Super Firefly

A quilt for Christmas

2012-01-08T19:52:00.000-05:00

I made a quilt this year that I gave to Dan's parents for Christmas. It was part of the "Saturday Sampler" event at my local quilt shop, where you go once a month for a year and get the materials to make one quilt block.

I quilted it using a long-arm quilt machine (thanks, Anita!), and I think it looks okay for my first attempt at long-arm quilting.

I used my leftover fabric scraps on the back of the quilt.

I think they liked it!

Another Baby quilt + bunny pictures

2011-10-16T19:24:00.000-04:00

My old BYU chemistry friend, Debbie, is expecting a baby girl in December! Here's the quilt I made for her. I used this tutorial and the fabric is from Kate Spain's Central Park line.

We also put down some new vinyl flooring in the bunnies' room. Here's a couple pictures of them eating dinner : )

Newest Baby Quilts

2011-09-11T20:42:00.005-04:00

I'm an aunt!! Jen (Dan's sister) had her baby boy on Friday, and he's really cute! I'm excited to get to meet him next time we go to New Mexico to visit. I made this quilt for him to snuggle in:

My sister-in-law, Rachael (Stu's wife), is also expecting. She's going to have a baby girl in December! Here's the quilt I made her:

Bunnies in the garden

2011-04-10T20:01:00.000-04:00

So, Laura and I went out and did a little work in the garden today - put up fences, built up mounds, etc. But we realized that the bunnies would probably like some outside time. While they were a little hesitant at first, they quickly warmed up to the fun (as you can tell from Rico's face)!

We are turning into strange bunny people. Enjoy the album, and happy Spring!

Bunnies in the Garden

So excited!

2011-04-03T20:30:00.002-04:00

I finished my quilt top tonight. All that hard work was worth it!

Oahu: The North Shore

2011-01-09T19:46:00.008-05:00

Our last day in Oahu, we took a bus to the North Shore. We went to the Laniakea Beach (a.k.a. Turtle Beach) hoping to see some sea turtles. Unfortunately, we didn't see any lying on the beach (perhaps we went too early in the day), but we did see a couple swimming in the ocean. They were really cool!

Then, we rode the bus to Turtle Bay Resort for snorkeling. We saw a lot of different kinds of fish and took pictures with an underwater camera, but we haven't gotten them developed to see if any of them turned out.

After snorkeling, we stopped by a random shrimp shop on the side of the road and had some delicious garlic shrimp!

Oahu: Pearl Harbor

2011-01-02T20:19:00.005-05:00

We weren't very lucky when it came to weather during our trip. I guess that's what you get when you travel to Hawaii during winter (rainy season). But, for the most part, we didn't let the rain stop us......we just donned a few ponchos and kept going! Our first day sightseeing together, we went to Pearl Harbor and toured the USS Missouri and the USS Arizona Memorial. I highly recommend seeing both of them.

These pictures below are of the USS Missouri:

The coolest thing about the USS Missouri is that it was where the treaty was signed that ended World War II.

It was pretty sobering to watch the movie and visit the Arizona Memorial and think of all the people who died the day that Pearl Harbor was attacked. The memorial is built right on top of the sunken USS Arizona. You can still see a few parts of it sticking up through the water.

Oahu: The first few days

2011-01-02T18:52:00.007-05:00

We were in Hawaii for two weeks in December. Dan attended and presented a poster at the Pacifichem conference (Dec. 15-20), and I just came along to vacation. I briefly considered attending the conference with him since we're both chemists, but after seeing the registration fee ($725! if you're not a student), I decided I'd rather just sightsee and hang out on the beach. I think that was a wise decision. Here are a few pictures taken from around the hotel/resort where we stayed on Waikiki Beach:

And, below is a picture of Dan with his poster.

I went on two hikes near Honolulu: Diamond Head Crater and Manoa Falls. The hike to the top of Diamond Head Crater wasn't very pretty, but there are great views of much of Oahu's coastline from the top:

The hike to Manoa Falls was a pretty, easy hike through rainforest. Here a few shots from along the way:

And, here is a picture of Manoa Falls. I wasn't able to get the whole falls in the picture because it was too tall!

Happy Anniversary!

2010-12-30T12:00:00.004-05:00

Wow, it's hard to believe it's been four years already! I'm glad we survived that crazy backpacking trip* along the Na Pali coast earlier this week. I love you tons!

