Red or Green?

Albuquerque has many quirky things about it, but the most prevalent by far is the question you will be asked at almost every eating establishment... "Red or Green?" For those of you who are not familiar with this phrase, allow me to translate...

New Mexican: "Red or Green?"
English: "Would you like us to drench your meal in red or green chile?"

Notice how they do not give you an option for 'no chile.' For those people who do not like spicy things and say 'no chile' are given dirty looks and I am sure talked about behind their backs. Who wouldn't want chile?!



Sometimes the waitress will get advanced and asked "Red, Green or Christmas?" which translates into "Would you like us to drown your food in red chile, green chile, or a mix of both?" These people must have cast iron stomachs.

New Mexico is known for their Green Chile. You will find it everywhere. Literally everywhere. Here is a short list of things these people put green chiles on:
- pizza
- Subway sandwiches
- McDonalds cheeseburgers
- any 'New Mexican' food
- breakfast burritos

and the list goes on and on.



I actually enjoy the chile. I have enjoyed all the food down here. I don't do well with lots of spice, so I am usually coughing and chugging water the first few bites, but then my body seems to ignore it and lets me eat in peace. Life is good.

Land of 'Entrapment'

I meet people who are from Albuquerque... been here their entire lives... and have no desire to leave. I have even met people who have left... moved to Denver and LA... then CAME BACK to the big Q... WHAT?!?

At this point, I am afraid that I am surrounded by crazy people. What is more scary is when I ask these people WHY they want to stay or WHY they moved back almost all of them have said, "Yeah... we joke that New Mexico is the 'Land of Entrapment'." Yikes!

On one hand I want to embrace this city and love what it offers. At the same time I am worried about getting too attached and not being able to move away!

So far... their mountains have become more picturesque to me... uh oh... is this the beginning?!

I will remain confident in this...

... I will see the goodness of the Lord.

I went to a new church today! Copper Pointe Church. It was SO much bigger than any church I have been to in Utah. Probably four times bigger than my church in Salt Lake, Capital Church.

I will admit, it was pretty intimidating... so many people and I didn't recognize one face. But God put me there for a reason. I found my seat and tried to settle in. The smoke machine was going, lights were flashing and the band started. It was like a concert. I didn't recognize any of the songs.

But then the pastor started talking and I really liked his message. All about how to live a blessed life. Everything he said matched up with what Troy talked about at Capital.

Then more music and they let us go. I didn't meet anyone, too many people. But I liked the pastor and think I will go again. I just have to get connected... somehow. There is hope!

Real Job Starts Tomorrow!

I have been in school for as long as I can remember. After high school, I knew I was going college. After undergrad, I knew I was going to grad school. I know school. I am good at school. I have it all figured out. Now, I am leaving that all behind and stepping out of my comfort zone and into... the "Real World".

I worked at the Space Dynamics Lab for three years, so it's not like I haven't ever worked before, but this is different. Now I am an employee, not a student assistant. I have no idea what to expect.

My job title is a Systems Engineer. I pretended to be a Systems Engineer on my senior design project up at USU, but I really am not sure what this entails. What I do know is that I will be working with and talking to a lot of people. One of my strengths is building relationships, so I am hoping I will be able to use that.

Well here goes nothing... I have so much to learn, but I am excited and ready to start my new life!

Wish me luck.

Beginning of a New Adventure

Well, its only been an hour and a half since I wrote last and my last post was about BLTs... which means I was probably having a bad day... Bacon is my comfort food. So what have I been up to the past year and a half?

I started and finished my Masters degree in Mechanical Engineering at the University of Utah. I have lived in Utah my entire life and always wanted to leave until I moved to Salt Lake. I love it. There are bars and coffee shops and so many things to do!

But, the more exciting news is what I am doing right now. Last March I was offered a job at Sandia National Labs in Albuquerque, NM. I don't know how I feel about ABQ, but Sandia is a great company, a great place to start my career and they offered a very nice starting salary. So I busted my butt to finish classes and my thesis and finally defended last Tuesday!

Since then I found a place to live in ABQ and moved down here. I start work on Monday and I am nervous but very excited. I will try to do more with my blog now that I might actually have things to write about. Plus all my buddies in Salt Lake might want to know what I am up to.

So here we go... Isis and I are in for a new and hopefully wonderful adventure.

BLTs are Good for the Soul

I have had a pretty crappy day... I won't go into too many details because I don't want to sounds whiny. As it is, I decided my day needed to turn around, and the best way I knew to do this was to make bacon. I told my friend Dave about my crappy day and he was on board for making bacon! He made the bacon and I prepared the rest of it. Fresh hot peppery bacon, crisp clean lettuce and delicious ripe tomato... all on toasted bread... The amazing orchestra of flavor produced in such a simple sandwich is incredible.



Never pass up an opportunity to eat a BLT or bacon is general. And yes, my day did get much happier!

