see jojo run.

Patio Renovation

2010-08-10T22:07:00.005-05:00

We have a lovely patio that we are embarrassed to admit allowed to fall into disarray. A pile of leaves lived in the corner, and the pollen that had fallen so thickly this past spring still clung to just about every surface. So we decided, in preparation for cooler weather, we would spruce up the joint. World Market was having some great sales on outdoor furniture, so we took advantage and bought some Adirondack chairs and a little matching table. We also got a potted plant (some sort of cane?), planted a few other things we've had on hand for a while, and scored a few very inexpensive but lovely accessories. And voila. The den, as Jordan likes to call it.

Before:

After:

We've eaten several dinners "out" on cooler nights, and had some friends over to cook S'mores on our camping stove. We love it, and feel like we're only now taking full advantage of our lovely little apartment in Chapel Hill.

The price breakdown:
2 Adirondack chairs: $42.50 each (total $85) -- these are normally $100 each at World Market
Patio table - $25 at World Market
2 Outdoor pillows - $8.50 each (total $17) at World Market
Potted plant - $10 at Lowe's
Glass jar - $8 at Home Goods
Sea Glass - used a gift card at Pier One
Candles and mini-hurricanes - thrifted last year for our wedding

Total cost: $145!
Total savings: $175!!

Family in Philly

2010-08-10T21:40:00.005-05:00

The Swiss Jacksons have officially made their move to the states, and Mariah and I were able to go up to Philadelphia and help watch the kiddos while M&E went house-hunting and car shopping. And then I got to go up again this past weekend to lend a hand and hang out.

First of all, I was a bit surprised by how much I loved Philadelphia and the surrounding area. Second of all, I've decided that if epidemiology doesn't pan out, I really wouldn't mind just teaching swimming for the rest of my life. It may be one of my favorite things to do, ever. Danny and Rachel are now official swimmers, love to dive for sticks, and really love doing a swan dive into the best night of their lives.

Mariah and I also visited Lancaster and Hershey, home of the Amish and Kisses, respectively. I do believe Mariah was in heaven at Hershey, and we both really loved the PA countryside.

We're all so glad the Philly Jacksons arrived safely on the east coast and hope the next few weeks are rather uneventful.

West Coast Trip - California

2010-07-18T15:37:00.012-05:00

After driving for a few hours down the coast through quaint, seaside towns and cliffy stretches of highway, we saw a sign welcoming us to California. We were frankly a little sad to leave so much of Oregon unexplored, but we were excited for the Redwoods, and especially to hang out with more family.
Neither of us had been to the redwoods before, so we enjoyed driving through miles and miles of massive trees, and jumping out to take the occasional picture. We saw lots of wildlife and enjoyed the cool, shadowy woods.
I thought I had a pretty good handle on US geography, but neither of us had realized that the redwoods butted up against the west coast. So we enjoyed seeing views like these:
As we continued south passed the redwoods we were still surprised by the things we saw. We're not sure what these animals were, but it was pretty amazing to see a herd of them (elk? deer?) crossing the beach like this.
We stayed the night in Eureka (thanks, airbnb) and then headed out pretty early the next morning to drive the last leg of our trip. We drove through more Redwoods (Avenue of the Giants), took more obligatory pictures,

and then made it to our final destination, San Francisco.We had such a great time with Abe, Klarissa, and Mariah. We took a tour of the Cable Car Museum which is free(!) and houses the cable car power house. And it's just up the street from K&A's apartment.
We also hiked (walked, rather) Land's End, which I have been hoping to do the last several times I've visited SF. It was beautifully foggy and we really enjoyed the landscape and scenery the hike afforded.
We backtracked a bit, and headed north to Santa Rosa to visit my grandma. We had a lovely brunch and visited a few of her favorite dives,
and then headed south again, past SF, to Palo Alto. We walked around Stanford's beautiful campus, had the best (and cheapest) Mexican food of the trip, and then headed back to the city.
The next day, we headed down south again, but this time to the Mission San Juan Bautista (where Vertigo was filmed), some outlets, and In n' Out.
And THEN we headed even further south, to Carmel-by-the-Sea, a beautiful coastal town with lots of high-end shops and fun architecture. We watched some surfing, and then headed south again to Big Sur.
The views were stunning (a theme of the trip). And the houses were incredible. Let's just hope there aren't any tsunamis any time soon. We then made our way back up to SF, just in time to have a great late dinner at the Cheesecake Factory to celebrate Mariah's 16th birthday.
On Mariah's last day, we hit the farmers' market at the Embarcadero, the wharf, and Ghirardelli. A nice foody way to end the trip.
We loved the west coast, and we really enjoyed spending time with family we don't get to see too often. And now we get to hunker down for the next few years, while Jordan does his pediatric dentistry program and while I try to get a PhD. There won't be too many opportunities to travel, but a trip to Brazil for the 2014 World Cup may just be the perfect way to end our travel drought! As always, we'll keep you posted.

West Coast Trip - Washington and Oregon

2010-07-05T14:54:00.009-05:00

We're finally back home from our "Jordan-graduated-from-dental-school-and-has-a-few-weeks-off-before-he-starts-his-pediatric-residency-so-let's-go-on-a-fun-trip" trip. As you can see from the map below, we covered quite a bit of ground and got to see a lot of the west coast.
We flew into Seattle and were hosted by our friends Brett and Jenna, who just moved out there for an orthodontics residency and a job as a real dentist, respectively. We felt like they had been living in the Pacific Northwest for years, based on their knowledge of the area and how well they had already adapted.

We saw the Olympic Statue Park (right along Puget Sound), UW's campus, their ward, downtown Seattle, Pike Place Market, and the Museum of Flight (which included a tour of the real Air Force One). We fit a lot in during our 36 hours.We picked up a rental car on Monday afternoon and headed south into Oregon, then drove east to the Columbia River Gorge. We were a little tight on time, but we managed to hike Multomah Falls and got good use out of our rain coats.We then met up with Jordan's family who had driven up from Las Vegas in the now-infamous 15 passenger van. We spent a wonderful week at Jordan's uncle's beach house in Lincoln City, where we watched World Cup group play, hunted for starfish and agates, shopped at the outlets, attempted to go into the frigid water, flew kites and had bonfires on the beach. It was a really wonderful vacation within a vacation.On Sunday, the family dropped us off in Eugene on their way home to Vegas. We picked up our rental car and drove through dense forest into high desert to Bend, where we had dinner, admired the scenery, and headed back the same way we had come.

The Three Sisters (you can see about two and a half here)

We made it to Sweet Home to visit some more friends who had recently moved to begin working (you guessed it: dentistry). Above is the lake we saw as we drove into their town. Jordan pulled over to take a picture just as the sun was setting. We were given a lovely tour of Sweet Home and had a nice time with our friends the Dimonds, and then headed west to the coast, where we were met with sights like these:

real-life sea lions!windsurfers!

Next up: redwood forests, San Francisco, and more

The Oregon coast!!!

2010-06-21T15:14:00.000-05:00

Bonfire down by the sea... Jordan and three sisters

2010-06-19T01:32:00.000-05:00

Verdict: fog was rolling out. It was a LOVELY day.

2010-06-19T01:29:00.000-05:00

Fog rolling in... or out?

2010-06-17T13:38:00.000-05:00

The hill on the walk up to the beach

2010-06-17T13:35:00.000-05:00

We're not in Cocoa Beach anymore...

2010-06-17T13:33:00.000-05:00

Pike Place market in Seattle

2010-06-17T09:15:00.000-05:00

2010-05-24T21:25:00.002-05:00

Tonight Jordan and I were playing a little bit of tennis, and he was killing me! We're usually pretty equal and go back and forth winning games, but I was down 5-2, and I said "who are you?!" His response: "Wimbledore."

I know I owe a lot of posts and pictures. Thanks for being patient. But if you want to see when Mariah was in town, go here, and if you want to see photos from Jordan's graduation from dental school, go here. I'm glad I've got such bloggy sisters!

fiestas!

2010-04-11T20:40:00.005-05:00

It's spring in Chapel Hill, and we have had lots of little celebrations over the last month or two. In early March, we finally had a day that felt spring-ish (highs in the upper 60s), so we celebrated by having a picnic on our balcony. We roasted a few brats on our coleman stove, and ate some homemade tzatziki (recipe courtesy of the Melonaki) and a few sides. We also celebrated Jordan's birthday with a "Diez de Marco" fiesta at our place. We ate lots of quesadillas and had a piñata and ate the very special strawberry birthday cake made famous at last year's birthday bash.Mariah also came to town during her spring break (NC visit #3!)... her trip will be documented in the next post!

food, glorious food... and behavioral economics

2010-02-15T16:32:00.004-05:00

I'm taking a few nutrition/epidemiology classes this semester, and in one of them today we had a lecture about behavioral economics and the implications for nutrition and public health. I read a book called Predictably Irrational by Dan Ariely last year (as most of you know... I yammered on about that one for a good while, as I am wont to do) and loved it. Ariely is currently a professor at Duke, and the guest lecturer was actually one of his post-docs. I was fascinated all over again. Some of the take-homes were that food labeling (like New York's caloric labeling for fast food chains) and sin taxes aren't necessarily effective. Don't get me wrong. Tax the heck out of cigarettes and soda. But there are other (substantially more) effective ways to effect change from a policy level.

One of the funnier things to come out of class today was a website called www.stickK.com. Subtitle: "Put a contract out on yourself!" It's a no-fee website created by a couple of economics, law, and management professors/students, and the idea is that you will stick to your goals with a whole lot more determination if your reputation is at stake. "If you are unsuccessful, we'll let your friends know about it." But my favorite part is this:

"Sometimes losing face with your friends might not be enough to keep you on track. So, what is the one thing no one can stand to part with? You guessed it! Cold hard cash. As a true test of your commitment, stickK will let you put your money on the line for any Commitment Contract. Achieve your goal and you don't pay a thing (and you're much happier than efore, aren't you?). But if you aren't successful, you forfeit your money to a charity, an anti-charity or even that neighbor who keeps stealing your newspaper. "

Brilliant. Now that's a motivator.

Another food-related great thing... Jamie Oliver at TED. He's a bit dramatic at times, but the point he's driving home should be shouted from the rooftops. If you can't make it through the whole talk, the take-home is this:

"I wish for everyone to help create a strong, sustainable movement to educate every child about food, inspire families to cook again and empower people everywhere to fight obesity."

So. Great. Like Michael Pollan has become famous for saying, "Eat food, not too much, mostly plants."

tulips & ranunculi

2010-02-14T23:39:00.005-05:00

We serendipitously celebrated Valentine's a little early--Trader Joes was selling tulips and ranunculi for a splendidly low price a week ago, so we decided to get some...

perhaps as a throwback to these tulips and ranunculi

They were very lovely and lasted a long time. And we had a very pleasant weekend-- Avatar in 3D (actually, last Thursday... can that count as the weekend?), a spaghetti squash dinner with my piano teacher, her family, and a few other friends, the temple and homemade Mexican tamales with Balbina, a long, accidental Saturday afternoon nap, another homemade dinner with some good friends, great church, a memorial service for someone's pet (long story), broccoli soup and lemon cream with our dear friends the Melonaki, heart-shaped jello, and dad's cookies (made by Jordan).

And best of all, my little sister started a brownie-themed blog! Pretty great, Myers. We can't wait for more stories from the Florida Jacksons.

Carolina on our minds... for a few more years, at least

2010-01-31T20:59:00.004-05:00

Jordan had match day for his pediatric dentistry residency program this past Monday, and found out that he was accepted to Carolina! That means we'll be here for at least another 3 years, and I get to continue my program in epidemiology.

