Lost and Found

Yesterday, I lost my wallet.
This morning, I realized that I had lost my wallet.
Before I left for class I searched my backpack, my purse, my various coats, my bed, my chair, and my floor. Nada. Luckily, I had some cash stashed away that I could use to mail in my scholarship application. It actually turns out to be a good story, because after I finished classes I simply went to the place where I last remember having it - a computer lab where I had printed out said application. I described it briefly, and voila! I got it back. Good story, right?
I realized that I've used the same wallet since I was about...ten. I've tried one or two different versions, but it's never long before I come back to this one.

When I looked inside my wallet, I was reminded of a conversation I'd had with Alyna a couple of months ago. How would people judge you based on what they find in your purse/backpack/wallet?

It's a curious thought. And since I've been meaning to write a blog post to keep up with my bloggy siblings, I figured I'd write one about the contents of my wallet. But you guys will have to tell me what the judgement is.

In my wallet (in order from the different pockets):
 -Two driver's licenses, old and new
 -Various driver's cards for BYU and The Care of Trees
 -Blood Type card (A+)
 -Wells Fargo Debit card
 -American Express card
 -AAA card
 -American Red Cross Donor ID card
 -Stamp booklet
 -Winger's Gift Card
 -Kohl's temporary charge receipt
 -Ticket stub from Burlesque
 -Two walmart gift cards
 -Macey's gift card
 -Provo City Library Card
 -State of Virginia DOT Flagging Certification
 -Yozone punchcard with 7 stamps
 -Free Movie rental coupon
 -Business card for Mark Noark, Davey Tree Expert Company
 -Be The Match Donor ID Card
 -$5
 -Receipt from Wendy's (Spicy chicken sandwich)
 -Receipt from BYU Creamery (Milk, cookies)
 -Two quarters, a dime, a nickel, and a penny

Yep. I think it's quite a typically random assortment of junk. All that stuff and only $5.66. That's sad.

It's always more fun to share with everyone

I'm in such a sharing mood lately.  Or more specifically, I love sharing some of our family's favorite movies with people unfortunate enough not to know about them already.  Example, Oscar.  To my friend Ryan and my roommate Kalie.  This classic move contains some of our favorite lines, but too often I find that people have no idea what I'm quoting, and just give me really weird looks.
     "A husband, a husband, but where will we FIND a husband?"
     "Feel this, this nice!  Like a baby's behind."
     "And here's a nice, crisp, twenty dollar bill!"
     "We don't have a daughter that's not Lisa!"
     "Dr. Poole was right!  You're an ox, AND a moron!"
     "Put that away, I'M YOUR FATHER!"
etc, etc, and so forth.
My point is, I like to share these movies with people, so that they too can enjoy the hilarity in their lives.  And stop giving me weird looks quite so often.  Also, Scarlet Pimpernel.  Somehow, these two movies are so well known in our family, but not so much to others.  I'm doing my part to counter this. Are you?

Looking forward

I have gone to two weeks of classes already, and I'm pretty excited for this semester. I am taking:
 - Joseph Smith and the Restoration, from Susan Easton Black
 - Intermediate Latin Ballroom Dance (Dance 285)
 - Turf Science (boring, required)
 - Agribusiness 1
 - Floral Design
 - Classical Civilizations 1, Antiquity to the Renaissance
 - Advanced First Aid

There were some classes I wasn't really looking forward to, Civ and First Aid, which are now two of my favorite classes.  In Civ we're doing a lot of reading from the Greeks and some Romans, which I now remember I really like learning about.  First Aid will be awesome if I can stomach the graphic images of mutated limbs or whatever.
I'm also working on the Tree Crew for BYU Grounds again this semester. I'll be putting in about 15-20 hours a week.
I've decided it's going to be a good semester.  I'm enjoying my non-major classes, have friends in just about every class, get along well with my roommates, run 3-4 mornings a week, and the homework load isn't too heavy, just a lot of reading.  Yeah, i'm definitely looking forward to the year.