*more info to come later

Newest quilt

2010-12-15T08:01:00.002-05:00

I made this baby quilt for some old friends (Josh and Kim) who are expecting a baby in February. I really love it, and I didn't want to give it away. The fabric for the quilt came from the Modern Meadow collection by Joel Dewberry.

Anberlin and bunnies

2010-10-31T22:20:00.000-04:00

On Friday Laura and I went to an Anberlin concert in Philly. Crash Kings, Civil Twilight, and States opened - we liked all of them. I was especially impressed because the Crash Kings piano player/singer looked exactly like Daniel Faraday from Lost. I was quite amazed. I kept on expecting really awesome unexpected things to happen (like some cool electromagnetic fields to suddenly blow up, or some smoke monster to liven up the the show) but, alas, nothing out of the ordinary happened. Unless you consider hearing loss out of the ordinary, but you shouldn't. My ears have mostly stopped ringing - hopefully they will be healed by tomorrow. Anyway, it was an awesome rock concert, and I am glad that Laura agreed to go, even though she wasn't as interested as me. Here are the few obligatory rock concert pictures where you can only make out a few fuzzy details. It was standing room only:

And, because we are turning into crazy bunny people, here are a few more cute zingers from ol'Pooks and Reeks (or the bones as I like to call them).

Their cuteness defies all description.

PS - Since this is a post about Anberlin and bunnies, I should make some sort of connection between the two. Bunnies hate rock concerts.

Parallel Bunnies

2010-10-18T21:46:00.002-04:00

Quilt Blocks -- Week 16 and 17

2010-10-18T21:43:00.002-04:00

I just finished my last two quilt blocks!!

Quilt Blocks -- week 14 and 15

2010-10-09T10:03:00.001-04:00

Mission Accomplished

2010-10-06T17:36:00.003-04:00

For those of you who haven't heard, Pookie and Rico are officially bonded!!! It took long enough (6 months or so), but we're so happy to see how much they love being together. Here are some pictures from the last few weeks.

Quilt block -- week 13

2010-09-26T20:35:00.003-04:00

I designed this block myself because I didn't like the one I was supposed to make. And, I made sure to put plenty of orange fabric in it so that Dan would like it! I'm getting really close to being done with all the blocks for this quilt -- only four more to go!!

Quilt Blocks -- weeks 11 and 12

2010-09-06T21:19:00.001-04:00

Bunny Bonding

2010-08-29T22:36:00.001-04:00

Great news! Pookie and Rico are getting along a lot better as of late. Here are some cute pictures of them sharing their dinner tonight.

(Pookie's sticking out her tongue in this last one.....so cute!)

Quilt blocks -- weeks 7,8,9,10

2010-08-15T21:15:00.003-04:00

A little Spain,

2010-08-09T21:15:00.000-04:00

So, Laura is too into reading nerdy books right now, so I thought that I would make a quick post about Spain. First, a link to the total collection: we haven't finished tagging them all yet (I know, I know), but I got tired of witholding the goods from everyone. So, here it is:

Spain!

Here are a few of my favorite pictures from my favorite place in Spain, Granada:

The inside of our hotel

Where we went to see flamenco dancing - follow the link above to see videos!

Right outside our hotel in the morning

Some wonderful detail at the Alhambra

Continued...

Time for a little kissy face

A view of Granada from the Alhambra.

I was a wee bit tired and sick

But they had the best ice-cream ever (I went three times that day and got the same flavor - mandarin orange)

And then I used a space-age type porta-potty

And finally, we all slept in close quarters to end out the day - you can see my bed on the top.

A new blog design

2010-07-23T20:21:00.000-04:00

to tide you over till the grand Spain post. A snow covered house seemed a little silly, considering the season.

Dan

We have returned...

2010-07-21T20:03:00.002-04:00

from spain unharmed. More news/photos/info to follow.

Quilt Blocks -- Weeks 3,4,5 and 6

2010-06-26T18:11:00.001-04:00

It's been a long time, baby

2010-06-05T18:04:00.010-04:00

So, I thought that I would pass along a few updates in my life. I apologize for my negligence.

