>>A SUPER DUPER GOOD LUCK TO MY HUNNY

Curtis takes the bar tomorrow! He has spent his summer surrounded by big blue barbri books and on the computer taking practice exams. I am sure looking forward to having my hubby back. However, I know Curtis is not looking forward to this dreaded test. He has one full day of multiple choice questions and another full day of essays. YUCK!

Wish Curtis luck and send all your good energy (and brain power) his way. :)



I can't believe this time has actually come for Curtis to take the bar. We moved to Laramie 3 years ago and while it seems like the last 3 years have flown by, it also seems like we have been here forever. We love this town and it is crazy to think that we are leaving in just a few short days. We found a place to live in Thermopolis and we are excited about this next phase of our lives.


Now, on a completely different note, I walked to the grocery store this afternoon to buy the essentials...milk, bread, bananas, etc. I even brought my own bag from home. I felt very g-r-e-e-n. I like that feeling . . . except that the gallon of milk was way too heavy. My goal is to be green more often.

house for rent

We found a place to rent in Thermopolis. We are excited, a bit nervous, but mostly looking forward to our new lives in the Big Horn Basin.

We told our current landlord that we would do what we could to advertise our house in Laramie. If any of you Laramie-ites are looking for a place to rent, this is the place! It's a cute little house with the following . . .

• 2 bedrooms
• dining room
• living room
• kitchen
• mud room
• nice sized bathroom with washer/dryer hookups (washer/dryer possibly included)
  
• detached garage
• fenced in yard
• walking distance to UW (but far enough away that students don't park in front of the house)
  

Rent is $650/month and renter pays for electricity and gas.

The house was completely remodeled 2 years ago with new carpet, paint, kitchen cabinets, kitchen and bathroom fixtures, linoleum floors, etc.

We have loved living here and know you will too!!

Comment here or email me if you are interested.

This is the only picture I have of the house. It was taken last winter.

no more school!!

...for now anyway.


I'm done. Graduated! And already, life is awesome as a college grad.

No more:
reading worn-out textbooks,
studying,
online journal entries,
threaded discussions,
research papers,
reflection papers,
presentations,
lectures,
tests,
group work,
group work,
group work!!

I enjoyed school and loved my classes, but boy does it feel good to be done!

My family (mom, grandma and aunt) came and celebrated with us this weekend. We had a great time eating out, watching tv and sharing one bathroom between the 5 of us. It was awesome!

I originally wasn't planning on walking, but Curtis convinced me to and I'm so glad he did. It was a great experience and walking for graduation made this whole experience complete.

Here I am receiving my diploma. I didn't even trip. When my name was called, my family rang cowbells, but I was so focused on not tripping that I didn't hear a thing.

I made some great friends...

and had the best adviser/teacher/mentor ever

just look how happy I am...

I couldn't have done any of this without Curtis. He's the best!

Now next week we get to do this all over again. Curtis will graduate next Saturday with his Juris Doctor degree. We are so excited for more family, more celebration and more pictures of us in our strikingly attractive caps and gowns!

Stay tuned...you don't want to miss it!

the final countdown...

I have less than 2 weeks left of school. I am finally seeing the light at the end and I am jumping with joy. Literally.

To be honest, I never thought I would make it back to school. I took several years off after getting married and although I always thought about going back to school, and wanted to, ...I really wanted to... I thought I would just end up working and then eventually have a baby and never make it back to finish my schooling.

After leaving our lives in Utah and beginning our new adventure in Wyoming, I realized I needed to go to school now...or I never would. Curtis was already in school....we lived so close to the University....I had the perfect work schedule that would accommodate my school schedule....it was the perfect opportunity!

I was 24 when I applied to the University of Wyoming. Boy was I nervous to go back to school. I was apprehensive about being older and being in classes with 18 and 19 year olds.

What if my classmates don't like me?
What if they sit in their little groups and laugh at me?
What if my teachers don't like me?
What if they're mean?
What if I get called on in class and I don't know the answer?

These are things I worried about...really.

I was worried about balancing my full time job with my full time school schedule. I was nervous about my assignments....after all, it had been a very long time since I've written any kind of school report. I had no clue was I was doing.

Well, here I am, 2 years later and just days away from graduating. I made it! And guess what? Everyone was really nice to me. I even made friends. Lots of friends. And my teachers were nice. I love them. I'm going to miss them dearly.

