Amy's Adventures

2012-01-01T14:02:00.000-08:00

Year in Review

2011 was one of the best years I’ve had. I was able toaccomplish a lot & travel to some pretty cool places. I had to make a fewlife changing decisions & I have been happy with those choices. I was able toaccomplish one of my new year’s resolutions (see below) & I think I didpretty well with my attitude adjustment for the year (take life one day at atime, don’t worry too much & enjoy life). Since I’m a horrible blogger(don’t get too excited I’m not making a NYR to become a better blogger…sorry)here’s a summary of the awesomeness that was 2011.

January: I started another quarter at WWU; I wasliving at SPMC & driving up to Bellingham to TA biostats (again). So theNYR that I was able to accomplish was to travel outside of the state I wasliving in at least once a month for the whole year. So Selina & I went to Hawaii.

February: I wentto Puerto Rico for the ASLO meeting where I presented some of my research, itwas a great meeting & it was nice to visit PR. I got a new niece this month(Brooke) so I used my frequent flyer miles & went to Dallas for a longweekend to help Adrienne & hang out with the kiddos.

March: I spentfinals week in DC finishing up the MSPHDs program. It was fun to see thecapitol, experience some of DC, see old friends & make some new ones. Ialso became AAUS certified, drove to Canada to see The Green (finally), becamea NZ citizen (finally!) & decide to pursue a PhD at the University ofOregon in the fall. I also started more experiments, so I had baby crabseverywhere.

April: was apretty low key month, I was TAing an inverts course at SP (yay!) & workingon experiments/writing. I also went to Virginia for a few days to see a friend.

May: Also apretty low key month, more TAing, learning how to teach to informal audiences,oh & I went to Barbados… When I was offered the PhD position at UO mypotential advisor said that if I accepted the position I had the option ofgoing on a research cruise as part of one of his grants (yay science!).

June: Started offthe month in DC at a planning meeting, took my first train ride from DC toVirginia Beach to see a friend. I drove down to OIMB for Dr. Braithwaite’sretirement party; it was amazing to meet some of the people Dr. B has mentored.I wouldn’t be where I am today without the help & guidance of Dr. B!

July: I spentmost of the month housesitting (which I really miss), sorting eelgrass (forsummer support I worked at Padilla Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve)& writing. I went to Utah at the end of the month for the Burgess familyreunion.

August: was amonth full of finishes, I finished working at Padilla Bay, finished housesitting (best job ever), & finished up at Shannon Point. I went to Hawaiito help Auntie Olly with a wedding & go to the beach.

September: M&Dcame out to Western Washington for a visit. I moved down to Oregon to start atOIMB.

October: I spentmost of the month in the library & at my desk, finishing my thesis, doingcourse work, & studying for quarterlies. I went to Utah for an extendedweekend for another OSM planning meeting; it was nice to get a free trip home.

November: most ofmy time was spent in the library, but I successfully defended my master’sthesis at WWU (yay!) & about a week later I went back up to WA for WSN.Thanksgiving break was full of studying & getting ready for the end of thequarter.

December: Thefirst week of December was crazy; I finished up my coursework, took twoquarterlies, & packed for the next few weeks. I spent the first weekend inSan Francisco at AGU where I attended the DeSSC (Deep Submergence ScienceCommittee) meeting. I flew home to Utah for about a week to spend time with thefamily before Selina & I headed off to New Zealand. Spending Christmas/NewYears in New Zealand has been the best!

2011 was phenomenal! 2012 has started off well & I’m sure it will be another greatyear. Happy New Year everyone!

PS. For pictures, see facebook

Procrastination: not a lesson I learned from my Dad

2011-06-23T22:30:00.000-07:00

OK I know it’s a little late, but procrastination has seemed to infiltrate all aspects of my life, not just thesis writing.

Dear Dad,

You are the best! I would not be where I am today without your love, guidance, support, humor, and example.

So I guess since I blogged stories for Mom I’ll share some of the lessons I’ve learned from my Dad. Here are some of the top lessons I’ve learned from the Chief.

Lessons from my Dad:

(I just love this pic, it's from Bear Lake, we were going to practice our open water swimming skills)

- If you’re going to do something, do it right & work hard until you do it right: The value of hard work is something I’ve learned from my dad’s example. Like I’ve probably said before I have NEVER met someone that works harder than my dad. I don’t think he knows what a “day off” or “the weekend” means… He has always worked hard to provide for our family and worked hard at home as well. I cannot thank him enough for working hard and teaching us (his kids) how to work hard.

- Debt free is the best way to be: This one is kind of self-explanatory. This was a lesson learned somewhat by example and by teaching us how to handle our earnings. I say somewhat because I always knew my Dad was “good” at budgeting and saving money, but it wasn’t until my parents went over their will with us that I realized how good my dad was at budgeting his money. So thanks Dad for the lessons about saving money and avoiding debt, they have helped me get through college debt-free.

