welchfam

more bars, more places

2010-05-12T18:37:00.000-07:00

a bar exam is a testament of endurance as dozens of courses are tested over two or three days. the exams are given in large rooms wet with anxiety and sweat.

the experience follows months of suffer-fest study: notes, notes of notes, old exams, old essays, and a bookshelf of 'concise' review texts.

very few attnys take three bars, despite jfk jr's attempts to popularize the concept.

congrats to meg, passing her third of three bars: mo, ny, tx.

want to file a suit in jefferson city for breach of a contract signed in albany about your austin-based business? i have someone to recommend...

That's how we roll

2009-09-30T08:03:00.000-07:00

Many of you commented on Garrett's post about a year ago, when he was yearning for a certain "Bellisima." She has arrived.

This post goes out to all of you wives who won't "let" your husband get a motorcycle.

First, congratulations on learning to control your man. I have no idea how that is done. The imagery that comes to mind is the Ghostbusters. Remember when they were in the library with that magical machine that sucked the ghost up into it? This is what I imagine most women do to their husband's wild sides. Understand this . . . I am no less powerful or persuasive than you, but as you'll recall, even the Ghostbusters eventually came up against something their little soul-sucking machine couldn't handle . . . . the Marshmallow Puff Man (meet Garrett's wild side). As your childhood memory will recall, they chose to blow the pour guy into sugary slime to keep him under control. But how could I do that to someone as charming and sweet as the Puff Man . . . . ahem . . I mean, Garrett.

Second, what is wrong with you? Have you seen your husband on an Italian designed and manufactured beauty "designed perfectly to balance sports performance, riding pleasure, and stunning looks"??? (see ducati.com if your interest is piqued) You're seeing mine right here, and we're all thinking it, so I'll go ahead and say it . . . SEXY. Have you considered the exhiliration of wrapping your arms around a muscular man in leathers and a black Shoei helmet on your way to the grocery store? Does your husband come to you when he gets home from a long day and ask, not once, but twice, "are you sure you don't have any errands you need me to run?"

Really? You'd rather keep your minivan?

Welcome to our family, Bellisima, we're happy to have you.

Ride on.

this moment is punctuated by you+me

2009-08-20T14:25:00.000-07:00

when you don't know when you'll be back, watching your town get smaller through a window plays with your heart a bit. you remember your first view, you take inventory of new friends that you'll love your whole life and you contemplate the development of your own character.

you become aware of reality.

you examine your new strategies and empowering tools shared by some of the most brilliant and collected and interesting and insightful people you've ever known.

you keep watching; smaller, farther, smaller, she is eclipsed by a knoll, a road sign, a mailbox. you think of the innocent conversation of where to buy stamps and the beautiful relationships that stemmed from other tiny interactions.

you laugh that the common interests that were foundational and magnetic have yet to be enjoyed together, 'something for next time'. and you resolve that there will be a next time. how strange that i resisted coming: 'come on! new york? how many people get that chance?' we laughed when we realized: 'tens of millions'. i didn't expect that i would feel so much affection for this city. honestly i'm feeling like a damn hippie. i wouldn't have believed that among many millions my experience would be so tailored.

exploring this city completely would require a pause button and many lifetimes, so, again: there will be a next time. for now, i'm strapping my spurs back on and equilibrating to the new environs: horizons, hurricanes, heat, and humidity.

buyer beware

2009-08-04T20:30:00.000-07:00

if i would have been paying better attention i would have noticed that the parlor's clientele was entirely geriatric and sported the same haircut: a little distracting flair at the front and a few long paralleling streaks toward the shiny spot at the rear. of course, nobody sees the baldness out of respect for the poor bastard's effort to cover it with his handful of long, reaching hairs (as stated previously, but again, let's not draw attention to it).

maybe he thought i was a phony, too, coming to him for his renown ability to 'cover that right up'. yes, that's it. he thought i needed his help to pull the heinous caper, this most convincing act of deception. i must have come seeking his precise craft.

and he was good! the illusionist knew which of my directions to ignore. 'no, no, you need it longer here' 'i'm going to cut your sideburns anyway.' and so on, leaving key areas with plenty of length to make the commute.

why should i wear home anything but a comb-over?

'hey, thanks giuseppe. really, it looks great, it really does. and you can't even see any scalp back there, can you? really, a piece of work. see you in a couple a weeks, ok?'

pour some sugar on (this)

2009-05-21T19:30:00.000-07:00

sometimes when i walk into the street, the distinctly yellow cabs of ny, the lumbering hip-joint double-length busses, and the elegantly iconic chrysler building make me say ‘holy shit, i live in the greatest city in the world’ (now i will read your mind… ) a. 'pottymouth', b. (insert envy here), c. 'no, boston/no, dc/no, philly' (but this post isn’t about you, is it? and you’re mistaken anyway, none of those are THE city), or d. ‘what’s the big deal about ny?’

i used to pick, ‘d’ but i don’t want to influence your choice.

