Graduated!!

The very happy graduate.

Graduation Day

Today is it! The ceremony starts at 2:00 eastern time. I am very proud of my accomplishment. As happy and excited as I am about today, the best part was getting a job. Today would be a bit subdued if I had not yet gotten a full time job. Of course Leigh will be there cheering me on, as will Betty and Lynn. A few years ago I would never have thought I could accomplish this. I had friends around my age that had gone back to college and I always commended them and felt I could never do it. Well I proved myself wrong. I worked hard to get the good grades I got. Over the two years I got 9 A's, 6 B's and 2 C's. There were lots of sacrifices made these past two years and not just by me. Leigh has been a tremendous partner through all of this. (I bet Karen would say the same about Gary, as she just graduated yesterday. Congrats to them). All my family members have been very supportive. Leigh had more confidence in me at the start of this than I did. My hat is off to her.

One of the things I gave up was playing hockey three times a week. I cut it back to just playing Friday evening. We have a great time slot from 6-7:30. They are a great group of people I play with. One of the traditions we have with our Friday Night Hockey Club is to have a couple of cold adult beverages after we skate. It is an important part of the game. That way if you get a little perturbed with the way someone hacked you or tripped you can laugh it off after over a beer. Since I started school I haven't been staying to drink with everyone. Well I am happy to say that last night for the first time in about 2 years I stayed and had a beer with everyone.

I only have one down side to all of this. I am really sorry that my Dad is not here today to see me graduate. I think he would have been proud of me. Hopefully he is watching.

I will have some photos to post of the event.

Bring on graduation...I am ready.

Happy Day

 

Happy Mother's Day to all Moms and especially to my Mom....

The Rewards

I found out on Monday that a company called Greenman-Pedersen, Inc. had offered me a job. I will be doing construction inspection. Most of the work I will be doing with be with the VT AOT out of St. Johnsbury. That is about a 75 minute drive. I will working all around the northern part of the state. I think the first project I will be working on will be a "Marking Project". That would be any of the lines that are on the roads. I am not really sure what I will need to do exactly as the construction inspector on these jobs but I am sure I will find out soon. Some of the other projects I will probably work on will be bridge inspection and paving inspection. This year I will only work through the construction season. Then I will get laid off for a few months. If I did a good job for GPI they will hire me back again in April. After that first year you can usually get year round work if you want to. The guy who hired me said there were many of the inspectors who like to have the winter off so can either go South or go skiing or some other winter activity. We will work enough overtime during the year to cover the down time. So if you budget your money properly you can get through the year. I am extremely excited to start my new job. Meanwhile the job I have had through this past school year with the State is still going on. My boss told me I could work until I started with GPI. So I have a couple more weeks with the State.

It was such a relief when the job offer came. Not very many of my classmates have gotten jobs. Summer jobs are even difficult to come by. Vermont Tech College prides itself on 98% placement of its graduates. This year they will not be even close to a number like that. Some of my classmates are going to continue their college educations either at VTC or some other 4 year college.

Here is their website. http://www.gpinet.com/

My graduation is Saturday May 16th in Northfield, VT. It will be held on the campus of Norwich University. I am not really sure why we don't have it on our own campus in Randolph Center. After all we did go to school in Randolph Center not Northfield.

My Award

I see from my brother Mike's blog that the word is out that I got some kind of an award from Vermont Tech College. It is true. I will write down what it says on the award. I thought the best part was the $100.00 check that I got with the award. Needless to say this went straight onto my resume.

Here it is:
"The Vermont Section of the American Society of Civil Engineers Award is presented to Jeffrey R. Warner to the graduating senior with the highest academic average and greatest all-around academic development in the Civil and Environmental engineering Technology program."

I am really happy to have gotten this award....hopefully it will help me to get a job.

I would never been able to get an award like this without the support of Leigh. Her encouragement and support over the past two years has been beyond words. She deserves this as much as I do.

Start the World Series

QUICK QUICK QUICK.....please call an end to the MLB season right now. The Pirates won their first game and are all alone in first place in the NL Central. What a start for the Bucs!!!

