Hillary's Happenings

Gerry Part 2

2011-04-18T11:32:00.000-07:00

So its been a couple months since I got Gerry and I still like him a lot. Though he is still afraid of me. However, if I offer him treats like sunflower seeds or yogurt drops, he will sometimes come onto my hand and eat them. He mostly hangs inside his igloo, but he will sometimes form a bedding nest and just sleep in it. And he still will refuse to run in his wheel. :(

trash...

2011-04-18T10:54:00.001-07:00

So last week, I bought a trash can. But it was one of those nice ones, that cost maybe 30-40 dollars in the store, the metal ones with the flip top. But I got it on sale, as a "as is" item for 5 dollars.

And guess what, it broke. A little plastic piece that holds another piece down, which would cause the trash can lid to flip open, broke off. So I tried temporary measures like scotch tape and super glue. The super glue was a disaster. I put a lot on and it did absolutely nothing. It just got all over my fingertips which feels like dried paint and that's an awful feeling. It took a couple days to come off. So I decided to use those 3m wall hangers and some packing tape to do the job. Is this repair job super ghetto or resourceful? I think it is both.

This is one of my less than intelligent posts.

Which design do you like better?

2011-02-26T22:31:00.000-08:00

1. http://www.hillarystrawderman.com/index.html

2. http://www.hillarystrawderman.com/indexnew.html

I am working on the latter one. Still tweaking, redesigning it etc.

Gerry the gerbil (JAIR-ee)

2011-02-26T12:49:00.001-08:00

So I have always wanted a furry pet of some kind, most preferably a dog, but I can't have a dog at my place so I decided to go with a small animal. I think guinea pigs are cute, but they are more expensive and I wanted to try out a smaller guy instead, considering I've never owned a rodent before. So I got a gerbil because they are the least odor producing small animals and are friendly. After much research and shopping for the best prices, I got Gerry. I just bought him today so he is getting used to his new home and pretty soon I will try and train him to use his running ball.

I will try and post clearer and better pictures when he gets more adapted to his cage.

Blog Deprived

2011-02-26T12:23:00.000-08:00

So I realized the last time I blogged was ten months ago. That is sad. So I am going to very briefly summarize these last ten months for you.

1. I moved. Yeah, I got out of Utah and moved to Colorado Springs. I can spend time with Em and the babies and for a few months, I got to spend time with the rents. They are in Fiji now, serving a church mission. I also live in this cute little apartment that has a fireplace and my own bedroom, kitchen, and family room to myself.

2. I got a temp office job. First job working in an office setting. I don't know how long they will keep me, but at least I am getting some experience.

3. I spent Christmas with everyone in the family and Nastia, our Russian friend joined us too. We took lots of pictures, had some cherished moments. It was a lot of fun.

4. I am having fun at a Colorado Springs singles ward. Making new friends, serving callings etc. Funny story, one of my friends who went to BYU-Idaho (I even interviewed her for one of my college news packages), moved out here and I saw her one day and recognized the name too and we have become good friends.

Admiration

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

So today I was thinking about my family and I thought of my sister Emily and how I admire how she and Josh are such good parents. They teach their kids to do the rights things, to be responsible, and considerate of others. I think it is very selfless and loving for them to do all these things. Here is what I admire and notice about them...

1. They teach Austin and Anaya to be responsible like picking up their toys, helping out etc. For example, they have weekly chores and a reward system for doing their chores. I heard Austin is really good at folding his clothes and is great at getting his own breakfast.

2. They make sure they are learning both spiritually and academically.

A. They have family home evening which they teach them about the gospel and come up with creative activities that correlate with the lesson. See http://emjayeliason.blogspot.com/2010/03/p-night.html for an example.

B. Em also has school for the kids so they could learn numbers, letters, things about nature, and how our bodies work etc. And it is really sweet Em comes up with fun, interactive activities that will help the kids grasp the different subjects.

3. Em and Josh coordinate playtime activities with other families so they can meet other kids. It is good to learn to make friends and share with other kids.

4. Em will spent countless hours making things for the kids like dresses, costumes, presents etc. She once made lobster for Austin because he begged to try one (and lobster is expensive). She didn't have to spend the time to make the lobster, but she did because it would make Austin happy.

5. Em and Josh takes the time to go out with the kids and have one on one time with each of them so they can bond. Em took Austin on a hike despite the fact that she was exhausted and in great physical discomfort from her pregnancy. She sacrificed her time and energy so she could spend a day with Austin. I thought that was really sweet.

6. Em teaches the kids how to cook and make things even though it might be easier and less messy if she just did it herself.

A. She spends time making beautiful birthday cakes for the kids. Anaya wanted a princess cake with castles and Disney Cars characters and Austin got pretty cool train cake.

7. They also might get up early and spend hours looking at things that might be exciting for the kids like parades, air balloon events, easter egg hunts, holiday activities etc.

8. In the fall, Em and Josh will be taking Austin to a school that is farther away. They will have to get up early morning to drop off him at school and pick him up (no bus service) so Austin can have a safer and better education experience.

I can tell that Em and Josh devote much of their money, time, and energy to Austin and Anaya. I hope that when I become a mother I can learn and apply what they have taught and done for their kids.

April Fools!

