Congrats Jason!

Congratulations Jason!

Jason's final offer was accepted by the seller and now the home is going into escrow. This process will last about a month and then Jason should be able to move into his new place. I'm really excited for him as this is a monumental moment in his life.

Interior Photos

I'm sure you all are curious about what the inside looks like... which Jason and I agree is 10x better than the outside. So here it is:

A Jason Post

I decided to write a little post with Jason's recent big news. 

First of all, Jason is pretty sure he is going to go back to school for his Master in Mechanical Engineering. He had a meeting with the Dean of Engineering at Cal State Los Angeles yesterday and he's excited to begin. He wants to learn more about the mechanical side of his job since he is currently more focused on the design aspect. His parents are really supportive of him going back to school and told him he could work part time and attend school part time. So, as of now, it looks like we will both be starting school this fall. Jason's program will take 2-2.5 years, so we'll pretty much be in school at the same time. We think this will be a benefit and not an issue for us, since we will understand each other's work load and maybe we could study together on the weekends. Jason still needs to work out a few of the logistics but he claims he's 99% sure he'll be returning to school for his Masters. 

In other thrilling news, he put an offer in for a house. I've had fun gawking with him, but the decision was his and he decided to offer on a home we and his parents all like in Anaheim Hills. (Although it wasn't very hard to get me to like a place. All the homes in that area are really nice. I actually have a hard time believing people refer to them as starter homes. The neighborhood really reminds me of grandma and grandpa's development. There are lots of homes with parks, sidewalks, equestrian trails, and the schools are also in the neighborhood.) He put in his low-ball offer on Tuesday and they counter-offered last night. He and his parents will place a middle-of-the-road offer today in hopes they take it and they can move forward with purchasing the house. It's a nice home with 3 bedrooms, an office, 2.5 baths, and the downstairs has been totally remodeled. It has a large, really pretty and useful kitchen as well as a formal and informal living area and formal dining. The 1/2 bath and laundry room are also on the entry level. The stairs are at the back of the house and the entry is a double door, so you don't get cramped when you come in. The back yard has a covered patio and a small grassy area... I'm still adjusting to how small the yards here are in comparison with Michigan yards. The realtor describes it as this:

Beautiful, Light & Bright Summit Home On Single Loaded Street With A View Of The Canyon Front Of House Some Of The Great Features Include A Loft (could be 4th bedroom),Custom Kitchen with granite counter and big Island with bar seating,6 inch baseboards downstairs,Custom Tile Floor, Newer Appliances,recessed lighting, Custom wood blinds throughout, lots of Storage, Surround Sound, Great Formal Dinning Room, remodeled downstairs bath with granite, all closets have custom shelving and drawers and most of the house has newer windows. This Home Has It All With a Nice Backyard with Patio Cover and Room to Entertain. 

I'm really excited for Jason and the big changes in his life right now. I've been a sounding board for these decisions, but ultimately they've been initiated by him. It's nice sometimes to take a back seat and watch how these processes work. I'll keep you posted with what happens with this home. Jason's really excited about it. So say a little prayer that everything works out for the best in his home and school search.

A Little Montage

Below: Laffit Pincay Jr. and me at the Santa Anita Derby. I'm taller OMG! (We're actually the same height, but I was wearing heels. Jason thinks I should be a jockey cause they can make millions. I shot that idea down because I don't have a death wish. lol)

Ok, so I suppose it's been some time since I shared pics and news... so here is a bit of a montage about what I've been up to:

First of all, I went to a hockey game with Jason on March 27. We went to cheer on the Anaheim Ducks against the Tulsa Oilers. This was my first professional hockey game and unfortunately, despite my cheering, the Ducks lost 5-3. However, it was still a thriller thanks to all the fighting. I was actually surprised how many fights there were. Practically the entire game was a power play for one team or the other. I couldn't help but think of poor John Mike... I hope he doesn't get into fights. I totally had a mom moment and thought about them all losing their teeth. Tell John Mike not to fight on ice cause he could lose his teeth and girls (and his aunt) don't like that. lol.