To celebrate, we had a party with our other dental friends/families, and I bought Jordan a present befitting a children's dentist.
If any Jacksons recall how much Jordan was into Danny's Lego set at the beach house, you'll understand his kid-like joy at receiving and building his new toy.

We also woke up Saturday morning to a winter wonderland, and decided to reenact a Switzerland morning by heating our house to the perfect temperature and making rösti for breakfast. Afterwards, Jordan finished constructing his eXtreme Offroader.

We've had a lovely weekend indoors (church was even canceled due to the 5 inches of snow we received) and feel fully rested for another week of dentidemiology.

lakes of love

2010-01-22T00:03:00.007-05:00

It's 12:23am, and I still have 9 pages of Ch. 26, Social Epidemiology to read before I go to sleep, but I just wanted to post one of my favorite pictures taken by Klabraham over the Christmas break.I recently read this quote: "Love does not consist in gazing at each other but in looking outward together in the same direction."* True. But I think it's a bonus that I get to gaze into those eyes
and look outward in the same direction as JO. (Hey, it's almost Valentine's day-ish. Give me a break).

And I love this picture of my little Inuit nephew and niece. They are such great kids and have very distinct personalities. Danny's quote of the trip: "Feef!", which, as we learned, can be interpreted as "I'm cold!" or "I'm scared!" Rachel's quote of the trip: "Fank you! Fank you!" while raising her arms above her head dramatically (after I had drawn her a picture of a heart balloon). What a funny bunch of kids. We love having a faction of Jacksons across the pond, but I believe I speak for everyone when I saw we can't wait to have them a little bit closer to home.

*Quote is by Antoine de Saint-Exupery; Wind, Sand and Stars

Switzerland, part I

2010-01-03T23:18:00.014-05:00

We're home from our two-week Christmas vacation in Switzerland and a few surrounding countries! We had so much fun, and are very indebted to the Swiss Jacksons for letting us all stay at their beautiful home way up in the Alps. Pictures to come (we let some other members of the family be the trip photographers as they had acquired a fatty digital SLR. Pro: we didn't have to worry about taking any pictures, etc. Con: we'll have to figure out how to bribe them to get a CD/DVD with all the photos from the trip, and they have to send it from California. It could be a few days).

But we did get some photos/video from our day trip to Bergün, where we took a lovely train to the top of a mountain and then sledded all the way down, about a 10 km trip. These pictures are courtesy of Erin's blog:
If you look on the right side of the map, we were the pink route.

Just to get an idea how fast we were going, here's a video Morgen shot while he was sledding down. The scenery was breathtaking.

More pictures to come, as soon as I can get them from the SFers. You know who you are.
I wonder if posting this picture will help me get them any faster?

On the road again

2009-11-15T21:07:00.006-05:00

Jordan and I have taken a number of road trips in the past 6 months. And a few of them have involved crazy long drives in a crazy short amount of time. We added to the list by driving down to Gainesville on Thursday so Jordan could interview here. And then, as soon as he finished, we headed east to Cocoa to surprise my mom (Mariah was in the know). We drove up next to them while they were on a walk, J rolled down the window, and my mom screamed. Bloody murder. We were just glad no heart attacks were had. It was lovely to see them, although briefly. J flew out the next morning for another interview (Michigan), and I stayed and got to do what I love most... play in the water. I helped Mariah teach a windsurfing lesson (facilities and equipment courtesy of our friends at Calema) to some of her school friends, the proceeds of which were donated to the Leukemia Society. Pretty sweet service project. That plus Publix subs and a sail on the Hobie Cat (courtesy of pirate Philip) made for a lovely Saturday.

It was lovely to see these ladies again (I didn't take any pictures... this is the best I could do).
And now I'm home. In my cozy little apartment. Ready for a nice night of sleep at the conclusion of another road trip.

What else are we missing?

2009-11-08T20:55:00.005-05:00

What is this life if, full of care,

We have no time to stand and stare.

-- from "Leisure," by W.H. Davies

Church doesn't start for us until 1pm EST so we've gotten into the habit of watching (or at least listening) to Music and the Spoken Word at 11am on Sunday mornings. Last Sunday, Lloyd Newell referenced a story I had never heard before. Here's the text of his message:

What else are we missing?
It was a busy workday as commuters rushed headlong toward their busy schedules. But on this day in Washington, D.C., something different happened: a 39-year-old man dressed in jeans, a T-shirt, and a baseball cap took out an old violin and began to play.

Few people noticed. Most kept their eyes on the ground or looked straight ahead. A few, talking on cell phones, raised their voices in order to be heard over the music. These were, after all, busy people. They had work to do and appointments to keep.

And so they did not stop. And they did not listen. And what they missed was a rare performance by one of the greatest violinists in the world playing his Stradivarius violin, worth more than three million dollars. He chose to play some of the most technically demanding, elegant music ever written for his instrument, and he played with all the passion and perfection that he had become known for throughout the world.

His metro-station concert was part of an experiment proposed by a writer for the Washington Post. The question was “How many people would recognize beauty in a place where it wasn’t expected?” During the 43-minute concert, nearly 1,100 people passed by. Of those, only 7 stopped to listen even for a moment.

The writer, who won a Pulitzer Prize for his article about the unheard violinist, summarized the experience with these words: “If we can’t take the time out of our lives to stay a moment and listen to one of the best musicians on Earth play some of the best music ever written; if the surge of modern life so overpowers us that we are deaf and blind to something like that—then what else are we missing?”

Indeed, the world offers us daily moments of beauty that can enrich our lives—if we open our eyes and open our hearts.
*****

Here's the piece written by the WP writer. It's really, really great. The artist was Joshua Bell, and here's a video of the metro station while he was playing.

ˈstā-ˈkā-shən

2009-10-25T21:22:00.008-05:00

Lest you think it just a passing whim, the word staycation was added to the Webster dictionary in 2009, and is defined as a vacation spent at home or nearby. We chose the 'relatively nearby' option on Saturday, and decided to drive up to Charlottesville VA to see Jefferson's Monticello. I had been there once before (Monticello, that is) with the littlest Jackson last summer, and think that it is one of the most interesting historic sights in the US. That, combined with the beautiful fall foliage on the drive up, made for a great little trip. It poured rain as we arrived in C-ville, but it lightened up as we got up to Monticello, and completely cleared up as we were leaving the house tour to explore the grounds. It was a crisp, blustery fall day and couldn't have been more lovely. We stopped for lunch on the way at Bodo's Bagels, a culinary delight unique to C-ville (I got the egg & muenster cheese on a cinnamon raisin bagel... as per the usual). Jordan thought Monticello would be a little bit more overwhelming from the outside (it looks so big on the nickel!), but loved the interior and the historicalness of it all.

An excited Jordan, with a view of the west portico of Monticello.

I loved the little inventions and European touches throughout the house, and we both especially loved the gardens.

A photo courtesy of the internets (AT) that highlights TJ's alcove bed. I am in love with the idea of an alcove bed. His was open on both sides... conventionally, they are only open on one. We also walked around UVA's campus (both UVA and Monticello are on the UNESCO World Heritage list) and saw where Ed A. Poe lived while attending (albeit briefly) the university, read about the secret Seven Society (weird), and hung out on the lawn for a bit before having a nice dinner in the historic part of the city. Central quad at UVA. Not too shabby.

And for any Jackson kids reading this blog, look what I made for breakfast this morning. Yep. Baby Dutch. And yep, that is a pool of butter you see on the top of the massive fluff of a pancake. We ate it with some apple slices, so, totally healthy, right? It made up for the fact that I only ate 1 (one!) fried food item at the NC state fair this week!

All in all, a lovely little trip and a wonderful fall in the southern-ish states.

2009-09-27T10:28:00.006-05:00

My journey back to school (after a very prolonged break) has been great! I had to dust off my backpack and my Lisa Frank pencil case, but my classes are all great, as are my professors and classmates. I'm only a few weeks in, but I think I'm really going to love epidemiology at UNC. Here are a few notes of encouragement I received from great friends my first week of school:

Jordan is back at school too, and is so excited to be in his fourth (and final) year of dental school. Sure, he's opting for three more years after that for a pediatric residency, but he'll be paid (sort of) during those years, so it'll feel a little more like a job than more school.

We also went to an Ingrid Michaelson concert at Cat's Cradle (the local venue for shows like that) and LOVED it. Here's a video from the concert (thanks, You Tube). It was a really great show.

The Chill and Thrill of Newness

2009-09-02T18:28:00.005-05:00

So I'm the second JO and I can't say that I have been running towards this first post; you might say that I have been running from it. You see, new things although exciting, inspiring, paradigm shifting, growth producing, higher heights lifting, mystery shattering, both eyes opening, sun burst smiling, puppy dog licking, 1st tooth extracting, one man banding, blistered hands callusing, heart strings strumming, frontier colonizing, history making, and generally fun and neat can be nothing more than an enigma wrapped in yesterday's hesitance stuffed into a foreboding gift bag and hand delivered by Postmaster reluctance himself. You could say that I'm not a new-things guy.

Now don't get me wrong I see people all the time doing "new things." Having fun, running in slow motion, poppies blooming under their feet, the enormous flaming gaseous sphere we call the sun assuming animated character and smiling down on all the people who do new things every day like it's nothing. New things are unpredictable, that's their appeal, they keep surprising you, well I say I may have a heart condition and what emergency care facility might I find myself in if I just threw my cares to the wind? An unexpected "new thing" could leave your heart palpapooped after all of the exciting new revelations gained.

An example from my childhood. Pictured here see a distraught five year old who has been the victim of hundreds of dollars spent on brand new Christmas present ski equipment, a long car ride to the slopes, kiddie pass and complementary beginner's lesson purchased, and approximately 37 seconds on the unabashedly not stable but very slick and wet and cold and again very not un-moving ground.

Although I did see the light some years later as is evidenced by my squinty eyes, crinkled nose and my awkward mom-gloves gripping my long-stored and newly revived ski equipment, I can still remember the bitter chill of the unknown I felt that Christmas season of 1986.

"New" has always been unnerving to me, been hard to swallow, hard to wash down no matter how much reassuring experience you chase it with. One new thing, however, which by the way tops all of the newness that you could ever consider, has never been 37 seconds on the snow for the first time for me, it has been and ever will be pure joy and that is marriage, being married to the love of my life, my Jenny Jayne.

Happy Four Months My Love. Four months ago my sweetheart and I went to the storage unit, dusted off the skis and started down the hill whizzing past new things like it's nothing. Here's to what's around that next bend.

Amethyst

2009-08-26T21:18:00.006-05:00

My parents celebrated their 33rd anniversary today. They have survived six moves (at least), five sets of braces, one garage bonfire, countless ship trips, dozens of hurricanes and deep freezes, and lots and lots of stitches. But because of them, we have enjoyed a very happy home. Just a few pictures:

1976

2009

Some excerpts from a book mom made for dad when they were "friends" at the BY

A darling wedding picturewho would have thought we'd become the Florida JacksonsRight after MTJ was born... so tenderOne of my all-time favorite pictures of Mama and Papa J
We love you, mom and dad.

long lost summer

2009-08-23T22:41:00.005-05:00

Our Farmer's Market flowers! Yesterday was only the second time all summer I was able to go to the CFM. So I bought a beautiful wild-flower-y looking bouquet (I think I can only name one flower in the whole bunch).