2010-04-09T23:47:00.000-07:00

Prank 1

So on April Fools, I called my parents and told them I broke my arm (Remember, I tried this same trick to my sister, Emily, a couple years ago and it worked :)). I called Dad first, but he didn't believe me, so I tried to pull a fast one on Mom. It took a lot of convincing to make my Mom believe me. After my mom got home, I told her the prank was over on the phone. After a period of long silence, Mom was flabbergasted and shocked to here that my broken arm was a joke. I HAD SUCCEEDED AGAIN!

Here are the steps to fooling someone:

1. Actually go to the hospital emergency room, take pictures of the emergency room and send them to your loved ones.

2. While on the phone, have one of the nurses that actually takes patients in, page you to "go to radiology so they can take x-rays"

3. Absolutely promise that you are in the hospital while you are telling the "horrible" news, which I was in the hospital, just in the food court.

4, If your Mom asks you what bone you broke and "you don't know", ask one of the surgeon waiting room attendants, to name a bone in your arm. He picked the radius.

5. Be persistent and patient.

Prank 2

How to Surprise your roommates

1. Buy really cheap, huge goldfish and put them in separate baggies.

2. Put those baggies in each of their rooms in very open places at random parts of the day.

3. Convince your one roommate there was "absolutely" no way you could have bought the fish because you were at "work all day"

Pictures coming soon.

Gratitude

2010-03-23T01:12:00.000-07:00

Sometimes I focus so much on the negative that I forget to remember all the things I am thankful for. I am thankful for my family, my friends, the church, my sweet apartment and the things inside the apartment, my car, and yes my job :). Here is a video that is in the works (low quality).

Christmas Family Fun!

2010-01-10T09:50:00.000-08:00

I apologize for the lack of recent updates on my blog. For Christmas, my sister Beckie and I drove to Colorado Springs/Woodland Park, Colorado and spent the holidays with my family. It was so great to be with the whole family! We had a couple sleepovers with my niece and nephew, Anaya and Austin, which is always an adventure :) and even my sister and her husband came up and slept over because of a snow storm. It had been a while since we spent the holidays together because Mom and Dad were on a mission. Here is a video of just a few highlights of our Christmas fun.

Being Crafty

2009-10-15T22:16:00.001-07:00

So those of you who know me pretty much can say I don't do crafts. I don't sew, paint, or scrapbook things. Unlike my oldest sister who is the craft queen, I prefer putting pictures, video, and memories to a DVD rather than making it into a cute scrapbook.

But today, Beckie and I went to Wal-mart and decided to make something. So we bought wooden letters- for me An H for Hillary We also bought paints and brushes. Then we went home and painted them black and also put this glossy spray paint to

make the letters look smoother. It was a rather simple project

, but a craft nonetheless.

Quite a few weeks ago, I found an old 2008 calender sitting in a box. I knew I couldn't use it for its original purpose, so I decided to recycle some of the pictures. The pictures were very professional and beautiful. So I cut them out and got a frame and now they are hanging up. Wall art at a very low price!

Here is my finished product.

I miss you BYU-Idaho.

2009-10-11T12:05:00.000-07:00

So it has been close to three months since I graduated from BYU-Idaho. And it seems as though it has been forever. Probably because I miss it. I was thinking how I miss it when we would say prayers before we began class. I remember if there was a particular difficult subject or test that day, a prayer would be absolutely necessary. Sometimes in classes, we discussed gospel principles and related them to scholarly topics. It was really nice to be allowed to discuss religion in our academic studies. It put a new perspective on things.

I was very grateful that teachers taught and led by example. I found it especially useful when professors would describe a personal and religious example to illustrate a concept. It showed me they had a great deal of humility and faith even though many of them had doctorate degrees. They were full of knowledge, but were willing to allow the spirit to teach them too.

I am also very touched when at the end of the semester, one of the very last things they share is their testimony. I remember the very last class at BYU-Idaho, my communications professor told us that he had a firm testimony in the gospel of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints. It was short and sweet, but it was nonetheless effective.

For the last four years, I had my life planned out. I had a schedule. I knew I had to learn this and that by a specific time. And now life is wide open. This is scary! I also like to plan and be in control of what is going to happen, but when I don't know what I am going to do or where I am going to be, the feeling is rather overwhelming. This uncertainty makes me appreciate the good times at BYU-Idaho.

I know a lot of people are excited to graduate from BYU-I. They want to rush out of Rexburg as fast as possible. They don't like all the rules like the dress code and curfew. Or the small town atmosphere. They complain. I just want to say that I enjoyed my time there. Now I know it is time to move on, but I am thankful I had the chance to spend four years there. And I am grateful for the members that sacrifice their time and money to make it possible for us to attend this institution.

Testimony

2009-10-11T11:51:00.000-07:00

So today was fast sunday, so that meant testimony meeting. So I felt it would be appropriate to share my testimony today.

On October 5th, I went to my first live conference session in Salt Lake City with my sister, Beckie. The talks were very good. I especially liked President Monson's talk on service and Elder Holland's passionate talk on the Book of Mormon. As I was listening to

the apostles and prophet speak, I was thinking, how can THE CHURCH NOT BE TRUE? Seriously, their testimonies of the gospel, the firm and unmoving faith they have for these church principles makes me have a firmer testimony that these are truly men of God. They are not fakes. They are men who are trying to be better everyday.

I want to specifically bear my testimony about the prophet and apostles and general authorities. I know that they have been called of God and are here to strengthen and guide the members of the church.

