New Pics

Dec 1st

Now that you are all semi-caught up on pictures, a short note just about how we are. Things are pretty calm. Jon and I spent Thanksgiving on Oahu for a family vacation. Now we are having a psuedo Thanksgiving meal (turkey etc) today and waiting for our trip 'home' to Utah. We're enjoying the ever warm Tucson weather, but definitley missing snow. We went to walmart to purchase Christmas decorations and found the entire garden area was in fact still a garden area. So not to be thwarted we purchased a hanging geranum for our porch. So now we have a Christmas wreath and a plant decorating small yard. Here are some pictures from today of our Christmas 'setup'.

Recap of Sept-Nov.

There's no excuse for my lack of posting....or for my mis-ordered pictures. But beggars can't be choosers you few readers! This is a nice pic of Jon and my cousins relaxin on Waikii (right outside our hotel over Thanksgiving).
Here is a good view of Diamond Head. Jon and I hiked up to the top with my dad. Thirty min. up and thirty min. down.
This is the sunset view from my towel/place on the beach. I didn't see a green flash but it was too beautiful for me to care.

This is one of many views I got at the top of Diamond Head. Especially like the view of the lighthouse.

This would be the picture I intended to put first on this blog....Halloween pumpkins by Jon and I.

The Latest

Here is some benefit of the monsoon, some beautiful flowers on the way to the mailbox. All the yellow buds will turn into these orange flowers (which close up at night and stay open in the afternoon).

Right near there you can see how the ocotillo look post monsoon. The good news is that the spine covered branches get leaves and look much fuller. The bad news is after one good storm the wind bends them and frequently uproots them.

This last one is our latest evidence of an AZ creature visiting our home. On a bright note we know we don't have trantulas in our house....

Nothing else too exciting to report. Jon and I have been learning the trials of apartment living during the monsoon. So far we have had a leak in the roof and a leaking window sill in our bedroom. This past week we had a water main break in our complex and went a whole day without water. The following day the monsoon storm caused a tree to fall and our power was out for 3hours. Which for all your non-AZ folks this is especially tragic because it means no AC.

On the work front things have been steadily improving. I have sold a few pairs of hearing aids from our recent ads for Phonak. And I've been learning how to fill out billing forms properly so that when we bill insurance they cover more. My latest upseting discovery regarding healthcare in the US is that now at my office it is cheaper for a person to have a cosmetic appointment than it is to purchase hearing aids. Example, the cheapest hearing aid we offer 950 dollars, botox injections 60 dollars. I note this especially for Paul, can we say reform?

Well, I think thats it. Miss you all!!

Quick Post

A blog worthy picture (taken by Jon).... This is the moth that was outside our neighbors apartment this afternoon (directly across from our door). Welcome to Arizona....land of big bugs!

Monsoon Season

Hi all. Well this weeks big news is not what you'd think....it was not a large 4th of July bash with loads of patriotism but rather the begining of the monsoon. While this may not mean much to all of you let me tell you it does to us. After almost 2months of no rain, fog, or even cloud cover it finally rained. This took the temperature outside down from 112deg F to 92 (enough to make new locals like us want to dance outside while wearing bathing suits). According to those in 'the know' it will now rain almost every day for ~3 weeks and will then return to sunny and hot every day. I put up a little picture there for you to all enjoy the rain too.

Updating...

Hello Everybody,

I'm finally updating so let me give you the basic rundown on how things are here in AZ. This morning at 8am it was 85 deg F, this afternoon at 2pm it was 109 deg F....by 4pm it was 113F, temperature in my office 70deg F, nuf said.

SO above this (since I can't get them to move down) is some birthday pics. One of me and my grandmother talking about who knows what and the other of some beautiful flowers sent to me at work by my parents. I had hopes to put up some pictures of my office but I keep forgetting to bring a camera to work.

In general things are good. Some days I enjoy my job and some days...I don't. I'm getting to know most of the staff but still 5weeks later I met someone today for the first time. Someone from Billing who said "great to finally meet you" keep in mind I have not heard of this person. BUT he feels like we are close friends since he sees all the billing sheets (one for each patient) with my name on them.

Anyway I'm trying to 'stay cool' and will also try to post again soon with other pictures.

Tucson

Hi....
Well Jon and I are settling in here in Tucson. If you read Jon's blog then you've gotten to see some pictures of the apt. maybe tomorrow I will take some updated ones so you can view our unpacking progress.

The job seems to be going well. Although not having any friends or feedback yet I'm not sure of how well they think I am doing. But so far I think I am doing alright. Its difficult to go from a school situation to a work environment due to the fact that you have no way to check your progress. In school this can be done by assignment and test grades etc.

Other news....Jon and I tried a church here in Tucson today, Catalina UMC. It was alright although we think we chose the wrong service time for finding other people our age. We are going to try and go there again next week since the bulletin says they have a age 18-30 group, SO we know they are 'there' somewhere. The 'young adult' group also meets Monday nights so we might try and join them if we can figure out where they meet and I don't chicken out.

We also enjoyed SamJo day a holiday invented by my extended family here in Tucson to celebrate my cousin and my Uncle's birthdays. We swam, ate burgers, and had time with the fam and didn't get sunburned (always crucial). Then we went to Westward Look Resort where my Uncle works and saw some fireworks. While this would normally be illegal they have a permit to shoot fireworks for Memorial Day since it is too hot and dry on July 4th. Jon and I got to see the fireworks from close up and it was a great show.