Another wild thing? Totally this summer. We figured out the longest we've been home together all summer was three weeks. A couple countries and a few road trips later, we're glad to be back in our home together. We both start school this week. I'm a little thrilled to be a student again, and Jordan's got his alarm set for 5:30am tomorrow. Yep, he's secretly thrilled too. Atta-dentist.

Just a couple pictures before I head to bed. These are from Jason and Heather's wedding in Connecticut - they had a New England clam bake on the beach after the lovely ceremony.
I also had a great trip to California to visit Liss and Abe (pictures of which can be seen here and here. Oh yeah, and also here.) I had such a great time and can't wait to take Jordan back for the ROCKET BOAT!

JFV

2009-07-11T14:50:00.006-05:00

I should be packing. Technically, I should have packed a few hours ago and now I should be sleeping. But I wanted to share a few of my favorite pictures from the Jackson Family Vault (JFV) that I've scanned in the past few days. Most of them are from the early early days. Lots of Matty J in diapers.

I'm rather in love with this photo

And this one too. Grandpa J holding Matty J.

A few other pics of grandfather with his first grandson.

Matty getting a bath in Cali.

This series of photos is also one of my favorites so far.

Curly and blonde. Who would've thought?

I look stressed. And they look like they're hiding something. They were probably daring me to do something dangerous. Or swinging me too high. Yeah, that sounds about right.

Next post: Colombia. I swear.

At what age does he go from being Morgy-boy to Morgy-man?

2009-07-01T13:24:00.005-05:00

Our little Morgen is having a birthday today, and I wanted to post some of my favorite pictures of him... some are well known, while others are secret treasures I've only recently discovered.

Morgen, the grandson
Morgen, the twinner

Morgen, the birthday boy

Morgen, the superhero

Morgen, the adventurer (yes, he's always been that way)

Morgen, the reverent cake-eater (I guess... I wasn't around yet)

Morgen, the pea-picker

Morgen, the boy who lived in Morgan

Morgen, the sleepy-head on the awesome shag carpet

Morgen, the sports enthusiast

Morgen, the pea-picker, but with sweet sunglasses

Morgen, the ocean frolicker

Morgen, the wind-swept Floridian

This is perhaps my all-time favorite family photo. It says so much. Dad had us washing off oranges near the pool. I don't remember a lot, but I know it took all day, and by the end, Morgen had spelled out "this sucks" with all the clean oranges.

Morgen, the accomplished violinistMorgen, the very sweet son
Morgen, daddy's helper
Also one of my favorites, because Morgen is bursting with joy (maybe tears?) at the birth of his littlest sweetest sister.Morgen, the great brother

Morgen, the best Funcle ever.

We love our Morgen, and are so thankful for all the wonderful, and often thrilling memories because he's been a part of the Jackson Seven. Happy birthday, Morgy-boy.

Grenada!

2009-06-08T11:26:00.017-05:00

As we were planning for the HM, we serendipitously stumbled upon the Petit Bacaye Villa Hotel in Grenada, and were enchanted by the quaint thatched-roof rooms and the proximity to the ocean. We weren't disappointed - by the thatchiness or the beautiful ocean.

Our petit villa
The view from our place

We enjoyed being two of the few Americans/Europeans around, and staying a little ways from the capital and all the bigger resorts.

a church, being reconstructed after damage from a 2004 hurricane (Ivan, I think)

a view of St. George´s, the capital Our fancy dinner at BBs Crabback Restaurant

with the man himself one of several waterfalls on the islanda view from the center of the island Jordan made me dinner -Caribbean rice (topped with craisins) and fried plantains the view from our dinner table the famous Grand Anse Beach
a self-timed photo-the camera was dangling from a branch some of the tropical landscaping at the hotel
the hotel´s tree-top restaurant our cove our kitchen the landscape upon departure

It was a very lovely trip. We loved rustic Grenada - if we go back during tourist season, we´d love to charter a catamaran or get scuba certified and do some diving. But it was the perfect mix of relaxation and adventure.

I've got some catching up to do...

2009-06-05T14:01:00.014-05:00

We got internet at our house in Colombia! So without further ado, a few posts about the W, Grenada, and Colombia.

The whole Jackson family came to NC a week early to spend some time at a beach house in Corolla, NC. I don't have too many pictures, but if you want to see how much fun we all had, you can go here or here. The sealing in the Raleigh temple and the reception after were so beautiful and memorable, made even more so by the company of many wonderful family and friends. Our photographer Ivan, an old friend from college, captured the Raliegh temple, and the rest of the day, in the most brilliant glow--we are quite indebted to him for his willingness to fly cross-country and to take pictures that will remind us forever of our beautiful day. We also had so much help from incredible and talented friends - Alisa just knew what to do, Brit added her beautiful touch, Abby, Ruthie, Ev, Marti, Hil (hair & makeup), Gilly & Nance (so many flowers), Steve & Janet (risking their lives for the ribbon tree), Jordan's mom Lisa, Brad & T (food), Curt, Bryan G, Nick T... so many wonderful friends to help and celebrate with.

The Raliegh Temple

If you really want to see all 292 of Ivan's photos from the W, they are available for viewing here, and the password is jjwedding09. If there any photos you like in particular, you can order them through Ivan's website.

It was the perfect day.

Chevre

2009-06-01T09:53:00.002-05:00

I'm several weeks behind, as there are no official posts or pictures about the wedding or Grenada or Receptions 1, 2 and 3. But I'm sitting in an internet cafe in Moniquira, Colombia, listening to a collection of my favorite 90s music streaming from speakers (it's like they knew I'd be here at this exact moment) and wanted to write to let you all know I'm alive.

It is absolutely perfect here. We're about 3.5 to 4 hours northeast of Bogota, in a smallish town surrounded by verdant rolling hills. Colombian Spanish is slow enough that I can understand a good portion, but fast enough I that I still struggle to figure out exactly what it is people are saying. I speak a lot of portuguese words by accident, but already feel my vocabulary and confidence expanding after a few days.

We wake up early here (usually a little before six), and then run off to the hospital, two or three blocks away, half a very full breakfast (potato soup, eggs, juice, bread) and then go to a dental office a few minutes away. The dentist winks and tells her patients they are odontoligos, and they go to work. I've learned a lot just watching, and realized that I could probably be a dentist faster than I could be a epidemiologist, but the thought of filling out one more application kind of makes me sick.

We stay there until lunch, head back to the hospital for another full meal, and then a full afternoon of dental work at the hospital with Dr. Liliana Carvalho. She's hands-off most of the time and lets the boys go to town filling cavities and preparing root canals. I'm amazed at their adeptness.

After work, there's another meal at the hosptial. More soup and meat and rice and salad. And then we head back to the house to relax and watch noble John Adams (we borrowed the series from Dad Jackson), and then reading and sleep.

Sorry there aren't any pictures. I'm going to try to figure out how to post from an internet cafe, but we are all doing well and loving it here.

More soon!

The Wedding Photo Booth

2009-05-10T16:17:00.008-05:00

We got married! The sealing in the Raleigh Temple was perfectly North Carolinian, and thanks to all our wonderful and talented friends, we had an incredibly fun reception... more photos to follow. First I wanted to post the pictures our friends and family took at the photo booth Brittany set up at our reception!

My adorable nephew Danny

Marti, Ev, B, T, Ruthie - I think they may be quoting me...

Marti, Hilary and Ev

Janet and Steve - Winnemucca = the land of no action

Ev and Hil - Hil did my hair and makeup (Ev provided moral support)

Jordan's mom and stepdad, Lisa and Ringo

my high school best friends +2 - Neve, Heather, Sim, Ash, Sara, Rita and Eric

Curt, Rachel, Nick and B giving Jordan some sound advice

our lovely friends the Dibbs

my soon-t0-be epidemiology classmates (Brad's a third year, Anna's a second year)

my little sister Mariah (or Myers, as you can see)

my sister Klarissa and her husband Abe

so funny...

our D3 ward-mates...

my brother Matt, his wife Erin, and their son Danny J

Jordan's sister Chanel and her husband David

Jessica, Carla and Trusty

Ben and Suz, down from Baltimore

Melanie, Malachi and Kevin - sweetest family picture ever

the prettiest present...

2009-04-20T08:20:00.003-05:00

I forgot to post the picture of the prettiest present I received for my b-shower. I can't wait to cook!

cake-tastic

2009-04-19T21:34:00.019-05:00

I wanted to post a few pictures before I crash into bed... literally - I can't bend my knees very well right now.

I went home to Florida few days ago and got to have a bridal shower and hang out with Mariah during her spring break. The b-shower was lovely and tea-party themed, and I got to see all the dear ladies of the Cocoa ward, along with a few other wonderful friends. We ate delicious finger sandwiches and cakes, and drank hot tea from china cups. M made the delicious chocolate hazelnut cake (the third one).

We spent most of the time eating and laughing, and it was wonderful to see so many familair faces. And thanks to Susie, Phillip (our tea boy), and the rest of the Dornellas/Seibert family for helping me have such a special evening with dear friends.

Also, there was a birthday. And I celebrated it with good friends and several Kroger grocery store baggers and a security guard. I wouldn't have had it any other way.

And then there was a half marathon in Charlottesville thrown in the mix.Before the race with our NC friends. Right before the finish line.
After the race with our NC friends.

The view of the mountains from our cabin just outside C-ville.

the molar of the story

2009-03-14T11:04:00.009-05:00

This week was fairly momentous in the almost-Olsen household. Jordan turned 28 on Tuesday, and we celebrated our one year anniversary (better known as Step Up to the Plate, or SUP, day) on Wednesday.

Jordan and I had a nice candlelight dinner at home for his birthday, and then had a tasty strawberry cake (per Jordan's request... it's one of his mom's recipes) for dessert. Just the two of us. As we settled in to watch a movie, a few friends who were "just in the neighborhood" stopped by and said happy birthday. Jordan was gracious enough to offer them some of his strawberry birthday cake, but didn't think any more of it. We chatted for a few more minutes, and then welcomed a few more friends who were also "just in the neighborhood." After the fourth friend, Jordan realized he had been reverse-surprised, and I went to fetch the real birthday cake I had made for him: a cake in the shape of a giant molar.

The tooth cake was a hit aesthetically, but our friend Steve loved the strawberry cake so much that as people walked in, he would point to it and say emphatically, "eat that cake."

It also might have had something to do with the fact that Jordan struggled a bit blowing out his 28 candles. Needless to say, I have a lot of left-over tooth cake in the fridge. I don't mind too much though.

I also found out I got into the global health masters program at Duke this week! Decisions will have to be made, but right now I'm just going to keep on eating funfetti cake.

heels, heels and more heels.

2009-02-18T20:24:00.008-05:00

For some outlandish reason, I decided to fill out yet another application for yet another post-graduate program. But the good news is, it may be the last. I found out recently that I was accepted into the Epidemiology program at UNC! I also applied to a masters program at Duke and am waiting to hear back, but I decided that the winner of last week's game would determine where I went to school in the fall. Looks like I'm going to be a tarheel, and will be spending the next few years studying "what is upon the people" and trying to understand the theory behind causal pies. Go Heels!

In other UNC news, Ms. Dillingham came to visit me in Chapel Hill! She was my calculus teacher at Cocoa Beach High, and had UNC pendants hanging from nearly every ceiling tile (not to mention a life-size cut-out of Tom Selleck next to the filing cabinet).

It was her first time watching a game from inside the Dean Dome... and mine too.

Ms. Dillingham is one of the most enthusiastic people I know, and was one of the best teachers I ever had. I couldn't think of a person with whom I'd rather watch my first live UNC basketball game!

pretty unfortunate

2009-02-10T00:34:00.003-05:00

Jordan and I saw this tonight while we were out (s)hoe shopping...

