Apples and...

One apple escaping from the balcony...

Then three apples escaping...

And here is the CULPRIT...a wirey little squirrel on a snowy winter morning
More evidence of his festivities and his sneaky friend creeping up to get some delicious appleness!
His friend (as pointed out in previous picture) wanted to join in and he says, "No, all mine, even if this heavy apple throws me off the tree!"
And his little friend runs away and contemplates hopping to another tree neighborhood

And Mr. Wirey Squirrel helps his quaint self to all the apples he wants!

THE END

Stay tuned for more balcony squirrel escapades!

Another formal dance and other stuff

"Come Sail Away"

November is the month for the Winter Formal at the Institute. A couple weeks before the dance I suggested to my date that we wear fur since it was a cruise ship theme. And here is my friend Carrie and I making the fur shrug starting at 10 PM the night before the dance. We didn't finish till 2:30 AM. I like to make life interesting.

(click on collage to see larger picture)

We combined our names for the label "Carrgo Wear." We cut the satin pattern weird so there was a space of satin between the fur and we thought a tag would go perfect there. She has a fancy machine that can make letters. It was fun making the shrug. In the bottom right picture in the collage is the black shrug I bought for $30 at Charlotte Russe. I didn't want to pay that much so I bought some fabric and we made a pattern out of a cotton sheet for the shrug we made.

I sewed the green button on and made the loophole. I wasn't much help. I would try to help by pinning the pattern to the fabric but I would get the carpet too. I did as much as I could.




And me and my date at the dance. He's an awesome guy who is fun. I love his mullet and red hair. And there's a few pics with friends I have too. My roommate with her date in the blue dress. She is a short one!


These are for Mom. I wanted business clothes for Christmas so she wants to see what she bought since I needed them by this Friday. I wore this outfit to church last Sunday with black tights and black shoes. The bracelet on my wrist is one I made in my jewelry and metalsmithing class.
My roommate Jaime with a mysterious frozen something in our freezer. We threw it out cause no one knew what it was and it wasn't marked. I knew it wasn't mine cause I mark everything I foil up in the freezer. We think it's pork, my first guess was potatoes.
And here is Jaime, Carrie and I redneck golfing on Veteran's Day. We went behind Thorpe Park and were actually in the middle of a Disc Golf Course but we were ok. We were playing a different version of golf. Redneck golf is simply picking a tree to hit instead of hitting it into a hole. It is a lot harder than regular golf cause there's lots of logs, trees, and rocks to ricochet off of. Of course, we had a blast!

Halloween

My halloween costume for the Halloween Dance. I didn't want to be regular Dorothy from the Wizard of Oz so I went as Dorothy-->Dr. Seuss style! I got my dress and basket at a yard sale for $0.25 a few months back. I wanted to go as something else but I had to come up with something a few hours before the dance.



I guess I should mention what my roommate Jaime is since she looks pretty scary. She's a "cereal killer".

From l-r: Me (Dr. Seuss Dorothy), a "holy cow" (she has a halo and angel wings), Hermioni from Harry Potter, a "cereal killer," and a "gold digger."I didn't want to smile much either cause I had bright green concealer (you know, for pimples) and blue lip gloss on. Those together made my teeth look yellow.


This is the beginning of the bracelet I made. I had to do an interior cut in the copper and then solder it onto the brass. These pictures are before I did any soldering and I had sanding them to make them look shiny. I'll get a finished product picture up soon. Need to take a picture of it. I'm wearing it in a more recent post.

Way to market, NAU

Here's a picture/ad in an e-mail I received. It is funny to me. And I'm more aware of marketing techniques since I'm in a Marketing class right now. Just look at that guys face. Glad NAU has some humor since they take away my money and cause permanent stress fat on my hips.

