mother's phone, and it still works! I absolutely love it!

The back door to the patio.

Looking into the powder room. It was very hard to photograph this room! hopefully you can get some idea of the space.

The vanity and mirror. [unintentional self-portrait]

That concludes the downstairs tour. Once I get myself in gear, I'll get to work on the upstairs!

the downstairs

2007-05-30T11:52:00.001-04:00

I know you had probably given up hope that I would post pictures of my new house...but it's just taken a little while to get it photo-ready :o) But here it is now! The vast majority of my decorating brainpower has been directed at the downstairs--so, I'm opting to wait on the upstairs posting until it's in a little better shape decor-wise. But, enjoy the first floor!

This is the view from the front door: through the living room and into the dining room, and past that is the kitchen and powder room (with the patio out back--but that will be another post itself).

This is the living room on your left when you enter the front door. Ignore the large stack of cardboard packaging waiting to be recycled :)

The living room on your right when you enter the front door. The door in the picture is the closet underneath the stairs.

The dining room to the left. (the birdhouses are waiting to be painted as table decor for Lindsay's houswarming party on Sunday).

The dining room to the right. I bet you guys recognize the furniture! You can also see the start of the stairway to the upstairs, and the kitchen/powder room beyond that.

View back into the living room, and the front door.

more of the dowstairs to come...

home renovation #1

2007-05-21T19:46:00.001-04:00

Here is my laundry closet project documented in pictures. I didn't think to get a "before" picture until it was a bit too late. :o) Here is the closest I've got:

Note the dryer vent coming up out of the floor, and the two different types of flooring that were down. And, my super-handy dad removing a big chunk of my wall!

Installing the new dryer vent in the wall (note the hole in the floor required to make it possible)

Putting the wall back together...

Scraping away at the ridiculously sticky floor...it took forever, and wore me out! But, I'm pretty sure I got bigger muscles as a result! :o)

Finally, down to the subfloor (plus a little glue that I couldn't scrape off)...

Laying the first new tile...

What a pretty new floor!

Wall repair complete--after color matching the paint at Lowe's with a chip we scraped off the wall. VERY COOL.Project complete! boy, it's a tight fit in there--you can't even see my new floor! but I know it's there. And you guys do too!

The drought is over

2007-05-14T19:55:00.000-04:00

Hello world, I'm finally back! What a crazy week it's been. Moving into my new house and all that entails has consumed my life. I hadn't even been here a week, and I (with Dad's help) already embarked upon (and just an hour ago completed) my first home renovation project, which ended up spanning four days! It involved the laundry closet: moving the dryer exhaust from the floor to the wall, new floor, and installing the appliances. I documented the events, and will post them later. Currently, I'm doing a load of laundry of the clothes I want to take with me to the beach tomorrow! VERY EXCITING! It will be a short trip, but still a great chance to relax and get off this whirlwind I've been living for the last couple of weeks :o)

...more updates to come...

the end of an era

2007-05-03T23:54:00.000-04:00

While I anxiously await my new home, I am sad to be leaving my roomies. Janeen and I have lived together either on the same hall, or same room, or same apartment for 6 of the last 8 years of my life. I think we've perfected the art of living together; we've had a bunch of practice. :o)

She's been such a blessing in my life; a woman of God who I can always talk to about anything. We've really grown up together--from college freshmen to the women we are now. What good times we've had! We recognize that we will probably never live together again--she has no plans to move where I am, and I have no immediate plans to come back to this town. When we parted ways four years ago, there was always the possibility of living together again if I came back to school (which is exactly what happened). There is not that possibility now. It feels much more permanent of a split. :o(

But, life goes on, and new chapters start. We're not ending a friendship, just adding some miles between us. It just seemed to me that this chapter as it ends deserved some tribute and recognition.

So, goodbye roomies, I will miss coming home to you in the evening!

e the appliance owner

2007-04-29T20:34:00.000-04:00

wrapped up in this whole home ownership thing is appliance ownership--confusing, expensive, overwhelming waters to navigate for the first-timer. who knew there were that many options out there!? yesterday mom was in town and we spent a good chunk of the day in appliance world--three different stores, to be exact. in my previous life, while in department or home improvement stores, I breezed right past the appliance sections--I had no need to pay attention. every kitchen I had ever lived in just came with a fridge, oven, dishwasher, microwave, etc. that was a given. now, I found myself with the opportunity to select my very own. Overwhelming!