I also want to express my gratitude for Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ's love and sacrifice. I know that the Book of Mormon is a sacred word of God. Thank you. I say these things in the name of Jesus Christ. Amen.

Not the Best Idea

2009-08-04T22:11:00.001-07:00

Alumna sues college because she hasn't found a job

STORY HIGHLIGHTS
Monroe College graduate says career office didn't help her with job placement
She seeks $70,000 for tuition and $2,000 to compensate for stress
Office shows preferential treatment to students with better grades, she says
College says it is "committed to working with all its students"

By Jason Kessler

CNN

Trina Thompson, 27, of the Bronx, graduated from New York's Monroe College in April with a bachelor of business administration degree in information technology.

On July 24, she filed suit against the college in Bronx Supreme Court, alleging that Monroe's "Office of Career Advancement did not help me with a full-time job placement. I am also suing them because of the stress I have been going through."

The college responded that it offers job-search support to all its students.

In her complaint, Thompson says she seeks $70,000 in reimbursement for her tuition and $2,000 to compensate for the stress of her three-month job search.

As Thompson sees it, any reasonable employer would pounce on an applicant with her academic credentials, which include a 2.7 grade-point average and a solid attendance record. But Monroe's career-services department has put forth insufficient effort to help her secure employment, she claims.

"They're supposed to say, 'I got this student, her attendance is good, her GPA is all right -- can you interview this person?' They're not doing that," she said.

Don't Miss

Read the court filing (pdf)

Thompson said she has fulfilled her end of the job-search bargain, peppering companies listed on Monroe's e-recruiting site with cover letters, résumés and phone calls. But no more than two employers have responded to her outreach, and those leads have borne no fruit.

Her complaint adds, "The office of career advancement information technology counselor did not make sure their Monroe e-recruiting clients call their graduates that recently finished college for an interview to get a job placement. They have not tried hard enough to help me."

She suggested that Monroe's Office of Career Advancement shows preferential treatment to students with excellent grades. "They favor more toward students that got a 4.0. They help them more out with the job placement," she said.

Monroe College released a statement saying that "while it is clear that no college, especially in this economy, can guarantee employment, Monroe College remains committed to working with all its students, including Ms. Thompson, who graduated only three months ago, to prepare them for careers and to support them during their job search."

Thompson says she has not hired an attorney to represent her because she cannot afford one. When she filed her complaint, she also filed a "poor person order," which exempts her from filing fees associated with the lawsuit.

Asked whether she would advise other college graduates facing job woes to sue their alma maters, Thompson said yes.

"It doesn't make any sense: They went to school for four years, and then they come out working at McDonald's and Payless. That's not what they planned."

My commentary:

Well I don’t think she is going to get a job now. Think she just blew her chances.
“A 2.7 G.P.A. and solid attendance record” Yes, when you go to college, it is expected to actually attend classes. It is not something I would go on bragging about that “yay I went to class! Good for me!” It is one of those minimal requirements.
Suing your alma maters is NOT GOOD ADVICE!
Being a college graduate myself, I know that we are all in the same boat, whether we are fresh out of college or experienced workers, jobs are hard to come by.
"They're supposed to say, 'I got this student, her attendance is good, her GPA is all right -- can you interview this person?' They're not doing that,"

oh ok.

Enough said. I just find this rather humorous.

Graduation and Newel K. Whitney Breakfast

2009-08-04T21:42:00.000-07:00

So the day has finally come! I graduated at BYU-Idaho with a Bachelors of Science in Communications with an emphasis in broadcasting. Mom and Dad were able to come. They helped me move and were able to come to commencement and convocation. Commencement was very good. The speakers did an excellent job. They gave inspirational talks about preparing for the future, having hope, building your lifelong resume etc. President Clark also spoke. It was amazing that Mom and Dad were seriously sitting very close to me. If I looked straight to my right they were there. It was perfect seating! Convocation was good. They gave us an alumni pin and diploma cover to each graduate. They went through the names really fast. In about fifteen minutes, they read aloud over two hundred names. We took lots of pictures before and after.

Newel K. Whitney Award Ceremony

One day, I got a letter in the mail saying I won a Newel K. W

hitney Award. I was surprised and honored. I didn't even know about this award. On Friday, July 17th 2009, the

recipients received a very nice clock and a teacher would introduce the recipient. Brother Weekes introduced me and talked about me being optimistic and other stuff. All the communication faculty were there. It was really goo

You know you are short when...

2009-06-27T18:46:00.001-07:00

1. You have to sit on a pillow when you drive. It is all about the visibility folks.
2. You can't change a light bulb because you can't reach it even standing on a chair.
3. You can't see your whole face in a public restroom mirror because the mirror is too high.
4. Your feet dangle from a chair cause your feet can't touch the ground.
5. You have to climb on shelves to get to a higher shelf and thats when the employee asks you to stop and volunteers to get the item for you.
6. you have to wait for the bishopric to lower the podium a couple feet before giving a sacrament talk.
7. you can barely reach the pedals when going on an exercise bike. You have to stretch your legs and "yes, the seat cannot go any lower. sorry."
8. you have a hard time giving your signature on the credit card machine. You either have to try and lower the machine or stand on your tippy toes. (this has happened before and more than once!)
I will try and think of more later. I may or may have not experienced these eight things =)

The shorter person in the cartoon would represent me.

