Thursday, March 08, 2007
UNM
The director called today to inform me that I have been accepted, but the funding question is quite vague. Nevertheless, one uncertain future item becomes somewhat more certain. Just what I love!
Photos and Credit Reports
I was feeling that my blog was a bit drab lately, without any visual stimulation. So this morning I took a few pictures to post. Part of the problem is that it turns out my digital camera, which is less than 1 year old, is not compatible with Windows Vista. My brand new computer can not see the images on it. So I have to download them to another computer and then transfer them over, which sucks. But anyway...
Jenga! Matt thinks it's funny to make it as unstable as possible as early as possible.
My new desk set up! (Gotta love the wood paneling background.) I got rid of the topper thing and bought some new recycled stuff from the Container Store. I have so much more room now - I love it.
Our mantle of wedding gifts! The pictures for the frames are in the mail now. (Of course the pictures above the mantle are old hat.) By the way, we have that cute ring frame, and we have no idea who it's from. Please let us know if it's from you or you know who it's from. We'd like to thank the proper person!
Our new plants! It wasn't very smart to buy them before we leave for 10 days, but if they die, so will all the others. So sad. This is when I wish I had friends. (Note China Doll!)
Our wedding album! Okay so I am lazy and I ordered it off snapfish, but I like it. Except the cover picture has some problems. But the inside is nice! (I am also in the process of scrapbooking the wedding. Just waiting for a few more things...Dad and Matt D. Not that they read this blog I'm sure.)
On a completely different note, take advantage of those free annual credit reports. I found some errors in mine. In fact, I couldn't access one of them because my name was spelled wrong in it, so I ended up having to pay for a combined report from all three in order to see it and then discover it had errors. Nothing major; just name spellings and addresses and an employer. (Logo Cruz?) But anyway, just do it. It might help you out in the long run. Some people estimate as many as 80% of credit reports have errors.
On an entirely different note, Matt and I leave for our honeymoon tomorrow! So probably no blogs for awhile. Unless something really exciting happens or we upload pictures. You know how I love my blog. I can't part with it or a computer for the honeymoon...
Mwah!
Jenga! Matt thinks it's funny to make it as unstable as possible as early as possible.
My new desk set up! (Gotta love the wood paneling background.) I got rid of the topper thing and bought some new recycled stuff from the Container Store. I have so much more room now - I love it.
Our mantle of wedding gifts! The pictures for the frames are in the mail now. (Of course the pictures above the mantle are old hat.) By the way, we have that cute ring frame, and we have no idea who it's from. Please let us know if it's from you or you know who it's from. We'd like to thank the proper person!
Our new plants! It wasn't very smart to buy them before we leave for 10 days, but if they die, so will all the others. So sad. This is when I wish I had friends. (Note China Doll!)
Our wedding album! Okay so I am lazy and I ordered it off snapfish, but I like it. Except the cover picture has some problems. But the inside is nice! (I am also in the process of scrapbooking the wedding. Just waiting for a few more things...Dad and Matt D. Not that they read this blog I'm sure.)
On a completely different note, take advantage of those free annual credit reports. I found some errors in mine. In fact, I couldn't access one of them because my name was spelled wrong in it, so I ended up having to pay for a combined report from all three in order to see it and then discover it had errors. Nothing major; just name spellings and addresses and an employer. (Logo Cruz?) But anyway, just do it. It might help you out in the long run. Some people estimate as many as 80% of credit reports have errors.
On an entirely different note, Matt and I leave for our honeymoon tomorrow! So probably no blogs for awhile. Unless something really exciting happens or we upload pictures. You know how I love my blog. I can't part with it or a computer for the honeymoon...
Mwah!
Wednesday, March 07, 2007
Interviews
"I'm not sure what to expect this year for my performance review. Last year it started with Michael asking me what my hopes and dreams were and ended with him telling me he could bench press 190 pounds. So..." ~Pam Beesley, The Office (not an exact quote).