I was very excited to be picking out a brand new fridge and washer and dryer. but after several hours in sears, I was ready to collapse! and at the end of the day, my wallet was ready to collapse!

the washer and dryer were not so difficult to select--there was a one day sale on one specific brand, so pretty much that choice was taken care of. mom and I found the simplest models that still had the features that I needed. but boy, can you spend a bunch of money on some of those super fancy ones! if I paid that much for those models, I would expect them to load, unload, fold, iron, and put away the clothes themselves :)

refrigerator selection did not go as quicky! I guess because I cared more about what it looks like--the washer and dryer are going into an upstairs closet--not to be seen unless you're in the closet. the fridge I bought, however, is really PRETTY! that's not a normal adjective I use for appliances, but it applies here. I can't wait to get it into my kitchen and see how it looks! I got a stainless side-by-side, with black trim and accents (water & ice dispenser) on the front. it's also an energy-star model, so hopefully it won't use too much energy!

the fridge is perhaps the biggest single-item purchase I've ever made...and as I sit here I can't believe I now own one! I don't have it yet, but it's being delivered the day of closing...I can start refrigerating things immediately :)

so when I post pictures of my new place, I'm sure you'll get some views of the appliances--their proud new mama wants to show them off :)

walk on

2007-04-25T10:08:00.000-04:00

today's post revolves around the theme of walking:

i don't know if any of you out there are american idol watchers, but the girls and I are here in our apartment. last night for every vote cast, corporate sponsors agreed to donate $0.10 to feed hungry people living in extreme poverty in africa and america--up to $5,000,000, the first 50 million votes. so, for the very first time, i voted for american idol :) i usually watch, but am not a voter. between the three of us, we put in tons of votes for our faves: Melinda and Jordin, and got money donated at the same time! we were very thankful for cell phones last night, so that we all could vote simultaneously. very cool. (oh, the connection to walking is that Jordin sang "You'll Never Walk Alone.")

now, for the big walk decision:

while at some moments in the last month I thought I cared nothing about walking across the stage and getting my second diploma from G. Wayne, I believe I have had a change of heart, now that the stress level in my life has gone waaay down (since studio project is finished--fyi I didn't win anything in the competition yesterday--but no big deal, I'm not crushed). I have too much of a feeling that I would regret not going to my graduation, and that's something I don't want to have happen. so, while it may be long and arduous, I can't not go. All are welcome to attend, if you desire. I can give you more specific information through email/phone (just didn't want it floating out there on the internet). I would also love to go out to lunch with family afterwards, even if some of you don't want to come to the graduation, but want to do lunch.

and the last item of the post (but not exactly sure how it fits into the theme) is that I remembered I have a photo of the outside of my new house to share :)

studio=over

2007-04-23T15:00:00.000-04:00

hello all. I'm sorry if it seems that I dropped off the face of the earth the last few days...but I've been finishing my thesis project, and that means there is no time for emailing, or blogging, ...or sleeping, for that matter.

but, I am thrilled to announce, that as of about 11:15 this morning, my final studio review was complete!!! :) the review went really well, I'm happy to report. HUGE weight off my shoulders. now, all that's left is to write up a 2000-2500 word paper about the project--cake compared to what I finished today.

of my class of 10, up to three are chosen to move on to tomorrow's competition jury. there are two other studios, both of which 3 are chosen from as well. the finalists present their projects tomorrow to a jury of big-name architects flown in from around the country. they pick the winners and, there are cash prizes :)

we find out at the end of the evening who moves on to tomorrow's jury. so, stay tuned.

and yes, there is a graduation party for me at mom & dad's on friday, may 11th. all are invited!

I promise I will decide soon about festivities on the 5th in the ATL area...just want to do it once I've had a full night's sleep.

last class

2007-04-20T20:26:00.000-04:00

today, I went to my very last class EVER. that feels pretty good! I think I would be more excited if I weren't trying to finish my thesis :) Instead, it's heads down, glued to the computer, "death con 5" as my friend dave says.

it's kind of weird to think I don't ever again have to go to class, or turn in homework! I know there are training classes, bible studies w/ hw, etc., but no more as a degree-seeking student :o) I know someday I will look back on all this with fondness and nostalgia...but that day is a loooong way off.

to those of you have already passed this milestone in your life--I'm happy to join you. to those of you who haven't yet reached this point--hold on, you will make it, and it will certainly get here sooner than you think. and I will enthusiastically welcome you to the club when you finally do :)

and since I'm a visual person and like posts with pictures, here's an image from my thesis project.

any brave souls want to guess what the image means? :o)

$5.99 worth of joy

2007-04-17T19:05:00.000-04:00

I spent $5.99 at publix on sunday afternoon and brought home a bundle of joy: pink tulips! who knew you could buy joy for so cheap? I knew they would make me smile as I sat at my desk for the next solid week finishing my studio project. So far, so good!

The girls and I have several flora around the apartment that lend some hominess to the space.