(This picture has nothing to do with money management, but I had to break up the largest section somehow. This pic is from R&K's wedding day)

Here’s another story/experience I credit to my dad’s money saving lessons: Backstory: Adrienne’s freshman year at BYU, she passed out in the bathroom, had to be taken to the hospital, blah, blah she’s fine had some stitches or something. I remember that the ambulance ‘fee’ was outrageous for a ride down the hill from the dorms to the hospital. Log that away for future reference. Fast forward a year: I’m a senior in high school, after swim practice one afternoon I was ‘horseplaying’ (as we lifeguards like to call it, yes I was a super responsible lifeguard) with a teammate. By some freak accident & my awkwardness I ended up ‘face-planting’ it into the pool deck, smooth I know. Anyway, I had a gash in my forehead that needed hospital care & as I was lying on the pool deck holding a towel on my forehead to control the bleeding one of the lifeguards came up & asked the other guards if they should call for an ambulance. The inner penny-pincher in me freaked out & I almost sat straight up in objection, but I looked at all of them & said, “no, no ambulance, they’re too expensive. I can drive myself”. That last part was a lie, but I didn’t want to pay (er…I didn’t want the parentals to pay) for an ambulance. The Kleinman duo was kind enough to drive me to the hospital. Once my parents arrived, one of the first things I told my dad was, “don’t worry, I told them I didn’t need an ambulance”. I’m sure (scratch that, I’m positive) they would not have cared if I took an ambulance to the hospital, but it was nice when my dad responded, “that’s my girl!”

- Humor: OK I could write about the humor “lessons” I’ve learned from my dad for days (the cricket story, the biggest crack I’ve ever seen story, etc.)! But I will spare you all the migraine of having to read that much small print for so long. Thanks dad for teaching me that laughter really is the best medicine & that sarcasm is an essential part of a well-balanced life.

(Dad flying the 'family' helicopter that we got for Christmas)

- Secret service is the best kind of service: I think I’ve already (in past posts) talked about how awesome my parents are at serving others, but some of my favorite ‘service’ experiences have been when we would serve others secretly. This usually meant leaving something at someone’s door, ringing the doorbell & running away. Thanks for instilling in me the importance of serving others; it has blessed my life in so many ways.

- Being angry at someone is never good (for you or that person): I honestly cannot remember a time when my dad was angry with/at me (i.e. yelling/freaking out…). Don’t get me wrong, I was a stupid kid & there where a number of times my Dad was upset/disappointed with me, but never angry (there was that one time I left my bag on the stairs & he ‘fell’ down the stairs after stepping on it…that was close to angry but mostly just a few choice words…ha). I think the quiet calm response to my stupidity was more instructive than yelling. Thanks Dad, for teaching me that no matter what the situation, “angry” is the last thing you should be.

Thanks Chief, for all the lessons you have taught me & continue to teach me. I have learned some much from the ‘lessons’ you have taught me by word & example. I feel extremely blessed to be your daughter & to have such a funny, faithful, understanding, loving, cool dad.

Thanks! I LOVE you MAN!!

My Mom (is cooler than your mom...)

2011-05-08T21:04:00.000-07:00

Just like everyone else in the world I have the greatest, most awesome, phenomenal mom. She is a beautiful, strong, selfless woman that I will forever look up to, admire & ask for endless advice. Thanks for being the best friend I could ever ask for, but more importantly thank you thank you for being my mom.

So last year I blogged about some of the lessons my Mom has taught me through the years & while I could blog endlessly about the lessons I’ve learned from my Mom I thought I’d share some of my memories of my dear Mother.

Going to the grocery store:

I don’t know if I liked going to the grocery store as a kid, but I guess Mom had to take us crazies with her & I remember going to the store a bunch of times as a kid. My Mom had these trips figured out, not only did she know what she needed from the store & which aisle it was in, but she knew how to make us behave in the store (she’s a genius don’t worry about it). When you usually think of a young mother in the store with 2+ kids under the age of 10 you think “a disaster waiting to happen”. Well we were bribed & it worked, if we were good the whole time in the store we could have a treat (of our own choosing!) once we got to the checkout. This wasn’t an empty bribe either; if we didn’t behave we wouldn’t get our candy bar (yeah there was a time or two when I didn’t get a candy bar). Ever since then I have LOVED going to the grocery store with my mom, but since high school it was more for the chat sessions with my Mom. Thanks for letting me tag along Mom & thanks for the candy bars.

Morning Practice:

During elementary school (the last few years anyway) I had swim team practice in the mornings before school. There was a group of us from school that were on the team so each of our moms took turns driving & picking us up from practice. Since practice was in American Fork we had to go straight to school from the pool. So the mom that picked us up from practice would have breakfast for us when we got in the car. My Mom ALWAYS had the best breakfasts & I’m not even playing favorites. She would always bring us homemade egg mcmuffins, breakfast casseroles, breakfast burritos, quiche! Ah it was amazing (& that’s just breakfast on the road, she is an amazing cook & I miss eating her food…)! A lot better than poptarts & capri-suns. Thanks MOM for feeding me!

