It's been just over two months since I blogged last. The first month we were home for Christmas and I let the blog slide then this past month.. we'll I'd figured no one checked in anymore so I could let it slide a bit more. But... some pretty exciting things are happening in our lives and I guess I should chronicle them.
As I already posted, I went to Bremerton, Washington early in December to interview with Puget Sound Naval Shipyard. Shortly after my return they offered me a job working as a shift test engineer. I would be working with the group in charge of the reactor on the submarine or aircraft carrier while in the yard. I turned down the offer a few weeks into the new year.
As with every December, the semester came to an end. That meant a lot of projects and papers due. I finished up my Culinary Chemistry class. I had a blast making my recipe book for that final project. Here is one of the pages from that book.
Along with the end of the year came a new calling for me. Previously we were the Webelos leaders. We really enjoyed the time we got to spend with them.
Growing up we had a picture of a group of cup scouts that my mom was den mother to in a Popsicle stick frame. One of our last activities was putting the above picture in a Popsicle stick frame. I am now in young womens and it is quite the experience. We only have a few young women but they are all amazing in their own special way.
We spent the holiday at Brett's parent's house. They think I'm very lazy now I'm sure of it. I spent three entire weeks reading. The Marshall family party was fantastic as usual. Everyone was there except Brett's favorite twin brother, Sean. Brett had to make do with chilling with Sean's little guy Jack.
I don't remember who but somebody got a 55-gallon drum for Christmas. Now I know these are meant for food storage but growing up we used to play on these out in the yard. With a little encouragement from an older generation (i.e. Brett) the next generation is begining to see the fun in them as well.
Christmas with the Fitch's was a quieter affair. (I only have pictures from the Marshall family get together.) It was just my parents, my sister, Brett and myself. Everyone else was out of town with in-laws. Someone very, very generous surprised Brett with a new Wii. He LOVES it. Someone else enjoyed it as well.
Brett also got to get some quality bird killing, I mean hunting, time.
Right after this picture Brett started gutting them. You should have seen the stray cats that live around there sneaking up on him, planning their attack.
I spent the last two days of break on another interview trip. This time in Washington D.C.
With the Nuclear Regulatory Commission.
The trip was super short. I got into D.C. about 4:00. I should have taken my luggage and gone straight down town to see the sights but I went to my hotel to check in. Just as I got into my hotel room the sun was setting.
(That is a cell phone in my back pocket!)
I called home to say I had made it and the first thing dad told me was 'don't get mugged'. Between that and it being dark and my being alone all I did was power walked around the Whitehouse and then went back to my hotel.
My sophomore year I took a fellowship from the Nuclear Regulatory Commission. Part of the deal was I'd work for them for a year after graduation or I'd pay the money back. They offered me a job a few weeks ago. I would be working in research reactor licensing there. I just turned them down earlier this week so... Brett and Margaret are about to be as poor as dirt... maybe poorer than dirt.
Well it was back to school come January. I started my last semester of school. I graduate in May, for reals!. I'm in a couple of generals this semester which take me outside of the engineering building. I was in the library the other day, watching other people, and it hit me, 'Oh my, I'm in college. Oh My! I'm almost done with college.' Then I had a slight panic attack that I'd missed out on too many experiences because I'd tried to hurry through college in 4 years. Then I got over it.
Late in January I had two more interviews. One over the phone and one was a trip. It was a great sacrifice to go on the trip we had to go... wait for it.. home! And you can't imagine who I had to eat lunch with during the interview day... my brothers and sister!. I interviewed at NRF where my sister and brother's work. It was quite the experience and that is all I'll say about that. If you want to hear more about it you'll just have to ask. I really enjoyed eating lunch with my brothers and sister though. Just last week I got an official offer from them. I would be working with ECF recapitalization group. I really want to take that job.
Two days ago I got an email saying I had been accepted to graduate school. I only applied to one school, University of Idaho. I never really planned on graduate school but there is a pretty good nuclear engineering program at U of I and my bosses from last summer said that I could continue working there part time. It is actually a pretty good deal. I'd be able to go to school and work 20 hours a week at a pretty good rate for a part time job. I'd also get to keep doing what I've already been doing and enjoy doing.
So I have two really good options in front of me... I just have to decide from here.
Last weekend we went up to Idaho with another couple we're pretty good friends with. We spent the weekend at my family's cabin snowmobiling. No one remembered a point-and-shoot camera so these are the only pictures we have.
The sun was super bright and it was hard to keep our eyes open for the pictures.
In other news, Brett's twin graduated from boarder patrol training. We are excited for him but I'm also a little disappointed... I was hoping it wouldn't happen and they'd stay in Idaho forever. But we're hoping to take a road trip to visit them in May before we start work so that will have to do for us.
Next weekend Brett's parents are coming down to visit for the first time. (I'm not counting when they came down for Brett's surgery, we were all sick or in surgery that day and it wasn't a barrel of laughs by any means.) So hopefully we'll have a post about that soon.
