tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10921880559498811532024-02-19T16:34:20.400-09:00Not All Who Wander Are AimlessEmilyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10417375688557882625noreply@blogger.comBlogger382125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1092188055949881153.post-32596416554529872652013-04-01T14:46:00.005-08:002013-04-01T14:46:58.464-08:00It's only been about 6 months since I posted here<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
OK, I completely stopped blogging here sometime during Leigh's third trimester. Things got busy, like really busy. I think the last time I posted something here I was unemployed, interviewing for jobs, waiting for my baby to be born (which happened, by the way, <a href="http://definingfamily.tumblr.com/">read all about her here</a>), and generally living my life. <br />
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My life is about 60% different today than it was a mere 6 months ago. I'm someone's mom now, Leigh and I have a family that consists of more than our pets, my house is kind of a big mess, we are about to start traveling regularly with our infant child (yes, we are insane), oh and I have the job I've wanted for a very, very long time.<br />
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In general, things are great and I'm reminded every day how very lucky I am. And I don't just mean lucky to have been born in a western country, have a better than decent education and job and my health. I mean truly blessed to have my family, good friends, and spend my days doing work I enjoy. <br />
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The topic I was blogging about most before my recent absence was fixing up my house. Well, I got about halfway through a few projects before creating more projects and then starting a very demanding job. So, in short, our kitchen still needs to be replaced and our floor still has a big hole in it. Oh, and we've realized how very small our house really is and that we need to buy a new one sometime in the next few years. <br />
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First, I think we've decided to NOT replace the kitchen. Our plan is to keep our house as a rental when we buy a new one and our kitchen is perfectly functional. Instead we are going to look into <a href="http://refacing.homedepot.com/?storeId=10051&langId=-1&catalogId=10053">refacing our kitchen cabinets</a> to give it a less expensive facelift. I don't know much about this so we are thinking of taking a field trip to ask questions soon.<br />
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But the project we MUST complete this summer is replacing our laminate flooring in the downstairs and staircase. This is going to cost a pretty penny that we hadn't planned to spend at all, but it must be done. We can't live comfortably with a hole in our flooring and we certainly can't rent out our house as it is. <br />
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When I think about home improvements I like to look on websites like Apartment Therapy and Young House Love for inspiration. It's a fun form of escapism and, most of the time, I can imagine taking on a lot of the projects in my own home because they fall within reasonable price ranges and serve practical purposes. The only real down side to this is getting overwhelmed by the sheer consumerism and materialism that accompanies these blogs. I'm the first to admit that I enjoy shopping and having nice things, but I also take a great deal of joy out of making the most of what I have and not buying unnecessary things. In contrast, I feel a lot of shame when I realize I've indulged in things I don't need or can't justify or when I realize that my closet is more than full and almost half of it is stuff I don't even wear anymore. <br />
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Maybe it's living in Alaska or having a long history of thrifted clothes and Craigslist furnishings, but being constantly encouraged to buy new things, finance major purchases, and further complicate my life can get completely overwhelming and leave me feeling a little bit empty. It makes me stop and think "do I really want to finance my new flooring" but that thought is instantly drowned out by "do I really want my next dinner guests to notice the not-so-cleverly-covered-up hole in my flooring?" <br />
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In the end I will replace the floor because it adds value and increases my daily enjoyment of my home. But at the end of the day I really just want to simplify my life: a comfortable house, enough of the things we need to be comfortable and none of the things we don't that add clutter, less debt, more family time, more travel. Obviously these things don't always go hand in hand, at least not in the beginning, but hopefully with the right focus we can look forward to this kind of existence. <br />
<br />Or I could stop tearing down walls that leave holes in my floor.</div>
Emilyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10417375688557882625noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1092188055949881153.post-39760375725612615532012-12-07T12:04:00.001-09:002012-12-07T12:04:16.310-09:00Long Absence<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
Sorry for the several weeks of silence, but things have gotten so busy since I started my new job. I basically went from having 100% free time to having very little free time. The long and short of it is that I really like what I'm doing, the people I'm working with, and everything else associated with my job. Most days I have at least one moment where I can't believe things worked out the way they did. <br />
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We've been really busy at home too. First, we had to finish getting the baby's room ready. Leigh is 38 weeks pregnant now, so the baby could arrive at any time. It's amazing how hard it was to motivate ourselves to do all those last things like pre-washing all the clothes, tethering the furniture to the walls, etc. We still aren't 100% ready, but we are close enough that if the baby were born today we'd be OK for the first several weeks. We even took child birthing and lactation classes. We're still far from being experts, but at least we have an idea of what to expect.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggPTjx23FJpl-ndGRDYdeGscRu0EnTL8LyzJRFx3BvG5QlJ_bMlw41BXW6s7vlVQryWypeHsJ_8hyZdbx8eGB_P5QjLwmo8kyTfPxU7a6eYJ-3eQ0hGYEXCiG5oca2xpOneNDTZ3KjFuQ/s1600/Leigh.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" nea="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggPTjx23FJpl-ndGRDYdeGscRu0EnTL8LyzJRFx3BvG5QlJ_bMlw41BXW6s7vlVQryWypeHsJ_8hyZdbx8eGB_P5QjLwmo8kyTfPxU7a6eYJ-3eQ0hGYEXCiG5oca2xpOneNDTZ3KjFuQ/s1600/Leigh.jpg" /></a></div>
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In other news, now that I have a job (YAY!) and the baby is almost here (double yay!), Leigh and I can finally start planning ahead for trips and adventures both in Alaska and outside of Alaska. We have already made firm plans to go to Hawaii in March and Seattle in May. Plus we are brainstorming a Christmas trip to the Washington, DC/Virginia area, maybe a trip to New York to visit her brother and maybe even drop in on my cousins. Looking toward the next 3 years or so we're also talking about checking out a little surfing town near Puerto Vallarta, Mexico, going to Europe or the UK, and taking an extended vacation in Southeast Asia. </div>
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Our overall goal is to incorporate our 9-5 jobs and family lives into the things we always talk about doing and have loved doing so far. Luckily we already live in an awesome place, so we can spend our weekends snowshoeing and hiking with our little ones. On long weekends and vacations we can check destinations and experiences off our bucket lists and share those moments with our kids. This may sound crazy with a baby, but we always said we would fit our family into the lives we've always dreamed of, rather than setting those dreams aside to live an ordinary family life. The bottom line is that we're not an ordinary family. We love to have unique experiences, travel interesting itineraries, and experience our lives rather than just living them.</div>
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OK, Baby Ruby, come on out. We are ready to start the next leg of our adventure! </div>
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Emilyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10417375688557882625noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1092188055949881153.post-84997415215585482462012-11-01T10:00:00.001-08:002012-11-01T10:03:26.643-08:00How Far We've Come<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
I start work on Monday. It's kind of a huge deal for me. I was unemployed for two full months and was really starting to panic. Then, about 5 weeks ago, things started to move slowly in a very good direction. About two weeks ago I made amazing progress and on Monday of this week I was made an offer by my first choice employer: a big law firm specializing in precisely the kind of work I want to do.<br />
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The process of getting this offer started in 2010, but more recently I sat for three separate interviews with a total of six professionals in Anchorage and the firm's headquarters back east. When studying for the interviews, I started by re-reading some of my own written work. The oldest piece was a paper I wrote after spending a semester studying the financial markets in New York City. The most recent is the article I wrote for the June 2012 issue of the <a href="http://scholarship.law.duke.edu/alr/vol29/iss1/2/">Alaska Law Review</a>. I'm proud of my work on both pieces, but the differences in style, precision, depth of topic, and even the level of confidence that comes across when reading each piece is starkly different. I've grown a lot in the past 3 1/2 years, not just by improving my writing. More that my growth as a young professional is visible in my writing and the types of projects I take on.<br />
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This realization caused one of my favorite memories to surface. It was August of 2010. Leigh and I were curled up in a tent somewhere outside of Whitehorse in the Yukon Territory, catching our breath on a long drive from Seattle to Anchorage. This moment emerged following our time together in France, followed by our time apart while I finished my teaching contract there, then a summer of manual labor working the Seattle farmers markets. <br />
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It was August, but it was chilly in Whitehorse, with mornings and evenings averaging in the 40s. Leigh and I were fully dressed in layers of socks and sweatshirts and huddled under our sleeping bags. Juneau Cat was snuggled between us, still an unhappy camper. We chatted about the rest of our drive and how we would spend the few days between our arrival in Anchorage and the start of my first judicial clerkship. My first real job after nearly seven years of higher education, internships, papers, academic competitions, and part-time jobs.<br />
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Leigh reached over and pressed the tip of her forefinger against the tip of my nose. "Look at you!" She said, "you're starting your first job in a few days. It's amazing how far we've come."<br />
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I love this memory, and not just because my favorite person was being so sweet to me and praising me for my biggest accomplishment so far. Instead, I love this memory because it's about both of us and how much our lives have changed since we met. Leigh watched me grow from a semi-abandoned 17-year old into an attorney with a nice list of personal and professional accomplishments. These accomplishments sometimes came at a price- time away from Leigh, financial burdens, and sometimes even failing to develop my domestic side. But Leigh developed in ways I did not. Not only did she emerge from adolescents as a college student and overcome a number of struggles to find her professional self, but she also became a caring and conscientious spouse. Today she is a valued employee at a job she loves and a loving mother to our furry daughters and our unborn human daughter. Most of all, she is my best friend. I can honestly say that I could not have done so much in my professional life if I hadn't had her there to balance out my personal life.<br />
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Leigh's support of my endeavors has been so complete that her fate and mine are entirely intertwined. So the best part of this story is that when my dream came true, Leigh's did too. It feels surreal and completely humbling to be offered my first choice and to have it mean so much to my growing family. I can only hope to continue to be worthy of my new professional position as well as my position in our home.</div>
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Emilyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10417375688557882625noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1092188055949881153.post-84121098961001465242012-10-07T23:37:00.001-08:002012-10-07T23:37:43.605-08:00Living Room Facelift: The Reveal!<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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Last week was almost entirely devoted to repainting my downstairs. The final result is pretty great, almost exactly as I envisioned it. There were only a few hiccups.</div>
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But before I start, please ignore the clutter on my dining table and the pizza box on the kitchen island, and other signs that point out the obvious: last week I was so busy painting that I barely even did the dishes, let alone keep my dining table clear of Target bags or take the pizza box out to the recycling. Tidy Emily returns tomorrow morning, but for now we'll just chat about the new color scheme. </div>
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You'll <a href="http://notaimless.blogspot.com/2012/10/funemployment.html">recall that I planned</a> to repaint the dining and kitchen area green, continue the green via "wainscoting" throughout the living area plus a splash of blue, and incorporate a saffron yellow accent wall. I almost succeeded in every respect, almost</div>
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What's missing here?</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXVf4XjGqGyxrWkK-YzXD2pZbCopPM1Q7Ke-wwCAHArKJavDcbDYQERhurN11qdGk62HdvM-FcN4eb1rL-vHff9MD8-wNyjlslZeooVwzgL3UWoAIGWmW3X9wVVJ_GEEjGqBRTMI8PcD8/s1600/IMG_0462.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="239" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXVf4XjGqGyxrWkK-YzXD2pZbCopPM1Q7Ke-wwCAHArKJavDcbDYQERhurN11qdGk62HdvM-FcN4eb1rL-vHff9MD8-wNyjlslZeooVwzgL3UWoAIGWmW3X9wVVJ_GEEjGqBRTMI8PcD8/s320/IMG_0462.JPG" style="cursor: move;" width="320" /></a></div>
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Yep, we decided against the blue. The "French Court Blue" that we loved by itself just refused to work with the other colors. When painted on the small wall between the living area and kitchen it clashed with the adjacent yellow wall. Then I painted a thin blue line on top of the green "wainscoting" to add a splash of coolness, but that just made the green look messy. So I ultimately took the "less is more" approach and repainted over the blue so the wall is just white and green.</div>