Moving to Wyoming was the best thing we've ever done. I'm glad Curtis had the idea to go to law school. I'm even more glad he didn't get accepted to the U and that we were able to have this great adventure. We've experienced life in a new way here in Wyoming. We have met extraordinary people and have made life-long friends. My knowledge has grown, my appreciation for hard work has increased, my heart is fuller and I think overall I'm a better person for the experiences I have had here.

>>TODAY

While it was like this outside:

With these freezing temperatures:

High: 0 degrees --- Low: -6 degrees
(Burrr!)

I was inside making these:

and these too:

Then I ate these:

Not a bad day.

>>BRING ON THE SNOW.

It started snowing yesterday morning and never stopped. Laramie is now a white blanket of fluffy snow. It's a beautiful sight. Cold, wet and very slick...but beautiful.

Did you know they don't plow the roads in Laramie? The roads are covered with a thick sheet of snow with a top layer that eventually turns to ice. It's this way ALL WINTER LONG. Seriously. They don't plow the parking lots either. You should see Walmart's parking lot in the winter time. I've almost slipped many a times walking through their lot...very, very slick. And all the cars are parked a skew because no one can see where to park. The cars are just sort of scattered everywhere. You should try pushing a shopping cart through a parking lot packed down with thick, crunchy snow. It's harder than you might think.

This is all part of Laramie's charm! The snow, the wind, the bitter cold. That's Laramie. My home. And I love it!

You'll notice in this picture the snow-covered roads. I really mean it when I say they will stay like this all winter long!

>>HAPPY THANKSGIVING

I love Thanksgiving! Today has been such a great day. Our day went something like this...



First, we got up and fed our neighbor's chickens. We are taking care of them while they are out of town. I'm thankful for such great friends (we love you Kristi and Clay) and for the opportunity to feel like, for just a brief moment, that I live on a farm. Just look at how much fun these chicken are!

Then we fed and played with their cat. I'm thankful that I got to hold and cuddle with this furry little creature. Look how cute she is.

Then we came home and made these. I'm thankful for the 2 eggs that the chickens laid. They came in handy for this pumpkin pie.


Then, we talked to both of our families on the phone. I'm thankful for our cell phones and to be able to talk with our families as often as we do. Our families are the best!!

Then we just hung out and relaxed for a bit. I'm so thankful for this Thanksgiving break. I'm thankful for the time I was able to spend with Curtis just lying around, watching tv, listening to music, taking naps, doing anything we wanted and not having to think about school or anything else for that matter.

Then, when we were done relaxing, we started on dinner. And guess what? We didn't have turkey! Instead, we had....Salmon! We figured that since it was only us 2, we would spend our money on salmon instead of on a turkey. Did you know that turkey wasn't even eaten on the first Thanksgiving? We just heard on the radio yesterday that they ate duck and fish. So, we felt okay about not having turkey and having fish instead. Don't worry though...we still had stuffing and mashed potatoes and gravy...and PIE!

I'm thankful that I had someone special to share this holiday with. We weren't able to spend Thanksgiving with our families, but we were able to spend it together! And it was awesome!

Now we are just relaxing some more and getting ready for bed. We are going to bed early so we can hit the big sales bright and early tomorrow morning!!

I just love this time of year. It's probably my favorite time of year! And today was great! I mean, how many of you can say you got up and played with chickens? CHICKENS! (Except for you Kari, he he).

I hope you had a wonderful Thanksgiving!! Gobble! Gobble!

>>LAWLAPALOOZA!

Last week I went to a bar for my very first time...that's right folks! Not just any bar either...The COWBOY bar! I'm sure I stuck out like a sore thumb, but I had fun nonetheless.

The law school was putting on a fund-raising party (Lawlapalooza) trying to raise money for graduation and Curtis played in the house-band with some of his friends. They were awesome!! It was fun to see Curtis up on stage playing his bass and looking oh so sexy! There's just something about a hottie up on stage playing songs like Foxy Lady, Johnny Be Good and I Would Walk 500 Miles. He makes my heart melt. (Sigh)

Perhaps the most memorable part of the night was when Curtis gave a drunk guy a ride home. I wasn't there, but this is the story:

It was 1:00 in the morning and Curtis had just loaded his truck up with all of the band's equipment and was getting ready to leave, when he noticed a guy stumbling across the parking lot. The guy then spotted Curtis and stumbled to his truck waving his hands in the air. The conversation then went something like this....

