Indiana Jenn

This was an awesome night.

2011-11-04T22:35:00.000-07:00

I found these pictures when I was looking through some old emails for something. This is hands down one of the most memorable nights of my life. I had just started my first REAL job as an archaeologist. I had just moved to HOLLYWOOD! I was literally living two blocks from Hollywood Blvd., about 1 mile from the Hollywood Bowl, two blocks from the Cafe featured in Swingers, and three blocks from the most delicious Kobe Beef Burger you will EVER eat!

This was the night that two of my greatest friends solidified their relationship. They are now married. This is the night I discovered bacon-wrapped hotdogs. This was the night I discovered "Snowman Beer." This is the night that I would strike up conversations with the people stuck in traffic on Highland Blvd., and poke a random guy in the butt with a traffic cone for being a jerk. His girlfriend told him he deserved it. This is the night I played coke bottle soccer with Kurt and Laura, all the way home.

This is the picture that got me nominated to be the "Drunk Girl" at the Adam Corolla Play Mansion party. I lost to the "Slutty Drunk Girl" because she had more MySpace Friends. Whore.

This was the night my friends and I were going to see Bright Eyes and I would scream my loudest to Conner Oberst that I loved him. And he would tell me that he loved me back. Even though I'm married now Conner, I still love you. I still love you.

Even though you are a bit too much for me at times, Los Angeles, there will always be a special place in my heart for you.

I made some curtains!

2011-08-12T18:46:00.001-07:00

And I am rather proud of them. The hems seem pretty straight and both curtains are the same size! I really enjoy sewing. I wish I could do more of it, but fabric is quite pricey by the time you purchase it, purchase a matching thread color, and spend the time to make the item compared to just buying it at Target or Big Lots. But you don't get to choose your fabric for your office/room that Dennis' closet is in/library/craft room/bike storage/inflatable boat storage/cat litter box room. So I guess that is a bonus. (Seriously. It is rather ridiculous the amount of items that are located in this room. I'm saving the organization and cleaning of this room for a cold winter day.)

That is Zazoo's tail sticking out of the bottom.

New kitchen curtains are in the works. Pictures soon!

If my neighbors go missing, I didn't do it

2011-08-11T19:12:00.000-07:00

I was telling my husband (I'm still not used to the fact that I have a husband!) the other day how our neighbors have been rather quiet lately. I mean, they haven't put out their baby pool on the balcony and spilled water all over our porch while I was out there reading in quite a while. I should have known better to say that out loud. I have lived in an apartment most of my life and have never had such obnoxious neighbors. Who the hell fights with their ten year old about going to bed and then lets her stay up until 3 in the morning blasting the TV? And then stomps their way across the apartment while bouncing a ball? At least, that is what it sounds like anyway...Grrrr....

Here are some of my favorite wedding pictures so I don't have to think about the assholes upstairs.

I love our apartment though. It's so nice living near water. Dennis and I bought a raft and we can put in practically right across the street from our place! We took a two and half hour float trip on Tuesday although we practically burned our skin off. (We forgot sun block! Who forgets sun block when you go out on a boat?) We saw an egrit, a Blue Heron, a bunch of Red-Tail Hawks and some kind of fish who tried to jump into our boat! I need to become more acquainted with the wild life and native plant names in Illinois. I can name almost anything in the Mojave Desert but almost nothing here! Anyway, it was pretty awesome and I can't wait to do it again!

Now that wedding madness is over, thank-you cards are out, and I have a new job, hopefully I'll be up to blogging more. I'm sure all of you are so excited.

Fabric Flower Hair Clips for the Bridesmaids

2011-03-09T19:28:00.001-08:00

I found a tutorial on Project Wedding http://www.projectwedding.com/wedding-ideas/diy-gorgeous-chiffon-and-tulle-flowers for these beautiful fabric flowers for use as a hair accessory. I tried it out in our colors and I think they turned out pretty neat! I used chiffon, tule, satin, and organza in both colors. The tutorial doesn't explain how to sew it all together very well, but I finally figured it out: fold it in half, then fold it in half again, stitch up the side, and fluff the flower! To attach it to a hair clip, sew it around the top of the clip!

It's hard to capture the color in the artificial light...but I did my best.

Pocket Squares

2011-02-02T15:47:00.000-08:00

When we first started talking about grooms attire for the wedding, I had told Dennis that I wanted the boys to have embroidered pocket squares. I was having trouble finding someone to make what I wanted and I couldn't find anything on the internet (not even Etsy), so I decided to make them myself. Luckily for me, my sewing machine has an embroidery feature. All I had to do was purchase a design and press a button! I did make the actual pocket squares myself though. It proved a little harder than I thought because of the size of the hem, but I think I did a pretty good job! I may just start selling these on Etsy myself!

Snow. My. God.

2011-02-02T15:13:00.000-08:00

Snow drift in the backyard

19-20 inches!

Digging out the front door.

Digging out the cars.

Snowblowin' the rest.

Show-off.

Finished!!