Field Trip:

OK so this is NOT one of my favorite memories when it comes to my mom, but it is definitely something I will never forget. My mom being the awesome, selfless, wanting to be involved & help out person that she is would often be a chaperone on elementary field trips. This one particular field trip was in 3^rd-4^th grade (I can’t remember the exact grade) we went down to Rock Canyon in Provo to look at the rock formations. I don’t really remember anything about the field trip, but what I do remember eats at my heart every day. We were getting on the bus to go home & I was sitting somewhere towards the back & my mom got on the bus & came to sit by me. My mom was about to sit down & being the stupid kid that I was & wanting to be ‘cool’ I told her I didn’t want her to sit by me, I wanted to sit with my friends. She said ok & went & sat by herself towards the front of the bus. I knew as soon as she sat down that I had made a big mistake, but I was too proud &/or embarrassed to fix the problem right then & there. I actually never said anything about it. I can’t believe my short-sightedness, as I told my mom I wanted to sit with my ‘friends’ when I was actually letting my best friend walk to the front of the bus. I’m sorry mom, I don’t even know if you remember this, but if you do I’m sorry. Thanks for putting up with all of the crap I’ve put you through over the years.

Hawaii:

OK let’s get back to the happy stuff. The summer I graduated from BYU, my friend Carly & I decided we were going to take ourselves to Hawaii for graduation. I asked my mom if she wanted to tag along to hang out with Auntie Olly & go to the beach with us. Of course she said yes. Carly & I had a blast going to the beaches & seeing the islands & it was fun when we could convince my mom to go to the beach with us (instead of sewing with Auntie Olly…) but what I loved about this trip was coming home each night & talking to my mom, Auntie Olly, & Uncle Phil. We spent most of the time laughing about the silliest things. Here’s hoping we can take a few more trips to the South Pacific.

Mom jumping off the cliffs in Hawaii :)

Fred Meyers:

This story shows both my Mom’s humor & teaching skills. On one shopping trip to Fred Meyers I was being crazy (I probably didn’t get a treat that day) & going in & out of all of the clothing racks. They were those circular ones. My mom kept telling me to get out of there or she’d leave me. Not listening & thinking I was the smartest little kid around I hid in some of the clothes & put my feet up on the cross bars so she couldn’t see me at all! Of course my giggling gave me away but my Mom decided to teach me a lesson. She moved out of sight & waited to see what I would do. Thinking I was so sneaky I climbed out of my hiding spot & began looking for my Mom, I couldn’t find her…I looked & looked around the area I was in & I couldn’t see her (she could see me). So I decided to go up to the customer service counter, when I got there they asked me if I was lost. Being the smart aleck that I am I told them no, but my Mom was lost. They asked for her name & announced over the PA system that Amy’s lost Mom Moana could find her daughter at the customer service desk. I never ventured far from my Mom’s side at the store again.

Thanks Mom for always being there for me & encouraging me to do my best in all aspects of my life. Thank you for being my mom & my friend, for teaching me how to survive in this world & how to do it gracefully. Thanks for being an amazing example to me & everyone else around you; if I turn out to be half the woman you are I’ll consider myself very lucky. Like I’ve said before, everything that is good about me comes from you (& dad). I would not be where I am today without your constant love & support. I hope that I am giving you the gift that you always ask for because you never want anything for yourself.

I love you, forever & always.

Manuia le Aso o Tina!!

Life is Good (Great actually)!!

2011-04-20T10:03:00.000-07:00

So since I'm at the writing phase of my thesis I find myself cleaning a lot more, cooking more, organizing stuff, looking at plane tickets, etc. etc. all to avoid the daunting task of writing. So I figured I could avoid writing some more by blogging...so here's an update:

January:

I don't remember much about this month...probably because it was overshadowed by the awesomeness that was Hawaii 2011 (trip 1...):

Selina & I decided we needed a 'break' from life (this was my spring break since I'd be stuck in the lab over my real spring break & this was Selina's summer 2010 vacation, logical right?) & what's better than kickin it on the Big Island with some fam?

Auntie Olly (pictured above w/ Selina) & Uncle Phil are amazing & I LOVE staying with them, it's like a home away from home :)

I've become a HUGE fan of going to HI by myself, I can do whatever I want for however long I want without having the pressure of being the 'tour guide', but when Selina brought up the idea of going to HI I couldn't say no, she's been there before & I knew I wouldn't have to 'plan' our trip.

I <3 Hawaii!!

