20090426

Regression Table

Dear Blogosphere,

I am finally done making my regression table! 3 models, 7 dependent variables... took quite a long time. Enjoy!

-Nat


20090423

From Karl



Dear Blogosphere,

Here is some excellent humor from Karl.

-Natalie

20090421

Tags

Dear Blogosphere,

A friend of mine has this really cute header for her blog and I finally stumbled upon the website. I was bored... ok, fine, procrastinating, so I made one for each of the women (including moi).

With love,

Natalie

P.S. I found something really cool in my regression analysis! Boo-yah!

20090419

Small Dents

Dear Blogosphere,

This weekend I feel like I've only made small dents in my workload. Done so far:

-Human Sexuality Journal (I promise it isn't as interesting and raunchy as it sounds)
-Concert Report #2
-Listening Guide
-4 Attachment & Divorce Articles Read
-Half of Introduction to Attachment & Divorce Paper + Citations
-Quality Bunny-Bonding Time

Left to go:
-22 Attachment & Divorce Articles
-Attachment Paper
-Statistics Poster (this one is haunting my dreams) + the Actual Work of Running Regressions & Interpreting Them
-Human Sexuality Final (easy)
-Music Final (easy)
-Finish Compiling Stories

On a different note, here is some concert footage (1977) of Billy Joel's The Stranger. Let me know if you can whistle the pitch at 0:44. I have been trying... and I can't!


I'm going to go and get some real work done now. Woot woot!

Love,
Nat

20090418

Summer Plans, Summer Not

Dear Blogosphere,

There are a couple of guys that I will always have a crush on. They include: Ethan Embry, Ewan McGregor, and... Jakob Dylan. I am so excited for this summer because The Wallflowers will be playing at Red Butte Garden! Here is one of my favorite songs of theirs:


So, I'm very excited to go to that concert. If I had a boyfriend, I'd definitely go to the Etta James one, but I'm not sure if I want to be alone listening to "At Last." I've been thinking about all the fun things I will do this summer. I am planning a two night trip to Park City (cheap, cheap condo rentals!). Definitely going to hit up the Deer Valley concert series (student tickets are fairly cheap). I'm excited for the jazz festival, too. I might be going down to St. George over Memorial Day weekend. If I go, I'll have to talk my mom into drive to Vegas for a day. I need to celebrate my 21st birthday before I'm 22! Anyway, I can't wait to have some fun.

I'm also going to apply for a couple of jobs. I found one that seems right up my alley. Basically, I walk around Salt Lake County with a computer, knocking on doors, and interviewing study participants for the National Children's Study. I think it would be interesting, just on a personal level, to talk to women about their pregnancies. Indeed, it is highly possible that interviewing mothers (or working with interviews of mothers) will be part of my master's thesis. It pays super well, too, $14-$16 an hour and is part-time. I think I'm fairly qualified for it.

If I don't get it, I'll try to get a job at the U bookstore. Stocking textbooks or working in the computer area sounds would be cool.

I've thought about getting a summer boyfriend. To quote Bernard Black (except swapping the gender): "I've got to get a boyfriend, just for the summer, until this wears off. He'll be a summery boy. He'll have hair. He'll have summery friends who know how to be outside. He'll play tennis and wear shorts and have bare feet, and in the autumn, I'll ditch him, because he's my summer boy!"

Ah, summer plans, summer not.

Love,
Natalie

20090415

April Showers Bring Cute Pictures of Ben




Dear Blogosphere,

So I decided to let Ben have a run for a while this evening, thinking he'd keep smart and stay on the deck. Well... he apparently decided to venture out in the rain. I watched for him to come back to our deck. I couldn't help but snap these adorable pictures of him. I did my best to dry him off with a towel but there's still a lot of work to do.

And now you all know about my night owl tendencies....

On an unrelated note, I have decided to go to UC Davis! I'm quite excited and nervous. I just think that this may be the only opportunity to live in California, so I should take it! I can always live in Utah. :-) I'll get to know new people at Davis and with new people comes new knowledge. So while this is a risk, I feel like it will be worth it. I'm single and 21. What better time for an adventure???

