From : Amy H. Sent : Sunday, October 24, 2004 2:51 PM Subject : ALU 20041024 ------------------------------------------ It's been a while since I did an ALU, and I don't have the energy to retype all of this in an "everyone" format, so you're getting an e-mail I sent my cousin Nicole (sorry Nicole, you've read this already, I've added a bit at the end, so you can just skip down there ;-) -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=- Well, Scott and I moved in together in March, which is about the time I started the new job. Actually I started for a staffing company which placed me at Axcelis, and Axcelis hired me away from the staffing company in early June. If you haven't found anything by graduation, a staffing company is a great way to get an array of experiences, and make some great contacts. At least, that was my plan when I started for the staffing company, I wasn't expecting to be hired away from them. Anyway, March was moving, and we moved to Marlborough, MA. Nice place, garden plot, good exercise facility, swimming pool. We never did use the pool this summer, though my parents did when they came out to visit in early August. I've been making good use of the gym, lifting a lot of weights. I decided about a year ago, when I was telecommuting, that I needed to start moving or I was going to get very, very flabby. When we moved to Marlborough I added to the walking and lifting routine I'd started. I've been committed on and off, and started doing Weight Watchers after a friend gave me all the info. Not officially, just following the basic plan of "fewer calories in that out" and eating at least a minimum amount of food. That's gone really well. Let me think. April 15th we got a cat. His name is Tucker, and I think he's adorable! We adopted him from the local humane society, he's 2 years old, and a tuxedo cat. Here's a picture: http://www.scooter.cx/~amy/picture/tucker_large.jpg I don't remember anything big happening in May. In June I started at Axcelis: they make the machines that make computer chips. I do nothing at all related to that; instead I write the software used by our Human Resources and Payroll departments. It's a big enough company that we write our own internal stuff. It's the same programming language that I used at Echo when I was coding behavioral Healthcare software: Cold Fusion. My current project is a revamp of the Vacation and other Leave time tracking software (where one would go to enter their time off, and where payroll goes to take it out of an employee's time bank). July: Camping in Ontario, realized I was getting old when I realized that I don't like getting drunk and staying up late anymore. Scott and I had maybe a beer a night, and were in bed by 10. Man, I thought I wrote an ALU about that, but I must have just put it all in my livejournal. Yes, I'm a big geek, I live 95% of my life online :-) August: My parents came out to visit. Scott and I had been looking at houses for a few months by this point. Took my parents to see a few houses, and also went to a Winery tour. Tried to do the duck tours in Boston, but they were sold out. I'd say you should do the duck tours when you're out here... but they're really a warmer weather thing. They're heated, but I'd still wait for May. Don't know what duck tours are? Check this out: http://www.bostonducktours.com/ September: Scott and Tina got married! I'll try to send you the pictures I took with my camera phone when I finish this e-mail. Oh yeah, I cut my hair in August too, you'll see that in the pics. The wedding was great, though small. There was some freaking out initially because Scott forgot the marriage license in his room, and I forgot my reading in my hotel room. Fortunately the staff at the Mission Point resort were really hospitable and let me print it out, and Tina's Mom brought a copy for me too. I'd had the foresight to put the reading online, knowing I'd probably forget to print it out. Here's the reading: http://geocities.com/ameliaamy/marriage.html Scott and Tina picked it out, I thought it was great. Yes, the weather was beautiful, very warm. The service itself was pretty short. It was primarily a reading by Tina's brother, that reading by me, then the exchange of vows. I was very honored that Scott and Tina asked me to be one of the witnesses on the marriage certificate. After the wedding there were the obligatory photos, then Scott and Tina took a Carriage Ride around the island (romantic, as well as lots of photo shoots - the photographer rode behind on a bike!) I finally got to meet Tina's family, which was nice. Her parents are divorced and remarried, so there were lots of parents and a little boy running around and 2 of her grandparents were there too. Dinner was great, it was served in the Mission Pointe Resort "Epicurean", their restaurant. Scott and Tina went to Myrtle Beach for their Honeymoon, and were fortunate to miss most of Hurricane Ivan, which was making his way up the coast around then. All of our time since then has been focused on house hunting. We made the offer in early October I think, and have spent the time intervening on the inspections and testing. Last Monday the sellers installed a radon mitigation system in the basement. The level was 20 pCi/L, which is really darned high. The federal limit is 4 pCi/L. Also, the house has Lead Paint, mainly outside of the main living area, but Scott and I want to get rid of all of it before we sell, and hopefully before we have kids. We want smart kids, not ones that have eaten the wall candy! (lead paint is sweet). We're closing on the house November 30th, and spent last night filling out the mortgage application. We're not really sure what to do with our weekends, now that we aren't spending them house shopping. Last weekend we went in to Boston's Chinatown for pastries and people watching. This weekend we're probably going to a fancy cheese shop to buy some olive oil. I've been tearing through it since I started Weight Watchers officially. Oh yeah, Weight watchers: we have an at-work program, and our insurance re-imburses us up to $150/yr for weight loss programs, so I officially joined up so I could make sure I was doing it right. I was pretty close, I hadn't been making sure I ate enough dairy, or enough healthy oil like olive and canola, but I was getting the recommended 5 fruits/veggies in. I have just over a pound to lose to reach my official goal and be a "lifetime Member", which will be a total loss of 35 pounds since I started on my own a year ago. Yay me! OK, that was a pretty exhaustive retelling of what I've done in the past 6 months. Now I just have to repackage it so I can send an ALU so everyone else knows what's up with me. ^_^ Oh, one other piece of news: I will not be home for Christmas. Scott and I are going to start alternating holidays & see how it goes, and this year we're spending Thanksgiving in Traverse, and Christmas in Detroit. We'll be in town November 20-27, which is the Saturday before Thanksgiving to the Saturday after. And if I don't see you then, but you'll be in Detroit, we'll be there December 24th through January 2nd. In theory my parents are going on a cruise at Christmas, but I don't think they've made arrangements yet, so I'm not sure if that will pan out. I figure Scott and Tina will be visiting her parents then, and I can see them, and if my parents don't go on a cruise they can come and meet my Scott's parents. Scary. -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=- That was from 10/19, it's now the 24th. Let's, since then I bought that fancy olive oil (unfiltered Miguel and Valentino Andelucian) from a tony shop in Wellesey. Tony is a good adjective, look it up. Also took Animal in to the shop for her 120K maintenance, so she's purring like a kitten now. Found out that Scott and I can get in to the Museum of Science for free, so we'll have to plan a weekend there. We were going to go this weekend, for the last weekend of the Lord of the Rings Exhibit, but the crazed Sox fans and the crazy rowing fans (World series, and Head of the Charles) scared us away. And the big, big news is that I made my Weight Watchers goal. Now I have to maintain for 6 weeks, and figure out how this whole weight maintenance thing works, and I'll be a Lifetime Member, and be able to go to meetings anytime, free, as long as I maintain my weight loss. I also have to send a shout out to my Mom, who has lost about as much as I have in the past year through her own determination and hard work, changes in eating habits and exercise. She's also cut her cholesterol about in half. Great job Mom! This has been your Amy Life Update for October, 2004. -Amy