We went to Keiki Ponds with Marta & these cute kiddos

I had an amazing time! There were a couple swells that came in while we were there so most of the beaches were closed, but Ho'okena was always open (& besides the cliffs that's my favorite beach). We saw humpback whales multiple times at Ho'okena, Selina got hit on multiple times at Ho'okena, & most importantly we got TAN at Ho'okena.

It was great to see heaps of family, go to the beach, get tan, lounge around, cook/eat great food, go to the beach, eat lots of frozen yogurt, learn how to curse in Samoan, play with cousins, go to the beach, & hang out with my sister.

Thanks Selina for the best January spring break ever!!

February:

Also a great month, my house-sitting job ended :( Vicki quit her job & so I wasn't really needed anymore, but she told me to keep the house key so I could house-sit whenever they went on vacation. I was sad because I would miss having 'a place to myself' & I would miss Roxie & Kat-Kat, but at the same time I was traveling so much that it was becoming a hassle trying to work out both schedules.

Speaking of traveling, I spent a week in San Juan, Puerto Rico for the ASLO conference, it was nice to spend a week on a warm island, listening to oceanography talks, meeting incredible people, & getting tan (I think I've become more obsessed about my skin color since I moved to pale country...).

mmm beach

At the end of February I went to Dallas to visit the favorites. Adrienne had just had Brooke & I had some free flights on Southwest so it just made sense to take a long weekend & go to Texas. I had so much fun hanging out with AJ, Adrienne, Brooke & Adam. I acquired an association with the fruit loops (because I would eat them every morning...) so now AJ calls the fruit loops "Amy" & I have been dubbed "Auntie Fruit Loop" which I'm ok with, it's better than Am-slice...

I <3 this kid

& this one as well, so stinking cute!

March:

So it's hard to pick a favorite month so far this year but I think March will be a high contender at the end of the year. I spent the first day of the month in Texas with the faves. Then mid-March I went to DC for Phase III of MSPHDS, I almost decided not to go due to my experiments (i.e. I didn't want to leave my crab babies...), but I have awesome help in the lab (thanks Nicole!) that allowed me to go. And boy was I glad I went :) Not gonna lie, some of the agency visits were long & I wasn't a fan of having to wear business clothes every day, but it was fun to see old friends/colleagues, meet some new ones & see some of DC.

NSF poster presentation nbd

Some of the group at NASA

March also meant that The Green was going to be in the PNW! I have been trying to go to one of their shows for over a year & just missed shows (in HI, UT, & WA) multiple times by just a day or two. I missed them in Seattle because I was in DC, BUT they were playing in Canada the day after I got back. I was lucky enough to get my passport back that day & drive up to BC with Eli & see them (FINALLY!!). These guys were awesome live & super nice after the show. It made me miss Hawaii :(

I <3 The Green

March also meant March Madness (which was fun to watch (JIMMER!!) until the final game...boring) & spring break. I took the 'kids' down to Seattle to the Woodland Park Zoo. As sad as zoos are, this one was pretty good & the animals seemed at least somewhat happy & it wasn't raining so that was a plus.

always a fan of the big cats (thanks childhood)

But I think one of the best (if not the BEST) thing about March is pictured below:

DUAL CITIZENSHIP BABY!!

I'm finally a New Zealand citizen! I've been talking about this for years & after months of paper work, a couple hundred $$ & weeks of waiting it finally happened. Thanks Mom for being born in NZ & not denouncing your citizenship until after I was born. I'm stoked to use this baby in December!

Oh yeah I also turned 25 in March...which means I won a bet that I made with Bishop Dahl back when I was 16. Said bet conversation went something like this (we were probably talking about marriage in young womens):

Me: "I'm not going to get married for a while"

Bishop: "ha, you'll be married before you turn 25"

Me: "wanna bet?"

Bishop: "sure, you'll be married by 25"

Me: "what do I get when I win?"

Bishop: "an iceberg shake"

Me: "sounds good to me"

I wrote the date of the bet on a piece of paper & we signed it & it was in my scriptures for years & I found it in December, but it's gone missing...Over the years whenever I've seen Bishop Dahl he's grabbed my left hand to check for a ring (ha!). The prize for the winner has also increased over the years. So time to pay up Bishop Dahl, I believe you owe me an iceberg shake, a steak dinner & horseback riding.

I almost forgot, March meant hearing/decision time for PhD programs. I was accepted to all 3 programs that I applied for (so crazy, I'm keeping all of the acceptance letters to remind myself when I get turned down numerous times for grants, jobs, etc., that there was a time that I was perfect). After a lot of thought & decision matrices (thanks Cidney! haha) I chose the University of Oregon, go DUCKS!! I'm excited to stay in the PNW & get back to OIMB. It was a hard decision to make but I feel confident that I made the right decision & I am super excited about this next chapter of my life!

April (so far):

I thought this month would be relatively uneventful. It was suppose to be my 'recovery' month from all the traveling the past few months, but plans change :) & I also wanted to keep up with my goal of traveling outside of WA/OR (when I move down there) at least once a month during 2011.