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Repainting the downstairs took all week to complete, not because painting itself is difficult but because I wanted my work to look professional and clean. The trick was carefully taping off the areas I did not want to paint (door frames, etc) and moving slowly to avoid accidents. </div>
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The "wainscoting" in particular was very slow going. I used a measuring tape, level, and pencil to draw a straight line across the wall at roughly the height of an average dining chair (34 inches from the floor). Then I used painter's tape to delineate the green/blue line across the entire wall. To get a truly clean line, I brushed one layer of clear polyurethane on the edge of the painter's tape and onto the wall below it. Once that dried, I painted the area below the painter's tape with the green paint. After allowing the paint to dry completely, I carefully removed the painter's tape to reveal a clean, level line across the wall. </div>
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Here's a close-up of the "wainscoting":</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgA4wRR8kx3FUhAeX8U1_zWXnoG9m6_d6JyDS9VOhnFSdBp1mTJx5RaeXk6xNO__O5gM2p4Sm1MLwDqGPlUx1Yat9kCrMoNTxlYr4JZfju0uHzG6K-1_iUWLNiuwNNRN8ODp2Xi3JubeTg/s1600/IMG_0464.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgA4wRR8kx3FUhAeX8U1_zWXnoG9m6_d6JyDS9VOhnFSdBp1mTJx5RaeXk6xNO__O5gM2p4Sm1MLwDqGPlUx1Yat9kCrMoNTxlYr4JZfju0uHzG6K-1_iUWLNiuwNNRN8ODp2Xi3JubeTg/s320/IMG_0464.jpg" width="239" /></a></div>
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Cannelle photobomb</div>
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Anyway, here's the before (from the front door looking toward the back yard):</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtSK39nVqZjChokJK_LyDPsj5vGRATShyphenhyphenKsg6rK3OuetkDzWgC8LbbjVvQJVzruqD5lErpkbhxFzPjsMydzeDo6TfMJzsaFm5IHuWLqBc9VwkFdEYEQ-SzjUV0mXDkz-YuKPZvvMd7Vss/s1600/IMG_0429.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="239" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtSK39nVqZjChokJK_LyDPsj5vGRATShyphenhyphenKsg6rK3OuetkDzWgC8LbbjVvQJVzruqD5lErpkbhxFzPjsMydzeDo6TfMJzsaFm5IHuWLqBc9VwkFdEYEQ-SzjUV0mXDkz-YuKPZvvMd7Vss/s320/IMG_0429.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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Here's the after:</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLcwA1H4xxUkCI9chicHI8Ky2SyZnqGe_QKZREuIxqU3ajeqQvYqyY66psujHEZ_O_ly6jESR84Ra-xPUAjbpCUkkgtEh1qHUwcV7RtzOiOV5dya45XiS1Vo0xndZZDMkEV5G2VNrTonE/s1600/IMG_0458.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="239" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLcwA1H4xxUkCI9chicHI8Ky2SyZnqGe_QKZREuIxqU3ajeqQvYqyY66psujHEZ_O_ly6jESR84Ra-xPUAjbpCUkkgtEh1qHUwcV7RtzOiOV5dya45XiS1Vo0xndZZDMkEV5G2VNrTonE/s320/IMG_0458.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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The new colors are more inviting and warmer and the space has a much better flow. We also really like how the green compliments the colors in our art and colors we typically choose for furniture and fabrics (blues, yellows, reds, etc). Most importantly, that awkward blood red wall is now a soothing color that ties the space together. The next step in this process will installing new laminate because our current laminate needs to be repaired but isn't made anymore, so we either have to replace the whole floor or live with a hole in our dining area. We are planning to go darker and get a laminate with a "plank" effect. Farther down the line we also hope to replace our kitchen cabinets and update our furniture with "investment pieces," but both of those topics will have to wait for another day...</div>
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Emilyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10417375688557882625noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1092188055949881153.post-59381961033257115072012-10-03T23:12:00.002-08:002012-10-03T23:19:50.827-08:00[F]unemployment<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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As of Tuesday I have been unemployed for a full month, but this has been anything but a lazy, dull month. The first few weeks I applied for jobs in Alaska and DC like nobody's business. This did nothing to change my situation. Then I started following up on old job leads. This lead to some positive movement, but no concrete changes signaling an end to my status as part of Romney's 47% percent (in my defense, the money I currently receive from the State is unemployment insurance I paid out of each of my paychecks plus what was matched by my previous employers, so I'm not a total freeloader just yet!). </div>
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In addition to taking positive steps toward finding work, I've been busying myself around the house. Last week I <a href="http://notaimless.blogspot.com/2012/09/the-pony-wall-my-biggest-diy-attempt-yet.html">tore down our pony wall</a> to create an open concept living/dining/kitchen space downstairs. This week I am repainting the downstairs to propel us toward a nice update. The overall concept for our downstairs is French/provencal colors with slightly industrial furnishings and details. During our most recent Home Depot run, I <strike>bullied</strike> convinced Leigh to go with a 3-tone pallet: saffron yellow, "French Court" blue, and a muted, basily green.</div>
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The wall below with doors leading to our pantry and utility closet was previously an orangey-yellow. We really loved that color contrasted with the black picture frames. It was the only non-white wall in our entire downstairs, except for a rather tragic blood-red accent wall we inherited from the previous owner. On Day 1 I repainted the orangey wall a Saffron yellow color. Then I painted the previously white wall to the left the "French Court" blue color.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnOJEfdFdi2e4vFx4VW4b2aIGZXehnhy_XvT67iD4K-8pEpf9xHY8iB0NP6lkHcOjlZYhRimsVC6Vy3QFmHZnvGBBdFQclcNIsAdMF1N3y6yMIUqMcpY2EeBiNjig0NuJlY2UGIR1HU2c/s1600/IMG_0455.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="239" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnOJEfdFdi2e4vFx4VW4b2aIGZXehnhy_XvT67iD4K-8pEpf9xHY8iB0NP6lkHcOjlZYhRimsVC6Vy3QFmHZnvGBBdFQclcNIsAdMF1N3y6yMIUqMcpY2EeBiNjig0NuJlY2UGIR1HU2c/s320/IMG_0455.JPG" style="cursor: move;" width="320" /></a></div>
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There are two major problems with this picture: 1) the colors look great as part of a green-blue-yellow pallet, but next to one another on a wall without something breaking them up they just look weird. 2) Leigh says the blocked out way I painted these walls reminds her of her high school. I agree. It isn't working for me either. The really weird part is that I LOVE each color on its own and when I look at the walls from various angles they look great.... except for THIS particular angle, it just looks terrible. So back to the drawing board....</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpKE15RQhdek3IP5ODXP8vJILFCqLxVfdNDF4z6JVc46KJLE3vCn9fJhvyXebm18CPyqCu-njx35B-wnQi9ILziRFmpp4mFaxg8b99FZZ3bF2GDW1NRCzuzqqRy6rSBV8R6zJpPYYAAPU/s1600/IMG_0456.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="239" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpKE15RQhdek3IP5ODXP8vJILFCqLxVfdNDF4z6JVc46KJLE3vCn9fJhvyXebm18CPyqCu-njx35B-wnQi9ILziRFmpp4mFaxg8b99FZZ3bF2GDW1NRCzuzqqRy6rSBV8R6zJpPYYAAPU/s320/IMG_0456.JPG" style="cursor: move;" width="320" /></a></div>
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Before scrapping all my work so far I decided to put some of the green up to see how it looked. I love it. Leigh loves it. It's a winner. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjftfcj5UVZ7ylEHSlH5eMGfSyN61uRfUr1g-izaxd0OAJxtg4CuaLczPfSGqzkPG-9vRbBZOTB38kcNEFuMYM_cwx3fQOxRN3ToXsq4eSm5mBW0oj6EkpkffNAL3n4fr7KzYHlyh9eMPA/s1600/IMG_0457.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="239" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjftfcj5UVZ7ylEHSlH5eMGfSyN61uRfUr1g-izaxd0OAJxtg4CuaLczPfSGqzkPG-9vRbBZOTB38kcNEFuMYM_cwx3fQOxRN3ToXsq4eSm5mBW0oj6EkpkffNAL3n4fr7KzYHlyh9eMPA/s320/IMG_0457.JPG" style="cursor: move;" width="320" /></a></div>
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The next step is to extend this green into the kitchen (pretend you don't see all the clutter, thanks). In the long-run we plan to replace our cabinets (they're original to the house and Leigh can't stand the musty smell, plus I want something prettier and more functional). But for now pretty much all the white spaces in the kitchen will be green. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTEmJe7COkYkDKFLYmCbuNefCBwqbTHtqbFeROv50U-ZnmXNb1AJl2LjAIiuNyrohJWBfkJsIhlLId6Hjf3IyK22oa9zXluzNku6HnQkJp9hNL2TavFEtRNViLbHY8Oc9o9UL4qetkYwY/s1600/two+tone.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTEmJe7COkYkDKFLYmCbuNefCBwqbTHtqbFeROv50U-ZnmXNb1AJl2LjAIiuNyrohJWBfkJsIhlLId6Hjf3IyK22oa9zXluzNku6HnQkJp9hNL2TavFEtRNViLbHY8Oc9o9UL4qetkYwY/s320/two+tone.gif" style="cursor: move;" width="175" /></a></div>
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Referring back to a variety of home decor websites, I got the idea to extend the green color throughout the living room as faux wainscoting. Apparently this is a typical use of color in provencal homes. So I will continue with the green color from the moulding to roughly the height of a dining chair.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWsb-NTNReJyd1ug_TL9QrdmCanZbbVee76i_DFPOPvgjwlh90Q2Z6RQdJXZiPdHzcvtjoOChvKB1DjspKWTLTNPl0CrXnIiv5Y6_asZDN33F-FcpLQ7NyCRMUmwLpblnpaN3GuWWv-Ec/s1600/IMG_0429.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="239" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWsb-NTNReJyd1ug_TL9QrdmCanZbbVee76i_DFPOPvgjwlh90Q2Z6RQdJXZiPdHzcvtjoOChvKB1DjspKWTLTNPl0CrXnIiv5Y6_asZDN33F-FcpLQ7NyCRMUmwLpblnpaN3GuWWv-Ec/s320/IMG_0429.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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This "wainscoting" will extend from the window near the [formerly] red wall, wall the way around to our stairs leading into the living area. The current "French Court" blue wall (not pictured, but to the right of the above image) will be repainted white with the green on the bottom too. I'm hoping this will make the space feel more open and allow the theme to feel continuous rather than choppy like it would with a bunch of accent walls.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNNjap0DuGUsHLbUOHAo0owzHXzdtNyxf2vToJCmTQShpMCTLt8jRnuUb04adSMXXysKZKebAqb_RJSe94Q6J-hnsJl_Qs5VT-UqyYrUGq1oWamJQq11huzfmqw0moS0DEqTnof0T_7ZA/s1600/stripe.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNNjap0DuGUsHLbUOHAo0owzHXzdtNyxf2vToJCmTQShpMCTLt8jRnuUb04adSMXXysKZKebAqb_RJSe94Q6J-hnsJl_Qs5VT-UqyYrUGq1oWamJQq11huzfmqw0moS0DEqTnof0T_7ZA/s1600/stripe.gif" /></a></div>
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But what about the beautiful blue color I love so much but just couldn't find a place for? Well, for now I'm planning to top the "wainscoting" green with a thin strip of the "French Court" blue all the way around the room. That way we can bring the color in via furniture and fabrics without it seeming to be "out of the blue" (har har). I'm also hoping that Leigh will permit me to repaint the cabinets on our currently black kitchen island to match... but I'll save that <strike>battle</strike> project for another day.</div>
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Even though I've been super busy every day (today I drove Leigh to work, primed and painted a few walls, did the dishes, bought an infant car seat, attended a lawyers luncheon, and chauffeured Leigh home from work), I indulge in some guilty pleasures. For instance, over the past two weeks I completely caught up on the last two seasons of Teen Mom on Hulu.</div>
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My TV time looks a lot like this:</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipZq2GG2MLf41bUi9q1wOsPrRBgEF9DqjGfHeOuSStDZNc15kLPnea7oc0cyaMOMgJucJCg8GzokDl1cXVY0ZGl52LTM-Y9rmxPxGSdp2vAZANOzqkHxKYu426SFfVc6uSgpLmXklH9fs/s1600/IMG_0449.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="239" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipZq2GG2MLf41bUi9q1wOsPrRBgEF9DqjGfHeOuSStDZNc15kLPnea7oc0cyaMOMgJucJCg8GzokDl1cXVY0ZGl52LTM-Y9rmxPxGSdp2vAZANOzqkHxKYu426SFfVc6uSgpLmXklH9fs/s320/IMG_0449.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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Ever heard of "personal space"?</div>
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Yep, I'm also a full time mom to Juneau Cat and Cannelle Dogger. These two are great pets and are self sufficient, provided that we stick to our routine of NOT being home all the time. My change in schedule has caused them to change their previous routine of sleeping all day and playing with us in the evenings to bugging the crap out of me all day. We are still establishing a yard time/play time routine, but I think the consensus is that I stink at being a stay at home mom to any creature.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCOFG52atH7I8sVFOLHM-VisoAPU6vjoHP-q5Kwfl5X_3uLOQQzxACcHIB1p1iKrRnm3myYyyMgm3yEblGbXUAKD_t_owSFPZdnpBeQ5XsVWX2DWCxLQ3EBMaYh1TIc10BSxsajadlwW0/s1600/IMG_0453.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="239" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCOFG52atH7I8sVFOLHM-VisoAPU6vjoHP-q5Kwfl5X_3uLOQQzxACcHIB1p1iKrRnm3myYyyMgm3yEblGbXUAKD_t_owSFPZdnpBeQ5XsVWX2DWCxLQ3EBMaYh1TIc10BSxsajadlwW0/s320/IMG_0453.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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Of course, they're awfully cute too. That white thing Cannelle is snuggling is a baby's onesie. This plain white onesie had some schmutz on it, so I set it aside thinking I would try washing it out. Cannelle snatched it up right away and started playing with it. Cannelle is known for destroying her toys by systematically ripping them apart, usually eating the cloth and rubber parts. But 4 days later this onesie is still completely intact and her new favorite snuggly toy to sleep with. If this is any indication I think Cannelle will be an excellent big sister!</div>
Emilyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10417375688557882625noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1092188055949881153.post-69735378601409407352012-09-26T15:33:00.002-08:002012-09-26T15:33:49.959-08:00The Pony Wall: My Biggest DIY Attempt Yet!<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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When we first toured our house we both decided that this weird half wall (aka "<a href="http://www.ask.com/answers/107649741/what-is-a-pony-wall">pony wall</a>") would have to go eventually. Our ground floor is pretty small, about 275 square feet, so the last thing we need is something taking up precious space and limiting our furniture arrangement options. </div>
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Last weekend Leigh and I got to chatting about how we want our house to look in the long term and we started to get really excited about some big ideas: investing in furniture to last a lifetime, installing new kitchen cabinets, and similar big ticket items. One issue that kept coming up was how all of our plans revolved around getting rid of that ugly wall. That same weekend we replaced the lighting in our kitchen with new hardwired light fixtures. With this confidence boost I decided to use my ample time off to demolish the pony wall. How hard could it be?</div>
