the thesis is done ... the wedding is on

it is official, ladies and (lets be honest ... only ladies read this blog) ... i am officially a master. sigh. it feels ... well cool ... but not as cool as i had hoped. the last five days before my thesis was due were horrible (to put it mildly) and tainted my experience a little bit. my thesis adviser out of the blue just told me (through another person - not even to my face) that my thesis just wasn't what he was hoping it was going to be - it just wasn't quite there. yup ... he said that to someone else who was suppose to tell me that. awesome - right?

sigh. needless to say i freaked out and told them it was not an option to stick around and spend the money and the time to re-write my thesis and that i didn't understand why this hadn't come up MONTHS ago. why was he dropping this bomb on me FIVE DAYS before it was due to the graduate school?

so the whole thing was anti-climatic because i basically said "you know its good enough ... just pass me and let me get on my way please!" ... the problem was that he and my reader and myself for that matter knew that i could have written a better thesis. i have the ability to do better. but the reality is this: i didn't have enough guidance, time, or money. that is the hard truth. there are real constraints in the real world and i experienced the cold reality of it.

i have come to terms with it. i decided long ago that i would never bleed for my academic or professional career. i would never let it define me or validate me. and i stuck to that - so that i am okay with and proud of myself for not letting this all get to me too much.

i think this healthy perspective directly correlates with my upcoming sealing in the newport beach temple on september 5th.

The Ring:

Speaking of which ... I know you ladies are all dying to see the ring ... so here it is! It was my grandmothers (on my mom's side) and I have always loved it. As a child I would hold my grandmothers hand and stare at it ... I always thought it was so beautiful. My grandfather came home one day over forty years ago and told my grandmother to go pick out a new ring since hers had broken or had been lost. My mom was a little girl at the time and remembers going to the jewelery store in Los Angeles with her.

A few years ago my grandmother passed away and my mom has been wearing this ring on her right hand ever since. Every time I am in town or hanging out with my mom for a few days I would always ask to wear it for the duration of my stay (on my right hand of course.) Then, when our visit was over my mom would ask for it back. I once asked her if she might consider letting me have it as my wedding ring ... if that was ever a possibility one day. She said I could if I wanted it.

But of course that was all said very casually ... so about a month ago I asked her if that was really a possibility and she said of course! I gave Nate the option of the ring, since I had already sufficiently scared him by telling him that I wanted a vintage ring. He had no idea how to go about finding and picking out such a thing. He also was very concerned that I was trying to make it easy on him by suggesting my grandmother's ring and said very seriously: "Bethany, this is a big deal. If you want a new ring, lets get you one. I don't want you to compromise on this because you are worried about the cost." So I looked just to make everyone (and myself) feel better. I tried rings on and was very overwhelmed by the shinny and overly crazy bling that is out there in the jewelery world. Nothing, not even simple diamond bands, seemed right or seemed to fit what I was looking for. Flat out I just didn't like any of the rings I saw. It made me feel better about the decision to wear my grandmother's ring. I know I will always be happy I picked this ring as my engagement/wedding ring.

We have considered adding to it, but every time we talk to a jeweler about it I get worried and don't feel good about it. Its unique and hard to add to without changing the look too much. Maybe one day we will ... but for now I am super happy with it!

Ring Details:

It is white gold with a center round cut diamond that is flush with the band and is almost a 1/2 carat. There are five "leaves" on each side that have little diamond chips in them. There are a total of 11 diamonds in the ring. We had it cleaned, resized, and almost all of the diamonds repointed (or basically the prongs that hold the diamond in were redone to make sure that everything is good to go for another 40+ years!)

PART V: The Sustainable Preservation Thesis is Born

Fast forward to 2008 when I started really researching the converging goals of historic preservation and sustainability. Inherently I knew that they shared the goals of environmental, economic, and socio-cultural equity – also known as the “three E’s” of sustainability – but it seemed like neither discipline acknowledged or was aware that they shared these goals with one another. That is, until recently. I think it is safe to say that the field of historic preservation has the sustainability movement to thank for the clear articulation of its own goals, which preservation has successfully adopted to validate its own place within the emerging “green building” ethos. This is not to say that preservation has not always had these aims – on the contrary, I believe that preservationists were green without even knowing it. As with all movements, preservation has gone through themes or phases in promoting and inspiring the conservation of the historic built environment.