Perhaps the recession has hit DSW pretty hard and they can't afford to pay their electricity bill in full... but maybe they would have been better off leaving the last 's' unlit instead.

Point Abetushka.

2009-01-30T09:03:00.002-05:00

I love my brother-in-law and his mad Photoshop skills.

This is way better than any MormonAd I've ever seen!

deflated/inflated

2009-01-28T21:50:00.006-05:00

Jon Stewart managed to stymie (humourously) my uplifted and inspired post-inaugural state:

Also, Jordan and I had a spontaneous engagement session this past Saturday. An aspiring wedding photographer who knows we are getting hitched called up and asked if she could take some [free] photos of us to beef up her portfolio. We agreed and I, of course, got a large lime green balloon. It was more fun than we anticipated, and I think we got some fun pictures.

Some long-time Chapel Hillians who really like the big balloon.

an historic day

2009-01-20T22:10:00.006-05:00

No matter who you voted for, you have to agree that
Obama's inaugural speech was inspiring and uplifting.

"We remain a young nation, but in the words of Scripture, the time has come to set aside childish things. The time has come to reaffirm our enduring spirit; to choose our better history; to carry forward that precious gift, that noble idea, passed on from generation to generation: the God-given promise that all are equal, all are free and all deserve a chance to pursue their full measure of happiness."

Amen.

a photo tribute to the man

2009-01-14T19:04:00.010-05:00

In the eighth grade, I made the Florida State select soccer team, and I had to travel frequently on the weekends for tournaments. One particular weekend, the tourney tragically coincided with the McNair Middle School Valentine's Dance. I wanted to go so badly (I had a crush on some boy, I'm sure). I told dad how brokenhearted I was that I was going to miss the dance. And he drove the two hours up to Jacksonville to pick me up after my frist soccer game, drove me all the way home for the dance, all the way back for my game the next day, and then all the way home again. He is the most kind-hearted and tender man I've ever known. And he would do just about anything for anyone. Doozer the rabbit. That mud-covered redneck who got his truck stuck in the dirt-roads behind our house in CG. Mindori. The fallen-over trees in the BCC parking lot. All of us.

Here's a photo tribute to Papa J:

Dad, the wee baby.

Dad, the cowboy.

Dad, the even cuter cowboy.

Dad, the oldest brother.

Dad, the dashing husband.

Dad, the bearded papa.

Dad, the unbearded papa.

Dad, the middle generation.

Dad, the son.

Dad, the son, again.

Dad, the Floridian.

Dad, the seaman (this was on the ship).

Dad, the pirate.

Dad, the mechanic.

Dad, the ice cream maker.

Dad, the ice cream lover.

Dad, the cook (and Jen, the nerd).

Dad, the proud father.

Dad, the proud father of a beautiful little girl.

Dad, still the father of a beautiful little girl.

Dad, the gardener.

Happy Birthday Dad. We all wish we were on the ship in the middle
of the Pacific to celebrate with you. We love you.

not exactly Switzerland, but...

2009-01-05T00:10:00.006-05:00

It was sunny and 70-80 degrees in Florida for the past three weeks, but for some crazy reason, we decided to spend Christmas in Utah, where it was neither sunny nor 70-80 degrees. We flew in on Christmas night in blizzard conditions (I got to have an unplanned layover in Boise), and spent the next week split between Salt Lake, Morgan, Santaquin, and Provo visiting family and friends. We saw the thousands of lights at temple square and got to see the highly-acclaimed concert pianist Jonathan Bowman perform live in Payson, and then got to eat ice cream in his living room. We also did some skiing and snowboarding at Snow Basin. I was the silly one who chose to snowboard, and my body still hasn't quite recovered. But we had a great time and then an even better time coming home to Grandma J's and eating homemade clam chowder and corn bread. We also spent a lot of quality time with the Thomas Family (our very kind and very impromptu hosts).

The trip was bookended by some lovely weather in Florida. I windsurfed in just a shorty wetsuit on Christmas Eve, and Mariah and I went to Disney World the only way one should ever go -- free. We went on the one chilly day while I was home (a high of 60, which warranted breaking out the sweatshirts), and then went to the beach with Jordan and Mariah when we got home.

Not quite Neuschwanstein, but Walt did the best he could...

Disney doesn't mess around when it comes to tannenbaums.

Frontier-land.
K and M's inevitable reaction to my wedding dress shopping. At the beach on Saturday. Don't worry Alisa and Abby...
we won't use this one for our wedding invitations.

2008-12-15T00:10:00.005-05:00

I'm really blogging right now because I wanted to show some of the cute Danny and Rachie pictures I've been sitting on since Switzerland:

My personal favorite of Rachel:

... and to show ya'll where I live now (as promised).

This is the new kitchen table... square and countertop height. We kind of love it. The spacious kitchen... definitely a three- or four-bum kitchen.Our apron (and stocking) hooks and tote bag hook. Our living room with Meg's oversized chairs. One day I will learn to reupholster.
My bedroom... one day I will buy a bed skirt.My great little room-saving desk.

Jordan and I are off to Florida in the morning (I still have to pack) and then to Salt Lake for Christmas and New Years. Can't wait to see snow. For a little while. And then come back to temperate North Carolina!

and the oscar goes to.....

2008-10-29T20:38:00.006-05:00

Here are my two favorite videos from the Switzerland trip:

Rachel discovering what spaghetti is really for...
she's quite the character.

Danny telling it like it is.

Who would've guessed...

2008-10-26T21:02:00.013-05:00

I realize I still have pictures and videos that need to be posted from my wonderful Switzerland trip. And although most of my family members who read this would much prefer seeing footage of Danny and Rach, I have some great news to share... I'm getting married! My sweet Jordan proposed last night.

He popped the question at the Duck Pond in Durham, where we took our first Sunday walk.

The Duck Pond, as seen on March 9, 2008.

I really don't love broadcasting the details about this sort of tender thing over the interweb, but I just wanted to post a few pictures taken by our dear friends Janet and Steve after I said yes.

happy photo#1

happy photo#2

cheesy photo#1

cheesy photo#2

We are both pretty thrilled to have found one another, and are thankful to have such wonderful family and friends with whom to share the great news.

on octogenarians, craftiness and churchiness...

2008-09-23T22:55:00.010-05:00

Just a few things:

- Jordan and I watched a great documentary last Saturday night about a senior citizens chorus turned rock band. It's called Young@Heart, and is one of the sweetest films I've seen in a long time. Here's the trailer:

While I was out renting the movie and getting poor Jordan some NyQuil, he was at my house trying hard to stay awake studying for a host of tests he has this week.

- Most of you know I'm not very crafty or decor-oriented. It's not because I don't care. If the volume of design blogs I read on a daily basis is any indication, I care a whole lot. I just don't seem to have/make the time. For instance, Jordan gave me some beautiful framed pictures for my birthday. In April. I just hung them up last Sunday. One could argue it's because I moved out of my apartment in May, and then lived in Dr. W's home (where I didn't feel like I could just start banging holes into the wall), but still. It's just sort of what I am. But I decided to shake it up a bit and made a 'memory board' using some beautiful fabric BRuch gave me. I followed instructions on a craft blog and I think it went rather well. But, knowing me, I probably won't get around to hanging it on my wall until next spring.

- A few churchy things. I'm attending an institute class all about the temple as found in the Old Testament. It's being taught by the same guy whose classes I've attended pretty consistently since I first moved here. He's also taught Isaiah, Hebrews&Revelations, and the Writings of Paul. I generally like the classes because our teacher, who's working towards his PhD at UNC in archaeology (I think), brings quite a bit of academics into the mix. I took a class at BYU called Texts and Ancient Temples by a really brilliant guy, so a lot of the stuff we're going over is a bit of a review from my college days, but Matt (our 'prof') has mentioned a few new things I thought were pretty interesting. These might sound a bit random taken out of context, but I thought I'd throw one or two out there:

Matt's take on symbolism in the Garden of Eden: Adam in Hebrew means mankind. Which is apt, because Adam (and Eve)'s story is our own story. Adam represents the whole of humanity. Adam's fall from the presence of God is symbolic of our own fall (or separation from His presence). Upon partaking of the forbidden fruit in the Garden of Eden, Adam & Eve discovered they were naked (Genesis 3). This nakedness represents the fact that upon 'falling', they became subject to the effects of sin and to the temptations of Satan... a spiritual nakedness of sorts. Later on in the same chapter we find out that God made Adam&Eve coats of skins and clothed them. In order to make these protective garments, an animal more than likely had to be killed. So something had to die in order to protect them from their state of nakedness. Read: Christ had to suffer the atonement so that we/mankind could be protected from the effects of sin.

- I promise to post some pictures of my new place, but right now I think it's time for bed.

... and more waterfalls

2008-09-03T23:26:00.005-05:00

This will be a quick post because it's bedtime and I have another three-hour drive ahead of me tomorrow afternoon. But I wanted to put up some pictures from our camping trip two weekends ago. The Melonaki planned a great little campout/hike for us and some other friends in Pisgah National Forest in western NC...

We got up there Friday night and hiked a few miles the next morning into the waterfalls at Harper Creek--two charming waterfalls that feed into swimming holes. The fun is sliding down the waterfalls to get from one pool to the next. The water was rather cold, but it was just hot enough outside to have it be refreshing instead of bone-chilling.

and yes... Jordan knows Mitt's not in the running anymore.

Stay tuned for pictures of my new dwellings.... as soon as I get my desk cleaned off.

scheme of the month: waterfalls

2008-08-21T22:31:00.012-05:00

I thought I'd provide some stimulating reading material for Mariah, since she missed her first 4/5 days of school.

Last week Jordan and I took a quick trip up to the Rochester, NY area to visit Gillian, my best friend from college, and her great little family. Her husband J onathan is in school at the Eastman School of Music, ranked the Hottest school of Music in 2008 (take that, Juilliard!). We were really excited to see Gillian/Jonathan, but I have to admit that the highlight of the trip was definitely meeting their darling, perfect little baby Peter.

Right?

We were excited to see some of the Palmyra-area church history sights, a first for both JLO and me--the Smith Family cabin#1, the Smith Family cabin#2, the Sacred Grove, the Palmyra temple, the Hill Cumorah, and E.B. Grandin's printing press.

And although we hadn't even considered it as an excursion for our quick trip to NY, Gillian and Jonathan took us to Niagara Falls via a beautiful drive along the shore of Lake Ontario -- there were fruit stands in every driveway. We didn't bring our passports, but no need, as Niagara from the American side is pretty breathtaking, and you don't have to go to Canada to go on the Maid of the Mist, which takes you about as close to the falls as you can get (unless you're Iagara the cat or the crazy lady Annie Edson Taylor who went down in a barrel in 1901 as a publicity stunt - she was hoping to make her fortune from a future lecture tour, but as it turns out, her manager "decamped with her barrel" and she spent her life savings hiring detectives to recover it. Should have just stuck with the Maid of the Mist).
And we also had a perfect day at Stony Brook, a state park improved upon in the 30's under FDR's CCC and the WPA - there are lots of hiking paths, bridges, and beautiful waterfalls. Gilly and Jonathan swam in the rather frigid water while Jordan and I were very content babysitting Peter.
Thanks to the Bowmans for a great trip, complete with lots of delicious home-cooked meals, and impromptu piano and violin recitals. We can't wait to host you guys in NC.

two new recruits to NC

2008-08-14T18:22:00.011-05:00

I know people don't come to my blog for the fancy words. Just for the pics. So here they are. Mariah and Matt both came to visit me in North Carolina during the past month. Mariah has already been to visit once, so we had to be creative and take her out of the state to show her a good time. And Matt was in town for a quick trip. We had no fun. No fun at all, Erin (you're welcome, Matt).