Volunteering

For the past two weekends, my friend Shayla and I have been dragging ourselves out of bed Saturday morning and going to the Cache County Humane Society to volunteer!



It is the greatest thing we have ever done! We are currently helping out in the cat room! We move all the cats to carriers, then completely clean their kennels, put in new water and food and make their space look nice. One of my favorite parts is deciding which blanket to put with which cat. It is like being an interior designer! "I wonder what would make this cat the cutest?" I always feel very accomplished after looking back at the kennels, they look wonderful! But... inevitably... just as we put a kitty back in, it either uses the litter box, spills the food or messes up the blankets. :) That's ok though! It is a lot of fun!

We also have a decent amount of time to just hang out with the cats! Today, two were adopted while we were there! It was so neat!

Some of my favorite cats are:

1) Sparkles: She is a Mane Coon, therefore large, but she doesn't shed and she is so playful!



2) Megan: She is in the communal area and will place herself right on your lap if you sit down. She is total cuddle bug!



3) Mississippi: She is small and precious! She is only 6 months or so, but she is so friendly and much more calm than most kitties.



It is a great way to start a Saturday!

My TA Position

This week I got an exciting e-mail with the title "Congratulations" (how could this not be exciting?). Turns out I have been offered a TA position in the Mechanical Engineering department for the next 2 years! This means they will pay tuition, and fees and give me a nice stipend. :) Things are all falling into place to move down the Salt Lake this year.




So the classes I might be a TA for are Fluids or Thermo the first semester, and probably Heat and Mass the second semester. Those were some of my favorite classes the past few years, so I am excited to refresh my memory with the subjects and help other people understand the material!

Life is good!

My Kitty?

About a month ago, I was able to convince my parents to go all over the Wasatch Front to pet kitties at different adoption places. I plan on adopting a kitty when I move into my own apartment come Fall, so I was in no rush to adopt one immediately, I just wanted some pet therapy.

After a pretty sorry showing at the Layton Pet's Mart, we make our way to the Utah Animal Adoption Center on Redwood Road. We were lead to the cat room, and were all impressed once we stepped in! The cats who got along well enough with other cats were allowed to roam around, jump on their scratching posts, etc. The cats who have more of an independent personality were in large cages. It was very open and didn't smell like most adoption places. The moment we walked in, some of the cats approached us and began rubbing their heads on our pant legs! It was so sweet! I went around to the kitties in the cages and they were all so precious! It was the perfect cat therapy!

While we were there, my mom decided that our cat, Hardy, needed a friend. She asked which cats were declawed and my mom fell in love with a cat, who is about 10 years old, and looks exactly like Hardy! She is healthy, has a beautiful coat and is named Sparkle! She has different colors eyes and was SUPER shy! When we went to pet her, she got out of her bed, much to the surprise of the ladies who work there! One said, "I am not saying this to sell this cat, but she NEVER gets out of her bed!" I am pretty it was at that moment, my mom and I knew we would adopt her.

After a week of talking with my dad and getting him used to the idea that Hardy needed a girlfriend (he never really agreed with this...) my mom and I were ready to make our move! I was coming down for the weekend and my mom and I had planned for me to go home, get Billy and Dad then meet her at the adoption place. As I pulled into the driveway, my brother comes out saying, "All I did was ask if he wanted to go somewhere! He immediately said 'Oh no! I have to call Mom!'" How funny! My dad totally saw it coming!

We make it to the place before my mom, and are all giving Sparkle some love. My mom shows up, less than 5 minutes later she announces that we would like to adopt Sparkle. The ladies reminded us that Sparkle would probably hide for the first couple of weeks. We should keep food and water around her hiding space, and hopefully she would warm up eventually! A half hour later, we walked out with Sparkle and headed to PetCo!

After stocking up on all the essentials, we made it home. The plan was to let Sparkle out in my room, with the door closed, and let her get used to one room at a time. Hardy met Sparkle, and the hisses flew! Hardy ran out of the room, appalled that we would introduce another cat to the household!

Now that it has been a few months, Sparkle is able to venture all over the house, but she mostly stays upstairs. She has claimed my room as hers, and even my parents will say comments like "I was in Sparkle's room today..." Hardy has earned the nickname of "PoopFace" for not being a more welcoming host, and tried to avoid Sparkle like the plague. Occasionally I will see Sparkle following Hardy around, Hardy cannot stand it... its hilarious! I think they will warm up to each other eventually and be the best of friends.

However... and I guess this is the whole reason why I even started this... I am thinking I might just adopt Sparkle from my parents and have her move with me. She is so sweet, she cuddles, loves to be loved, and has a personality that would be nice to come home to everyday. Of course, this thought might change, but I would love to be her roommate!

I will post pictures of her soon!

U of U Grad Visit

The past weekend, I attended the University of Utah's Graduate Visitation Weekend. It started Thursday with a campus tour lead by graduate ME students. It was so much different than a campus tour given to incoming freshmen. We only hit the places grad and engineering students are interested in. It was fun! Plus the grad students were surprisingly entertaining.