I am thankfully still alive even though every day I fill like I'm lifting 100 pounds just to roll out of bed. Sorry, I'm more than 100 pounds, I should say, an extra 100 pounds added to my 140. Sometimes when people ask how I'm doing or how classes are going I almost cry. I really don't like to stop and think about it, I just keep chuggin at life till I get to a spot where I can rest, aka Winter Break. I'll post some pictures soon and some of my halloween costume. There's also the IWA Formal dance that's coming up and me and my date are trying to incorporate fur into our dress. My date has a mullet. He's awesome and fun. I should have taken a picture of how I asked him and how he answered me but I haven't been in the picture mode lately. He did poop on my doorstep in reply though and said, "My night would be crappy without you...so yes!" Funny times.

Not too much going on, seriously, besides school and work. And trying to fit in some sleep and eat time when I can.

BAP is wonderful

Phoenix Ernst & Young Tower

I've been a busy woman. Right now I have a class that was canceled for the rest of the week so I have some treasured free time. I wanted to share a few tidbits about some experiences I've had of late. I joined a co-ed business fraternity called Beta Alpha Psi (BAP). Last Friday we went on a tour of the Phoenix Ernst and Young office. I decided to go at last minute, didn't really want to miss classes on Friday. I went and I'm glad I did.

Ernst & Young is one of the Big Four Accounting Firms. I didn't like that label. I thought to myself, I'm a small town girl and I don't want to work for a big corporation that doesn't care about people. Really, that's what I thought before I went on this tour. My view has been completely turned around. In the beginning, we introduced ourselves and it was a casual environment. The Senior Auditing Manager was so friendly and wanted to hear stories we had to tell. He is from Cleveland, OH where E&Y was founded. He moved out to Phoenix 2.5 years ago so he was still getting used to the area and Arizona. He gave the presentation on E&Y and I was shut up with my preconceived prejudices. Here's a few things I learned.

• E&Y has a lot of the same principles and values I want in my own company someday.
• The office in downtown Phoenix does have cubicles but there is so much natural light and spectacular views of the whole city, in all directions
• They care about their employees and want to help their clients do better in their businesses.
• The auditors don't even have cubicles! They are rarely in the office. If they need to work in the office, they need to reserve a cubicle for the week. Reason: They spend most of their time on-site at their clients' businesses.
• They had this tour and presentation to recruit us as students. Well, I'm recruited!
  

It's funny, their board rooms are named after the mountain views it looks over. And they probably have 6-8 board rooms total on both floors. I have never really seen the mountains in Phoenix but I sure could see all of them being on the 23rd and 24th floor of the Ernst & Young Tower.

After the presentation they had a panel of 3 auditors and we could ask them any question we wanted. During the panel a partner walked in and we got to talk to her a little bit. She was funny and very sociable. After the panel we took a tour of both floors of the office. Then we had an ice cream social in one of the board rooms. They bought Cold Stone Ice Cream "Love It" size I think. I haven't ever had that much Cold Stone in one sitting cause that size is too expensive. And they had toppings to go on it too.

Overall it was an excellent experience and a good day with my colleagues in Beta Alpha Psi. I had a good feeling while in the office and thought I would even like to work at E&Y to get some good, quality experience. I never thought I would want to work in a big city, in a tall tower, wear business attire all the time, and in Phoenix of all the cities. But I liked the impression and feelings it left on me. I do want to live in the country with lots of land, but I could do the city for a little while, just enough to get some good experience.

A piece of Ernst & Young memorabilia.

Here's a picture of my Beta Alpha Psi/Accounting shirt. Do you dig-it?

And this is a project I just completed in my Jewelry and Metalsmithing class.

Bottom side with a patina finish.

Top with high shine finish. It is made out of copper.

It's a candleholder. Well, it probably won't hold a candle but it taught us all the necessary things we needed to know for metalsmithing. It was a practice project. These aren't great pictures of it. The top has a high shine finish and the bottom/under side has a fire patina finish. It turned out an awesome color so I kept it. I'm loving this class, so glad I didn't drop it even though the tool kit cost me $300. Our next project is a cuff bracelet. I finished the interior cuts on Monday and I'll take pictures of it in class today so you can see the whole metalsmithing/jewelry process better.