Two New Jobs

2011-01-27T21:23:00.001-08:00

Well, the marketing "job" I wrote about below turned out to be a strange multi-level marketing scheme where you try and sell windshield repair services to random people at the gas station or cheap make-up to Sam's Club customers. I researched the firm a little and it turned out the owner of the "company" closed up shop in California super fast cause of so many complaints and moved the operation to Schaumburg. They technically are not doing anything illegal, but they are still pretty shady and it sounds like they are ripping people off left and right.

On a brighter note, I was offered two jobs within twenty minutes a few weeks ago and have started both of them. I am now a Liability Claims Examiner @ Sedgwick CMS and a Bridal Consultant at David's Bridal. I am really enjoying both jobs so far. According to both of their handbooks, I must include some statement in my personal blog if I mention their name. Something to the tone of "the views expressed in this blog are solely mine and do not reflect the views of the company in any way, shape, or form." Everyone at both jobs has been really nice and I'm learning a lot about many things both liability and bridal related. I get to work with my first bride on Wednesday and I am a little nervous but also excited. I also got asked to lunch with the "cool kids" at Sedgwick tomorrow. Nice.

I'm kind of sad that I won't be posting many field pics on my blog anymore...but I'm slowly coming to terms with the fact that I will no longer be an archaeologist. But then I remember the day I decided I did not want to do archaeology anymore: Melanie and I got a flat tire in the middle of the desert , three miles from the nearest road, on a 117 degree day and neither our roadside assistant or my supervisor would come to get us. Thank someone for AAA. I still get the itch...in fact I told Dennis today that I was thinking about applying for an arch job that I saw and he said "Absolutely not. It's like an abusive relationship. You cannot go back." Which, as any archaeologist knows, is totally true.

So here I am....Claims Examiner and Bridal Consultant, making half of what I was making as an archeo...which wasn't much to begin with...but in a better state of mind, place, and being. Sometimes it is just a quality of life decision. Besides.....we've got a brewery to start!

Back in Schaumburg

2010-11-27T09:50:00.001-08:00

Hello Everyone. It has been a long time since I have blogged, but I have some good excuses. In September, shortly after our trip home for Brayden's Christening, Dennis and I decided that we wanted to move back to Illinois. Later that same month, I decided that I no longer want to be an archaeologist. So I quit. And we moved. I was just about to get a promotion and a fat raise, but even the money couldn't keep me around. Am I crazy? Probably. Especially with our wedding now only 190 days away! But I really couldn't do it anymore and all of my archaeologist friends and archaeologist-turned-other-profession friends know exactly how I feel. Everyone, especially our families, has been really supportive and I feel so lucky to have such an amazing support system!

Dennis's parents have set us up with a sweet basement "apartment;" Dennis has already found a job; and I have had two interviews, one with the Department on Natural Resources in Milwaukee, WI and the other with a Marketing and Development firm in Schaumburg. I've also applied for a lot of museum and zoo jobs. The recruitment process takes so long with governments, museums, and zoos, so I haven't heard back from any of them yet...but I am keeping my fingers crossed. I have a second interview with the Marketing and Devlopment firm on Tuesday. Its mostly trade shows and store booths representing certain brands. Think "the Sham-Wow" guy. It actually sounds kind of fun, but I don't know how I feel about marketing and sales. I really hate pressuring people into buying things and I'm nervous that that is what I will be asked to do. During the second interview they actually take you to one of their events to see what you will be doing, so at least I'll get to check it out before I commit. Plus, I really need the money.

I just found out that the Anthropology Museum Director at NIU is retiring on January 1st. I am going to apply for that position as well and on Monday, I will be heading to Rockford to take two tests for a few government jobs that I applied for. Wish me luck! I hope I find something soon. I'm starting to feel useless!

The 10-10-10 Wedding Extravaganza

2010-10-11T19:43:00.001-07:00

What an awesome, wild weekend! Congrats to Lindsey and Matt Porras and Carlos Romero and Jeanette Meliska-Romero! Both weddings were absolutely beautiful and fabulous! I don't have any pics of Lindsay and Matt at the moment, cause I forgot to charge the camera! But take my word, they were gorgeous!!!

Carlos and Jeanette 10-10-10

Jeannette

Our gorgeous bouquets!

The Beautiful Bride and myself.

Bridesmaids!

The altar

The Groom

Man and Wife!

Conga Line!

Breaking it down on the dancefloor!

The International Ben Franklin Event

2010-09-19T11:03:00.000-07:00

For those of you not familiar with this ficticious event it was invented by Tina and she descibes it as so:

This event is being held worldwide to commemorate the man who wore many hats and went to Paris. Helped found a county, discovered wonderful things and inspired countless financial Institutions. Ben is the man.

Requirements: Find some friends, everyone wears a crazy hat/s, acts witty and remembers The Franklin. Optional additions: a grey wig, beer and trips to Paris.

So, we got a few friends together and wore some hats. And then switched hats. And then switched hats again. And remembered Ben Franklin. And hilarity ensued.