Well anyway, the quote obviously doesn't have much to do with interviews, but I feel pretty much as baffled as Pam sounded about that review. (I've been bored and putting in Office discs and pushing 'play all.') Monday I had my phone interview for the AAAS secret plot which may or may not have been revealed yet. I can't remember. It lasted all of 10 minutes. And half of that involved the lady telling me the details of the program. So I answered questions for maybe 5 minutes. Were they all like that? Did I not blather enough? Who knows. From here on out, the sites fight over us, and then by April 16th they tell us if we got accepted and if so, where we are going. That is so long from now! I can't even handle it. And you know I can't.
This morning I had an interview at a local environmental planning firm. When I left, the receptionist told me it sounded like we were having a party in there. Good or bad? Not sure. The head honcho and two women were there. No one had any questions written down, nor did they write down anything I said. I spent half the time explaining to them what exactly it is that I do right now, even though it has absolutely nothing to do with the job for which I am applying. Then it turned out one of the ladies had gone to ASU and grew up in Michigan, so we talked about that for awhile, including the Thing. Of all things. And we talked about where I should live and how I would get there, and they joked that they could send the intern (I presume) to pick me up from the RailRunner station. And then they told me to keep them posted on my fellowship, even though I don't find anything out until April 16th. The head honcho said he is slow with decisions. So really I have no idea what happened. But as a bonus, the guy's wife is a writer/editor for Scientific American and UNM Press. Someone I should definitely get to know...
Well anyway, the quote obviously doesn't have much to do with interviews, but I feel pretty much as baffled as Pam sounded about that review. (I've been bored and putting in Office discs and pushing 'play all.') Monday I had my phone interview for the AAAS secret plot which may or may not have been revealed yet. I can't remember. It lasted all of 10 minutes. And half of that involved the lady telling me the details of the program. So I answered questions for maybe 5 minutes. Were they all like that? Did I not blather enough? Who knows. From here on out, the sites fight over us, and then by April 16th they tell us if we got accepted and if so, where we are going. That is so long from now! I can't even handle it. And you know I can't.
This morning I had an interview at a local environmental planning firm. When I left, the receptionist told me it sounded like we were having a party in there. Good or bad? Not sure. The head honcho and two women were there. No one had any questions written down, nor did they write down anything I said. I spent half the time explaining to them what exactly it is that I do right now, even though it has absolutely nothing to do with the job for which I am applying. Then it turned out one of the ladies had gone to ASU and grew up in Michigan, so we talked about that for awhile, including the Thing. Of all things. And we talked about where I should live and how I would get there, and they joked that they could send the intern (I presume) to pick me up from the RailRunner station. And then they told me to keep them posted on my fellowship, even though I don't find anything out until April 16th. The head honcho said he is slow with decisions. So really I have no idea what happened. But as a bonus, the guy's wife is a writer/editor for Scientific American and UNM Press. Someone I should definitely get to know...
Tuesday, March 06, 2007
tikkun olam (healing the world)
Okay, so I got this off That is so Queer, which I found off of Crazy Aunt Purl, which Ms. A links to on her blog. I highly recommend both these blogs, as they are written by witty and insightful women. Anyway, back to the story at hand. Faith, of That is so Queer, works in HIV/AIDS, and she has done a few posts on tikkun olam, which is a Jewish word and principle involving doing your part to heal the world. She chose HIV/AIDS as her cause, and she trusts that other people will work on the other causes, like the war in Iraq, and environmentalism, and hopefully Darfur. Because obviously you can't spend significant amounts of time on more than one cause. She definitely does her part. And I, too, hope that someone is working on Darfur. Are they?