Since last time that I posted, I have finished teaching my second lab class here at good ol'Princeton. I enjoy teaching about 90% of the time, which I think is pretty good. Grading isn't so much fun, and lazy students who think the rules don't apply to them don't make me smile, but most of the time I enjoy interacting with the students and teaching them. My time of teaching has actually inspired me to reflect on what my TAs thought about me when they talked to me or graded my papers. I hope it was generally positive - I tried to be a reasonable student and not grub for too many points, though I suspect that I caused a few grumbles around the edges.

Laura and I find prospects for this summer bittersweet. We are going to Spain this summer, which is going to be excellently awesome, but some of our best friends are moving away, moving on with their lives, becoming cooler while we struggle to maintain our current level of awesomeness. In a way, though, this realization has helped us to spend a lot of time with these people (I'm looking at you, Ryan and Carey), which has really made me happy. We have had Firefly marathons, laser tag extravaganzas, movie nights, graduation parties, etc. At the risk of sounding sappy, I hope we continue to keep in touch with Rydawg and Carey.

Mal: "Which one do you figured tracked us?"
Zoe: "The ugly one, sir."
Mal: (beat) "Could you be more specific?"
--------------
Mal: "Looks can be deceiving."
Jayne: "Not as deceiving as a lowdown, dirty... deceiver."
Mal: "Well said. Wasn't that well said, Zoe?"
Zoe: "Had a kind of poetry to it, sir."

--------------

Inara: "So, explain to me again why Zoe wasn't in the dress?"

Mal: "Tactics, woman! Needed her in the back. 'Sides, them soft cotton dresses feel kind of nice. There's a whole airflow."

Inara: "And you would know that because...?" Mal: "You can't open the book of my life and jump in the middle. Like woman, I'm a mystery."

Inara: "Best keep it that way. I withdraw the question."
-------------

Mal: "Are you offering me a trade?"
Jayne: "A trade!? Hell, it's theft! This is the best damn gun made by man. It has extreme sentimental value. It's miles more worthy than what you got."

Mal: "What I got? She has a name."
Jayne: "So does this!" (caresses the gun lovingly) "I call it Vera."

Mal: "Well, my days of taking you seriously are certainly coming to a middle."

------------

In other news, the big chemistry move is coming up - soon we will be out of this old building and in our new, state of the art building. As far as I know it still lacks a name, so if you have obscene amounts of money you wish to donate and get a building named after you, feel free to contact me. Here is a nice article with pictures - it will be a pain to move (we move in late August), but it will be wonderful to be in a properly air conditioned/built/maintained building.

So, I am starting to ramble. Sorry that I have been MIA so long. Maybe (but we all know the truth) I will be more regular in updating.

Dan

Quilt Blocks -- Week 2

2010-05-23T20:40:00.002-04:00

Quilt Blocks -- Week 1

2010-05-16T22:52:00.002-04:00

Update

2010-05-09T19:35:00.009-04:00

I just wanted to give everyone a quick update on what's been happening in our lives lately.

I've completed a couple of baby blankets last month -- one for my cousin, Jennifer, and another for my old chemistry buddy, Hilary.

I've also been working on the queen-sized quilt that I started several months ago. Here are the blocks I have completed so far:

I finished the large star for the middle of the quilt, six large blocks and four small blocks.

The problem is that I still have ten more large blocks and eight more small blocks to make! I'd really like to complete this quilt by the end of the year, so I've made a goal to make one large block or four small blocks each week until I've made all of them. Then, by mid-August I'll have all the blocks I need to make the quilt. I'm planning to post a picture of the newly completed block each week, so that every one can see my progress and I don't start slacking : ).

In other news, I've starting reading a lot of interior decorating blogs lately, and I've decided to make a few changes to our apartment to make it look nicer. I'll post some pictures once I get everything looking the way I like. One of the new purchases was this cool cedar chest that we bought off craigslist for $40. It'll be really nice for storing our extra sheets and blankets in our room.

We're still working on getting Pookie and Rico to bond with each other. It seems like it's been taking forever! But, we've had some progress, and hope to be having more of these adorable moments in the future:

Rico's a love bunny!

2010-03-14T22:16:00.003-04:00

It's tons of fun having Rico in the family now. He's such an loving bunny -- he'll sit on my lab and let me pet him for a long time. What a cutie!

Rico

2010-03-05T19:24:00.002-05:00

is currently in the lead! Ha! I am winning!

A new member of our family!

2010-02-28T16:53:00.000-05:00

Hello everyone!

