On taking the FE and the importance of dog noses...

Big news:  My test, the massive, lengthy exam that has eaten up most of my free time for the better part of 2 months, for which I had to re-learn everything I learned in school 4 to 8 years ago and more, is now, as of Saturday, over and done!  This is fantastic!  Fabulous!  Wonderful!  This is freedom!  This is a little nerve-racking because I won't find out my score for up to 12 weeks, but at least it means the practice problems, review books, note-taking, and cramming is over for now; hopefully that means the math problem themed dreams will end too.  For the past week or so, I have spent my nights restlessly solving plume-dispersion equations, anaerobic digestor, and secondary clarifier problems in my sleep.  The night after my test I dreamt of struggling to solve questions that had been on the actual exam, and last night I dreamt of studying on some strange campus full of people that took the exam with me.

Last night was the most distressing dream of them all, because I was walking at night to a place to study and a friends dog had followed me.  In the dream the dog belonged to a friend that I knew, but don't know well in real life anymore.  While we were walking I kept trying to get the dog to go home, but she kept following me.  Just as we rounded a corner, a very big and angry looking dog came into view.  I tried to get my friends dog to come in another direction, but I was unsuccessful and the two dogs began to fight.  I was screaming and no one was around to help me, and right before my eyes the bigger street dog bit the nose off of my friends dog.  Now I don't just mean the little button nose on the end of a dog's snout, this dog removed the entire snout of my friend's dog.  I was screaming and crying and trying to get someone to help me, and people were just walking by, no one stopped to help.

That was a traumatizing dream, consequently I have spent almost the entirety of this beautiful (85 degrees...in April!) day worshiping my dog's intact nose.  I took her for a hike and watched her nose blow bubbles under water, watched it snuffle around in the leaves, and test the breeze for the scent of something to chase.  We brought a blanket outside and laid in the sunshine, she wiped her nose on my skirt and growled at some menacing leaves, and I just watched and appreciated her noggin in the sunshine.  It was a great day...and this is a great schnoz...

April?!?!

Wow...where does the time go?  How is it April already?  I haven't updated this in a while...and not for lack of trying.  I have like 7 drafts started, I just really don't have much to say these days.  I'm at home, I've pretty much been laid off from work, I'm studying for the FE (which is in 5 days!  eeeeek!).  On a more interesting note, I have been playing with photography a bit, in some new fun ways.  Cory suggested the possibility of pursuing photography as a business, and so I have been playing with the kind of photography people might pay for.  There are, of course, some of the usual puppy portraits and landscapes to share:

 My nosey Josey...

Bella-butt

Sparkling mountain streams...

And beautiful secluded meadows.

But then I have also been playing with portraits and editing...and for now, the only model I have to play with is me.  Sooooo as much as I HATE self portraits, I came up with a couple today to edit and share for practice...soon I will be taking some of some other, more interesting people.  Until then, there's me.  

 Me, in color.

More me, less color.  

These would be better if I had Photoshop, but of course I don't at the moment.  Anyway, that is what I have been up to...cooking, eating, studying, sleeping, and always, taking pictures.  Soon I'll remove studying from the equation and add MOVING!  Not sure where, or even how, but I'm outta here!  Thanks for your patience with my lack of posts...more to come soon, just as soon as my test's overrrr and done!  <3 

The Mother Land

So here I am, home again.  Back in Vermont for some R&R followed by who knows what...the world, once again, is my oyster.

I had a fantastic time in Florida, we went parasailing and watched dolphins play and got fake tattoos.  We visited the sponge docks (like little Greece!) where sponge harvesters collect sea sponges and hang them from their boats to bring in and sell.  We had lunch at a Greek restaurant that was DELICIOUS even if I did pronounce everything on the menu incorrectly.  We went out to see Footloose at the movie theater and I tried to wear Becky's high heels and failed miserably ("You look like a dinosaur!") and then got a little footloose myself and walked out of the theater barefoot.  The whole trip was amazing, I'm so glad I got to be there for Becky's birthday and hang out with her for a whole week!  I miss her terribly again already though...maybe I'll just have to move to Florida!

Next on the agenda after Florida was a night in Plattsburgh (my old stomping ground!) and I got to spend the day with Miss Jillian, whom I love dearly and really enjoyed seeing, but I wish I could have spent more time with her.  I met up with my lovely friend Jen in the evening and we met our other wanderful friend Merry out for dinner that night.  Then Jen, Merry, and myself attempted to do some dress shopping, I failed miserably but Merry, who had no occasion to buy a dress for at the time, found a beautiful red one that she HAD to get because it looked amazing on her and was on sale....so thus came about my formal Christmas party!  I'm going to have to throw a party this year so that she can wear her dress and I can wear mine, and hopefully so that I can see all my friends.  Plus, I can bake up a storm and we all know how much I love to bake!

Anywho, after Pburgh I headed back home to good old VT where I have been job hunting, semi unsuccessfully...yeah, I did get some positive responses, yeah, they are unpaid.  Why is it I can always land the jobs that don't pay but somehow can't get a well paying job for my life?!  You'd think with all my volunteer work I would have earned one by now...although I guess I did get one almost without trying and I pretty much turned it down because the good money is in the work I just can't see myself doing.  Case and point: oil field work.  Nope.  No thanks.  Not super interested.

So here I am, at home, taking pictures, baking bread, walkin dogs, applying to schools and jobs, and getting ready for a trip to Taiwan.  I'm so excited, this is going to be a blast!  And I get a sister (in-law) out of the whole deal so that's exciting...I've always wanted one of those!  Anyway here are some pics from VT so far, Taiwan pics coming soon (early December, when I get back!)

Full moon, long shutter speed, sweet tree!

Dog's head falls, where the dogs and I spent the 70 degree day we got this week.

Josey, cooling off after our 6 mile trek on the rail trail.

Rail Trail!

We've never been this far before, so many new places to explore!