We got the leak fixed - HOORAY!!! So the irrigation system is working, and now we can start thinking about plants. SCHWEET.
JRW
February 02, 2006
On your mark, get set, eat!
Today is the start of the Food and Culinary Professionals Annual Symposium! What does that mean? Stand back, the dietitians are heading for the food!
MCC is footing the bill so that I can attend this conference, being held locally, unbelievably. I'll be going to cooking classes, tasting classes, and info sessions on trends in culinary arts. I'm also hoping to hook up with some other dietitians that are teaching in culinary and hospitality. You know, in case something actually pans out at MCC.
I am going to stay on with MCC through the summer to do some research related to the possibilities of hospitality and culinary programs, but beyond September, nothing is set.
My online classes have started, and along with my distance Master's class, I am starting to feel chained to my computer. This conference will be a good chance for me to get out and see other people. And also to look at something OTHER than a computer screen for a while. I hope to get lots of good ideas and recipes for my FON 144 (Gourmet Foods) class. I actually re-arranged my course schedule this semester to allow for a Southwest Cuisine cooking night.
Today I register and head to the Desert Botanical Garden for a session on the heritage of Southwest Cuisine (i.e., what did the Indians eat?). The conference really gets underway tomorrow, starting around 7:30 and going until 5:30. So that means I better get my Trend Analysis report done this morning for my marketing class!!
I'll write more later - and post pics, too. Have a great weekend!
Jenbo
January 26, 2006
Views from the Porch
I bet you're all wondering what the heck we've done with the backyard, right? You're thinking, what the HECK have they been doing for the last 3 months?
Well, you can't see the majority of the grunt work, i.e. the irrigation system is underground! But you can see some painting and such.
First of all, we put a lot of trenches in the yard and ran the irrigation tubing. THAT took a while!
Then we put in the valves to control the irrigation (we're still working on that part - the leak hasn't stopped).
The next step was the electrical - you can see here how we put the conduit for the lighting inside the block wall surrounding our back yard. Betsy helped us a lot at this point!
This is what the finished electrical looks like with the lanterns installed (you don't see the flood lights here) and the outlets. They are all on different circuits, and there are independent switches for the two types of lights. As you can see, we also painted our block walls La Fonda Copper. I'll put more pics up later. I gotta get myself to work!
Take care and talk to you all soon!
Jenny
Well, you can't see the majority of the grunt work, i.e. the irrigation system is underground! But you can see some painting and such.
First of all, we put a lot of trenches in the yard and ran the irrigation tubing. THAT took a while!
Then we put in the valves to control the irrigation (we're still working on that part - the leak hasn't stopped).
The next step was the electrical - you can see here how we put the conduit for the lighting inside the block wall surrounding our back yard. Betsy helped us a lot at this point!
This is what the finished electrical looks like with the lanterns installed (you don't see the flood lights here) and the outlets. They are all on different circuits, and there are independent switches for the two types of lights. As you can see, we also painted our block walls La Fonda Copper. I'll put more pics up later. I gotta get myself to work!
Take care and talk to you all soon!
Jenny
January 24, 2006
Instead of going to Urbana this weekend, I...
Sounds like an English assignment from 3rd grade, doesn't it?
Last weekend I did glamorous things... I went to Chicago, saw the art museum, hung out with T-bone and played pool. Life is good on 3-day weekends. My parents are in Barcelona this week, you know, hanging out and seeing the sights.
Life is less glamorous here at the Watson castle. As with most other weekends, (you guessed it) we worked on the yard! We are getting some major things done though - we installed a sink & vanity Travis built, and I painted the outside wall of the house a really light blue color. Frankly, it looks REALLY cool. I can't wait to stain the floor, install ceiling fans, and get some nicer furniture out there. It will truly be *the place* to be in Scottsdale!
Otherwise, life is cranking up at Mesa Community College. I'm teaching 19 hours (12 online) and I'm doing all I can to get ready for the semester. You quickly forget how much work you do for those first few weeks! Copies, anyone?