M and Me at the Carrboro Farmers' Market

Mariah preparing herself for the Olympic trials at Duke's pool. Marco.

Turns out Duke has a lemur center--

home to the world's largest colony of endangered primates.

There were also walks through the woods...where Mariah met lots of friends...

We also headed up to UVA, Thomas Jefferson's university. I'm apparently not quite as smart as TJ. The rotunda at UVA.
Michie's Tavern, home of very, very expensive fried chicken & mashed potatoes. But they don't have those fancy hats at KFC.Me and M squinting in front of Monticello.The beautiful garden at Monticello, with Charlottesville in the distance. Matty and me at K-ville after a rousing game of tennis.

Happy Birthday to the girl with a Life Uncommon

2008-07-30T01:45:00.007-05:00

It's still technically 11:55pm Pacific time, so I am officially posting this before the birthday girl's birthday has come to a close. Liss, I'm glad I've gotten to be a pretty integral part of your first 23 years. Thanks for the friendship, the love, and the example of a life uncommon! Cheers!

2008-07-08T22:00:00.005-05:00

I'm trying to keep up with the New San Francisco Treat, so I'm posting again (gasp!) -- this time with a few pictures and an update on my working situation (sort of), in case anyone wants to be in the know. First, here are a few picture from my friend B's birthday party a few weeks back. Love the theme parties. This one was an indoor lawn party.

We also went to Wilminton this weekend to cheer J&S on as they ran a 10k... (and because we wanted to go to the beach)....

And now, I'll give you a clue about where I am currently working: it is the only United States university designated as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Here's another clue:
Okay, so it's UVA. My boss at Duke was appointed as the Chief of Cardiology at UVA, so he up and moved his whole lab. He really wanted me to come work for him up here, but I don't exactly want to relocate just now, so he made me an offer I couldn't refuse (I don't work for Michael Corleone, just so you know) and now I'm working up here two days a week and working back at the other lab at Duke a few days a week. It's quite the commute (three hours each way), but they put me up in a hotel and it's a beautiful drive. So far so good.

at long last...

2008-06-29T15:25:00.016-05:00

I got home from church today, and in lieu of taking a Sunday nap, ate an open-faced basil, tomato, and fresh mozzarella sandwich on sour dough bread and decided to post some long-awaited pictures of my new digs. I moved from the apartment I shared with JHM in Durham at the end of April to a place in Chapel Hill owned by my friend Dr. AW. It's a pretty posh place with lots of room:
On Saturday, Jordan and I started out the day at the Carrboro Farmer's market. Carrboro is a town adjacent to Chapel Hill, home to Carrburrito's (one of our favorite restaurants), and will no doubt vote 100% for Barack Obama come November. It's a great little place full of hippies and is known to be one of the most liberal towns in the south.

We also stopped by the dental school, and Jordan let me pretend to be a dental student and do some class-2 preparations. Way more fun (and more difficult) than it looks. The dental school's facilities are really nice and I enjoyed seeing where JLO spends ~70 hours a week.

2008-06-24T13:28:00.003-05:00

Where the Hell is Matt? (2008) from Matthew Harding on Vimeo.

I love this guy.

keys and skis

2008-01-29T22:55:00.001-05:00

-I had a breakthrough technology moment last week in the midst of a slightly challenging situation. After arriving at work, I used my keys to open my office door. About an hour later I realized I couldn't find the keys..... anywhere. Kind of reminded me of a time in Brazil when I realized as we were about to leave for the day that I had padlocked Sister Campbell and I inside our little house, and the keys were sitting outside on the ledge of the sink, about five feet away.

Sister Campbell fishing for keys with a fork tied to a broom handle

This time I wasn't so lucky, however. I looked all day and couldn't find the keys anywhere. I had a spare key to my car in my car (not smart... I know) and so I tried unsuccessfully to break in (along with my roommate Janet, a South Korean named Yung Guk, and a burly Duke police officer). No luck. As I was standing by my car, I decided I would try to call a local Honda dealership to see if they could make me a new key using my car's VIN. Here's the technological breakthrough. Janet suggested I text message 'google' and tell it/them what I was looking for. Who knew you could do this??? Seconds after I had texted "Honda Dealership in Durham NC" to google (466-453), I got the address. Who needs Garmin GPS when you can google? So I borrowed Janet's car, drove out to the dealership, and sent the nice Honda guy off to make my key, when I received another text message (not from google... although that would be cool technology: "You left your keys in the top drawer of your desk") from a coworker who had accidentally stuck my keys in his pocket and had them the entire day. I stopped the Honda guy in the nick of time, so no harm, no foul... AND I learned about google texting!

-As most of you have heard/seen by now, I had a great time with Klarissa out in Utah. I got to catch up with old friends, play a little soccer with the Irishman, snowboard, interview at the UofU's med school, and see just about the whole jackson clan.

The interviews went really well, but I'll have to wait until the end of March before I know my status [accepted/rejected/wait-listed]. I was impressed by the facilities (including the huge hanging artsy chandelier made to look like a DNA double helix when you're standing directly below it), and by the quality people I talked to. Dean Samuelson (Cecil O's brother) is the dean of admissions and talked with us for a long time before our interviews, and the other applicants were all pretty great. Most had graduated from the U or the Y. Of course.

- Just an update: I've interviewed now at three schools (UNC, GW, and Utah) and am waiting to hear back from any/all of them. I was impressed by all three, but deep down I would love to be a tarheel. Unless Dean Samuelson is reading this... then go Utes!

kitty-cat...meow

2008-01-13T22:25:00.001-05:00

My bed is looking really comfy right now, but I don't think I can handle Abe's disappointment if he has to start another work-week without a blog post from Jayne. So here goes.

Catching up -- I ran the half-marathon! (note: ran, not raced... I wasn't in it for the gold, I just wanted to run the whole way, and finish without throwing up fettuccine alfredo or pulling a muscle). Despite the fact that I had to run 13.1 miles, I had a great time and enjoyed the enthusiasm of the other 3,800+ runners. Who knew that many people enjoyed running? The funniest moment had to have been when the 60-year-old speed-walker passed us up right around mile 12. We regained the lead, but only after finding out that he was going on to complete the full marathon.

I also got to spend a fair amount of time in Florida for Christmas and New Years. The weather was perfect, and I got to do my favorite thing: smell the orange blossoms. Mariah, Daniela and I built a ginger bread cottage (next year, we're upgrading to a condo), we played some favorite family games like Dogopoly (I schooled Mariah), and learned a few others like Lightning Reaction, Cranium, and Risk. Dad does an awesome impression of a Neandrathal. For those of you not present, you'll have to request a repeat of "Evolution" some day. Matt and I also beat everyone at Wii tennis (doubles), and Mariah schooled me on every individual sport.

The best thing about being home, undoubtedly, was being with Rachel and Danny. If this whole med school thing doesn't work out, it's already been established that I have a job as Matt and Erin's au pair in Switzerland. Done and done.

the coolest kids in school

Morgen & Danny in heaven

My twin

Rachel watching Mindori, and us watching Rachel -
I think she likes cats

Danny and half of my head at Pirates of the Caribbean

Buzz and the Jacksons

Mariah, Rachel, and deoderant

There. Are you satisfied, Abe? Probably not. I haven't put up a picture of Klarissa yet. Okay, how about this one?

Fryer Tuck... er... Turkey

2007-11-27T23:47:00.000-05:00

A few words regarding my previous post. It involved the North Carolina State Fair, muddy boots, and my friend Brittany after a long night at the fair trying to remove the muddy boots. That's all.

So. Thanksgiving 2007. My first thanksgiving home since 1997. There's something to be said for eating mom's stuffing in my own house... and not in some random Methodist church in West Palm. The most monumental event of the day had to be Morgen and Dad deep-frying TWO turkeys--I feel like we've finally embraced the deep south after all these years. And we didn't even have to buy a four-wheeler or use a cat-food container taped to a 2x4 as our mailbox. And according to All-State Insurance figures, 15 homes burned to the ground around the country last Thanksgiving as a result of the improper use of turkey fryers. But because of Morgen and Dad's careful planning, we didn't make All-State's list this year. We might have ingested toxic chemicals released when plastic is melted at very high temperatures, however. But I'll spare you the details.

The proud parents of a 17-lb turkey named Eugene.

And here's a brief demonstration by the turkey fryers, showing how they worked their magic.

So, another meal come and gone, with funny stories to tell. Some of my favorite family food stories would have to be, in no particular order:

1) mom catapulting a serving-spoon full of mashed potatoes at Matt's face and the shocked look that followed
2) Morgen and Sonia using their hands to stir together mom's stuffing only moments after adding boiling liquid to the mix... it tasted great!
3) me making german pancakes, but knocking over the blender full of batter 3 separate times, one time into a basket of clean laundry directly under the kitchen counter
4) Waitress: Would you like Soup or Salad?"
me: yeah, that sounds great.
Waitress: What sounds great?
me: A super salad...

Any others you guys can remember?

brit and the boot

2007-11-15T23:34:00.000-05:00

2007-11-13T12:23:00.000-05:00

I thought I would give see jayne run a new look - so I've been playing around with photoshop and a few of blogger.com's features, and voila. I'm not sure if I'll keep this layout, but at least it's a change from that solid blue mess my blog has been for the last two years or so. Let me know what you think -- aesthetically pleasing? too much gray?

Yesterday the ward had our annual thanksgiving dinner - a bit before actual turkey day to accommodate all the undergrads who go home for the holiday. I left work after lunch to begin a well-rehearsed (in my mind) lap around Durham and Chapel Hill... picking up five turkeys, delivering them to pre-arranged reheaters, getting the tablecloths from the institute building, and so on. There was a lot less stress involved than I had imagined -- most everything went off without a hitch. My attempt to channel Martha Stewart went pretty well - we covered the round tables with white table cloths, then made a runner from butcher block paper (the brown paper-baggy looking stuff), topped with a centerpiece of apples, pears, and mixed nuts. And a few candles which we are apparently not allowed to light in the church. Good to know.

The way home from the long day was also slightly eventful, as I blew out a tire driving home on the freeway. Way to go, Jen. What are the odds of blowing a tire and having to get to the spare in the trunk when said trunk is overflowing with, among other things, a huge pan of turkey leftovers.

Speaking of, today I searched for recipes for something to do with lots of leftover turkey... and found one for Kneaders Curried Turkey Chowder. After a few consultations with mom (note: ramen seasoning packets CAN double for bouillon cubes, and you cut green onions all the way up to the dark green stalk) the soup was made... and it was so delicious. Thick and creamy and curry-y. Let me know if anyone wants the recipe.

Lastly, a pretty funny movie trailer in the genre of comedic horror. I think dad ought to appreciate this one the most.

a day of firsts

2007-11-03T23:22:00.000-05:00

I'm not a runner. Never have been. And I've always been tempted to say I never will be. Two of my closest friends have run marathons, and my dad always coaxes me into a few jogs when I'm home. But I've never felt the urge to just run for the heck of it. Running during soccer is totally legitimate (although I loved playing indoor because there seems to be less space in which to run), and I've never been opposed to the occasional mile or two on the treadmill at the gym. But this week, the bottom dropped out -- I ran a total of 4.5 miles on Tuesday and 5 miles this morning. And it wasn't so bad. Well, I take it back. The first two miles stink, but after that, you just get in the "groove" as Janet calls it, and you feel like you could go on for, well, another 3 miles. I've been talked into training for a half marathon with Janet and her boyfriend Steve. So I've got another month to bump that 5 miles up to 13.1. Piece of cake.