So I hopped on a plane & went to Virginia to visit a friend for a long weekend. Best semi-last minute decision ever! I had a great time & it was fun to see a little bit of Virginia.

Virginia Beach, one of only 2 pictures taken the whole trip...

Life's been keeping me pretty busy, but I wouldn't have it any other way. I feel so lucky/blessed to be doing all the things I'm doing & to have the amazing support that I do from family & friends!

If you read this whole update, props, it was a long one.

probably the only blog post from me for 2011

2011-01-12T11:25:00.000-08:00

Summary of 2010:I think it was a pretty successful/adventurous year.

Here are the highlights:

- Finished course work, now all I have left is research & writing...

- 149 days in a row at SPMC

- Went to Hawaii...by myself...twice

- Selina came & experienced the PNW

- Robbie & Kami got hitched

- Dan the man left for England to spread the gospel

- Went to San Diego (for free) to present my research

- Made the trek back to Utah a few times

Predictions/Plans for 2011:

It's going to be awesome...stressful at times, but awesome.

Here are some of my plans for the year:

- Go to Hawaii...in like 3 days & probably again once I defend

- Present my research at a conference...in Puerto Rico (ftw=free!)

- Go to Texas to visit the favorites (i.e. AJ & baby; half of this trip will be free, thanks SWA!)

- Spend Christmas in NZ (yes it's going to happen)

- Go to DC for more science/research related shenanigans (also free)

- Finish/Defend my Masters

- Start a PhD...we'll see where this one takes me

I think that pretty much sums it up.

I have a number of goals for 2011 but my main goal/overall plan/motto for the year is to: enjoy life every day & just take it as it comes.

So thanks 2010 for being amazing & here's hoping that 2011 is an even better year!

The Chief

2010-06-23T23:53:00.002-07:00

I know it’s a few days late, but it happens.

Anyways, I have the best, coolest, most amazing Dad. Like I said in the post about my Mom, everything that is good about me comes from my Dad (& Mom).

I’ve learned a lot from my dad: like the value of hard work (I have yet to meet someone that works harder than the Chief), patience (he has to put up with me), the value of a dollar (& how to save that dollar, or break down the dollar into various categories on an excel spreadsheet), the importance of constant & continuing service (every day!), & that’s not even scratching the surface.

(this pic is from NZ, so great!)

I wanted to share just a few of my favorite memories that involve the Chief,

Hiking: so this may come as a shock to some of you but I use to HATE hiking, & growing up we seemed to hike a lot during the summers as a family. We would hike the mountains around Alpine & up AF canyon. My dad was always the one that initiated these early morning (6am, on a summer, sometimes holiday, morning) excursions. I grew to love these outings (it took a while) & I am really missing hiking those trails. Thanks Chief for helping me find my love of the outdoors/hiking by dragging my lazy butt up the mountains.

The Cat Story: most of you have heard this story but it’s a classic & a wonderful example of my father’s humor. Here’s the short version: One day my dad put a rubber mouse in a co-workers desk drawer, said co-worker opened the drawer, saw the mouse, screamed & wet her pants…next day we had an adorable calico kitten dropped off at our house to “keep the mice away.” The kitten was dropped off while my dad was at work so Adrienne & I would get attached & not let dad return it. Thanks Dad!

Family Prayers: since we’re on the topic of humor I would like to share this little treat (which probably will not be funny to anyone but me, but forget you guys, this is my blog). So every night we would gather as a family to have family prayers together before bed. Usually after the prayer we would say, “I love you” & hug/kiss mom & dad. This one particular evening when I was probably 10, I remember hugging my dad & saying “I love you man!” he quickly responded, “you’re still not getting my bud light.” Man we laughed about that one for months.

(the above picture is from 2006 when I came home from Korea, I was so excited to see the snow so I ran outside & was making snow angels & next thing I knew I was covered in snow, my dad had dumped snow on me using the snow shovel...thanks dad)

Piano Recital: so when I was younger I played the piano & we would have piano recitals from time to time at our instructors house. These recitals were not my favorite thing (there were a million students & I had to wear a dress...), I don't think they were my parents favorite either. This one recital my dad told me he was going to pay me $5 to "spice up the recital." So our piano instructor was very formal about these recitals & had us stand up in front of the audience & before we played our piece(s) we would have to say, "My name is Amy Burgess & I shall play (insert name of piece here)." I was somewhere in the middle of the recital that day & people were falling asleep, I waited for the applause, I walked up to the front of the room & said, "My name is Amy Burgess & I shall play...for about 2 minutes" turned around sat down at the grand piano, played my songs & sat down. Oh man you should have seen my instructors face, best $5 I've ever made. Thanks Dad for making that the most memorable piano recital.

