Graduation Ceremonies: True Allegiance

It's been almost one year since I graduated from the University of Utah with my Master's Degree.  My family was able to attend that graduation and my sister, Sherrie, brought her 3 kids.  They knew the University of Utah likes the color red, so they all dressed themselves and wore red to my graduation (see Cory in the picture next to me). Canyon is very observant and always wants to do the right thing.  He knows (according to his dad) that he's supposed to be cheering for BYU, but I think he might be a little confused how this whole thing school loyalty thing works.   

Last week, Megan Renae Fernquist (soon-to-be Fisher) graduated from BYU.  Sherrie (my sister), who is a BYU alum (along with her husband, three brothers {if you count BYU-I and one who's 1 year from graduating from BYU}, two sisters, two sisters-in-law {again, counting BYU-I}, dad, and who knows who many Batty's), went to support Megan at her graduation.  She took her kids.  These are the same kids who have joined their dad in mocking my choice of choosing red over blue, Utah over BYU.  These are the same kids who during the Holy War, will call and trash talk me.  These are the same ones who chat "Go Cougars".   These are the same ones who proudly wear their BYU Cougar sweatshirt from Aunt Kelly.  

Well.... I found out wear their true allegiance lies...

Please refer to the following email, received April 23, 2010 at 1:58 pm...

Christi,


We are at Megan graduation ceremony... The kids dressed themselves. On the way here Canyon mentioned that all wore red because everyone wears red at graduations. Oops, wrong color this time.    ~ Sherrie

Go UTES!!!

Birthday Wishes and New Projects

I'm not sure what's gotten into me lately but apparently I want to expand my skills and so forth.  This weekend, I decided to figure out how to start making cakes.  I have a long ways to go with this but eventually I'd like to make some extravagant wedding cake or something but I need to start somewhere. 

In addition to that, this weekend the NBA Playoffs started and the Jazz are playing the Denver Nuggets.  Can I just say I LOVE THE PLAYOFFS?  So, right now I'm a little Jazz obsessed.  So.. with the idea that I should learn how to do cakes and the Jazz Playoffs... err... NBA Playoffs and with a good friend and former roommate's 30th birthday happening this weekend, I decided to make her a special cake for her birthday. 

It actually wasn't as hard as I thought it would be.  I had to buy a few supplies but hopefully, I'll make the most of them.  But this was a lot of fun. 

Oh... and the Jazz, as of tonight are 3 and 1 in the series.  Stay tuned to hear about a little business venture Suzie and I have decided to do during the season.  All I can say is... I think buying those tickets were a good idea... even with the rough route we had to take to get them.

Parsley, Sage, Rosemary, and Thyme

I had a good friend that decided he was willing to mow my lawn yesterday.  So, while he was mowing, I decided to run to Home Depot and buy a couple of rakes so that I could help him out.  While there, I got side tracked and ended up buying a bunch of seeds and a kit to grow a herb garden.

So... guess what I'm doing this summer.... 

Hopefully, by the end of the summer I'll actually have something to eat or to cook with. 

Today was the herb garden day.  I've planted the seeds and in x-# of weeks we'll see how it's going.

Tell Me What to Do!!!

I can't find my bucket list so I recreated one.  If you want to see it, it's on my blog.  However... I need some more suggestions. 

What do you think I should add to it?  What should I do before I DIE!!!!!  I need something like 35 more items....

Life in a Cube

Welcome to my Office!!! All I can say is… it really stinks where I sit, literally.

I sit right outside of the all of this: the breakroom, the copy room, the stairs, the printers, and the water cooler. I know… you’re thinking… that’s convenient… but it’s not.




I get to smell everything people are having for breakfast, lunch, mid-afternoon snack, early dinners, and whatever else they feel they need to cook in the microwave. Let me tell you… the smells of tuna fish, mixed with BBQ sauce, burnt popcorn, toast and leftover ham from last nights dinner, does not help ones appetite for their own lunch. I’ve tried to drown out the smell by sitting here eating my Reese’s Peanut Butter eggs but that only helps so far. Really… people… think!!!!

Oh… and the stairs…. Being in a cubicle world… there’s nothing quite like it. I think people feel that these ¾ high walls block out any and all sound. Trust me people… it doesn’t. Hearing about your upcoming vacation, your baby woes, what your teen-ager is doing now, who you’re dating, your wedding plans, and what you did last night can be quite amusing. However, you might be wary of what is being heard on the other side of the wall. I hope you really didn’t want to keep THAT a secret.

All in all, it’s not bad. But it sure makes the day interesting.

Really… I just want to know, whose bright idea is it to put tuna fish in the microwave… TODAY!!!!

...and that my friend is what they call CLOSURE

CLOSURE: Main Entry: clo·sure
Pronunciation: \ˈklō-zhər\
Function: noun
Etymology: Middle English, from Anglo-French, from Latin clausura, from clausus, past participle of claudere to close — more at close
Date: 14th century
...7 : an often comforting or satisfying sense of finality ; also : something (as a satisfying ending) that provides such a sense

clo·sure (klzhr)
n.
1. The act of closing or the state of being closed: closure of an incision.
2. Something that closes or shuts.
3.
a. A bringing to an end; a conclusion: finally brought the project to closure.
b. A feeling of finality or resolution, especially after a traumatic experience.

So... I decided this last week I needed some closure to a friendship that wasn't going anywhere. I had been told by several friends to just let it go. Not to say anything to them and to just move on. Well... this wasn't wworking for me 100%. So... I decided I needed to let them go. This person has been around for almost 5 years and we have done a lot together but we weren't helping each other out. Anyway, I decided its over.

Has anyone every really broken up with a friend? Well... I think I just did. It didn't happen the way that I wanted it to but it happend. And, surprisedly, I'm okay. I really okay. I feel very free. I think I was having a harder time making the decision a reality than when it actually just occurred. To protect the innocent, I'm not naming names but I'm good. I've forgiven them, I'm moving on, and I wish them best in their life to come. And... I plan to do the same.