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The wall before: </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxQ2nft0X7MG7Li-wd9DeZ6wjWtFp6SzFAamwkjvIHJrhFvPgdcAwLGcMkcAWexhWWCT878d98Jvai-UqNLh50aHaYXXo7RK36V9O_5ZytMJ71Qo8-ojBxNgcjalzA8_ia0f-trnNAHoE/s1600/before.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="239" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxQ2nft0X7MG7Li-wd9DeZ6wjWtFp6SzFAamwkjvIHJrhFvPgdcAwLGcMkcAWexhWWCT878d98Jvai-UqNLh50aHaYXXo7RK36V9O_5ZytMJ71Qo8-ojBxNgcjalzA8_ia0f-trnNAHoE/s320/before.jpg" style="cursor: move;" width="320" /></a></div>
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Not only was it awkward and ugly, but it blocked off our already small living space into two even smaller spaces and made it almost impossible to have a nice dining area.</div>
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The first day was pretty straight forward: I beat the crap out of the drywall with a hammer, a crow bar, and my boots. I tore off all the little pieces of drywall and removed any screws I could find and reach. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyJqtx-psyn2AHS54o_QT8CsZRS-LFOILdg-pYqHPql1c4PXw4fQZkTDJ7WPV5ClgQjM7p10KtFWkGgQWrxOz0-UL2d9PXK53WAVjjLPG_riv6Cl_rBSNbocQcn0QI2o5rGAyJ961D4tc/s1600/during.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="239" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyJqtx-psyn2AHS54o_QT8CsZRS-LFOILdg-pYqHPql1c4PXw4fQZkTDJ7WPV5ClgQjM7p10KtFWkGgQWrxOz0-UL2d9PXK53WAVjjLPG_riv6Cl_rBSNbocQcn0QI2o5rGAyJ961D4tc/s320/during.jpg" style="cursor: move;" width="320" /></a></div>
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Then I noticed this:</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHhbzwpEjsTRAnoh6VRZHuFh_nD818h6Bjr3-XUE4_oWXIrbRLdL4vyjVkGvaKzqi714he-hyQb6yiImM2NPdA3JXrfOMpwc4XXLTxcvkLa6-AfWe6dprnBVyMo3E160ZuHYkT6atfAo0/s1600/IMG_0421.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHhbzwpEjsTRAnoh6VRZHuFh_nD818h6Bjr3-XUE4_oWXIrbRLdL4vyjVkGvaKzqi714he-hyQb6yiImM2NPdA3JXrfOMpwc4XXLTxcvkLa6-AfWe6dprnBVyMo3E160ZuHYkT6atfAo0/s320/IMG_0421.jpg" width="239" /></a></div>
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That's right folks, that is a freaking steel rod reinforcing this stupid, ugly pony wall. As you can see, it extends down into the floor through a hole. At this point I had no clue how far it went and where it ended. Most importantly, I had no idea how I'd remove it. I actually laid awake that night worrying if I could finish what I'd started.<br />
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The next morning I went into the crawl space to investigate and saw this:<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdwF3T-dgTA4KHdlDOe_5TV40iL9Frf22iL0gV3nhLCQErTR6xA3R9fECfBCiM5WoZd3g8qmdfZCo60Z0VG2SiIjBY3xT9UfL12fcU3fhcOJsnKzlnvXMwPYxb7lGsCT_5SMQp1BRUWp8/s1600/IMG_0423.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdwF3T-dgTA4KHdlDOe_5TV40iL9Frf22iL0gV3nhLCQErTR6xA3R9fECfBCiM5WoZd3g8qmdfZCo60Z0VG2SiIjBY3xT9UfL12fcU3fhcOJsnKzlnvXMwPYxb7lGsCT_5SMQp1BRUWp8/s320/IMG_0423.jpg" width="239" /></a></div>
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steel rod coming through floor anchored by two 2x8 boards. </div>
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I can only imagine this is to make the pony wall "earthquake proof."</div>
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At this point I breathed a huge sigh of relief. The good news was that all I had to do was unscrew the bolt and remove the anchor boards. Then the rod could be lifted up through the floor. The bad news was that I had to brace the boards with my neck and shoulder while unscrewing the bolt lest the boards fall on my hands/head. Guess what hurts like a SOB today? Yep, my neck and shoulder. I can't even turn my head fully to the right or left without tear jerking pain. Awesome.</div>
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That day a very kind former coworker lent me an electric hand saw and two sledge hammers. These items were life savers. I sawed big knotches into the sides of each vertical stud, then beat the crap out of them with the sledge until the broke free. I also detached the wall frame from the red wall and, very carefully, lifted the steel rod out through the floor. This was not easy. It was exhausting and at more than one point I wished I had another set of hands to help. But I just kept hitting the wall with the sledge and prying pieces loose with the crowbar until it looked like this:</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRYttqZaLTcepisFb8Cfna2VnmB6lxp_rOZB33oYi-r3c-4kgh_pHTfE9xNWrnx88_IgfemHxITRfZiV_lh_0-LTVyons63xwg3Kr_hWrLYXQxlMgArgCTEbTdqsW7dkZ0czBoKtD4FPc/s1600/IMG_0424.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRYttqZaLTcepisFb8Cfna2VnmB6lxp_rOZB33oYi-r3c-4kgh_pHTfE9xNWrnx88_IgfemHxITRfZiV_lh_0-LTVyons63xwg3Kr_hWrLYXQxlMgArgCTEbTdqsW7dkZ0czBoKtD4FPc/s320/IMG_0424.jpg" width="239" /></a></div>
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No wall, just floor braces and a newly constructed outlet in the wall (<i>fait par moi</i>)</div>
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Then I did this little dance where I unscrewed any screws I could see, then hammered two crow bars between the floor braces at various points to pop the glue loose. Eventually each board came up to reveal bare plywood underneath....</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_8hw4D902-LeEby83HiKwLmxgTejEQksVaBOoYVL0DShb4gReasg87_xLbqwwTMO1vI74ivbKvfkbPpCcMrmxF2dEpEydVJDzdcgLjb02Fe9ep0aDiTHafg4gcGotWsm9hxig-iXzYhU/s1600/IMG_0427.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_8hw4D902-LeEby83HiKwLmxgTejEQksVaBOoYVL0DShb4gReasg87_xLbqwwTMO1vI74ivbKvfkbPpCcMrmxF2dEpEydVJDzdcgLjb02Fe9ep0aDiTHafg4gcGotWsm9hxig-iXzYhU/s320/IMG_0427.jpg" width="239" /></a></div>
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Oh, shit. </div>
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Yep, after all this work we have a bare strip of floor to deal with. So I pulled up a damaged piece and took it to Home Depot, where I learned that most laminate flooring has to be special ordered to Alaska and it takes 6-8 weeks. So I went to Lowes, thinking they might carry different colors or brands. There I learned that, not only do they not have the color I need in stock, but the laminate used in my 1981 house is no longer produced and newer laminates won't "lock in." Thus, the only way to make my house look non-trailer park is to get new flooring. Oh, and this laminate color is used on my stairs and a landing upstairs, plus two utility closets. This is already getting expensive....</div>
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So I did what I could by patching the damaged wall and spackling it. I even added a texture so the patch blends in with the wall around it. The next step is to prime the red wall white and take a chip of the white to Home Depot to get a matching white shade for the patched/primed parts.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZysH4MBiDWgjEZaeOQsS1BiAS1qKF7bySZX58Mt9xbFlWO_sTcUTc7vW2ARU_pf-MPWH-cCs4B334KseiWEDtqlBSWbtU9ke6D3ljts7oSLWx1TKg1ioFPeRjrK7wkKWB-xGfBLt2n5Q/s1600/IMG_0431.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZysH4MBiDWgjEZaeOQsS1BiAS1qKF7bySZX58Mt9xbFlWO_sTcUTc7vW2ARU_pf-MPWH-cCs4B334KseiWEDtqlBSWbtU9ke6D3ljts7oSLWx1TKg1ioFPeRjrK7wkKWB-xGfBLt2n5Q/s320/IMG_0431.jpg" style="cursor: move;" width="239" /></a></div>
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The floor looks so lovely!</div>
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This is what our dining area looks like now. The idea is to invest in a nice dining set that is about 60"x36" and looks like it belongs in an adult's house and replace our bulky love seat with a comfy chair that takes up less space. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEja9SP3r8N517j_7FeNpDM3ehBjM2sx4mmvoDM_TBDWAUX92Gt0E3ez9CL53P2LahlMPEeCKe8rLw8RiBXEztWVwRA0tavBdnvUPn6XcT9Lt-G7LWG7F1ggqbIkf4efIi2hhOfDyGdMzOA/s1600/IMG_0428.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="239" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEja9SP3r8N517j_7FeNpDM3ehBjM2sx4mmvoDM_TBDWAUX92Gt0E3ez9CL53P2LahlMPEeCKe8rLw8RiBXEztWVwRA0tavBdnvUPn6XcT9Lt-G7LWG7F1ggqbIkf4efIi2hhOfDyGdMzOA/s320/IMG_0428.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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BUT, I did manage to tear down the wall and rewire the outlet AND our ground floor has a nice open concept feel. With new flooring the space will feel very nice and new. In the short term we will cover the bare patch with a rug....</div>
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Emilyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10417375688557882625noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1092188055949881153.post-82638589371733292092012-09-21T00:44:00.003-08:002012-09-21T00:44:59.562-08:00We're Gonna Need a Bigger Boat<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
Holy crap, it has been raining a lot lately! We came home from Vegas to some rainy icky weather, then it was off and on for a few days. But the past week or so every day has been nonstop rain. I don't mean drizzles, though we get plenty of that, but actual stormy type rain. There's even emergency flooding in Seward, AK and standing water in the streets of Anchorage.<br />
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This crappy weather is hardly inspiring me to get out much, so I've barely spoken to anyone except for Leigh since my last week of work. Most days I complete one or two house projects, cook dinner, tidy up the kitchen, and stay in my sweatpants all day. For example, one day I refinished furniture for the baby's room and did some decorating. Today I did laundry, cleaned the kitchen, walked the dog, went to the gym, and made homemade pita bread for the first time (it turned out AMAZING, by the way).<br />
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I've also gone to the gym pretty regularly too, sometimes just taking a class and sometimes jogging on the treadmill (by "jogging" I mean walking briskly with short running interludes). I should really be doing this every day, if for no other reasons than 1) I'm obviously really out of shape if I can't "jog" in the literal sense and 2) if I don't get out more I'm going to lose all my social skills, thus prolonging my unemployment.<br />
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Speaking of employment, I've applied for at least one job pretty much every day since my clerkship ended. Most of these are federal government jobs simply because there are more federal jobs than Alaska jobs. At any rate, I figure the more I put myself out there the more likely it is I'll get interviews and someone is bound to hire me eventually. On top of that, the irons I have in the fire from the past two years' of networking haven't completely cooled yet. Until then I'll believe it's possible I could be working within the next month or so. If none of those pan out it might be a bit longer. Not only does the latter thought bring up some financial anxiety, but I'm already worried about how long my sanity will hold out without regularly tackling difficult legal questions and generally being around other people.... </div>
Emilyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10417375688557882625noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1092188055949881153.post-82662084131901522952012-09-13T23:11:00.000-08:002012-09-13T23:11:00.091-08:00The Bread Line<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
Last Tuesday was my last working day. That's almost 2 full weeks of unemployment so far. I am really bad at being unemployed.<div>
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The first day was busy: a midwife's appointment and a job interview took up most of my day. The next several days, including the weekend, were also busy with a long "To Do" list around the house. I was exhausted at the end of each day and pleased to see so many little projects coming together at home.</div>
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Then yesterday I started to wind down. I woke up, saw that I didn't have as much to do and thus less motivation to do anything at all. I watched DVDs, cleaned a little bit, hung some pictures on the walls, and then met my friend for yoga in the evening. Today was about the same, but I also made some calls about jobs I interviewed for a few weeks ago. I'm still in the running, still theoretically employable and might find myself working in the near future. Maybe.</div>
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I've also started feeling really terrified today. Sure, I still have a half dozen things to get done around the house (install new light fixtures, reorganize the pantry, finish preping the baby's room, etc), but soon enough I will finish those tasks and be left only with daily cooking and cleaning, plus any personal hobbies I find to keep myself busy. For a lot of people this sounds great, and it might have sounded like a nice break to me too a few months ago. But the reality is that now I can see a few weeks into the future and then an abyss of aimless days.</div>
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Leigh says I should keep looking for work, but really try to enjoy this time off. I am trying and I am enjoying focusing on projects I didn't have time for before. But seriously, I'm tired of hanging around my house alone all day with nobody to talk to and no real challenges to overcome. Those things build my confidence and sharpen my professional skills. I am afraid of dulling those skills and thereby losing my confidence, which will only make it harder for me to sell myself to a potential employer. </div>
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So it's already time to start Round 2. It's not enough to just fill my days, I have to have a plan, even if things don't work out according to plan. First order of business is to finish up some lengthy applications I had put off while wrapping up my clerkship. Then I need to find things to do outside the house, so I will look for volunteer opportunities or maybe try to sit on a planning board or something. Also, I really, really need to always be reading something. I used to read constantly, then I started clerking and was reading all day long so that the last thing I wanted to do at home was pick up a serious book. Well, that is no longer a problem. </div>
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This was certainly not how I anticipated things working out for me post-clerking, but I am still confident that I will find something. Now I have to exercise what patience I have (not much) and focus the energy I would normally use on work onto other aspects of my life. At the end of the day this might turn out to be a great life lesson for me about patience, perseverance, and priorities. Let's hope my heart is open enough for me to hear those lessons and my mind is open enough to understand them.</div>
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Emilyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10417375688557882625noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1092188055949881153.post-50274628898229246122012-09-10T13:35:00.001-08:002012-09-10T13:35:16.523-08:00Las Vegas & Environs<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
Leigh and I went to Las Vegas the last week of August. This was Leigh's first vacation since Christmas and my first vacation since April (I know, I know...). Needless to say, Leigh really needed this time off. We chose Las Vegas because it has hot weather, cheap lodging, and lots of stuff to do. Plus we got to take a day trip to Utah, which was cool. We chose to go the week before my job ended because it was literally the only week we could both get away from our jobs and other plans here in Anchorage before Leigh became too pregnant to fly.<br />
