jessd

Celebrate Good Times

The weather here in Seattle has taken a serious turn toward fall. It's chilly. It's wet. It's a gloomy shade of gray. But I'm embracing it with homemade soup, warm crusty bread and apple crisp. 

I've been busy working through my first case study, labeling my all-class binder and generally organizing my life. I spent the weekend doing laundry, filling my refrigerator with fresh food, movie going with the tall man-friend and hoping that the black shit from the roof being replaced ends soon. It's been two weeks of debris in my potted plants, dust on every surface you touch and constant pounding so loud I wonder how a 70 year old structure is still standing.

So with the good and the bad, I begin the official "week one" of this MBA thing. 

PS. I send my love and very best wishes to Maine this coming weekend as I sadly miss a special wedding. I truly wish I could have been with you all, celebrating the good times. 

  

Sick of Me

I promise - no more pictures of me for a while!

Mosquito Mountain

The quick and dirty update while I'm still awake.

We escaped the city one last time before things got serious at school. We went backpacking in the North Cascades last weekend which was fun, beautiful (ahhh, alpine lakes, glaciers...) and exhausting. Apparently this trail was blazed by Boy Scouts back in the 1950's and those little buggers must have had some lethal amounts of sugar because the friggin trail went straight up the mountain. Switchbacks? Who needs 'em. We did 20 miles in two days which made for some sore legs on Monday.

The trip would have been absolutely perfect if it wasn't for the gazillion mosquitoes that we had to deal with at the top of the ascent. I have actually NEVER experienced mosquitoes like this. We weren't able to capture a great image of the cloud of them we had hovering on and around us during the 15 minutes we spent outside our tent to eat dinner but here it is. I've circled all the little bastards.

I can't even believe I'm smiling in the photo because I was so incredibly miserable while it was happening.

But on the bright side, the trip was lovely.

More about school over the weekend, but most importantly, I'm still alive!

Now We Watch My Worlds Collide

So tomorrow is the perfect storm in my transition from the real world to grad school. Although I had been hoping to be wrapped up with my web business back at the end of July, I still have sites waiting to launch. But tomorrow... oh tomorrow. Tomorrow I wake up at 5am to spiff myself up and head downtown to a breakfast fundraiser for 826 Seattle that I have been helping plan for the past year. I will be there at 6:30am and guests will begin arriving at 7am. I will shmooze and be charming and convince those around me to donate piles of money while celebrating the fabulous work that 826 does. At precisely 8:20am I will sneak out early, slide into the vehicle waiting for me at the front door (thanks to the TMF) and be escorted from this downtown hotel to Balmer Hall at the University of Washington just in time to take my final exam for the financial accounting and statistics course I've been taking this week in preparation for the real classes next week. After the test I will slip into the bathroom to change out of my high heels and fancy skirt into sneakers and some shorts to trek the five miles home so that I can send out third quarter invoices and finish up the one remaining website waiting to launch.

I can just imagine your jealousy.

 

Getting Serious

The TMF and I have taken a huge step in our relationship today. A giant leap!

Last week he was kind enough to let me use his shredder to rid the world of evidence of my many credit card transactions.

And I broke it. 

I, like a decent person, ordered a new one to replace it but unbeknownst to me I bought him one that was about twice the cost of the original. So, as a compromise, we have decided to co-own the shredder.

Yes, family and friends, we now own property together.

The Cock has Left the Building

I'm going to be totally cocky right now but only because I have a feeling this is the last time I'm going to be able to legitimately pull it off for the next TWO YEARS...

I could totally TEACH the prep course I'm taking this week (in preparation of the real classes starting on Monday) and my persuasive speech on expanding a business into Brazil because of its strengthening economy is pretty friggin' good.

Delivering it today is an entirely different ball game though. Keep me in your thoughts at noon pst.

North Cascades National Park

Do I even need to say that Washington State is insanely beautiful?

The lakes in the North Cascades are all glacial fed so they have this turquoise color. And there was still snow and glaciers visible on the higher mountaintops. If it weren't for the Washington rednecks I could live here... (click on for a larger view of this prize)

We actually drove along the route that the TMF took to pass over the North Cascades several weeks ago on his bike trip. My poor car was working hard to get over the steep peaks so I can't imagine what it's like on two wheels and no engine. Needless to say he knew every upcoming corner or vista point by memory. And we passed several other cyclists who were probably cursing the existence of nature as they worked their way up the pass.

So I'll post more pics this evening but now I must shower and hop on my bike to head to my first day of school. The TMF wanted to take my picture of me with my name written on a piece of paper around my neck like he has from his first day but I wouldn't let him.

It would have been good for the blog though, now that I think of it.

Impulse Backpacking

After ditching our camping plans last weekend due to busy schedules and overwhelming stress, the t-m-f and I are heading out on an impulsive backpacking trip for the weekend in the North Cascades. I'll be writing a persuasive speech on the expansion of US businesses into Brazil because of its growing economy and expanding middle class while enjoying the pleasures of the outdoors since class begins on Monday. And I have a speech to give on Tuesday!!!

I'm apparently jumping into grad school head first!

Pictures upon my return late tomorrow.