Yesterday we introduced a new bundle of joy into our family - our new bunny. We decided that we wanted Pookie to have a friend a long time ago, but she hasn't been too cooperative. It seems, however, that she might get along with this new bunny, a 4 month old Florida white rabbit. He is super nice and will let you pet him without any problems - we hope he will be a calming influence on Pookie. We are still trying to think up a name for him. His original name was Cadbury, but that falls under my category of "names that are too applicable/obvious to be good." Let us know if you have any suggestions, and we will keep you posted with pictures and updates on the bonding between him and Pookie!

Name ideas:

Rico

Paco

Parker

Snowpocalypse

2010-02-10T19:32:00.000-05:00

Pretty crazy times here in NJ. We had a snowstorm last night, and then it started up again later in the day. A few pictures for your viewing pleasure. My favorite is first:

Oh man!

2010-01-31T16:36:00.000-05:00

Hello all,

So, it has been a busy month, to say the least. First off, I need to report that I passed generals - hooray! My group was very nice and suportive and gave me a 2L of rootbeer, a cool green laser pointer, and a tasty cake (rather than champagne) as a congradulations present. This means that now I am an official PhD candidate and that I can continue my stay here in Princeton. It also meant that we could celebrate Laura's birthday and our anniversary finally - we had put them off until the horror that is generals passed. I also get a small pay raise, so that is just sunshine and rainbows too!

I have also failed to mention that I have finally had some success in the lab! I hinted at it last time, but I got caught up in preparing for generals that I never expounded. But, I am very glad that the chemistry has started to work - it makes my life much more interesting and made generals that much easier. It is much easier to talk about preliminary results than no results at all, let me tell you.

We also had a great time over New Years visitng my family down in New Mexico. I love them so much, and it was great to be there when my sister returned home from her mission. I was also very glad to be able to see my childhood puppy one last time. We had a great time playing Wii together and talking about life and the good ol'days. I wish they all lived closer.

Laura also has good news - she received a promotion at work and was moved to a much better office and a different group. I'll let her fill you in on the details if she so chooses.

iPad, eh?

Anyway, a small fast update is better than no updates at all.

Dan

Quilts

2010-01-06T21:18:00.010-05:00

I'm really excited because I finished my first two quilts ever!! I'm really happy with how they turned out and I learned a lot in the process. If you're interested in making one yourself, or if you're just interested in the quilt-making process, this blog has all the directions.

Waves, MLIA, Christmas, and something else

2009-12-02T19:16:00.002-05:00

Hi all,

Well, I have been busy the last month. To my eternal shame, I haven't posted in forever. So, let's get some stuff out of the way, shall we?

First, although the star thing was cool, it was time to get a different background. I hope that you enjoy this holiday cheer background. Overall, it is much nicer and much more inviting, I confess.

As for my news, I have reached a new level of nerdiness! I now hold in my dirty little hands an invite to Google wave. And, surprise of all surprises, I even have an idea of what I want to do with it! We hope to go to Spain this next year with our good friends, and it seems that Google wave would be an excellent way to plan everything. To be honest, other than that I haven't been able to think up anything, but I'll get back to you on that. Feel free to throw me a wave at danielknielsen at googlewave.com. Or, if you want an invite, let me know. I have a few left.

In other computer nerdiness, I saw a post the other day about how to download almost all of the National Geographic wallpapers without manually going though and clicking on each of them. So, I now have an awesome screensaver and desktop. I think I managed to get around 400 of them - not too shabby, I say. You can be jealous.

Speaking of awesome things, I usually don't make impulse buys. But I saw this shirt online and I couldn't but help get it for Laura. It still makes me laugh when I think about it. Here, for your viewing pleasure:

The name of this work of art is "imposter." She's a hottie when she wears it.

Let's see, as this seems to be a computer oriented post, I also want to throw in a plug for an awesome new website that I happened to stumble upon. I would be lying if I said that I believed everything on there, but I would also be lying if I said that I don't laugh a lot everytime I read it. Someday I will find something that will make it onto that website. I mean, my life is pretty average, right?

Well, Merry Christmas! I'll finish up another post in a few days. I still need to talk about:

-generals

-Christmas

-Lab Success (R) (most important)

-Mp3 explosion

-why Laura is awesome

-sexy lady comment

Dan

Quilting

2009-11-08T14:20:00.004-05:00

Here's a quick update about quilting. I've completed 4 large quilt blocks so far; only 12 more large blocks and 16 more small blocks to go......