Piano (wo)man

2009-06-13T00:52:00.000-07:00

Here is a clip of me playing the piano. It is a very low quality version because all you really need to hear is the piano. Yes, there are several mistakes and the lighting is bad cause I played this at one in the morning.

A Blooper Moment...

2009-05-18T23:40:00.000-07:00

So today, I decided to use the exercise equipment in the lounge of my apartment complex. I also wanted to get ahead on some reading so I brought my history book and a pen with me to study and also work out. Now this treadmill was new so for some reason it didn't have that emergency stop safety clip you attach to your person. But as I was running, I was reading and marking things in my book. Things were going pretty good. Then the treadmill was going faster. As my book was bouncing up and down, I was concentrating harder on the words and not fully paying attention to my surroundings. Soon enough, I forgot that I was doing two things at once and took a tumble. I lost control and fell flat on my face! My history book went flying, I was down on the belt of the treadmill, trying to crawl up the treadmill while it was going full speed. I wanted to pull the emergency stop, but it was too late, I was quickly thrown off the end of the machine. Suddenly, I was on the floor of the exercise room. My knees were skinned up and slightly bleeding because of my unsuccessful crawling attempt. I got up and then looked for my book and turned off that darn treadmill :)

There were also some people I knew in the other room who probably were wondering what the loud crash and groaning from the fall was. ha. ha. It was a funny embarrassment.

A Word on the DHS RIghtwing Extremism Report

2009-04-17T20:19:00.000-07:00

A Student’s Perspective on the Rightwing Extremism Report by the DHS

“I didn’t know I was an extremist”

I first heard this news about classifying and warming Rightwing Extremists from my sister Beckie. To be frank, I did not believe her. I thought this report was just some far-fetched rumor. And to my surprise, I was wrong.

When I researched this news, I went to several prominent and credible news sites. At foxnews.com I found this article http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2009/04/15/protest-grows-report-right-wing-radicalization/. Now Fox news is known for its conservative news reporting so I was a little doubtful of the accuracy of the article. I thought the reporter could be overreacting to the whole situation. Maybe it wasn’t as bad as the report stated.

Next I went to cnn.com, the more liberal news source. I continued to find several articles of how controversial this report was. This showed that maybe there wasn’t as big of a bias.

I did extensive research on this report, reading several articles and opinions regarding this issue, but I wanted to get to the true source:the actual report. No commentaries, no opinions; just the straight truth.

After looking over the ten-page report from the Department of Homeland Security, I was appalled by its distorted definitions of right-wing extremists. The report states Rightwing extremism in the United States can be broadly divided into those groups, movements, and adherents that are primarily hate-oriented (based on hatred of particular religious, racial or ethnic groups),

and those that are mainly antigovernment, rejecting federal authority in favor of state or local authority, or rejecting government authority entirely. It may include groups and individuals that are dedicated to a single issue, such as opposition to abortion or immigration.

So are we to say that those who oppose abortion or immigration are possible suspects of political extremitism? That is outrageous! I guess I could be an extremist, because I strongly oppose abortion.

The article also states “ (U//FOUO) Proposed imposition of firearms restrictions and weapons bans

likely would attract new members into the ranks of rightwing extremist groups,

as well as potentially spur some of them to begin planning and training for

violence against the government…

— (U//FOUO) Returning veterans possess combat skills and experience that are

attractive to rightwing extremists. DHS/I&A is concerned that rightwing

extremists will attempt to recruit and radicalize returning veterans in order to

boost their violent capabilities. “

This article disrespects our veterans who have fought so bravely to protect our natural and human rights. Does this take a way the credibility and purpose of our military if the government is insulting its military veterans?

Overall, this report is a threat to the constitution. It challenges the validity of the Bill or Rights. If you would like to see the report yourself, go to http://www.foxnews.com/projects/pdf/041609_extremism.pdf

Paint war

2009-04-07T21:30:00.000-07:00

So my roomies and I and a bunch of friends decided to have a paint war. my roomies went to the festival of colors in utah where they throw a whole bunch of chalk at people. They arrived late so couldn't get to throw chalk at others, so we decided to have our own messy fun. We got five buckets of watered down paint and then all 15 of us went to war. we threw five colors of paint all over each other. I got some paint in my hair, my eyes, my ears. I was soaked. That lasted for a fun-filled few minutes.

Then I learned how to ride a dirtbike. It was rocky, but exciting. It would be cool to have one. Then after we were covered in paint we went to wal-mart, we got a lot of interesting looks and comments about our appearance, but it was really cool.

We had lots of fun. A great way to end the semester.

Pictures, Parties, and Silliness

2009-03-02T00:27:00.000-08:00

Here is the continuation of our fun. And yes we do study, and we do HW, but we do like to have a social life.

Pictures: group pictures for a friend's class, out to Applebee's, candid pictures, and us drinking our IBC root beers.

What we also do besides our Sunday get togethers is poker night. Texas Hold'em is the usual game of choice. We don't have a buy in, so basically we are playing purely out of fun, no real money involved. It is fun cause then I am likely to take big risks. Do you call or fold? I raise! Just kidding.

Roommate Fun

2009-03-02T00:21:00.001-08:00

During the semester, my roommates and I like to do stupid, but fun things. A while ago we had ganster night where we dressed up thugs and went shopping to Wal-mart and Broulims. we may have looked pretty stupid, but why not go hardcore? Ok we really look like idiots with our false sense of Ganster style.

