Culinary Conversations

Amy: There is nothing better than a lazy weekend--watching Food Network and drinking Dr. Pepper--with your best friend...

Colin: i agree wholeheartedly. i am so glad that you were able to visit me here in "sunny" Ohio. the perfect reward for completing, not necessarily passing, my first two weeks of training.

Amy: You survived.  That is the key.

Colin: i suppose so. i don't really know if you can call it that though. i mean i got a 32% on this last test.

the teachers (meaning the captains) told the class that any student who failed would have to face academic counseling. well, 60% of us failed so on friday. the course director came out and said "well counseling each of you individually would take too long, so consider yourselves all counseled."

Amy: haha, that's awesome.  I'm glad that I am being validated, and not counseled.  So what was your favorite part of the weekend?

Colin: finding myself complete again. :) i really like that while we're apart we FaceTime every night, but having you here with me is so much better.

Amy: It's nice to not feel lonely.  To have someone to walk thru all the changing leaves with, hold hands, to cuddle while watching "How to Train Your Dragon" while falling asleep.  I've missed that.

Colin: me too. it's just too bad that you have to fly back tomorrow. :(

Amy: the anxiety of leaving is nothing compared to watching The Next Iron Chef though...  I feel like my heart has been in my throat the entire hour we've been watching it!  The Drama! The Competition!  The Food!

Colin:  it's so intense. not just The Next Iron Chef, but the hours of Sweet Genius that preceded it. better than a scary movie, perfect for the Halloween Weekend.

Amy: Oh my heart! I. LOVE. THIS. SHOW!!!  And I love that we can watch it together.  And that we enjoy the insanity and drama.  It is so dramatic.  Love.

Colin: we decided to name our first boy Spike Alton.

Amy:  Too bad Spike is the first one off the show... But Alton is immortal.

Colin: how about Bobby Alton Chairman Slade?

Amy: Burrell Robert Geoffrey Slade...  You know, we can't memorialize every idol we have...

Colin: we could if we have 12 kids..

Amy: right...

Colin: if i become an Iron Chef can we have 12 kids?

Amy: Yes.  If you become an Iron Chef, we can even have 12 boys.

Colin: i don't want 12 boys. i want 10 boys and 2 girls. 12 boys is just ridiculous.

Amy: There are no words...

Colin: just tack it on to the list of the many other things i wish to accomplish in this life.

Amy: It makes for a long list.  Too long to actually list though.  We have to get some sleep before tomorrow you know...

Colin: sadly yes. 6:30am flight. good night, Amy.

Amy: I love you Colin. :)

Annotated Bibliography

Dear Colin-

3 things:

1- I got two "A"s yesterday in school.  One was on a religion paper I wrote a couple weeks ago.  My teacher said I did an excellent job--and there were several marked sections of my paper that said "good" next to them.  She also said in class that what I did was exactly what she was looking for in the papers we turned in.  Hooray!

The second "A" was from English--I did better on this assignment than the last couple.  It is so validating to be given high marks when I really have been having a "what in the world am I doing here? I do not belong in grad school-I'm not smart enough" complex.

2- I get to see your face tomorrow :)

3- I wrote a paper proposal for my english class yesterday morning.  The actual proposal was easy.  whipped it out in about a half hour.  But the dreaded annotated bibliography.  Blegh.

I had to have at least 15 sources that I wrote a few sentences about what the sources said--hence annotated.  I ended up with 21 sources, and I really just hated annotated them.  It took me about 2 hours to do that.  Blegh...  I don't know why it took me so long, it just did.  And I hated it...

That's all.

Love you-

Amy

a brief anecdote...

Dear Colin-


This last weekend I got to go down to Mt. Vernon with Janet and the family.  It was wonderful!  There was some sort of fall festival going on, so it was crazy busy, but that also meant that there were more people there to guide you through the estate.  We even watched a guy forging something (I forget what he was making...).  Remember how I know how to do that?  I felt cool, but only in my head...


We walked around Washington's home and wanted to take a photo together, as girls, with the view of the river.  It was such a beautiful day.  So we posed, and waited for our photo to be taken---


As we were waiting, a small little boy came running down the hill and got a little out of control.  He ran and ran, and ended up totally face-planting it right in front of us.  We all gasped because it looked a bit painful...