Drunk Guy: "Hey you guys going to 12th and Lewis?"
Curtis: "uhhhhhhh, I guess so." (He was going nowhere near that address, but knew this guys was in no condition to be driving anywhere)
Drunk Guy: Attempts to climb over Curtis on the driver's side of the truck.
Curtis: "Uh, you need to walk around to the other side to get in."
Drunk Guy: "Oh yeah." -stumbles around and gets in truck.
Curtis then starts driving away.
Drunk Guy: "So, you hungry?" (presumably in an attempt to make a "run to the border" to Taco Bell)
Curtis: "Nope, sorry."
Drunk Guy: *waits a few seconds* "Oh, ok, well then do you smoke pot?"
Curtis: "Nope, sorry."
Drunk Guy: "Oh, ok."

On the drive to the guy's house, he gave Curtis 3 different addresses to be dropped off at, but he finally settled on one address where Curtis dropped him off, hopefully at home, although there is no way to tell. What a story, eh?

Anyway, it was a fun night and they raised some money for graduation...so it was a success!! Here are pictures for your enjoyment.

The band.

The guy at the mic is Supreme Court Justice Hill.

Glen rockin' the harmonica.

Curtis' professor gettin' funky on the dance floor.

Me and Sarah. She was nice enough to come keep me company.

Curtis wanted me to straddle the saddle stools, but I was too embarrassed.

More dancing.

Music + Dancing + Friends @ Lawlapalooza = Good Times
(+ alcohol for some; + TOO MUCH alcohol for others)

>>FUNNY FART STORY

{Warning: May not be suitable for mature individuals}

The fact is, guys fart ALL. THE. TIME. I've come to realize that there is just nothing I, nor anyone else, can do about it. I usually try not to laugh about it because this only encourages my hubby. It is sort of like what Homer Simpson said, "You laughed...I'm off the hook." (Thanks Nate for posting that in my comments. Now that is all I hear) Anyway, there are times when Curtis cuts one and I can't help but burst out laughing.

So...the other day Curtis and his law school buddies were sharing their fart stories with each other. It's not enough that guys fart all the time, but they have to talk about farting too.

Anyway, so here is a hilarious fart story shared by one of our good friends...

Our friend, we'll call him Dan, was at Safeway (a grocery store in Laramie). He was looking at olives and suddenly felt the need to relieve himself. He looked to the left, then to the right. No one. So as he described it, he just "let her buck!" A second later Dan hears a female voice say, "Well I hope you feel better." Dan turns around to find a lady directly behind him. While he looked to the left and to the right, he failed to look behind him. Ha ha.

When Curtis told me this I was practically rolling on the floor laughing. Dan didn't know what to say, so he replied by saying something like this, "I'm sorry....I just don't even know what to say."

Anyway, sorry if you find this post totally crude, but I think it is so funny and I just wanted to share. Any of you have any funny fart stories?? he he :)

>>THE JOYS OF WALMART

Don't you just love when strangers start talking to you when you're in line at the store? Here is a conversation Curtis and I had today while we were in line at Walmart. This fellow converser was an older gentleman wearing sweats and velco shoes...love it!

Stranger: What you got there?

Curtis: Pepto-Bismol (Holds up a bottle of pink Stomach Relief = cheap version of Pepto-Bismol)

Stranger: You wanna know what works better than that stuff?

Us: No time to answer.

Stranger: It's that white stuff...what's it called? (looks towards me)

Me: Mylox?

Stranger: Yeah, that stuff. That works better....especially for diarrhea.

Curtis: Oh?

Stranger: Yeah. You know what else works good...

Us: No time to respond.

Stranger: That white powder stuff...the stuff you put down drains.

Curtis: Ajax? (holding back his smile)

Stranger: No. It's white and powdery. You can clean with it...you put it in your fridge to make it smell better. (looks to me)

Me: Baking soda?

Stranger: Yeah, that works good. Just put a little bit in some water and drink it. I chew (as in chewing tobacco) a lot so I get a lot of upset stomachs. That stuff...what's it called again? (looks at me)

Me: Baking soda

Stranger: Yeah, that works good for upset stomachs.

Curtis: well alright (nodding his head). Thanks for the advice.