let me tell you one thing that i’ve been grappling with. it is this: ny may well be the epicenter of leverage-all-current-and-much-future-income-for-daily-living. here though, there’s something to be said for the inevitability of exorbitant spending. do you know what rent costs here? i’ll get to that more later…

the ny dream is fundamentally different than the american dream of the south/plains/west. generically, there is no allowance for the acquisition of assets, nor is there interest in the idea. what i’m seeing is that the dream of my grandparents (sign up for a mortgage for a tiny house and pay it off a la rapide) is foreign here (remember that chinatown is local). i’m talking about grown-ass men and women with dual income in the hun-g’s renting- RENTING! a small apartment. the ny family has mastered cash-flow accounting. the game here is not played as advocated by the rich dad or the plumber next door. despite the ideals of my upbringing, it surprises me that this approach works just as well if it’s what you know/are comfortable with/gives you what you want (an on-the-books-impoverished, rich life in the city).

obviously ny isn’t all wealth and pomp. given the margin between the typical salary and the cost to breathe ny air and drink bloomberg’s water, you could argue that many of america’s poorest are my neighbors. they rely on you for sustenance, and i’m quite confident that if they gave two shits about you, they’d say ‘thanks’. but they’re entitled to it because of what they do for a living… live in ny with low-paying jobs or chronic pain or whatever. the ny middle class dream has these tenets: union job, pension, and perpetual bail-out.

i’m learning a lot from this city. here’s another freebie: how to walk to my own soundtrack (earbuds+pandora) … amazing how well the urban environment pairs with artists ranging from norah jones to def leppard. hell, there’s even a cowboy that plays in times square in his undies.

Domestic

2009-04-18T20:39:00.000-07:00

Or trying at least.

i liked calling it 'flying w ranch'

2009-03-23T15:04:00.001-07:00

i was in texas a couple of days ago to give the final salute to the home of my youth, and yes, this post is part of adjusting to the loss.

the first time i saw it was from the south, a semi-flattering side shot, but strangely a favorite view. 'i hope it's that one.'

it became a maintenance-intense, hand-made sort of place with huck finn flavor and plantation elegance. we built new walls and transplanted others. beat it with sledge hammers, jack hammers, pasted it up with paper, bricks, paint, and squared-off concrete. fixed leaks (and leaks and leaks). more paint. new paint. the house was a beating heart and the percussion was hard rock, saws, and dominoes.

in many ways it was a haven: a deep red brick well, lilies and bluebonnets, a gravel drive that popped and crumpled, a small pond, hundreds of oaks filled with mistletoe and briar, and the most godly sunrises on earth.

cicadas, moo-ing, frogs, and ceiling fans for mood music to sunsetting ceremonies that made you say 'this world is beautiful.'

a baseball field, occasional motorcross jumps, and a plumber's pool. it was a strong symbol of home and family, a place where we fought and made-up, did stupid things and told each other that we'd always be together: the unique and formative place of the now-adult generation. farewell little mansion, you were wonderful. do us the honor of a repeat.

international motorcycle show, nyc

2009-01-19T15:49:00.000-08:00

there were lots and lots of curvy beauties looking to go home with someone, but this gorgeous italian still has the firmest grip on my heart. soon, bellisima.

3 Kings Day

2009-01-11T19:13:00.005-08:00

Who knew there was such a thing?

This was taken from our bedroom window. It was a second-rate parade with some first-class spunk. We love this city.

new look for new year

2009-01-04T18:07:00.003-08:00

i love democracy, but i'm going dictatorial on this one. and besides, it came in a close fourth place anyway.

The Surprise

2008-12-29T17:13:00.005-08:00

We made a quick decision to visit the fam in Utah . . . showed up and, thanks to good friends, were able to surprise them by hitting the doorstep and hashing out a few lines of a holiday jingle. It was a blast!

Christmas at home really is one of the best feelings in the world. So we'll share a few fun memories via the ultimate storyteller . . . the Nikon.

And a Happy New Year . . .

2008-12-29T17:08:00.002-08:00

Just thought you'd all like to see how New York sends its best

Loving Christmas!

2008-12-14T19:17:00.002-08:00

Warning: This is one of those boring posts you'll wish you hadn't read. But I just have to take a second and say how much I LOVE this Christmas season. This is the first time since childhood where I've had almost nothing to worry about. Granted, I am studying for the bar a little bit, but I won't get too intense until January . . . and there's the fact that Garrett is busy with finals, so I think about him a lot, but for the most part, I'm just drinking in Christmas. Today, I made brownies and went to a Christmas get-together, then came home and made cookies for my office with The Santa Clause 2 on TV in the background. It was a horrendous movie, but I just wanted to hear the words, "Reindeer", "Santa", "Elves", . . . . you get the idea. It's been so nice. Hmm. maybe next year we'll get some visitors - NY is a great place for some pre-holiday shopping and fun!

Tourists and Tall Buildings

2008-12-07T18:50:00.003-08:00

There's one essential difference between touists and locals . . . . tourists stop. And I mean everywhere.

Scenario One: The doors open, a group of people starts to get off the subway determinedly as another group waits impatiently to get on, and suddenly, the couple leading the group off stops and looks up at the signs in the station trying to figure out whether to turn left or right. Discontented moans, annoyed sighs, and the locals step around these obnoxious tourists, a handful of them muttering things I can't type because my mother might read this.