To complicate matters, I went back to school this semester at Iowa State for my masters. We have homework due tomorrow, so I can't slack in that department, either. Oh well, it'll be a good program, and the marketing plan we develop may come in handy as I help develop this culinary/hospitality thing at MCC. :)
Hope everyone is doing well! Keep warm and stay in touch!
Jenny
Last weekend I did glamorous things... I went to Chicago, saw the art museum, hung out with T-bone and played pool. Life is good on 3-day weekends. My parents are in Barcelona this week, you know, hanging out and seeing the sights.
Life is less glamorous here at the Watson castle. As with most other weekends, (you guessed it) we worked on the yard! We are getting some major things done though - we installed a sink & vanity Travis built, and I painted the outside wall of the house a really light blue color. Frankly, it looks REALLY cool. I can't wait to stain the floor, install ceiling fans, and get some nicer furniture out there. It will truly be *the place* to be in Scottsdale!
Otherwise, life is cranking up at Mesa Community College. I'm teaching 19 hours (12 online) and I'm doing all I can to get ready for the semester. You quickly forget how much work you do for those first few weeks! Copies, anyone?
To complicate matters, I went back to school this semester at Iowa State for my masters. We have homework due tomorrow, so I can't slack in that department, either. Oh well, it'll be a good program, and the marketing plan we develop may come in handy as I help develop this culinary/hospitality thing at MCC. :)
Hope everyone is doing well! Keep warm and stay in touch!
Jenny
January 18, 2006
Back to the grind...
So I haven't written in a while, but now it's time to get back on the wagon!
Travis and I just got back from a whirlwind trip to Urbana & Chicago - lots of fun - visiting with Chris. In the meantime, classes started yesterday, and I am teaching my first class for the semester tonight. I'm teaching a total of 12 hours online, so I will be busy in front of my computer for most of the work week, and teaching 2 night classes - Gourmet Foods and Food for Fun & Fitness. I have a lot of work to do, but I'm having a great time.
After this semester, I don't have a job anymore; so I am doing all I can to impress the department while I am here. I am also trying to get as much experience as I can while I am at Mesa. Regardless of where I land, if I want to teach, this is a great opportunity to get my feet wet!
As far as the home front, we're still working on the back yard - hopefully we can get everything wrapped up in the next couple of weeks. We need to finish the irrigation for the vegetable garden, fix a leaky irrigation valve, install plants & sod, and put in a brick walkway. Eventually we will be staining the concrete and painting the outside wall of the house, installing ceiling fans, and maybe getting a new table for outside. The backyard will look something like an oasis when we're done, I think!
I am also starting grad school this semester, and I actually have homework due tomorrow, so I better get to it. It's going to be a busy semester, but I am hoping to make the best of it. I'll also do better with the posts - maybe once a week... if you're lucky!
Jenny
Travis and I just got back from a whirlwind trip to Urbana & Chicago - lots of fun - visiting with Chris. In the meantime, classes started yesterday, and I am teaching my first class for the semester tonight. I'm teaching a total of 12 hours online, so I will be busy in front of my computer for most of the work week, and teaching 2 night classes - Gourmet Foods and Food for Fun & Fitness. I have a lot of work to do, but I'm having a great time.
After this semester, I don't have a job anymore; so I am doing all I can to impress the department while I am here. I am also trying to get as much experience as I can while I am at Mesa. Regardless of where I land, if I want to teach, this is a great opportunity to get my feet wet!
As far as the home front, we're still working on the back yard - hopefully we can get everything wrapped up in the next couple of weeks. We need to finish the irrigation for the vegetable garden, fix a leaky irrigation valve, install plants & sod, and put in a brick walkway. Eventually we will be staining the concrete and painting the outside wall of the house, installing ceiling fans, and maybe getting a new table for outside. The backyard will look something like an oasis when we're done, I think!
I am also starting grad school this semester, and I actually have homework due tomorrow, so I better get to it. It's going to be a busy semester, but I am hoping to make the best of it. I'll also do better with the posts - maybe once a week... if you're lucky!