Stranger: Yep, and just think...you got all that advice for free. (smiles and then walks away)

Hooray for funny conversations with strangers that make us laugh! :D

>>DON'T BUG ME, I'M EATING

Have any of you ever had a $6 burger from Carl's Jr? Well I have (just tonight actually) and it was delicious! We just got a new Carl's Jr. in town and we got some coupons in the mail for a FREE Guacamole Bacon Burger with the purchase of one Guacamole Bacon Burger. We couldn't pass up a great deal so we (I) headed to Carl's Jr to pick up some burgers to eat while we watched the BYU game. So, with our handy dandy coupon, we got 2 $6 burgers for $5.50. Wohoo! I came home with the burgers and we literally scarfed them down. They were SO good! But now, we are both really sick. Curtis has heartburn and I feel like barfing. I don't discourage against the delicious Guacamole Bacon Burger, I would only suggest that one take it slowly, no need to inhale the burger. Also, it may be wise to just buy 1 and split it with your significant other. If any of you happen to have this same coupon, here is what I would suggest...get a group of 4 people and head to Carl's Jr. Buy one burger and get one free. Then you can split the 2 burgers between the 4 of you. I promise it will be enough food for all of you. Then if you split the bill ($5.50) it is only $1.38 a piece. Pretty good deal, right?

>>LABOR DABOR, SHOPPING AND GO COWBOYS!

Ever get home from a day of shopping and find one of these little buggers still stuck to your clothing???
Anyone have any idea how to get one of these things off? It says that if we tamper with it, it will leak ink all over the clothing. It wouldn't be a big deal if we lived close to the store, but when the nearest store is an hour away, it gets more difficult...and more annoying!!

Despite the above mentioned annoyance, Curtis and I spent Labor Day in Fort Collins and had a marvelous time. We shopped the day away and it was wonderful!! Fort Collins is such a nice break away from Laramie. It's green and warm and there's lots to do. Our favorite stops include: Old Navy, Target, the mall, Ross, The Arc, and of course, Panda. It makes for a nice break away...not only from Laramie, but from school, work, and our messy house. Even Curtis enjoys our Fort Collins extravaganzas...and he HATES shopping. It was a great Labor Dabor Day indeed!

Our weekend also included a Wyoming football game. The first of the season. Go Cowboys!! They won, but barely. It is always more fun when your team wins. The Cowboys always get off to a good start, but then as the season goes on, they get worse and worse. Hopefully this year will be different...we'll see.


And lastly, speaking of beer (see my last post), I saw for my very first time, a truly drunk, overly intoxicated person. Let me just say, I am SO glad I don't drink. On our way to the football game, we came across a girl laying in the gutter near the football stadium. Some other people came across her right before we did...luckily for us...I don't think I could have handled that. They started shaking her and checking her pulse to make sure she was breathing. It was scary...she wasn't moving or responding at all. Immediately after, an EMT ran up to her and was able to move her from the gutter to the grass. The girl was conscious, but barely. It was clear she was totally wasted. I have never seen anything like this. An ambulance soon came and I'm not sure what happened after that because we left. As we walked away, I was SO mad. I was mad that people are that irresponsible. I mean seriously, she was so drunk that she had passed out in the gutter. Usually I feel so bad for people who are suffering or sick or in trouble like this, but not this time. This girl was SO irresponsible and there was no reason for her to be this drunk so early in the day. It was 12:00 in the afternoon. I can see I'm getting a bit fired up again just thinking about it, so I will stop now.

So, in conclusion, I had a great Labor Dabor day shoppin' it up with my better half, made it home with a new shirt that can't yet be worn, cheered on the Cowboys to victory, and witnessed the effects of TOO MUCH alcohol. BEST. WEEKEND. EVER.

>>IT'S THAT TIME OF YEAR AGAIN

Time when we kiss our free time goodbye, time when we hit the books, and time when the great city of Laramie fills with college students. Summertime in Laramie is SO great because pretty much ALL of the students leave town. It's great. The streets are clear, the stores are empty...it's the best! But then, school starts and everything changes. Laramie seriously almost doubles in size once school starts. It's crazy. Just take a look for yourself...

Walmart in the summertime:

Walmart once school starts:

Curtis and I had our first day back at school yesterday. We weren't all that excited to head back, but it is exciting to know that we will be done in May. Yay!!! Our time here in Laramie has gone by so fast...and I know this next year will just fly by.