We also attended the 2009 Santa Anita Derby on April 4 together. This was Jason's first big race and I got us tickets just beyond the finish line. He seemed to enjoy our time there, but I was definitely in heaven. I got to meet Laffit Pincay who is a Hall of Fame Jockey who rode Sham against Secretariat (my favorite racehorse) in the 1973 Triple Crown. Unfortunately for Sham, he ran against a Superhorse and lost all three races. It was too bad because I sincerely believe Sham would have won the triple crown any other year. Sham and Secretariat's mothers are related and were even bred the same week at the same barn. These horses seemed destined to be rivals, and in this case, the west coast underdog couldn't defeat the blue-blood champion. Penny Chenery, Secretariat's owner, even admits to rooting for Sham occasionally in the races because she knew what an amazing horse he was. Pincay was there to sign his biography which was just released. However, he would sign other racing paraphernalia as well. I brought my book "Sham: in the Shadow of a Superhorse" as well as a photo of Sham and Secretariat leaping out of the starting gate at the infamous Belmont Stakes for him to sign. (You can watch this incredible race at the following link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cS4f6wiQJh4) Pincay seemed a bit surprised that I wanted him to sign something on Sham. I told him that he had a triple crown winner any other year and his eyes lit up immediately. He said, "You know your racing huh? Yah Sham was a good horse. A champion. He just ran the wrong year. In the Belmont, his trainer told me to keep up with the big red guy (Secretariat) and I knew it was a mistake. I looked over at that horses eyes when we were running together and I knew Sham had no chance. Secretariat was a freak of nature, you know?" Pincay was right. Secretariat was a freak of nature. Upon necropsy (an animal autopsy), it was found that Secretariat had the largest heart of any equine examined on the record. The vet who did the necropsy said, "We were all shocked. I've seen and done thousands of autopsies on horses, and nothing I'd ever seen compared to it. The heart of the average horse weighs about nine pounds. This was almost twice the average size, and a third larger than any equine heart I'd ever seen. And it wasn't pathologically enlarged. All the chambers and the valves were normal. It was just larger. I think it told us why he was able to do what he did." A few years later, this same vet did a necropsy on Sham and found something equally astonishing, and a bit ironic. Sham had the second largest heart he'd ever seen, second to Secretariat. Racing legend says that Sham lost the 1973 Belmont due to a broken heart... a heart that couldn't match that of Secretariat. Although Secretariat is my favorite, Sham is my second. Even though Sham broke racing records and gave Secretariat the best competition, he isn't even listed as one of the 100 greatest racehorses. Sad. It's funny how we only remember winners. Sham never raced again after he lost to Secretariat that day in June. He suffered a fractured ankle bone from trying his hardest to beat the best. Sometimes our best isn't enough, but what counts is that we gave our best. I love Sham for that. He has been all but forgotten in racing history, but I choose to remember and Pincay sure does too.

The Santa Anita Derby itself wasn't as exciting as we'd hoped. The heavy favorite, The Pamplemousse, scratched as did two other horses. This cut the field to seven and limited the payoff at the betting booths. Jason and I bet on Pioneer of the Nile, Chocolate Candy, and Mr. Hot Stuff in a boxed trifecta and won! I even picked the number four horse, Take the Points. Unfortunately I didn't bet a superfecta, because if I had, I would have won. The payoff was pretty lame for winning the trifecta, but it's fun to just have bragging rights. Although Pioneer of the Nile won, his victory wasn't very impressive. It looks like Quality Road and I Want Revenge will be the favorites for the Kentucky Derby this year. I like Quality Road. His victory over Dunkirk in the Florida Derby was impressive and I'd like to see him win. It will be the first time his trainer will go to the Derby. Jason had a good time and enjoyed bragging to his friends about the trifecta. He says he'd like to go to Del Mar, a racetrack near San Diego a few times this summer.

As you all know, shortly after the race I announced that I would be attending Pepperdine this fall. It was a very difficult decision for me between Loyola and Pepperdine. I investigated many factors when making my decision. Pepperdine is actually ranked higher than Loyola and continues to climb the rankings each year. Loyola does have more firms that interview there, but they also have a much larger student body. Ultimately, the top 10% gets big firm jobs from both schools. The location is great at Pepperdine and I'm excited to participate on one of their humanitarian trips to Thailand, Uganda, China, India, or Israel. They are all school-led and safe. I can't wait to begin classes this fall and will be living on campus, right across the street from the school. In the end, my decision came down to a feeling. Pepperdine felt right.