Luckily, our photographer got our faces right as we watched the little one fall.  It is pretty entertaining.

I can't look at this photograph without laughing out loud.  What a great day! :)


Love you-
Amy

Anniversary

Dear Colin-

Did you know today is an anniversary of sorts?  We have officially been married for two and one half years! 

I consider it an accomplishment.  Two and a half years and--

- 3 new countries together (6 for me...)

- 6 new states

- 2 apartments

- 3 times living with my parents

- 18 new pairs of shoes

- 1 argument (unrelated to shoes...)

- 2 graduations

- 2 scars on the elbows

- 1 Air Force commissioning

- 5 new Apple gadgets (you're converted...)

- 4 glorious days in the happiest place on earth

- 3 food poisonings

- 1 cross-country move

- 31 days apart (til now...)

- 2 Air Force trainings

- 2 months of grad school

- 4 months as 2nd lieutenant

- countless books read (by me...)

- 1000's of kisses

- 1 new car

- 1 dentist trip

- 4 urgent care visits

- 3 shots in the rear end
- 5 new video games

- 2 times winning a game against your mother (or was it only 1?)

- 5 general conferences

- 2.5 times through the Book of Mormon together
- 7 church callings

- 3 missionaries

- 2 new cameras

- approximately 10,000 photographs

- 912 days of marital bliss

Let's always hold hands...

Love- Amy

Crazy Classes

Dear Colin-

School is kicking my trash too.  But, I don't have classes from 8-5.  I have homework from 8-5...

As you know, I am taking a class on tourism.  Fascinating class.  I feel like we are just talking about our life all the time.  My paper should be exciting--writing about folk dance and music festivals.  I have talked to several people about being interviewed for it, and I have gotten some great responses that are going to make my paper awesome.  I'm excited for it.  It's going to be a great paper--in my head.  We'll see if it translates onto paper...

Tuesdays are still the bane of my existence.  Graduate courses from 4-10pm.  Blegh.  However, I really do like the first class--my religion class.  When I understand what in the world we are talking about.  I still think the whole secularization theory is a load of malarkey.  And those who are religious can agree--religion is not going to just die out.  It's here to stay.  

My English research class is just a graduate level course similar to all the writing classes we had to take for undergrad.  But, I have yet to find out when we are going to talk about researching...  or even writing for that matter.   All we have talked about is The Merchant of Venice and critical writings about it.  As it is, I am so wiped out from the theoretical thinking of religion that I tune out halfway thru English anyway... (I just got back a small writing assignment and she said I had a "well-written essay" that is "excellent work."  It also had a circled "A" :)  I consider this a big deal in a graduate level writing course... )

On a positive side, it is still looking good that I can write one paper for both my English and Religion courses.  I had an interesting discovery that I want to talk to my religion professor about-- early on, religion developed to a point, in most societies, where a ritual/dance had rules or standards for performance.  It was necessary for experts to be the ones performing and teaching the rituals because the ritual would be made void if it wasn't danced properly.   This naturally developed a difference between performers and audience members.  This mirrors secularization theorist Luckmann's view of how religion developed--with a gap between religious experts and everyone else!  And this particular development of experts and others is the reason, in his opinion, that secularization is happening!  (Ok, so I just re-read that, and it may not seem all that exciting to anyone but myself, but this directs my research to where I want it to go.  So I think it was really exciting to find that mirror...  )

All in all,  I love classes.  It is just so much work!  By next Tuesday I have to do the following:

- Read 3 books

- Read 8 articles

- Continue interviewing people for my tourism paper

- Write a paper proposal for my research class

- Write a rough draft of my tourism paper

- Continue research for all papers- including reading books and articles and finding things online and in the library...

Ask me why I'm writing this blog right now...

I love and miss you- good luck with long classes

Amy 

PS.  Why isn't your blog working?  it says your blog has been removed...

Bus or Car?

Dear Colin-

I take the bus to school.  There are definitely pros and cons to this:

Pros:

- I think we are saving money...

