For Mallory

So I know it's been awhile again and Mallory, I apologize. This update could be super long, but I am going to try to make a list of what I have done since the last update:

-Celebrated July 4th by making jerk chicken, rice and peas, and yam and spending a few hours at the beach. Listened to cheesy American songs as well as the classics

-Did more work on sketchup although def hit a point where I did not want to do sketchup at all at which point we went and helped Peter in the park. Never would I have thought I would enjoy removing nails from pieces of wood.

-Hit the beach a couple times and added to my burn/tan which I must say is coming along nicely. I even have a nice chaco tan from fishing with Peter and it is lovely.

-Speaking of fishing with Peter, we caught 48 fish this past Sunday. I caught 15 butterfish and ranchmen (not their real names I am guessing). I am now a bonafide angler.

-Found out we will get to go to Negril on August 1st. Watch out 7 mile beach.

-May be going to Portland this coming week. That will take care of hitting the east coast and once we hit Negril, we will have seen all four coasts. Sweetness.

-Applied for a job with URS, keep your fingers crossed. I am actually qualified for it and it's in Baton Rouge. Double score.

-I am going to NJ with Mom from August 28th to Sept 5 and I am stoked. I haven't seen Gran in 3 years and my cousins and uncle and aunt in 10. Craziness. South Jersey really is a beautiful place. Just go past all where all the guidos and shore people are and you will see. Yes lots of stereotypes about NJ are true, but I don't care what they say b/c South Jersey is great.

-Just found out today that I will be a published author. Ashley asked me (and Gareth) to write an article for Preservation Architect (the quarterly journal of the AIA Historic Resources Committee) on our experience as ICOMOS interns. What what!!!

-29 days left to go in Jamaica and while I will enjoy the last weeks here, I am so excited to come home and see my peeps and lay on a couch. Yes a couch. Who knew I would miss a couch. I sit on two chairs with a patio furniture bench cushion as my couch. Not anywhere close to a couch. Gareth lays on the floor on a patio bench cushion. He also misses couches.

-Gareth got his hair braided/plaited in cornrows. It didn't last long and he resembled Kevin Federline. It was entertaining.

-I decided that if I were born in Jamaica, I would have been a hills/mountain person. So much prettier and quieter up there. And the people up there are so freaking nice. We went to help this lady with an addition to her home. Before we left we got coconut water and tons of sugar cane. And this coming from a lady who doesn't have that much to give, but still gave us stuff. One of many lessons to take back with me to the states.

-Ms. Sylvie figured me out. She cooks lunch for us and all the guys. She realized I don't eat fish so now on mackerel and saltfish days, she warms up a little leftovers and I get that in its place. She will get a lovely present before we leave. Plus some days I get leftoever curry chicken or brown stew and Gareth is super jealous. But I am nice and give him a little. Poor thing doesn't have the guts to tell Ms. Sylvie he doesn't like the mackerel (I didn't either; I guess I am just easier to figure out than him).

Um. I think that is most of the updates. There are probably more little things that have gone on that I just can't remember. We are doing well on work. About a half a building and some other details on another and we will have finished 6 buildings total leaving only two left to do with four weeks left. Score. That leaves us time to make sure everything is fantastically done. I am so tired of sitting in a chair all day on a computer for probably at least 8 hrs. My eyes aren't loving me for it either. Nor is my back. Or my numb butt. I hope whenever I do get a job that I get to do other things than just sit all day. If not, I guess I will just have to jog around the office and when people stare, I will say tough.

Oh I have also become a music addict. I would like to thank Kelly for that. She introduced me to so many new bands and I didn't get to listen to them all until now as I work. Well this led me to get more of their music and then listen to other groups and now I am addicted. Hi my name is Jessica and I am addicted to great music. So anyone out there who wants some new bands check out the Avett Brothers, the Ray Brothers, the New Pornographers, Neko Case, Feist, The Decemberists (fantastic!!! and new love of the week), Bon Iver (Skinny Love is off the chain), the Hush Sound, Bright Eyes, Mae, etc. etc. etc. Anyone in BR want to go see the Avett Bros on Sept 29 b/c I am there. Oh and Tupelonians, they will be in Oxford the week before I think. Check their website. They are great. Really great.

Well now that I am a self professed music addict with a pretty sweet tan for a Polack, I think I will go jam to some of those sweet tunes. Mallory, I promise you that I will do better on blogging as in I won't wait another 19 days to update. I will try to do it every week for the rest of the time here and well in my stateside life as well except you will be there seeing me like every day so it may not be as fun for you. Oh well.

Respect,
j

--We grow a lot faster than trees, he said, so we miss a lot of stuff.--