Since then I've heard from both UCLA and UCI and I didn't get in to either, making Pepperdine my final choice. I'm really not upset by this. I wasn't impressed with UCLA's treatment and UCI is a bit of a risk, although it would've been nice to get school for free. Jason's mom is going to set me up with a meeting at Wells Fargo to go over loans and what is the best option for me. It'll be nice to have her help since my parents aren't here to meet with me. I haven't taken out a student loan before, so it will be nice to have help deciding the best options. (I still can't believe how expensive law school is.)

Jason has been pretty busy looking for a house. He wants to live in Anaheim Hills, which is actually very close to his work, but still in Orange County. He wants to stay in Orange because the property value holds despite recessions and it would be a more sound investment. He hopes to be in a house in the next few months. The neighborhood he's looking in is awesome and it's been fun to go gawk at houses with him. lol.

I'm still applying to local jobs. The temp service hasn't worked out as expected. Instead, I've been learning how to cook. Last night I made burritos with spicy chilly, fresh bell peppers, caramelized onions, diced potatoes, sour cream, shredded cheese, and lettuce. They turned out to be a hit so I was pretty pleased with my accomplishment. Tonight I'm making stir fry with steak so we'll see how that goes. I need to get in touch with grandma for recipe ideas.

Thanks again for all your support through the tough law decision process. I'm really looking forward to school in the fall. I'm also looking forward to visiting Michigan from June 22 - July 13. Jason will also be coming for a week in July. So there's lots going on and I'm happy to be moving forward.

"Follow your heart, but be quiet for a while first. Ask questions, then feel the answer. Learn to trust your heart."

Help!

Hey everyone,

This is just a quick appeal for prayer. I was really impressed with Pepperdine when I visited today and need prayer for direction in a school. Both Loyola and Pepperdine are great schools and I have a tough decision ahead of me. Prayer, positive thoughts, and advice are welcome. A decision must be reached in the next 10 days. This could be life altering so support is needed... 

Thanks guys!

Big Changes

Hey all!

I got a job! (Well, sort of.) I put in a resume and filled out all the paperwork to participate in the Legal Network of Orange County, which is a legal temp service in the OC. They took all my info and will be sending jobs my way ASAP. Ideally I'd like a more long-term temp offer, but right now I'm willing to take anything that pays. Still, I'm going to continue to keep my eyes peeled for a full-time position somewhere, but this should do for the time being.

I know what you're all thinking, "Why Orange County?" and, "Where are you going to live?" I decided to temp in Orange County for two main reasons. The first of which is quite logical. Orange County has less traffic, making it easier to temp throughout the county and not in a specific pocket. I wouldn't want to spend more money in gas driving to different places than I'd actually make working there. And then there's the more illogical reason, Jason's there. Don't worry. We both have put a lot of thought into this decision. Ultimately, I like spending time with him. I will be going to law school soon and this will require my full attention. Jason understands this, and together we decided this could work for the summer and allow us to spend time together before I move forward into the "great beyond" known as law school.

I didn't want to jump into this decision without putting a lot of consideration into all the options. I had many conversations with my mom and Jason before coming to a conclusion about how to handle it. As you all know, I'm not one to just jump blindly into decisions, in fact, sometimes I think I may brew over them a bit too much. Jason and I are both mature and future-focused. We both have plans of where we want to be and we are both serious about the relationship. We understand the risks of this move and hope it will only strengthen our relationship. I'm very thankful to Jeleen and her family for allowing me to stay with them through this transitional time. Unfortunately, things didn't go as I expected them to when I moved out here. I guess I figured I'd find a job right away, as usual, and I'd just remain at Jeleen's. However, I found the process to be much more difficult. I applied to many jobs in Burbank with Disney, ESPN, local law firms, local office administration jobs, and prominant PR firms in downtown L.A. Unfortunately, I heard nothing back from well over 50 applications. Orange County doesn't seem to be hit as hard as downtown L.A. in the job department and when things weren't going so well in L.A., I decided to begin searching in Orange County.