Jenny
November 10, 2005
Diggin' in the yard...
So we've got 5 out of 6 valves installed - and minus a few leaks, things look GOOD! We're putting in the sprinklers and the rest of the conduit pieces this weekend. It feels like we tore things up FOREVER, but putting it together went much faster. Part of that was due to Betsy's help - thank you BETSY!!! She came over Saturday and Sunday and helped us dig in the dirt and get all muddy, and all that good stuff. She even brought over Lester to help on Sunday. He seemed perplexed why we kept digging in the same place all weekend.
Work is sliding along quickly - my students are starting to work on their presentations for the rest of the semester. I have to read up on my vitamins and minerals to be ready to fill in any gaps in the student presentations, but otherwise my next few weeks will be grading-intense.
We're getting ready for Thanksgiving around here as well - Bob and Elaine will be here on Wednesday night, and they are planning to help us around the yard. I'm thinking - PAINTING. Or perhaps planting new shrubs and stuff in the yard. The weather should be perfect - welcome to the best part of the year in Phoenix!
Mom and Dad are heading to Aukland on Saturday for a 1 week tour, should be awesome to say the least. I can't wait to see their pics!
Hope everyone has a great holiday! Take care and talk to you soon,
The Professor
Work is sliding along quickly - my students are starting to work on their presentations for the rest of the semester. I have to read up on my vitamins and minerals to be ready to fill in any gaps in the student presentations, but otherwise my next few weeks will be grading-intense.
We're getting ready for Thanksgiving around here as well - Bob and Elaine will be here on Wednesday night, and they are planning to help us around the yard. I'm thinking - PAINTING. Or perhaps planting new shrubs and stuff in the yard. The weather should be perfect - welcome to the best part of the year in Phoenix!
Mom and Dad are heading to Aukland on Saturday for a 1 week tour, should be awesome to say the least. I can't wait to see their pics!
Hope everyone has a great holiday! Take care and talk to you soon,
The Professor
October 28, 2005
Day out of the fast lane...
Today I am taking a day off work and working in the yard. Right now my landscape is at the stage where it looks like I've been invaded by the gopher army. Holes everywhere! There are a few patches that need to be worked on by hand (you know, around the gas lines, cleaning out the dirt that fell back in) but I hope to start installation tomorrow.
We have learned a lot along the way with this project... hopefully everything turns out well. Once we've made all the mistakes, we can turn around and look like experts when we help our friends do their yards. I'll post pictures when I get them developed.
My job is going well - I love the teaching gambit! I hope to get another gig for next year, or maybe long term position with MCC, but that's uncertain at this point. In the meantime, I am making myself a worthy candidate and starting my Master's. I plan to apply to ISU next week, and I am scheduled to take the GRE on December 12th. If things go well, I can be done as early as Summer 2007... I'll be done December 2007 at the latest.
Well, I better get outside before the sun gets hot. It's supposed to be 85 or so today.
Have a great weekend, everybody.
JW
We have learned a lot along the way with this project... hopefully everything turns out well. Once we've made all the mistakes, we can turn around and look like experts when we help our friends do their yards. I'll post pictures when I get them developed.
My job is going well - I love the teaching gambit! I hope to get another gig for next year, or maybe long term position with MCC, but that's uncertain at this point. In the meantime, I am making myself a worthy candidate and starting my Master's. I plan to apply to ISU next week, and I am scheduled to take the GRE on December 12th. If things go well, I can be done as early as Summer 2007... I'll be done December 2007 at the latest.
Well, I better get outside before the sun gets hot. It's supposed to be 85 or so today.
Have a great weekend, everybody.
JW
September 27, 2005
MONK SAQI MONKEY
Welcome all wildlife lovers! Here is a sample of the menagerie of creatures and beautiful locations in the jungle of Ecuador. After leaving the jungle, we went on the 36 hour bus ride from hell - I'll post those pictures next week. Have a great week everybody!
This is our bug-catching system in the jungle. They are installed just above your door in your room at the lodge.