I am sometimes negative about school, but the truth is, it really does feel good to be back. I am SO happy about my decision to return back to school and get my degree. It was something that was always in the back of my mind, but I would justify reasons why I didn't need to finish school. I know it was the best decision for me to go back and I am so excited to graduate in just 9 months! It will be fun for me and Curtis to graduate together!!
It really helps that I enjoy what I am learning in school. My degree is in Family and Consumer Science with an emphasis in Family and Community Services. So what does all that mean you aks?? Basically it prepares me to work with families who are in need. It is a lot like what I am doing now at my job. I work for an organization that helps families in Wyoming who have children with hearing loss. We help them get appointments with audiologists, speech/language therapists, help get them involved in an early intervention program, etc. I love it because it feels good to help people who are in need. It is very rewarding and I hope to be able to stay in this field of work for a long time.
Curtis and I have a VERY BUSY semester on our hands. Wish us luck!!

>>BURR

After living in Laramie for 2 years, I'm still not use to this crazy weather. Today's high was 50 degrees. Burrr!!!

>>FARMERS MARKET

This afternoon Curtis and I rode the scooter to the Farmers Market. Laramie has a Farmers Market every Friday afternoon for a couple months in the summer. We had a grand ol' time. I LOVE Farmers Markets. It's fun walking to the different booths, buying fresh fruit and veggies, chattin' with all the hippies, supporting the local farmers, and just being outside walking around. We bought some fresh corn on the cob, carrots, zucchini, potatoes, and watermelon. DE-LI-CIOUS!! We were even able to fit it all on the scooter. We put the watermelon under the seat, Curtis held the bag of corn between his feet, and I held onto the bag of potatoes, carrots, and zucchini. What a fun afternoon!! Good idea babe. Let's do it again next Friday :-)

>>TORNATO HITS LARAMIE

Yesterday was such a crazy day in Laramie. It all started around 1 or so when a tornado warning siren rang out across the city. For about an hour or so, Sarah (my co-worker) and I sat in the basement at our work. Curtis (who was also hanging out in the basement of his work) would call me every so often and keep Sarah and I updated as to what was going on. When there was finally a break in the storm, Curtis and I hurried home. A lot of Laramie didn't have power, but we were one of the lucky ones who still had power in our house. We just sat and watched the news. Apparently there were 6 or 7 tornadoes between Wyoming and Colorado. Colorado was hit the hardest and suffered a lot of damage.

Later on after the storms settled down, Curtis and I drove around town to see what had happened. Traffic was pretty bad and it was still raining/hailing a bit. I tried to get some pictures, but some of them didn't turn out too well.....























Here are some pictures from the newspaper (The Laramie Boomerang)...

























What a crazy day. I'm thankful that there was no damage to our home and that we were okay. Our poor car did suffer some hail damage, but if that is the worst thing to happen, I'm okay with that.

Here is the article from the Laramie Boomerang about the tornado....