We brought over some home brew for the event. It is a little known fact, but Ben too, brewed his own beer.

This commemorative plate was in Mark's Kitchen. Bill loves Ben Franklin too.

Engagement Pics Sneak Peak

2010-09-14T22:01:00.001-07:00

Incase you are not on Facebook, our Wedding Photographer, Jessie, provided some FABULOUS sneak peaks from our Engagement Sesh at Cantigny Park. Her and her assistant Julie were so much fun to work with and made us feel so comfortable. The pics are amazing and I cannot wait to see the rest! Check out JUST LOVE ME at http://jessibornack.com/

Our friend David creating a show-stopping Save-the-Date for us using one of our pics!

Mormon Rocks...more like Boring Rocks.

2010-09-14T21:46:00.001-07:00

I have passed by the Mormon Rocks a hundred times on my way to and from projects in the SoCal area and have always wanted to go check them out. So when Dennis and I finally had a day off together, we decided to take a day trip.

Turns out, they are not that exciting. There is a little interpretive trail, but all the pamphlets have been taken (even though the sign kindly reminds you to return them for future visitors). The trail is only one mile long, the rocks are surrounded by highway and ranches, and you can't really climb on any of the rocks because they are very slippery and dangerous.

Dennis learned the hard way....

They are still pretty neat looking.

and I hope you like jammin' too....

2010-09-14T21:29:00.000-07:00

Over Labor Day Weekend, Liz Denniston and I got together to make jam. It was fairly easy and the results are delicious!

20 pints of strawberries

4 Jewel bags full of grapes

Sanitizing the jars

Strawberry jam mix

Removing the jars from the boiling water

The sink got clogged!

Sanitizing and jamming

Eight hours later: 17 jars of Strawberry Jam; 3 large jars of grape jelly/jam; and 6 jars of fig jam!

We've tasted the Strawberry and it is delicious! The grape jam didn't seem to set right and it looks more like watery grape jelly, but we haven't tasted it yet. We haven't tasted the fig either, but it is on the menu for tomorrows breakfast!

NEPHEW!

2010-09-14T21:17:00.001-07:00

We finally got to meet our nephew (my Godson) on Friday!! I never, in a million years, would have imagined the feeling I felt when I held him for the first time. He is so precious! Dennis and I got to babysit him on Saturday while Lizzie and Rick went bowling,Sunday was the Baptism, and Monday we flew home :(

We also got to see our niece Paige. She has gotten so big since we've last seen her and she is already starting to eat real food!

I miss everyone already! I applied for four jobs tonight, all within the Chicagoland area. Wish me luck and keep your fingers crossed!

I Can't Wait to Meet This Little Guy!

2010-08-30T19:25:00.000-07:00

San Gorgonio

2010-08-11T22:02:00.001-07:00

Two weekends ago, Dennis and I, and some our friends, backpacked the Fish Creek to San Gorgonio Peak Trail. We traveled approximately 21 miles over two days! It took us almost ten hours to reach the summit (11,501 feet above sea level) and make it back to camp, which means we hiked about 16 miles in one day, and then hiked the remaining five back to the trail head in the morning.

Fish Creek Trailhead. We started on the trail at about 9:00 a.m. Our goal was to hike to Fish Creek Saddle camp, set up our tent, and continue on to San Gorgonio Peak so we could make it back before it started to get dark. We started a little later than we wanted, but we made pretty good time to the camp.

About half way to camp.

Me and my pack.

Dennis and his pack.

Wildflowers on the hillside.

Setting up camp.

Eating lunch.

Some sort of parasite or beetle is killing these trees. It's really sad, but their bare trunks look beautiful against a blue sky.

Coming up the south face.

The trail winds around the mountain to the north face from the south. A series of switchbacks begins about 1,000 feet below the summit on the south, then the Sky High Trail winds around the mountain and takes you up to the summit. This picture is of a sand dune we saw while on the Sky High Trail. Mt. San Jacinto (approx. 40 miles away) is in the background.

Dennis and I at the summit! We reached the summit about 5:30 p.m. It got extremely windy and cold once we passed the tree line and we only hung out at the summit for about twenty minutes. We were EXHAUSTED!

On the way back down, we stopped to get some water from Fish Creek. Two Park Rangers told us that there would be a stream or spring near our camp, but there wasn't. We were able to ration what water we had until the hike down in the morning, but we were thirsty! Dennis and I have a Steri-pen, which filters and sterilizes water in order to make it potable. This is what I am doing in this pic.

The group at the end of the trip! WE DID IT!!

Welcome to the world Brayden Lee Simantz!

2010-07-21T10:20:00.001-07:00

Brayden Lee Simantz, Born July 12, 2010, 8 pounds, 2 ounces.

The Happy Family.

Maria and Edmund's Wedding

2010-06-26T00:02:00.000-07:00

Dennis's college roommate and his longtime girlfriend got married a few weeks ago. The wedding was beautiful and they looked so happy and in love the whole night. Good luck to you Maria and Ed, we love you!

