Tuesday, August 26, 2008

Grandma Called....

Grandma Smith called and reported that she checks for updates on our blog everyday. I really have been a slacker at keeping in touch with people. I'm not very good at it, I never have been. HOWEVER - since part of my move is about changing things I don't like about my life, here I am posting to the blog.

So a little about my job.... I am the new Program Manager for a non-profit organization called The Pacific Coast Banking School. The school offers a graduate degree in Banking for banking executives. We offer a three summer session program for students who hope to learn how to manage a bank. Every summer - the two weeks prior to Labor Day - we bring 750 students from all over the United States - and the world, we have two students from Fiji, and three from Austrailia to the Univeristy of Washington for classes. We also contract faculty members from all over the United States to come in and teach. They all live and eat on campus and attend classes 8 hours a day. It's quite the event.

My job is to manage the logistics of the session as well as tend to all of the needs of the faculty. I started about three weeks prior to the session this year. Although I felt Ihad a pretty good handle on things, you really can't understand the scope of what you do until you've actually been through a session. I've been working 15 hour days for the past two weeks, and will continue for the next three days. BUT - it's all over on Friday! Next week I go back to my 9 to 5 schedule, bankers hours, gotta love them. :) I also get bankers holidays - no complaints there.

So far, I LOVE my job. Honestly, I really do. I love the logistic planning, and I love being able to still keep my hands in educatin. The faculty have been extremely kind and encouraging this week. Today a group of them brought me flowers with a card that says they hope I stick around! How great is that! I loved it!

So there ya go... that is a brief update of what I'm doing. Things calm down this weekend and I'll post again before next week starts. I love you all! Thanks for your calls, support, prayers, and thoughts! Have a great evening!

Wednesday, August 13, 2008

Nothing new to report

We have nothing new or exciting to report. Amy's job is going crazy right now as they get ready to welcome their banking students this weekend. I'm trying to figure out what medical plan to choose since for the first time in my life Kaiser Permenante is not an option. Next week I have my district orientation and the week after that I go back to work so I'm sure that both of use will have something to report on soon!

Sunday, August 3, 2008

We're Under Attack

For the past four days, about 2 hours a day we've been under attack from the air. Thankfully it's only been American airpower without any explosions and the attacks have been breathtaking! We've had the Navy's Blue Angels in town providing an air show for Seattle's Seafest over Lake Washington. While we don't have the greatest view of the main show area from our side of the lake, we can catch some cool maneuvers from our balcony. They are loud even when they are more than a mile away. Yesterday I sat outside to try and catch some pictures of the Blue Angels.
From a show I watched in the past I know that the show starts with their support plane flying in:


Later on they loop and fly in formation:

(you can see them if you make it bigger)

Then towards the end of the show, the planes fly East and circle around and come back towards the lake right over our house:


It is so loud and Awesome in a reverent and cool way.