47 days

There are only 47 days left until I graduate. April 27th at 8 am I will be walking and receiving my graduate degree!! The moment is already so close that it's hard to focus on my school work. As long as I pass all my classes, I'm not too concerned what happens with this final semester.

I decided to pay the $35 cap and gown rental fee -- hey, you only get once chance to graduate from college for the first time (and hopefully the last). This is it for me: no more college!


I've been counting down the weeks and days ever since last October. I actually have an automatically updating spreadsheet that counts it down for me; I guess I've had too many "free" moments at work lately. I gave my 12 weeks notice at work back in January. My coworkers think I've become "trunky". "Hey, if you're going to find a replacement that will do as good a job as I did, you're going to need 12 weeks!" At least my boss thought it was funny.

The Monday after graduation Stephanie and the girls are flying to Texas. They'll be staying with her parents in Keller while I get the rest of the house packed up. I'm driving our car out to DC on my own and will meet the moving van when it gets there. Hopefully I'll be unpacking into our new apartment, but it might be a storage shed. We've been waiting on a three bedroom unit to open up at a really great complex, but everything in DC stays rented or fills up quick. Until we can get something that will work, Steph will stay with her family in TX and I'll stay with some friends in DC.


I can't wait to get to DC! I am so excited to get on with life and start full-time work. It'll be nice also to leave behind the 825 square foot apartment for something a little bigger. It'll also be nice to feel somewhat "settled" in a place knowing that we'll be there long term. We plan on getting out once a month at least to go see things in DC. With so much to see and do that's free, we've easily got a couple years worth of family activities lined up.


When I get to DC, I'll only have a few days to get set up before I start work. KPMG has an office downtown on 20th and M streets in NW. After a day or two in the office, I'll be on my first client. While I'm excited to find out who that will be, I am also excited about some of my long-term prospects. With KPMG auditing so many of the government agencies, I have a good chance to get on some interesting engagements. I just filled out some security clearance paperwork that I hope goes through. Once that clears, I can be involved in some really 'interesting' auditing. I have a friend who audited the Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA). He tells some interesting stories about verifying 'inventory' kept until the trials were completed.


As crazy as it sounds, I can't wait to ride the Metro again. I like public transportation. I like not having to drive in commute traffic. I liked being able to read a paper, read a book, or watch a movie on my laptop going too and from work. Maybe I also like the idea of working in a big city. I guess there's an allure to being surrounded by lots of people working in high-powered jobs helping to shape the direction of the country. I'm not saying I want to be in politics or anything, I just like the atmosphere.


The distance from here to there still seems too large to bridge. I have from now until April 27th to finish all my course work. Now until then to find an apartment. Now until then to squeeze the last drops of entertainment and enjoyment out of living in Provo. Now until then to prepare for living in the real world. It all begins/ends/continues in just 47 days.

4 months left

It's the third day of school of my final semester at BYU. It's hard to accept that this really is my last semester because I've been attending school since, .... well, for a long time. I'll have 234.5 credits when I graduate, a Masters degree in Accountancy, undergrad in Accountancy, and two minors: Horticulture and Information Systems.

I've spent a lot of time in Provo at BYU, and I can't say that I wish I could stick around. Provo has the feeling of school attached to it, and I'm ready to be out of school. At the same time, I can tell I'm going to miss campus and the people I've worked with and gone to class with.

This summer we'll be moving to Washington, DC to start full time with KPMG. We'll probably end up living somewhere in Fairfax county, Virginia if we can find a place we like.

My wife and I are both excited about new places and new activities. Maybe we're both a little ADD? We haven't stayed in any one apartment more than a couple of years, and it hasn't bothered us to move. DC seems like the next big adventure!

This final semester of school seems more like a transition into my full-time job. I'm working more hours, taking less credits, and my mind is mostly in DC. I'm more concerned about finding an apartment and setting up utilities there than worrying about when my first big papers are due or when I need to start studying for midterms. I guess the good news is that I would have to try to not pass my classes in order to not graduate. Still, I'm looking forward to the time when I get paid to go to work and don't have to take work home with me.