A different sort of work week

    Work this week was very different from what i'm used to.  Instead of having my name up on the board to work with various crews throughout the week, I was up there exactly twice, and neither of those were normal circumstances.
    On Monday, Kalie and I both worked with Dave and we went to the Arlington National Cemetery for PLANET's National Day of Service: Renewal and Remembrance. (PLANET = Professional Landcare Network).  We participated by installing lightning protection into a giant white oak in one of the older sections of the cemetery.  It was pretty fun to try something new, be working with Kalie and Dave, and to participate in this big event.  Also, it provided an opportunity for some pretty good pictures.

  Facebook has all the pics:  http://www.facebook.com/#!/album.php?aid=187614&id=651171510&ref=mf

     On Tuesday I wasn't scheduled, so Jeremy sent me with Jeff Walton, one of the sales arborists, on a couple of appointments.  I honestly don't remember anything else i did that day.
    Wednesday, my name was up for Plant Health Care (PHC), so I went with Rebecca, our PHC coordinator, and  did that.  It's fun and I get to learn a lot, but it's not any hard physical labor, which is just fine considering the heat of this week.  When we got back to the office, my name still wasn't up for the next day, so I just wrote "Jess - PHC" on the schedule.  With Rebecca's permission, of course. I wasn't sure that was going to fly with my foreman and my boss, but when Thursday morning rolled around, nobody argued it, so I worked with Rebecca again.  And again, no sweating.
    Friday was even more weird, because not only was my name not on the board, they really hadn't planned anything for me to do, so I ended up doing odd jobs around the office for a while before going with Bonnie, another sales arborist, on an appointment.  I felt like the red-headed step-child of the office, except without the red hair.
    So it was a strange week because it felt like they were starting to phase me and Kalie off the work crews, which doesn't make sense because we still have four weeks here.  It'll be interesting to see what happens this week.  The other weird thing about last week, I only worked hard enough to sweat on one work day of five.  Weird.

This is Work

I often feel like I don't have much to write about this summer, because really the only thing that happens is work. Let me describe a typical day in my life, and you will understand.

4:00 am - Wake up, dress, eat, scriptures, pack lunch, etc

5:00 am - Leave for work, Kalie drives

6:00 am - Dispatch meeting at work

6:15 am - 2:00 pm Work. or so. It could last until 3 or 4 on a long day.

4:00 pm - Home, maybe swim in the little pool or read a book, shower, nap, etc

6:00 pm - Dinner w/family

8:00 pm - Start getting ready for bed

9:00 pm - Bed time (ish)

Days are fairly short with this schedule. Doesn't really leave much time or energy for outside activities. Sometimes we go to Walmart or something afterwards, and on Thursday evenings we go to Institute and play ultimate frisbee afterwards (that's our late nights of the week). Sometimes we do something fun on Saturdays, like yesterday when we hiked Old Rag, other times we work at Kalie's house and hang out. Sundays we go to the stake singles ward, which is fun. Yep, that's my life in a nutshell. What a way to spend a summer, eh?

A Visit to Pemberley

Last Wednesday after work, Kalie and I went to Pemberley. This is what the Jenkins call their estate, aka, really beautiful big house and gardens, etc. The Jenkins are the most amazing people. They're an older couple in the Anderson's ward, and are great friends with everyone, especially the youth and young single adults. I just love them. Darryl and Arlene might just be the most loving, accepting, and giving people I have ever met.
Darryl, aka Jenkins, is so funny. "Sweet poop" is his preferred term of endearment, and he calls Arlene "Prince$$". He loves gardening and Jane Austen books and movies and adding the word "dog" to everything. "That's dog fabulous!" "Did you see my dog roses?" So funny.
Arlene is the young women's president and great friends with all the young women in the ward, and a fabulous cook. She's quieter than Darryl, but just as wonderful. She also loves Pride and Prejudice and all things Jane Austen.
Grandma Hazel, Darryl's 96 year-old mother, also lives with them. She's so sweet, but can remember very little. She's pretty mobile considering her age.

