Party Rockin' in the Summer

It's been a busy, busy summer!

First things first: THESIS = DONE! I finally defended it on June 11th and passed with a few revisions, which I completed and submitted not long afterward. Exciting! I celebrated with friends and family at the local Olive Garden and Coldstone. =) Now I'm done with my Master's Degree. :-o But I'm still trying to figure out what to do next (recall my previous blogpost)...any suggestions?

This last weekend my sister K, her daughter M, and I went down to my friend D's wedding and my cousin W's wedding receptions in southern California. We drove down Thursday and came back on Tuesday. I was a little apprehensive about the drive with my 15-month-old niece, but she was very good! Our sister C lent us her portable DVD player, which helped immensely. The wedding and wedding dinner/reception (delicious salmon!) for D were beautiful. I decided to give her a long-requested gift (D, if you haven't opened it yet you'll find out soon enough anyway) of a CD of myself playing the piano. 9 years ago for her high school graduation, she requested that I record myself playing Jon Schmidt's "Waterfall" on the piano for her, but I never did it...at first it was that I didn't really have a way to record it, then I hadn't played it for a few years and wasn't as good at it anymore, and then it was just left alone. But when her wedding date started to draw nearer I remembered how I had never done that and decided that I wanted to make it happen for her wedding. I recorded a whole CD for her, with "Waterfall" and 9 other tracks of me playing the piano (other pieces I like to play, one I wrote, and a few Disney kicks since she loves Disney so much). It certainly isn't perfect; I used my laptop's built-in microphone and the wonderful program Audacity to edit it, but I believe the final product would suit her original request. For my cousin W, I played their wedding song on the piano (Yurima's "River Flows In You") for their first dance. It was great to see lots of family there that I haven't seen in a while. She had an awesome set of songs for the dance party segment of the reception, including Michael Jackson, a bunch of swing stuff, "Zoot Suit Riot", and of course, it began with LMFAO's "Party Rock Anthem". When "Party Rock Anthem" came on, I really wanted to dance to it, so my aunt's 60-something-year-old fiancé whom I'd just met told me to "go dance!" I said I didn't have anyone to dance with, so he immediately jumped up and went and danced with me for that song and a couple more fun ones. It was awesome. The rest of the trip was nice to just spend playing with Mom and Dad, seeing my brother D and his family, and a few friends, going swimming in my parents' pool, enjoying the beautiful California summer, and of course eating at some of our favorite restaurants from home that we miss.

Then, of course, yesterday was the Fourth of July. Happy Independence Day, everyone! My roommate T and I went to hang out with my sisters' families and our friend C, which involved the traditional games, barbecue, and fireworks. The latter may or may not have involved the purchasing of many, many fireworks ("emits showers of sparks!") with your standard sparklers, ground blooms, smoke balls, black cats (ouch, those hurt your ears!), and other more intense fountains and aerials with names such as "Spirit of Missouri" (C is from Missouri), "Magic Cube Fountain", "Blazing Rebel", "Devil's Delight", etc., and ending with "Full Metal Jacket 2". It was quite the display. My poor 4-year-old nephew had a great time but was completely exhausted when he finally went to bed 2 hours later than normal. Then we had to brave the horrendous post Stadium of Fire traffic to get back down to Provo. But it was worth it for a good holiday celebration with great people. God bless America!

In a few weeks we will have our first Burr family reunion with all the descendants of my parents! That means 2 parents, 5 kids, 4 spouses, and 8 grandchildren for a total of 19 people. It will be a lot of fun. Yay, family!

And it's raining today! I love the rain.

Life is good, if you couldn't tell from what I post here. I just need to figure out where to go next. I still feel like I should leave this general area, though I will definitely miss my sisters and their families. Utah Valley has been pretty good to me, but I don't feel that it holds anything for me as far as my future goes. So I am looking elsewhere. If you have any suggestions, again, I welcome them. Thanks for reading!

Uh...hi.

I'm still alive, just fyi. I was going to write about what's happened since I last wrote, but then I realized...nothing has really happened. That's how interesting my life is right now =P So let me pull things out of nowhere here...

- Over spring term at BYU, I worked on the child health paper I've been doing for a year now. The department can't pay me for summer term, though, which means I have no job right now and have to be smart with my money. We all love when that happens.

- A group of friends and I started up a dinner group, which I've never done before but which is a great idea. We hold it M-Th and rotate who cooks, so since there are 6 of us, we only have to cook dinner once every week and a half or so (excluding weekends). It's nice to have dinner group with a small group of women: you don't have to cook bucket loads of food for 10 or 12, you don't have to cook for voraciously hungry men, and you always have meals that taste good. Plus we all (except one) live within a few blocks of each other, so we can almost always walk.
- My brother K's family came to visit from out of state for a few days. I had fun with my nieces and nephew that I don't get to see very often. We went to Temple Square, played at the park, played with nerf guns...it was great.
- My friend D came to visit, also from out of state. That was super fun; my sister K and I got to show her all the great things about Provo life. This meant mostly eating lots of food and going shopping, but we also went to Temple Square and walked around. And we played with my niece M, of course.
- 4th of July happened, in case you didn't notice. Fireworks, celebrations, etc. Good times.
- I was sick for about two weeks, most of that with a bad cold/sore throat and the last part with a stomach bug that kept me fevered and achey and sleepless for a day/night/day. I'm in recovery stage now, and quarantining myself so that my ridiculously weak immune system has time to fully recharge its batteries. I'd really rather not catch a third illness right now.
- I get to go home to CA again next week with my sister C and her family, for about 5 days. Looking forward to some time with other family and friends, and finally hitting up the beach.
- Having no job right now means I have nothing to do besides work on that pesky thesis, which I'm avoiding...why? I don't really know. I have zero motivation to do it. I need to find some, otherwise I'll be stuck in this Master's degree forever...

