Setting the Record Straight

Many of you have been keeping my husband, Leni, in your prayers recently. For those of you who may not know why, let me bring you up to speed:

Leni is graduating in 2 months and 21 days + my job ending in December + poor economy = slightly nervous about "what's next"

In all actuality, my nerves have been much less high than his about this. Who wouldn't want to hire a guy like him? He'll be up against guys with a B.S. in Mechanical Engineering, just like him. And maybe some of their GPAs will be higher than his....but that's okay. He has some stuff that they won't, the most important being an Associate's Degree in Automotive Technology and actual field experience before starting his B.S. back in the Fall of 2005. That combined with the fact that...as they say it...he's pretty easy on the eyes....makes up for an easy hire if you ask me.

Last week, we flew Leni to NM for a carreer fair being offered by the Engineering Dept. of the University of NM. While he was out there, he met with somewhat of a big wig from the Los Alamos National Lab. For those of you playing at home, you may recall that this is where Leni completed an internship in the summer of 2007. Mr. Big Wig (the name has been changed to protect the innocent) told Leni that he would be hiring 3 Systems Engineers in January and that he would "hold" one spot for Leni if he wanted it. This was followed up with an invitation to come back out for a "formal interview where a start date would be determined". Leni is much too nervous and modest to say it, but this is essentially an unofficial job offer. It sounds like it can't be made official unless a second interview is completed but basically, the job is Leni's. We're in the process of nailing down some dates with Mr. Big Wig...hoping for something over Leni's Oct 19-20 Fall Break.

So that's the story. Nothing is totally 100% but I'd be absolutely and completely shocked if this didn't work itself out in our favor. Thank you for the prayers and please keep them coming. I'll keep you all posted as more details unfold!

Keep It Real!

All I Ever Needed to Know

This past week I received an email from a good friend. Among other things, it mentioned how much of a waste of time it was for her to learn cursive back in elementary school.

How absolutely true it is! Other than your signature, when was the last time you wrote in cursive? Isn't it more likely that most of you print when actually using a pen and then type everything else on a computer? I have found this to be true for most.

Schools should really teach printing and then go straight to word processing.

This got me to start thinking...what else was I taught in my primary and secondary education that was a total waste of my time, my effort, and my parents' tax dollars?

Cursive: we already discussed this above
Ridiculous Spelling Words: I am a great speller. The best in my family. I always aced my spelling tests and, to be honest, enjoyed them. That being said, why the hell did I have to learn how to spell the word "lamborghini" in 6th grade? I'll tell you why...Mrs. Wolfe loved those cars and wanted all her students to know how to spell it. That word ruined a perfect spelling test score for me and I've never even used the knowledge of how to spell it until this post (actually, I had to look it up). The fact that my teacher didn't even spell her last name correctly only adds to this frustration.
Memorizing Shakespeare: I have no idea what, but my high school English teacher insisted that I memorize a variety of different sililoquies. I really don't see how it did me any good then and I surely don't remember them now!

Circuits: I had to take an electronics class in 9th grade. I have no idea what a circuit is or how it works. Why would a 14 year old girl need to know this? I feel as if I had ever needed to know it for future employment, my collegiate coursework would have required it. Doesn't help that the teacher was a total creepster.
Geometry: Okay I admit it...the basic geometric skills have been helpful at times. Like when drawing out plans for building a small project, etc. But that upper level stuff was ridiculous. SIN? COS? TAN? How about "WTF" instead!

Chemistry: the whole class in general. Total waste of time. Have never used one bit of it in my post-chem life. Not one.

This is only a small sample of these things and I could certainly list many more. But I also don't want to give the impression that I didn't appreciate my education before college. I went to some very good public schools and, looking back, had many fantastic teachers. The good far outweighs the bad. It just isn't near as much fun to write about.

Keep It Real!

Test Grade: Pass

This is my friend, Megan:

Megan really tested our friendship today. When I logged on to check my email today, I saw that much to my personal horror, she had committed the crime of sending me an email forward. I suppose the forwarding of an email is not a crime in and of itself, but the forwarding of an email that I do not deem worthy certainly is.

This was the first forward that Megan had ever sent me. Several questions hit me like a ton of bricks: Will this email be worth my time? Will it be cutsie or will it be funny? If it is funny, will it be funny enough? If it is cutsie, will I have to put an embargo on opening emails from Megan? Does she realize that my opinion of her rest solely on the content of this email? Could it be that she has no idea that the fate of our friendship depends on how hard I laugh at this, if at all? Should I just delete it and avoid this prediciment completely? Or should I cross my fingers, open it, and pray to God that Megan is an excellent judge of email forwarding, much unlike many people I know?

I went for it.

Congratulations, Megan! You are still very much in my good graces! I will never fear opening forwards from you again because I know that you are a wise judge of what you pass on and what you do not. Well done, friend. Well done.

I know that I already forwarded this email on myself and that you, the faithful "Snack For Later" consumers, may have already seen it. But if you have, you'll agree with me that it is definitely worth another look. See below:

For those of you who wonder what failure looks like...

Congratulations again, Megan...both on your hot new vehicular acquisition (PT Cruiser everyone, get excited!) and your lifetime pass at forwarding emails to me.

Keep It Real!

In The Lion's Den

When I went to bed last night, I had decided that my next blog entry was going to be a rant about how pathetic it is when married men piss and moan when anyone dicusses anything related to a woman's period around them. Especially men who are fathers.

However, in light of the recent passing of Senator Edward Kennedy, we here at Snack for Later had a unanimous vote in favor of a look back at his life and career instead of a rant about menstrual blood.

Sorry to disappoint.

