Weekly Update - Safely in Seattle

Hello all!

Just a note to let you all know that Mom and I arrived safely in Seattle on Friday afternoon. The drive was great and the weather was beautiful. In fact, as we headed through the last mountain pass on I-90 into Seattle the temperature was 58 degrees, and it is FEBRUARY! Crazy!

It feels wonderful to be here after so much anticipation, I am extremely excited.

Friday evening we spent some time relaxing with my brother and sister-in-law (Dave and Kristen). Saturday all four of us ventured to Seattle and spent some time exploring my new neighborhood. I decided that I needed to "practice" getting to work and ended up getting there after several wrong turns and am fairly sure that there is a straighter, quicker and easier way, but I will discover all that in my adventures the next few weeks. Today Mom and I took the ferry to Seattle and met my friend Don for lunch and then it was off to the airport to say goodbye to Mom. What a trooper she is! She is an awesome truck driver (although I was constantly telling her she was going TOO FAST!) and wonderful for taking the time to get me here.

I will be settling into my new job and new apartment this week and I am sure that next weeks message will be filled with many adventures about all of that!

Hope you are all well and thanks for your many messages!

Weekly Update - On the eve of my great adventure.....down the road less traveled!

Hello all!

Well tonight is my last night in Salt Lake City! It's kind of hard to believe, but I am very anxious to get to Seattle and get settled. I feel like I have been in limbo for the last few months and I am ready to get on with it already!

My family came over tonight and helped move the majority of the boxes from my basement apartment to the garage to make loading a bit easier. We are picking up the truck in the morning, loading it up and then Mom and I will be headed out in the afternoon. We are planning to drive as far as Ontario, Oregon tomorrow and then on into Seattle on Friday. We will be staying with my brother and sister-in-law (Dave and Kristen) and spending the weekend exploring the new neighborhood and playing! Mom flies back to Salt Lake on Sunday afternoon.

I start my job on Monday, February 28th and move into my new apartment on Wednesday, March 2nd. I may be a bit out of touch for the next few days as we are traveling, but I will let you all know how everything is going next week.

For those of your in SLC, I apologize if I didn't get a chance to formally say "Goodbye!" I am not very good at goodbyes, in fact, I hate them. And, I feel in many cases that this is not goodbye, but rather "see you soon!"

As I have spent a great deal of time thinking about change and life's great journey in the last week, and while packing up my books last week I came across this Robert Frost poem that I have loved since I first read it in in an English class at Churchill Junior High. I felt like sharing it with all of you as part of this email tonight, and have included it at the bottom.

Thanks for all your messages of congratulations and well wishes for a safe journey.

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The Road Less Traveled

Two roads diverged in a yellow wood
And sorry I could not travel both
And be one traveler, long I stood
And looked down one as far as I could
To where it bent in the undergrowth

Then took the other as just as fair
And having perhaps the better claim
Because it was grassy and wanted wear
Though as for that, the passing there
Had worn them really about the same

And both that morning equally lay
In leaves no step had trodden black
Oh, I kept the first for another day!
Yet, knowing how way leads onto way
I doubted if I should ever come back

I shall be telling this with a sigh
Somewhere ages and ages hence
Two roads diverged in a wood
And I took the one less traveled by
And that has made all the difference

--Robert Frost

Weekly Update

Hello all!

It has been another busy week for me. Here are some of my adventures for the week.

Last Sunday afternoon, my roommate Lyle and I took a trip up Millcreek Canyon and I asked the fatal question of my postal worker friend, "How do they deliver all that mail?" Well, that prompted him to invite me on a tour of the post office. So on Tuesday at noon, I met him and a class of partially blind students from a local school for a tour of the post office. All I can say is WOW! It is truly amazing all of the organization that goes on there everyday! At the end of the tour, Lyle and his friend Maggie (a doll) reminded the kids to always be very cautious and safe around mail trucks and we all gathered together for a picture. It was great fun and good to know how the mail actually makes it to our homes!

On Wednesday morning I left to fly to Seattle via San Francisco. I completed three successful interviews, including one call back, and should know exactly where I stand with offers, or not, on Monday. I am very excited about the potential opportunities and hopefully next week's message will include some definite news of where I will be working. I spent some time looking at some neighborhoods and exploring Seattle a bit more this time around. I have narrowed down where I would like to live and will continue to narrow this down once I have accepted a job.

My trip was not all work, I did take some time to play and spent some time with my brother and sister in law, Dave and Kristen, and my friend Don. Highlights of my play-time included sampling the famous Seattle micro brews, eating Indian cuisine and shopping at Pike Place Market. And of course, I drank my fair share of coffee! The weather in Seattle was perfect, sunny skies and mild temps during the day! I hear that they get a lot of rain there, but I have not seen a whole lot of it during the last few weeks, so I am beginning to wonder!

I appreciate all of your notes, emails etc. I will continue to keep you updated on all of the great changes and excitement in my life!

Weekly Update - Weekly Update and a Top 10!

Hello all!

Well today marks the beginning of my 4th week of unemployment and although I have managed to keep myself very busy and not have a single "lazy day" I am growing a bit bored with the whole thing and ready fora full-time gig again! So, to keep myself positive I have created my own Top 10 Reasons that Unemployment ROCKS! Here goes....

10. I don't have to punch a time clock!
9. I have more time for hobbies!
8. Reading, I think I am up to 6 books so far!
7. No commuting!
6. Spending time with my nephews!
5. Two-hour or more lunches with friends and family!
4. I can spend time relaxing in the hot tub after a workout!
3. I am my OWN boss!
2. Watching Oprah!
1. I get to wear jeans everyday! (Except, of course, when I am interviewing!)

Maybe not as funny as David Letterman, but still mildly amusing, right?

I picked up my new glasses last Monday! And I have to say that I had a ball with the entire experience. I have never been able to pick out new glasses and choose from every frame in the store, but this time I did. I ended up going with a plastic tortoise shell frame that everyone tells me makes me look smart, academic and sophisticated. I had a tough time adjusting to the progressive lenses, and had a whopper of a headache on Monday night! But by Tuesday I was completely adjusted and now I LOVE THEM! I was going to include a picture, but I have my contacts in today, so look for one in a future email!

I had the joy of applying for my unemployment benefits this week and have to say that I was pleasantly surprisingly how easy it was. I was also surprised how little the benefit is. I qualified for the maximum amount, which as a friend pointed out, equates to approximately $9.25 an hour. Woo Hoo!

My job search is still plugging along and I am leaving for Seattle on Wednesday morning for my second interviews with my 1st and 3rd choices. I have to say that I am MUCH more nervous this time that the last, but also excited that the search may be nearing a conclusion. I will keep you posted on what happens!

I received a couple of requests from people to get monthly updates instead of weekly. If you are interested in receiving monthly updates or no updates, please let me know, you won't hurt my feelings, I promise!

Hope this note finds you all well and I will write again next week, or as things develop on the job front!