Happy Birthday, Pookie!

2009-10-04T19:18:00.003-04:00

Pookie joined our family one year ago this weekend. Although we do not know her "real" birthday, we've decided to count from when we adopted her. She was approximately a year old when we got her, so we'll count today as her 2nd birthday.

Pookie's come a long way this past year. She had a rough childhood (bunnyhood, I guess you'd say), and began her life in a crowded shed with tons of other rabbits before being rescued. (For an article about the rescue, click here) It took her a long time to warm up to us; in the beginning she'd only let us pet her if we were feeding her, but eventually she learned that she likes affection from us.

We love having Pookie in our family. Some of our favorite things about her are:

-watching her race around the living room and do binkies

-watching her wash her ears

-the way her ears can turn independently of one another, like when she's eavesdropping

-how curious and inquisitive she is

-seeing how excited she is to get food or treats

-petting her and hearing her purr, if we're lucky

For Pookie's birthday, we let her have one of her favorite treats, a carrot! And, we're also giving her a new wicker ball to chew on. We love you, Pookie!

New Activities

2009-09-27T19:58:00.006-04:00

So, two new exciting things that I've started/will start doing soon:

1. I've joined a quilting group. We meet each month, and learn how to make a new quilt block, and then have all month to complete that block. So far, I've only made half of one block, but I'll try to post a picture once I complete it. And, if you interested in seeing what my finished quilt may look like, check out this page. My quilt is the one named "Chloe." (I haven't decided yet whether I'll do the small size or the large size.)

2. I also joined a 12 week Healthy Habit Challenge group with some friends. Basically, we all paid $20 to join and the winner gets a $200 prize at the end. You can earn up to four points a day by doing the following things:

-get 7 hours of sleep
-eat healthy (no treats or junk food)
-35 minutes of vigorous exercise
-work on your personal goal (mine is going to be 20 minutes of scripture study per day)

I'm pretty excited for the challenge. I'm already pretty good about exercising daily and getting enough sleep. Turning down desserts and treats will be the biggest challenge, but the $200 prize is a big motivator for me. I'll keep you updated on my progress!

Kick'n it DC style

2009-09-13T18:25:00.008-04:00

We have had a crazy few weeks, let me tell you. The most exciting thing to happen was our 3rd set of visitors to our humble New Jersey home. Lured by promises of NJ corn, homecooking, and general sightseeing wonder, my parents agreed to come out over the weekend and spend some time with us (well, mostly Laura, but since I was around...)

We did the standard touristy things that you would probably expect. For example, we got horribly lost after picking up my parents in DC. And when I say lost, I mean we would have been dead in the water except that my father brought his GPS, which gently lifted us from the quagmire of DC with patient directions and the inevitable "recalculating" after every time I missed a turn. Since this happened about every other turn, it came to be a comforting sound, reassuring me that, while the scenery of DC was changing, my refusal to trust the GPS was not. We cruised the metro, went to all the monuments, got a tour of the Capitol and White house (my great uncle-in-law is a senator from Utah, which facilitated the whole trip), etc, etc. A few pictures:

I hung out with Michelle:

Witnessed some parental love:

And did all of the other touristy-type things:

So, that was day one and two of the trip. Day three was a quick jump up to NYC for the standard sightseeing stuff again. We went up the Rockefeller tower for some awesome zero visibility views, took the ferry, ate in little Italy, bought cheap stuff in Chinatown, and saw Wicked:

The next day was rest day (thankfully). Monday we hit up the waterfalls in the Delaware water gap. As always, they were amazing, but I will only give you a taste with one picture:

Well, maybe one more, though it is hard to top the last one:

And, before you ask, no, I don't know the name of the nice man standing behind us.

The last day we pretty much just hung out and talked, and then dropped them off. Here are a few things I learned from this trip:

1. Having parents come and visit YOU and stay in your house for the first time is scary and fun.
2. Parents who play Wii tennis not only look cool (and pretty funny), but are cool
3. Families are the most important social unit in the world
4. My parents are the coolest

Thanks for coming, mom and dad! We love you!

Sharing means caring!

