Update: BBQ, cook-off, and pumpkins!

This post is a bit long since I haven't blogged in a while...

I'm more than halfway done with my first trimester of grad school!  I love my Thursday night marketing class, it's so interesting.  I have two papers and a group presentation in that class.  I'm so excited that I've done most of my book report and the other paper is only one page...single spaced.  My group presentation will be difficult, but we'll do it together.  I have my operations class on Tuesdays, but I don't really care for it.  I have homework and one test that I didn't like.  Writing papers is easier, because I actually take time to learn instead of trying to cram everything in my head and on the page of notes we got to use.  Oh well, I should still get an A.  I'm going to try for it, but who knows how long that will last.

Every Tuesday after work I go over to the food trucks by my place and get dinner.  I've had a baked potato (delicious), a smurf burger, nacho fries, and a sandwich.  It's great and fun!

I started working out regularly at my work's gym, which I'm happy about.  Not very many people go, but the other day I saw more than I usually see.  It's small, but all I need is a cardio machine, and some space for weights.  I'm following my mentor's advice and being realistic.  I have been doing two days a week.

Last week was the Santa Maria BBQ.  Every year our CEO put on this amazing BBQ of rib-eye steak, baked beans, potato salad, rolls, iced tea, and pie.  The grassy area in the middle of the 4 buildings was decorated western.  They were so cleaver!  The center pieces were old fashion lanterns with flowers.  My coworker, who wants to someday get married in a barn, LOVED it.  She just had a hay day, pun definitely intended.  It was incredibly good and I was stuffed afterwards.

Yesterday was the chili cook-off.  There were six different chili dishes, but my favorite part was the deserts.  I did love entry #6, but the pumpkin pie tarts (which needed a bit of work, but still good) and and cheesecake cupcakes were awesome!  Who would have thought, bite sized cheesecake.  It was a bit too frozen, though.

This week I learned more about the pumpkin contest in our section of ECCU, BPS.  No, we don't carve them, but we create a scene around them.  Since this contest started, a few years ago, the tellers were the champions.  Yesterday we got our pumpkin.  We had already started planning our idea and delegating the work.  Well, someone thought it would be funny (and it was) to put a moldy pumpkin where all of BPS would see it, with a note saying that it was moldy and for tellers.  Well, we wrote back...something and got a response, "why so serious?"  Apparently an inside joke between my coworker and the prankster.  It was a hilarious day trying to figure out who it was.  My other coworker kept taking about sending all of BPS an e-mail talking smack, "Dear BPS all...you know who you are..."  All day she was talking like this, we loved it!  This morning we found a poster (no, it wasn't written on the wall):

Our supervisor eventually admitted to making it with another coworker the night before.  We hung it up where BPS would see it when they came into our area, but the vandalized it writing pee-yew with an arrow pointing to the pumpkin.  What they don't know is that we are going to wipe out the competition with out awesome project.  I'll post pictures when the contest is over.  Apparently secrecy is key.

I've jumped back into knitting.  I'm making a sweater, the stuffed elephant again, and maybe a turtle-looking baby hat all for my coworker's baby shower next month.  I'll give to her whatever I am able to finish.  I still have homework to get done, though.

Well, I'm heading off to another weekend.  I'll be in D-land Sunday with Richie and Ashley, so tomorrow I need to get everything done, which isn't too bad.

Church Searching

I wasn't meeting anyone at EvFree Fullerton down the street, so I went to Grace EvFree where Richie is.  I enjoyed it and talked with a young woman who encouraged me to check out their grace groups.  I would love to meet people and have some friends down here.  It's very discouraging, but I trust that God will lead me to the right church.

I got to meet with my mentor on Monday evening for dinner.  We talked about what we expect from the program (I have no idea what to expect since I've never had a mentor) and scheduling.  She told me that when I make a list of stuff to get done, I need to define exactly what I want to accomplish.  I can't write a paper in one sitting, so my goal could be to write 4 pages or spend 2 hours writing it.  Even though I didn't finish the paper, I feel accomplished.  Also, I need to make realistic to do lists.

Not too many exciting things this week.  I got more curry, yellow this time, for dinner.  Oh, and I found the hummus variety pack.  I rip up tortillas that I have and dip them in, yum!  I love Trader Joes.  I love to do my grocery shopping at Ralphs and Trader Joes, they are close and have just what I need.  I have been taking turns going to each of them, though it depends on what I need.

Classes are going well.  I can't believe that in a little over a week I have a midterm in my operations class!  It's creeping up on me, so I had better start studying.  Hm, I might want to remind my study group today when we meet.

My marketing class is going very well.  We now have some actual homework, not just reading chapters from "Blue Ocean" (which was actually quite interesting).  I got my book for my book report two weeks ago, "Purple Cow."  It's about standing out and not relying only on marketing ads.  It's not due until November, but I want to start on it.  I don't want to wait until the day before, no more procrastination!  Well, that's my goal.

My room: I got a white board this weekend to put on my wall.  It's very helpful, I put my homework on it so I don't forget to do it (hasn't been a problem yet).  I also got some computer paper, though it was hard to chose form the FIVE different kind of paper...I have no idea what the difference was.

Oh, I want to say "hello" to all my friends in Washington.  I miss you!