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We stayed at the Flamingo Hotel & Casino for a whopping $40/night. The room was pretty nice: clean, comfy, air conditioned, etc. Our only complaints were the our neighbors seemed to think it was OK to smoke in the hall and they were pretty loud too. Oh well.<br />
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Vegas itself was pretty cool. We enjoyed exploring the casinos, window shopping, and basking in the desert heat. I especially enjoyed the Paris Las Vegas. It was so cheesy-faux-French. I thought I'd hate it for the same reason, but something about the way the designers took the most typical French/Parisian themes and added an American spin was kind of like being my head when I first arrived in France filled with anticipation, jet lag, and confusion.<br />
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Of course we spent an evening downtown on Freemont Street. Somehow it managed to escape me that Freemont Street used to be Vegas in all its glory. When we saw this cowboy guy I flashed back to being 5 years old and watching Honey I Shrunk the Kids and it all started to make sense. Freemont was pretty fun with music, lights, and drunk people falling down. </div>
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A couple days into our trip we rented a car to drive to Zion National Park in Utah. What I did not realize before arriving was how very "Mormon" Zion National Park is. Every sight had a name out of the Book of Mormon and throughout the park are old Mormon settlements. </div>
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But seriously, don't feed the "wildlife." After 2 years in Alaska I think an animal needs to be large and potentially very dangerous to be "wildlife." At the very least it should be wild, and not prance up to you and politely ask for food, which the Zion squirrels did regularly. I politely denied them each time, mostly because they were incredibly fat.</div>
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I had wanted to visit Zion for over a year when I first read about The Narrows hiking trail. It's one of those bucket list hikes that you just MUST do sometime. Obviously we couldn't do a 13 mile trail in wilderness while incubating a baby.</div>
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Leigh at 24 weeks pregnant.</div>
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Instead we did a day hike from the end of the trail a few miles in. This hike is cool because you literally hike in the Virgin River, which winds between steep rock walls through the canyon. Very cool. The water regulates your body temperature in the heat and you can even wade or swim up to your knees or chest at time. It was beautiful and a lot of fun. Zion was about 3 hours from Vegas, so it was a long day but totally worth it. It was great to get out of the city too.<br />
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In all, we had a great time. We ate, we shopped, we went to the pool, saw a Cirque du Soleil Show (I HIGHLY recommend it!), and we ate A LOT. We are not Vegas people by any means, but it was a nice getaway. There was so much do to every day that we were actually exhausted at the end of the week and happy to go home to a 3-day weekend so we could sleep off our vacation. </div>
Emilyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10417375688557882625noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1092188055949881153.post-76423582465384050392012-08-21T09:45:00.000-08:002012-08-21T09:48:40.171-08:00That Pesky Feeling That Something is Amiss<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif;">It's been a long time since I've faced blatant discrimination because I'm gay. High School was hardly a treat, but I suspect I would have been miserable if I were straight too. </span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif;">When I was 18 I worked at the Walmart Pharmacy in Farmville, VA. At one point that summer I worked 3 weeks without a day off. One day I had to pull a 12 hour shift when I was scheduled to only work 6 hours. Then my hours were cut to avoid paying me overtime. </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif;">After a summer of this in addition to my (female) manager making incredibly inappropriate comments and asking me personal questions, I was fired when my supervisors figured out that Leigh wasn't just my roommate.</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif;"> </span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif;">That really sucked. I didn't sue Walmart because Virginia has never protected employees from workplace discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation. Plus I knew being part of a lawsuit would make it more difficult for me to get into law school. </span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif;">Over the past 10 years Leigh and I have faced some tough situations: being rejected by religious organizations (I was once told I was welcome to join a church if I changed my lifestyle and I was not allowed to work with the youth), receiving terrible service from waiters who are grossed out that we are on a date, being required to submit sheaths of documentation of our relationship in order to rent apartments or be recognized on one another's benefits, switching doctors because we find out our existing doctor is homophobic (this usually happens while you're naked, by the way), and working for people who can't know anything about your personal life because they believe 1) gay people are not legitimate individuals 2) we are all pedophiles and 3) they couldn't possibly know a nice, intelligent person who leads a deplorable lifestyle. </span></span><br />
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<span style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif;">We have personally experienced each of these forms of discrimination. Every one of the above experiences hurt a lot, but honestly we have it pretty good. Neither of us have ever been physically assaulted because we are homosexual. We have never been evicted. Our families still speak to us (well, mostly). But every day we are subjected to others' horrific commentary on our lives. Our most basic protections and freedoms are often used as political ammunition. Our leaders' or would-be leaders' words ignite hate and fear in members of our community. Once the election is over we have to live among these people. We must attempt to maintain our dignity and peaceful daily lives by always rising above. </span><br />
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<span style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif;">Last Friday I was offered a job interview at a small firm in Anchorage focused in business law. I was surprised to hear from them, but delighted to have an opportunity to explore this potential job. All I knew about the firm was on the website. They struck me as a little bit old fashioned, but they have an interesting client list and the job description was very interesting: business transactions, litigation, and probate. Most of all, I was excited to have another iron in the fire since my clerkship is basically over this Friday. </span><br />
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<span style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif;">The assistant who emailed me suggested I meet the shareholders next Monday. I am going to be out of town all next week, I said, so could we do it this week or after September 5th? No problem, the assistant says. So we set an appointment for September 5. This email exchange occurred just last Friday. Then last night around 7:00 pm I received this email from the same assistant:</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif;">"The shareholders have asked me to cancel this appointment. I will let you know if we will need to reschedule after September 5. Thank you for your interest."</span><br />
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<span style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif;">No explanation. No apology for wasting my time. First, I have never, ever heard of a potential employer setting up an interview only to cancel it. If they do cancel the provide an explanation: the position is filled; we are suspending our recruiting process for the time being; the shareholders are unable to meet at that time. But this email was coldly brief without any excuse given. It left me to wonder.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif;">Did the assistant just screw up? Maybe she meant "reschedule," not "cancel." Is it because they have a pending matter before my judge? No, that can't be it. I'm not working on that matter and, besides, it's my responsibility to clear interviews with my judge, not theirs. </span><br />
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<span style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif;">So I scanned the website again and I see it: the primary shareholder, the guy whose name is on the door, is a very active member of a very large and very homophobic church in this city. I check the church's website just to make sure. Yep, they support Exodus International, a conversion therapy group (of the "attach electrodes to your genitals and shock you while forcing you to watch porn" variety). They liken homosexual behavior with alcoholism and adultery. They believe that gays have a deliberate agenda to cause businesses to collapse, the general collapse of sexual morality, and encouraging young people to experiment.This church teaches that homosexual behavior includes indoctrinating children to promulgate the lifestyle. They teach other lessons too, each more ludicrous and hurtful than the next. </span><br />
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<span style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif;">Now I can't get it out of my head that they cancelled my interview because the shareholders learned that I'm gay. This is a small town, so it's very likely we know some of the same people. Or maybe the Googled me and saw that I "liked" Rachel Maddow and Tegan and Sara on my Facebook page. It doesn't really matter. The truth is that I'm happy that the general legal community knows that I'm gay. I'm perfectly comfortable with people talking about me to their friends and colleagues and my same-sex marriage being general knowledge. It saves me the trouble of coming out, or deciding whether to come out, to every person I meet. It allows me to just be myself without feeling like I'm taking a political stance every time I get to know someone a little bit. </span><br />
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<span style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif;">This is my life. It just is. I'm not asking you to celebrate it with me anymore than you ask me to celebrate your straight lifestyle with you. Now let's get back to work. </span><br />
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<span style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif;">But my comfort level with myself doesn't change the fact that I am so disappointed, hurt, and haunted by the very real possibility that I've lost a job interview based on my private life and, ultimately, rumors and innuendo. My first reaction was anger, then I felt worthless, then I felt like I was back in high school again. </span><br />
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<span style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif;">This morning, I'm a bit relieved. I don't have to waste my time interviewing with an organization that has nothing to offer me (the benefits wouldn't include my spouse, I wouldn't get time off when the baby is born, etc). So now, between bouts of anger and shock, I'm slowly coming to terms with this reality. Prop 5 failed in Anchorage. I have no recourse. I have no protection. All I can do is work harder to focus my energies on organizations that honor me as I am, no better or worse than anyone else, and block out organizations that can't see the truth: I'm just like you.</span><br />
<span style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif;"><br />No, actually, I'm better than you. Not because I'm gay, but because I accept you for who you are and I don't use my religion as an excuse to exclude you from a happy and prosperous life. </span></div>
Emilyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10417375688557882625noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1092188055949881153.post-60565452762136524862012-08-20T13:44:00.002-08:002012-08-20T13:44:30.118-08:00The Popsicle Stick Update<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
The Popsicle stick has been found, and luckily in a very clean and not gross way!<br />
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On Saturday I was cleaning and moving some items into our storage shed in the yard. On one of my trips back to the house I saw a half-chewed but almost 100% intact Popsicle stick laying on the grass. It was all by itself, no poop or anything else anywhere to be found. I can only imagine that Cannelle coughed it up one day this week and then went about her business.<br />
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Either way, we were so relieved that the Popsicle stick resurfaced and our doggie seems to be A-OK.</div>
Emilyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10417375688557882625noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1092188055949881153.post-68504241444391473202012-08-17T13:20:00.001-08:002012-08-17T13:23:33.635-08:00The Popsicle Stick<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
Two days ago my dog swallowed a Popsicle stick. In fact, she ate the entire Popsicle. Whole. She doesn't chew. Ever.<br />
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Correction: Leigh fed her the stick.<br />
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Actually, what happened was that Leigh was craving chocolate. She found the last fudgesicle in the freezer, but after tasting it her pregnancy hormones told her it had gone bad (really?) so she didn't want it. I said "just give it to Cannelle, she's a big dog and it probably only has a teaspoon of cocoa powder in it." Don't worry, vets have told me bigger dogs can eat chocolate without it bothering them.<br />
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So Leigh holds out the Popsicle to Cannelle. Cannelle takes the whole thing, spits it out because it's cold. Leigh reaches for it to keep her from eating the stick, but too late. The stick is in her mouth. I grab her mouth and open her jaws to pull it out but, again, too late. She's swallowed it. Nowhere to be seen.<br />
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Of course, my dog regularly eats eaten entire shoes. The laces, the sole, everything. Luckily she chews those into smaller bites before swallowing them.<br />
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We panic. We Google it. A shocking number of hits come up. Apparently this happens a lot. The good news is that most dogs can pass a Popsicle stick without event. The edges are round and the chemicals in it (ew) prevent it from digesting. This keep it from splintering and causing internal bleeding. Fun fact: Popsicle sticks are not visible on an X-Ray, so all you can do is watch out for lethargy, vomiting, and blood in the stool. That's when you know it's time for emergency surgery.<br />
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So now Cannelle is eating rice with her kibble to get things moving faster and we are having to inspect her poop for signs of Popsicle stick. Also, every time she sleeps too soundly or looks groggy (which she does a lot because she naps while we're at work) we get nervous. All we can do is wait and hope for the best.<br />