March Madness

 
 
 

It is time to open up the cold frame. Leo and Cully volunteered to do it for me. Hopefully it will stay sunny and I will be able to plant some greens in the next couple of weeks.

Pizza for Dinner

 


Leigh is making pizza for our dinner tonight. As you can see the dough is ready.....me too!

Things I've Done

This list comes courtesy of Kathy. If you want to do this too just cut and paste into your blog, then bold the line items you have done.


1. Started your own blog.
2. Slept under the stars.
3. Played in a band.
4. Visited Hawaii.
5. Watched a meteor shower.
6. Given more than you can afford to charity.
7. Been to Disney World (that’s the one in Florida).
8. Climbed a mountain.
9. Held a praying mantis.
10. Sang a solo.
11. Bungee jumped.
12. Visited Paris.
13. Watched a lightning storm at sea.
14. Taught yourself an art from scratch.
15. Adopted a child.
16. Had food poisoning.
17. Walked to the top of the Statue of Liberty.
18. Grown your own vegetables.
19. Seen the Mona Lisa in France.
20. Slept on an overnight train.
21. Had a pillow fight.
22. Hitch hiked.
23. Taken a sick day when you’re not sick.
24. Built a snow fort.
25. Held a lamb.
26. Gone skinny dipping.
27. Run a marathon.
28. Ridden in a gondola in Venice.
29. Seen a total eclipse.
30. Watched a sunrise or sunset.
31. Hit a home run.
32. Been on a cruise.
33. Seen Niagara Falls in person.
34. Visited the birthplace of your ancestors.
35. Seen an Amish community.
36. Taught yourself a new language.
37. Had enough money to truly be satisfied.
38. Seen the leaning tower of Pisa in person.
39. Gone rock climbing.
40. Seen Michelangelo’s David.
41. Sung karaoke.
42. Seen Old Faithful geyser erupt.
43. Bought a stranger a meal at a restaurant.
44. Visited Africa.
45. Walked on a beach by moonlight.
46. Been transported in an ambulance.
47. Had your portrait painted.
48. Gone deep sea fishing.
49. Seen the Sistine Chapel in person.
50. Been to the top of the Eiffel Tower in Paris.
51. Gone scuba diving or snorkeling.
52. Kissed in the rain.
53. Played in the mud.
54. Gone to a drive-in theater.
55. Been in a movie.
56. Visited the Great Wall of China.
57. Started a business.
58. Taken a martial arts class.
59. Visited Russia.
60. Served in a soup kitchen.
61. Sold Girl Scout cookies.
62. Gone whale watching.
63. Gotten flowers for no reason.
64. Donated blood, platelets, or plasma.
65. Gone sky diving.
66. Visited a Nazi concentration camp.
67. Bounced a check. (NSF)
68. Flown in a helicopter.
69. Saved a favorite childhood toy.
70. Visited the Lincoln Memorial.
71. Eaten caviar.
72. Pieced a quilt.
73. Stood in Times Square.
74. Toured the Everglades.
75. Been fired from a job.
76. Seen the changing of the guards in London.
77. Broken a bone.
78. Been on a speeding motorcycle.
79. Seen the Grand Canyon in person.
80. Published a book.
81. Been to the Vatican.
82. Bought a brand new car.
83. Walked in Jerusalem.
84. Had your picture in the paper.
85. Read the entire Bible.
86. Visited the White House.
87. Killed and prepared an animal for eating.
88. Had Chicken pox.
89. Saved someone’s life.
90. Sat on a jury.
91. Met someone famous.
92. Joined a book club.
93. Lost a loved one.
94. Had a baby.
95. Seen the Alamo in person.
96. Swam in the Great Salt Lake.
97. Been involved in a lawsuit.
98. Owned a cell phone.
99. Been stung by a bee.
100. Read an entire book in one day.

Everyone is Excited

 

Chilly Morning

Here is Camels Hump as the early morning sun hits it.