We had a tour of the gardens - Grandma's garden, the rose garden, and the fairy garden, and ate hamburgers and other great food. I ate so much.

We're going out to Pemberley again tomorrow morning to help garden, and some other time to watch the new Emma with them. I can't wait. I hope to be an old person like them someday. :-)

I am thankful for...

Every night before I go to bed, I write in my Gratitude journal. The average journal entry looks like this one from last night:

May 22, 2010 I am thankful for...
- Mom! her birthday
- Pretzel M&Ms
- gentlemen (who share their umbrellas, etc)

It can be big things or little things, event or people or anything. It's really fun to look back on things I have been thankful for in the past. Sometimes it tells me a lot about what happened that day, sometimes not. But it certainly helps me to count my blessings one by one. :)
Here's a small selection of things I've been grateful for over the last 6 months (I haven't been very consistent at it until this summer, though.):
- Good warm soup
- Tina's dad coming home from the hospital
- Repentance and the Atonement
- Trees and flowers are blooming
- My truck - and being able to drive it
- Flirting
- Family dinner's at G&G Hatch's
- I'm going to have a nephew!!!
- Kalie Anderson
- Andrew Hollingshead
- Being done with ECON! Forever!
- Working hard
- Laughing
- Homemade bread
- the patience of mothers
- Ultimate frisbee

Doesn't it just make you happy to realize how many things you are thankful for?

Little Black Dress

On Saturday, Kalie and I went shopping with her mom, trying to find her a dress to wear to Katie’s reception in June. Whilst browsing the dress section at Lord&Taylors, I stumbled upon the “Little Black Dress” section. Some of the displayed dresses were, of course, hideous. But there were a couple that actually looked pretty cute. So I grabbed one to try on for fun. It was perfect! A great length, just the right size, classy and elegant. I didn’t want to be accused of impulse shopping, so I took a picture, put the dress on hold, and asked several friends (via text) what they thought. As the answer was a resounding yes. So with Momma’s help, I bought it. I can’t wait to have an opportunity to wear it!

And Summer Begins...!

Now I feel as if I have finally begun my summer. One week ago Dad and I set out on our cross-country journey, from Providence, UT to Broad Run, VA via Mammoth Cave, KY. Abotu 2,220 miles (very roughly). It took us three days, so we arrived the evening of Tuesday the 4th. I don't have too much to say about that - it was a road trip with a LOT of driving involved.
Thursday I went to work at 6am with kalie, did paper work and had some basic training, then went home early. Friday was my first real day of work, and I worked with Jose and Matt Barker. It was quite fun, actually. I'm looking forward to this summer. I'm already being teased for falling asleep at the send out meeting (what can I say, it's at 6 am!), and in the truck as we drive to our next job. I'm hoping that early bed times and being adjusted to Eastern Time Zone will fix that problem. Knowing me, it probably won't. Oh dear. I'm sure I'll learn a lot this summer and have a lot of fun. But right now it's 8:30 and I should get ready for bed. :)

The final hurdle

I'm near the end of this great long race known as the 2009-2010 school year, and I'm almost done with it...but there's one last hurdle in between me and the finish line: the last three days of finals. This is truly how I feel. I'm so excited for the semester to be over and go on to my summer activities at home in Logan and in Virginia, but I just don't know if I have it in me to get over that last hurdle first.

Four Finals left:

Econ (the beastliest - will kill me)

Arboriculture - I'll study for it and do ok.

Plant Prop - I'll probably study a little

Design - I get to draw all day tomorrow

Other than those four obstacles, I just have to pack and stuff and I'm home free!!!

But there are people and things that I have loved about this school year and will miss dearly:

Mindy Hall - We've been roommates for almost 20 months. But Hooray! She's getting married!