Scenario Two: I'm walking the two blocks to my office building positioned on 6th Avenue and 42nd street - a block from Times Square. I pass a huge group of people all stopped and gawking at a tall building. Oh no, someone's going to jump, I think to myself. And then I see the tour guide, propped on a light post. I pass them, silently amused at my silly assumption, only to be stopped a dozen other times by nameless tourists unable to keep themselves from tilting their heads back awed. I brush past them with a look that lets them know I'm completely annoyed . . . I have somewhere to be.

white earbuds

2008-12-06T14:56:00.007-08:00

you know i'm not an early adopter of tech. meg got me a shuffle. i listen to recordings of myself talking through biochem concepts. not exciting, but if you saw the white cable going to my head you'd think i was creating my oasis. sounds pathetic? at least i have the look.

and- moving to a new city is a good time to give your look a tweak. i've narrowed some considerations to the list at left.

whoa for the hugeness of halloween

2008-11-01T22:26:00.001-07:00

one of the most largely attended (1.5M? 2M?) parades in the world is a march of exotic (some erotic), witty costumes through the village. they were political: decrying mega-pharma, jesting palin, homaging america’s plumber…they were feministic: women dressed as stoves and dishwashers…they were preachy: santa as a golden calf.

it was fun.

and everybody was extra nice in ny today. the vibe was mostly estrous with a touch of morning-after. yep, for halloween most of manhattan got drunk, got laid, and got up at noon. quite a few people got double use out of their attire, like when we’d wear saturday’s prom tux to sunday services.

New Curtains - and a Shoutout for the Best Mother-in-Law!

2008-09-17T08:02:00.001-07:00

So for my birthday my mom-in-law made me curtains for our kitchen and our bedroom. They are so cute that I had to post pictures. I'm just going to give you closeups of the fabric because it is so cute I want you to see the details. The polka-dot ones are in the kitchen - which has lime green accents - so they are perfect! and the black and white are in our room. So cute! Thanks Colleen!

My 28th Birthday!!!

2008-09-17T07:49:00.003-07:00

Garrett and I took a romantic little ferry ride over the East River. It starts at the Wall Street pier and gives the best view of the NY waterfalls - they are just a temporary thing that NY commissioned an artist to do. They're magnificent. It also gives a great view of the statue of liberty. We tried a few shots but they were a little hard to get with twilight and the boat moving. We had dinner in Brooklyn and then came home and Garrett had flowers and a miniature ice cream cake for me! Many of you won't appreciate that, but Garrett is kind of a health nut so he usually doesn't buy cake and things like that, so I was totally surprised!

It was a great day. Earlier, when Garrett was at school I took off on my own to explore Little Italy. It was basically just a carnival - there were games and fried Oreos and funnel cakes. But there were also some great restaurants on the side of the road. Probably worth a visit if you are coming to NY, but don't expect much. :)

My favorite things about New York . . . so far

2008-09-04T14:26:00.003-07:00

1. Subway rats - seriously, I am a little disappointed when I don't see one because they are pretty big fellas, and It seems so strange that they just run around ten feet away and no one cares

2. Brooklyn accents - They're real! I have heard "Forgetaboutit!" twice, and yesterday this man explained that he was washing the sidewalks because they had gotten "doyty." I thought Hollywood had overdone the accent, but honestly I think the movies tone it down a bit so that you can still understand.

3. The Brooklyn library - It was built in 1903 and is one small room with maybe 5,000-8,000 books

4. The lady I saw in Central Park carrying her dog in a baby sling. It was a Shih tzu and his back was against her chest and his legs were dangling out the leg holes in front. Somebody forgot to explain "walk the dog" to her.

5. The nannies in Central Park - girls, Nanny Diaries is right on! They're EVERYWHERE! Old, young . . . they gather in groups and let the kids play while they talk about nanny troubles. I was having my own Nanny diary moment thinking - man, that job would be way better than being a lawyer! I snapped out of it. . . Thank you Annie Braddock, for teaching me that other peoples' children are not fun to be with 24/7.

Hmm. I know there is more, but I'll save it for another post.

Brooklyn!

2008-09-03T07:28:00.006-07:00

Okay, here are the long awaited pictures of our pad. You wouldn't believe what I've had to go through in order to find a computer to download these, so you much have to do without descriptions. I think you can figure it out though. I'll get pics of the street next time. I just forgot! I know you are all going to be dying to come visit now that you've seen this place! Ha! just kidding, but seriously, you should see the other places we looked at!

So this is the miniature sink in our bathroom! In fact, this is the miniature bathroom.