Living the good life in the jungle. Hammocks are a nice. :)
The infamous STINKY TURKEY. Named as such because it tastes and smells bad. (That's because of the leaves it eats).
This is the flooded forest, located in the Cuyabeno, during the rainy season.
This is our cushy jungle lodge - no A/C, or electricity, but there's running water and mosquito nets!
There are dangerous creatures, like the caiman, above, or the fer du lance - one of the deadliest snakes on earth, below. Our guide, Hilary and Kerry all stepped right over the snake. Travis found it and asked the guide - "What's this?". Diego then instructed the rest of the group to walk AROUND, as this was a juvenile, and had enough poison to kill 3 of us!
This is the Monk Saqi monkey. He was as interested in us a we were in him! Staring contest!
This is the ferocious piranha that I caught. Check out those teeth!
This is an anole - a lizard that lives in the jungle and laughs at gringos trying to use blow guns!
This is our bug-catching system in the jungle. They are installed just above your door in your room at the lodge.
Living the good life in the jungle. Hammocks are a nice. :)
The infamous STINKY TURKEY. Named as such because it tastes and smells bad. (That's because of the leaves it eats).
This is the flooded forest, located in the Cuyabeno, during the rainy season.
This is our cushy jungle lodge - no A/C, or electricity, but there's running water and mosquito nets!
Say, AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHH.....
There are dangerous creatures, like the caiman, above, or the fer du lance - one of the deadliest snakes on earth, below. Our guide, Hilary and Kerry all stepped right over the snake. Travis found it and asked the guide - "What's this?". Diego then instructed the rest of the group to walk AROUND, as this was a juvenile, and had enough poison to kill 3 of us!
This is the Monk Saqi monkey. He was as interested in us a we were in him! Staring contest!
This is the ferocious piranha that I caught. Check out those teeth!
This is an anole - a lizard that lives in the jungle and laughs at gringos trying to use blow guns!
September 21, 2005
Jungle Highlights
After Quito, we ventured to the town of Lago Agrio. The other set of Romancing the Stone. I'll post more pictures later, but here's a taste of jungle-y goodness.
This was our guide, Diego, in the place that they call Cuyabeno.
This was our jumping off place for our jungle tour, in the place where the river is called Cuyabeno...
Stay tuned for the animals we saw where the River is called Cuyabeno...
This was our guide, Diego, in the place that they call Cuyabeno.
This was our jumping off place for our jungle tour, in the place where the river is called Cuyabeno...
Stay tuned for the animals we saw where the River is called Cuyabeno...
Beautiful Nature
Just a little eye candy for your weekly visit...Agave plant at the Desert Botanical Garden.
Monthly Report from the Culinary Front
So it's Wednesday night, and what am I doin'? Watchin' the game, havin' a bud...or Dos Equis, actually.
Gourmet Foods was good tonight- soups and breads. The Challah was a big hit, of course, but that recipe for "soft" dinner rolls sucks. I'm going to ditch it next semester and try something else - like cinnamon rolls or something sweet. One student suggested zucchini bread, which would be a good fit, I think.
I'm up to my eyeballs in work right now, but I think I'm getting the hang of it. We're working on metabolism in my nutrition class (the hardest unit, of course) so I'm studying just as much as my students. How long has it been since YOU'VE thought about the metabolism of triglycerides? Probably never for most of you, and that's OK. Unfortunately, I've got to teach it, so I've got to re-learn it! Thank you, Dr. Koo.
Gourmet Foods is going well - next week we field trip to Lee Lee Supermarket (home of more Asian foods that you can shake a chopstick at) and dine at Pink Pepper Thai Restaurant. Healthy Cooking is going well - we really start cooking week after next. I'm enjoying my classes, but you never realize how much "behind the scenes" work is involved in teaching. I have to admit I like the autonomy, though. I have a great department chair, and Lori Zienkewicz has been invaluable in helping me get off the ground and running along smoothly. I probably bother her too much in her office - but she's always willing to listen to me.