- I can get a full hour of studying done while on the bus

- I know where the nearest Ross is in this area

- I get the full experience of living in the DC area

- I made a bus buddy- his name is Jared and he is studying Creative Writing, having just finished his undergraduate work at the U. (I think he may have forgiven me for going to BYU, but only because he is originally from Texas...)  He is fun to talk about school with, but not really anything else...

Cons:

- It takes more than twice the usual amount of time to get to school

- I tend to get a bit carsick if I'm not sitting in the front of the bus

- I have to follow the bus schedule, as opposed to leaving and coming whenever I so desire

- The borderline OCD person that I am, I know it is dirty (exhibit a: ancient asian man in front of me sneezing last week without covering his mouth... I watched every bit of spit fly from his mouth and nose--like a slow motion movie in science class...)

It's a toss up as to what may be the better choice- take the car? or take the bus?  Right now, the answer is going to be take the bus. You should be proud because I'm risking infectious disease to save a few dollars.  I mean, really, who doesn't understand the concept of covering your mouth when you sneeze? Use your elbow pit! Isn't that what it is for? (I can't see any other use...)

That's all.

Love and miss you-

Amy

Coping

Dear Colin-

I didn't sleep in our bed the last couple of nights because it was too big and empty with out your elbow in my neck and your feet on my side of the bed.  There was no one to steal the covers or wake me up with sleep talking nonsense.  Instead, I fell asleep in the other room watching I Love Lucy and cuddling with your pillow because it smells like you.  I will probably do the same thing tonight.

In order to keep myself busy I made a list of things I need to do before next week.  However, I have lost all motivation in my life with you gone.  So I took your suggestion and will now give myself rewards after certain things are done! Hooray!

After I clean the apartment--I get to shower!

After I make roast and bread--I can make cookies!

After I email all potential interviewees for my Tourism class--I get to watch an episode of I Love Lucy!

After I read all my English articles and write up my research assignment--I get to buy a new book! (I'm thinking Hooway for Wodney Wat... Or Wodney's Wobot...)

After I read the rest of my theoretically written Religion book, and my Tourism articles/book chapters, and write a rough draft of my paper for Tourism--I get a new pair of shoes! Hooray!

I'll just have to keep you updated as to how well this works.  I may have a whole new wardrobe by Thanksgiving! ;)

I love and miss your face-

Amy

alone...

Colin left this morning before 9.  He has nine weeks of training in Ohio. 

 I miss him.

 This weekend was spent with family.

I ran around DC with my sister and her kids.  She set up some amazing tours--one of them through the capitol:

 Also this weekend- Josh and Emily!  They came to dance with BYU at a big deal Marriott Ranch/LDS Church/International Ambassador shindig.  They did great.  Emily was the best one.

I do like being here.  Mostly... It just doesn't feel like home yet.

And I really miss my sisters...

 

I miss family.

Yesterday I got to run around DC with  my sister and her kids.  Today I get to do more of the same. 

Plus I get to see these faces:

 

 

 

Again- Disneyland brings together happy faces :)

Crazy Busy

Life is good.  

Crazy.  But good.

Les Miserables, incidentally was amazing.  As per usual.  I was a bit thrown off by the new staging--it's been redone for the 25th anniversary tour.  I was thrown off by Fauntine--she was great, just... different...  Colin and I were both amazed by Val Jean and Javier--In. Cred. Ible performances.  We were also thrown off by the vulgarity of this particular cast.  To be honest, Les Mis has some really dirty lyrics.  However, I have seen it done tastefully a number of times and it is more funny that way.  This cast took everything quite literally, and I was bugged by that.  But if you focused on the vocal performance aspect--incredible.  A girl from BYU was Cosette.  That was cool.

School is kicking my trash.  It's rough going already.  Each week there is more and more reading, plus all the rough drafts of papers are due, along with presentations, research, interviews to all be done.  Why am I writing this blog again?

With everything being crazy busy, we are still so happy.  We are blessed to be living here.  Colin has a job, I have something to do, we have a beautiful apartment, my parents are nearby for the time being, our ward is fantastic, and we feel like life is good.  We have each other.  (Now, this shouldn't be confused with the idea that we have any idea what we are doing.  We still have no clue what it means that we are "adults."  But we are happy.)

This is from Disneyland.  We are happy.  Maybe happier when we are in Disneyland...