We also all bought footed PJ's and took some cool pictures. Thats where we watch chick flicks and have a girls night out (well more like girls night in cause we arent going in public with those PJ's)

A News Package!!!

2009-02-14T02:31:00.000-08:00

Here is a new package I did that was put on the 2-12-09 newscast of I-News. I did some editing of the video. Its not the whole newscast that is up, just the anchor lead-in, my package, and anchor close.

More Christmas Pics

2009-01-05T21:38:00.001-08:00

Pics

Christmas with Family

2009-01-05T10:48:00.000-08:00

Howdy

This last couple weeks, I had the chance to go back to my sister's place and spend the holiday's with her. It was a lot of fun to spend time with Emily, Josh, Austin, and Anaya. The kids are growing up. Sometimes Austin and I would play the cage game. Basically, he would make a cage out of pillows and he would drag me in there. And I would try and escape and if i did, he would put me back in. He finds that entertaining.

Anaya is talking a lot more. She likes to repeat what Austin is saying. She is so cute and girly. I got her a princess dress up set that comes with a purse, high heels, a dress, and a tiara. She also got a baby stroller and puts her baby in it and drives it around. Super cute.

Also, during naptime sometimes I can hear the kids singing that Britney Spear's song "Breaking the Ice" They only know how to sing "breaking the ice" so they just say over and over again. quite funny.

I also got to spend some time with Emily and Josh. Emily and I went a Taco Bell run, would play games of Boggle, and Speed and all she would cream me. Sometimes all of us would watch movies and just relax. It was fun.

The Scoop on Twilight:The Movie

2008-11-21T23:50:00.001-08:00

*So I just got back from watching the movie, Twilight. I thought I would write a review while everything is fresh in my mind. What did I think? Hmmmm, I would have to give it a 5 out of ten. It wasn't bad, but it wasn't spectacular.

Warning: There are some SPOILERS.

*Things I thought were awesome-

-the actor who portrayed Charlie did an excellent job

-the scene where Bella leaves Charlie is probably the most emotional

- jessica stanley was good

-I liked the Cullens. Their part in the movie made it exciting.

-the baseball scene was wicked cool. Very entertaining, but wished it was longer

-the fight scene was cool, wished it was a little bit longer, but the whole scene was fun

-overall the cinematography was good. showed the beauty of that area

-the look on Jaspar's face when Edward saves bella from the crashing van.

-there was some good humor in the film, funny lines

-the soundtrack-the various artists' songs added to the movie

-Bella's Lullaby-very pretty melody

*Things that could be better

-the portrayal of Edward (the way Edward was portrayed was awkward. They made Edward kind of seem dumb at first and they tried to portray Edward's tension too much on screen like how he considers himself a monster. It seemed it little over the top. The story is very internal and trying to externalize the character's thoughts is hard.

-cheesy lines. I know there are defnitely some cheesy lines in the book, but would someone really say some of these things.

-the pacing-some scenes went really fast, too fast like the scenes with the Cullens and then some were really slow

-the biology scene-seriously the big fan and edward twitching and covering his nose. I know they were trying to make it visible to non-twilight fans that edward was addicted to her scent, but doing that made the scene unintentionally funny.

-overacting-trying to be a vampire when you are really human was a little bit visible in the movie

-for the amount of publicity and promoting/interviews with all the cast of the Cullen's you would think they would be in the movie a little bit more. They had small parts.

-the special effects-trying to make the vampires really fast was hard to do so that part made it a little cheesy. Its a low budget film so u can't expect perfect special effects.

-the emo score- the lullaby incorporated in the soundtrack was good, but the rest was a little cheesy.

-carlisle's chalk white makeup-why was his so white? He may be immortal, but try and not make him look dead. what were the makeup people thinking?

*Overall, I thought this was OK considering the low budget and a first of a series. I just wished they showed more of the other vampires. I watched it the second time and my perception of the movie is a little harsher. It got cheesier.

The Kind of Bread makes or breaks a sandwich

2008-11-20T09:46:00.000-08:00

I have made a discovery on campus. There is this little place where they have these absolutely delicious sandwiches. They are small but on a irrisistable ciabatta bread. and they are healthy too! I like sandwiches but this bread made me love them. If you get the cheap 99 cent bread, there is a huge difference; thats when I stop eating sandwiches,. I suggest getting the tasty good quality kind. So a lesson learned, the kind of bread can make or break a sandwich.

And now I really like Ciabatta bread.

Cause we like to party...

2008-11-19T22:55:00.000-08:00

Sorry have not posted in a long

time...

Besides going to class and doing homework, I like to have fun. Our apartment likes to have parties. We have fondue parties, hot chocolate parties, and believe it or not drinking parties-mormon style as in non-alcoholic For Halloween, we had a carnival sort of party. we bobbed for apples, had donuts tied to a string, pie eating contests, and lots of fun games planned.

Last Friday, we had a birthday/drinking party. We had lots of margaritas, food, and funny games like drunke

n mormon. If you have not heard of drunken mormon, it is basically where you take a broom and hold it close to your body, look straight up at the ceiling and spin really fast about twenty times and then try and jump over the broom. Its quite amusing to watch.

We have created quite a lot of messes from spraying 12 cans of silly string, having pumpkin guts fights, and other fun activities.