ENTER THE FIRST TWO (semi) Official PARAGRAPHS
OF THE INTRODUCTION OF MY THESIS:

The never before seen Introduction (okay seen by two people ... my thesis adviser and my reader ... but that is it ... you people are the first! Hope you like it!):

“We cannot build our way to sustainability, we must conserve our way to it.” This is the declaration given by architect Carl Elefante, effectively calling both building and preservation professionals to arms in the battle for truly sustainable development. Donovan Rypkema, preservationist and economic development consultant, made the same connection as described in the preface, choosing Coke cans instead of newspapers to illustrate the concept of embodied energy. He reports that the demolition of one typical American downtown building – 25 feet wide and 120 feet deep – negates the environmental benefit of recycling 1,344,000 aluminum cans. Not only has a historic building been wasted, months of diligent recycling by an entire community has been thrown away. When placed in real and tangible terms the connections between historic preservation and sustainability are readily apparent. The academic and commercial literature, however, demonstrate a severe gap in articulating this convergence.

To be clear, the present global concern of climate change, compounded by the energy crisis in the United States, has spurred widespread interest in sustainability and ‘green’ building. Commercial literature abounds on the subject, as the building industry quickly attempts to address the impacts of the built environment on natural and urban ecologies. The literature addressing sustainability, however, focuses predominately on new construction, systematically ignoring the already existing building stock. Likewise, the literature for adaptive reuse of historic structures only vaguely asserts its natural alignment with the concept of sustainable building. The fact that these two movements are rarely discussed concurrently in the academic literature of architecture, planning, and preservation, exacerbates the need for an evaluation of the sustainable reuse of historic buildings.

PART III: Connections are Made

"The context of my personal awareness of, and interface with, environmentalism has merit in understanding how my academic and professional experiences have led me to pursue this specific thesis topic. I came to graduate school specifically to write a thesis like this one. I choose the University of Oregon because of its orientation to environmentalism, as well as what the program had to offer. Its location within the Pacific Northwest, widely regarded as the leading region for sustainable practices in the United States, solidified my acceptance of attending the UO. However, before the thought of graduate school to pursue a Masters of Science in Historic Preservation and before the idea behind this thesis had fully taken root, I had the beginnings of the idea planted in my mind simply by paying attention to how I felt in particular places. I am certain that I have a heightened sense of self-awareness due to my anthropological training and thus I began to notice my feelings as I walked around the historic Capital Hill Southeast Washington, D.C. neighborhood that I worked in.



Specifically, I noticed the differences I felt at home (in a high rise apartment building in Northern Virginia - the middle of what seemed to be corporate America) from how I felt as I walked to work from the Capital South Metro station through Southeast DC. I couldn't help but notice the irony that I went from home/corporate America to work/historic neighborhood. Isn't that backwards - a commercial living environment to a domestic working one - I was all confused. I worked in two old row houses that had been renovated into one and our neighbors were all residents ... these were there homes. As mentioned previously, I have always loved old things and thus it came as no surprise that I enjoyed the walk past historic row houses everyday. I noticed the variety of shape, style, and condition even though I had no real knowledge or formal training in architecture. What I did know was this: I felt something different when I walked through a historic neighborhood. I felt a sense of richness, depth, and stability. As a deeply religious and spiritual person, I quickly developed a sense of moral obligation to understand these buildings and neighborhoods and the role they played in people’s lives and in their surrounding communities."

Part IV coming soon!

Since I brought it up - let us fondly reflect on DC and the Capital Hill area ... I miss it so. Some of these pictures I am sure I have posted before ... but they really capture the area ...

The church building on the corner of 3rd and A St?

(work peeps - help me remember!)

Jimmy T's


The Capital Building


My first Thanksgiving in DC ... this was my 2005 Christmas card
(wow has it been that long? Sheesh I am getting old)


In between the capital building and the National Mall-
the sculpture is so dramatic - i love it!


One of my favorite things to take pictures of -
the Library of Congress Jefferson Building -
this picture is my desktop ... has been for a few years now.

running and writing

Ran a ten-minute-mile for the first time in my life yesterday. I had to convince myself to do it every step of the way. Don't be too impressed, I quit after one mile.