(this picture is from when we went clamming in Charleston, OR)

Thanks Chief, for everything: the endless/constant love, the continual encouragement to do/be my best, the wise counsel that is only a phone call away, & most importantly thank you for being an amazing example to me (& everyone around you) in the way that you live your life. I wouldn’t be where I am today without you (& Mom: it’s hard to talk about one w/o the other).

Here’s to the Chief, I love you, forever & always.

~Amy Keita

Update

2010-05-10T00:24:00.000-07:00

Once again...really bad at blogging:

Here is a list of a few things that have happened since I last blogged (the pictures somewhat go with the list...):

I survived winter quarter: ‘survived’ makes it sound like I almost died or something, not the case, but now I have this picture in my head of me getting attacked by biological oceanography articles & giant marine larvae (cool).
I went to Hawaii: this deserves a blog post of it’s own, so stay tuned. Here’s a preview: 1^st birthday not in UT, kickin it w/ Auntie Olly, swimming w/ dolphins…
I went to UT twice since my last post: ugh I just love that place so much! I went home the weekend before I went to HI & the first weekend in April. My reasons for going you might ask??? Trip 1: the dentist & a wax, yes that does sound crazy but I really like my dentist & Joann & do NOT want to take my business elsewhere. But the biggest & best reason for going home: the fam! I love just hanging out w/ them, they are da coolest! Jayne’s baby shower was that weekend, it was great to see everyone & stay in my own house. I also went to see Dr. B. that man is amazing & I miss working for him! Trip 2: General Conference Weekend!!! A few of the B-ham singles wanted to make the trek to Mecca, so I agreed to go (duh!! Pay for a little gas in exchange to see fam & friends). When we made it back to WA I was exhausted from traveling (WA-UT-WA-HI-WA-UT in 2 ½ weeks) but…
I received an email from Southwest saying I had earned a free roundtrip flight to anywhere they fly: any suggestions???
I moved to Anacortes!! Back in the SPMC ‘dorms.' It’s really nice to be down here, although nothing really happens in Anacortes…but I’m ok with that. I’m the ‘dorm mom’ which means I drive the ‘kids’ (MIMSUPs!!) into town to get groceries, etc. and make sure they do their dishes. In exchange for being a mom I don’t have to pay rent, that’s right NO rent!
Research has started kinda: so the main reason I moved down to Anacortes was because I knew that I would have to be at the lab A LOT once research started. I am just doing prelim work with rotifers & algae, but I am also helping with some ocean acidification research. With both of those projects going on, I am on track to break the record of ‘the most number of consecutive days spent in the lab’ I think the record is somewhere around 74. I am currently at 26, but the crabs haven’t even hatched yet.
I’m engaged!!! Ok not really, I just liked the idea of 7 things. Nevertheless, it seemed fitting considering all of the ‘I’m engaged, I’m married, I’m pregnant, I just had my baby’ posts I’ve seen on facebook (which don't get me wrong, I love, there just seems to be heaps lately). On the same train of thought, I’ve come to the realization that I have officially turned into one of those single adults that people back in the home ward tell your parents that they know someone I should date. Really??? Am I that old? Give me a least two more years & a cat or two, calm down people I’m enjoying singledom.

The BC Temple :)

Well there you go, Amy’s obnoxious updates.

Dear Mom,

2010-05-09T23:58:00.000-07:00

You are the best; words cannot express how grateful I am for you & how lucky I feel to be your daughter. Everything that is good about me I know comes from you. You have put up with me all these years and taught me so much.

I thought I would share with the readers of this blog a couple of my favorite lessons from over the years:

Always leave things nicer than you found them: you have no idea how much I love this lesson & how often I use it to judge (sorry I know I shouldn’t judge others, but cleanliness is a good judge of character) other people & when there is that potential, whether or not they are dating material…sad, yes; necessary, I think so!

A home cooked meal w/ the fam, beats eating out any day: I think I miss this more now because I can’t drive 30 mins to have Sunday dinner w/ the fam. Thanks for feeding me all these years & for teaching me how to cook. Without your cooking lessons through the years, I would be one of those ‘frozen stouffer hooligans’ as Selina calls them.

Sometimes the things you want to say don’t come out exactly the way you would have liked…so don’t be afraid to laugh at yourself: We all say stupid things, but man they are great. Here are two classics from my mom that still make us laugh.

"What's up braggy bitches?" -Mom

"What?" -Selina

"Oh, I meant baggy britches..." –Mom

“But, he LOVES me” –Me

“I’m glad somebody loves you…” –Mom

You are NEVER too busy to serve others: This was/is one of those unspoken lessons I learned at a very young age from my mom, it is also one of those lessons that was repeated frequently. I honestly cannot remember a time when my Mom (& Dad, shout-out to the chief!) was not willing or actively seeking an opportunity to serve others. I remember growing up (& still today) that my Mom was always crazy busy (I mean taking care of us 5 crazies was hard enough…) but there was always time to volunteer for the PTA, help clean the church, or take a plate of cookies to the new neighbors down the street.