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For now she seems completely fine. Her tail wags just as violently, all the time, she barks just as excitedly and loudly when we throw the ball for her, she eats just as ravenously, and she's sleeping the same amount as before.<br />
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Clarification from above: Leigh feels really bad about not holding tighter to the Popsicle stick and I think we've both learned an important lesson here: always hold on tight to the non-edible objects near the edible objects.<br />
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Also worth noting: every time that dog gets into something or we suspect an injury my heart actually breaks a little bit. I love that mutt so stinkin' much. Now if only she'd stop eating non-edible objects, tearing her nails off by digging up parts of my yard (this would actually solve two problems), and playing in cottonwood flurries (which she's allergic to), then I could sleep soundly knowing she's OK.</div>
Emilyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10417375688557882625noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1092188055949881153.post-64040419705997819372012-08-09T10:14:00.002-08:002012-08-09T10:16:47.552-08:00Summer Fun- Dipnetting on the Kenai Peninsula<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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It's summer in Alaska, which is generally magnificent. Leigh claims that this summer has royally sucked weather-wise. I disagree. Every summer everywhere has rainy days and, yes, we've had longer stretches of rainy or cloudy mess than I'd like, but we've also had some really impressive days too. Seeing as how I'm an active girl but not crazy active (I don't go running at 6am or pack multiple activities into a single evening, for example), being blessed with beautiful weather roughly half the time is enough to remind me that it's summer, it's Alaska, and there's fun stuff to do. </div>
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Several weeks ago I learned about <a href="http://www.adn.com/2012/07/08/2535733/kenai-river-dipnetting-season.html">dipnetting</a>. In short, if you are an Alaska resident with a fishing license, you can buy a big ass net and stand in the water until a salmon swims into it. Then you can haul that salmon onto the shore, smack its head, gut it, and take it home to eat it. </div>
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The Rules: Head of household gets 25 fish per season, plus 10 additional fish for every other household member. So this year my limit was 35 fish. Next year my household limit will increase to 45 fish because we will have Baby Ruby. Every household member with a fishing license can fish, but every caught fish counts toward your household limit. </div>
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When I learned that fellow Hollins Alum, former NYC roommate, and recent Alaska returnee Lorrie had learned to dipnet earlier this summer, I promptly invited myself on her next outing. Two Fridays ago we packed for an overnight camping trip in Kenai and headed south in Leigh's Jeep. After a beautiful 3 hour drive catching up with each other, we arrived in Kenai to gorgeous evening weather and lots of dipnetters enjoying high tide. </div>
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Typical Dipnet Style:</div>
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On Friday evening we each caught three salmon. Not too shabby for two newbies. Around 8pm we admitted that we were both tired and hungry. So we went back to our campsite. Lorrie offered up one of her fillets for dinner. I provided black rice and mixed veggies. It was delicious and paired with malbec. Next thing we know it's 1 AM and we are drunk as skunks, so we collapse in the tent, intending to be up in time for the 7am high tide. </div>
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My Catch.</div>
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That did NOT happen. I rolled over at 7:30 to another amazing, sunny, HOT day and a hellish hangover. We eventually made it back to the river mouth for some more fishing. But the wind was rough and the tide was coming in as actual waves. Controlling our nets was nearly impossible. At one time I'm minding my own business only to look up and see a wave crashing down on me. So I looked at Lorrie and said, "Wanna go find some breakfast?"</div>
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Saturday Morning Hangover Cure: Carbonated Sugar</div>
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We found a greasy spoon on our way out of town. Midway through a plate of caribou sausage, eggs, and hashbrowns, my headache and tummy ache really start to set in. Blah. So we got some hangover provisions (Extra Strength Tylenol and Sprite) before hitting the road. I got home in the early evening, filleted my catch, and basked in my successful attempt to bring home the protein. </div>
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The next Friday I took the day off from work and drove to Kasilof on my own. I only caught three that day too, but I really enjoyed taking a break from my routine and discovering a new dipnetting area. So this season I brought home a total of 6 salmon, roughly 12-13 pounds of meat. I've already made some great meals (curry, salmon steaks, salmon cakes, BBQ salmon and rice) and am looking forward to having fish for most of the year. Hopefully I'll get better at filleting though.....</div>
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Dipnetting is definitely my new thing. Sadly, the season is short and I only discovered it in the last two weeks. Leigh promised to make a gift of my own dipnet gear for next season and we are already planning to spend a few weekends camping and dipnetting earlier in the season. </div>
</div>Emilyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10417375688557882625noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1092188055949881153.post-38508107314833760102012-07-31T20:25:00.001-08:002012-07-31T20:25:35.196-08:00Half way there<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
Today I found out we are having a little girl.... !!!!!!!!<br />
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I'm beyond excited, and thrilled, and terrified. Mothering a girl is a special challenge in so many ways. The world is tough on girls, so I have to help make my little girl tough without losing the wonderful things about being a girl. I have to protect her from the scary things in the world and give her confidence to handle any situation. She has to be a little bit smarter, kinder, better, and a little bit more talented than if she were a boy.<br />
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But that's OK. She can do it. And the world is slowly changing for girls. Maybe when she's my age we really will rule the world. Or at least we'll just be that much closer to being on equal footing with men.<br />
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Now that we know she's a girl and we know her name (Ruby), we can really start planning her room and picking out the things we need for her. Watch out Anchorage, here come two moms-to-be with a long "to do" list!</div>Emilyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10417375688557882625noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1092188055949881153.post-33535149446084315072012-07-30T10:32:00.002-08:002012-07-30T10:32:10.480-08:00Big Alaska Weekend<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
After several weekends in a row of being completely lame, I decided to shake things up a bit. Early last week I started to get fishing envy. A lot of people I knew to varying degrees had been fishing and dipnetting this summer. I love me some salmon and I love not having to pay for it even more! So I started trolling Facebook and my phone contacts looking for someone to take me with them.<br />
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Soon enough I had successfully invited myself on college buddy/former roommate Lorrie's overnight trip to Kenai for some dipnetting fun. I also managed to borrow all the necessary gear from other lawyer's and coworkers. Then I got my fishing license ($24) and found a resident dipnet card (free, after trips to three different outlets!) and packed the Jeep for an overnight camping trip. My excitement was building all week. I even got Friday afternoon off from work. By 1:30 PM I was on the road with Lorrie, chatting away, enjoying a beautiful sunny day.* The drive down was uneventful and pleasant.<br />
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We arrived in town not knowing exactly where to go. So after staking out our campsite we drove around a bit looking for a good place to fish. Within about an hour we found ourselves at the mouth of the Kenai River. We parked ($15) and carried our gear to the water. Then we chilled out in the water for about 30 minutes before Lorrie landed her first red. I was so jealous, thinking there's no way a salmon is just going to swim into my stupid net. But soon enough I caught one too.* It was the best feeling! Lorrie coached me through the process of murdering and butchering the poor thing. Over the next 90 minutes we each caught 2 more, cleaned them, and then packed up to make dinner at camp.<br />
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The camping was great.* We grilled one of Lorrie's fillets, I made black rice and veggies, and we drank way too much wine. The next morning I woke up with a killer hangover, but we both rallied and tried to catch more fish. The weather wasn't in our favor though (hot and sunny but with too much wind) so we grabbed breakfast and hangover provisions before driving back to Anchorage. I dropped off Lorrie, unloaded the Jeep, and filleted my fish on the back porch (I'm hardly an expert, but I wound up with about 7 lbs of salmon meat!). Then I cooked up the loose meat I scraped off the fish's ribs into a panang curry with black rice for Leigh's and my dinner. Fabulous.<br />
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Sunday morning rolled around way too soon. Early last week Leigh and I committed to going packrafting with my work friend and her boyfriend. I was still exhausted from fishing, drinking, and driving a total of 7 hours in less than 24 hours, but not about to waste a chance to try something new (and not willing to flake out on someone who'd put a lot of effort into planning an outing for us). We met up with our friends around 11:30 and hit the water by 1:00 PM. The first half of the trip was technically challenging, just getting used to the boats. Then we ran into a serious construction area and decided to walk around it and put-in down river. While climbing out of the water to walk downstream both of our friends were attacked by hornets! Once that trauma passed, a young moose wandered into our area and we found bear scat all over the trail. So basically it was a stressful 45 minutes or so.<br />
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We worked our way past the construction area with our gear and put in about a 1/2 mile down river. After that the paddling was technical (dodging fallen trees and rocks) but much easier and a lot more fun.* After about 3 hours of constant exercise and stress, Leigh started to fade a bit at this point and said she was extremely cold (which was scary considering her pregnancy), but she rallied and we got safely to our car at the take-out. At the time I was pretty stressed out and worried about Leigh, but looking back I'm really glad I paddled Campbell Creek and tried out packrafting. It was great exercise and fun to spend time with our friends and nobody was [permanently] injured. Needless to say, I'm completely exhausted today.<br />
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In other news, we're having homemade, fresh caught salmon cakes for dinner!<br />
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* Sorry, no pictures. I am the genius who took my cell phone packrafting only to have it swim in a puddle in the floor of my boat all afternoon. Leigh's phone kept mine company, so we're both without phones. I'm so mad at myself!</div>Emilyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10417375688557882625noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1092188055949881153.post-61152893318136292982012-07-12T11:01:00.000-08:002012-07-12T11:17:08.764-08:00Letter to My Teenage Self<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<i>Sometimes the bloggers I follow will write these letters. They're usually from women, probably because life is supremely difficult for teenage girls and women tend to realize how much they wish they'd known certain things when they were young. Anyway, I've been thinking about writing one for a while, so here's mine:</i><br />
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Dear Teenage Emily,<br />
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I know things started getting tough for you when you turned 13: our parents got divorced, our body started developing at a ridiculous rate, we stopped eating for a while, and then our mother moved us to another part of the state to live with her boyfriend who didn't want us around. All of those things sucked, but I have to be honest and tell you that it's only going to get worse for a while. Hang in there, it'll start to get better when you're 19.<br />
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The truth is that our parents getting divorced was a good thing and long overdue. Our dad was miserable. Our mom didn't love her family and wanted out, we were just too young to understand that sometimes you have to destroy something to save its best components. You'll eventually learn that our mom is very emotionally unstable, so all those awful things she says and does to us are not your fault. Other people notice it too, but it's too hard for them to say or do anything to help. The sad truth is that our limited, selfish mother will only teach us two things in life: how to be independent (because she was never there for us) and how not to treat people, especially your own kids. Just hang on tight till you get out of there and then never look back. And stick to our dad as much as you can because he's a good one.<br />
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We were cursed with a weird figure: very short, big boobs, a stalky build, and a round face. The best thing you can do for yourself is get a breast reduction (which we do at age 20, do it sooner, trust me) and learn about nutrition and exercise. I know our mom spends a lot of time putting us down for being chubby, but that's not entirely our fault either: turns out we can't properly metabolize sugar, white flour, cholesterol, and other refined foods. We don't' learn this till we're 26. So we tend to get fat easily and stay that way. Learn to eat right and exercise a ton and you'll feel a lot better about yourself. Also, when you first go to college watch your weight carefully. That turned out to be our fattest few years and they're still haunting us today. Maybe giving you a forewarning will keep us from having body dismorphia into our late 20's. Maybe not, but it's always best to try to be healthy.<br />
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Just a few tips to help you have a more satisfying adolescents: Don't follow Leigh to Longwood. I know you feel weird living with someone else's family because our mom moved away without us and I know it's really hard trying to live with our dad again after so many years apart, but stick it out and get that advanced diploma. Leigh is a good one, she'll wait for you to finish high school and she'll support your dreams throughout college and forevermore.<br />