Betsy's doing well in her job, but I know she's ready for her own place. She misses Lester, too. I'm sure he's ready to move down here, if Mom and Dad let him go (he's a cat, in case you don' t know). Travis is moving right along in his job. He was promoted a couple of weeks ago, and things are going well for him. He may have to start working at a new location in Gilbert sometime next year, but we'll wait and see.
We start digging this weekend for our landscaping upgrade. I got to go play with microfiche this morning at the city office, and I'm STILL not sure where our sewer line is, but I think we'll be OK. We plan to roto-till and doctor up the soil this weekend, and maybe start hand trenching our flower beds and relocating conduit. Next weekend (or maybe later) we'll do the trenching thing, lay pipes, and plants will come later... like maybe November. The plants will be the easy part, really!
Well, I better sign off - it's getting late and my beer's almost gone. Peace out, yo.
J & the Boyz
Gourmet Foods was good tonight- soups and breads. The Challah was a big hit, of course, but that recipe for "soft" dinner rolls sucks. I'm going to ditch it next semester and try something else - like cinnamon rolls or something sweet. One student suggested zucchini bread, which would be a good fit, I think.
I'm up to my eyeballs in work right now, but I think I'm getting the hang of it. We're working on metabolism in my nutrition class (the hardest unit, of course) so I'm studying just as much as my students. How long has it been since YOU'VE thought about the metabolism of triglycerides? Probably never for most of you, and that's OK. Unfortunately, I've got to teach it, so I've got to re-learn it! Thank you, Dr. Koo.
Gourmet Foods is going well - next week we field trip to Lee Lee Supermarket (home of more Asian foods that you can shake a chopstick at) and dine at Pink Pepper Thai Restaurant. Healthy Cooking is going well - we really start cooking week after next. I'm enjoying my classes, but you never realize how much "behind the scenes" work is involved in teaching. I have to admit I like the autonomy, though. I have a great department chair, and Lori Zienkewicz has been invaluable in helping me get off the ground and running along smoothly. I probably bother her too much in her office - but she's always willing to listen to me.
Betsy's doing well in her job, but I know she's ready for her own place. She misses Lester, too. I'm sure he's ready to move down here, if Mom and Dad let him go (he's a cat, in case you don' t know). Travis is moving right along in his job. He was promoted a couple of weeks ago, and things are going well for him. He may have to start working at a new location in Gilbert sometime next year, but we'll wait and see.
We start digging this weekend for our landscaping upgrade. I got to go play with microfiche this morning at the city office, and I'm STILL not sure where our sewer line is, but I think we'll be OK. We plan to roto-till and doctor up the soil this weekend, and maybe start hand trenching our flower beds and relocating conduit. Next weekend (or maybe later) we'll do the trenching thing, lay pipes, and plants will come later... like maybe November. The plants will be the easy part, really!
Well, I better sign off - it's getting late and my beer's almost gone. Peace out, yo.
J & the Boyz
August 23, 2005
Back to the grindstone...
So I've completed the first two days of class, and so far, so good. I've taught 4 of my classes, the fifth one meets only on Wednesdays. That's my gourmet foods class, and I am excited about it. Everyone in the department is such a pleasure to work with, I feel really grateful for the opportunity to work at MCC!
I'm going to post some more photos from our trip below - see? It only took me a couple weeks...
Hang in there - have a great week everybody!
Jenny
I'm going to post some more photos from our trip below - see? It only took me a couple weeks...
Hang in there - have a great week everybody!
Jenny
Old Town Quito - Day Two of The trip
Our tour of Quito began at the Basilica - part of Old Town, a Unesco World Heritage Site.
This is the Virgen of Quito - the only Virgin in the world with wings. 
This is Hilary's host family - we had lunch with them at a restaurant on Panecillo, where the Virgen of Quito is located.
This is Hilary's host family - we had lunch with them at a restaurant on Panecillo, where the Virgen of Quito is located.
