Utah again

We drove back to Utah today with only a short pit stop for church in Vegas. The trip went well, but we were all pooped by time we pulled into the driveway at 7:30.

The Dodgers v Angels game was fun. It was really hot, but Dodger fans are fun to be with, even if they're loosing. The food at the field is tasty good, and our host was delightful as usual. In fact, my whole trip was fun this round. I was surprised because last time I was a mess the whole time; even missed Utah which is scary to admit. But this time I loved hanging out with my writing friends, even the crazy ones. The lectures were more down my alley, and I loved Santa Monica beach (as I'm sure you picked up on). I'm looking forward to visiting again.

Moving

Today Cory and I sat down to plan out the next 5 weeks of our life, and as stupid as it sounds, I just realized that we're really moving. We only have a number of days left in good ole' Provo before we're gone forever. The wonderful jello belt has been my home since June of 2005, and 6 years later I'm a little sad to leave it. I'm sure that we'll love St. Louis, and I'm sure that we'll make friends in no time, but still I'm a little sad to leave all that has finally become familiar.

Isn't it funny how we excited we get for change until it actually happens? It was the same thing when I moved to Idaho. I was so excited to leave TN and move to a place that had a ton of members, and then when I drove out of TN I cried like a baby for days. I'll miss Idaho, and all of the cute farmers and their cows. I'll miss all of the good friends that I've made out here, and won't be able to see nearly as often as I have.

Well, St. Louis here we come!

Santa Monica and the end of residency

We absolutely loved Santa Monica pier. It was much better that Hollywood and Venice for a number of reasons (sorry if you love either of these places) The streets were much cleaner which was nice. There were a ton of street performers; some crazy, and some talented. We enjoyed watching everything from a man in a wheelchair singing Christmas songs to an older woman salsa dancing to performing parrots.

Now to residency. This time around I had a blast in lovely Culver City at Antioch. I knew more of what to avoid in lectures, so that helped a ton. Writing workshop went a lot smoother, and I was more able to connect with workshop pieces. And of course it helped my Cory and Jordyn came out early so that I didn't have to go as long without my family. I'm really looking forward to the next few weeks before Cory starts medical school when we'll just have time to spend together. Now that residency is over I have load so of work to do, and I can't wait to start working with Kerry. She's such a change from Richard (who is very talented, but Kerry is more what I like). Well, here's to the semester to ensue.

Report on our adventures from yesterday

Well the Jones consider Hollywood to be pretty ghetto, but we're glad that we at least know now. As we walked down Hollywood blvd we saw a man playing the empty soy sauce buckets, a girl wearing a box with an angry face drawn on and "Pixar" written in scratchy letters about chest level, a very nice aspiring rapper who didn't know where Provo, UT was but wanted a "donation" and a handful of people dressed up as various movie characters. But that was it. Cory and I voted the bucket playing man the winner of the Hollywood "Most Interesting" award. Congratulations bucket man!

Out of the dozens upon dozens of stars that have been claimed by names, we knew about 12 of them. Amongst them was Big Bird, Dolly Parton, and Bill Cosby. So I here issue an apology to all the names of stars we walked over without the smallest appreciation for their fame.

Following Hollywood we checked out Venice beach. Jordyn absolutely hated the beach. We let the wave cover her feet, and she screamed. I supposed after considering her size that those big waves could be intimidating, so I tried the sand only to fail again. She clung to me like white on rice. Cory and I enjoyed the beach, but not the sand that follows you home afterward.

Today I have a full day of school, but Cory and Jordyn are checking out the Santa Monica Pier, so I'll have to let you know what they thought of that.

Hollywood

So Cory and Jordyn made it in safe to LAX. LAX was gheeeettto. I guess that they are remodeling, but it looks way trashy. It was fun to see Jordyn. At first she looked at me like could it really be you? and then she smiled. Last time she totally forgot who I was, so it was nice that it wasn't that way this time.

Today's plan for LA is: lunch at Antioch so that I can show my family off, and then to Hollywood. I think that we're going to get there and make it up as we go, but it should prove to be fun. And then tomorrow I have a full day of school and lectures, but Saturday we have a baseball game! I'm excited to see the Dodgers play.

Residency

I can't believe how much fun I've had during this residency. When I first left home I was uber teary. I even burst into tears when I saw a toddler at the gas station in Nevada. But after the first day I was in the groove and having a great time.

Last night we went out as a cohort to the Library Alehouse. It was this cute little restaurant in Santa Monica with a library theme. The food was lovely, I had the all American turkey burger, and our waiter was delightful. The funny part was that our of our dinners was on one bill, and I ended up doing the math! I was off by $17 which I didn't think was too bad seeing as out bill was around $250. Math is really not my thing.

Cory and Jordyn fly into LA tonight, and I can't wait. We're going to go to the beach, maybe even check out Hollywood, and catch a Dodgers game with some friends. I can hardly wait to kiss Jordyn's cute chubby cheeks, and sing "little bunny foo foo".

Residency has also given me loads of things to write about, and a desire to write. I'm glad of it too, seeing as I was in great need of it. The last month, I'm sorry to admit, I haven't written at all. But I got some really good advice from a friend in my cohort that I should start with a small goal each day, say 20 minutes of writing a day. I've also decided that I really need to blog more often seeing as it's great to keep everyone up to date as to what I'm doing as well as practice my writing. So I apologize for the beginning blogs which promise to be rough. So here goes another semester.

Books on my "To Read" list

Get ready! I have a list.

1. The Book Thief by Markus Zusack
2. The Help by Kathryn Stockett
3. The Road by Cormac MacCarthy
4. Beloved by Toni Morrison
5. Tale of Two Cities By Dickens (I'm gonna give it another chance)
6. Atlas Shrugged by Ayn Rand
7. The Red Tent by Anita Diamant
8. Uncle Tom's Cabin by Harriet Beecher Stowe
9. Utopia by Sir Thomas More
10. Scarlet Pimpernel by Baroness Emmuska Orczy
11. Narrative of Sojourner Truth by Sojourner Truth
12. Francine Prose
13. On writing Short stories-Tom Bailey
14. Catch 22 by Joseph Heller
15. Daughter of the Forest by Juliet Marillier
16. Blue Castle by Lucy Maud Montgomery
17. Picture of Dorian Gray by Oscar Wilde
18. Narrative of the life of Frederick Douglass by Mr. Douglass himself
19. Incidents in the Life of a Slave Girl by Harriet Jacobs
20. Northanger Abbey by Jane Austen
21. The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn by Twaine
22. A Portrait of an Artist as a Young Man by Joyce Carol Oats
    

I'll try and keep you posted on what I've read and what I liked. I'm looking forward to checking some of these classics off my list.

A day in the life of April at residency

So today being Monday marks day 4 of residency here in LA. Today on the schedule is: paper work due during residency, 2 lectures, a meeting with the press I've been working on, and a meeting with my mentor for the term (who is still unknown as of now).

I have nearly successfully made it 4 days without my cute baby Jordyn, and heroic husband Cory. But I must admit I'm relieved that they are flying in on Wednesday!

After I complete today's list I may try and find a grocery store because I'm tried of eating random and bad tasting things for dinner, and then a nice long night of mind-numbing T.V. That's really my secret in making through these things. I think as little as possible as soon as I leave campus.