Bike rides and bike tires

A Leopold look-alike
(but Leopold is stuck in 5th gear)

I want to write about my day today while I'm at home eating my lunch. Today I made record time on my way back to home from class. Usually when I make the trek home, the wind is blowing against me and it's uphill. Maybe it was because I actually rode my bike the whole time up the hill instead of hopping off. Now, I'm not lazy...the story to follow will give you some insight into my bike I would like to name Leopold.

Every morning, I say I'm going to ride my bike to class cause it's only a 10 minute bike ride. But then I usually drive because I just don't have the energy or I'll be getting home when its dark after my full day is over. Today I woke up on time, 7 AM...ate breakfast, read scriptures, said prayers, and studied for my business writing test today. THAT is the start of a good day. I was proud of myself. Just wait, it gets even better and makes me chuckle.

I am leaving with sufficient time out the door to go hop on Leopold. I check my tires and the back one is a little low. I think, oh, it'll be a little slower ride cause its hard to push when your tires are sagging. Then I sit on it and my tire does not sound well on the pavement. I race back in to my apt to get my pump. Then my neighbors next door, they're from Africa...at least one is...and I'm thinking his friends were visiting. So I'm pumping air into my tire and this one guy with his accent...don't know what it is, I'm thinkin African...says, let me do that. Ok, haha, he was pretty much pushing me out of the way so he could help me. Its not that hard to pump air into a tire. But I appreciated it. He kept pumping though and I have always been afraid that a tire will burst from too much air. Finally I tell him its good, about as hard as a rock. I tell him thank you, he asks if I'm leaving to class and I say yes and then me and Leopold are off.

I get to my class early, puts another huge smile on my face. Then I take the test. My business writing test, I think it went well. I finished really early before anyone else had so I decide to check over the answers, thinking it couldn't be THAT easy. A few turn in their tests and then I feel better about finishing quickly. Such a relief. My life is so packed, especially Mon-Wed that I have to do homework in the order its due. It looks like I'm procrastinating but I have to do it the night before cause each night I have homework due in class the next day. I would call it prioritizing...very detailed prioritizing or I'll miss something. Tonight on the agenda, study for my accounting test tomorrow, Thurs night agenda--go on date and squeeze in a thorough assignment due the next day. My professor says it should take us students one to two hours. Ridiculous.

So, back to my bike ride home. I'm riding along behind 3-4 other bikers...one guy, his poor gears were screwy so I passed him. I felt sorry as I did cause I definitely know how that feels! People are always passing me. I turn down Beulah to go to Lake Mary and leave a few other fellow bikers who aren't taking the same route. I'm riding down the sidewalk, I know I'm not supposed to but southbound Beulah doesn't have a bike lane. It's pretty scary when cars are zooming by in a narrow lane. I reach the Lake Mary stoplight and wait for my signal to bike across the crosswalk. I notice one girl behind me on her bike. I'm used to people passing me so I'm staying to the side so she can. She doesn't. Then we both get to the small hill. She took the other fork in the sidewalk so I slowed down so she could go in front of me. But she was going as slow as me. Wow, another biker who's just as slow as me? That never happens. So I pass her by and she pulls up along side me and says, "Man, I hate hills." I agreed and said, "Yeh, especially cause my bike is stuck in 5th gear all the time." She breathes, "Mine's stuck in 7th." Ha, she passed my pity party up. We just laughed and talk about how other bikers are always passing us but they just don't understand. We have crappy bikes that we can't fix cause it's too expensive (maybe, I'm still needing to look into the price. I'm thinking if I can actually change gears, it'll help me be more motivated to ride my bike.)

We keep riding along and she's still by my side. I ask her if she lives in the Lodge, the apartments I live in. She does! And she's just a building or two away from me. I think she said her boyfriend lives in 148 which I think is one of my neighbors. She tells me her name, Erica, and I tell her mine. It's funny having a different name cause people either want to clarify that they said it right, or that it's "interesting," "weird," or "cool." Erica chose "cool" so she can be my friend. :) I've gotten this one a few times, "Are you French?" I can only laugh. And there's those who think they're so cool and bullyish (they don't think it but I do cause it's so old and immature) and they say "Polo." Anyway, back to Erica, me and Leopold. I comment how its funny how we met, while riding bikes because we're the unfortunate with crappy bikes who have to walk up hills cause we can't switch to 1st gear like all those other speedy bikers. We part ways and she says maybe we'll meet up again on our way to class, work, etc.