In all honesty I had already run 2 miles at my usual 11 1/2-minute-mile pace before deciding to give it a go ... the first 10 minutes of running are my least favorite so I couldn't start the ten minute mile right away. Come to think of it, the last 5 minutes are no fun either ... which leaves a solid 10-15 minutes of feeling alright while running ... this "feeling alright" is a relative feeling of course.

Update: I am 4 pounds away from my goal weight! So far I have lost 38.4 pounds in six months ... yeah, I almost don't believe it myself. Crazy. I must say - the last 10 pounds are the hardest and by far are taking the longest. So if you need some inspiration ... a motivator ... a cheerleader ... I promise you I can help. Drop me a line.

In other news ... I have OFFICIALLY started writing the first draft of my thesis (everyone scream YAY!) For the first time I feel like I can actually do this and have a vision of what it looks like. For soooo long ... like before I even came to graduate school ... since like 2006 ... I knew what I wanted to write about (Kelly - remember those talks on the way to the metro from the gym? "The Greening of Preservation" I believe was the title ... well its changed a bit since then ... but the general idea is very much still there!) The research, writing, editing, and re-writing process is a beast ... but I can honestly say that it has actually started to click (I am sure there is more writers block in my future).

I can also honestly say that its amazing how the Lord helps you get your "to do" list done when you put Him first. I have noticed that as I put my church calling (job/work/responsibilities for all you non-peeps out there) first and serve and make time for people that my capacity is enlarged ... capacity to write, to read, to think, to listen, to comprehend, to express, to serve, to love, and to give is all increased at the same time. As I read the Book of Mormon everyday I feel the peace and reassurance that I can get through whatever comes my way as I seek to know my Father in Heaven better and to emulate my Savior Jesus Christ. Reading the BOM everyday is something I have never been good at but I re-committed to do it after a challenge by my Bishop starting February 1st ... I am happy to report that I am keeping it up and really really enjoying it! So that is my testimony ... put the Lord first and He will help you push through it all and get it done. Not that I don't have hard days or unproductive days or even terrible, horrible, rotten, no good, very bad days ... but just that I have a better capacity to breathe and know that this too shall pass ... and I remember the things that are really important. I feel blessed.

where does the time go?

February is already half-over (thank heavens ... I am not a fan of this month ... more on that later) and I was reflecting on what has happened and what I haven't posted about.

I went to the Pacific Life Bowl Game on December 30th with my oldest brother. UO Ducks were playing Oklahoma State in San Diego. I got tickets and new exactly who would appreciate hooking him up ... since he always does the same for me.

I had a birthday ...
My roommie bought me flowers ... isn't that nice?!

I went out to dinner with friends for the birthday
(even though I was sick)
and wore this belt buckle I haven't worn in years
(because I couldn't for year ... if you know what I mean)
so I had to show it off and wear my shirt tucked in.
I know you can't tell but it has a lion head ... its pretty rad.

So about this whole not liking February thing. Its not because of Valentine's Day (typical conclusion to be drawn, but not the reason for my dislike) ... its because its a really crappy month.

Let us outline why.

The holidays are over by this time ... Thanksgiving, Christmas, New Years ... and their residual effects have worn off as well.

My birthday has come and gone ... and to make matters worse ... I was sick this year.

Winter and coldness is STILL here and not letting up anytime soon.

And this year ... I am writing a thesis and February marks just four months left to do so ... and I am stressing out about it.

Need I say more???

So a few years ago I decided I would take trips in February. It hasn't worked out every year ... but I am going to try to do that since it makes me feel better about the month. This year I went to Salt Lake City, Utah. Not too glamorous, but a good get-away none-the-less.

Saw this guy in Salt Lake City, Utah.
He and a bunch of his lion friends are on the Joseph Smith Memorial Building.
I guess I have a thing for lions these days.

Went to the Logan Temple for the first time. It is soooo beautiful!
Loved every minute of it.

More pictures ... its just sooo amazing:

Embracing the New

I like the old ...

Exhibit A: I have a BA in Archaeology
Exhibit B: I am currently pursuing a master's degree in Historic Preservation

aka - I dig historic architecture (don't you just love how I managed to combine those two things together? ... dig (archaeology) historic architecture (historic preservation) ... what? not that funny? oh ... uh ... sorry)

So yeah - I am into the past, the ancient, the long gone by, the historical, the reminiscent, the once upon a time. As I have stated before, I have an old soul ... I like Paisley (as seen here and repeated - with much better taste I might add - in my current abode ... pictures soon I promise) and hanging plates and black and white photos.