Shower. Yes, it's that small.
Kitchen with the hanging pan arrangement - very functional with our lack of storage space.
So this is the cute bed! It's a ginormous king size! With a tempurpedic three in top on it! Spectacular

This is the before picture of the dresser I refinished and the after picture can be seen later down when you just see it in the bedroom.
Here's the kitchen including my cute IKEA table and my $20 micowave! And our totally sweet hybrid washer/dryer all in one combo!
The retro white couch! I told Garrett that something about it just reminds me of Chevy Chase in Caddy Shack. Very late 70s-80s, but we like it. :)
This is Garrett 3 stories high setting up our clothes line! NO, I did not encourage him to do this. I was inside with my hands dripping wet with sweat (that's what happens to me when I worry) :)

Here's our "decorative fireplace" ha! aka nonfunctional. And my refinished dresser!!! You can't see that it is cherry color, but it is. Cute.
Another bedroom shot. That is our sweet shoe-door hanger Garrett is standing in front of.
Red couch #2 in the guest-room/reading room (that's what I call it because we don't have a TV yet)

So that's it! Hope you guys will all come visit now!!!!!!!

go yankees

2008-08-29T04:43:00.004-07:00

i paid top dollar for a polish sausage today. i laughed and forked it over. at least the ticket was free. the 'priceless' part was 'watching-the-yankees-beat-the-redsox-at-their-last-home-game-meeting-of-the-final-season-of-yankee-stadium-before-it's-torn-down.' i love that about baseball - every game offers something that verges on making history.

it was a beautiful game - it had all the magic elements. the highest-paid star couldn't perform (they say 'a-rod' is spanish for 'ralley killer') while the no-name sub-in had the best base hit of the game. the bleacher crowd was rowdy and vulgar (even though they've been cut off for the past two yrs. NYPD and the yanks agree that it's just better that way). best part: the bleacher creatures do roll-call with the players, coordinatedly yelling at each one until he shows some love.

my state of mind

2008-08-17T22:25:00.003-07:00

warning, adult content.
you've been warned.

she's sleeping now. gorgeous and beautiful. and pretty. i should be sleeping too, but i'm so enamoured (enamored? i don't know if i've ever used that word) and kindof giddy-fuzzy. from what i can see across the hudson she is so still at night. kindof a bitch when she's awake, and i love her.

she screams and rattles and has a thing with hip-hop and sirens. there's noise, rhythm, hype, confusion.

sexuality, business suits.
and she oozes at the cracks.

i popped out of a subway today in the middle of puerto rico festival. think about that for a minute.

yesterday i was in harlem eating jerk chicken in the street with reggae and calypso bouncing out of the bricks. harlem days. the sun was setting and i may as well have been in kingston (jamaica, mon).

day before i was in da bronx watching old dominican men slap dominoes around. the oldest and most senile (another word i've never used) is denied an empty seat and flashes -- nay dangles the junk in protest.

best part is, i know she isn't just putting on a show for me.

something like this

2008-07-09T13:26:00.003-07:00

Start in Houston.
Ping around el Caribe.
Panama Canal.
Galapagos.
Hawaii, just because.
South Pacific.
Sydney. Tokyo. Bangkok. Dubai.
Suez Canal (doesn't it feel neat to say that?)
Cross the Atlantic. whoa. to beckoning Lady Liberty.

i love tag!

2008-06-25T07:20:00.009-07:00

Oh my goodness here goes . . .

How long have you been together? That's such a good question! Read Meg's post.

Who kissed who first? Meg kissed some buck-toothed loser in 3rd grade.

Who eats more? Me I just hope it doesn't make my butt any bigger!

Who is taller? Me - but only by a quarter inch!

Who is smarter? Meg - no question! She can get anyone off for their poor judgement!

Who is more sensitive - I can smell a scented candle from 50 yards! but Meg cries more!

Who does the laundry? Me and I'm SO good at it!

Who cooks? Meg can throw down a succulent dish, but watch out -- if you get in her way, it's seriously like Hell's Kitchen in there!

Who drives when you two are together? Meg, but I'm the one that has to steer and work the pedals!

Who is more stubborn? Me, but I usually don't notice that I lost the argument! What can I say?! She's a lawyer!

Who has more siblings? Me!

Who is more daring? Gotta push the envelope!

I tag: Clay, Dan, Bryan, Walt, Pedro, Kris, and all my homies!

Hubby-Tag

2008-06-09T19:30:00.003-07:00

Alright, I almost never do these kinds of things, but I think I got tagged by Heidi - although she might have been referring to the former Megan Welch current Megan Anderson. Either way, it's a good excuse to brag on my husband. . .

How long have you been together? It has been almost 5 years now! We met in October-ish of 2003.

Who kissed who first? This is the un-answerable question. I'm certain that Garrett kissed me and he's positive I kissed him. We both remember the first kiss - it is just a dispute as to who did the leaning in. The reason I KNOW I'm right, though is that I had been dodging kisses he was going for, for like 3 weeks when I finally decided it was wearing me out - I just gave in.

Who eats more? Me - sad, but true.

Who is taller? Garrett - just enough.

Who is smarter? Garrett - by far! Half the time I use a big word he gets a funny look on his face and then asks me if I know what it means. I usually respond with something like, "yeah, but I can't explain it" and he comes back really nicely with "that's not really the right way to use it," and then he rattles off a nearly dictionary-like definition for me. He's brilliant!

Who is more sensitive - I guess it depends on your interpretation of the word - I cry about anything and everything, but he cares more about how I'm feeling, etc. So under the "good" meaning of the word, he is. Under the bad meaning - like "ugh, she's so sensitive!" I am! :)

Who does the laundry? Garrett. Again, this is embarrassing, but he does it all! He's doesn't like me to do his laundry. I think it makes him feel old-fashioned or something, and I have no problem with him doing mine - so I guess that's how it works out.