It is just a funny day that makes me smile and things are going smoothly. But I'll be prepared for tomorrow when I wake up late, forget to put deodorant on, drive my car and don't feel ready for my test. I'll just hope it's not that bad. So, if you're having a bad day...just remember there's friendly and helpful people around, well at least when a bike is involved. Maybe hop on your bike and see what happens to you. Haha, I'll agree, it's a little different cause I'm in a totally different environment. Do something different and it'll bring a little extra joy or spice to your life. And smile when it happens.

Back to work now...but so unfortunate, it's raining. ;) YAY, this means I have to drive my car. And I'm wearing a white shirt. Definitely car, sorry Leopold.

P.S. X-nay the last post title

This has definitely not been a summer like any other. It was deceiving and started out that way but this last week has been H-E-Double Hockey Sticks! It would have been completely that place if I didn't take advice from friends, Mom, bishop and my Lord and Savior. If I did the normal, humanly thing to do and be selfish...this would have turned into a much harder situation. For the past week I had to deal with the possibility of losing the apartment I've been staying in all summer. And after many tear filled nights and prayers and exercising my jaw to produce words so much, I am pooped. But I still have a fight to fight...all is not resolved and well. One major thing did get resolved tonight and I'm hoping everything will work well for those who had to deal with the changes put to them. It took 2 hours to discuss this problem so that the other side would completely understand where I was coming from. There were so many details that contributed to every little thing that had to be explained. It was not taken well at first...but after this other side saw the whole picture and everything I had to go through to make this solution possible...it became clear. Tonight there have been many prayers and blessings pronounced and I want to publicly thank my Heavenly Father and his Son Jesus Christ for making a way through a path that was covered with unrelenting mud and thorns. Without drawing on that Power from on High, there would not be a peaceful people in a peaceful apartment tonight. I witnessed a miracle, was right in the middle of it and was a part of it and it was a grand thing to see unfold. I don't understand how anyone can get through this life, or I should say, the very rough patches of the road, without Him. Without His guidance, love, compassion, empathy and healing power. Power is a driving factor in so much of our life, that's why it is so important to make sure you know where that power is coming from and what it can do to your life....depending on what source it is coming from. Priesthood is power. The power of God to be used on earth by those who hold it honorably and worthily. And womanhood and motherhood has just as much power. They have to co-exist or else one is not complete without the other. Each one grants power to the other and it is an equal sharing with different responsibilities. I know the Priesthood has given me power tonight as a woman to get through this task I did not want to do. The thought of it made me feel nauseous of having to hurt someone else temporarily so that they could see what was best for everyone. This power is not something you can describe until one has felt it themselves. One by one is the way of the Lord. Individual. Personal. Unconditional Love. But one by one we have to realize that it is ultimately our choice to accept his always open arms. He will not force us, He cannot force us. He will tell us over and over again to Come Unto Him...it will always be our responsibility to hear Him and learn how he quietly and peacefully tells us the answer that is best for our soul. It's not that he doesn't talk to us, no one can ever say that because they will eventually come to realize it was "me" who did not listen or hear, or did not do so long enough.

I know this is all true. And me being human, I will doubt almost positively again this same thing. That is another reason why I wrote this down, so I can come back and remember how I once strongly felt. It will always be deep down, down to my core...I might unintentionally pile other worries on top of it. Then I will be humbled once again and remove all the unnecessary and come back to what I've always known and what has always been so simple. My Sunday School teacher shared this quote this Sunday, she did not say who said it, it says: "We are not human beings, we are human becomings." We are not here to be who we naturally tend to be, we are here on earth to become what God knows us to be. And I say this and dedicate it only to the One who made this possible to believe and know, the only One who has given me and all his brothers and sisters hope, in the name of our Savior, Jesus Christ, Amen.