These are some of my favorite people in the world

And I get to call them family. More pictures from the weekend TK.

Hair Today, Gone Tomorrow

Lots on my to-do list before I leave town tomorrow. Sorry these took a while to get posted!

BEFORE:




AFTER:

One Year Later

Can it really have been one year ago today that I landed in London to kick off my round-the-world escapades? When I tell people that I traveled for 3 months on my own, I usually get reactions mixed with awe and respect. But three months seem like nothing compared to friends who have done 6, 12 or 18 months. And when I find myself having returned to the same yellow bedroom still bunking with my parents, I wonder how wide I really made my world. Was it all just a temporary broadening of my boarders?

On Another Note
I chopped my hair off. Pictures TK.

Redesign

I decided this blog was in need of an update, folks. I'd been bummed that I couldn't post my pictures bigger, so I found a template that would work that way. If I'm going to take fun pictures with my new lens, by golly, I want to be able to show them off at their finest (see below).



This is Scoobie, the lucky guy I with whom I get to spend all of next week. This gig will wrap up 4 weeks straight of house / pet sitting. Whew.

Take Your Bandit to Work Day

Friday was Take Your Dog to Work Day. I put Bandit in charge of helping me pick out a sanserif font for a new project. He has a fabulous eye for typography.



Bandito and me, hard at work




Amanda and Bantos, the Boston Terrier

Self-Improvement

I am working hard to:

+ Sit up straighter
+ Not care that I can't be everyone's friend
+ Make my gym membership worth the nominal fee I pay
+ Go for a hike every month
+ Answer emails more promptly
+ Make plans to cross the border for a long weekend this summer/fall
+ Drink more water
+ Not get too emotional when emotion is unnecessary
+ Make time to see Sex and the City
+ Infuse my work with more feminine flair
+ Stick to my budget
+ Make excuses to take more pictures
+ Get more comfortable presenting in front of a group

On a related note...
I gave my first Toastmasters speech this Monday, wherein I had to basically just introduce myself to the assembled group. I got several laughs (yes!), and the biggest round of gasps and laughs came from this segment of my speech:

My mom was a teacher at a local middle school. Her subject? Sex ed. If I ever seem a bit odd to you, just attribute it to the scars of surviving my teen years despite memories of adolescent boys coming up to me in the hallway with the announcement, “Erica! Your mom talked about masturbation in class today!” True story.

The results are in: I have a personality

During my interview process for my new job, I had to go through a battery of personality tests, and I recently got the results. Apparently I am high in the "conscientiousness" factor. Also, I:

+ am a perfectionist
+ play by the rules
+ benefit from structure
+ can easily get consumed by details, tend to over-analyze issues
+ am easily rattled by rejection, but will respond well to critiques
+ often ask "how?"
+ am afraid of confrontation, and thus can give in too easily or can not make my own needs known
+ am very loyal

I was amazed at how spot on these results were, and I would be interested to see if anything would change, were I to take the test again in 3 years. A lot of these characteristics I could have probably told you about myself, but somehow this makes them feel "official". Kinda like a diagnosis. All I need now is a prescription to go along. "To treat your fear of confrontation, I'll have you take two deep breaths per conflict. And be sure to stock up on assertive supplements."

I guess that's what therapy's for, right?

Warning: Possible Viviane overload

To do my part to stimulate the economy (via ebay) I got a new zoom lens for my camera. (Thanks, W!) It arrived at work probably at about the moment my plane was touching ground in Kansas City to take me to my sister's graduation...where the ability to zoom in on her face in the crowd of graduates would have been handy. Of course.

Anyways. I had to put it to the test this weekend when Brooke, Chris and Viviane came over to celebrate Brooke's birthday. I went a bit overboard on the photo-taking (unusual, I know). I pared the 500+ pictures down to 42 to put in my Picasa album, and below are my very favorites. During dinner, Brooke and Chris related the newest favorite Viviane story:

The other night the three of them were putting together a puzzle when Viviane stood up all of a sudden and exclaimed, "You guys! I can't take living here anymore! [dramatic pause] I have to go to the bathroom!"

They say girls today are maturing faster, but who knew the teen years now start at age 3?!?!

Blowing bubbles with a fancy new bubble blower.




Viviane in our backyard




Would you believe me if I said that's her natural lip color?!?!




How sweet!




I love this shot of Brooke!




Paying attention to the conversation

Cue Pomp and Circumstance

It's been a little over a week now since Ally donned her cap and gown and accepted her diploma from Kansas State. We're so proud of her achievements. Sorry it took so long to get these up! You can see more by clicking on any of the pictures, or by following the album links on the right sidebar.


Ally and her roommates from the house on Juliette


Ready to head to Commencement


Ally, the graduate!


I love this shot of Grandie & Ally!


Woohoo!


This shot of the Fryers' dog Jewel cracks me up!


Me & Amy. Yay for meeting up with old friends!


Little Sterling isn't so little anymore!

1 Bushel and 3 Pounds Lighter

It was time to work on thinning out Bandit's coat for the hot summer days. Our Coat-King brush may not have the star power (or PR influence) of the Furminator, but as long as it lets me pet the dog without stirring up clumps of hair, I'm all for it.