Today (before I read the other blog) I opened the spreadsheet that I keep of my donations to charities. Last year I donated to 12 different groups. (A few, like the Sierra Club, do not technically count as charities, because they are either political, or lost their 501c3 status, for whatever reason, that I mostly think sucks.) I think that I should narrow my focus and spend more money and time on 2-4 groups, rather than 12. I feel like this would make a bigger impact than my spontaneous donations to random groups triggered by the numerous mailings and phone calls I get, urging me to think of the poor children in Iraq... or some other equally endearing cause. Anyway, I am having trouble nailing it down, because even though I am a tried and true environmentalist, I do still worry about the Tibetans, and the Darfurians, and all the people subject to human rights abuses around the world, particularly women. Those are just a few of my favorite non-environmental causes. So anyway, if anyone knows of some fantastic charities that they think should be at the top of my list, please let me know.
But what I really wanted to write about was not my donations, but my work. Everyone knows that I have made environmentalism my pet cause. I love nature, so it is easy for me. Sometimes I feel bad about supporting environmental groups when there are so many other bad things going on in the world, but judging based on the charitable donations for the wedding, it seems that many people are more eager to support those other causes than the environment, and someone has to do it (so we have somewhere to live), so it might as well be me. Anyway, I always thought I would work for an environmental nonprofit, and do my part for tikkun olam. But I don't. I sit behind a computer and make water models. I can hope and tell myself it will help the environment, but that's just not true. It might help a few farmers or a few cities. That is all. So now as I sit at this crossroads, wondering what to do, I am back to considering the environment.
Does being an environmental planner (the job interview tomorrow) help the environment? Maybe. I can hope it does. I can tell myself that NEPA requirements and EIS help save something. But I think it is mostly bureaucracy. Would it be a relatively good thing to do before I find a more hard-core environmental job? Probably. It would give me experience. And those environmental organizations just don't favor Albuquerque for work locations. And if I don't feel like it is enough, I can spend more time volunteering for those environmental organizations. Or whatever organization. Because it is easy for me to send a check, but it is harder for me to send myself. Which they probably need equally.
Anyway, I had never heard of tikkun olam before, but I think it is great. Here is a link to her post of a few other Jewish concepts which really bear repeating.
Today (before I read the other blog) I opened the spreadsheet that I keep of my donations to charities. Last year I donated to 12 different groups. (A few, like the Sierra Club, do not technically count as charities, because they are either political, or lost their 501c3 status, for whatever reason, that I mostly think sucks.) I think that I should narrow my focus and spend more money and time on 2-4 groups, rather than 12. I feel like this would make a bigger impact than my spontaneous donations to random groups triggered by the numerous mailings and phone calls I get, urging me to think of the poor children in Iraq... or some other equally endearing cause. Anyway, I am having trouble nailing it down, because even though I am a tried and true environmentalist, I do still worry about the Tibetans, and the Darfurians, and all the people subject to human rights abuses around the world, particularly women. Those are just a few of my favorite non-environmental causes. So anyway, if anyone knows of some fantastic charities that they think should be at the top of my list, please let me know.
But what I really wanted to write about was not my donations, but my work. Everyone knows that I have made environmentalism my pet cause. I love nature, so it is easy for me. Sometimes I feel bad about supporting environmental groups when there are so many other bad things going on in the world, but judging based on the charitable donations for the wedding, it seems that many people are more eager to support those other causes than the environment, and someone has to do it (so we have somewhere to live), so it might as well be me. Anyway, I always thought I would work for an environmental nonprofit, and do my part for tikkun olam. But I don't. I sit behind a computer and make water models. I can hope and tell myself it will help the environment, but that's just not true. It might help a few farmers or a few cities. That is all. So now as I sit at this crossroads, wondering what to do, I am back to considering the environment.
Does being an environmental planner (the job interview tomorrow) help the environment? Maybe. I can hope it does. I can tell myself that NEPA requirements and EIS help save something. But I think it is mostly bureaucracy. Would it be a relatively good thing to do before I find a more hard-core environmental job? Probably. It would give me experience. And those environmental organizations just don't favor Albuquerque for work locations. And if I don't feel like it is enough, I can spend more time volunteering for those environmental organizations. Or whatever organization. Because it is easy for me to send a check, but it is harder for me to send myself. Which they probably need equally.