2009-08-16T21:27:00.005-04:00

I was eating a carrot today, and realized that I was being quite selfish. I have had so many carrots in my life (my mother (I love you mom!) was religious about carrot eating), but poor little Pookie has had so few. Many people don't realize this, but carrots are actually considered "treats" for rabbits. Hence, Pookie has only had a few baby carrots her whole life. Poor Pookie. So, I decided that I should share my carrot with Pookie. She was more than willing to oblige, and we had a very fine sharing experience. Of course, Laura caught me sharing, and took some pictures.

Claim your cannoli

2009-07-27T12:35:00.002-04:00

So, I am failing to post on the blog very often. I feel, however, that I should respond to the last post. I would just like to point out that Laura does indeed look quite silly (in an adorable, cute, beautiful wife sort of way) when she wears a towel on her head. I asked her if she could get Pookie to sit up there and dry her hair - at least then it would be fashionable. She just thought I was kidding and laughed. I can understand her mirth, however, as I am usually well ahead of the fashion curve and she should take my suggestion. (Hint: tube socks never go out of style, unless you wear them with sandals) Socks and sandals = never a good plan.

Back to the point = when Laura wears that tower (or towel) on her head, it is a source of great amusement (the "how amusing" sound bite from the best board game ever Omega Virus plays through my head when I see it.) I figured that I should lighten her morning with a little towel action myself.

About this point, you should be wondering what the title of this post has to do with anything. Other than being wonderful advice, it would also be a great band name. Rehearsals, my house, Tuesday at 9:00. Bring your kazoo.

Super Saturday

2009-07-19T20:51:00.007-04:00

A few months ago, I decided to start a "Super Saturday" tradition. Basically, neither Dan or I are happy that he has to work every Saturday, so I decided that each Saturday I'd wake up with Dan (at 6:30) and make a nice breakfast for us so we can spend a little time together before he has to get to school.

This Saturday, while I was making french toast, Dan came in and told me that everything smelled great. And when I turned around to talk to him, much to my surprise, he looked like this:

I busted out laughing SO hard. He just looks so silly. I know he was just trying to make fun of me because he thinks I look silly when I dry my hair that way, but I look nowhere near as silly as he looks. (but, of course, I have no pictures to prove it).

rocking + inspiring = awesome

2009-07-14T20:02:00.001-04:00

So, recently I have become slightly obsessed with the song "Be My Escape" by Relient K. Here is the youtube video. I'm not a big fan of the video, but you can't expect too much, I suppose. The song, however, rocks, and I also like its message.

My favorite quote from the song:
"the beauty of grace is that it makes life not fair"

As one of my religion profs at BYU was wont to say, put that in your pipe and smoke it.

Fireflies and 4th of July

2009-07-05T20:22:00.009-04:00

We took this video of fireflies in our backyard in Princeton, NJ.

I know the quality is bad, but if you look close, you can see little glimpses of light. I'm a big fan.

We also posted pictures from our 4th of July BBQ and fireworks extravaganza. A post with actual information is forthcoming. A small sample:

Birthday

2009-07-02T23:54:00.000-04:00

Birthdays are awesome. I was surprised in several ways today. Abby and co-workers conspired to tie birthday balloons to my chair at work (pictured above) and also planned a surprise party at the end of group meeting. I knew Laura was bringing a coconut creme pie to share, but who knew there would be root beer floats, candles, singing, the whole shebang (Dan does not raise his hand)? Then we had an interesing time telling stories afterword. A Thoroughly Enjoyable Experience (TEE). Laura gave me some wonderful gifts and we had a great time hanging out. Plus, I had a great time chatting with my fam. Thanks everyone for the birthday wishes!

Brides Rock

2009-06-29T19:43:00.001-04:00

NOTE: Laura's post is below about this event is below. It is better than mine, and I highly recommend it.