Who cooks? Mostly me, but let's be honest, I don't really cook either - I attempt to cook more than he cooks, but his food is FAR better! I can't think of anything he's not good at!

Who drives when you two are together? Garrett, if I can run to the passenger side before he gets there. I always make him drive and he gets sick of it, but I'm kind of a ditzy driver, so I just prefer him at the wheel.

Who is more stubborn? This is a total toss up. We would probably both say the other one, but I think Garrett may be more stubborn than me because I'm a lawyer and I still can't win some of our "discussions." That's got to say something!

Who has more siblings? Garrett

Who is more daring? Garrett LOVES adventure! You all know that anyway. And I think everyone knows I'm much less daring than him. I'm working really hard at being more adventurous though.

Extra stuff: Garrett is going to hate this post. In fact, he may want to delete it, but oh well. Happy Birthday again babe!

Happy 28th Hottie!

2008-06-09T09:29:00.001-07:00

It's G's birthday everyone! So wish him a happy one!!!!

the high seas

2008-06-03T14:37:00.007-07:00

We've been having a great time on Internship this spring. Steady winds and prime-time temps. This is a a recent out-and-back, GPS overlay on google earth. There's mounting anticipation for our 'once-around.' We'll be passing around a sign-up sheet.

man v wild

2008-06-01T11:49:00.004-07:00

Took a little safari after chasing funnel clouds across KS, NE. Omaha Zoo.

CHASING

2008-05-23T10:44:00.002-07:00

For any of you who are interested, Garrett and I will be tornado chasing today and tomorrow with this awesome guy from my work who is a legit chaser. We will be live-streaming video of the storms both days, so you can log on to http://www.severestreaming.com and then in the upper right-hand corner there is a box that will link to all of the chasers who are currently streaming. After you click on that, select the name Mike Peregrine. That's where we'll be! I just heard there were 40 something tornados in Kansas and Nebraska last night - tonight is supposed to be even better. If you check around 5-7 your time, that is probably when we'll be seeing some action. Don't worry, we're safe! :)

The Cure

2008-05-21T18:43:00.004-07:00

I don't expect anyone to read this since I haven't posted in over a month, but these pictures were too good to leave out! A couple of months ago our friends Alisha and Trevor asked Garrett and me if we wanted to go to The Cure concert. I only know a few of their songs, but I like them, and we knew it would be a cool crowd, so we decided to go. We all wanted to go in style though, so we dressed up as we throught the ultimate Cure fans would - this included eyeliner for EVERYONE! Garrett looked so creepy all night, and he kept doing this thing where he'd open his eyes really wide and look to the side like all those crazy gothic kids would do in junior high/high school. Leaving the red-eye blocker off the camera was an accident, but it makes him look even creepier. We had so much fun though! I heard people say, "wow, look at those people" like we were totally weird. Trevor's eye makeup was pretty sweet - kind of an Alice Cooper effect. We had to laugh at what people probably thought we were like compared to who we are - Garrett's a masters grad, pre-dental student, I'm a lawyer, Alisha's an amazing mom of 2 little boys, and Trevor is a doctor! I think people probably had a different impression. So fun!

I PASSED THE BAR!!!

2008-04-16T09:50:00.001-07:00

Need I say more?

The Best Part of Spring.

2008-04-03T17:39:00.000-07:00

This is one of those things that most of you will know about me, but others will be surprised (and probably disturbed), I LOVE tornadoes! In fact, one of my biggest draws to Kansas City was the fact that I might be able to see some tornadoes. I must confess that I've never actually seen one, but I dream about them (and seriously wake up smiling from those dreams), and I read about them and try to learn everything I can, and I YouTube them and watch lots of videos. Very fun!! I should clarify that I don't like it when cities are destroyed and people are hurt. I am just fascinated by them and think they are absolutely beautiful.

So, it has been a dream of mine to see a tornado and hopefully do some chasing while I'm here as well. So I have to write about the funny thing that happened this week. Monday, Garrett left for a dental convention in Dallas. And I was joking with him because we had some crazy wind and scary looking sky - so I told him he was going to miss the big tornado. Well I was sitting at work and decided to check the weather.gov site to see if we were getting any closer to a tornado. I noticed that Dallas, and more specifically Denton (where Garrett's parents house is) was in the middle of a tornado watch. I called Garrett to tell him and he said they had blue sky. He called me back about a half hour later and I couldn't hear him over the wind and the tornado sirens in the background. So I logged on to weather.gov again and a tornado had touched down just a few miles from Garrett's house!!! He didn't actually see the funnel, but he was close! I was so jealous! So I'm just keeping my fingers crossed for some "good" weather closer to home.

