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. :)