It was so hard to decline the U's offer. I absolutely hated writing the email and I just wanted to hide in the AEB building all day. The two professors I talked to today had different responses. One was sad that I wasn't staying. I'm sad, too. I wish I could combine the two programs, and take my favorite professors with me. Unfortunately the universe doesn't work that way. The other was happy for me and let me know that even though I'm not at the U, he is willing and happy to help me out (choosing courses, how to approach researchers, etc). I get a little emotional when I think of how much these profs have supported me. I don't know how anyone could go through applying to grad school without a support system (not to mention just having people "on the inside") and the fact that they are willing to stay with me as I continue my education means the world to me.

And now I'm crying.

Hahahahaha.

Anyway, much more to blog in the future, but for now: Here's to change and here's to risk!

-Natalie

20090413

On Your Mark, Get Set, Go!

Dear Blogosphere,

So the time has come. It is the final lap. Actually, it is an uber final lap, though not the final lap to end all final laps. What on Earth am I talking about, you ask? Well, the end of the semester is rapidly approaching. I've got 2 exams, 4 papers, and a whole lot of misc.

For one of my classes I have the option of a) writing a 6-8 page book report or b) writing an 8-10 page literature review. I found a book that looked very interesting, but I can't seem to bring myself to read an entire book. Though the literature review will probably take more time, it seems like more fun. Journal articles are perfect for people with low attention spans.

So I have 16 articles on how divorce and attachment affect children and 10 articles on how attachment affects divorcing/separating adults. Very interesting and VERY controversial. If you have any ideas or comments on this paper topic, feel free to share. I may use your comment as a quotation to start my paper.

-Natalie

20090412

Ben on KSL

Dear Blogosphere,
I am so proud of my bunny! I think he's heading straight for the big time!

/ Video was removed by KSL :-( \

Love,
Natalie

Easter Bunnies Past & Present

Dear Blogosphere,

Easter is one of my favorite holidays -- mostly because it is bunny-centric. And hard-boiled eggs are delicious. This year, I took Easter into my own hands (and Ben's paws) and made little Easter baskets for my family, as you can see below. The Reester bunny (haha!) looks quite a bit like Ben.


Here is a picture of the current Easter Bunny -- Benjamin Jeremiah Rumson, III -- and the sisters. Ben is a big French lop and is house-trained. He is very mellow but curious and mischievous, too.


Here is the last past Easter Bunny, Hufflepuff, and I. Aww... good times. Puffs was a little neurotic outdoor bunny. She loved junk food, like saltine crackers and fruit snacks.


And of course, Polka Dots Checks and Stripes, my first bunny (and me)! Chexy, as we called him for short, loved me. He would go on bike rides with me, sitting in my basket. He loved gardening with my mom (a lot like Ben) and would just lay in my arms. So, he actually liked the position he was in when this picture was taken.


I unfortunately don't have pictures of TWR (The White Rabbit) and Stars & Stripes on my computer, or I'd share those, too. TWR was a sweet angora who did many tricks and Stars & Stripes was a very independent Dutch. So, this Easter or Passover, remember the rabbits, real or fictional, who have touched your lives!

And, if you're interested in adopting a bunny, there is always a flood of rabbits to the Humane Society after Easter. They typically have a deal where every rabbit is $10. Good information about rabbits as pets can be found at The House Rabbit Society.

Love,
Natalie

20090410

Roadsinger

Dear Blogosphere,

So I have pre-ordered Roadsinger, Yusuf/Cat Steven's May 5th album. I'm quite excited. My download came with 'Thinking 'Bout You' which is amazing. Here's one of my favorites from his last album, An Other Cup, called 'Maybe There's a World.'

Enjoy!


-Natalie

20090409

20090406

This Weekend and a Statistics Comic


Dear Blogosphere,

Before I get back to working on a paper and reading, I thought I'd blog a bit about my weekend, but first note the hilarious comic above. Hahahahahahahahahaha. Okay. For the first time ever I had the house to myself overnight. Indeed, I had it for three nights/four days. It was actually quite nice. Creepily quiet, especially in the mornings, but I was able to spread out my work on the kitchen table, listen to music loudly, watch idiotic (VH1 anyone?) TV late without worrying about waking anyone up, etc. Ben and I hung out a lot. He even went downstairs and enjoyed checking out a new place (running laps)! So it was nice. Now, will it be this nice 665 miles away? I am not sure. But, after finding a couple of apartments/cottages that look decent (even cute) and sleeping soundly for a few nights, I think I might just be ready to test some different waters. I'm not sure yet, though I'm getting closer to making a decision.

That's the scoop. Hopefully I'll be able to blog again soon....

-Natalie

P.S. I have to go to the dentist tomorrow. Ugh. lameXcore.