Published

2008-03-25T20:36:00.001-07:00

A copy of the article I published came in the mail today. Before now, I never really understood why people would be excited about publishing a scholarly article - they are all so boring - and the last part is still true - they are pretty boring. But it does feel cool to know that something I wrote will be bound up in a book that will sit in some libraries across the nation until it gets old and worn out and completely replaced by technology. I don't anticipate that anyone will actually read it, but that's okay. Well, no, let me correct myself, Garrett will read it, and so will I. We like it. I've actually read it to him several times and he always makes me finish even if I get bored in the middle because I already know every single word in it. So I'm guessing he'll read it a few more times. And maybe someday one of our kids will read it and feel secretly proud of his mom for knowing a little something about oil and gas recovery methods and their impact on trespass law in Texas . . . maybe.

Girl Weekend

2008-03-10T20:50:00.000-07:00

My mom and sister came out to visit this weekend and we had a girl party! It was so much fun. We did some sight-seeing and then went shopping. Why is it so much fun to shop with your mom and sister? It was a REALLY great weekend! So I'm posting some pictures. One of them is of us in my new office. You will notice the walls are totally bare! I need diplomas and cool pictures to hang in my office.

I started my job last Monday and I really like it. I have discovered that I'm a recluse at work. I really like going to my office and being able to work all day without talking to anyone. That sounds terrible, and I'm sure I should be more social, but when you have to focus on billing a certain number of hours every day, you just start to think - don't talk to me, I'm busy. Then I love coming home and hanging out with G! I feel like I have so much time on my hands now that I don't study all the time. I get to come home and do whatever I feel like - which sadly right now usually means turning on American Idol. I've never been into it before (even though we tried out for it), but this season I decided to be a fan, and I like it.

"I'll talk to my attorney and get back to you"

2008-03-03T09:11:00.001-08:00

You should have seen her, she took it like a champ. Composed, calm, and as over-prepared as she is beautiful. Bravo, baby.

We'll be updating soon!

2008-02-24T20:26:00.000-08:00

This is just a fast apology update because I know we are terrible at updating. I've done nothing but study for the past few weeks and I'm walking the plank this week. The test is in a city a couple hours away from here, so I leave tomorrow and won't be back until Thursday morning. The test is 2 days, 8 hours a day. Yuck! Anyway, that's why we've been so bad. Garrett is the most helpful, nice, supportive friend/hubby in the world! He's been amazing through this whole month of intense studying. So here's a shout out for him. Go G, You Rock!

Then, I get a couple days off and start my job next Monday. So it is an exciting time of life for us! But I promise we'll be way better at updating this thing from now on!

Photo Contest Results -- I won!

2008-02-12T11:34:00.000-08:00

The contest has a dozen winners and the pictures make up a nice calendar. I figured this one would at least make it to the finals -- lots of interest in teeth around here. Etched Enamel, second molar 4000x.

Scuba KC!!!

2008-02-07T17:43:00.000-08:00

We are totally in love with our fish!!! To all you divers out there who don't get enough underwater time, get a tank! There are so many cool things about having a reef in your living room. Garrett and I just got 4 new fish! Our little tank is maxed out now and I'm sure many tank experts would tell us we have too many, but we got clearance from our tank buddy, John, who told us we have a great tank that could handle a big load. So we now have two Tangs: Tack and Turk (Tack is a sailfin, and for you non-sailers out there, to tack means to kind of sail in a zigzag when you are going into the wind, so we thought it was fitting for him (he's black and white and yellow; Turk is a Unicorn Tang aka a Surgeonfish, which Garrett decided meant he should be named after a famous surgeon - Turk, from Scrubs) I feel like I need to explain Turk a little because if you see him in the pictures or the video you will think, "Hmm. why did they buy all those cool fish and then that boring grey one?" But he's really beautiful in person! He changes from light to dark a lot, and when he is lighter you can see his cute purple freckles all over his face. Also, he's a juvenile right now, but when he gets older he will be even more gorgeous. We also have a Mandarin Dragonette who doesn't have a name yet - it will be something helicopter related though because he doesn't swim like a normal fish, he just goes straight up and straight down like a helicopter. And we have a really amazingly cool looking fish called a Dragon Wrasse. He lookes like he's wearing army camo, and then he has these crazy fins poking out of the top of his head that look a lot like reighdeer antlers, so his name is Private First Class Blitzen or P.F.C. Blitzen for short (ha, not so short) He had me worried all day because we just got him and the two Tangs last night and he was really active all night but this morning I couldn't find him anywhere, which doesn't make a lot of sense in a 14 gallon tank. He's not a tiny fish either. So when we came home today and couldn't see him I started thinking we'd need to take the rocks out and find his dead body. Instead, Garrett started laughing and showed me this little tail sticking up from the sand. He likes to bury himself in the sand! It's really not that unique; a lot of species do it, but the guy at the store said most wrasses do it but he didn't think a dragon wrasse would. Well, he does. He can bury himself completely because he's so flat, so he just hangs out down there and sleeps during the da;y and then I poke him so he comes out to play with everyone else at night. And of course we still have our baby - Juice!!! He's the sweetest little guy. He's been giving the other fish kisses - and I really mean it. He goes up to them and gives them these open-mouthed kisses on their bodies. And he's not trying to be mean, he's really gentle about it.