Stuff I have done...

fondue parties

drinking party

halloween party

hot chocolate and cookie party

pumpkin carving

and more

A website

2008-10-14T12:45:00.000-07:00

So for one of my classes, I am taking in online media class. Basically, I have to create and design a website. I have posted up a link of a very very basic website. It might not look that pretty.
http://www.hillarystrawderman.com
So far things are going well, just school, hanging out with friends and roommates. Our apt. has had a couple fondue parties, so thats been fun.
well til later

Response to my sister's tag-Beckie

2008-09-03T00:30:00.001-07:00

3 Joys

-Hanging out with the Family

-shopping

-sleeping/eating

3 fears

-hypocrisy

-being kidnapped

-losing a loved one

3 goals

-graduate from college

-start a career

-get married

3 current obsessions

-my computer

-Arrested Development

-surfing the web

3 random facts about me

- I like collecting movies, especially those movies that have my favorite actor or actress.

-I would like to have a bunny as a pet who is also potty trained.

-I use a pillow to drive so I can reach the gas and brake.

I TAG MOM and DAD because they are cool and they are family.

Learning how to skateboard... on TV

2008-07-27T20:07:00.000-07:00

Here's a link to a story about Proper Boards and Apparel skateboarding store. I am the guinea pig. haha just joking.
http://kxrmtv.com/community/content.aspx?id=116247
The video is called Proper Boards and Apparel
Its a 2-for-1 fun deal.

The End of all Things... Not ReallyÜ

2008-07-27T19:47:00.000-07:00

So on July 18th I finished my internship. I was so lucky to intern at FOX 21. It has been a blast. I have learned a lot and made friends too. Here is a reflective essay I wrote about my experience.

Life as an Intern
A Reflective Essay

Part I
The Journey

It was only three months ago when I first walked into the FOX studio. I remember feeling sick to my stomach as I wondered how I was going to be treated, what I was going to do. It seemed overwhelming. But as soon I began my internship, the workers made me feel welcome. I first dove into my internship with a rocky anchor read and a look at the graphics that I would eventually be doing on a frequent basis. I was unsure, unsure if this right for me. I didn’t know what I wanted to do. I was scared and nervous, feeling I would never be comfortable there.
My very first weeks were awkward; awkward meant I was terribly shy. Everyone seemed so laid back while I felt so out of place. I would barely talk except ask questions. Despite my intimidation, I still would do things I was terrified of doing. On the second day, I was asked to help interview. I did it, but with the uncertainty. The beginning, I basically observed and watched, trying to learn the basics. I shadowed reporters, the director, the assignment editor, and photographers. I was a sponge trying to soak up all the information. I was surprised to know that news was so complex.
After a little while, after getting the feel of things, I began doing. Instead of just asking questions, I asked to do stand-ups, to practice writing scripts, to edit packages. I feel I learn best that way. Spending weeks of observing is not enough. Learning comes best when you have the hands-on experience. I still felt a little uncomfortable with the news team, but I kept pushing out of my comfort zone. I will never learn if I never do.
As I began to take action, I began to see what I am better at and what I would like to pursue. Being a videographer and editor seems the most interesting. I would try to write my own packages which are probably the most challenging and then I would edit the footage. One of the trickiest things is voice tracking. It took me a little while to feel comfortable enough to do that, to talk aloud so everyone can hear. With the help of Jocelyn, the assignment editor, I was able to go on high profile stories, to see President Bush, go on the top security command center, to see Obama, and be on TV.
I realize that I am on perfectionist. I don’t like to sit around when there was not much to do. Doing nothing made me feel lazy so I was anxious to grab an empty computer, to start editing, perfecting my work. I would try and make myself busy, grab every opportunity I could.
The last few weeks were different. I began to talk more, to chat about stuff that wasn’t all work. It was when I began to open myself up more that I began to connect to those I spent so much time with. I became comfortable. Interning became easier. If I never learned to not be so self-conscious, to relax a little bit, I don’t think I would value my experience at FOX as much.
Being more flexible, more comfortable helped me learn that internship are great experiences. I will miss working here a lot! But this internship has given me confidence and hope as I begin my career in broadcasting.

Part II
The Lessons

“The internship is only as good as the intern”
These were one of the most important words my supervisor said to me. It is true. I could have sat back, just watched, but if I wasn’t willing to put forth effort to learn, my internship would be unsuccessful. Internships require hard work; it requires action. There are some stations that might not let the intern do that much, so that can’t be helped, but if they do, I say go for it.

If you don’t ask, you lose the opportunities
Ask, yes ask, even if it’s uncomfortable. What’s the worst thing that can happen? They say no. But if you never ask, it will never happen. Ask to do stand-up, to shoot video, to edit, to go on video shoots. Doing this helped me get several stand-ups and a few packages for my resume tape. This goes with my first lesson.

News can be stressful
Sometimes you go out on stories and that story has to be turned quickly. I went to a fire story and we got back at 8:30, the newscast started at 9. That meant the package had to be edited and on air in mater of minutes. Turning a story quickly can make the job stressful.
I also was in charge of graphics one night and had almost double to do. It was a tight deadline, but I scrambled. I got my first taste of being under the pressure.

Respecting the Work
I made the move to see the aspects of the station: master control, promotions, commercial production etc. This helped me understand what others have to go through. If you don’t understand what other peoples’ job responsibilites are and respect them, tensions will be more likely. Also, realize that everyone works hard so asking to help is important. I would ask to carry equipment, do the graphics, etc. It just makes everything go smoother and the workers don’t mind either.