The weapon of choice

I also attended my first Duke basketball game at the Cameron Indoor Stadium, home of the Cameron Crazies. Seriously, these guys are nuts. With the exception of half time, they never sit down. They have some pretty riotous chants -- "Go to he[ck] Carolina! Go to he[ck]!" which they apparently don't just yell during the legendary Duke vs UNC games. Rumor has it the "airball" chant got its start at Cameron. The atmosphere is amazing, though. The 'stadium' only seats 1,500 (compared to the Marriot Center's 22,700 capacity), and students would give up life and limb to get tickets to the Duke/UNC game. They almost do, actually. The undergrads live in tents in Krzyzewskiville for up to 3 months before the game just for one of the coveted tickets. Think Golden ticket from Willy Wonka, but even crazier.

And my other favorite chant of the night was "Crazy Towel Guy". He is perhaps the only basketball fan in the country to have his own cheer. He's been to every home game for the last 20 years and always sits in the exact same place, waving around a towel to incite the fans to cheer at higher decibels, if that's even possible.

Crazy Towel Guy

Go devils, go! And also, go Cougs!

This one's for you, Abe

2007-10-29T21:36:00.001-05:00

It is one year and four days since my last blog posting. Apparently posting twice in one day sent me over the edge... but consider this the rebirth of see jayne run.

Let's see. Since my last blog post, I stopped working at FYI Corp. (goodbye, aeron chair), moved to Durham, North Carolina, began working in a cardiovascular medicine lab at Duke (hello, mice), and applied to medical school. Klarissa and Abe graduated from college, we had all the Jacksons together for the first time in years, Matt and Erin still live in the Alps, Mariah's a teenager. The list goes on.

I've definitely fallen in love with the great state of North Carolina (aka Noth Cackalacky). I've got quality friends at work and in the Durham 3rd ward (D3), enjoy the research that goes on in my lab (even when it involves shaving and nairing the occasional rodent), and am having fun coaching a local girl's soccer team (vai Portugal!). I live close enough to drive home on occasion (okay, so only once since I moved here, but it's only nine hours), and have had both my sisters up to visit for a few days. I've become an official resident of NC, and I've written enough personal statements to last a lifetime. For the moment, I'm going to continue working at Duke until I find out about med schools, which will be here in the next, oh, 8 months. It's the real never ending story.

So that's where I stand. Jennifer. In North Carolina. With the candlestick. It's been a good year.

2 posts in one day!

2006-10-25T12:16:00.000-05:00

Albeit this one is going to be small:

I just wanted to inform my readers that my office chair at FYI is featured in the most recent episode of The Office ("The Initiation"). Nothing beats the surreal feeling of watching Jim sitting in a HermanMiller Aeron chair on "the office" while sitting in a HermanMiller Aeron chair in my office. Actually, a lot of things beat that. Oh well. Highlight of my day. I've got to start thinking of some pranks to pull.

Go Cougs! and Weddings!

2006-10-25T08:27:00.000-05:00

2 posts in one week -- I think I'm making some progress.

Gillian got married! She was sealed in the Spokane temple and had a very beautiful, hardy wedding reception in the Palouse of Eastern Washington.... complete with soup, homemade bread, apple centerpieces and apple pie. It was perfectly fitting for her and for Pullman, Washington.

She was a very beautiful bride. I must say that my favorite moment, aside from the actual ceremony, was when Gillian came into the full sealing room and just sort of sat down smack in the middle of the bench made for her and her husband-to-be Jonathan, leaving no room for him to sit down beside her. Everyone laughed (which was helpful -- we were already a bit weepy), she scooted over, and the sealing proceeded. Gillian's initials are now GCB -- which she is quick to point is a natural chord progression.

After the wedding, I drove down to Provo for various and sundry purposes. Klarissa hooked me up with a ticket to the BYU vs UNLV football game -- which was great because I haven't set foot in the LaVel Edwards stadium in years -- and it's been even longer since I've seen the Cougs WIN in the LaVel Edwards Stadium. It was a great game.
I also ran into lots of great friends, including some old-timers from my Villa days.

And Elder Glenn -- who apparently traded in his tie and nametag for a tight, white, cheerleader uniform. Who would've thought.

I also got a few very domestic-looking pictures of Klarissa and Abe... that is one good looking couple of business majors!

a room with a view... of melbourne, not florence, unfortunately

2006-10-09T18:05:00.000-05:00

This post is largely in response to a request, or rather a taunt, by Schmaaa? So just to prove I'm not lazy, I'm writing again.

This is a picture of my lovely office at FYI -- complete with a very ergonomically correct chair that I don't use properly because I always sit on its edge. And complete with a candy jar from which I purloined all the tootsie rolls before anyone else had the chance. Ah, the perks of the business world. I really do love the view though. The second best thing to being outside is being able to see the outside, I suppose.

I've been home from Fishers for almost two months now (holy vaca!). I miss the constant physical activity, but I'm trying to keep up windsurfing once or twice a week... definitely not the same. I did manage to wack my head on my mast this past Saturday... was it worth it, temp? was it worth it? Heck yes. I had such a great time.

And.... one nerd intimidates another! I went to Salt Lake/Provo two weekends ago - and fulfilled a small dream by getting to meet Jeopardy! champion Ken Jennings. Well, I wouldn't say meet... more like weirded out. I got to weird out Ken Jennings. I justed hosed up and got nervous -- I do this around incredibly witty people because I feel like my wit is no match for theirs. Janet, you know what I mean. My sister thinks the picture looks like a family portrait... I'd have to agree. Thanks, Deseret Book, for providing the perfect backdrop for my family photo with Ken Jennings.

"your love is better than ice cream"... except at Toppers

2006-08-02T20:40:00.000-05:00

Well, mission pretty much accomplished. We celebrated Klarissa's 21st birthday! We did eat obscene amounts of ice cream at Toppers, go digging for clams, and have a bonfire. No fishing (at least not with poles -- Mariah did catch a minnow with her bare hands) but we did do some sweet ocean kayaking and Mariah has become quite an accomplished windsurfer over the course of a few days.

Please see pictures below to see evidence of said activities:

Some interesting facts we learned this week:

~ one should avoid singing silly camp songs about sharks when one is kayaking in VERY open waters
~ when an ice cream store employs a puppy theme, the result is instant success... especially with a certain young Jackson girl

~ Fishers Island is a pretty incredible place

FI

2006-07-24T23:06:00.000-05:00

I swore on my crooked pinky I would post tonight -- so here it is.

I've hit the halfway mark on Fisher's Island. 5 weeks down, 5 weeks to go. The time is going by a little too quickly, but I know that at the end of the summer I'll be itching to get off this tiny little island and get back to a normal (well, semi-normal) adult life. But for now, life is good. Every time I teach kids how to windsurf and I see the look of elation on their face as they land a tack or jibe for the first time, I am reminded of how much I love this job.

I reached a milestone on Saturday night -- the first time I've ever worked in a restaurant (aside from the time the head cook let me use the deep fryer at Camp Sunshine during Lupus week). Every night, Hay Harbor Club turns into a restaurant (the "sunset lounge" or something) where Islanders can lay down ridiculous amounts of money for good food... and lots of spirits. So I bussed for four hours, and got to eat really delicious leftovers afterwards. Although a milestone (and although I didn't NOT enjoy it), this will probably not be an oft repeated experience in my life. But I have to admit, I did enjoy overhearing the conversations of the rich and not-quite-famous. Lots of politics, and lots of drunken antics towards the end of the night. Next time I'll bring a camera.

I finished reading "Life of Pi" -- very interesting and quite the unexpected ending. I definitely recommend it. And I just started on "Wild Swans," a personal history about China in the 20th century. Reminds me a lot of "The Good Earth" by Pearl S. Buck. I didn't learn too much about the Far East in high school/college so I'm making up for it now.

Not too much new going on. My sisters are both coming to visit next weekend to celebrate Klarissa's 21st birthday. We're going to dig for clams, have bonfires, go fishing, and eat obscene amounts of ice cream. Among other things. I can't wait.

Some random shots of the island (and me):

Some of the kids I teach at the Thursday night dance. The boys wear the cutest clothes.

Oh, and I'm an aunt 2X. Erin had a beautiful little baby girl named Rachel Corrine. 3 lb 10 oz, born on June 20 --- she just came home from the hospital today.

She's going to be a heartbreaker. Especially if she has a crooked pinky like her aunty Jen.

the Gloaming

2006-07-07T10:05:00.000-05:00

I'm finishing up my third week here at Hay Harbor Club on Fisher's Island. The first week was spent mostly repairing windsurfing equipment and getting things in order. I've been teaching now for about two weeks. I couldn't ask for a more beautiful location (the water could be a tad bit warmer... although it's been much warmer than I anticipated). The kids are fantastic and all I do is spend a few hours a day teaching them how to improve their kayaking strokes, take them on mini-adventures (usually involving sliding their kayaks down rock slides into the ocean) , and teach them to windsurf. I usually have six to eight 45 minute private or semi-private lessons daily, and fill the rest of my days with reading, babysitting, and watching episodes of "the Office" on Michael's computer.

I live in a place aptly named the "Golf House" as it sits on a nine-whole golf course and also houses the golf shop. I have a great roommate from Massachusetts and can wake up to the sound of waves crashing. Fishers also has a unique smell -- lots of wildflowers like honeysuckle. The weather, for the most part, has been ideal. We have had a few overcast days where a thick fog settles over the island the entire day and makes me think this place would be the perfect setting for a New England murder mystery, espcially because there's a streat called "The Gloaming."

And if you have a house on Fishers, you must have lots of Fishers insignia that shows the island: belts, ties, flip-flops, car stickers, backsplash tile. You name it.

John and I cooking at our friend Kathrin's house. We do a lot of that.

Ha Ha... Faked you out -- the REAL return to my blogging ways

2006-06-17T00:28:00.000-05:00

This time I'm for real.

I've actually come full circle. When I first started blogging, I took a little trip to New York City on my way to Switzerland to visit Ashley and Rita, long-time friends who herald from the days of good ole McNair Magnet School. I'm back again, but this time with Sara, another of my best friends since the 7th grade. And this time en route to Fishers Island, NY (off the coast of New London, CT) where I will be teaching windsurfing and kayaking for the summer. I'll be here til Monday, and then travel by train to CT where I start work.

We had dinner at the California Pizza Kitchen (who knew carmelized pears and gorgonzola cheese on a pizza could be so good??) and then had dessert at Serendipity (of the famed movie....um, "Serendipity") The place was a bit stuffy. When Ash called to make reservations, they didn't hesitate to tell her that they are booked 2 months in advance. The pictures: left is Sara and I -- I really wasn't cold at all, I just spilled chocolate ice cream on my shirt so Sara let me borrow her jacket as a cover-up. And right is me, Rita, Sara, and Ashley.

And below is the windsurfing board I just bought. I'm pretty excited to put it to good use this summer on the island.

On the docket for tomorrow: buying a pair of Chacos and watching USA vs Italia at 2:30 EST.

A return to my blogging ways

2006-03-08T14:59:00.000-05:00

I've been put to veritable blogging shame by Gillian (not to mention her brothers and sister), who has posted 3 times since I last wrote about seeing my grandma in West Palm. No excuses, other than feeling inadequately prepared by high school AP English to keep up with such incredible writers. But the time has come to post again.