212 girls - Erilyn, April, Sarah, Stacy, Claire, and Mari - they have let me be their adopted roommate all year! Love you all!

The BYU Tree Crew - Max Darrington (boss), Nate, Preston, Michelle, Andrew, Katie, Matt, Jason, Kalie (but i'll be with her all summer, so that's HAPPY!), and the work in general!

Landscape Mgmt people, esp. those graduating - Benji, Cecilia, Meghan, Preston, Cameron, Jason, Brooke, et al

Blues dancing - dancing!, Dave, David, Andy, Kaitlyn, Laura, Hales, John, Anneke, Amanda, et al

It's been a great year, and next time I post, I will not be in Provo or my sophomore year anymore!!!

Weather is bipolar, but spring is definitely here!

The warm spring weather makes me so happy! The cold and wet spring weather not as much. Unfortunately it seems to go between the two types very often, and very drastically. For example, I was at work on Friday, and we were cutting down a spruce tree at the MTC. When we started this job at noon, it was sunny and quite warm. By 1:00 it was snowing like crazy, so we took an extended lunch break. By 2:00 it was cool, but drier, so we finished that job. Around 3 or 3:30, it was sunny and started to get warm again, at which point it also began to snow again. Craziness.

Lately, I've been very aware of the little signs of spring. Leaf buds forming on the elm trees, flower buds breaking on the silver maples. Crocus flowers popping up everywhere, daffodils and hyacinths coming into bloom. The little splashes of flower color and new leaves make me so happy! I'm SO excited for it to be spring/summer again! Today I went for a walk in the sunshine for like, 2.5 hours, and got a little suntan line - yay! It's all just very happy.

Swing Champions!

It's already on facebook, but i thought i'd put a little something here on my blog anyway. This past weekend BYU hosted the National Amateur Dancesport Championships. Included in this awesome event were the class events, so the kids from the BYU ballroom and social dance classes got to compete against each other. I danced in the quickstep and the triple step. You won't hear much about the quickstep because I didn't get called back even once. The triple step (aka east coast or american swing) was a different story though. Briggs Alsbury and I practiced every day last week to get ready for this, I was pretty confidant that we would do well. We kept getting called back round after round, getting more and more excited.

Every time before we walked out onto the floor, we'd go over what we needed to focus on: high energy, high knees, smile! Our goal was kinda to steal the show, to have so much energy that people would find it hard to watch anyone but us. I think the orange shirt and tie helped as well. And from the feedback we got from friends and random strangers, I think our tactic worked quite well. :)

The final round was very exciting, especially since 4 out of 8 couples were from the same class. We did a cheer for our teacher Giovanna before we went out for the final round. It ended up that all four couples were in the top 5 - Giovanna is amazing! Briggs and I took first place and each got a special trophy. I was so incredibly happy and excited! I've never won something like this before, and it felt so good!

Landscape Major

I know you all think I'm slightly ridiculous, with all of my trees and plant classes and such, but I just have to say that I love my major, my job, all my friends from work and school, and I love life. I'm getting ready for my big competition in Atlanta in April - the PLANet Student Career Days, where I will be competing in Woody plant ID and Arboriculture Technical skills. Before you start making skeptical faces at the screen, let me explain that the most important part of this trip is not the competitions, it's the networking with major green industry companies from all over the country, which will help me get internships and jobs in the future. And one of the best ways for me to make a good impression on these potential employers is to do really well in my competitions, so I'm putting forth a lot of effort to do well. Actually, I also just want to place 1st. :-)

Also I've been spending more time with people in my major, and it's been great. I love being friends with these people! We have such common interests and understanding and future, but still so diverse in our options, that it's so much fun to talk to everyone! I look forward to being good friends with them all.

So really, Landscape Mgmt major describes about 2/3 of my life - school and work. Dance and econ and hanging out with apt. 212 is the other 1/3. I'm really enjoying life right now.