Wicked

So amid all the school work that I've had to do, I managed to read Wicked by Gregory McGuire. Hmmmm... Not a huge fan. It was an interesting read. The plot focused around trying to define what was really wicked. It gave a new dressing to the story of the Wizard of Oz portraying the Wicked Witch of the West as a victim of her upbringing and of society's odd treatment of her because of her green skin. It was a mind-broadening take on the original story, but perhaps I'm far too romantic to appreciate the message the author was trying to get out.



I did find it interesting how the author implied that evil is manifested when someone pretends to be good or puts forth a good front but has selfish or less than virtuous intentions. But I wasn't won over by the stoic and martyr-esque persona of Elphaba (aka the Wicked Witch of the West). Yes, at times I felt pity for her, but I didn't identify with the person who had become skeptical and even cynical with the world. Maybe I have rose colored glasses on, but I believe that the Aristotlean mean of moderated virtues (not heroic dramaticism and not pessimistic cynicism) is of more benefit to man to emulate than of making a statement through extremes. And I just can't accept the proposition that people are to a considerable extent a product of their enviroment. I say, only if they choose to be. I choose not to and I've changed, so I can't agree with McGuire's point. Then again, I don' have green skin.

In addition, the Babylon-esque level of morality was a turn off. Sure sex is a part of life, but I have no interest in reading about others' experiences with it, thank you very much. And it was pretty base descriptions -- not just uncomfortable descriptions. Worth skipping a few pages.

I've heard some of the music from the musical Wicked, and that sounds somewhat interesting. I'll have to listen again after having read the story to see what I think. I'm not sure how true to the book the musical is.

So yes, the world doesn't have a happy ending to every story. Still, I'm not convinced that reading stories with tragic endings makes me an incrementally better person than reading stories with happy endings.

So there you have my opinion. Take it or leave it.

Fall Family Outing

This past weekend we spent the entire day on Saturday out at Thanksgiving Point in Lehi, Utah. We started off the day at their display gardens. It was the perfect time of year to go. We saw maybe 10 other people the entire morning, the roses were still in full bloom (they love warm sunny days and cool nights), and the trees were all in full color. The girls had a great time feeding Koi in the lake, smelling roses, racing to the top of the "lookout hill", playing princess in the Italian garden, and exploring the secret garden. There was so much room to roam that we definitely strayed off the path to kick up some leaves.

After lunch, we headed over to "Farm Country" for some animal petting. The girls were completely captivated by the goats who would lick and nibble the corn right out of their hands. They were interested in the peacocks and the rabbits, but nothing could top the pony ride. Two times each just wasn't enough. After looking at all the animals, we decided to head over to the Fall festival in the field next door. Cornbelly's had a huge hay stack with slides, a giant "air pillow", cow train, and pig races. It was a great time. Steph and I even ventured into the Creature, but it was a bit too scary for the girls inside (loud noises) even in the daylight. Didn't even try the corn maze -- too big for a stroller.

After a great day, we had to finish up with a McDonald's run. We were all pretty tired and the girls were asleep before we got home.

To finish up the night, we caught the highlights of the BYU vs San Diego State game on TV. Awesome! 4-2! Go Cougars!!

Summer Landscaping Project in DC

While staying with Seth and Susan Stewart in Vienna, VA this summer, I managed to convince them to let me help them relandscape their yard. Susan posted several pictures from the project so you can see what we did. The blog posting can be found here:

http://seth-susan.blogspot.com

Turning 28 -- 6/2/06

I stole these pictures from my friend's blog.

A group of us went to Salt Grass Steakhouse for dinner on my birthday. 28!















Me & Steph -- Dustin & Jenn -- Doug, Amy & lil' Megan

212!

This summer hasn't been the best for weight loss. I blame the stress of being in a car accident, of being separated from my family, etc. But really, I lost control.

I got up to 225 by the middle of June before heading to DC. SO getting down to 212 is actually a pretty good for me.

