Happy Halloween!

As you can see, I work with a spirited bunch! The e-pod dressed up as the four seasons, plus mother nature and father time. The seasons even had names: Autumn Isa-Mungus, Ima Summer Holiday, Anita Cold One and April Showers (me)!

Others in the office showed off their creativity also. Fun times...

Study, study, and more study

Living with my sister has re-opened my eyes to the world of science nerds. You see, I used to study with these twins that I know who first introduced me to the life of science nerds, and now I get to hear all the scientific facts of life again!

For example, I say "splenic vein" and she says "cephalad and posterior to the tail and body of pancreas. I say "posterior to body and neck of pancreas", she says "superior mesenteric artery". It's great fun, but I sure am thankful that I was a Spanish and Sociology major. Here she is, studying very hard and making my house a mess in the meantime. Take note of the fact that she is holding a healthy snack that was lovingly prepared by her favorite sister.



Gotta love her!

Schultz Philosophy...a wise man...

I received this as an email forward and liked it so much that I thought it would be fitting for my blog today.

Charles Schultz Philosophy



The following is the philosophy of Charles Schultz, the creator of the 'Peanuts' comic strip. You don't have to actually answer the questions. Just read the e-mail straight through, and you'll get the point.

1. Name the five wealthiest people in the world.

2. Name the last five Heisman trophy winners.

3. Name the last five winners of the Miss America Contest.

4. Name ten people who have won the Nobel or Pulitzer Prize.

5. Name the last half dozen Academy Award winners for best actor and actress.

6. Name the last decade's worth of World Series winners.


How did you do?

The point is, none of us remember the headliners of yesterday. They are not second-rate achievers. They are the best in their fields. But the applause dies. Awards tarnish. Achievements are forgotten. Accolades and certificates are buried with their owners.



Here's another quiz. See how you do on this one:

1. List a few teachers who aided your journey through school.

2. Name three friends who have helped you through a difficult time.

3. Name five people who have taught you something worthwhile.

4. Think of a few people who have made you feel appreciated and special.

5. Think of five people you enjoy spending time with.



Easier?

The lesson: The people who make a difference in your life are NOT the ones with the most credentials, the most money, or the most awards. They are the ones who care.




Share this with those who have made a difference in your life.
I just did!

'Don't worry about the world coming to an end today.
It's already tomorrow in Australia.'
(Charles Schultz)

A great fall outing & fall chores

Tyler and I went to the Arboretum this weekend. It was a fun way to get exercise, take pictures, and enjoy the gorgeous weather!



On our way home, we were driving West on Yesler and I took this shot of Smith Tower.


Prep for more rain:
Today I was in Auburn helping around the house. My dad was brave enough to ask me to help out by dragging a rail track behind the tractor to flatten out the pasture. So exciting, I know! Thankfully, I did not run into a single thing (for those of you who have heard stories of me being banned from the riding lawnmower)!

Pumpkin carving...

Tyler's brother Myles and his girlfriend Michelle invited us for dinner and pumpkin carving this week. We had a great time! Here is a shot of the initial stages of carving. Tyler came up with the creative idea of tracing leaves onto the pumpkin. Myles and Michelle took the traditional jack-o-lantern approach and it turned out nicely.


A group photo with the pumpkins...



The results turned out quite nicely.



Happy Early Halloween to everyone!

Food, football, and fun

Last weekend was loads of fun. It began with an evening at Tutta Bella to wish Rudi well on his journey to Montana.



Rudi, we'll miss you, be sure to visit soon! For those of you who have not been there, I strongly recommend this place for its great atmosphere and excellent food!

And, we welcomed a new friend to the group, Miss Emma...


Saturday morning was filled with errands. Not so fun, but definitely productive!

In the afternoon, we met up with Garin to head to Qwest Field.



The event: the fifth annual Battle in Seattle.



Central Washington University Wildcats versus Western Washington University Vikings. For those who do not already know, Tyler is a CWU alum, and I have always been a fan of showing some team spirit :) Especially with our new *free* pom poms!





We had a great time and were joined by Tyler's dad and brother.



And, as you can see, we had excellent seats!






Of course, the Wildcats were victorious!

On Sunday, I headed to Auburn. Mom and I spent the day baking and cooking. Also, I went "shopping" at what I like to call Susie's pantry! Thanks for all the yummy goodies, mom! Becca and I have appreciated the extra food ;)

SU News

So, one of the many reasons while I love working at SU is that I appreciate forward progress. I feel that SU takes great strides toward becoming the 'premier independent university of the Northwest'. One of the more recent changes and developments is the establishment of an identifiable main entrance to campus.