Practice makes perfect
When I made graphics; it took a lot of practice. Repetition was the key. Several times I received training, but the more I did it, the faster, the better I became. I kept losing video footage so I constantly had to make new packages, re-edit footage, and overall re-do things, It was frustrating, but doing more helped be better and what I was learning.

Media

2008-06-21T22:00:00.000-07:00

Cheers!!! Bubby pretending to sleep

Anaya Dancing

Hanging Out... With the Fam.

2008-06-21T21:39:00.000-07:00

Today I invited Em, Josh, and the kiddies to go feed the ducks. I know Austin and Anaya love that. Austin wanted to pet the ducks and geese so when a goose wasn't looking, Austin went right up to him and touched it. We were surprised. Anaya loved throwing bread to the geese. Bubby was busy chasing the birds. It was fun.

I also went to Ben's wedding reception (my brother and law's brother). Bubby loved touching all the "balloons" while Anaya was busy eating and hanging out with her mom. Anaya also likes to jump. She tries so hard and she barely gets off the ground.

Interning...Life as an intern

2008-06-21T09:42:00.000-07:00

This Wednesday I went on a story about scams. A lady got a phone call about being a winner of some wal-mart sweepstakes. The scam was not really believable, but I guess a lot of people fall for it. I realized some stories, its harder to find b-roll footage. The reporter and I talked about the realities of working on tv, the time commitment, the hours, the lifestyle etc. We talked about filming and writing that the video footage and audio should each tell the story.
Next, I helped an editor do the graphics for the newscast. He is training to be a director and I've done the graphics before so I led him through the steps. I also ran prompter for some of the nightly newscast. That was fun.
This Thursday I went to a story about a camp for kids whose parents are deployed oversees. The reporter let me conduct all the interviews, that includes making up the questions. I then asked to do a stand-up. It was a creative one. I wore a 45 lb. police vest, heavy metal helmet and other things while delivering the standup. It was active. Next, I talked to news director Joe Cole, where he showed me some resume tapes and told me what to look for. Some things he noticed were fast montages and natural stand-ups. It was very helpful to get the details of what is expected in news.

Hanging out with the Fam...

2008-05-24T23:28:00.000-07:00

While in Colorado, I have the opportunity to hang out with my sister and her family. That means playing with my niece and nephew. That is fun. Anaya is usually very quiet and girly which is adorable. Austin is so energetic and fun to talk to. Sometimes I go swimming with them and help supervise.

Beckie came into town last weekend. It was a lot of fun. We went shopping, swimming, talked, had a movie night etc. It was great to have some company and its a bonus when its with family. She stayed at my place in my own apt. We chatted and had good quality time.

Oh so I've been living in my new apt. Its nice to have my own crib. I have a nice mountain view and close location to family.

The Halfway Mark...An Overview

2008-05-24T23:13:00.000-07:00

Well I can't believe this upcoming week is my halfway mark of my internship. I have learned a lot these last several weeks, but I still have much to learn. Its overwelming there is so much to know. There are so many questions. So far a few of things I have done...

A LOT of these things I have learned the very basics. Its just a little taste of everything.

1. shooting video for packages and VOSOT's

2. learn some basic functions of the camera's- different camera shots, features etc.

3. how to direct a topical

4. the process of making newscast graphics for the show and importing them into the Aprisa system.

5. running prompter

6. a little bit of how master control works

7. how to shoot a commerical that will please both audience and client

8. how the basic Avid newscutter program works

9. how I-news works

10. to shoot stand-ups (more difficult then they look)

11. the responsiblites of assignment editor

12. what a producer does- what the script involves

13. how to set up the FOX studio

and there's more that I haven't listed.

I did what...

2008-05-18T21:12:00.000-07:00

An intern day- Tuesday the 13th

I went at 6:30 to a shoot at Peterson Air force Base to celebrate the 50th anniversary of NORAD-North American Defense Command. There was a lot of security. We had to have the car, all the equipment, and bags checked several times. They even had to go through the video footage, have escorts everywhere etc. This tedious process helped me learn that sometimes news require waiting for a long time. Patience is a must. I then watched a reporter log the sound clips and video she wanted. Next, I went to the Olympic center and watched speakers talk to Olympic athletes about etiquette and how to behave in Beijing. There were volleyball teams and martial art teams there. It was really cool to see. One of the reporters at FOX then interviewed an Olympian that does taekwando.

More to Learn...

2008-05-02T23:16:00.000-07:00

This week I watched the night side producer produce the nine P.M. newscast. He showed me that he looks for national and state stories and then fills in the local stories. He also showed me how the Ross command video system works. I also watched director, Ian make some CG's and OTS graphics etc. I tried making them and was able to make one for the newscast. This week I mainly watched different reporters and photographers edit pkgs, VOSOT's etc. They went pretty fast, but it was good to know the shortcuts and basic editing process. I also went with Pedro at the forum DNC convention. I asked a couple questions too for an interview. The next day, I went with promotions/commercial production, I watched them shoot a commercial, how they do the lighting and a little bit of how the camera works. I then watched them put the footage in Avid. I also got to pick the music for the commercial. Ok. That's all.

The Intern

2008-04-22T22:51:00.000-07:00

So Monday was my first day as an intern. I am learning a lot.