I had quite the set up with Jeleen, but I wasn't making any money. I would like to be able to save and purchase a new lap top prior to starting school in August and can't do that without a job. (Not to mention I'm beginning to go stir crazy without having something to work on.) I'm incredibly thankful for the Guttenbergs' hospitality, but at this point I need to set myself up to be in the best position for school. I'd like to work, save, and get to know my classmates. I hope I can still do this by being in Orange County. I also hope this will allow Jason and me to spend time together before I have to change gears and get back into student mode. I'm grateful for all your support and prayers and continue to pray that I'm making the right decision by heading to Orange County. I would prefer to come back to L.A. for classes (if I end up going to Loyola ~ still waiting to hear from UCI). I will have to discuss the options with Jeleen, but am open to whatever comes available. My friend back home, Khalil (who graduates from law school this April), has advised me to get to know my fellow law students and live with a group of them. He lived with his parents at the start and loved saving money and the set-up, but says living with classmates made school and social gatherings much easier. It was difficult to have people over to his parents' home as well as difficult to be motivated to go out and socialize. I've been considering his advice and will have time to stew over all the options this summer. I appreciate Jeleen being here and regardless of what happens in the future, will make it a point to remain in contact and visit when possible. It's so nice to be in a place where you know you have family support, just in case.

Jason will be coming on Sunday to help me move my stuff. I dont want to inconvenience Jeleen by leaving my crap in a bedroom. This will allow Pete to come back if he needs to and still keep their guest room free. This move will be for at least five months and I don't want to infringe on Jeleen's plans in any way by leaving my stuff there for an extended period of time. Jason has room at his place and has even offered to keep unnecessary items at his house after I leave for law school so my room isn't so cluttered. All in all, these past few months have been trying for me and I believe I'm making the best decision for me and my future. (But, as always, I'm open to suggestions.)

In other, less serious news, there has been an update to the Christian the Lion saga. For those of you who aren't avid You-Tubers, Christian was a lion cub who was sold out of a Herrod's Department Store to Ace Bourke and John Rendall in 1969. Rendall and Bourke, along with their girlfriends Jennifer Mary Taylor and Unity Jones, cared for the lion where they lived in London until it was a year old. Christian's increasing size and the increasing cost of his care led Rendall and Bourke to understand they could not keep him in London. When Bill Travers and Virginia McKenna, stars of the film Born Free, visited Rendall and Bourke's furniture shop and met Christian, they suggested that Bourke and Rendall ask the assistance of George Adamson. Adamson, the Kenyan Conservationist, who together with his wife Joy were the center of the movie Born Free, agreed to reintegrate Christian into the wild at his compound in the Kora National Reserve.

Adamson introduced Christian to an older lion, Boy, and subsequently to a female cub Katiana in order to form the nucleus of a new pride. The pride suffered many setbacks: Katiana was possibly devoured by crocodiles at a watering hole; another female was killed by wild lions; and Boy was injured, afterwards losing his ability to socialize with other lions and humans. Unfortunately, Boy was subsequently shot through the heart by Adamson after fatally wounding a man. These events left Christian as the sole surviving member of the original pride. Over the course of a year, as George Adamson continued his work, the pride established itself in the region around Kora, with Christian as the head of the pride started by Boy.

When Rendall and Bourke were informed by Adamson of Christian's successful reintroduction to the wild, they travelled to Kenya to visit Christian and were filmed in the documentary Christian, The Lion at World's End. According to the documentary, Adamson advised Rendall and Bourke that Christian might not remember them. The film shows the lion at first cautiously approach and then quickly leap gently onto the two men, standing on his hind legs and wrapping his front legs around their shoulders, nuzzling their faces. The documentary also shows the female lions, Mona and Lisa, and a foster cub named Supercub welcoming the two men. An internet video of this reunion (edited from the documentary) received worldwide attention more than 30 years after the event. Various news sources have tracked down Rendall and Bourke for their current perspective on the events surrounding their life with Christian.