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Graduate with your class (I know it sounds lame, but you'll appreciate it later) and just go straight to Hollins because you'll love it there and it will be the best thing you've ever done for yourself. Minor in a foreign language. Study abroad and say fuck it about the money because our generation is going to drown in student debt no matter what we do to pinch pennies in college. After college, DO NOT GO TO LAW SCHOOL. You're better off joining the Peace Corps or traveling as an ESL teacher for a few years or working for a non-profit doing something you love. You don't know this yet, but these things make us happy and will make us the person we really want to be. Law school won't make us happy, will put us in debt, and will ultimately disappoint us because it WILL NOT lead to a fat paycheck or even a guaranteed exciting career. If you must, go to law school later or, better yet, go to grad school in Europe where it's cheaper and we can learn other soft skills that will lead to better job prospects, in the US or abroad.<br />
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No matter what you do, hang onto Leigh. You don't know this yet but she's our best friend and will be the rock we lean on for the rest of our life. She's the one who makes us feel normal and extraordinary all at the same time. She will support our dreams, even the stupid ones, and will follow us anywhere we lead her just to see us happy. So even though things are going to be really hard sometimes (or terrible or hopeless or desperate), keep that relationship strong and you will make it to the other side a better person and you will have someone who appreciates everything you've been through because she was right there beside you the whole time.<br />
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Here's the bottom line: we are smart, resourceful, and sincere; and we dream big and make things happen for ourselves. Most of all, we are loved. You'll find later that we actually make friends pretty easily because, while we are busy feeling a little insecure and ordinary compared to the amazing people we meet, those amazing people are excited to hear our stories and get to know us better. Just keep doing your thing and you will be just fine.<br />
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Much Love,<br />
27-Year-Old Emily<br />
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PS: When you and Leigh are in Merida, Mexico for Christmas in 2006, DO NOT follow that nice man to his family's crafts shop to buy a hammock. I know you're bad at math, but 2400 pesos is $240 and you DO NOT need a $240 hammock no matter how pretty or sturdy it is. JUST WALK AWAY. </div>Emilyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10417375688557882625noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1092188055949881153.post-38192073879516418752012-07-03T12:30:00.003-08:002012-07-03T12:32:03.994-08:00Looking Forward in "Maybes"<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
My job search hasn't budged in weeks. It got really exciting there for about 3 weeks, then all went quiet. Leigh is doing her very best to keep my spirits up. Every day I'm resigning myself to more possible truths about my life in 7 weeks, when my clerkship officially ends: 1) I will probably be unemployed, 2) it might be for a while, it might not be for too long, 3) money will be tight, but I'll do my best to keep us afloat, and 4) it's not the end of the world. That last one is the hardest to remind myself of, but it's true, and what's even more true is that I've been really lucky so far when compared to a lot of other professionals my age.<br />
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Since I'm semi-obsessed with the Foreign Service, I tend to read a lot of FSO blogs and articles. There's a discussion going on right now about "having it all" and being a woman in a high powered position or government service. The <a href="http://www.theatlantic.com/magazine/archive/2012/07/why-women-still-can-t-have-it-all/9020/">first article</a> was written by a Princeton professor who worked at a high level in the State Department for a while and found it impossible to be a "very important person" and have kids and a husband who works in another city. My reaction was something along the lines of "of course that was hard and of course some aspects of her life started to deteriorate!" But I'm not going to judge the author. It's her life and she should try to achieve as many of her dreams as possible. In that vein, today I read <a href="http://www.theatlantic.com/business/archive/2012/06/how-to-have-an-insanely-demanding-job-and-2-happy-children/259006/">the response article </a>in The Atlantic, which basically said we have to determine what "having it all" means to us and then "own" our choices. There's also a <a href="http://lifeafterjerusalem.blogspot.com/2012/07/weighing-in-on-having-it-all.html">great blog post</a> I read today that points out that all of our choices mean compromising something, but that's OK too. </div>
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These ideas get me thinking about a lot of things: my career prospects and dreams, my growing family, and generally what's important to me. <span style="background-color: white;">I want it all, but my version of "ALL" is unique to me and my family. We want a couple of kids, jobs we enjoy for the most part, and the chance to have a lot of unique experiences together (i.e. travel a lot). For more practical purposes, we want to pay off our debt (mostly student loans), build our savings, and live simply. As you can see, for us having it all is very, very different than being everyone's boss, sending our kids to Harvard, and escaping to a million dollar beach house on weekends. </span></div>
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In a perfect world this would mean I would find a great job in the next six weeks, work hard and become excellent at what I do, then reassess based on the opportunities that come my way. At that point we'd have two kids and Leigh could choose to stay home or continue working. We would have enough money to live comfortably and save for retirement and enough time off from work for family time and travel. It sounds modest, but the truth is that this is a pretty tall order for our generation. We're lucky to have a decent job, let alone build savings or pay off debt. Those of us who are traveling a lot or having other unique experiences are either in school, taking low-paying contract jobs, or living off our parents. Sad, but true. </div>
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I just hope that my decision to move my little family to Alaska to start our careers in a not dying economy turns out to be a good choice. To achieve that all I need is an opportunity- a good job that pays well and is permanent. After that, the "having it all" part is up to me and I'm up for the challenge.</div>
</div>Emilyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10417375688557882625noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1092188055949881153.post-12214990672202814162012-06-25T13:52:00.000-08:002012-06-25T13:52:14.726-08:00Unemployment<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
I've never been unemployed. My first year of law school I chose to not work because I'd heard my classes and the new law student lifestyle would be very challenging. I'd heard right and by my second year I'd settled into school and found a part-time job that I kept until graduation.<br />
<br />
After law school I worked my ass off to get a judicial clerkship in Alaska. As a newly licensed attorney, it was the best way to break into a new jurisdiction. Clerking for one year, not to mention two years (like I did), pretty much guarantees a permanent job. So I'm more than a little bit miffed that my fellow law clerks and I are facing unemployment. In fact, I only know of one law clerk who has a job lined up in September. One. That means, barring some miracle in the next three months, as many as 30 young lawyers will go from a clerkship to unemployed.<br />
<br />
Then, today, I read <a href="http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052702304458604577486623469958142.html?mod=WSJ_hps_MIDDLENexttoWhatsNewsThird">this article</a> in the Wall Street Journal. It basically says that the ABA is responding to pressure to release more accurate numbers regarding employment rates for 2010 graduates. Things are looking grim. Approximately 8% of graduates get Big Law jobs. Roughly 50% get jobs at all. Only the Top 14 schools can guarantee jobs for their graduates (around 90% employed). The rest of us are screwed.<br />
<br />
I had a first and second job interview over the past three weeks, then silence. I have another *potential* interview that keeps being pushed back for bureaucratic reasons. That's frustrating, but it's my top choice job and at least it's a prospective job (so many people have no prospects at all), so I'll be patient. It's very possible I won't find myself unemployed. I might get an offer next month or in August. Who knows? But at this moment in time I have nothing lined up and the end is nye.<br />
<br />
Today I went to yoga on my lunch break with this topic weighing heavily on my mind. Now, most of the time I just tune out yoga instructors when the talk and I focus on the physical aspects of my practice: active stretching, balance, strength. Today I was excited to stretch out my hips after cycling and lifting weights this weekend. But today I got something out of the yogi BS: one can have purpose in stillness.<br />
<br />
Stillness. Not moving. Not producing. Like not working.<br />
<br />
It occurred to me that, while I fear unemployment and wish to avoid it, if it becomes unavoidable I can find purpose in it. I can use the time forced upon me to create something more. So, of course, I made a mental list while I was going through my poses. It kept me centered and, most importantly, warded off tears or a panic attack in a public place.<br />
<br />
So, if I don't have a job lined up by the end of August, I will focus on the following aspects of unemployment:<br />
<br />
Not enough money:<br />
1. Apply for unemployment (roughly $200/week in Alaska).<br />
2. Defer my student loans.<br />
3. Enroll in my gym's financial hardship program- we are locked into our gym membership for a year, but they offer to waive your monthly fee for 3 months (I think) if you lose your job<br />
4. Ride my bike everywhere possible (to save on gas)<br />
5. Sign up with temp agencies<br />
<br />
Too much time:<br />
1. Work out a lot, every day- I will have a gym membership with great classes during the day. I may as well use this extra time to get into great shape and burn off nervous energy associated with not having a job.<br />
2. Study French, and maybe German, every day. Maybe even find a conversation partner for free conversation practice<br />
<span style="background-color: white;">3. Cook all of our food, freeze and preserve what we can't eat right away so it isn't wasted, and go fishing to stock the freezer</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white;">4. Keep the house really clean and organized</span><br />
<br />
Finding a job:<br />
1. <span style="background-color: white; text-indent: -0.25in;">Go to every networking opportunity to continue making connections and keep an ear to the ground about potential jobs</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; text-indent: -0.25in;">2. Write another law review article to keep my name out there</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; text-indent: -0.25in;">3. </span><span style="background-color: white; font-size: 7pt; text-indent: -0.25in;"> </span><span style="background-color: white; text-indent: -0.25in;">Read law review articles and generally keep up with things</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; text-indent: -0.25in;">4. Study my ass off for the Foreign Service exams</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; text-indent: -0.25in;"><br /></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; text-indent: -0.25in;">Basically I'm going to channel my fear and anxiety into productivity. This isn't a great turn of events, but it is what it is and I'm going to make the best of it as long as I can. At a certain point Leigh and I will have to make some serious choices, but until then this will keep us going for a few months. </span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; text-indent: -0.25in;"><br /></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; text-indent: -0.25in;">With that, I'm going to channel my current anxiety into the work that I have to do today. </span><br />
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</div>Emilyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10417375688557882625noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1092188055949881153.post-43560854358480672292012-06-25T10:44:00.000-08:002012-06-25T10:44:20.923-08:00Outdoor Update<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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This winter was a tough winter for everyone and everything, including our lawn and plants. So far this summer we've put A LOT of effort into restoring our yard to it's former glory. When the snow melted we decided to sign up for a year's worth of lawn cleaning service. This means every Wednesday while we are at work the dog poop fairy comes and cleans up our lawn. After a few weekends of buying plants, potting soil, etc and many hours potting and arranging plants, we had a pretty decent looking back yard. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgriDgKpv34O53jHtVfFmYObeEvxOETqbEvMurTooW10Oz7FUX1seTMgi9-LQldPUqYY3gOrQ1TfPyxUURFAe-D2qYVJogg6ChVi0LZwORxdrZaRyD5te5Q3h1g9FYX9qAEmjYQwJoG6cc/s1600/yard.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgriDgKpv34O53jHtVfFmYObeEvxOETqbEvMurTooW10Oz7FUX1seTMgi9-LQldPUqYY3gOrQ1TfPyxUURFAe-D2qYVJogg6ChVi0LZwORxdrZaRyD5te5Q3h1g9FYX9qAEmjYQwJoG6cc/s320/yard.jpg" width="320" /></a>
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The grass has even filled in quite a bit since I took this picture a few weeks ago. Everyone was enjoying the yard, especially Cannelle. She now spends many hours basking in the sunshine, sniffing the flowers, and chasing toys in her clean, pretty yard. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCqFXZ4SSs2Xi7fhtw37-OGGKBOfYu1WD_gbzJLlIH9l6di5sVUMvMoHmMPbY2VhrP-Q-bOdtpdEHOrcPzgF79F30Cd7ydY_2q-xDuvWjDC71InfUPyaayWKq6xaMXPJeGJysSZOf6wB4/s1600/puppy.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCqFXZ4SSs2Xi7fhtw37-OGGKBOfYu1WD_gbzJLlIH9l6di5sVUMvMoHmMPbY2VhrP-Q-bOdtpdEHOrcPzgF79F30Cd7ydY_2q-xDuvWjDC71InfUPyaayWKq6xaMXPJeGJysSZOf6wB4/s320/puppy.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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Then, one evening last week, Cannelle decided that she hates the new yard and did this.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNCqNMi_0jobXS49RlViOM6wThQL6cZpYXLmbNFB0gb_h3BK_AMzJ0V8XXX350F4fcui0bELiO6_nj4cGlWqg4QpJdNqaE6_AUQ-zFO2E4qhHSnr5pgEtCxREf0ZlQFS3dPFHm1jfHY-k/s1600/damage.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNCqNMi_0jobXS49RlViOM6wThQL6cZpYXLmbNFB0gb_h3BK_AMzJ0V8XXX350F4fcui0bELiO6_nj4cGlWqg4QpJdNqaE6_AUQ-zFO2E4qhHSnr5pgEtCxREf0ZlQFS3dPFHm1jfHY-k/s320/damage.jpg" width="320" /></a>
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<br />
Actually, what happened was I moved a cinder block that was in that spot to keep Cannelle and her little puppy friend from digging under the porch. Thinking Cannelle's digging days were over, I moved the block for use elsewhere. The very next day I find she's excavated the area so that she can get her giant puppy self under the porch for further exploration. Yes, that is a PILE of dirt pushed up against our gate. All I could do is rake the dirt back under the porch and replace the cinder block. So much for regrowing the grass in that area.<br />