Some of the most exciting events of the past few weeks:

Calema Windsurfing midwinters! This is pretty much the biggest windsurfing regatta in the country (Napoleon, like anyone can even know that!) and took place at Kelly Park a few weekends ago. I didn't race (maybe next year) but I helped out at the event and had a great time watching international pros race in really strong winds.

This is a great picture of the start of one of the races -- there were more than 140 participants in all.

This is another amazing photo at the start of the race. The top three winners in the men's pro division came from France, Argentina and Norway (I think) but there were also lots of youth and women who raced and did really well. Next year, if you're not doing anything the first weekend in March, there's always Midwinters in Merritt Island, Florida.

A trip to the Keys! with some friends. I have no pictures to post at the moment because I didn't bring a camera (mine is still accruing international time in Switzerland with my brother and sister-in-law). Like usual, we packed a good deal into a short amount of time. We swam/waded out to distant isles (okay, just one isle), camped on patches of grass, played sports (lots of frisbee) and played random games made up by Janet and her friend Nancy. The best of which was the "make up names of new Keys" game. Responses included: Honk and Tonk Keys, Hank and Pank Keys, Door Key. Yeah... we had a lot of time to kill during car rides.

Work! The other day my horoscope said to keep future plans hidden (hard for me to do... E is for effusive, not elusive) but I'm really enjoying my job. I have evolved into the Executive Assistant/Office Manager (with the help of our IT guy Bob), which gives me a bird's-eye-view of how our CEO runs the company. I've learned a lot about business in the meantime--something I never thought I was interested in--and am figuring a little more out everyday. I'm still heading off this summer to teach windsurfing up north, but I will most likely come back in the fall to continue working at FYI.

If anyone is still actually reading See Jayne Run, I applaud your diligence and faithfulness, and will reward you by posting more often in the near future.

Heaven... I'm in heaven.

2006-01-21T16:39:00.000-05:00

I'm at one of my favorite places in the whole world-- my aunt's house in West Palm Beach. Florida is having great winter weather (sorry for all of those who are currently residing in more arctic climes) and the view is really breathtaking. We drove down to take my mom, grandma and aunt to Miami to embark on another one of their 'trips.' When those three get together, it's nothing but rioutous peals of laughter. I haven't seen my Grandma Amon in a while, so we've enjoyed reminiscing and waltzing a bit. She's a very dynamic lady. 81 and still traveling the world over.

Employment updates: I found out on Thursday that I've been hired on to teach windsurfing and kayaking at Hay Harbor Resort on Fishers Island, NY this summer for two months. I really don't know too many details, but from what I understand, it's a posh summer resort for kids. My duties will include, um, teaching windsurfing and kayaking. But I'll also do on-the-side tutoring, lifeguarding, babysitting, chaperoning, etc. I love windsurfing, and I love teaching windsurfing even more, so I think it'll end up being the perfect summer job. I'm still not sure of my plans for the fall, but I've got some things in the works.

[Another round of crazy laughter from the Amon ladies] I love my family.

2006-01-10T23:33:00.000-05:00

Thanks for putting up with my blogging hiatus. I'm back, and better than ever. Okay, so I'm just back. But here goes:

I really should be in bed right now... I just finished starting to study for the MCAT (2 hours a night for 4 months. Wow. Reviewed enzymes tonight. Looking forward to tomorrow) AND I have a job to go to early in the morning! I've been hired on as a semi-temp employee (4 months) for FYI Corp. in Melbourne, FL. I do lots of odd jobs, from the semi-mundane to the semi-empowering, and no, it has nothing to do with my college degree. I came to terms with the fact that (a) there are few (if any) jobs in my field in the Cocoa/Rockledge area, and (b) by the time I get trained to do anything micro/molecular biology related, it would be time for me to head off (hopefully) to a distant isle to teach windsurfing for the summer. So this is good. I know the CEO from previous church things--an incredible guy, I've got a great office with a big window, I got a laptop yesterday. So things are going well.

I'm also studying for the GRE so that I can keep the MPH window open. GRE = Graduate R..... Exam, and MPH = Masters in Public Health, for those of you who weren't sure. I signed up to take the GRE (a glorified version of the SAT) on the 26th of January, so I can get a few weeks of refreshing done between now and then.

Backtracking -- I had a great last few weeks in Switzerland. Our jaunt to Germany was so incredible because I had pictured it in my head and heard about it and read about it so much. We went to Dachau and visited the site of a WWII concentration camp. It was perhaps the most sobering experience I've ever had first-hand. You read the books and see the films, but to stand where those prisoners stood and froze and were tortured was intense. After Dachau, we stayed the night in Munich and awoke early to see the famed glockenspiel and the Christmas markets in Munich's main square. After Munich, we drove to Augsburg to see from whence the Amons and Schmidts (my maternal grandparents) hail. Augsburg is home to a very famous Christmas market with the most incredible German fare, so I was in heaven, and ate more food than I thought possible. Then we drove around until we found my grandma's old house, and then headed back to Switzy.

Christmas at home was fast-paced and hectic as usual (in a positive way), but it was good to be with the rest of the family. I loved hanging out with my sisters. Klarissa's so much fun now that she doesn't throw huge wooden dice at me in fits of rage because I'm beating her at board games. And Mariah's growing up so fast but is still just my cute little kid sister. I loved spending Q-time with Morgen, and he guessed the two things I wanted for Christmas: a cell phone and an I-pod. So I am now somewhat technologically up-to-date.

And then new years -- some of my best friends from BYU flew in from around the country to ring in the New Year in Florida. They split the time between my house and my friend Tim's house in the Deland/Daytona area. Considering how little time they spent in the sunshine state, we were able to do a lot... Disney, the space center, some windsurfing, lots of orange picking, Ron Jon's, New Years on the beach, manatees and swimming at the springs. I had a great time and was really sad to see them go.

And now, on to that real grown-up life that I've heard so much about. I like working, the commute's not bad (as long as I have Allison Kraus to listen to--thansk Janet), and it feels really good to be studying again. I thrive on routines, and so it's good to sort of have one again. I say sort of, because it's midnight, and according to my routine, I should have been in bed an hour ago!

1776 reasons to read this book

2005-12-02T11:39:00.000-05:00

I just finished reading 1776 by David McCullough, and recommend it because:

1. It tells of very real historical events (no fluff) but reads like a novel
2. I learned more about the Revolutionary War and the idealogy behind it reading this book than I did during 3 years of high school history and a semester of "American Heritage" in college
3. The manner of speaking & writing of the early Americans/British has inspired me to be much more eloquent and expressive
4. Okay, I'm really not going to write 1776 reasons, just 3. But this is a terrific investigation into the beginnings of the American Revolution.

McCullough described it as being "about Washington and the army and the war. It's the nadir, the low point of the United States of America." The author researched extensively in both the US and the UK, and knew so many details about so many things -- the characters, the landscape, the mood of both Great Britain and the colonies. He culled journal entries, personal correspondence, memos, nearly everything imaginable for details of the momentous 12 months in the fight for independence. McCullough honors Washington in the character he describes, but also lets us see his shortcomings. I felt like I came to understand the man because we get to read his own words, and then McCullough fills in the gaps with information from others who knew Washington best. I also felt that McCullough gave very fair treatment to the Mother land, and especially King George III, and their reasons for engaging the "petulant subjects" in war. This was a great book, and I can't wait to get home and read some of McCullough's other books, Truman and John Adams.

In other news, I went to the beautiful and historic Swiss town of St. Gallen with Erin and Daniel on Wednesday. Apparently, an Irish monk named Gallus felt he received a sign from God and formed a hermitage in what is now St. Gallen in the year 612. The city is famous for its library, formed in the 830's, and became wealthy due to the booming business of hand embroidery. Crazy swiss embroidery people. The library is, well, old, and I have to admit I was taken aback by the dead stuffed animals (lots and lots of taxidermy ... they said it was art) but it was amazing to see nonetheless. The entire thing is constructed of wood, and we were informed that St. Gallen has a whole fire department unit on call in case the building spontaenously combusts.

Matt and Erin beat me in FIFA 2004 tonight (badly--I think I need to learn how to pass), but it's okay because tomorrow we go to Munich (Augsburg, then Dachau, then Munich). My grandparents on my mom's sides are from Augsburg, so we're going to attempt to find the house my grandma lived in. And the Christmas markets are just starting up in Germany, so we'll be able to see those too. AND I'm supposed to try German liver dumpling soup... I can't wait. Mmmmm, liver.

One time when I was in London...

2005-11-26T19:31:00.000-05:00

A long-standing mystery has been solved. The majority of seejaynerun35.blogpsot.com readers have seen the Disney animated movie Aladdin. Remember the part at the beginning where the merchant in Aggrabah is attempting to sell his wares? He says:

"Look at this! Yes! Combination _____ and coffee maker, also makes Julienne fries. Will not break! (taps it on table) Will not... (it falls apart) It broke! "

What does he say after "combination" and before "and coffee maker?" I have to admit that I've never really known. But my trip to London finally solved the mystery of the missing Aladdin word... it's Hookah! I'll explain.

My first night in London, my friend Sokphal took me to quite the international party--she has a Spanish friend who teaches her Spanish in return for teaching him English. He hosted a little party at his house out in Zone 3 (a little ways outside of downtown London) so we went and I met lots of great international people. Represented were the following countries: Czech Republic, Poland, Spain, Brazil, Japan, New Zealand, Australia, Colombia, Germany, and the USA. Most of them are in London working or studying, and are learning English through their associations with each other and the Brits. So, the hookah: on a table in the back of the room sat a large water pipe... now I know what a water pipe is (an Eastern smoking pipe designed with a long tube passing through an urn of water that cools the smoke as it is drawn through), but didn't realize that it's other name was hookah. Mystery solved--Combination hookah and coffee maker! You're welcome. And don't worry, there was no smoking of the hookah for me.

the hookah

The rest of my London excursion was incredible/fast paced. I tried to cram in as much as I could, starting with a walk through Hyde Park and Kensington Garden on Sunday after the Hyde Park Stake Conference that morning.

That night I saw the London tower and the Tower Bridge, and walked through a winding photographic exhibition along the Thames that featured large-scale photographs of natural landscapes (http://www.earthfromtheair.com/). On Monday I got an early start and visited Palace Court, where my sister took up residence for 4 months last year. Lucky dog. Then another walk through Kensington Gardens, where I saw the Peter Pan statue...

and went to the Serpentine Gallery. Their main exhibit was a 'project' done by Ilya and Emilia Kabakov, contemporary Russian artists who are famous for their conceptual and installation art. This one was called "the house of dreams," where they "transform the Gallery by creating a series of distinct meditative spaces, and encourage visitors to enter into a world of fantasy and daydreams. The installation is a place for rest and quiet contemplation." If you want to know more about them, go to http://www.ilya-emilia-kabakov.com/. Very thought-provoking stuff.

Then it was on to Buckingham Palace and the changing of the guards (if you've seen one, you've seen them all) but the backdrop was was incredible. There were about 17,000 tourists (give or take) there, so the next time you're in London and you want to see the COTG, I recommend getting their early to get a good seat.

I then made my way to the Westminster Abbey, the traditional place of coronations and burials of English monarchs since the beginning of time (well, since 1065, when the actual Abbey was constructed by Edward the Confessor). It is the burial place/memorial sight of many a great author/poet as well, in what is known as the Poet's Corner. It's times like these that I wish I would have been a History major in college. It was incredible to feel the immense historicalness of all that had taken place there.