I am not going to go into every detail, but I will give the highlights! I was able to see several labs including the nano-fab lab, ergonomics, and the micro fluids area. I was also able to talk with several professors. Dr. Ameel is the department head and is also heading a lot of research in the mirco-fluids/micro-thermal systems. This stuff was by far the most interesting to me. Although he does not have funding for a masters student, he does have projects. The most realistic option is that I will get a TA position for an undergrad class and get money that way. Although this is not ideal, there is very little money for a student not committing to a PhD.

I loved the campus, the engineering building, the professors and other grad students. I felt very welcome and wanted. I am pretty confident I will move to Salt Lake. Also, the seed has been planted in my head that getting a PhD might be a good idea... I am not committing to anything but the thought is there.

My Soldier

A couple of months ago, I told my mom I wish I could do something for the troops overseas. I just wanted to let them know that there are still people over here thinking of them and are grateful for their sacrifice. My mom suggested looking into writing letters. She said there are lots of websites out there who send letters to soldiers.

So I found Soldiers Angles. This site seemed popular and trustworthy. I looked into it more and ended up adopting a soldier. As an "angel" I am to write a weekly letter to my soldier and send him a care package every month. I was ready to make this small sacrifice to show him how much he is appreciated.

The only information I received was his name and APO address. (According to the website, I am not to give out any of his information...) They included an email address, but I am determined to write and mail letters every week.

I started in January of this year. The website warned that I may never hear from my soldier but to continue to write and send packages. The first few letters were easy, I am introducing myself, telling him about a funny story that happened in school, etc. But after a while, and only knowing his name, I was running out of things to talk about. I kept writing about my cats... which I can only imagine how he reacted to those!

Well, last Sunday I woke up ready for a full day of studying for my CFD test. I checked my email (as is a morning ritual) and I had actually gotten an email from my soldier! I had included my email address in my letters with the disclaimer "I understand that you are really busy, and don't feel pressured into writing me back, but if you have a spare minute, I would love to hear from you." And here... was an email from him! I was very excited.

He did not tell me much actually. I do not know his age, what branch of the military he is in or where he is now (I am not sure they are suppose to tell us that anyway). I know where he is from, where he went to college (but not what he studied) and that he just likes food. Quite vague, but I felt so inspired. It felt like my letters were doing more than just going into the Postal Service black hole. It takes about 10-12 days to get a letter out there, so he won't get my response for another week... but it was very special. I feel like I am doing what I can to give back... even if it is just a package full of beef jerky and candy. :)

Moving Forward

So my family adopted another cat. Her name is Sparkle and she is precious. She was a super shy cat and my Mom pretty much just felt sorry for her... after a week of letting my Dad get used to the idea, we adopted her! The first night she slept on my bed with me. This past week she has explored the top floor! It is so encouraging to hear that she is doing well.

This whole experience makes me even more excited to adopt my own kitty in the near future. Here is the plan: I have no idea what is going to happen, but I do know that I will be living on my own either starting this summer, or for sure this fall. When I move into my own place, I plan on adopting a kitty. I can see coming home, snuggling up with kitty and watching the news, or reading a book, or drinking hot cocoa, or all the above... simultaneously...

I want a cat who will snuggle with me and play on occasion. I would like a sociable cat who will also enjoy the company of guests.

Oh yes, as long as I am discussing moving into my own place, I should throw this in here. So, with my own place, I am going to have to buy my own stuff. I will have to buy my own bed, dresser, couches, etc. So, my Mom and I have started getting ideas from places. Most recently, we went to Z Gallery at Gateway. We were just looking for ideas... and it was really fun to think that in a few months we are going to be going shopping to buy things! I am getting an idea of what I like and what I don't like. I know acquiring "stuff" will take time (and money) but I am ready to start!

In the future, my Mom and I plan on scoping out RCWilley and IKEA. At this point, I wouldn't mind buying stuff right now, so it isn't just a blow later on... but that would mean it would have to stay in my parent's house... My Dad is always trying to get me to throw stuff away, so if I brought stuff to store, I don't think he would be very happy.

The Future....

Why is the future so difficult to predict?

I have recently been looking at graduate schools and other internships for the coming summer. I was surprised that applications are due so soon! Some are due as soon as December 1st! That said, I registered for the GRE today. I have been meaning to do it since the summer, but I always figured since I wasn't going to graduate until next Fall, I would have time. Turns out I was wrong. I will actually be graduating in the summer! I am quite excited! That means I could start grad school somewhere in the Fall! Or... start working full time for a company (maybe even the one I intern for this summer) and go to school part time.

Hunter has been so great through all of this! He understands that we will both end up where we need to be! It is a good feeling knowing he is on my side.

Well that is all for now, I will keep you posted on any new developments or changes in the plan!