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Emily, repeat after me: I love my puppy, I love my puppy, I love my puppy.....</div>Emilyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10417375688557882625noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1092188055949881153.post-50617889603245555832012-06-19T11:40:00.003-08:002012-09-08T18:01:37.172-08:00A "Down" Tuesday<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
Yesterday I was going nuts, mind racing, thinking about job options and life options. Today I just feel like a loser. This year has simply not turned out as great as I'd hoped it would. Last summer my goals for the following 12 months were as follows:<br />
1. Be an awesome law clerk for a judge with a civil docket<br />
2. Write a law review article for publication<br />
3. Lose weight/achieve my goal weight/reduce body fat to 25ish%<br />
4. Have a job offer in hand by May or June.<br />
5. Travel to Europe or Southeast Asia either with Leigh or solo, whatever worked out best for us.<br />
6. Complete a few long-distance bike rides (200-400 km).<br />
<br />
This is what actually happened:<br />
1. This was not easy, but I did my best to serve my judge well and I think I learned a lot, probably even more than I realize now.<br />
2. This one I actually did accomplish. I wrote an article that was published in this month's issue of the Alaska Law Review. So far it's been well-received and serves it's purpose as a writing sample for job applications.<br />
3. I gained weight. Actually, I was really healthy all last summer. Then I went home for Christmas. Since Christmas I've gained 10 pounds. TEN! Today I have a doctor's appointment where I will be weighed, lectured on my weight, blood drawn, and then billed for the privilege. My doctor is an ass and fails to give pertinent advice, but write prescriptions and lectures me to give up wine completely and eat fewer calories (as in, 1,000 or less per day- seriously?!).<br />
4. I don't have a job offer. I've had two interviews with the same place so far. I really want the job. I was supposed to hear back last Friday and didn't, so I emailed the decision-maker and got a nice note back. The good news is the decision-maker still seems interested in me. The bad news is they're interviewing more people for the position... more competition. I have one other job lead, but no interview thus far. My friends have one or no job leads. This isn't looking good. I might work as a barista next year....<br />
5. My Europe trip was thwarted when the airline didn't have space for mileage plan members to take a seat using airmiles. So I went to Hawaii instead (alone). I really, really needed a vacation. It could have been worse. Now that Leigh is pregnant we can't really plan a big trip, plus it would be foolish to spend a lot on a big trip when we're expecting a baby. So we're going to Las Vegas instead. Hopefully we'll get to take a big trip in about 2 years, when the baby is old enough to travel with us comfortably.<br />
6. This past Sunday I completed my very first bike ride with the Alaska Randonneurs, but it was only 100 km and it nearly killed me. I'm planning to do another one next month to see if I am getting into better shape.<br />
<br />
This feels pretty dire, but then I have to remind myself of what I've also accomplished:<br />
1. We bought a house, a cute one, in a nice neighborhood.<br />
2. We adopted a puppy, whom we love oh so much.<br />
3. Leigh is pregnant, so we're starting a family. This is super exciting and might just make up for all my other failures... maybe...<br />
<br />
So yeah, not quite an epic fail, but pretty close. With any amount of restraint and perseverance I'll trim back down. With any luck I'll get a job offer before my clerkship ends (to avoid a period of unemployment). And Leigh promises me that more travels and adventures are in our future...<br />
<br />
But I still have to go to the doctor today :-(</div>
Emilyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10417375688557882625noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1092188055949881153.post-24505402448801332172012-06-18T11:23:00.002-08:002012-06-18T11:23:19.208-08:00It's one of those Mondays...<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
... when I feel all restless and can't think straight. This is probably because I'm up for an awesome job that will 1) teach me stuff I want to know 2) pay my bills and 3) make my wife happy. I was supposed to hear something about this last Friday, but of course I didn't hear anything so now I'm assuming I didn't get the job when there are other perfectly legitimate reasons why I haven't heard back (or maybe I just didn't get the job).<br />
<br />So this morning (it's just now 11am), I've decided it's really in my best interest to pack up my little family and run away to Southeast Asia. Why, you ask? Because it's hot there, the food is awesome, and it's a cheap place to live.<br />
<br />
Oh, wait, you meant why pack up and move at all? Because that is my first instinct when I feel like things aren't working out someplace. I get this urge to make a plan, however half-baked, and dive in head first to start my life over again. I get scared and I funnel that fear into a new adventure. That's how I wound up in France, and later in Alaska. It works for me, or at least it did until I bought a house and Leigh got an awesome job with health benefits. That's hard to give up, especially now that we're having a baby.<br />
<br />
At any rate, were I to do this running away thing it would consist of the following:<br />
<br />
<ol style="text-align: left;">
<li><span style="background-color: white;">Sell EVERYTHING I own.</span></li>
<li><span style="background-color: white;">Put my house up for rent (the $300/month extra we make on the rental would cover rent on a place in the mountains of Thailand or in a coastal town in Vietnam). </span></li>
<li><span style="background-color: white;">Save up some money (enough to get by for a few months)</span></li>
<li><span style="background-color: white;">See if Leigh can keep her job from abroad (hey, stranger things have happened!)</span></li>
<li><span style="background-color: white;">Buy an awesome camera</span></li>
<li><span style="background-color: white;">Buy plane tickets</span></li>
<li><span style="background-color: white;">Arrange to ship puppy and kitty to wherever </span></li>
<li><span style="background-color: white;">Board plane</span></li>
<li><span style="background-color: white;">Go!</span></li>
<li><span style="background-color: white;">Eat lots of noodles</span></li>
<li><span style="background-color: white;">Get a job teaching English or something</span></li>
<li><span style="background-color: white;">Rethink the genius of this decision in about a year when I have no savings, we miss our families, and I realize that it might be nice to have a real job, at least for a little while, by the time I'm 30. </span></li>
</ol>
<div>
I've also decided that I need to do the following:</div>
<div>
<ul style="text-align: left;">
<li><span style="background-color: white;">Visit the Netherlands again, this time in the </span><a href="http://www.lonelyplanet.com/the-netherlands/travel-tips-and-articles/76568?affil=twit" style="background-color: white;">summer</a><span style="background-color: white;">, and also make time to visit Maastricht to see where my people come from.</span></li>
<li><span style="background-color: white;">Travel to Japan, even if it's just for a little while. That place is </span><a href="http://www.lonelyplanet.com/japan/tokyo/travel-tips-and-articles/1437?affil=twit" style="background-color: white;">crazy expensive</a><span style="background-color: white;">, but with such a rich and different culture, it'll be </span><a href="http://www.uncorneredmarket.com/2012/05/japan-first-impressions/" style="background-color: white;">like visiting another planet</a><span style="background-color: white;">, and therefore, a bargain.</span></li>
<li><span style="background-color: white;">Make time to visit New York. I only lived there for 3 1/2 months in law school but I really loved the energy of the place, the sense of unending possibility, the food, the access to the outside world. Even after a semester of working my ass off, socializing, and exploring, there's still so much I missed. Leigh's brother lives there now, so we have a valid excuse to visit and when we do, I'll arrive with a list in hand of stuff I should have done but never thought to (like visiting a few "</span><a href="http://www.lonelyplanet.com/usa/new-york-city/travel-tips-and-articles/77277?affil=twit" style="background-color: white;">literary bars</a><span style="background-color: white;">"). </span></li>
<li><span style="background-color: white;">Spend our first Baby-cation in Mexico, at a beach near Puerto Vallarta. Leigh and I loved the Yucatan, but it's just too far from Alaska. The PV area is about 8-10 hours from Anchorage by air, and there are a few funky, artsy surfer towns nearby where we can chill out on the beach with Baby, take surf lessons, and drink Mexican beer. Leigh says we can start taking "real trips" with Baby when s/he is a year. The first "real trip" will be a Christmas trip to the East Coast to meet the grandparents and other relatives. After that I'm free to plan Baby-ventures for our little family.</span></li>
</ul>
</div>
<div>
<span style="background-color: white;">Now I'm trying to refocus, reminding myself that it's still really early and maybe the decision-maker on this job opening is just really swamped. Even if I don't get the job there are always other options... actually the job market totally sucks right now so if I don't get this job I'll probably unemployed for at least 4-6 weeks this fall... Breath in, breath out....</span></div>
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<br /></div>
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In the meantime I can think about things like <a href="http://alaskarandonneurs.org/our-rides/de-ronde-van-anchorage/">the awesome bike ride I did yesterday</a>: 100 km (62 miles) around the city of Anchorage. I did the ride by myself as part of an organized ride, but about 1/3 of the way through I hooked up with another rider (we got a little turned around at the same time), then later 3 more riders, and then 2 more riders. Soon enough there were 7 of us navigating the city together and encouraging each other. I really needed the encouragement, especially after mile 45 or so. </div>
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<br /></div>
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Also, our trip to Las Vegas in August. I'm so excited to feel the heat of the sun, sit by the pool, and drive out into the desert. This trip will also involve an amazing day hike, a few nights out on the town, and lots of great food. So excited. I keep researching <a href="http://www.lonelyplanet.com/north-america/travel-tips-and-articles/77243?affil=twit">good deals</a> in Vegas, shows, fun ways to spend our time that doesn't involve strip clubs or gambling. Even though I tend to plan vacations that are more like adventures, Vegas really does have something for everyone and is a great getaway destination. It'll be perfect for me and a pregnant lady to unwind before Baby comes along.</div>
</div>Emilyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10417375688557882625noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1092188055949881153.post-4108476081728656232012-06-11T11:04:00.002-08:002012-06-11T11:07:06.957-08:00A Saturday Out: Anchorage Pride and Such<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
Leigh and I tend to spend our weekends getting things done around the house: cleaning, gardening, errands, cooking, etc. But somehow this weekend turned into a BIG weekend of doing other stuff.<br />
<br />
Saturday was Anchorage Pride, so there was a parade and a festival from noonish until early evening. We definitely wanted to go to that. We wanted to check out our neighborhood farmers market on Saturday too. Also, Leigh bought a Groupon for half off tickets to a comedy improv show. The deal was about to expire, so we had to go to the show on Saturday evening.<br />
<br />
So Saturday morning we got up, walked the dog (to get out some initial energy before taking her in public) and went in search of breakfast... only to find that our neighborhood bagel place became a Tibetan place overnight. WTF??? So no breakfast there. The adjacent coffee shops were absolutely teeming with people, so no breakfast there either. We finally settled on Chinese dumpling style pastries and homemade bubble teas at nearby <a href="http://www.anchoragepress.com/food_and_drink/food_review/anchorage-s-best-chinese-bold-flavors-at-charlie-s-bakery/article_5dcccb0a-4302-11e1-9dca-0019bb2963f4.html">Charlie's Bakery</a>.Then we went to the market, but left Cannelle in the car to avoid any puppy carnage.<br />
<br />
The market had no produce. None. Not a single damn zucchini. I know we had a hard winter and a late spring and my plants are just now showing signs of life, but seriously farmers?!?! How are we supposed to enjoy summer without some decent (non-Fred Meyer's) produce? Ugh. The stop was salvaged with a cup of French press coffee and some homemade dog treats from <a href="http://www.yelp.com/biz/bistro-red-beet-and-beetniks-coffee-wasilla">Beetniks' Coffee</a> of Wassilla (so far the only thing about Wassilla that makes me inclined to drive out to the Valley).<br />
<br />
With some time to kill, Leigh and I headed over to the Habitat ReStore. That place is one big project inspiration and made me wish I had more DIY skills. We found a 12-volt light fixture that will look really cool over our kitchen sink. I have no idea if we'll be able to install it ourselves, but it was only $5 and will look great if we can figure it out.<br />
<br />
By this time it was 1pm and we were ready to face a festival of people with our crazy dog. We parked at Leigh's work garage and started walking, only to find that Cannelle had gone completely insane from a lack of time spent among people and other dogs. Knowing this is our fault for being bad puppy moms, we pushed through it, keeping her close to us and away from too tight of crowds, people's food, etc.<br />
<br />
Cannelle said hello to a bunch of dogs, got the lay of the land and eventually calmed down. Leigh was hungry, so I settled down on the grass with Cannelle near the stage to listen to [really terrible] music while she looked for lunch. Leigh came back with a hamburger (for me, I guess) and a hot dog (for herself) and arms full of bottled water for all three of us. Meanwhile Cannelle was busy being doted on by a toddler and I was talking to the toddler's mom.<br />
<br />
Behind me, Leigh decides the best way to settle in next to us is to first put down my hamburger and the drinks. At that moment, Cannelle's sixth sense of unguarded food kicked in, she barreled over me and, about 3 seconds later, devoured my hamburger! The ENTIRE hamburger! No amount of restraints or commands could stop her, and soon my $7 festival lunch was in my dog's stomach.<br />
<br />
Cannelle was thus dubbed "The Hamburgler."<br />
<br />
Eventually we all got something to eat and decided this festival was for the birds, just as Cannelle started to behave herself (of course). We walked back to the car and headed home after a long day. Cannelle went to bed early after her big day out. Around 7pm we used a groupon for a neat little Thai place just down from our neighborhood, then went downtown for the <a href="http://www.scaredscriptless.com/">Scared Scriptless</a> improve show. I didn't expect much from this little community theater group, but it was actually extremely funny and well done. One of the troupe members is even a former law clerk, so it was really cool to see a local attorney using his free time to do something like that. The show ended around 9:30 and Leigh and I dragged ourselves back home with the sun still high in the sky.<br />