So, as Laura has so eloquently described, we went to her best friend’s wedding over the weekend. I learned several things:

1. Brides = awesome. I have heard rumors that a beast referred to as “bridezilla” exists, but I have yet to meet one in my extensive interactions with brides (two). It made me really happy to see how excited Rachel was and it reminded me a little of my own wedding. In fact, I think I must have projected my wedding onto her wedding a little bit, making me more emotional than usual. As I was following Rachel and Laura around, I got to thinking about how great it was that they met way back in the day – I’m sure my wife would be a much different person if she hadn’t been influenced by Rachel. I’m pretty thankful that Rachel has helped to shape Laura’s life, and Laura hers.
2. People are more likely to talk to you if you carry around a small white bag with beads and such sewn onto it. Somehow I was given the job of “carrier,” and I am pretty sure I carried everything except for jets. Most of it I delivered in a timely manner, however Rachel’s personal purse I carried through most of the evening. Most people commented on how well it matched my suit. I was pretty much the talk of the evening. Rachel was jealous.
3. Best wedding tip: Have your wedding reception/ceremony/dinner/fiesta/safari in a venue that is already decorated and has some type of a staff to take care of “stuff.” It worked well with both of our weddings, and I can’t recommend it more. The last thing you want to be worrying about on your wedding day is whether the white paper mache cupids that you hired your 12-year old nephew to craft for the wedding match each other. No decorating = more wedding fun.
4. Rachel’s family = awesome
5. I enjoy “meat on a stick” appetizers more than “vegetable in a roll” appetizers.

I can tell that the quality of my items is fast decreasing, so I will abstain from any further rumination. Congrats Rachel and Ning!

Rachel's and Ning's wedding

2009-06-28T22:36:00.007-04:00

On Saturday, my friend Rachel got married! Rachel and I have been good friends for a long time (eleven years, I think), ever since that eventful day in 7th grade when we decided to work together on a book report in English class. I think Rachel is one of the most wonderful people I know, and I’m so glad that she was able to find someone equally wonderful to be her husband (you’re cool, Ning).

Dan and I were both able to drive to Cleveland for the weekend and be there for the ceremony and reception. It was so nice to be with Dan for three days straight….I rarely get that wonderful luxury now that he’s so busy in grad school.

I did Rachel’s hair for the wedding. It was pretty scary doing her hair for such an important day, but I think we were both pleased with the results. Rachel was such a beautiful bride! And, Ning was quite handsome, as well. I’m so excited for both of them.

The wedding and reception were held at the Cleveland Botanical Gardens, and everything about the night was lovely….the beautiful flowers, the string quartet, the yummy food, the old friends from high school and Rachel’s family that I got to see, and the adorably-in-love bride and groom.

I loved getting to see my old friends from high school and get to catch up on what’s happened since then. It’s hard to believe it’s been five years already. And, I also enjoyed meeting Rachel’s friend from college, Stephanie. Here are all of us with Rachel:

Chris, Jen, Rachel, Dani, me, Stephanie

I had a wonderful weekend and wish Rachel and Ning a long and happy life together!

For more pictures of Rachel and Ning’s wedding, click here:
http://www.facebook.com/photos.php?id=17808888#/album.php?aid=2270260&id=17808888

Linear epoxides = better than cyclohexene oxide

2009-06-22T19:30:00.001-04:00

So, I'm probably not going to talk too often on this blog about chemistry, but I have been feeling a little frustrated with my chemistry as of late. Just last week, I decided to go back to terminal epoxides as my test substrate, rather than disubstituted epoxides. To my surprise, somthing actually happened - new peaks in the GC trace! Although I probably don't have product yet, at least I have reactivity. It is quite depressing to run screens and screens, only to see marginal conversion to nothing. One screen with new peaks = greatly increased morale. And that is good.

Dumplings

2009-06-21T21:12:00.001-04:00

My friend, Amy, is a wonderful Chinese cook. She invited some of us girls from work to her house this weekend and taught us how to make dumplings. They were really yummy!

some uncooked dumplings

boiling and frying

Amy cooking some veggies to go with our dumplings

the final product

Me, Monique, Jennifer, Amy, Monica

Becky, Monique, Jennifer, Amy, Monica

A new way to blog

2009-06-20T21:28:00.001-04:00

So, after a fair amount of thought, I decided to use blogger as my main blogging program with links to my main website. Why the change? Blogger.com is simply better for blogging. Comments and navigation aren't so cumbersome, it is easy to link to other blogs, I can customize it more (notice the increase in orange) and it can be edited from anywhere. Using iWeb, you can only edit the blog (and website, for that matter) from a single computer. Since I leave this computer at work during the week, it makes it difficult for Laura to do any blogging. Now she will have no excuse for not blogging.

However, I think iWeb does a better job of hosting pictures, videos, and content pages. So I plan to use both in synergy. So check both from time to time. I have links back and forth and will try to mention changes or additions as they happen. Happy early fathers day!