So I guess some things have happened...anyway. Hope you're all alive; I suspect you are if you're reading this, though I can't be certain.

P.S. Here's a pdf of my poster that won me a prize at a research conference, in case any of you want to see it (click if you want to read it). Enjoy!

Okay I love you, buh bye!

Price check on prune juice, Bob...

So this one time I decided I was going to write a blogpost nearly every day, or at least 3-4 times a week...then I didn't for three weeks. Oops. Sorry! I just didn't have anything interesting to say...

Here's what you've missed:

- I won $300 for my poster at a research conference. That was pretty cool.

- I officially finished my first year of grad school, which means I am officially half done with my Master's degree (provided I finish my thesis on time). I even got out with decent grades--not as good the last semester as the first, but still pretty good. Now I have to spend some time figuring out what to do for my thesis...

- I got all moved into my new apartment. The only real negative so far is that I am slightly allergic to the place (the girl who lived here before us had a cat). I had better look into buying a bed frame instead of sleeping on my mattress on the floor, close to the carpet that probably still has cat hair/dander in it. Anyone know of a good place in the Provo/Orem area to get a twin bed frame/box spring for relatively cheap? Price check on prune juice, Bob...

- Baby blessing for niece M. Family came into town and it was fun. M is very cute, she's 7 weeks old today and growing so much already.

- My sister C's birthday. We partied by playing games and eating pizza. What better way to party, right? And since we don't drink, we even remembered the whole thing. Awesome.

- California and family. I got to go home for almost two weeks, and I got to enjoy lots of palm trees and sunshine. I miss those things (especially sunshine and warmth...I flew back on Saturday and it was snowing.). Saw my brother D and wife M, and his kids L and S. They are so fun and so smart...S is almost 5, yet she reads 2nd grade level books. She loves to read and loves to learn. L is 7, and his new thing is that he has memorized the list of 100 most populated cities in the US and can tell you without stopping to think which city is which number or vice versa. He loves maps, geography, populations, etc. My brother K also came into town with his daughter K for one day; he had to do something for work in a nearby city, so they stayed at our house. K is doing great and growing strong. I look forward to seeing her progress continue. We celebrated (very late) my mom's birthday with a surprise dinner at Marie Callendar's, and that was fun. I also got to see a bunch of friends, like K and N (Disneyland!), J, E, and M and A who moved to Indiana but were visiting, and more. I also got to eat at a bunch of my favorite places, including two times at Miguel's Jr. It was a good trip. Didn't make it to the beach, but c'est la vie. It was a much needed break. I find that lately, every time I leave California and come back to Utah, I miss CA more and am more depressed about coming back to UT =P Not that Utah is that terrible; it has been pretty good to me, but I'm ready to move on to somewhere else after I graduate. Whether that's back to CA or off somewhere completely different, I don't know yet, but I'm open to wherever the Lord guides me.

- Easter! For the first time since high school, I was home in CA for Easter. We went to the annual Easter egg hunt/pinata fiesta at my cousins who I haven't seen in a long time, and I spent some time with my Grandpa, his wife, and my dad's sister J who I haven't seen in years. My mom made her traditional delicious cinnamon rolls. But of course, most importantly, we celebrated the resurrection of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. Without Him, we would have no hope for the future. Without Him, we would be eternally damned, but with Him, we have the hope of eternal life.

Now you're all caught up =) I suppose I shall have to figure out things to write about now, if I want to write more regularly...and I don't have the excuse of summer classes to keep me from writing! I'll be working but not taking classes all summer, though I plan to spend a lot of time on my thesis. So if I don't write, I will blame my thesis and work. Happy May, everyone!

California dreamin' on such a winter's day...

The beach.

Doesn't that little phrase bring sunshine to your soul and a smile to your lips?  That's what the beach does for me.  It could be because of the sunshine.  I love the sun.  It's so...sunny.  And happy.  And full of delicious goodness and warmth.  Or maybe it's the sand, that moves so easily under your feet.  Or it's the ocean itself, as the salty waves toss and roll, lulling you to sleep.  Very few things are better than lying on the sand at the beach, soaking in the sun rays and enjoying the sounds of the ocean and the seagulls.