Here are the violets that greet me every morning right outside my bedroom door:

And here are the baby irises and one momma iris pot growing on our deck (but are momentarily inside because of the cold weather):

And finally, here is Percy, and Percy's Cousin, the oldest plants in the house. I gave Percy (the top one) to Janeen when she started co-oping 6 years ago, and I got his cousin about that same time. I think they may live forever!

happier times

2007-04-14T09:08:00.000-04:00

while I am sooo ready to finish school, one of the things I'm MOST looking forward to is moving into my new house. Requested repairs are being completed, and all things are moving toward closing. So exciting!

There are currently no mirrors in the two bathrooms at my place--they had been taken down for painting purposes, and we wrote in the contract that I would pick out the mirrors to go back up; and that I would have a specified amount of money that I could spend.

now, this is a shopper's dream come true: pick out new things for your house, and spend someone else's money doing it! it cant' get much better than that!

so below are the two mirrors I've selected:

for the dowstairs half bath:
and for the upstairs bath:

this one has a "dark cherry finish" but in the store looked almost black. I want the black look, and so if it still looks too cherry in the room, I may give it a good old coat of black paint.

I still don't have any pictures of the actual place--so I'm posting little tidbits so maybe you can get a feel for what it will be like in person. Hopefully I'll be seeing some of you there once I move in!

not a good evening

2007-04-12T21:52:00.000-04:00

can I just complain? This evening I saw three days worth of studio work go into the trash, and then I proceeded to slice open my finger--so I'm having a bit of trouble typing like normal.

I spent the last three days working on building a model of my project. The short story is that I was casting quikcrete (concrete) and trying to get it to do something it was never intended to do: intricate small scale stuff. Quikcrete is for patching cracks in your driveway--not a model of my building at 1/16"=1'-0".

So, now I get to go into studio tomorrow and have nothing to show for myself except a big band-aid on my right index finger. And my final studio review is in 10 days. Not exactly the best time to be a) losing days worth of work and b) slicing my hands open when there is still model building left to do.

Can I just surrender now? I'm waving the white flag--you win, Architecture. I can't do it anymore.

... On the bright side, take a look at the graduation countdown to the right--VERY QUICKLY APPROACHING!

...and, it could have been my left index finger...

two sore bums

2007-04-10T23:04:00.000-04:00

and by that I mean derrière, not vagabond. Roomie went with me last night to ballet class, and we're both feeling the effects today :) The class was a mixture of pure ballet and some lyrical/modern dance--lots of fun, but a different set of muscles than I'm used to using. We spent a good amount of time rolling around on the floor, and once you got past worrying what you looked like doing it, it felt really great to just dance it. Then after work/school today, we compared notes and both were sore, in exactly the same place--the bum! Various involuntary groans were heard in the apartment tonight as one of us sat down or got up.

We must remember that it's good pain--sore muscles mean more tone (and hopefully less fat).

good pain...good pain...

new plates

2007-04-03T16:23:00.000-04:00

Now being in my 19th year of schooling, I have become an excellent procrastinator. Today's adventure in procrastination occurred in the dining department. This afternoon, instead of doing my homework that is due tomorrow (honestly, is homework really still necessary at this point in my life?), I went to one of my favorite stores and ended up purchasing new plates for my new house! Since I don't have any pictures of the house to post, perhaps you will be satisfied by pictures of new dishes?

I got four each of the two salad plates above, as well as four each of the matching dinner plates--already on clearance, they were 50% off the lowest price--what a steal!

I think I will eventually get coordinating bowls, mugs, etc. to complete my set--maybe white or black, or even another solid color to accent with--maybe I'll match my wall color or something like that :)

I believe I'm turning into both Mom and Nana before our very eyes -- they both believe(d) you can never have too many sets of dishes!

I surrender to my fate...

a view from the outside

2007-03-31T21:24:00.000-04:00

Have you ever caught a glimpse of yourself and not recognized who you saw? Perhaps this has a little to do with Lisa's thoughts on aging...

Well, this happenend to me one morning this week. I was leaving my apartment to go to school, and when I got to the car I realized I had left my usb drive on my desk in my room. Now, this is a very important piece of equipment, so I figured I should go back and retrieve it. So, back up 2 flights of stairs, down a hall, and back into the locked apartment. I didn't turn any of the lights on, because I could see enough to know where I was going. Said usb drive was retrieved, and on my way back through the living room, I saw myself in our really big mirror in the dining room--and I was surprised by what I saw --I looked like a grown up! I know that probably doesn't sound so shocking to anyone else, but I don't always think of myself as a grown up, so it caught me off guard.

Then it got me thinking about what I (and the rest of my graduate student friends) probably look like to the undergrads (especially the freshmen) in the college. I bet they think we're really old :) I remember thinking that about the upper classmen when I got to college the first time. But I remember even more strongly when I got to high school, and there were students walking around with facial hair! I thought they were super-old then! Alas, they were only 18 and so young then (well, most of them).