Westminster Abbey with Big Ben in the background

A not-well-known fact: Big Ben is the informal name of the Great Bell of Westminster, the largest bell in the Clock Tower of the Palace of Westminster. We (I) always called the whole tower/clock Big Ben, but apparently that's a bit of a misnomer. Don't worry--I'll keep calling it Big Ben.

After Westminster I met Sokphal and we went to the Tate Modern museum, opened in 2000 to celebrate the millennium. I have to admit that I don't have the greatest appreciation of Modern Art, and the Tate did little to improve that, but I got to see my first original Andy Warhol and tried a bit harder to understand angry clowns on imaginary pogo sticks. Next time I'm in London, I would like to go to the Tate Britain. The museum did have a beautiful view of the Thames and sitting/reading rooms to ponder over the mystery that is modern art.

After the Tate we walked along the Thames again so that I could see the Tower of London and Tower Bridge during the day (well, dusk)--quite majestic.

Sokphal and I in front of the Tower Bridge

We then wandered over to Harrods (colossal department store) and then I went by myself to see Harry Potter: the Goblet of Fire at Leicester Square (where it premiered). I couldn't resist the temptation, and I thought it was the best of the Harry Potter series to date.

On Tuesday, my last day in London, I visited the Imperial War Museum where they have exhibits about every major war in which Britain has taken part, plus other special exhibits about the Holocaust, Lawrence of Arabia, and Kids in wartime, etc. The displays were incredible and I thought their treatment of the Holocaust and especially the history leading up to it so thorough. I wish I could have spent several more hours their.

I also went to a class on international war crimes with Sokphal... she is studying at City University in London. It rounded out the day. After class we went to see the Phantom of the Opera at Her Majesty's Theatre. Don't get mad at me, but I didn't know the full story line (what happens at the end) so it was great to have it revealed to me live in London. The costumes, scenery, and music were all superb, I guess as could be expected. Next time I'm in London (or New York, for that matter) I'm going to have to see Les Miserables.

Well, that's my London trip in a nutshell. I had a wonderful time and publicly thank Sokphal for being such an awesome and gracious host. Next time anyone is in London, look her up!

Danny walking

2005-11-23T11:27:00.000-05:00

click on the picture to see Danny walking

After lots of research, I finally figured out how to post a video (well, link my blog to a video). So, after a brief period of anticipation, you can finally watch my nephew Daniel M. Jackson taking some of his first steps. This video was taken on my camera (why it's so grainy) about three weeks ago, and he's made rather large strides since then. Now that I know how to link my blog to videos, I'll post a new and improved walking video soon.

you ARE the weakest link... goodbye!

2005-11-17T11:32:00.000-05:00

Matt's home after 5 days in Munich for HILTI training. It's good to have him back, mostly because he brought me German chocolate. But Erin and I had fun watching movies and the British (harsh) version of "The Weakest Link." Anne, the intimidating hostess, has lots of opportunities to make fun of bad teeth. Speaking of, Daniel was teething (aka not sleeping well and feverish) but has improved a whole lot, and is walking like crazy. I'll try to post a video if I can.

Erin, Danny and Matt in Venice about a month ago--just thought I'd throw it in

Erin, Danny and I also took an afternoon trip into Zurich--the largest city in Switzerland. It is beautifully old and has cobblestone roads, giving it a storybook feel (but a storybook filled with well-dressed Europeans and all the best shops). We visited St. Peters Kirche (church), did a lot of window shopping, and ate Sprungli's heavenly Luxemburgerli (little chocolate sandwichy things) while we sipped hot chocolate. We stayed until it got dark, which was neat because all the Christmas lights and decorations are starting to be hung with care. There is definitely more to see and do there (some great museums, etc) so we'll be heading back for sure.

Me, Erin & Danny in Zurich--you can see the clock of St. Peters Kirsche behind us

Aerial view of Zurich

Yesterday Erin, Danny and I went to Schlos Sargans (Sargans Castle) dating back to the 1200's and ate the perfect meal--schnitzel and streudel. Sargans is a little town about 10 minutes from where Matt & Erin live. The temperature has dropped quite a bit in the last two days, and yesterday we awoke to lots of snow on the mountains and hills surrounding the apartment. Winter has arrived in Switzy, and I have a feeling it's going to be much colder in London (see next paragraph)--better pack the leg warmers. But when I go back to Florida, we'll probably still have lows in the mid 60's, so I should take advantage of the cold weather while I can.

Sargans Castle from the back

a view from Sargans Castle on an overcast day

And... I am going to London this weekend to visit my friend Sokphal who is studying there! (I love RyanAir and cheap intra-European flights.) I should take notes while I'm in her presence--she's the ultimate thrifty traveler, and has introduced me to a new method of traveling called couchsurfing (see link: www.couchsurfing.com). She just returned from a trip to Portugal, and is quite the inspiration. She has a blog as well: www.carpediem16.blogspot.com.

I just finished reading a good book recommended by my friend Rita (and borrowed from my friend Ashley) called A Tree Grows in Brooklyn. It's about the coming of age of a girl in Brooklyn at the turn of the 20th century and I found it a stirring social commentary. My favorite anecdotal advice was given by the main character Francie's illiterate grandmother (in response to the question: what must I do to make a different world for my daughter?)

"The secret lies in the reading and the writing. You are able to read. Every day you must read one page from some good book to your child. Every day this must be until the child learns to read. Then she must read every day. I know this is the secret..."

And a different world was made for Francie. The two books Francie's mother read to her over and over again were the complete works of Shakespeare and the Holy Bible. A Tree Grows in Brooklyn compelled me to work harder and find fewer reasons to complain. (But I still woke up at 11am this morning... I love vacations and staying up late to read). Now it's time to dedicate myself to 1776 (still working on it) and A Concise History of Germany.

Aside: My sister Klarissa has gone and created her own website (to fulfill a requirement for her ISYS class, I think). She posted some beautiful pictures and some other inspiring items... if you know her (and even if you don't) and would like to see for yourself, the link is: webpub.byu.net/kj257/

I'll be back in a few days to tell all about my London adventures.

streudels and bratwursts and raclette, oh my!

2005-11-11T19:14:00.000-05:00

Turns out I really love Switzerland. And Matt, Erin and Daniel live in a charming little rural farmy town, so farmy that today we nearly got sprayed by the cow manure spraying machine--instead, we just got to smell the manure. But it really is lovely here. They live close to lots of other towns which we have spent the majority of the last week visiting. Yesterday we went to a town called Cohr and tomorrow we'll go to a fair in Liechtenstein and then visit a city called Opfenzell.

On Wednesday I ate my first authentic Bratwurst--on a piece of bread (no hotdogs buns for the Swiss!) with mustard. It was so incredibly good. And last night we all made raclette, a famously Swiss meal where you melt cheese in a grill-type thing and then pour it on your food of choice (ours was potatoes and salami). And then this morning I had a great apple streudel (a recommendation from Erin).

I'm thinking about going to London while I'm here to visit a friend who's studying there at the moment (I've never been) and I might also take a little side trip to Rome (also never seen the sights there). And then Matt & co and I are planning on going to Munich/Augsburg, Milan, and Bern during the rest of my stay. Cheers!

Hallo von der Schweiz!

2005-11-05T04:29:00.000-05:00

I arrived Thursday, 3 November and Matt & Daniel picked me up from the airport in Zurich. They live about one hour away outside a little town called Buchs and have a great apartment and a beautiful view. Everything here reminds me of the German part of Epcot center--but so much better. That night we busted out Boggle, which Erin has since become addicted to and drempt about. Yesterday when Matt was at work Erin and I took Daniel to the doctor for his MMR shot, and the doctor took all his measurements. Matt was pleased to hear that Daniel's head size is in the 25th percentile of average baby head sizes. He's perfect. Then we went shopping (grocery and otherwise--they have H&M here!) in Austria and passed by Matt's work in Leichtenstein. Erin's a great mom and Matt cooks great pasta (and is a great dad, of course). We don't have any concrete plans yet as for things to do while I'm here, but for the moment I just love being an aunt. I'll keep you posted.

the view

Daniel at breakfast this morning

A few highlights from my week in NY:

~ seeing old (but incredibly good) friends--Rita, Ashley, Simmy and Jason
~ going to Cathleen's soccer game (Columbia beat Yale 2-1 and Cathleen scored the first goal of the match)
~ dressing up as a road for halloween (thanks for the idea, Gillian)
~ the NYC halloween parade
~ eating pork rolls and having pearl drinks in China town
~ going to church and to the Manhattan temple
~ going to the American Museum of Natural History and the Metropolitan Museum of Art

I had such a good time that NYC has also been added to the list of cities to which I want to move. It's that or the Palouse. According to Chef Neve, the city of New York has more restaurants than any other state... or something like that. It has wonderful culture and diversity, and there are always so many things to do and see. Thanks to my accomodating friends who made my stay there so great.

from l to r: Lisa, Will, Don, Jason, Ashley, me, Simmy, Jack, Sarah -- at Cathleen's soccer game

In the city

2005-10-27T17:17:00.000-05:00

Just to clarify the 'hurricane pancake' question: They are actually normally shaped... although the next time we are hit by a hurricane (probably next week) I'll have to recommend that they be hurricane-shaped. They are incredible oatmeal buttermilk pancakes that my dad makes. I'll post the recipe (or maybe my dad can) when I get home.

I'm having a great time in New York. I had a very easy flying experience, made easier by how cool it was to fly Song Airlines. Instead of having a flight attendant say the opening spiel about safety belts and oxygen masks, they had a recording--of an Irish woman with Irish jig-type music playing in the background. Very entertaining.

When I got in to LaGuardia, I took a quick taxi to Rita's apartment in Astoria. She has a great little place and both she and Ashley were there when I arrived. After chatting for a bit, we took the metro to Ashley's place, met Simmy, and went to a Thai restaurant called Spice (aptly named). And then this morning, I played the part of 'prospective student' and accompanied Ashley to her classes at Cornell Medical school, where she is in her 2nd year. Then met Rita for lunch and then walked to the Goethe Institute and the Metropolitan Museum of Art. I vaguely recall having been there before, but it was great to get lost in the American Collections. I saw the colossal painting of Washington crossing the Deleware, made all the more poignant by my current reading of 1776.

I have really only ever seen New York City as a Christmas-time tourist (which is incredible) but it's great to see other aspects of the city,see people who live here and, as one New Yorker said, do laundy and go grocery shopping. I'm having a great time.

Wilma was weally wet

2005-10-24T22:00:00.000-05:00

When my parents were called and told they didn't have to go to work on Monday, and my sister's school was closed for the day because of Hurricane Wilma, I scoffed because the storm was so far away and wasn't all that strong. But we were all taken by surprise by its outer bands and the tornado warnings and huge amounts of water that hit us here in Canaveral Groves. There were power outages all day, the longest for about 2 hours, but we made Hurricane pancakes and weathered out the storm with no major problems... and Mariah loved causing wake with her little jet-ski man after the rain stopped. I love Florida.

run jayne run

2005-10-20T23:35:00.000-05:00

I credit the name of this web log to a friend replete with good blogging names. The purpose of these postings are to chronicle my adventures, both abroad and at home, so that my family and friends can keep tabs on me. I love adventures and traveling, but for the record, I also love coming home.

I will soon be taking off for New York City and will stay there with some good friends for a week. From there I will catch a flight to Zurich, Switzerland to visit my brother, his wife, and their little boy for 6 weeks, and then I'll be home for Christmas in Florida with the rest of my family. Maybe we can decorate an orange tree again this year. Post-Christmas plans still tba.

Lata skata.