A few weeks ago I went to a reception for admitted students at Syracuse University to see if I could envision myself going to grad school there. The campus was beautiful, and I really liked what the alumni, professors and current students had to say about the university’s library and information science program. The town itself, on the other hand, was kind of a dump, so it’s kind of a mixed verdict. I still may end up going there, and I need to make my decision soon, so watch this space for updates.
After spending a couple of days in Syracuse, I went to New York City to play for a few days. I actually liked the city a lot more than I thought I would. It’s definitely an urban jungle, but I loved walking around Central Park, and I’d like to scoop up Broadway and Times Square and transplant them into Seattle. I did a TON of walking – my toes were an unrecognizable mass of blisters by the end of my trip. I didn’t take very many pictures this time around, but here’s a glimpse of what my trip was like.
You must have Flash Player installed to view slideshow.
Is it wrong to like the naughty kids in Primary the most? I can’t help it; they’re way more interesting than the good, reverent kids. A couple weeks ago my favorite 4-year-old in Seattle told a joke that went like this:
G: Why did the chicken cross the road?
Me: I don’t know. Why did the chicken cross the road?
G: I don’t know, but it got smashed by a car and died!
The Primary president was visiting my class that day so I tried my best not to laugh, but a tiny guffaw slipped out. I think that’s one of the best chicken jokes I’ve ever heard. Plus, she was so naughtily cute when she told it. My other favorite chicken joke is one my high school buddy Elizabeth’s dad told me, but it’s best told with salty language, so I’ll leave it off my blog.
Today the last P-I was printed. I’ve worked at the newspaper for eight years, and although it has been frustrating at times and I’ve thought about quitting more times than I can count, it’s heartbreaking to see the paper die. A lot of commenters on the P-I’s website (which is continuing operation) say the paper was a lefty, liberal rag that deserved to die. The first part of that argument may be true, in some ways. But the conclusion is dead wrong. P-I reporters did a lot of amazing journalism that really made a difference in Seattle, and I hope they all can keep writing great stories, whether they’re sticking with seattlepi.com or moving on. Continue reading ‘The final P-I’
So, I haven’t blogged in awhile, as you can see. Here’s what’s been going on in my life between the last time and now.
I applied to grad school in the beginning of January. I’m planning on getting a master’s degree in library and information science. The highlight of my application process was doing an interview with Nancy Pearl, my librarian hero. I listen to her podcast, and I have a deluxe action figure of her with shushing action. A little dorky, I know. So far, Syracuse has accepted me, and I’m waiting for decisions from the University of Illinois and the University of Washington. I’m going to visit Syracuse in a couple of weeks and then spend a few days in NYC. Anyone want to join me?
The other big event was on January 9. Steve Swartz, the Hearst head of newspapers, came to the P-I and told us that Hearst is tired of losing money publishing the newspaper, so the company was going to try to sell it. If a buyer isn’t found within 60 days, Hearst will close the P-I. The 60-day mark is next Tuesday, so we’ll see what happens. You can probably get a pretty good idea of what we’re going through at the P-I by watching the video on the Rocky Mountain News website. It’s sad to see newspapers dying, especially with the up-close and personal view I have.
Last year I made a goal around the end of May to ride 1,000 miles by my birthday. The idea was that I would give myself permission to buy a nice road bike if I accomplished that. I blasted through my goal, but I never bought the bike because, well, journalism isn’t really a high-paying profession, so I haven’t scraped up enough money yet. Anyway, I’ve decided to put a set amount of money into a savings account for every mile I ride this year. I haven’t decided how much yet, but my goal is to ride at least 3,000 miles. If anyone wants to pledge money to the cause, I’d be more than happy to set up a PayPal account for it. o^-^o You can check on my miles here (starting from nothing again, sob!).
Man, it just keeps snowing here. Our stake canceled all church meetings today because the roads are dangerous, so Meg and I took another walk around the neighborhood to see what snowy shenanigans were going on. The neighborhood kids had found the perfect spot for sledding in the park a couple blocks from our house, so Meg grabbed her old snowboard and we joined in the fun. The weather forecast is saying six more inches will fall by tomorrow, so it could be quite the adventure to get to work. I was used to riding my bike in the snow on my mission, but I haven’t tried it here yet. I’m not sure that I will.
You must have Flash Player installed to view slideshow.
It’s finally winter in Seattle! It started snowing Saturday night, so Meg and I took a short walk around the neighborhood to see the sights. Here are a few pics of what we saw. The last picture is from my ride home last week — the Christmas ships were playing carols over their loudspeakers for the crowd at Ballard Locks.
You must have Flash Player installed to view this slideshow.
Most of my family lives in Mesa, Arizona, so I’ll probably end up there sometime in my life, just so I can be close to them. My two main complaints about the city, though, are that it is too hot (not much can be done about that) and too spread out (I like my largely car-free existence). There was an article in The Economist recently about how the “biggest city you’ve never heard of” finally may be getting some urban planning. It’ll be interesting to see what comes of it.
Thankfully, though, the underpants remained out of sight for the most part.
I should have blogged this a month ago, when Ally and I got back from our trip to England and France (and Belgium for a few hours), but you know how I put things off.
Anyway, the trip was really fun. I think Ally’s favorite part was when we were looking at a menu outside a restaurant in Paris and the owner came out to talk to us. When I replied “bon soir” to his greeting, he looked at me and said, “You’re not French, are you?” It’s kind of discouraging that he could tell from two words. I’ll have to work on my accent.
The weather was cold and drizzly most of the time, kind of like Seattle at this time of year. But that didn’t keep us from walking all over the place. We both had some nice blisters on our feet by the end of the second week.
We were glad Paul could meet up with us a couple of nights in London and then in Bath so we could visit with our little bro for awhile. Plus, he just makes everything more fun with his quirky comments and good humor.
I didn’t take quite as many pictures as Ally did, but here’s a sampling of what I got:
“/blog/slideshows/london2008/london2008.html”
Actually, my birthday came right on time, I just took forever to blog about it. Thanks to everyone who called or sent a card. I felt very loved. Even the folks waiting for the Interurban had birthday wishes for me. 
Meg made some fabulous chocolate pots de crème in lieu of a cake for me. All in all, it was a pretty decent birthday.
Cheers!
Recent Comments