Counting Down the Days...

Well, yesterday I realized that it was March 27, and the last day I can defend my thesis and walk at the hooding ceremony is April 27. And that was in one month from yesterday. BUT yesterday I finished writing my thesis! Yay! So now I am going over it and making revisions and will give the whole dang thing to my adviser David on Friday, March 30. Then I will get it back from him a week later, so at the latest April 6. Then I will make more revisions, arrange the defense, and get some paperwork to the Grad School. And somewhere in there, my sister will have her baby and I will be an aunt!  The paperwork and so on needs to happen by April 11 because that is the day Andrew and I are leaving for Washington to go apartment hunting. And then two weeks later, April 25, 26, or 27, I will have my thesis defense and turn in the final paperwork. The moving company will come on those same days and box everything up and put it into a truck. Then I will scrub this place down and move out on April 30! I will either couch surf or live with my parents for the week. The hooding ceremony is on May 4, Andrew will walk on May 5, and then we will fly up to Washington to start our new grown-up life on May 6. Then his parents will come up and we will get ready for the wedding. Then Wesley and Maren will get married in the Seattle Temple on May 11. And then the movers will come May 14. And then life can calm down and get back to normal. And all summer I will work on thesis revisions and getting it printed and bound. Fun fun times.

Hardware Ranch 2012

Last year, Andrew and I went to Hardware Ranch. We knew that Kaleb and Olya and their kids would like to see it. So, at the start of February, we all went to Hardware Ranch to see the elk.

Moose head, little Andrew, and big Andrew.

The gang! Emma, Kaleb, Olya, and the Andrews.

Poor Emma was cold and hungry.

Off we go behind the horses!

A bull elk

A bigger bull elk

There were a lot fewer elk this year than last year because there wasn't as much snow. Nonetheless, it was fun to go see them! Little Andrew was completely enthralled. I'm so glad we got to spend some time with our good friends.

Busy Busy Busy

I hate when people don't update their blogs for three weeks. And here I am, not updating my blog for three weeks. Sorry. I've been working hard on my thesis and Spanish. And now I am going camping. After that, I might hopefully blog. I've wanted to. Oh well. Have a great week!

Graduation Gift?

I have decided I want a piano, so I've done a search on KSL.com for a piano.

Dream piano: Steinway Louis XV Grand Piano in East Indian Rosewood

$59,000

Step down from the dream piano: Yamaha P660 45" Upright

$5,000

Realistic piano: Arion Grand Upright 1920s, needs to be refinished

$150 

I guess I like brown pianos? And I would love a Steinway (since that is what I played on through my adolescence) but I am really not that good.

So if you want to buy one of these for getting my Master's degree, I would be very happy (especially if you got the Steinway for me).

New Hiking Boots!

My Valentine got me new hiking boots! Yay! They are leather, have Gortex on the inside, have a high top, and so far I really like them!

Me on our first adventure around the block. Yes, we went to the side of the street that didn't have a sidewalk. It blends in with the dead grass.

 And today we went on a hike on the Bonneville Shoreline Trail between Logan and Green Canyons. There was no snow and we got hot. What a weird winter, to be hiking (not snowshoeing) in February and wanting to take off our jackets! But there was a lot of mud so we got to try out the Gortex.

And we found this solitary tree, to which I cried, "How artistic!" Andrew agreed and took some pictures.

The solitary tree

How tranquil.

Tranquility and Tai Chi

My new boots! And they are so muddy already!

Making another dorky face while showing off my boots.

And a picture to prove that Andrew came on the hike, too.

Moral of the story: You should all buy new hiking boots and go hiking!

We bought these at a website called Camofire, and they have one deal a day.

We also got my hiking shoes (which I also love but are not waterproof) at a similar website called Steep and Cheap, where they have a new deal every half an hour.

So check them out and maybe your hiking dreams will come true!

Goals

I'm sure you've all heard an inspirational quote or two or three about goals and why they are important and blah blah blah.

They really are important. And it feels really good when you accomplish goals.

On Sunday, I made a few goals.
1) Prepare well for the Spanish test on Wednesday.
2) Finish writing Thesis Chapter 1.
3) Edit, have Andrew read, and edit Thesis Chapter 2.
4) Give Thesis Chapter 2 to David, my adviser.

And I am happy to say that today has been the day for goal accomplishing--and it is only Wednesday!
1) I studied hard for the test and felt pretty good about the test before I took it. I did not do as well as I wanted to, but I did my best.
2) Three minutes ago I typed the last word of my first draft of Thesis Chapter 1! YAY!!!! (Only one more, plus a conclusion, plus finishing the introduction.)
3) I edited Chapter 2 again, Andrew read it and didn't die of boredom AND gave me some good clarification comments.
4) I'm giving the thesis to David tomorrow morning and yes, I am scared out of my mind that he will kill it and I will have to completely start over.

Anyway. It is very good to make goals cuz then you know what you want to do. And now that the week is only half over, I have plenty of time to make some more goals and to achieve them.

Ugghh

Ugghh because:

Sometimes Spanish makes me want to slit my wrists. I used to be that student who always scored the highest. Now I'm probably at the bottom of the heap.

Ugghh--why do I have to show competency in a language that is not even applicable to my research?

If you go to an Institute class that is in Spanish and therefore full of fresh returned missionaries, no one will want to be your friend when they notice your wedding ring. And you will sit all alone. And then you will be sad. But then not too sad cuz you are  happy you are married to a handsome man who speaks Chinese instead of Spanish. And then you will realize that it is probably better this way since all the fresh returned missionaries are 2 to 3 years younger than you.

Ugghh--why can't people just be friends instead of always being on the hunt?

and

Ugghh--when did I get so old?

I didn't go running today. I like running but I don't like exercising in the afternoon. I should have gone running right after my swim.

Ugghh--why am I so tired and dead in the afternoons?

and

Ugghh--when did I turn into one of those crazy active athletic people? It is exhausting.

That is all.