Did I Ever Mention I Enjoy Cemeteries?

Most genealogists are aware of Find A Grave. It's essentially a site that helps you find the graves of people, as the name might suggest. I discovered it about two years ago, and I have been happily adding memorials for all of my ancestors for which I have burial information. I've also requested several photos to be taken, particularly for tombstones that might yield some helpful information.

Thinking that I should do unto others as I would have them do unto me, I also volunteered to take photos in my area. Every now and again I'd receive an email saying that there was a photo request for a cemetery nearby. If I had the time, I'd head on over, wander around the cemetery until I found the requested headstone, take a photo, head home and upload said photo. I found it enjoyable. A few Saturdays ago I spent over an hour wandering around a cemetery, and I took seven photos of tombstones that people had requested. It was a little bit difficult to find the tombstones I was looking for because the ground was still partly covered in snow and the cemetery is reasonably large, but with the help of the groundskeeper I was able to find them all.

Karma, my friends. Because today somebody fulfilled a request that I put in well over a year ago. Here and here are the photos of my third-great grandparents (on my dad's mom's mom's mom's side, in case you were curious). I did one of my genealogy class projects on this family, and before I started my research our family didn't even know these people's names, so I feel an extra-close attachment to them since I found them. (Maybe only my fellow family historians can understand that sentiment). Definitely the highlight of my day.

But maybe not the highlight of my weekend since Eric and I found a place to live yesterday.

Potpourri

I spent my last work-free days coughing, hacking and otherwise wanting to die. I am now getting over a lovely case of the flu, and the cough is lingering. Some signs point to pneumonia, but I'm being optimistic and saying, "leftover cough that will leave shortly." Please do not tell me to go to the doctor. I won't. It costs four bazillion dollars to do that when you don't have insurance. Plus, when I get there they might want to take chest x-rays, and then it will cost eight bazillion dollars.

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I got a haircut on Tuesday. There are no pictures because I have looked like death lately. Also because the haircut is not very good and I have dubbed myself Mushroom Head.

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Next year I am getting a flu shot.

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I hate shopping for apartments. Yesterday we went on an apartment shopping bonanza. We found some decent options, and we'll be waiting to hear back on them. I was astounded, though by some of the large discrepancies in pricing. That is, we checked out one place that was an unbearably tiny, unfurnished basement apartment for $550/month. Then we saw another place that was a large, unfurnished second-floor apartment with free Internet and cable for $500/month. These landlords were confused. Especially the first one. How have they gotten people to live in their basement when it is such a hole? If I were a landlord, I would be checking out other apartments and trying to rate my apartment appropriately.

Clock's Ticking

I got a job yesterday! Hooray! Unlike with my last job, I do not plan on blogging the actual company I'll be working for. Just know that I have a job, and I am happy. I start on Friday. Hooray! A job!

Almost every one in this house has been sick this week. I woke up with a very unlovely cough in my chest this morning. Only Eric has yet to be ill. He rarely gets sick, so he'll probably manage to avoid it.

Since I start work on Friday, I have today, plus two more jobless days. What should I do with my time?

To Anyone in Charge of Hiring

Do any of my readers do any of the hiring at their jobs? If so, this is for you:

• When somebody emails you his/her resume, it is polite to email back to say that you received it. Even if the email says, "We received your email, but we have filled the position," or "We received your resume but we are looking for somebody with a different skill set."
• When you tell somebody that you will be in touch "either way" within the next few days, you should be in touch "either way" within the next few days. It is rude to make that person languish all weekend (during what would otherwise be a perfectly delightful trip to Jackson Hole) only to still not get back with him/her until a week after the second interview (after he/she calls twice AND sends an email). I know it is not pleasant to tell somebody that he/she has not been selected, but it is the polite thing to do, especially if you have told said person ahead of time that you will do so.

And in case you were wondering, I'm still jobless. Useful suggestions welcome.

Interpretations

I haven't mentioned yet that I am doing the Couch to 5k running plan. It's a workout regimen that can help get a couch potato to be able to run a 5k in about nine weeks. I am on week two for the second week in a row. Going out of town last week kind of messed me up. But, I'm happy to repeat week two. It's a good week.

I am a complete freak of nature, and I prefer running on treadmills to running outside. There are a few reasons for this:

1. Weather. Hello controlled temperature environment. Outside is freezing, and in a few months it will be dreadfully hot. The room I run in is always nice.
   
2. Measuring. I know exactly how far I've run and the length of time I've been running. Plus, I know exactly how fast I'm going.
3. TV. There is a TV directly in front of the treadmill in this house. It has a built-in VCR so I can enjoy movies while I treadmill.
4. No witnesses. Um, I hate the idea of anybody being able to see me huffing, puffing and otherwise wanting to die while I run around in public.
   
5. The icons on the treadmill.

"What's this last one?" you say?
Notice beneath that 84, very faintly is a little icon. Well, that icon blinks on and off, and it is the icon that represents calories. Beneath the screen is a key to what all the icons mean so that you always know what the number you're looking at represents. The calories icon is a hamburger.

After this most recent workout, I determined that I was allowed to eat 84 hamburgers. Excellent.

A Weekend in Jackson

We went to Jackson Hole this weekend to visit my brother and his family. On Friday night we went to a winter festival. It was cold, but it was fun. We watched some dog sled races then headed over to Snow King, the ski hill in town, to watch some skiers come down the mountain with torches in their hands. Then there were fireworks, and I was really impressed by the fireworks! They were really low and the lights from the fireworks reflected on the snow-covered mountain. I was surprised by how impressed I was.

Then there was snowmobiling, and it was FUNFUNFUN! Also cold! But mostly fun.

I didn't take any pictures of us at my brother's new house, and that is too bad. Our activities at the house included playing with the kids, reading to the kids, eating really amazing food (ribs on Friday, fajitas on Saturday, pulled pork sandwiches on Sunday), playing the Wii and tickling little kids. I won over my niece by reading to her a series of Kiwi books about Hairy MaClary. Dave also really loved the Hairy MaClary books, and all the boys liked the book I got in my package last week.