So far I have...

-Rolled prompter during a mock anchor reading

- Created CG over the shoulder and other graphics

- Helped conduct on the site interviews for a top news story package (It was a Canon Elementary school closing pkg)

- Learned the many responsiblites of director

-Learned how FOX does their newscast run-downs

-Learned how news stories are found

-Seen a newscast live and the BTS that happens before the show

-AND MUCH MORE...

I am 21!!!!

2008-04-13T16:58:00.000-07:00

Hey I had a great birthday everyone. Well first, I did white glove cleaning which wasn't fun, but I got my driver's liscense. That was exciting. Then I finished packing and made the four and half hour trip to Provo without a single stop. It was the first time to travel long distances by myself. Well utah isn't a really long drive.

When I got to Provo, I relaxed for a few minutes and then beck and i were off to the airport to pick Em up. We then went to Ikea. Got 50 cent hot dogs and went around the store. I got a few kitchen supplies while Em got a quit cover and a few other things. That was fun.

Then after that we went to Denny's. I got my b-day presents: a gift card, kitchen stuff, and some cool playing cards. It was really nice. I had my usual country fried steak with country fried potatoes. I also got a free dessert, cheesecake with chocolate on top. It was delicious. It was a lot of fun because we took funny pics at Denny's. I loved being able to be with my sisters. We laughed and chatted.

Next, we went home. There was also a pink tiera, a birthday bag, and some birthday balloons waiting for me. Beck made a birthday cake for me. It was chocolate as well and said Happy Birthday Hillary! and had the number 21. We then opened more presents. I got a shirt and shorts from Beck and some jewelry from Em. We then had IBC root beer with the bottles that look like beer bottles. We then took pictures chugging down the root beer it was fun. Then we went to bed.

It was a fun day. I am so glad I was able to spend it with my sisters.

The End of the Semester... And Everything Else...

2008-04-09T23:12:00.000-07:00

-Well my sixth semester of college has come and gone. Actually when I start my internship, I will be a senior since I will have more than 90 credits. Now its just packing and cleaning as I try and cram as much stuff to take to Colorado.

-I finished the last book of the Twilight series, Eclispe. It was really good. There were a lot stories from different characters that were told. I am anxious for the fourth one to come out in August. I still think Twilight is the best book, then Eclispe, and then New Moon.

Cool Video

2008-03-31T21:41:00.000-07:00

Hey Guys
here is a cool video link I heard about when my sunday school teacher brought it up in class.

It might seem negative at first, but wait and watch the whole thing!
http://youtube.com/watch?v=42E2fAWM6rA

What do you think? Neat huh?

Twilight- The Review...

2008-03-29T12:21:00.000-07:00

So I just finished Twilight and New Moon. Yes! I read them quite fast. They were very good. I am suprised I liked them so much since its so romantic and mushy. But I loved Twilight. It was supsenseful especially at the end. New Moon I liked, but not as much because of certain elements of the story [shhh. I can't tell:)]. I am trying to wait to read the third book for the summer. We will see.

Reviews

2008-03-23T21:12:00.000-07:00

Movies I recommend...
1. Horton Hears a Who
2. Dan in Real Life
3. August Rush
4. I am David

Don't Even Bother Watching...
1. The R.M.- cheesy and over the top
2. Baptists at our Barbeque- cheesy and over the top
3. Latter Night Live (It wasn't really that funny, except one guy)
4. Billy Madison- The guy's annoying and really crude. I stopped watching it. It was offensive.

Books I recommend reading...
1. The David Pelzer series- yes all the books. Its about endurance and dedication. Really good.
2. Killer Angels- Any Civil war buffs? I'm not one, but its a good one about Gettysburg.
3. Dante's Inferno- A complicated, but interesting read.

Bear with me... It may not be visually appealing

2008-03-23T20:44:00.000-07:00

Hey just started the blog today, but bear with me. I don't know how to edit the pictures so they are formatted nicely.
But Have a Great Day!

We're dying... Easter Eggs.

2008-03-23T19:50:00.000-07:00

Happy Easter Everyone!!!

1. Youson, Youna, and me

2. Me, Avrina, and Youson ready to dye the eggs.

Hey So my roommates and I decided to dye easter eggs today since its that holiday. It was a lot of fun. We took crayons and drew on the eggs and then put them in purple, pink, yellow, green, and orange dye. It was a lot of fun.

A Scoot in the park...

2008-03-23T19:21:00.000-07:00

On Saturday, it was a pretty nice day so I decided to take my kick scooter and scoot around in a park and have some quiet, relaxing time. It was a little chilly for my taste. During my visit, I took some pictures of the frozen ponds and the hundreds of ducks that would swarm you if you brought food for them. It was really nice. Enjoy the photos.

Frozen pond with sunset 2. The Road Ahead 3. One of the many ducks

My First Post

2008-03-23T19:15:00.000-07:00

Howdy All,
Well guys this is my first blog post. Exciting. Well not much going on. I just have school which is good. I really like my Old Testament class. I never knew I would learn so much. I always thought that the Old Testament had some weird and obscure stories. Classes end in a few weeks which is scary. Ahhh.

So I started reading the Twilight series, well at least the first book anyway. I thought it looked kind of lame at first, but it is actually really good. Very interesting and the writing style is excellent. I'll let you know how I really liked it when I finish the book.