Wow, I didn't realize that I hadn't written since May! I guess that's how much fun you can have while you are attending graduation, staining your concrete, and taking a Stats class from ASU! Here's a quick summary of the past few weeks...Part I: Graduation
Bobby graduated from KU on May 21, to great pomp and circumstance. The party afterwards was top-notch! Hooray for Boulevard Beer and Fiorella's Jack Stack BBQ. Congratulations Bobby!
Bobby will be starting his Master's degree in aerospace engineering at KU in the fall. He should be able to complete the degree in a year - which makes me kind of jealous, really. If I'm really lucky, I'll get done December 2007, more likely Spring 2007. Oh well, I've been working on my job!
Part II: Concrete Staining
Did this the week before we went to KS for the KU graduation. Take a gander - she's a beauty!
We also stained a tile pattern under the patio roof, and stained around the hot tub. I can't wait until we get the grass - it'll look really sharp!
Part III: Stats Class
The scary thing is, I know how to use this now!
I finished 3 hours graduate class in like 30 days. Sounds like a reality show or something. Hey, I got an A-, so I gotta be happy, right? I haven't worked that hard in a class in a LONG time! I enjoyed the class, because there were always answers to the problems, and half the answers were in the back of the book. I took the nerd award when I got a 97 on the final - highest grade in the class!
Part IV: MCC
I have officially started my contract at Mesa Community College as culinary program coordinator. It's a fancy title for: EMAIL! Actually, I'm technically assembling an advisory panel, implementing curriculum, and coordinating classroom space with EVIT (East Valley Institute of Technology). They have first rate kitchens at EVIT, so MCC will be using their space instead of building a new classroom (which takes LOTS of money). Things are going well so far - I have about half my panel assembled, I've started introducing myself to other faculty in culinary arts in the district, and I'm working on becoming a certified culinarian. That means I can put CC after my name. I guess I'll be Jennifer Watson, RD, CC. Which is kind of cool! Just wait until I get my MS or PhD to go with that!
One interesting development is the fact that they took me out of my department. I guess Mesa is thinking about re-aligning programs outside of traditional departments, or having them stand on their own (like culinary arts). So I report directly to a Dean, which is nice, but I'm kind of on my own, which is crazy. They moved my office to MCC Red Mountain, so I've lost my office space, but I can walk across the hall to get to the Dean. It's a good move - the campus is brand new and beautiful. I'm excited about the program - hopefully if I continue to work hard there will be a chance for full time employment when everything is said and done. Keep your fingers crossed! (Or if you prefer, pray to St. Lawrence, the patron of cooks and bakers!)
Part V: Travel
We've tried to get out of town as we can this summer - in case you haven't noticed, it's been like 110 the past few days in Phoenix. Argh. So we've done a bit of camping and hiking up in the high country, went to Flagstaff before the national forest caught on fire, and even made it to Canyon de Chelly National Monument on our way to Colorado for 4th of July. I don't have many pics right now, but I'll post a few below.
This is an über famous picture of Canyon de Chelly, thanks to Ansel Adams. His looked a little better than mine, but you get the idea. This is the White House trail to the bottom of the
Canyon, where you can see ruins, similar to Mesa Verde (but much smaller). These are the only ruins you can visit without a hired guide.This is Spider Rock - in a different part of the canyon. Quite a beautiful scene - and it's HUGE. It was really hot that day, too, but we still had a great visit.
Summary: So that's it?
Yup, we're slackers, pretty much. :) Bobby visited last weekend, and helped us brew a batch of Kölsch while he was here. We'll let you know how it turns out in August after it lagers for a couple of weeks. We're headed to Canada at the end of July to spend some time at the cottage, canoe in the Massasauga, and catch up with 'Dad's Old Rye' (as Grandma Polly puts it). Wizer's Delux, anyone?
I hope everyone is doing well out there! Stay cool and keep in touch!
Cheers,
Jenny