This is the Basilica de Voto in Quito. The basilica is less than a hundred years old, and reflects the character of Ecuador. Animals on the outside are from the different regions, such as the jungle and the Galapagos. The window shown above represents the 2000 kinds of orchids found in Ecuador...
Quito, Part Deux
We toured the Museo de la Ciudad - Museum of the City -and learned all about the history of Quito. Travis and Hilary took turns beating each other with the free posters we received with our tickets.
We ate unique and tasty fruit in Ecuador - a fresh fruit lover's paradise. Travis thought this fruit tasted like slime, but I really liked it.
After Quito, we headed to Lago Agrio for our jungle tour. Here is a view of the city of Quito as we were leaving. Definitely looks different than home!August 16, 2005
Professor Watson...
So my first day at MCC (Mesa Comm College) was yesterday, and so far so good. I've met my department, who all seem like they're a great bunch of ladies (no male professors in DFCS). We had a breakfast with all the faculty, then a couple of department meetings, and I got my office into rough shape to start the semester. I'm just happy to have an office - it took an act of congress just to get it!
I don't have a phone or computer yet - I hope to get those today. I'll be teaching 3 sections of FON 241, Principles of Human Nutrition, 1 section of Food for Fun and Fitness (healthy cooking) and 1 section of FON 144 - Gourmet Cooking. I am really looking forward to classes, though I know it will be a challenging semester as a new teacher.
In the meantime, we've been working on the house - Travis and I finished up the patio roof this weekend, and the entire thing is clear coated. We still need to find some kind of lattice or shade cloth for the end, paint the exterior wall, and acid wash the floor, but we're definitely making progress! We'll also be putting in a new sprinkler system and turf once the weather cools off a bit.
Hope everyone's doing well - have a good semester!
JRW
I don't have a phone or computer yet - I hope to get those today. I'll be teaching 3 sections of FON 241, Principles of Human Nutrition, 1 section of Food for Fun and Fitness (healthy cooking) and 1 section of FON 144 - Gourmet Cooking. I am really looking forward to classes, though I know it will be a challenging semester as a new teacher.
In the meantime, we've been working on the house - Travis and I finished up the patio roof this weekend, and the entire thing is clear coated. We still need to find some kind of lattice or shade cloth for the end, paint the exterior wall, and acid wash the floor, but we're definitely making progress! We'll also be putting in a new sprinkler system and turf once the weather cools off a bit.
Hope everyone's doing well - have a good semester!
JRW
July 25, 2005
Si! Si me gusta!
OK, so I think I'm finally home. We made it back from Peru last Sunday, arriving sometime around 10:30 AM. Four days later I was back on a plane to KC - I flew back so I could drive with Betsy to Phoenix. So that was all day Friday and Saturday. Sunday? Um, I'm not quite sure what happened to Sunday.
But... I HAVE A JOB!!!!!! I took a full time position with Mesa Community College! It's only a one year appointment, but I couldn't pass up the opportunity to be Nutrition Faculty. THANK YOU LORI! This will help me decide if I really want to teach someday. For now, I'm hoping to teach 3 sections of Principles of Human Nutrition, Gourmet Foods, and Food for Fun & Fitness. 15 hours- whew! I'm really excited, though. :) My first day is August 15th, so I have a few days to catch up and work on projects around the house.
I'm going to get our film developed tomorrow, so I'll have fun pictures to post. For now, here's a few to sample... I've got to get myself back on track.
Jennyany
But... I HAVE A JOB!!!!!! I took a full time position with Mesa Community College! It's only a one year appointment, but I couldn't pass up the opportunity to be Nutrition Faculty. THANK YOU LORI! This will help me decide if I really want to teach someday. For now, I'm hoping to teach 3 sections of Principles of Human Nutrition, Gourmet Foods, and Food for Fun & Fitness. 15 hours- whew! I'm really excited, though. :) My first day is August 15th, so I have a few days to catch up and work on projects around the house.
I'm going to get our film developed tomorrow, so I'll have fun pictures to post. For now, here's a few to sample... I've got to get myself back on track.
Jennyany
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