Ed and Maria's first dance as a married couple.

Me, Dennis, and Rick (the other college roommate).

Roommates.

Breaking it down on the dance floor.

I don't know any of these people, so I feel it is OK to put funny pictures of them

up on the internet.

This guy sat next to me and I found out he went to UIC. He was fun.

Angelus Oaks Fire Break Survey

2010-06-25T23:19:00.000-07:00

I spent the last week up on Angelus Oaks with Liz, Melanie, and William on a survey for a fire break up in the San Bernardino National Forest. Most of the terrain was unsurveyable due to steep slopes and extremely thick vegetation and Half the time we were more worried about not twisting our ankles on the eroding bedrock or stepping on a rattlesnake rather than looking for archaeological sites. However, we were still able to check out much of the Manzanita Flats and surrounding valley. We didn't really find anything of interest, but we saw a lot of neat wildflowers....albeit very thorny wildflowers. I'll be in the office for a much welcomed couple of weeks. It is starting to get really hot out here and I'm sick of thorns poking through my gators!

Mountains

Yucca. The ends of the leaves are very, very pointy and hurt extremely bad when they poke you in the leg.

Top of the Yucca. The green balls on the end of the branches are fruit. It tastes kind of nutty, almost coco-nutty...but we weren't really sure if it was ripe yet, so we're not sure what it is really supposed to taste like.

I have no idea what these are called, but the green ball at the base is very thorny, as is the rest of the stem. They are really pretty, but they also hurt when they poke you.

Buckwheat flowers. These do not poke you.

This flower is called Woolly Blue Curls. When a bee lands on the flower, the stamen (the curls) wrap around the bee depositing the pollen onto its back. I actually caught it in action!

I am not sure what the rest of these flowers are called, but the yellow ones smell AMAZING! I really wish I could capture that scent and take it with me everywhere.

Liz coming out of the brush.

Face deep in brush.

We find the strangest things on survey.

We're Engaged!

2010-06-25T23:03:00.000-07:00

If you haven't heard by now, Dennis and I are engaged! He proposed during one of our frequent picnic lunches at the park across the street from where I work. The ring is perfect...it's exactly what I wanted and we never really even talked about it! The pictures below are kind of blurry...sorry! It's hard to take a picture of jewelry!

We've already picked a ceremony/reception site and the rest of the plans are under way!

YOSEMITE NATIONAL PARK

2010-05-26T20:00:00.000-07:00

This past weekend Dennis, myself, Melanie, Cary, Sara, Wendy, Richard, Mark, Crystal, and Dennis; cousin Kristi took a trip to Yosemite National Park. For most of us, it was our first time in the park. We've been planning this trip for months, secured the last two campsites available in the park for the season at Hodgdon Meadows, and of course, the weekend we made the camping reservations it decides to rain and snow the entire time we are there! Oh well, even in rain and snow it was the most beautiful place I have ever seen!

The park is basically separated into 6 main popular areas, Mariposa Grove, Hetch Hetchy, Wawona, Yosemite Valley, Tuolumne (pronouned "too-AH-lum-ee") Meadows/Tioga Road, and Glacier Point. Glacier Point Road and Tioga Road (and therefore Tuolumne Meadows) were all closed due to snow so we were limited to the Mariposa Grove, Hetch Hetchy Valley, and the Yosemite Valley. (See map below).

***Remember, if you click on a picture, it will bring a larger picture up in a new window for your viewing pleasure. Dennis and I took all of these pictures with our Cannon SD790. I took a lot of film with my SLR too, but I haven't gotten the film developed yet. Also, I don't have a scanner, so if you want to eventually see those, please ask!***

We left Friday morning bright and early and arrived at the park around 1:00 p.m. We entered in the park at the south entrance, near Mariposa Grove. Since we were right there, we decided to do a 3-mile hike before we headed toward our campsite.

This is the Fallen Monarch Tree. No one has ever seen this tree standing. There is a famous photograph of this tree from 1899 photograph of U. S Cavalry officers on their horses standing on the tree that I have provided above to give you an idea of how HUGE this tree is. In order to preserve the tree, today visitors to the park are not allowed to climb on it.

The Bachelor and the Three Graces

Awesome roots on a fallen tree.

The Grizzly Bear

California Tunnel Tree

Me in the rotted out trunk of a tree.

The group in the Telescope Tree. From left to right, Melanie, Cary, Richard, Dennis, Kristi, Wendy, and Sara.

Dennis standing next to a Giant Sequoia

Me inside a tree.

After the hike, we drove the hour to the campsite. The way the roads in the park are designed, we were forced to go through the Wawona Tunnel and into Yosemite Valley before being able to head northwest to our campsite....they do this on purpose.....

Tunnel View, Yosemite National Park, May 21, 2010.

Dennis and I at Tunnel View, May 21, 2010.