I miss the beach.  I'm not sure where I'll end up living when I finally settle down, but it will have to be close to a beach.  Even a rocky beach would do, as long as I can be by the ocean.  Of course, I'd love to live by a California or Florida beach.  Sigh...I miss my California beaches.  It's snowing today, and I miss summer.  Especially summer in California.  All the leaves here are brown or gone, and the sky is gray.  I've been for a walk on a winter's day.  I'd be safe and warm if I was in L.A...I'm California dreamin' on such a winter's day.

Vacation recap and Prep for a new school year

Completion of my "must do"s during my trip to California:

Enjoy family and friends -- check
Go to the beach at least once -- check
Go to my favorite restaurants -- I got to Miguel's and Don Jose's, but not BJ's. However, we did get to go to Claim Jumper, which is always good. -- check
Go swimming -- check
Go to J's and A's wedding receptions -- check
Get significantly more tan -- fail
Get more tan -- check
Finish reading grad school prep books -- fail (as I knew I would)
Get my restless energy out and stock up on vacation energy for grad school -- mostly check

Overall, it was a definite success. I start grad school on Monday and I am definitely nervous...the 2nd year Master's students warned us that the first semester is really tough. I'm not excited about that. Hopefully I can figure out my thesis prospectus really soon so that I can get my thesis done and graduate on time. Yeesh.

My new room roommate is a brand new freshman. FUN! This year will be interesting...

California love!

Oh em gee, I'm in Cali!!!!

...Sorry, I just read Seriously, So Blessed and had an insurgence of Utahn. Don't worry, it won't happen again. =P

But yeah, I'm home for a week and a half. If you're around and want to party, let me know! Or if you want me to say hi to my parents for you, also let me know. =)

Must do while here: Enjoy family and friends, Go to the beach at least once, Go to my favorite restaurants, Go swimming, Go to the two wedding receptions I came down for, Get significantly more tan so that it is noticeable when I go back to school, or at least Get more tan, Finish reading grad school prep books (don't want to, but have to!), and Get all my restless energy out and stock up on vacation energy for grad school. Sigh. Not thinking about it yet! It's still two weeks away...

...Aaaaaand we're back!

My Trip to California:

I had a great time with family! I got to celebrate my dad for Father's Day (yay Dad! He's awesome!), which was definitely worth the trip. We also went to visit his dad and wife, and we played games sporadically throughout the week. I had a facebook date with my dad in which I taught him all the ins and outs of using facebook (be jealous). My mom and I played games/watched the tube together, and we gymmed it up a bunch. Her trainer worked me to the GROUND, but showed me some great workouts and how hard I really need to be pushing myself if I want to see results. I also got to spend pretty much a whole day with my brother and his family. I love my nieces and nephews, and I love any chance I get to spend time with them. We watched Bedknobs and Broomsticks, and played/sang some Beatles songs! It was awesome.

I also got to spend some time with friends--beach, Ruby's Diner at Huntington Pier, making pizookies, watching Labyrinth (man, it had been years since I saw that one! LOVE David Bowie), playing games, watching Toy Story 3 in 3D (super funny), just chatting, chilling, etc. J decided to dress up as David Bowie next Halloween, and I think she'll be absolutely awesome as him. Really. She could totally pull it off. M and A are moving to Indiana, so it was the last time I got to see them in probably a long while. They said we should do a road trip out there but I'm not sure if it'll work out. We'll see. Last Saturday was E's wedding, which was a lot of fun. B gave me a ride, which was fun because I hadn't seen her since high school, and then I saw a million other people at the reception that I hadn't seen in forever. It was great. Lots of dancing, lots of slightly toasted people (only E, the groom, seemed to actually get drunk from the amount of alcohol he was drinking). Lots of fun, and I'm glad I got to come down for it.

All in all, a very good and much-needed trip to California. No Disneyland this time, but at least I got to go to the beach! I really didn't need Disney, though...I got to see family, I got to see friends, and it was definitely worth the $65 to pay for gas (thank you, BYU Ride Board, for saving me!). Now it's back to Utah, with no roomies and no life. Time for research, reading, and practicing!

Oh, P.S. - I got an A in my class. Woo hoo!

You know what I will do? I will go to the animal shelter and get you a kitty cat. I will let you fall in love with that kitty cat. And on a dark cold night, I will steal away into your home and punch you in the FACE. -- Thank you, Sue Sylvester, for bringing us today's quote. You are hilarious.

I'm Goin' to Disneyland! (maybe...but probably not...)

Final tomorrow - gotta get an A- or higher if I want to get an A- or higher in the class.  I hate spring term sometimes...the tests are worth so much more because there's no time for quizzes and many miscellaneous assignments.  Sigh.  Of course, it's over much quicker.  There are pluses and minuses to everything.

Going home on Saturday - WOO HOO!! I've been looking for a way home to CA for quite a while.  Hooray for the Ride Board!  I should get there Saturday mid-afternoon, and I'm there until Monday the 28th.  How awesome is that?  I cannot wait.  Time to...P, A, R, T.  Y?  Because I gotta!

First, that fez and vest combo is much too third century.  These patches--what are we trying to say--beggar? No! Let's work with me here...Ooh! I like it, muy macho!