Oddly enough, however, I have the conflicting urge to change my scenery and living situations very often (as inventoried here). I want to live so many places for a year or two - South Carolina, Louisiana, Boston, upstate New York, Texas ... it just dawned on me that most of those places are on the East Coast. In all fairness, those are places far from my family and thus most likely won't be places I stay forever ... places like Portland, San Francisco, Los Angeles, San Diego - those could be forever places. But this moving thing is an exception ... every other aspect of my life tends to lean toward to the old, solid, stable, and classic. However, the Fall is a good time to embrace the new and that is what I am trying to do.

School starts tomorrow ... late, I know ... and with that comes new classes, new students, and new adventures. This also translates to new people at church - a lot of them - which is wonderful to see this morning. To add to the "New Fest" as I will call it, we received a new Relief Society President, which is the head of the women's organization in my church. This position is a big deal, not because it suggests she is the most righteous or capable woman in the ward (although one could argue that both these characteristics describe my good friend Jessica) but because great responsibility is placed on her shoulders. Her call to the position I know is inspired and I felt that today as she spoke to the sisters. I felt the spirit testify of her plan and organizational style as she expressed her sincere love for the women in the ward and the gospel in her life. She made me want to be better and she continues to help me re-new my commitment to the Lord and live as a better disciple of Him. I too have a new "calling" or responsibility in the Relief Society. Jessica has called me to be the Compassionate Service Leader and has charged me with the concern and welfare of the ward - to get to know people and discern their needs and help them feel the love that our Savior has for us. I feel honored to be a part of her presidency and hope to live up to the desires of both her and my heart in serving the Lord.

I am also blessed with the opportunity to serve with Jessica in the Portland temple twice a month. I am extremely excited and humbled by this calling and pray that I can learn all that is needed and provide a great service to my fellow sisters in this life, as well as the next, as we do the work of our Father in Heaven.

On a scholarly note, I will be assisting my Program Director as a TA for the first year master's student's Introductory class this Fall. Lots of preparation and time will be devoted to this class, as well as my own research and writing for my thesis.

So, lots of changes are coming about, however I know that as I embrace all these new things and strive to put the Lord first in all that I do, that I will be able to accomplish all that is asked of me.

thinking and doing ... the disconnect

I think about blogging often. Something funny happens in my life and I want to share it. But I lack follow through with out a deadline holding a knife to my back and making me walk the plank to take the plunge. I don't think its because it is spring ... when the sun is out here in Oregon it is beautiful. The leaves are sprouting and the flowers are blooming and it is wonderful ... but it is still raining a lot. And from what I hear, it will continue to rain until June which is right when I will be leaving for the summer.

Following through. I don't feel like this has always been a huge struggle for me ... but right now it is one of the biggest. I have time to write the papers I need to and even blog to let you people know I am alive and well and thinking strange thoughts ... but unless the due date is tomorrow - I can't bring myself to do it. Procrastination is awful and I hate that I am letting myself be engulfed by it.

Other Random Things:

• I watched a disaster film last night and cried (remember how I feel about them?)
• I am addicted to Propel and cookies from Safeway's bakery ... but I don't eat them at the same time.
• I feel behind in life.
• I feel like I want too much and I don't know how to get it.
• I wish I took more pictures these days.
• I need to start looking for monthly storage.
• I want to wear skirts and shorts again.
• I love my car - it was a really good purchase
• I need to wash my car - but its going to rain again so its hard to convince myself to do it
• I have this strange obsession with the South right now - architecture and everything about it ... I feel like I want to live in South Carolina or Louisiana or somewhere like that.
• I constantly want to be in multiple places at once - have different lives all at the same time ... live here in the Pacific Northwest, live in the South, live in New England, live in San Francisco ... maybe its all the buildings I have been studying lately.

Anyway - those are the thoughts and feelings in my head.

ready to ge my passport stamped again

You may be in planning mode now, but this isn't just about idle thinking. You have an uncanny sixth sense that won't steer you wrong. It's as if you can see the future and can organize the present in a way that allows you to reach your goals. It isn't time to negotiate, so be prepared to do it by yourself if others aren't enthused by your ideas just yet.