Thanks Mom, for your amazing example and for your love.

I love you forever & ever,

~Amy Keita (I just love this pic)

I Love Fridays

2010-03-05T21:51:00.000-08:00

Wow 2 posts in less than a week...this is pathetic.

(I figured I had a lot of scenery pics so here's a pretty cool one from a tidepool at Larrabee)

Well today has been a pretty fantastic day & here's why:

1. It's Fancy Friday (I wear a dress/skirt to school every Friday since I have so many it's a shame to only wear them on Sundays). When it's FF the day is always great.

2. It was sunny today

3. Friday Forum: free food for thought & my stomach

4. I don't have any classes

5. Got an email saying I am slated to go to San Juan, PR next year for the ASLO conference. Man I love science & all the cool places it's taking me. So free/paid trip to PR for a week next year, to present my research. So stoked even though it's 11 months away.

6. Went to happy hour, always good times

7. I was pretty productive today, one more week of classes!

Those are just a few highlights from an awesome day.

So a pretty decent day the only thing that would make it better (perfect actually) is if I could sell my contract...

But the weekend is going to be beautiful (weather-wise), so hopefully I'll get some outside runs/rides in & more potential buyers will stop by to check out the place!

Update

2010-02-27T22:15:00.001-08:00

So I don't think anyone reads this but I figured I'd update it (I'm aiming for once a month or something). I'll update in categories that seem to be the common questions from people near & far.

The pic is from Rosario Beach, so romantic...haha

School: is crazy busy & not gonna lie, challenging at times. It's manageable though, I've come to realize that one of the main purposes of grad school is to teach you how to manage your time & fill out endless forms. I love my classes (Biological Oceanography & Larval Ecology), I'm learning so much! I'm also taking a thesis credit (thanks to MIMSUP I was able to advance to candidacy in one quarter, usually takes 2+), which means I get credit for working on my thesis.

Research: is going, but will pick up like crazy end of April-May & should stay crazy until fall. I spend two days/week out at SPMC doing 'research' and taking classes. Every time I'm down there I remember how much I love that place. I'm trying to sell my contract up here in B-ham so I can move down to SP next quarter & really focus on my research. I'm not taking any classes next quarter (thanks again to MIMSUP) just thesis credit & life will be a lot easier & cheaper if I can move down there. So pray that I can sell my contract ASAP, thanks!

Ward/Boys: Ugh, not really a fan of when the 'boy' question is asked, but I guess it has to be asked. The ward is great, I still feel a little 'old' for the ward. I put old in quotes because it's probably not the right word...I guess people are intimidated by me? which makes no sense to me but whatevs. Also something that doesn't make sense to me, I guess I'm considered 'pretty hot stuff' in the ward (HA!), no idea why boys think this...ok I have one idea, they may have found out that I don't really want an engagement ring (in all honesty I'd rather have a really nice bike or a super sweet kayak or nice new scuba gear & then get a tattoo around my left ring finger, yeah i know no tattoos, but I'm not really a fan of rings, they get in the way) and I'm not having a reception (I'll take the check & run!). So I think that's the reason I'm 'hot stuff' (HA! again). So the short of it: ward's good & boys are nice but I'm not dating anyone (no time/no real desire).

Work: Yes I do work. I am a TA for the ESCI department. This quarter I'm TAing Biostatistical Analysis ESCI 340. To be honest, I was NOT super stoked on this idea, originally I was going to TA forest & fish interactions and some sort of freshwater fish lab (I was so excited to dabble in freshwater ecology/vertebrates again), but due to scheduling, changes were made. But looking back, biostats hasn't been bad & relearning the basics is always a plus. So work is great, I don't really consider it work, it's just kind of another class. I feel very blessed to have a TAship/job where I get to learn and help students understand things & get paid, it's great.

Extra Curricular Activities: Well I don't have too much extra time after school and TAing so this is a limited section. I started swimming with the WWU team this quarter (I swam last quarter for a couple of weeks, but CONSTANT illness kept me away from the pool). It's been so nice swimming with a team again. I wasn't planning on swimming in any meets, but I found out that since I'm on the team & paid the dues if I qualify for nationals (masters cuts, not that hard to qualify) the team pays for most of the costs to go. Nationals are in Atlanta this year & in May & I'd love to go, but it's research dependent. Anyway I'm swimming in my first meet in 6 years next month! Should be interesting.

When is your next UT visit?: Well I'll be back in Zion from March 18-March 21. I thought I'd make a quick trip home before heading to Hawaii for spring break (love that WWU has a spring break between quarters!). There is also a possibility that I will be in UT for General Conference...we'll see.

So that's an update for ya'll, probably heaps more then you wanted to read but I never post so I figured it was ok.

2010-01-20T13:52:00.000-08:00

Year in Review:

Since I’m not very good at blogging I figured this year in review thing that has been going around was my kind of blog post.