<br />
On Sunday morning I rolled over around 8:30 and went downstairs to check on Cannelle, who was still fast asleep (she usually has us up for a potty break and breakfast by 7 everyday!). Saturday must have completely worn her out because she was sleepy and snuggly all day long, as were Leigh and I. It took an act of God (meaning a sudden need for a hamburger) to get us out of the house and to the grocery store. We had a late lunch/early dinner grilling out on the back porch while fending off mosquitoes (I really need to find a trick to keep those nasty things from feeding on us!).<br />
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In all it was a great weekend for the whole family. Even Juneau Cat played in the yard and did some prenatal yoga with us on Sunday night before bed. The bad news is that the house is an utter mess, the garden hasn't been mowed or weeded, and we have no food prepared for the week, so these tasks will have to be done throughout the week. Oh well, Alaskan summers are made for long fun days and housework can wait till the long dark winters, right?</div>Emilyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10417375688557882625noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1092188055949881153.post-42125352605777964442012-06-10T00:57:00.003-08:002012-06-10T00:57:34.627-08:00Introducing Our First Child<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOJNYJXCBdtUkmyAIfEOec3ZZbjIGFpSOMHKP0f7tPIAbgRjmaYXZ20A9IuvpBF_hoGaPNpRgfQEgnFfglvHHIhbkBS04FITGZYwXqNix5D1uOkUxNbLbov8EEbgCQZmhVJVmp-WDritI/s1600/photo-1.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="239" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOJNYJXCBdtUkmyAIfEOec3ZZbjIGFpSOMHKP0f7tPIAbgRjmaYXZ20A9IuvpBF_hoGaPNpRgfQEgnFfglvHHIhbkBS04FITGZYwXqNix5D1uOkUxNbLbov8EEbgCQZmhVJVmp-WDritI/s320/photo-1.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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In February Leigh told me she was really ready to try getting pregnant. We've talked about this for years, but always had a reason to wait. But when someone feels ready (and there's no obvious reason it's a bad idea), they're just ready. So we did the research, found an anonymous donor through a reputable cryo bank, and inseminated in March. Leigh tested pregnant a few days later!<br />
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She's 12 weeks pregnant now, so the highest risk weeks are over. Until now we've just told a handful of friends and our immediate family. Now that we're pretty much in the clear, we can celebrate this wonderful event with the world!<br />
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On Friday we had our 12-week OB appointment and got to see the baby again (the doctor had a hard time finding the heartbeat with the sonogram). The picture here is from our 8-week visit when Baby looked like a lima bean, but now Baby looks like a real live BABY! Baby even jumped a couple of times for us and we got to see it on the ultrasound. The doctor says Baby probably had the hiccups. I've seen and done a lot of really cool things in my life so far, but seeing that 2 1/2 inch long, 1 oz baby move on the screen in real time was easily the coolest and most exciting thing I've ever seen. I wish I'd gotten a picture, but oh well. We'll get a 3-D image at 20 weeks when we learn the sex.<br />
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I won't blog about Baby too terribly much because I'm keeping a <a href="http://definingfamily.tumblr.com/">tumblr</a> about our experience getting pregnant and the pregnancy experience itself. But I wanted to share the good news, just in case anyone reads this who isn't also on my Facebook list.<br />
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Today was an awesome day because we celebrated gay Pride at the Park Strip in Anchorage. We took Cannelle the puppy with us, where she enjoyed attention from adults and small children alike. It was really fun to see the spectacle, even though Anchorage Pride is really small and the music was, well, terrible. Anyway, the whole time I was thinking about how next year we'll take Cannelle and our 6-month old to Pride.<br />
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Life is about to change in every way, forever, and I couldn't be happier.</div>Emilyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10417375688557882625noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1092188055949881153.post-89541307267276159312012-06-06T14:15:00.001-08:002012-06-06T14:15:20.633-08:00Life Update<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
I am, officially, the worst blogger of all time. I don't even write anything anymore, probably because I think my daily life is pretty dull. The truth is, it could be duller. So here's an attempt to catch the blog up a bit.<br />
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Alaska:<br />
It's FINALLY summer time here. Thank God! We've been enjoying off and on glorious sunny and almost warm weather for about two weeks now, with intermittent rainy days. I don't even mind the rainy days because our flowers and grass need it and in between the weather is so nice. The sun doesn't set until about 11 PM. Last night I went to bed at 10:45 and it looked like mid-afternoon outside! Crazy!<br />
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Work:<br />
Things at work are much more tolerable than they were all year. My boss is generally polite to me, even though I am fairly certain he doesn't think a whole lot of my abilities. The support staff is friendlier these days too. I think part of this is that I've learned when to chime in and when to keep my mouth shut and they've learned that my reserved nature and straightforward speaking style is nothing personal. OK, that last sentence makes me sound like I'm a nightmare to work with. The truth is that I genuinely like most people and I'm not unfriendly, but in the words of a good friend, "nobody ever wonders what [I'm] thinking."<br />
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There's FINALLY been a little bit of movement in the job search. I had a first interview last Thursday and will have a second interview this Friday. Also, I'm told I should be getting invitations to interview with two other places soon, but the overall timing might be a little tight to have all my options (or lack of options) presented at once. The next few weeks will definitely be stressful and may present more questions than answers, but I am trying to navigate this process with some grace and professionalism (and with a LOT of Leigh's input). With any luck I'll know what I'm doing in the fall within the next few weeks...... eek!<br />
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Family:<br />
This is a tough topic because mostly things are great with the family, but there's also been some new stress. Apparently my [crazy] mother has been terrorizing my [very emotional] grandmother to the point that my grandmother had her attorney send my mother a cease and desist letter. Not fun. And I've recently learned that my mother regularly stands outside of Planned Parenthood locations holding a 5 ft tall cross while heckling women going into the health center for various services. Please note that Planned Parenthood provides a lot of different health services. Anyway, I haven't spoken to my mother in almost a year (long story) and she hasn't been a part of my life for about five years now, but realizing that someone that closely related to me is one of those insane, religious zealots practicing acts of domestic terrorism was a hard pill to swallow. Actually, it was downright heartbreaking. Then I realized why my grandmother cries so often when these things happen. It must be devastating to see your child grow into someone you don't even recognize.<br />
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But things are still really good with my dad, other family members, Leigh's family, etc. I anticipate we'll have more happy news in the coming years than sad news like this.<br />
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Summer Activities:<br />
I've been biking to work for about a month now. It's great. For some reason forcing myself to exercise a little bit two per day, and being outside enjoying fresh air before work, makes a HUGE difference in my mood and general feeling of good health. I haven't lost any weight, in fact I've gained a few pounds since this time last year (I love food, what can I say?), but I can tell my body appreciates the regular activity.<br />
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Leigh and I have spent a lot of time (and money) the past few weekends getting our back yard into shape. After having a service do a post-winter lawn clean up we started planning our beautification project. We planted rose bushes on either end of the bed where we planted tulips in the fall and planted flower arrangements in pots and whiskey barrels for the porch. Then we planted a series of tomato plants and other veggies, plus several herbs, in the greenhouse.<br />
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It looks really beautiful so far, but the real challenge has been keeping Cannelle out of the potted plants! So far she's ripped up a pot of flowers (which we replanted and barricaded with pest control mesh and mini border fencing, and tore out the catnip plant we potted for Juneau Cat. Ugh! tonight I'm going to take additional measures with the pest control mesh in hopes of keeping that 70 pound pest out of my flowers!<br />
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Annnnddddd.... we made vacation plans for August! VEGAS BABY! OK, OK, I know I'm probably the last person you'd imagine using my time off to go to Las Vegas, but we needed a vacation, somewhere warm that wouldn't take more than 8 hours to fly to, and somewhere that we can have fun without spending too much. So we picked Las Vegas (7 hour flight) and we're staying in a casino during the week (so the room is 1/3 the price of the weekend rate). We're really looking forward to a chance to totally unwind, lay by the hotel pool, eat good food and do some shopping. Plus we're renting a car for two days to do a day hike in Zion National Park, so we don't spend ALL our time in the lap of luxury in a giant grown-up theme park.<br />
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<br /></div>Emilyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10417375688557882625noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1092188055949881153.post-76141188399812435772012-05-16T09:11:00.003-08:002012-05-16T09:15:30.155-08:00Alaska is Hard Sometimes<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
I follow a lot of travel blogs... A LOT.... The reasons are obvious, but mostly because now that I'm working, and not a student, I have to make everything count a little bit more. My 4 weeks of yearly vacation better be fucking amazing, right? Anyway, I was reading this blog about a girl from San Francisco who is living in Cambodia for a year to do some writing and English teaching. Sounds amazing, <a href="http://lonelygirltravels.com/2012/05/05/news-flash-cambodia-is-hard/">but of course it's not always a cake walk</a>. I lived in France for 8 months and while it was one of the best experiences of my life, there were also some days that were just so frustrating for one reason or another. In that vain...<br />
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New Flash: Alaska is Hard [Sometimes]<br />
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A lot of things about Alaska make it easy and kind of perfect for black sheep, wanderlust Americans looking for a fresh start: it's in the U.S. so there's no visa requirements, the economy is pretty decent so there are usually jobs available, everyone speaks English (even if they speak other languages first), most places have first world infrastructure and accommodation, and the people are pretty welcoming.<br />
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Leigh and I are a case in point: we moved up here so I could clerk for the state trial courts. Within a month Leigh was working and soon after that she found an awesome permanent job. Our health insurance companies send us to a nice private hospital where we get excellent care.We have a list of favorite restaurants near our offices and home. We have a house, two cars, and a nice circle of friends.<br />
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But then there are the things that get to you, even if it's only every so often. Like how expensive everything is, even basic stuff like food and household supplies. In any other city of 300,000 people, we could have bought twice as much house for what we paid for our place in Anchorage. The average cost for an egg breakfast is $12, and a bowl of Pho costs $10 (it's $6 in Seattle with a free appetizer).<br />
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The stores often don't even carry the kinds of things you get used to in the Lower 48, like multiple options of the same thing for home improvement and decoration. The clothing stores seem to only sell the ugly shit they couldn't sell in Seattle. The bottom line is that, most of the time, it's better to just order your stuff and pay the shipping costs, which makes life even more expensive!<br />
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Then there's the wildlife: it is seriously cool that I've seen seals, otters, bald eagles, giant porcupines, and moose in person. It is less cool that I've run into bears when walking home from work and even less cool when I'm riding my bike on a trail and come around a corner to see a moose chilling on the bike path. Those things are big and very dangerous when spooked. I wouldn't give up the wildlife for anything, but it does add some stress to certain activities.<br />
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The hardest thing about Alaska is how isolated we are from everyone, everything, and everywhere else. Most of the time the distance from the rest of the world is what we appreciate most about Alaska. I can't imagine being 27 and just starting my life while having my family weighing in on every little decision. I know that's what parents do, but I'm a black sheep and very independent, so nothing pisses me off more than unsolicited input on my personal decisions. But everyone needs a change of scenery and a visit home. From Alaska, this is expensive and often a stressful decision. It's 3 hours and $500 for one R/T ticket just to fly to Seattle. It's a 15 hour trip to the Mid-Atlantic region (where both our families live) and the last time we went home it cost us about $1,500 in total airfare. Then there's the simple fact that I don't always want to use my 4 weeks of vacation to revisit childhood towns and hang out with relatives (sorry, I love my family, but that is NOT a vacation). I want to take Leigh to Germany and the UK, visit Southeast Asia, explore South America, and lay on a beach on a semi-regular basis. So sometimes the hardest part is deciding how to spend what little time and money we have: on a family visit or a real vacation.<br />
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At the end of the day we're better off here than anywhere else: we have jobs, we have a home, we have pets, we have friends, and it's summer time now so the weather is glorious. We'll just have to work around the rest of it.</div>Emilyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10417375688557882625noreply@blogger.com0