This is really a perfect Horoscope for me because I just started planning my summer ITALY trip! YEAH for traveling! I will be in Oira, a small town in Northern Italy's Ossola Valley attending a Field School for Historic Preservation. I will be learning how to read cultural landscapes and record and analyze the buildings in them ... plus I get to work along side a master Italian Stone Mason restoring a historic structure! And I get 9 credits toward my graduate work for this ... sweet huh!

"Oira is a small village of about 200 people located one hour northwest of Milan by train. Nestled between the steep slopes of the towering alps, Oira lies at the north end of the narrow Ossola valley as it winds its way toward Switzerland and the Simplone Pass. Through its relative isolation, the Ossola valley has held the secret of its striking natural beauty and amazing stone hamlets for many years. The valley has a long history of granite quarrying and milling and has many intact stone villages, a number of which stand as they did in the 15th and 16th centuries."

(Italy Field School - University of Oregon)

I am sad that I will not be in DC for the summer hangin out with all my DC peeps (and the AHA girls) ... it was a really hard decision to make ... but the internship wasn't panning out in the way I had hoped and really, isn't Italy always a good idea? (ok, so the real quote is actually "Paris is always a good idea" from the movie Sabrina, but you get it) So I will be in Europe for at LEAST a month, but most likely a bit longer. I will be in Croatia for about 5 or so days as well and then ANYWHERE IN EUROPE THAT YOU WANT TO MEET ME! I am looking for travel buddies at the end of July ... let me know if you want exact dates and locations!



Its too bad I don't drink because there is going to be a whole lot of wine around me come July!

All this Italy talk reminds me of this:


And this:


And this:


Oh, and don't forget this:



Summer 2008 looks promising. Have I convinced you to take a week off of work to join me yet? 'Come on ... you know you want to.

i like to think i am a lover ... but perhaps I am a hater sometimes

maybe i already blogged about this at some point, but i couldn't find it if i did ... although, i didn't look very hard ... anyway, here goes:

so i am at the university's rec center ... very nice set-up i might add ... and all i can think is how i hate the skinny pretty girls. i mean they are everywhere. i can't get away from them. i am on the eliptical (bad place to start) and i am surrounded by, like, 10 skinny pretty girls sweating their butts off (literally). i go up to the indoor track/stretching area and yup, skinny pretty girls are running around all perky like on the track ... like running for reals - not the fake running that is just to be seen.

And even worse than hating them because they are skinny and pretty ... i automatically assume they aren't very bright (isn't that awful!?) ... the thought process goes like this:

i hate that skinny pretty girl sweating it up on the elliptical over there. she looks amazing in spandex and has the flattest stomach i have ever seen. well, at least i am smart even if i am not the skinny pretty girl working out.

And then I debate to myself if I would give up my brain to have an amazing body like hers ... hahaha (you girls know exactly what I am talking about ... you know you have had a similar conversation with yourself ... right?! eek, i am a bad person, huh?)

Its unfair because these girls are at the university gym which means they are attending the university ... and they are probably very smart ... probably way smarter than I am. But I automatically assume they must spend more time in the gym than they do studying in order to maintain that level of fitness ... I mean who could do both???!!! And what an unfair comparison ... they are like 19 years old and next week ... I am going to be 25, which is not old by any means, but I mean come on, its not 19.

Sigh ... and there you have it. I am mean and shallow and envious ... the worst combination i can think of.

One of my resolutions this year - not to stop thinking those thoughts ... no I am not that unrealistic in my resolutions ... I am trying something even more impossible ... i am resolving to be one of those skinny pretty girls that everyone assumes isn't very bright. If I was skinny, I could handle the hater vibes from the other girls ... because I would know it was a hard journey ... cheers to the typical resolution of eating healthier and exercising more. And good luck to all those who have this one written down too.

(I know ... you are thinking - "she came out of blogging hibernation to say that?! man, that girl is messed up" ... but hey, I take the inspiration where I can get it.

proving myself ... to myself ... in so many ways

I finished my first term of graduate school. One of the hardest things I have done, thus far. I have learned a lot so far and its really exciting. Its only the first term and I feel all sorts of anticipation of the future! So many things I want to learn about ... so many articles to read!