We arrived at camp around 6, set up camp, and stuck all our food and toiletries in a bear locker. Yes, a bear locker. Bears have an AMAZING sense of smell and will break into your car or rip your tent open if they smell something as small as a piece of a gum. They are also attracted to the scent of toiletries so everything with a scent is required to be in a food locker. The Nature Center at Happy Isles inside the park had an great exhibit on bears.... if your ever there..check it out!

Camp 19

Bear Lockers!

The next morning we drove into the Valley to see the wonder that is Yosemite Valley. We hiked to Lower Yosemite Falls and then decided to hike the strenuous Yosemite Falls Trail that is supposed to bring you up to the top of the falls. We ended up doing half of it, cause it had drizzled most of the day, and started raining pretty hard. We also wanted to be able to see some other things on our way back to camp so we ended up heading back to camp pretty early.

Lower Yosemite Falls

View from half-way up the Yosemite Falls Trail.

Yosemite Falls Video

I don't remember the name of this mountain.

El Capitan

Dennis and Kristi near the base of El Capitan.

On our way back from El Capitan, we found a little patch of plants with fresh water droplets, so I tested out my digital zoom.

After a delicious dinner of Hobo Potatoes and delicious meats cooked over a camp fire, a few beers were had and it was off to bed.

The next morning began with a delicious berry cobbler breakfast prepared over the fire in a dutch oven and a various assortment of fruits, nuts, and oatmeal. Then we headed back to the Valley and hiked the Eastern side. We made a few stops on our way in..one to take a picture of a bear that had been feeding in the area for a few days, one outside of a tunnel on our way to the Valley, because the day before we noticed a smaller tunnel within the tunnel heading in the other direction... so we decided to check it out and one last stop at Bridalveil Falls. We walked around the whole Eastern side of the Valley, past the Ahwanee Hotel, past Royal Arches, to Mirror Lake at the base of Half Dome, to Happy Isles, to Vernal Falls and up 1,900 feet in under a mile along the very intense and strenuous Mist Trail to the top of Vernal Falls. The view from the top of Vernal Falls was AWESOME in the true sense of the word. I couldn't quite capture the details on digital film due to the weather and light...but trust me...it was gorgeous.

Black Bear!

Sequoia Trees and a Blue Sky. I used to color accent feature on my digi for these.

The aforementioned tunnel.

View from the aforementioned tunnel.

Bridalveil Falls

The falls were very cold and wet.

View of Half Dome from behind Yosemite Village.

The eastern portion of Half Dome from Mirror Lake.

View of the Valley walls from Mirror Lake. It's called Mirror Lake, because you are supposed to be able to see the reflection of Half Dome. We couldn't see it, but we'll blame it on the weather.

Half Dome.
Since it was closed due to snow, Dennis and I plan to go back in the summer and do the hike.

Dennis and I in front of Mirror Lake.

Warming my face. It was soooo cold!

Dennis leaning against one of the trees that was knocked over during the 1997 rock fall at Happy Isles.

The raging rapids of the Merced River.

View of Vernal Falls on the way to the top.

Lichens along the Mist Trail.

Richard along the Mist Trail.

The top of the Mist Trail.
I couldn't take a lot of pictures on the way up because I didn't want the camera to get to wet. This is a picture of the final ascent!

Looking down from the top of Vernal Falls.

The view from Vernal Falls.

Richard at the top of Vernal Falls. The trail continues to the left of Richard and goes on for another 10 miles to the top of Glacier Point Road. It was a hike I really wanted to do, but a lot of it was closed due to snow :(

Dennis and I at the the top of Vernal Falls.

We headed back shortly after the hike for a delicious dinner of Red Beans and Rice, cornbread, and Bailey's and Hot Cocoa. We had to leave pretty early the next morning to get back in time to get Dennis to work and Kristi to the airport.

We're already planning a second trip for this year, if we can find a campsite or hotel near the park. I can't wait to go back! If you ever get a chance to go, jump on it! It's such an amazing place to visit, and we haven't even seen a quarter of the park!

There is always next time...

2010-05-12T20:13:00.000-07:00

I just found out we won't be able to hike Half Dome next weekend when we go to Yosemite. The snow pack is at 134% and the dome and most of the way up are covered in snow! Oh well, there is always next time....

Just south of Primm, NV

2010-05-09T23:12:00.001-07:00

I've been working on the Stateline for the past two weeks, working on a project just south of Primm, NV, home to the fabulous Whiskey Pete's Hotel and Casino. Lucky for us, I talked my boss into letting us stay at a way nicer hotel in Henderson, NV. The project hasn't been very interesting so far. We haven't found any prehistoric sites and the historic sites are few and far between. There are some remnants of historic roads and we may have found the location of a Wagon Trail from 1885, but other than that, it's mostly old rusty cans. Awesome!!! NOT!

The crew on survey.

Lilac Sunbonnet

Chicory

Wallace's Woolly Daisy. In the southern Mojave Desert, these carpet the ground and give off a very pungent scent which I happen to love. The rest of the crew things they smell like animal urine.