I'm learning that I actually like being a little heavier than the 190 I used to be. I don't look so skinny and goofy. (I don't think anyone WANTS to look like Bob Sagget.) I call this my "mature weight". I'm all for being healthy, but I have no desire to get down to a certain weight. Besides, if I can change it to muscle mass, that's more useful, and increased muscle mass increases the metabolism.

BOOK REVIEW: The Life of Pi

I just finished reading a most amazing book. It is called the Life of Pi and it was written by Yann Martel.

In this book, a young Indian boy (eastern Indian, not Native American) named Piscene Patel (Pi for short) experiences life as the son of a zoo keeper in India. Pi experiences the cruelty of his peers at times and discovers religion. He practices Hinduism, Islam, and Christianity while taking a keen interest in science at school. His experiences being around animals and his observations of their behavior lead to some very interesting discoveries about the way humans behave. Pi realized that being free in the wild is not liberating to animals, it is scary. Humans too need structure, order, and a lack of uncertainty in order to feel at ease.

The political climate in Pi's native India changes, and his father decides to take their family to Canada. They sell of as many of the zoo animals as they can and bring some with them on their journey to have them delivered in Canada. They begin their travel on a cargo ship as it begins its journey across the Pacific. The ship has engine troubles so they stop in Manila for repairs. They are on their way again shortly, but Pi finds himself mysteriously awakened in the middle of the night. He climbs to the deck and the pouring rain only to discover moments later that the boat is sinking. His family is no where in sight, and some crew members toss him in a lifeboat. This is where the real story begins.

Pi is not alone in the lifeboat. He is joined by four others: a tiger, a zebra, a hyena, and an orangutan. The story continues as the animals interact under the harsh conditions of the open ocean and the laws of nature. Pi calls upon his experiences from living in the zoo to frame his experiences. He manages to successfully defend his territory from ferocious predators while learning how to survive on the open ocean.

The story ends with Pi Patel finally reaching land. He is hospitalized for a time in Mexico, and some representatives from the company that owned the cargo ship come to meet with him and gather information about the ship's sinking for insurance purposes. Pi relates the story of his coexistence with the animals, much to the disbelief of the two men. Pressed by the representatives, Pi translates the characters in his story to human form and re-tells the events of the past 8 months. At this point, one begins to wonder whether his companions really were animals, or whether he characterized his companions by an animal they most resembled. The story ends fairly quickly thereafter leaving the reader to wonder how much of the story was literal and what elements were metaphorical. In fact, some parts of the story remain so unexplained that the reader feels compelled to try to come up with his or her own explanation.

The Life of Pi is a fascinating tale of one human's encounter with God, the ocean, and his own nature. His journey through expansive geography, through spiritual awakening, and through mental and physical trials is both inspiring and sobering. I recommend this book to readers of all ages and backgrounds without hesitation.

A journey of a thousand miles begins with a... change of plans?

I never wanted to be separated from my family.

My family and I left Provo, Utah on May 8th intent on reaching Ft. Worth, TX by May 10th, there to spend a week with family before continuing on to Washington DC where we would move into a new apartment before I began working on May 22nd for KPMG. I had gotten special permission to start my internship early, and we were excited to get our summer plans underway.

We stayed overnight just south of Denver, Colorado. We got a later start the next morning, and found ourselved crossing the border from Colorado into New Mexico just after lunch. As we neared Raton pass, we encountered some rain and thunder storm. Not giving it much thought, we continued on slowing to five miles under the speed limit. Just over the pass, our car encountered a patch of hail covering a 100 yard stretch of roadway approximately 1/2 inch thick. Unfortunately, I had the car's cruise control engaged at the time. The tires lost traction and began to hydroplane. The car slowly started to spin counter clockwise. I tried to turn the wheels to point down the road, but the car was still traveling over hail.