2009

January

I spent the first week or so in the best place ever, New Zealand. It was an awesome trip & I hope to go back asap. Started my last semester of classes at BYU, bittersweet. I finished my graduate school applications and the waiting game began.

February

Started really prepping for OIMB and staying busy with school. I spent some time in California looking at schools and visiting friends.

March

BIRTHDAY MONTH!! I participated in my last BYU Luau and received some acceptance letters to graduate schools J

April

I finished classes at BYU and decided I was going to Western Washington University to pursue my Masters degree in Marine & Estuarine Science.

May

I had the opportunity to be a teaching assistant for BYUs marine biology spring term in Coos Bay, OR. This was my 2^nd time as a TA, 3^rd time out to OIMB & I loved it. We had a great group of students/TAs and it was a blast.

June

I spent all of June in Oregon as well. I miss those 5 mile round trip runs to Bastendorff Beach every morning and waking up before dawn to hit the low tide. “When it’s low, we go!”

July

After talking about it multiple times, Carly & I decided to give ourselves a graduation present and go to Hawaii. It was SO much fun & a much needed vacation! We stayed at Auntie Olly & Uncle Phil’s house in Kona and spent a few days in Laie with Uncle Eldon & Auntie Hi’i. My mom came along too & we had heaps of fun!

August

The day finally came, I graduated from BYU. I was asked to speak at convocation. Later that day we had a graduation luau at the house, full of family, friends, food, & fun!

September

Moving day!! Dad & I drove from Utah to Washington and I moved into a cute little house in Bellingham. School started & it’s been awesome!

October

I submitted my first research grant proposal. I was lucky enough to escape for a weekend and fly back to Utah for Carly’s wedding.

November

School, school, and more school. My parents were nice enough to fly my home for Thanksgiving and it was nice to spend time with them. I was accepted into the MS PHDS program which is funded by NSF and NASA. Oh and I got through all of my undergrad without it but I guess I couldn’t escape it in graduate school…I got mono

December

I made it through my first quarter of graduate school. I spent a week in San Francisco at the AGU conference, (this was part of the MS PHD program) I met so many great people. Christmas was spent at home and it was awesome!

2009 had it’s ups and downs, I am grateful for all of them and I feel so blessed to be where I am today, doing what I love. 2010 has started off well & it looks to be another crazy year! Cheers!

I <3 PNW

2009-09-20T21:28:00.001-07:00

I moved up to Bellingham, WA this past Monday & I am falling in LOVE...

no, not with someone (don't get your hopes up people), but I'm falling in love with the Pacific Northwest all over again, I don't think I ever lost the love I have for this place, it just keeps growing the more time I spend here.

I can't even tell you how lucky I feel to be up here. It's amazing!!! It's such a beautiful place (ocean & mountains, what more can you ask for?) with wonderful people. I can't wait for classes and to start developing a thesis (nerd...duh!). Although I do miss Utah and BYU (shocking I know!) I am ready for this next step, I've waited so long for this to happen and it finally is!

I have had some free time since I've been here because classes don't start until Wednesday, so I was able to go to Shannon Point Marine Center (SPMC), in Anacortes. I spent 6 months out there for MIMSUP and I was so excited to go back. It was fun to see and talk to everyone at SPMC. After my visit there I stopped by Washington Park and met a guy from Rotorua, NZ, nice guy, we talked for a bit about NZ & the similarities to Washington (which are A LOT!).

The view from Washington Park.

On my way home I decided to take a detour to Deception Pass, just look at the pictures

The picture at the top of my page is also from Deception Pass. So that's Deception Pass, if you ever come and visit me I'll take you there (especially if you are afraid of heights).

I LOVE the house I moved into, it's so cute & my roommates are awesome (shout-out to Emily & Kim!). Here are some pictures,

don't mind the plastic over the windows, the house is in the process of being painted.

OK, I only put one picture of the house...I'll put more up later this week, once my bed arrives.

The picture above is a picture of a park about 5 minutes away from my house.

Moral of this post: I love my life right now, I probably won't be singing the same tune once classes and TA stuff start, but hopefully.

Man I love this place

2009-09-20T21:18:00.000-07:00

Dear Blogging World,

Hi, we haven't talked in a while...sorry, I honestly think this is ridiculous but people have been asking what I have been up to, so I figured since I haven't started classes yet & I have a little bit of free time I'd give this blog a go (again...). So I don't know how long this will last but I will do my best to keep ya'll up to date on my "oh so exciting" life.

Loves,

Amy Keita

Be ready....

2008-12-15T20:51:00.000-08:00

Amy's about to jump into the blogging world, if only for a few weeks...

Work

2008-07-30T08:23:00.000-07:00

So I'm sitting at work, transferring film slides to digital, listening to 800 vocab words I need to learn by next month, reviewing math problems, searching the internet for potential grad programs, & fixing my CV...fun huh?