I feel like I have been learning so much about buildings, preservation, sustainability, cultural resource management, the economy ... all sorts of crazy things. But then of course it has been as if I have been living under a rock in other respects. I know nothing about music, politics, or movies ... those normal things that people are aware of. And that is probably ok (with exception of politics, I should know about that).

With all this political talk going on these days (most notably in my parent's house and when you live in DC ... UO students seem to be aware of it as well) I feel like I am so in the dark on what is going on. My dad said that he had heard about online questionnaires matching your ideas and views on hot political topics with the 2008 candidates. I was intrigued by this idea ... what if I was professing to have democratic leanings but in actuality had more ideological alignment with ... GASP ... a REPUBLICAN candidate (if you know me, you know my father would be soooo upset AND I would feel very foolish if this were true)! The fear is rooted in this - while I know a little bit about what is going on, I am extremely undereducated in terms of the issues. Always have been. I talk a good game, but I really only scratch the surface of understanding what is really going on in America today. So I took an internet test and here were the results:

2008 President Selector Rankings:

1. Theoretical Ideal Candidate (100 %)

2. Barack Obama (80 %)

3. John Edwards (80%)

4. Joseph Biden (74 %)

5. Dennis Kucinich (73 %)

6. Hillary Clinton (72 %)

7. Wesley Clark (not running, endorsed Clinton) (72 %)

8. Bill Richardson (69 %)

9. Al Gore (not announced) (68%)

10. Christopher Dodd (68 %)

11. Alan Augustson (campaign suspended) (67 %)

12. Michael Bloomberg (says he will not run) (52 %)

13. Mike Gravel (50 %)

14. Mike Huckabee (48 %)

15. Ron Paul (41%)

16. John McCain (39 %)

17. Elaine Brown (38 %)

18. Tommy Thompson (withdrawn, endorsed Giuliani) (37 %)

19. Mitt Romney (36%)

20. Alan Keyes (35 %)

21. Chuck Hagel (not running) (34 %)

22. Tom Tancredo (withdrawn, endorsed Romney) (30 %)

23. Rudolph Giuliani (29 %)

24. Sam Brownback (withdrawn, endorsed McCain) (29 %)

25. Kent McManigal (campaign suspended) (28 %)

26. Duncan Hunter (22 %)

27. Jim Gilmore (withdrawn) (21 %)

28. Fred Thompson (21 %)

29. Newt Gingrich (says he will not run) (21 %)

30. Stephen Colbert (campaign halted) (16%)

WHEW ... safe! I should have been more confident in myself I guess, but its nice to know that I really do vote the way I profess to believe. To be fair, and if I had the time, I would need to take multiple tests to see if they all came out relatively similarly ... that would be the responsible thing to do. Different tests might highlight different social/political issues in different ways. Even the phrasing of questions might sway me ... who knows ... I mean hopefully I would be able to figure it out ... but I am just suggesting it might be even more interesting to see who I was connected to on multiple sites. Another interesting thought is for the candidates themselves to take the test ... would they be connected with themselves as their ideal candidate??? hmmm.

Notice how my "Theoretical Ideal Candidate" does not even exist. I like to say that's because there is no one like me :) ... I am unique and thus so is my paradigm or life-view. In seriousness though, I think that it attests to my belief of voting issues rather than party. I posted the entire list in order to show the major players and persons of interest (in red) ... its official ... with 36% Mitt and I really only share religious beliefs ... and that's ok, we can still be friends.

I took another quiz on the site ... WHAT DOES YOUR SOUL LOOK LIKE. How could I not take the quiz with a title like that!?! I NEED to know what my soul looks like. Here are the results:

Belief System Selector:

1.	Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints (Mormons) (100%)
2.	Bahai (90%)
3.	Jehovah's Witness (82%)
4.	Orthodox Judaism (75%)
5.	Sikhism (73%)
6.	Mainline - Liberal Christian Protestants (73%)
7.	Mainline - Conservative Christian Protestant (68%)
8.	Reform Judaism (66%)
9.	Islam (63%)
10.	Orthodox Quaker (59%)
11.	Liberal Quakers (58%)
12.	Christian Science (Church of Christ, Scientist) (50%)
13.	Eastern Orthodox (50%)
14.	Roman Catholic (50%)
15.	Unitarian Universalism (50%)
16.	Jainism (42%)
17.	Seventh Day Adventist (41%)
18.	Neo-Pagan (36%)
19.	Mahayana Buddhism (34%)
20.	Hinduism (34%)
21.	Theravada Buddhism (33%)
22.	New Age (32%)
23.	New Thought (32%)
24.	Scientology (28%)
25.	Secular Humanism (26%)
26.	Taoism (24%)
27.	Non-theist (19%)