I think it's a great story of friendship. It just goes to show that you don't have to be the same, or the same species for that matter, to be best of friends. Sometimes some of the most pure relationships are with an animal. Very interesting. Here is a link to their most recent interview: http://today.msnbc.msn.com/id/26184891/vp/29752467#29752467

I especially like the "food for thought" at the end of this little YouTube clip: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9SnJzurn9VQ

"For many years Ace and John waited for news of Christian. They like to imagine him establishing a territory of his own. But they never heard news from Christian again. Africa's lion population has declined 2/3 since Christian's time. If everyone who has been touched by Christian's story came together to address wildlife issues, what could we acheive in his spirit?" Wouldn't it be nice if we could put aside our differences and squabbles and worked for the betterment of not only the animal kingdom, but of humanity? I think it's so easy for us to unite over animal issues because we see them as pure, and innocent, yet sentient beings. Perhaps in saving the animals, we can work to save ourselves...

Good with the Bad

Well, it's time for another update. Unfortunately this one isn't as uplifting as past posts.

I heard back from the bird job. There was an initial requirement for the job which stated that the applicants needed a degree in a scientific field to be qualified. Adam said with my experience on the island and assisting on research projects that it shouldn't be a problem and I should apply anyway. Sadly, that's not the case. In order to override the schooling requirement I need at least three years experience working in the field. The project leader said he would've hired me, but the Forest Services Human Resources Department can't give him clearance to do so if I don't match the requirements. So... as of now it looks like I will not be returning to the island this summer, which makes me really really sad. J Pod just had another new baby, J45. This means there are three little ones I need to meet! The Center for Whale Research Reported the following news on March 3:

Photograph by Ken Balcomb, Senior Scientist, Center for Whale Research

Newest calf J45 with its mother J14 (foreground), J1 (large male in background), and J30 (teenage male behind J14)

Ken Balcomb, Dave Ellifrit and John Durban encountered J pod just before sunset in Haro Strait traveling Northwest. We confirmed that the new baby J44 was still doing well with its presumed mother, J17; and, we documented another new calf J45 with its presumed mother J14 (foreground in the above photo). This is quite exciting to have two new calves in J pod within a month. Thanks to Jeanne Hyde for first noticing the newest calf on 28 February, and letting us know J pod was back in the area on 3 March.

Once again, for those of you unfamiliar with the family structure in J Pod, J17 (Princess Angeline) is the mother of J28 (Polaris). As of now, the team is reporting J17 as the most likely mother of new baby J44... meaning J28 most likely has a new sibling. This is the third known calf for J17. She currently has two daughters, J28 - the eldest at age 16, and J35 (Tahlequah) - age 11. The other female, J14 (Samish) is the granddaughter of the matriarch of J Pod, J2 (Granny). J2 is currently estimated to be the oldest member of the Southern Resident Community at 98 years old. Her family group includes the ever-famous J1 (Ruffles) who is my dad's favorite and the first orca I saw in the wild. This new baby is Granny's fourth living great-grandcalf. J14 had a baby in the fall of 2007 (J43). This calf did not survive long and she must have gotten pregnant shortly thereafter because their gestation is 16-17 months. J14 currently has three living claves, aside from the new baby, they are J30 (Riptide - a large 14 year old male), J37 (Hy'shqa - an 8 year old female), and J40 (Suttles - a 5 year old female). Hopefully this new baby makes it through the summer. Its birth has better timing in the year because the summer months tend to provide more food for the animals. This means J44 and J45 will be older claves during the winter, increasing their likelihood for survival.

I'm pretty bummed that it looks like I may not see them this year. I love these guys, as you all know, and am really gonna miss experiencing their lives over the summer. They've had a pretty profound impact on me and I hope one day I can give a little back to them...

I've decided with my mom that if I don't get a job in California by mid-April that I will return home for the summer and try to work with the Downtown Partnership again. I wouldn't mind being home to spend time with family before I head off to law school and of course it'd be nice to see Mikey's sports. If I leave in April, I will return in mid-July to begin preparing for law school and hopefully meeting members of my class. Not all is lost, but I'm still bumming over the bird job. I was pretty excited to go back to San Juan. I hope it won't be too long before I return again to a place I now refer to as "my second home with the whales."