Anyway, I had never heard of tikkun olam before, but I think it is great. Here is a link to her post of a few other Jewish concepts which really bear repeating.
Friday, March 02, 2007
Money
I realized it was silly for me to have money sitting in my Bank of America savings account making about 0.5% when it could be sitting in my ING savings account making 4.5%. So I tried to transfer money from my Bank of America savings account to my BofA checking account so that I could then transfer it to ING. No luck. Apparently BofA thinks it needs to help me save money but not letting me transfer it out of my savings account. At that point I realized that BofA is stupid and opened an ING Electric Orange account that will make 4% instead of 0%. That is a much better deal too. The downside is that there are no paper checks. You can bill pay online for free, send electronic checks, or have them send paper checks, but that might be difficult for quick turn-around-times or for sending people money unexpectedly. Therefore I think I still have to keep money in my BofA checking account for such instances. I am now trying to decide if I should change my direct deposit or just keep transferring funds. I wonder if it is bad for your credit to close multiple bank accounts in one year and open up a ton too. I hope not. I would be screwed. But I recommend ING to everyone. Great rates on everything from checking to CDs and more. (FDIC insured, but good rates because of no overhead.) See http://www.ingdirect.com
Thursday, March 01, 2007
Today
I made and ordered some Photobooks on Snapfish; one for me and one for my mother.
I ordered some prints from Smugmug.
I have compiled a cart at Gaiam, but have not purchased it yet. I have discovered that our new sheets do not match our old comforter, as I thought they would, so now I am making a foray into the world of eco-comforters and duvet covers. It is not a cheap world. I have also fallen in love with a $340 chair (also eco of course) and some rattan ottomons. Perhaps when we move and get rid of the old taped-together couches I will splurge on some new furniture.
Oh, I also spent a lot of money at the Container Store, in hopes that I can get my desk organized somehow. It is generally a hopeless venture.
I walked to my landlord's house to pay rent.
I mailed some things at the post office.
I got a job interview in Albuquerque next week! I specifically noted on my cover letter that I preferably did not want to start until August, but we will see what they have to say. It is a local environmental consulting firm and sounds interesting at first glance.
I made burritos for dinner. The green chile sauce is just not as spicy as it used to be. I am becoming a New Mexican.
Oh yeah, and I also worked.
I would say it was a productive (and expensive) day.
I ordered some prints from Smugmug.
I have compiled a cart at Gaiam, but have not purchased it yet. I have discovered that our new sheets do not match our old comforter, as I thought they would, so now I am making a foray into the world of eco-comforters and duvet covers. It is not a cheap world. I have also fallen in love with a $340 chair (also eco of course) and some rattan ottomons. Perhaps when we move and get rid of the old taped-together couches I will splurge on some new furniture.
Oh, I also spent a lot of money at the Container Store, in hopes that I can get my desk organized somehow. It is generally a hopeless venture.
I walked to my landlord's house to pay rent.
I mailed some things at the post office.
I got a job interview in Albuquerque next week! I specifically noted on my cover letter that I preferably did not want to start until August, but we will see what they have to say. It is a local environmental consulting firm and sounds interesting at first glance.
I made burritos for dinner. The green chile sauce is just not as spicy as it used to be. I am becoming a New Mexican.
Oh yeah, and I also worked.
I would say it was a productive (and expensive) day.
Monday, February 26, 2007
Skiing in the Caldera
This weekend Matt and I abandoned Socorro in order to avoid some sort of civil war battle reenactment. Not sure what they were fighting for. We went to Albuquerque and saw Pan's Labyrinth with Arun, which was quite good, and then up to Santa Fe to hang out with Kristin and Patrick. Sunday we went up to the Valles Caldera to do some cross country skiing, and Kristin and Patrick tried out kite-skiing. It was windy enough! This place is absolutely gorgeous, and it is a prototype for a joint land management program. The public lands area is operated by the Valles Caldera Trust, which is not completely government-run. Learn more about it at http://www.vallescaldera.gov/
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