How did I become such a grown up? When did it happen? Who is that person in the mirror?

a new job and a new home

2007-03-23T17:15:00.000-04:00

so the last few days of my life have been really exciting, and a bit of a whirlwind! This past Wednesday (the day after taking the LEED exam and getting my hair chopped off) I went downtown to meet with THE FIRM (the name of my employer for the purposes of this blog) and discussed my new-ish job for when I graduate. They were very glad that I am coming back to work for them, and that I am a new LEED AP. They just last week moved into their new office-a historic building downtown that they have renovated into office space. They already had my desk set up--I get a great big window to look out, and the meeting went really well. Its truly a beautiful space, and I think I will really enjoy working for them and in such a nice environment. Negotiations went well, and they accommodated my request to go on vacation with friends and family in June!! Bigtime hooray!

After that meeting, Mom and I met my real estate agent (who is a longtime friend of Mom's, and also their agent) to home hunt! After seeing many many places in two whirlwind afternoons, we went to a townhome that was just so cute, and hadn't even officially gotten on the market. It was a great price, and I made an offer, and I got it! I couldn't believe how fast it all happened!

I'm closing right after I graduate, so I can just move right in--there are a few things I'd like to do to the inside, but it's in great condition to be able to live in it -as is- as long as I need to. I can't wait!

So, I'm pretty exhausted from all the excitement--I couldn't sleep last night--instead I was laying in the bed imagining where furniture would go, and where different pictures would hang! I finally can hang my bookshelf that I designed and built about 4 years ago--it hasn't hung before becuase it requires wall anchors that landlords don't allow! Finally, I can quit changing my address and quit living with beige walls. Hooray for the bright red walls in the living room and dining area in my townhome. I will try to post pictures once I have any to post!

me minus 11 inches

2007-03-21T11:50:00.000-04:00

Yesterday evening I lost eleven inches...of hair, that is. I've been growing it out for a year and a half (the entire time I've been in grad school) and it was finally long enough to cut (10" min.) I'm donating the hair to Locks of Love, a charity that makes hairpieces for children who have permanently lost their hair for medical reasons and cannot afford to buy a wig. I encourage everyone who has hair and is able, to do this at least once in your life. It's really easy to do--your regular stylist can cut it (hooray, Kyle is the greatest ever) and you just mail the ponytail in a padded envelope to them. How cool is that?

A view from behind:

I've rediscovered my back and my neck!

just call me LEED AP

2007-03-20T13:23:00.000-04:00

"What is LEED^®?

The Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) Green Building Rating System™ is the nationally accepted benchmark for the design, construction, and operation of high performance green buildings. LEED promotes a whole-building approach to sustainability by recognizing performance in five key areas of human and environmental health: sustainable site development, water savings, energy efficiency, materials selection, and indoor environmental quality."

AP stands for Accredited Professional:

"LEED Professional Accreditation distinguishes building professionals with the knowledge and skills to successfully steward the integrated design and LEED certification process. LEED Accredited Professionals (LEED APs) have demonstrated a thorough understanding of green building practices and principles and familiarity with LEED requirements, resources, and processes."

(quoted from www.usgbc.org)

And as of 11:00 this morning, yours truly is now a LEED AP! I had to take one of those glorious computer based tests at a testing facility--the other two women testing at the same time were taking their boards for medical school--they were in for 2 back-to-back 8-hour testing days. Please Sir, may I have some more? I did not envy them!

So, hooray for a passed test! glad that's over :)

What's Your Footprint?

2007-03-14T20:18:00.000-04:00

Ever wondered how much "nature" your lifestyle requires? You're about to find out.

This Ecological Footprint Quiz estimates how much productive land and water you need to support what you use and what you discard. After answering 15 easy questions you'll be able to compare your Ecological Footprint to what other people use and to what is available on this planet.

I encourage you to check it out. It doesn't take very long, but it's very eye-opening!

a pretty picture and a dance studio

2007-03-13T10:01:00.000-04:00

This is a picture I took at the Villa d'Este in Tivoli, Italy. It may be one of my favorite shots, because it has been my wallpaper on both my laptop, as well as the big momma computer I got when I started undergrad.

I should be doing my construction technology 2 homework right now, but I'm stalling by blogging! :)

The Studio Atlanta Dance

This is the dance studio that I take an adult ballet class at on Monday nights. Its a lot of fun, and a great way to get some exercise! I love the other women who are in the class, and the instructor makes it very relaxed and enjoyable. Last week we danced to the Beatles "Come Together!" What fun!

My very first blog post ever!

2007-03-12T22:11:00.000-04:00

Hello, blogger world!
I have finally followed in my big brothers' wives' footsteps and joined the blogging phenomenon. Hopefully this will be a way to keep connected with friends and family. Thanks for reading!