SAFE AGAIN! My soul is 100% Mormon (funny, my ultra conservative right wing church friends might find this a little surprising ... hehehe ... I joke, I joke). I was a little surprised that they even had my church listed with its correct name and all, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and not just Mormon. Again I have highlighted some of the interesting connections ... notice how my soul has more in common with Orthodox Judaism (75%) and Islam (63%) than Orthodox (59%) and Liberal Quakers (58%)! Not that shocking to me ... but go figure. I also found the vast difference with Scientology (28%) and Non-theist (19%) organizations interesting. Just a little food for thought.

Anyway - check it out and see what you think. And p.s. my mac is in the shop so we will see how this goes on the whole getting back to blogging.

my squeaky shoe

my left black jack purcell squeaks at the heel. its no big deal walking around camps ... until i go to the library and everyone turns to stare at me.

just as i suspected

i take back this post 100% (well at least 90%) ... i am no good at grad school right now. What happened you might ask - MIDTERMS. i feel lost and confused and frankly, not very bright.

The problem is that i have forgotten how to study - really study - for an exam. You know, multiple choice, short answer, fill in the blanks - straight up knowing the material and not just being able to write some flowery non-sense about the stuff you read. Yeah, well I am so much better at the flowery non-sense than the facts. I get so distracted and tired and I can't focus ... anyone have studying tips?

keep on truckin

so i guess that i don't totally stink at this graduate school thing ... although my mind may change next week after I have another mid-term and 4 papers due (yeah its going to be a GREAT weekend). i did really really well on my first real paper in graduate school and it was just what i needed to keep my head in the game. i needed a little positive reinforcement for all my crazy ideas and views on preservation and sustainable communities. on the flip side, however, i am not necessarily rockin my exams these days ... never was that great at tests in comparison to papers. but i wonder how i am going to feel when i realize it translate to a B- or a C+. right now i don't much care ... which is the problem. i have forgotten how to study and hold large amounts of information in my head for art history tests and that is exactly what i need to do right now. maybe i will have to have a tough semester before i really get my stuff together. who knows ... until then i will keep on truckin.

Wish the FedEx truck would keep on truckin ... all the way out of my picture!

This is a building outside of the Foggy Bottom Metro Station in DC

I am sure some preservationist don't like this idea ... its facadism (keeping the facade of an historic building only) but I say its clever, witty, and keeps the character of the town homes while providing office space. Plus the are no bones about what part is modern (hint, its the dark glass parts) and what part is OG (original gangster ... or original building in this case). I also like how the concrete echoes and incorporates the scale and style of the original building, while being suspended in the dark modern glass.

changing targets

So much for graduate school just having it out for the blog ... it is going straight to the source and trying to do me in!

Graduate school is trying to kill me ... it may even be winning. On Tuesday I was convinced that I was going to either quit or die trying to do all my reading and writing.

Perhaps the family would chip in and build a mini-chapel
to me that would look like this:


Paris, France


Mmmm, probably not ... its a bit too fancy. How about a headstone like this
(minus the WILSON on the bottom):

Harrisonburg, Virginia



Perhaps that one is too masculine ... maybe something with flowers - in stone so they don't have to bring real ones (I know how those Johnson's are):

Harrisonburg, Virginia



Lets be honest, most likely my headstone would look like one of these:

Annapolis, Maryland


Either way, the inscription would read:

Insufficient consumption rate of written information.

Death by tome ... gee, that's neat.

The hardest thing about graduate school so far is that a lot of the reading is actually very very interesting and engaging ... its just so much for me to handle in a small amount of time. I feel like I don't have time to actually think about what I am reading because I am too busy trying to consume all the material.