So fun!!! Meanwhile, the bar is not fun, and posting this blog and these pictures counts as my break for the night, so I've got to get back to it. We hope you like the video. I am posting a few still shots on here even though they look terrible because my sister can't get videos on her computer - so here's for you Paige!!!

Doctor

2008-01-28T18:35:00.000-08:00

It's official. The years of waiting are over. I am done with school FOREVER! Today I got my official notice of graduation in the mail. It said, "Degree Conferred: J.D." It just looked cool. Of course, I've technically been done for awhile, but since I enjoy worrying so much I convinced myself that I probably failed a final and would have to go back to school for another semester. (I seriously deluded myself into worrying about this for over a month). When our grades came out on Friday I was ecstatic to find that I actually did well in all my classes. I can't believe it is really over. I have been asking Garrett to call me "doctor" whenever he thinks about it. :) I guess a lot of you don't know that I first started dreaming about becoming a lawyer when I was in 5th grade and did a mock trial - so the J.D. is a big step for me - passing the bar is the next big one! And that is coming up at the end of February. In fact. I need to get back to my studying. :) Is it ever REALLY over?

One more Fish Video

2008-01-20T17:15:00.000-08:00

Just Clownin' Around (lame, lame title)

2008-01-20T17:00:00.000-08:00

So Garrett and I finally got our little underwater world put together. We now have a 14 gallon nano reef tank (saltwater). We are so excited! We got the set up from a guy who had a few tanks and wanted to get rid of one as is. So we got all the live rock, one of which was growing some sweet mushrooms (a type of coral). He had been keeping a few Hermit crabs and an Emerald crab in there as well. So we started with those and then once the tank had cycled we bought a clown fish and an anemone. Our clown fish is named Juice. We can't get over how much this little guy LOVES his anemone. He plays in it all day. When we first brought him home he started in a different part of the tank than the anemone and he wouldn't come out of the corner to look around the tank because he was too scared. We'd seen him playing around in the anemone at the store, so we knew he'd love it if he saw it, but he stayed in the corner for about 5-6 hours. When he finally snuck out far enough to see the anemone the reuinion was awesome! He just jumped in that thing and didn't come out for almost 24 hours. I don't think there is a happier fish in the world - for sure not in the reef (because he's the only fish we have right now). Anyway, he's lots of fun. For all of you who know that I'm a huge puppy fan, this little clown fish has taken care of my puppy obsession for now - he's just as fun to watch, if not more, and Garrett loves him too, so it was a great compromise.

If you don't believe me that fish are as cute as puppies, watch the video. :)

Me with BROWN hair!

2007-12-18T08:30:00.000-08:00

So I decided to do something drastic with my hair. This is it! I'm sure I won't stay brown for the rest of my life, but it's kind of a fun change. :)

Photo Contest

2007-11-29T16:35:00.000-08:00

UMKC has a photo contest every year. Most of the submissions sing the tune "my vacation was more exotic than yours." You know the song. In keeping with that theme, here is one of my contest submissions -- our favorite sailing spot, Smithville Reservoir, about a half-hour north of here.

The Most Boring Update of All Time . . .

2007-11-11T17:40:00.000-08:00

So everyone is always bugging me about when I'm going to update our blog. My excuse is that I have no new pictures of us. You see, for those of us without kids, we don't go around taking pictures of each other all the time. We should though, since we only see each other every few weeks.

For those of you who don't know this (which means you must be way out of the loop), Garrett lives in Kansas City, Missouri (I have to put the state because it's about 50% on people who realized Kansas City is in Missouri). I live in Orem with my Grandma while I finish up my last semester of law school. I have 5 weeks left. 5 weeks! I have been in school since kindergarten, and in 5 weeks, I will never again have to go to school!!! Meanwhile, Garrett is working at the dental school in Kansas City and applying for dental school. I recently accepted a job offer with Stinson Morrison Hecker, a firm in Kansas City and will start there sometime after I take the bar in February.

As for Garrett and me, we are totally lonely!!!! We really miss being together and have had so much fun on the three very short visits we have had since being apart. We are really looking forward to Thanksgiving because G is coming to Salt Lake for the first time in about 3 months.

Like I warned you, this is an incredibly boring update with no pictures! Most of you who care enough to read our blog already know all this, so I feel bad writing it, but this is all we've got right now. Hopefully next year by this time we will have a new house and a dog to write about. (just kidding about the dog - Garrett is NOT a dog person which he waited to make very clear after we were married) :) Good thing he's so perfect in every other way or I could be really ticked off. I promise to give a much better update next time because we will hopefully have more interesting news (doubtful)

Oregon

2007-09-22T09:15:00.000-07:00

This is Garrett and me on our very short trip to Oregon with my family. I could only get 2 days off of work, so we were only here on the Oregon coast from Thurs - Sun, but it was a blast! What a gorgeous place. G and I tried sandboarding (like snowboarding but down sand dunes). Of course G was a natural at it! No matter what sport he tries, he picks it up in 5 minutes. I am a different story. This 2-man kayak was another favorite adventure from the trip. Many of you will want to know why Garrett is bald. This summer he was bald-by-choice. While we were living in Phoenix it was so blasted hot that Garrett decided it was the perfect time to shave his head. He kept it up for a few months, but his hair is back now. He's hot either way, so it was kind of a fun change! :)