A very distinguished gentleman passed away last night. Among most Americans, I think he was most known for his lineage as a Kennedy as well as his long occupation of a senate seat for Massachusettes (47 years!).

I wish people better knew him for the actual work he did while in the senate and not just the length of his senate career. He may not have put much of his brain power into foreign policy or the economy, but his list of accomplishments describes a man who wanted to improve the quality of life for his fellow Americans. See highlights from that list below:

• Chairman of United States Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Penisons
• Immigration and Nationality Act
• Bilingual Education Act
• National Cancer Act
• Title IX
• Employment Opportunities for Disabled Americans Act
• Americans with Disabilities Act
• Ryan White Aids Care Act
• Civil Rights Act
• Mental Health Parity Act
• Family and Medical Leave Act
• State Children's Health Insurance Program
• Public Health Threats and Emergencies
• PROTECT Act
• Family Opportunity Act

Clearly, this was a humanitarian. Elephants and donkeys aside, the way you vote does not change that this was a great senator. Of course, he wasn't the end-all-be-all. There are events of his past that he's not proud of (some of which that may have kept him from winning his party's bid in a presidential primary) and even legislation that he worked to pass that Snack for Later does not fully endorse. But here's to a man that worked to leave his nation and fellow citizens in better shape than he found them. May we all have the balls to do the same.

Keep It Real!

Post Script: It should be noted that this blog entry was created separately and without the knowledge of a recent and very related blog entry from our friends over at A Cage of Words. Any similarities are completely coincidental, yet probably a sign of similar intelligence between the two authors.

Oh BALLS!

Not going to use too many words. Just watch:

Keep It Real!

Hog Wild

Following the end of summer camp, Leni and I have made our way down to Killeen, TX where his wonderful parents live to lay low and visit with them for the better part of a week. The first night we were here, we spent with them, and his brother, Landon, in a little house on a hunting lease north of town. We had a great time shooting both clay and real pigeons, fishing and grilling the fish right there on the side of the water, driving Leni's 4-runner over some rocks in a nearby river bed...all sorts of fun!


The guys got up early in the morning to go pig hunting. Before they returned, I heard two shots in the distance and hoped that it meant that they would come home victoriously. Sure enough, when the truck pulled in, I could see some hooves sticking up out of the bed and knew someone had been blessed. I approached and saw not one but TWO dead pigs in the back. It was a blood bath back there.

I was quite excited to watch as they guys gutted and skinned their pigs and cut them up to toss in the coolers. Once we got home, they were out in the backyard doing some more butchering and putting meat in the slow cooker and sealing it up in plastic for storage in the freezer. It was an amazing process to see yet one that, understandably, grosses out a lot of people.

I myself wasn't even raised in a hunting family so I completely understand those who can't stomach the sight of the whole thing. That being the case, I still very much admire and respect the idea of hunting for food and using animals bodies to the greatest extent possible. Two nights ago I enjoyed a feast of grilled fish where the fish was caught, prepared, grilled and eaten all in the same spot. Compare this to the chicken you may have had for dinner last night. Chances are, you bought it at the grocery store and didn't think twice about it. Let's take a closer look...the amount of time that passed from the time that the eggs was laid to the time that it found itself in your kitchen was likely close to 45 days. 45 DAYS! That's absolutely disgusting. That is such a short amount of time for an egg to be laid, wait to hatch, grow from a young chick to an unhealthy, hormone-pumped chicken that weighs twice what it should, be "couped up" with 2 million of its (physically) closest friends....some of which probably died from harsh conditions and then were ground up and fed to the survivors), be inhumanely slaughtered, packaged, and then sold in your grocery store or perhaps served to you last time you had a hankering for some wings at your local Buffalo Wild Wings.

But I hope you enjoyed it. Let us consider the short lifetime of that chicken while also acknowledging that the pig that my brother-in-law, Landon, shot probably never even heard the shot that killed it. Long, healthy life....instantly dead. As it should be.

Just to satisfy my own somewhat morbid facination with the gutting process that I observed yesterday morning and to possibly gross out you, my few but loyal readers, here are some delightful pictures:

Landon and Leni with the fruits of their morning's labor

The guts came FLYING out!

Leni preparing to smoke the pork

Keep It Real!

The End of an Era

This weekend, I said "good-bye" to our last bunch of campers for the summer. 9 weeks of summer camp....done. This wasn't just any summer. This was my last summer. This ended 10 consecutive seasons of summer camp employment. If you combine time spent training staff with all the weeks spent with kids, that's 107 weeks of my life. 749 days. 2.05 years. Want to count my time as a camper and a volunteer jr counselor from when I was younger? Then make it 119 weeks. 833 days. 2.3 years.

The list of things that summer camp has given me is endless. Here's a sample:

• Growth in faith
• Understanding of humility (anyone need a toilet plunged?)
• Uncontrollable laughter
• A deeper appreciation for God in nature
• Unbelievably amazing friends (nice to have a place to stay anywhere I go!)
• Strength and courage that I never knew existed
• Conflict resolution skills
• Leadership skills (based on my observations and personal experiences of how to do it and how not to do it!)
• Better judgment
• First Aid/CPR certification
• Challenge Course certification
• Outdoor skills
• A never-ending repertoire of songs and games
• Dehydration
• Stitches
• Sunburn
• Herpes
• Just kidding about the herpes
• Utter frustration
• Bee stings
• Possible yet not probable exposure to H1N1
• Front row seats to incredible summer storms

As long as that list may seem to you, it could certainly go on and on. Maybe this is my last summer ever at summer camp, maybe it's not. But for now, I'll leave you with the various ways that different camps in my life have taught me to say "good-bye" and to remember special times:

Keep coming back
Bye for now

It's just goodnight and not good-bye
I'm the better one for the knownin' of you