Multi-Barrel Cactus

Beavertail Cactus in bloom

Beavertail and Creosotes on desert pavement

A type of Hedgehog Cactus. I can't remember which one.

Vegas from the window of the hotel

Vegas in a sandstorm. We had 65-mile-an-hour winds last week and still had to survey...it was insane!

This is the Old Arrowhead Highway which used to go from Las Vegas to Los Angeles. Portions of it are still around, but much of it has been destroyed by the construction of I15 and/or utility corridors.

The high Mojave Desert. Such a stark place. I would never live here. Apparently, since we aren't finding anything, neither would anyone else!

Ivanpah Dry Lake and its mountains.

Desert Tortoise on the move! We saw five of these guys in one day!

William and Sara's Wedding!!

2010-05-04T22:03:00.001-07:00

Congratulations Sara and William Sharp!

The beautiful bride and groom.

The ceremony site.

Awesome archaeology wedding cake!!! If you look closely, in the right hand side of the "canyon" there is a little bride and groom pictograph. How cute!

Baby Blanket!

2010-04-18T11:55:00.000-07:00

Lizzie is due in about two-and-a-half months and I can't wait to meet my little nephew! It's really hard not being able to see her little belly grow or listen to her talk about her pregnancy. I'm so excited for her and can't wait to see her in action as a mom. I can't wait to be an aunt!

I decided I was going to make him a little hooded blanket in Cubs colors, since he'll be born during baseball season and it didn't dawn on me until right now, that I think they are Sox fans....oh well! The blanket turned out really well, although, it is rather large for a newborn. The pattern said 3 to 6 months, but it looks more like it should be for a 12-16 month old... so they can save it for next year, after we've had plenty of time to influence who his favorite baseball team should be (you've gotta start young)!

It is actually a slightly darker blue, but the flash makes it look lighter.

In other news...Dennis' sister, Becky, is having her baby girl tomorrow! I told everyone I would make them baby booties, but they are more work than they are worth. I'll be out in the field for the next month though (in Desert Center and Primm, Nevada) so I might as well make them.

Some More Desert Center Pics

2010-04-18T11:53:00.000-07:00

Pretty Flower

Me on a mountain ridge

The Project Area

DESERT TORTOISE!!! I get so excited when I see one of these in the wild. They are California's number 1 endangered species.

Jackrabbit.
It's very unusual for these guys to hang out so close to humans, or any other animal for that matter. But this guy was so close I could hear him breathing. He posed for about six pictures for me!

These guys were everywhere.

Chia. When you rub the head of this flower between your thumb and pointer finger a whole bunch of seeds fall out. The seeds are extremely nutritious and pretty tasty.

There soil that was once holding in this tree's roots has almost completely eroded away!

Little flowers growing in the gravel.

I love the desert in the Spring!

2010-04-04T11:48:00.000-07:00

I love the desert in the Spring. The crisp morning air combined with the pungent smell of creosote and budding wildflowers is a scent I will miss when we leave California.

I was able to get out of the office for a week last week and help out on a project in Desert Center. Fortunately we were staying in Indio, and although it was an hour drive to the project area every morning, it was totally worth it considering Desert Center is, well, located in the Center of the Desert. Lucky for us it is Spring, which means nature is out in all its glory enjoying the weather before it gets up t0 120 degrees. It also means its wildflower season and the desert is peppered with clusters of beautiful flowers in a multitude of colors. William brought his wildflower books, so in between survey and site recording we were able to identify some of the more common types. Take a look!

Desert Lilly

Desert Dandelion

Hedgehog Cactus

These beetles were mating everywhere! Beetle sex doesn't look like much fun. They are attached at the back, and one just drags the other one around for ten minutes.

Lupines and Poppies

Poppy

Scorpion Weed

Poppy

Lupine

The project area crossed the northernmost portion of the Chuckwalla Mountain Rock Art Preserve so we got to check out some really neat rock art.

If you look closely, you can see some sort of Big Horn Sheep hunting scenario.

Big Horn Sheep

We're not sure exactly what these are, but the one on the right looks like a bee.

Josh, checking out some more rock art.

In other news....Dennis did not get into Cal Poly this year, so we will definitely be sticking around Redlands for at least another year. He's added a few more schools to the list, including U of I, so come this winter, keep your fingers crossed! He just got a job working for the census, so between his two jobs and school, and my work travel schedule, we're keeping pretty busy!

We finally tore out the closet and picked a color to paint our room. Lucky for us, the landlord said she would by the supplies for turning the old closet area into a built in desk, so all we have to buy is the paint! I'll post pictures when it is all done.

Dennis and I are going to try to make it out to Carrizo Plain National Monument next weekend for some recreational wildflower viewing, so hopefully I will have some beautiful pictures to share next weekend!

2010-03-14T18:48:00.000-07:00

Just got back from San Diego, where we saw Black Rebel Motorcycle Club. If you haven't heard of them, you should check them out. They are awesome!