Somehow, I imagined we'd get out of the spin, correct the car, pull over to gather our courage and continue on our jouney. I had never been so wrong. The impact was an amazing shock. We rotated a full 180 degrees before hitting the concrete median divider while traveling backwards at about 50 mph. Steph and I had braced for impact while our three girls were sleeping in their carseats. All three awoke immediatly, panicked by the jarring impact. The impact occured where our three week old daughter was strapped in. All we could hear was their distressed crying.

Immediately after the impact, the car spun back around to face downhill. I guided the car off the roadway as it continued to slide. We stopped the car on the side of the road and watched as the rain began to wash the hail off of the roadway. The girls were okay. Each one was conscious and alert and had no sign of injury. We unbuckled them and held them closely in our arms. We immediately said a prayer of gratitude that no one had been hurt visibly and prayed for God to heal us of any injuries we had sustained. After a couple of minutes, I got out of the car to survey the damage. Wow. The right rear wheel was parallel to the ground instead of perpindicular. We weren't going anywhere.

I ran back up to the point of entry station at the top of the pass (about 1/4 mile back up the hill). The police and an ambulance came to the scene. The rest of the day was a blur of hospital check ups, repeatedly thanking God silently, and trying to figure out what to do and how bad things were. We managed to get to a hotel after everyone checked out okay. It wasn't until we were settled that we had a chance to internalize what we had just been through. It was emotional on several levels. Our two oldest girls continued to jump on the beds as Steph and I stared at each other and took turns recounting the experience. I held Steph when she cried. We were feeling pretty low.

The car was badly damaged. The insurance company was very helpful. Being stranded in a hotel wasn't much fun at first. We decided to make the most of it. We bought swimsuits and ice cream. I spend most of the days tracking down information and making sure that bills were submitted to our insurance agency. The dealership that got our car allowed us to come unload. Our hotel room was full of all our things.

Steph's Dad rescued us two days after the accident. He drove out to pick us up. We spent an hour and a half loading up his van with all our things. We were very excited to be off on our way home to TX once again. The van didn't look promising, but the man at the dealership's mechanic shop was optimistic about the repairs. We knew there was not way things would be complete in three weeks, so we changed our plans. I cancelled the apartment we were holding and pushed back my start date to June 14th (the original start date). We all felt like we needed time to recover from our experience before heading to DC anyway.

The car never seemed to get worked on. It took 2 1/2 weeks just to get parts to Raton. Then, delay after delay. Finally, a week before I needed to be in DC, we accepted the obvious -- the car would not be ready. I got a flight out and packed my things. We still hoped to be together in DC, but inside we knew it wasn't likely. A week after I got to DC, the dealership contacted us to let us know that they had just discovered (after 5 weeks) that the transmission had been destroyed when the car slid. The insurance covered the additional repairs, but that meant waiting another extended period until the parts were delivered.

I went home to visit my family after two weeks. It never felt so good to be going to TX. Five days went by quickly and before any of us were ready, I boarded the plane back to DC. Now, I live in the basement of some BYU graduates who are also in the Accounting profession. I try not to think too much about being away from my family. Instead, I keep myself busy catching up on books and movies. When it's nice outside, I work in the yard or drive around exploring town. I haven't learned how to enjoy being on my own, and I don't expect to. From this separation, I've learned that my family is everything to me. I smile and laugh when I think about my girls and they way they hug me. I have a sad, wistful smile on my face when I think about holding my wife. Sometimes my arms want to reach out and hold the space in front of me, hoping her form will be there. And some days I cry.

In three weeks, I'll travel home for Eden's 4th birthday. And two weeks after that this internship will be over. I can't wait to be on my way home again.

I am a family man

I am not a blogger.

Two months later and I'm in Washington DC. It's a much longer, much more dramatic story than that, but it would take me an hour to type up everything that has gotten us from plan A to plan K. I'm getting more bruised from rolling with the punches than from the actual punches. But DC is great, and I'm loving my job. I could love doing almost anything for $27/hour.

Last weekend, for the 4th of July, I went back to visit my family in TX. (Again, long story. Maybe I'll tell it if you're patient). We finally got some family pictures taken. I actually have a picture to post! So, without any introduction, here are some of the pictures of my family.