On the pavement adjacent to the entrance, you will now find this...



For those of you who are familiar with campus, this is located on the lower mall at the intersection of the University Services building, Bannan, Pigott and the parking lot.

I am surprised at how nice the 'painting' turned out, but I also question its practicality (or lack thereof). I am no chemical engineer, but really how long will this hold up through foot traffic, weather, graffiti, etc.?

That's all for the practical side of Laura's blog.

Good memories

Tyler and I met for dinner at The Ram in U Village after work this evening. What a fun way to bring back good memories of our first date...which was more than a year and a half ago!

My crazy boss

Andrew decided to take a wacky picture of himself at lunch this week. I couldn't pass up the opportunity to post it on my blog.



Here is a not so crazy picture of me.

Long time, no post!

It's been a fun-filled week! Monday evening, I cooked dinner for Becca and Angie while they studied. Angie is in her final quarter of the BSN program at SU. Congratulations to her for not only her success in school, but also on the new job at Swedish. All the hard work paid off!



Later, I joined Lynne for dessert at the Edgewater to celebrate her sister's birthday. I love the view and atmosphere at the Edgewater bar, not to mention Bobbi's infamous lemondrops and the fresh sorbet.

Wednesday, Becca and I met the Brewers at the Elysian (YUM). Always a fun time with them.

Thursday and Friday, I traveled to WSU Vancouver for the semi-annual ICRC (Intercollegiate Relations Commission) Conference. I rode Amtrak down, and carpooled with my colleague from SPU on the way back. The campus is absoultely gorgeous!





I really enjoyed the conference, but am happy to be back.

This weekend, I am housesitting in West Seattle. Currently, Tyler and I are sitting in C and P Coffee House with our laptops :)

Last but not least, I have decided to move Project Photo 365 to a Photoblog account to more easily keep track of the days. Check it out my photos, bookmark it, comment, etc:photoblog .

A visit to Spokane

As previously mentioned, I traveled to Gonzaga to attend the PROW conference on Thursday and Friday.



The scenery along the way made the trip more exciting. Carly and Andrew were great entertainment as well :)





When I arrived in Spokane, Kevin was gracious enough to pick me up so that I could sneak in a visit with Team Eddy. While Amy and Kevin filled me in on their busy schedules, Noah slept peacefully. In the morning, Amy and I thanked God for coffee, and Noah showed me all of his favorite books and of course, his cell phone. What a cutie!





The PROW conference is a great way to connect with colleagues from similar institutions: SPU, UPS, PLU, Whitworth, Whitman, etc.

On the campus tour, the cathedral, the largest public Bing Crosby collection, and the basketball arena were the highlights.









In business news, we compared policies, discussed trends in higher education, and enjoyed each others company. The group photo shoot at the end kept the tradition of our recently retired photographer from UPS alive.



I will close with a shot of the SU crew: Katie, Carly, Andrew, and I.

Week 1

The first five days of Project Photo 365 presented both opportunities and challenges. I did feel some pressure to capture the perfect moment, but overall I appreciated the not-so-stressful learning moments. This is good because the options on my camera and the editing functions on the computer will help me to better my photography.

Here is what I came up with:


October 1 - The Chapel of St. Ignatius is one of my favorite places on the Seattle University campus. This angle is not regularly captured in pictures.October 2 - In celebration of Becca's week 1 back to school, we headed over to the Elysian to meet up with friends. The Nightowl Pumpkin Ale is out, yummm! Here is a shot that demonstrates that I have a lot to learn about ideal lighting for pictures (and how to keep my camera straight)! We had a great time at the Elysian, though. In addition to the Brewers, John, Lindsay, Jordan, and Alfred were able to join Becca and I. Thanks to dad for dropping off a batch of his delicious cookies for dessert :)
Oct 3 - I never tire of colorful fall leaves and again, the Chapel.
Oct 4 - My boss Andrew, co-worker Carly, and I headed over to Spokane on Thursday for the semi-annual Private Registrars of Washington (PROW) conference. This time, Gonzaga was our host. Rain hit us over the pass and I enjoyed this shot taken from inside of the car, even if it is a bit out of focus.

Oct 5 - On our campus tour, I enjoyed this shot of the colorful landscapes on campus.

I will be sure to post more pictures of my visit with the Eddys and GU trip soon.