A fast moving storm resulted in several tornado warnings early Thursday afternoon. The warnings continued for almost three hours, forcing people to wait out the storm in basements of homes and office buildings or huddle in hallways at the schools.The warnings followed almost 20 hours of rain and drizzle. The storm intensified around 1 p.m., bringing heavy rains, high winds, golf-ball sized hail and later, snow.The storm hit east Laramie the hardest.Trash — plywood, cardboard boxes, trash bags and paper — was strewn along the right-of-way and fence from the Grand Avenue exit to Wal-Mart. The sagebrush field that lies in between the Animal Health Center and AmericInn was filled with trash and an upended flatbed trailer.Laramie resident Connie Petrie, who lives with her husband Jim at 4804 Evergreen, said parts of their home’s roof were taken off in the storm. Her fence was torn apart and her patio furniture blew away, she said.“We don’t have a basement, but I went into the bathroom that is in the middle of our house at around 1:35 p.m.,” she said. “My husband watched.”Petrie described strong winds, a lot of hail and then, all of the sudden, “a slam and a loud noise.”“The roof went off and the fences all came down,” Petrie said. “A 40-foot spruce tree came down and our patio furniture is somewhere. We don’t know where.”Petrie said she and her husband have lived in the same home for six years.“We’ve never seen weather like this,” Petrie said. “Not in Wyoming … we did in Tulsa, Oklahoma.”Petrie said that she had heard the storm was moving north on Wyoming Highway 287 mid-afternoon.“The funny thing is … we were watching south. And just that fast, it hit,” Petrie said. “But it hit out of the northeast.”In her neighborhood, Petrie described downed power lines and destroyed fences, roofs and corrals. Many buildings in Laramie’s newest Grandview Heights subdivision suffered damage as well, she said.“They had two houses that had the framing up (Thursday) morning and they are gone,” Petrie said.Petrie also described a chaotic scene on Interstate 80.“A Lowe’s truck had been blown over … there was a semi that had some boats on the back and they are all over the freeway,” Petrie said. “The cars are all turned higgly-piggly all over the road. It is weird.”The Imperial Heights subdivision suffered the most damage in the area. Laramie Police officers restricted access to the subdivision to residents, citing property damage. Rocky Mountain Power trucks were on the scene to assess the damage done to the subdivision’s power lines.The Tumbleweed Gas Station sustained severe damage. The high winds ripped off the building’s roof, revealing the skeletal four-by-four boards underneath. Several sheriff’s deputies were picking up four-by-four boards from the street that had blown from the Tumbleweed.The hail that pummeled Laramie at about 1:30 p.m. remained on the ground at 2:30 p.m., looking like snow in the grass.High winds tipped over a semi tractor-trailer on Interstate 80 near the Grand Avenue exit. The Wyoming Highway Patrol, Albany County Sheriff’s Office, Laramie Police Department and Laramie Fire Department responded to the crash.Mary Jo Atherton, who lives at 2824 Sage Drive just south of Wal-Mart, said the roof of her barn was taken off in the storm.“The storm blew the roof off the barn, but we think we are safe,” Atherton said minutes after the first storm wave moved through Laramie. “We’ve got a basement.”Around 1:25 p.m., Atherton said she and her family ducked into their basement for cover.“We lost some trees, and after a quick look of the roof on the house, I haven’t seen any damage,” Atherton said.“We grew up in tornados, so we knew what signs to look for,” she said, around 2:20 p.m. Thursday. “It was just the high winds, hail … and we heard there is another storm coming, so we are going back into the basement.”At 1055 Inca, Donald Shoefelt assessed the damage to his house during a lull in the rain and hail, while his grandson, Kevin, took photographs.A tree had fallen across a fence and into the side of the house, and parts of the fence in the backyard were damaged.“I had my wife get back away from the window because I was afraid it was going to explode. It was terribly loud,” he said. “I didn’t know that tree blew over until we started looking out the window when it kind of calmed down.”Near his house, extreme winds ripped off part of the roof and the entire porch of the Quadra Dangle Square Dance Club, an 80-year-old log building on the National Register of Historic Places. Club members were busy mopping up water and laying tarps over the exposed dance floor Thursday evening.“We heard a tremendous roar and a lot of banging up here,” said club president William Wright, one of five people who were in the basement when the storm hit.Several trees on Jacoby Golf Course were broken or torn up.Along Harney, Bresnan engineer Doc Thissen pulled over to inspect a downed power line. He said a long section of power lines running along the ride north of Indian Paintbrush Elementary School and west of 30th were blown over.“It’s all laying on the ground,” he said.Command CenterWhen the first tornado warning was issued, employees at City Hall followed evacuation protocol and headed to the basement where the command center was being set up.City Manager Janine Jordan said once the first tornado warning had expired, she sent all non-essential personnel home.Jordan, Public Works Director Richard Elliott, Administrative Service Director Malea Brown, Mayor Klaus Hanson, Fire Chief Randy Vickers, Police Chief Bob Deutsch and Albany County Sheriff Jim Pond set up the command center in the jury room in the basement.Jordan said they were coordinating information as it came in.“We’re taking information on public hazards and damaged infrastructure. We’re really a clearing house for information,” she said. The damage appeared to be most extensive in the northeast side of the city with reports of damaged buildings and reports of downed trees causing road blockages.Mayor Hanson said that there was flooding reported along 30th and Reynolds.Sheriff Jim Pond, watching the weather radar on a laptop with Chief Deutsch, said those in the command center work on coordinating resources to address the issues that are reported. Those resources on Thursday included the Wyoming Army National Guard.Hanson said they were also communicating with the Wyoming Department of Transportation regarding road closures. According to WYDOT Interstate 80 westbound between Cheyenne and Laramie, U.S. Highway 30 north of Laramie and U.S. Highway 287 south of Laramie closed at about 3:20 p.m. due to the severe weather and tornado warnings and watches posted for the area. The roads were opened just before 5 p.m.At 4 p.m., Pond and Deutsch were tracking a storm that was directly over Cheyenne. Deutsch said the redder the radar, the worse the storm, with Cheyenne a deep red at the time. Pond said the storm appeared to be dissipating as it moved toward Laramie.They were prepared to continue to monitor the storm until the thunderstorm had completely passed.Pond said they would be doing some further damage assessment soon. “Right now we are working on power and keeping the streets open,” he said. Deutsch said deputies and police officers were patrolling the streets and making reports of damage they saw.Deutsch added that most of the work will fall to Elliott and the Public Works Department and the Parks and Recreation Department, depending on where the damage is and where clean-up is needed.CountyAlbany County Courthouse employees were given notice at 1:30 p.m. that there was a tornado warning for Laramie, and employees were advised to go home or head to the basement. District Court Clerk Janice Sexton, waiting for the third tornado warning to expire, said: “I don’t want to go home alone so I’m in the basement. I don’t have a problem staying all night.”She said early in the afternoon there were probably 50 or more people in the basement. Some, like Sexton, crowded by the stairs in front of the Sheriff’s Office and County Attorney’s Office.“Everyone’s on their cell phones trying to check on friends and family,” Sexton said. She said at one point, a couple who live in an apartment building, came to the courthouse basement seeking shelter.Albany County Clerk Jackie Gonzales said her staff, along with other county employees, was gathered in the commissioner’s meeting room getting updates on the tornado warnings via the Internet displayed on a big screen. They were looking at the Web cameras from the Wyoming Department of Transportation. Two of her staff members, Karen Spears and Josie Montez, were at Laramie High School for voter registration when the school locked down about 1:30 p.m.Spears said: “It’s the only voter registration I thought would last all night. They kept extending the warning — 1:45, 2 p.m., 2:15 p.m.”Spears and Montez were able to register several people in the first 90 minutes before the lockdown. They gathered with school employees, where Spears said her fortune, from a fortune cookie Montez had, said: “You have found good company. Enjoy.” They were allowed to leave at about 3:30 p.m., along with students whose parents picked them up.