Internship

2007-06-17T16:49:00.001-07:00

Well, here is the boat!!!! When Garrett came home with a bag of sails and the junkiest looking boat I had ever seen I just trusted that he would pull off his typical Garrett miracles. He is the most amazing fixer-upper I

have ever met-- AND he didn't disappoint me. We have had so many compliments from the Yacht Club here! They all love the wooden mast Garrett sanded and re-stained. It is a really great looking boat! We are calling her Internship Garrett's clever idea. I was a little hesitant to even get on it at first because it is a racing boat. Rather than the typical one rudder and one center board, this boat has a rudder and a center board on each side. This is because it is always meant to be tipped to one side. Then, we sit on the other side to counter-balance the pressure of the wind. I'm still getting adjusted to it, but it's started to feel more and more comfortable.

Yesterday we had so much fun! We took the boat out in what I'm sure was 110 degree weather and we were the only ones on the water. We put our two lawn chairs up on the front of the boat and threw an anchor down so we could just float out in the middle of the lake. Garrett tied the chairs to the boat just in case they blew in. Not only did they fall in-- but we were on them when it happened. They just kind of slid off the side and we both fell in-- at different times.

This lake is part of the Salt River Project-- basically there was a dried up river bed that would flood once a year and just sit empty the rest of the year. So they blocked off about a mile or so and made it into Tempe Town Lake. It has roads going over it, so that is what you see here-- Garrett just barely clearing the mast under this bridge.

My Office

2007-06-17T16:42:00.000-07:00

I am working for Jennings Strouss and Salmon, a Phoenix firm, this summer as an intern. It has been really fun-- especially because they are really trying to give us the full experience, so I have a nice office and even a secretary! Of course I feel really weird using a secretary-- I always feel like I should be asking her if there is something I can do for her. Here are some pictures of my great office.

Phoenix!!!

2007-06-17T16:33:00.001-07:00

This is by far the nicest apartment G and I are going to have for awhile! This is our amazing downtown loft. I could write about it, but I think the pictures can do the talking. It is a really great place! We are having a lot of fun here, two blocks from Chase field. We've been to tons of baseball games. We've also had some great activities with the firm. We would love to have some visitors!!!!

"watch the birdie"

2007-03-20T13:04:00.000-07:00

I threw my bike over my shoulder and while I was going out the door I heard scratching and tiny foot shuffles in the wall above the door frame. I went out and closed the door, then pounded on the wall for a bit (this is a standard test to identify the genus and species). Too bad the scratching stopped before I could identify the animal. Oh well. In the glass I saw a reflection of a small bird, flying back and forth. "He's either practicing approaches, or that isn't a reflection."

It wasn't a reflection. "Cool, there's a bird in the house. I should take some pictures." Really, though, I should have let him out before he pooped all over. Twenty in three minutes?

Stay in school

2007-03-16T11:14:00.000-07:00

Feels funny to be begging for more.

Four and Three Quarters Months

2007-03-16T09:13:00.000-07:00

I have this many months of school left (not counting the summer work I'll be doing). I'm just writing to say-- I CAN'T WAIT! I am so ready to be done with this fulfilling, long, difficult, discouraging, challenging, wonderful, miserable experience. I don't know how people go for the full three years. Maybe my stress is coming as a result of taking too many classes so that I can graduate early, but I am so excited to be done, that come December it all will have been worth it!

Nike

2007-03-15T11:38:00.000-07:00

Working out is awesome! Yesterday it was gorgeous outside--one of those spring days that makes you remember that you won't be in school forever, and that there is life outside of buildings. So, in order to take advantage of it I went for a jog. There are few things more fulfilling than getting your heart rate up, working up a sweat, and listening to the sound of a creek as you jog past. Now, to anyone who may be reading this and thinking-- uggh, I hate running. Believe me . . . I do too. In fact, when I say I went for a jog, what I mean is that I run until I feel suicidal, then I walk until I feel like my heart rate is slowing down too much, and then I repeat the process. Try it out-- it's really quite enjoyable. When I got back home I was thinking about everything I had to do and it all seemed do-able! I realized how happy I felt and tried to figure out when that started. I finally realized it was because of the jog--totally worth all the suicidal thoughts.

Bike is better

2007-03-15T10:03:00.000-07:00

I kinda sissied out and parked my bike over the winter. I'm back to commuting on two wheels again and loving it. I should lock my keys in the car and see how long I can last.

First Post

2007-03-14T11:23:00.000-07:00

Bravo! This will be fun. "On behalf of welchfam, welcome to our blog." Let me start by saying that leaving BYU will be amazing, and it's coming soon. I have two months to go until graduation and some much-anticipated warm summer days. Winter doesn't make sense if you can't ski, and in grad school I can't seem to get up the hill!

Hello Internet World

2007-03-14T10:35:00.000-07:00

G and I need to get up on the new age stuff. So here we are! This should be a fun way for our family and friends to see what we are up to in Kansas City and Phoenix this summer. I'll post more when I don't have Criminal Procedure to Read. :)