Sigh. I will get through it and grow and learn and stuff like that. Wish me luck ... only 9 more weeks to go.

school is trying to kill the blog ... but I am fighting it

Apparently school is bad for my blogging health. Technically classes haven't even started and I already can't find the time, brain power, or desire to blog. This is serious people ... I love blogging and want to continue to love blogging. Sigh. I plan to dedicated tonight to some serious attempts to chronicle my last few weeks ... pictures and all.

Check back tomorrow ... I hope to have something new here.

unemployment = a great tan

You know its been a good month when you have managed to get the best tan you have had in years. Really it just represents that I am unemployed and will soon be heading back to school ... but I am perfectly ok with that. Either way I am more tan now than I have been in the past 4 years combined!

Working is so over-rated. Living with your parents for a month in Southern California, going to the beach a few times a week, and driving your mom's 350-Z around town is sooo under-rated. But one does need to make a living to support themselves, so I will live it up now while I still can. Only four more days of the OC vacation life ... then I am off to Oregon on Tuesday to start the next chapter of my life - GRADUATE SCHOOL (imagine dramatic music here).

will i ever stop moving?

I am waiting for my queen size bed and ikea dresser to be picked up right now ... they won't be here for at least an hour ... and I am thinking. Uh oh ... thinking. Yeah - I agree, its a dangerous past time.

But anyway - I am doing it. Thinking about moving ... past, present, and future. I leave on a plane tomorrow headed for LAX and really I don't know when I will be back on the East Coast. Geez, I am totally getting sad. My parents have lived in Southern California for pretty much their entire lives. I joke with them that I have lived in more states in my 24 years than they have in their 35 years of marriage. As I am looking at my life packed up in suitcases I can't help but wonder when will this end? When will I feel comfortable enough to "settle down" and actually live in one place for more than a few years. I am not even talking about just living in one city or area ... an even bigger accomplishment would to be live in the same house/apartment/dwelling for more than one year. Well thinking back to my college days, I did live in one apt. for two years but I lived in a tent for two months in between those two years ... but still, I think that is the time frame to beat.

For fun - lets chronicle the locations:

1. House I was born in - Irvine, California - January 1983 - August 2001

2. Deseret Towers - Provo, Utah - August 2001 - May 2002

3. House I was born in - Irvine, California - May 2002 - August 2002

4. Sparks Apt. - Provo, Utah - August 2002 - May 2003

5. Foxwood Apt. - Provo, Utah - May 2003 - August 2003

6. Campus View North Apt. - Provo, Utah - August 2003 - May 2004

7. Tent - Escalante, Utah - May 2004 - July 2004

8. Campus View North Apt. - Provo, Utah - July 2004 - May 2005

9. House I was born in - Irvine, California - May 2005 - September 2005

10. Crystal Plaza Apt. - Arlington, Virginia - September 2005 - August 2006

11. Rhapsody Condominium - Washington, DC - August 2006 - August 2007

12. House I was born in - Irvine, California - August 2007 - September 2007

13. Hideaway Apt. - Eugene, Oregon - September 2007 - June 2008

(then who knows ... will I stay or will I go?)

Let's count it out people. That is 13 moves in 6 years. Two of those are across the country and 7 of them are from one state to another. I am tired, how about you?

But I am excited for this new adventure. Sad to leave behind my many good friends that I have made here, as well as those of you who have been in my life for awhile but happen to be here with me. It has seriously been soooo great. I love the East Coast and I love everyone I have gotten close too. I know that this move is a good one for me (as have so many of the previous moves) and I look forward to the challenge of school and meeting new people. I am also very excited to serve the Lord in a new way in a smaller church setting in Eugene - I know it will be good for me.

So, here goes nothin'.

oh happy day!

I just registered for my first term of graduate school! How fun is that! I know its totally dorky - but I am really really excited about it. School doesn't even start until late September (so late huh - don't be jealous ... school goes until mid June) but I am ecstatic! Probably because I am taking some really interesting classes -

- Research Methods (ok - not that cool)

- Introduction to Historic Preservation (cool)

- 19th Century Architecture (getting cooler)

- Seminar on Green Cities (coolest)

I still have a myriad of details to work out - student loans, health insurance, etc. but I am so happy to now have my schedule set. Maybe I will pick up one of the books on the reading list ... yeah, that sounds like a great idea!

You laugh - but I think I just might.

[end geek girl excitement]