All in all we had a good day (enjoying the weekend!). Will try and post pictures soon.

American Academy of Audiology

Hello Readers!

First off let me say this is my first posting on the 'new blogger' it has been forced upon me so I cannot vouch for anything bad that may happen on this posting. In other words, I have even less of an idea of how this all works now.

Now, on to more important items. This past week I attended the American Academy of Audiology (AAA) convention in Denver, CO. Almost everyone in my whole program here at USU attended and good times were had by all. Along with learning all sorts of audiology info. we also went to a Colorado Rockies game (Rockies 7 Dodgers 2 final score); and then after other long convention days that included 2 hour lectures our group attended some hearing aid company sponsored parties. I thought I'd post some pics from the trip to entertain all of you.

Here we have the ever fabulous Shalise Adams and I eating some great baseball food! Followed by a view from our seats at Coors Field. After those is a picture of our group wearing some snazzy USU t-shirts.

pictures

Here are some promised pictures of life here at Penny Lane.
As you can see I seem to be having some format trouble but at least I got the pictures taken...
There is one of Jon making me some delicious calzones. Another is of boxes in our living room to demonstrate all the glory of moving (this is an 'after' picture minus several boxes going to the garage). And Last but not least is a picture of our garden. It is of course a glorious example of the splendor of graduate school. This year we are going for a multi theme that says, 'We're moving! We're working! Its cold and rainy!' I think Better Homes and Gardens will be right over, don't you :)?

What's new

Hello blog readers... I'd like to start off with a fabulous excuse for not blogging but I really don't have one. So instead I'll just fill you in on the news.

School continues on, neverending group projects, reading, and meetings. Our semester finishes up the first week of May so not too much longer. Also continuing my capstone project with my wonderful committee chair. After 2 months of meeting every Tues. at 10am I am still unsure if he truly knows my name. However, Utah State now officially knows me as Amy Wheeler which is a triumph after much paperwork and 3 trips to the registrars office.

The move to AZ gets closer each day. Jon and I are busily packing and boxes are everywhere in the house both empty and full. The condo is officially on the market and hopefully one day soon someone will decide to buy it, freeing us up to pay rent to only one place in May as oppossed to two. I've also submitted all my paperwork to the AZ health dept. and hopefully my licenses will arrive soon.

No other truly exciting news, just ongoing wedding aftermath. Even though the wedding was 3 months ago we just recieved another gift and have just barely spent the last of those Bed Bath and Beyond giftcards. I'll try and get some classic 'moving' pictures for you all this week.

Seton

Hello again,

Before I start a quick note for Jodi- I think the book is called 'I am the Cheese'

Today I just wanted to post a picture of my friend Amy Wusstig's baby in an effort to make up for all the wedding pictures of her while pregnant. So everyone this is Seton Wusstig, please oogle him and see how cute he is...

Who is "The Cheese"

Well after several questions I thought I would explore for everyone the origin of the phrase 'The cheese stands alone'.

I learned it from the song 'The Famer in the Dell' in which the last verse is all about the cheese standing alone. In the song everyone 'takes' someone or something else except the cheese. Which is why (I think) thats the memorable part of the song. If you ever sang the song as part of a game you may remember the cheese due to your being picked last. You can play a game in which everyone stands in a circle singing. With each verse a new person gets to come into the middle of the circle. For example, the Farmer starts as 'it' and is in the middle, after this when the Farmer takes a wife he picks someone else from the circle to come into the middle. At the end of the song everyone is in the circle 'middle' except...the cheese. Then everyone else re-forms a circle around the cheese and sings about them standing alone. Which makes you wonder....what are we teaching our children?

If you are new to the phrase and have no idea about the song maybe you heard about it because you like to eat cheese. There is a cheese shop in NY (I think) called The Cheese Stands Alone. Obviously created by Wisconsin children who liked cheese or had a bad experience with the game....or possibly a good experience if the cheese became the farmer for the next round.

Hope you all enjoy singing this week about farmers, wives, children, cats, dogs, rats, and CHEESE!

Life and DNRs

Hello everyone,
I have finally stolen a moment to work on my blog and tell you about my life. So here is what's new: I'm taking two classes this semester Practice Management and Educational Audiology, I have an internship two days a week at the IHC Hearing and Balance Center in SLC, and I'm almost in the black as far as those wedding thank you notes are concerned. Today I have been exteremely productive working on my capstone and paying back library fines for books I never read. This is because I allow friends and family to use my University library account. I will be sad to see this account go once I graduate as it gives me access to USU's library, U of U's library and BYU's library.

Also here is my response to Erin Umbriaco's question of how I feel about end of life issues. I personally don't understand when keeping someone alive via machine truly comes into play. Such as when it must be done and how it is done. But here is my 'take'.

I am an organ donor so if being kept on machine means someone else can use my heart, kidneys, etc. then turn on the pump or whatever. I also am entering a time in my life where I may consider having children and I'm not sure if being kept alive by a machine may save my child. If I were pregnant and got in a car accident or something I would support my being kept alive via machine if that would mean my child could be born healthy. SO I would like to say that there is no blanket statement that can cover how I feel about it, each situation would be different. I think Jon would have to ask himself what that machine was keeping me alive for, if it was just for the sake of staying alive to prolong grief I would say thats probably not worth it. I do think that regardless of your feelings you should let your loved ones know, in a legal written way. Doing this may seem morbid but it prevents endless grief for your family. Hope this answers your question Erin.

Hope to write more soon!