>>A SNOWY DAY IN MAY

Burrrr! This morning we woke up to snow. I should have known better to put away all of our winter gear over the weekend....I had to drag it all back out. It looks like we have a few more days of snow before it starts warming up again. I can't wait until Friday for some sunny weather!













On a happier note...I am officially done with school!!!!...until fall semester anyway. It feels so good! I have been looking forward to this break for a long time. Curtis has 2 more finals...one tomorrow and one on Friday...and then he will be done...Wahoo!!!

This summer we are staying in Laramie. Curtis will be working at the Domestic Violence Clinic at the Law School. We hear the summers are really nice in Laramie because it doesn't get too hot and it's really quiet because all of the students are gone. Luckily Curtis gets some time off so we will be able to get away and do some fun stuff, i.e. visit family and friends in Utah, family reunion in Oregon, etc.

On another happy note...the Jazz are still in the playoffs!! I sure hope they can pull off a win in LA and then come back to Utah to win again!! I really can't stand Coby Bryant and I just want the Jazz to totally kick his and the rest of the Laker's butts. I know the Jazz are a good team and could totally win, but sometimes they just don't play as well as they could. I want them to win so badly. I find myself getting so emotionally involved in their games. I'm glad Curtis loves the Jazz too. One of my favorite things to do is sit on the living room floor eating pizza and cheering on the Jazz!! Go Jazz!!!!

>>FUNNY BIRDS

Last week we bought an old Toyota pick-up truck from a fellow law student. Just like every old Toyota pick-up, this one has its fair share of rust.

The other day, Curtis noticed a few birds hanging out around his truck. He went to inspect what was going on and it seems as though a family of birds have made one of the rust holes their new home. Curtis removed the nest only to have the birds rebuild it the next day. Every day Curtis removes a bunch of twigs and grass from the hole. The darn birds just won't give up. We are just worried about a bird laying eggs in there and then us driving the truck away and destroying all the eggs. Otherwise, we would just leave the nest alone. It makes for a funny story though.