My closet organizer was delivered last week, so Dennis and I began the process of redoing our closet. Hopefully this will give us enough room for both of our clothes so we can rip out our plywood wall that makes up his closet and turn it into a desk nook. Of course, then we'll have to paint, but that is OK, cause I really don't like this mint green color all that much.

While we were waiting for the mud to dry on the holes in the closet I managed to get some gardening done. I transplanted the cacti from pot to garden and trimmed up the Kangaroo Paw and Birds of Paradise plants. Hopefully, since these are all Mediterranean climate plants everything will take well and we won't have as many plants deaths as last year.

The lemon tree is already in bloom again, even though I just harvested all the lemons three weeks ago!

Also, the clover has taken over under the tree, but I couldn't bring myself to weed just yet. The wildflowers looked to pretty!

Archaeology Confidential

2010-01-09T16:13:00.000-08:00

If I told you who our client is for this project I'd have to kill you. Not really, but I am seriously not allowed to tell you the client name or what their proposed plan for the land is. Surprisingly, many of our projects are confidential because clients are worried about someone getting a hold of the engineering plans. I usually never see those plans though, and if I did, I would have no idea how to interpret them.

I can, however, tell you that this was one amazing project and one of the more difficult projects I've ever been on. We got back from Edwards on a Thursday and I was told we were to go on this project, outside of Barstow, Ca on Monday. I had never even seen a map or read anything about the project area and I was supposed to be ready to lead a survey in a day! Not only that, but I learned that it was a very hilly area with really rocky terrain and steep slopes, it was approximately 6,000 acres, and we had to be done by Friday! Oh, and there were only two access roads, both on opposite ends of the project area!

Since the project area was so large it took most of the day to walk from one side to the other. We had to pack a days worth of water and food in our packs, in addition to our tools. To make sure we got back on time, we had to park a car on one side of the project, drive to the other side, survey back to the first car we parked, and then drive back to the second car!

Days 1,2,4 and 5, were your typical days in the field. We found the project area, met new crew members, familiarized ourselves with our surroundings, walked for miles over mountaintops and hillsides, and recorded sites that we found. Day 3, however, was our adventure day. We began the day by climbing the side of a 2,000 foot "hill." (The elevation at the ridgetop is actually 4,200 feet but our beginning elevation was around 2,100 feet.) Immediately, we found a flaked stone scatter (the debitage left behind during the manufacture of stone tools), a rock shelter, a foot path, and two hunting blinds. We spent much of the morning recording our finds and then continued along the ridgetop. We scrambled along the top of the ridge, spending much of the time in a single line, since the ridgetop was so narrow. We climbed over boulders, around outcrops, down precarious slopes; explored crevaces, overhangs, and small cave-like depressions in the stone; and ate lunch on the ridgetop with a spectacular 50 to 150 mile view depending on what direction!

We finished kind of late, drove the first car back to second, and instead of going out the way we came, I decided that we should take a jeep trail that I saw on the map back to the main road...because it would get us there faster. Little did I know, that since the area is designated as an OHV (off-highway vehicle) area, that there was not just one jeep trail that lead to the main road, but about 20 or 30 that lead all over the desert! Long story short, we got lost, it got dark, and we were about 10 or 15 miles from the main road. We began heading back the way we came, only to find one dead end after another! Luckily we had brand new 4x4 trucks and we knew the main road was west. Eventually, we had to have William get out, walk ahead and look for the road, and then wave us on. After I had a minor panic attack (if anything happened to anyone, I would feel totally responsible since I was the Field Director) Mel took over driving, and William continued to help feel our way out... we finally made it to the main road! Three hours later! We beat up those trucks something fierce... dents, scratches, I dragged a huge boulder about five feet on the under carriage..... but hey...they're rentals...right? And now we totally have an Indiana Jones-type archaeology story!

I know it looks like a bunch of rocks, but this is a scatter of chalcedony flakes, cores, and cobbles: evidence of prehistoric stone-tool manufacture.

This is a Government Land Office (GLO) Survey Marker, installed in 1908. These were often used to mark land sections, as seen on USGS maps.

Hunting blinds, or look-outs. We're not sure if these are historic, prehistoric, or modern...but we recorded them just in case.

The crew, surveying along the ridgetop.

Views from the ridge. The mountains waaaaaay in the background of the second
photo are the Sierras!

The Best of Edwards Air Force Base.

2009-12-14T21:35:00.000-08:00

This past year, the company I work for has conducted three excavation projects and one survey at Edwards Air Force Base (EAFB). Our excavation projects were standard archaeological investigations with a few EAFB twists. I won't get into the details here, because it will probably put you to sleep, but essentially we employed a bunch of sampling techniques (digging square holes in the ground) in order to find artifacts or features and/or walked for miles in the Mojave Desert in search of new sites.

We finished the archaeological pedestrian survey a few weeks ago and we have a crew out there for the next few weeks, finishing up an excavation. An archaeological pedestrian survey, for those of you who are not familiar, involves walking an area of land in transects, usually following one of the four cardinal directions, separated by an agreed upon interval. In our case, the survey covered over 16,000 acres of desert valley floor and we walked in 15 to 20 meter intervals....which is A LOT of walking. Depending on the terrain and what we found that day, we walked between 8 to 15 miles a day and it still took us 6 weeks to finish because we found so much stuff!

So, since I just started this blog and haven't written about or shown you guys anything, I thought I would post some pictures so you all can see what we found!

Thanks to my awesome crew Melanie Knypstra, William Sharp, Michelle Villalba, and Christina Peterson for their dedication and effort to the project!

American Archaeologist.

Can pyramid, after excavation of a 1940's trash pit.

Rabbit skeleton, found in a 1950's privy.

Josh and Christina, excavating a historic homestead.

A Historic Homestead, which used local clay as a foundation stabalizer in place of cement. It actually sounds way more interesting when you hear an architectural historian talk about it.

The remains of a privy (old pit toilet).

Cans, cans, cans, and some glass.

Glass bottles excavated from a 1950's refuse pit.

More glass bottles. Most of those brown bottles are "Paul Jones Whiskey!"

Me in Rosamond Dry Lake.

A projectile point (arrowhead) tip!

We find a lot of things unrelated to archaeology while on survey.

This is a Big Horn Sheep skull.

Flaked stone. Flakes are by-products of stone tool manufacture.

The crew, recording a site. It looks a lot prettier and more fun in pictures!

Josh, identifying everyone's favorite item: tin cans!

Homesteaders left behind some pretty good stuff!

Who says it doesn't get cold in the desert? It was 29 degrees this day!
Can you see the snow on the mountains in the background?

Two Years in a Nutshell

2009-12-07T17:30:00.000-08:00

I created this blog about two years ago at the behest of one James "Esquire" Esposito, who suggested I chronicle my adventures in California archaeology for all my friends back home. I titled my first post, "Nobody Walks In L.A.," but never wrote anything! I imagine that I was going to go on a rant about how it took me over an hour to drive the 13 miles from my where I worked in Playa Vista to my apartment in Hollywood.

My apartment, by the way, was once home to author Nathaniel West and is located right next to the Alto Nido, where a part of the movie Sunset Blvd. took place. It was also located two blocks from the second largest of four Scientology buildings located within a one mile radius, a block from the Sunday Hollywood Fruit Market, one mile from the Hollywood Bowl, three blocks from my all time favorite bar The Beauty Bar and apparantly near a helicoptor landing pad, as one could hear helicopters ALL NIGHT LONG! Did you ever see the movie Shopgirl? And a reoccuring theme throughout the movie is the helicopter noise you can her from her apt? That is real my friends. And it occurs in greater frequency than in the movie! My car was broken into twice, I found a rat in my apt., and once I found a homeless man passed out on the entrance way to my building. I thought he was dead, because he didn't move when I poked him with a stick. I called the ambulance and it turned out he was drunk. As soon as he heard the paramedic say the word jail, he proceeded to run downhill (it was a veeeerrrry steep hill), trip over his own to feet, land face first on the pavement, and roll the rest of the way down the hill.

I have since moved inland, to the Inland Empire, Redlands, to be exact. Its a lot different than living in Hollywood, but I like it. I was raised a suburban girl and the suburbs are where I feel comfortable and at home. But I love the excitement of the city. That year was one of the best years of my life, especially since Dennis was able to join me for the second half!

I have also changed jobs, as working for SRI gave me a nervous breakdown and almost drove me to the looney bin. Archaeologists be warned: Unless you have nowhere else to work and are desperate for money, don't work for SRI. You will loose your mind, body, and soul. However, before they broke my spirit they did give me the opportunity to work on one of the coolest projects I have ever worked on in my life as a the Operations Manager for the Playa Vista Repatriation and Reburial Project. In short, about five years ago, we unearthed a large Native American burial ground and studied the remains. We then repatriated the remains to the most likely decendent and helped them rebury them.

I left the project near its completion...citing artistic differences.... and got a job working for ECORP Consulting, Inc. in Redlands. It is by far the best job I have held in the archaeological field. They listen to my ideas, respect me, pay me well, and actually care about me as a person! Dennis found a job shortly after our move to Redlands at the Hangar 24 Brewery. He is no longer employed there and we should warn you that "The beer has gone bad! Nobody drink the beer!" (Anybody catch the Can't Hardly Wait reference?)

Dennis is now finishing up prerequisites at the local community college and will hopefully be attending Cal Poly Pomona soon. And I am currently sitting in a cozy hotel room in the armpit of California, the high desert. Specifically, Lancaster, which has a surprising population of 145,000 people. I'm currently on my third project at Edwards Air Force Base. This one is a survey of over 16,000 acres of desert. We've found over 80 sites so far including both prehistoric and historic. I will post pictures soon.

And that is it in a nutshell. I thought I'd catch everyone up before I start talking about anything new. I feel weird blogging so I don't know if I'll keep up with it, but we'll see.

Stay Tuned...