Singing at the top of my lungs!

So tonight was one of those nights where everyone I was with let loose. After Community Group, a bunch of Reasons walked the streets of Austin scoping out the light displays in our best holiday apparel (even though I wore a really cool shirt from 3rd grade, I still didn't win the pumpkin log and it sounded so darn appetizing... ha). As we walked we sang Christmas carols at the top of our lungs even though we didn't exactly know all of the words. Tomorrow night is going to be interesting carolling with those folks at the hospital. Goodtimes are sure to be had! Above is a picture of me and Natalie in front of the house with the most creative light display. Sorry, my phone kinda takes blurry pictures... but no fear some strange middle-aged man took two pictures with his camera that I am sure will turn out great. I should really track that guy down. Ha! For my fellow Austinites, you really must check out the lights on 38th street off Guadalupe. These people go all out!

Jersey Girls!

So last week I got to be flown up to Newark, NJ to nanny for the cutest little girlie, named Siena (pictured above). Siena loves animals, wears a hat at all times, and is determined to conquer new skills everyday. We played all week and made the most of our time together. We got to see a Broadway play, iceskate at Rockefeller Center, shop on the streets of NYC, ride the huge ferris wheel at the 5-story Toys R Us, play lots of arcade games, and of course take full advantage of the hotel pool EVERY night! My time was full of giggling and a sense of wonderment at the snow and cold weather. It was fun to experience things next to a 10-year old. Their eyes just light up with such excitement at everything new. Below are some pics from the week. I'm sorry they aren't better. I forgot my digital camera.

Me, Siena, and her mom at Rockefeller Center all bundled up!

Every nanny has to have a cute little "nanny hat!"

Me and Sisi taking our nightly dip in the pool!

New Artist I like...

Gotta love artists who emerge from Fullerton! Check him out at http://www.myspace.com/tyronewells or http://www.tyronewells.com/ I really like his song "Wondering Where You Are."

Crazy Weekend

This is my brother's extremely fun and adorable wife, Alli! On Thanksgiving morning, David, Alli, my aunt and I all went kayaking on Lake Austin. We had a fun time paddling, watching turtles jump off logs, and splashing each other. Later that day we stuffed ourselves and watched like 5 episodes of Lost. Totally addicted!

My first roommate to get married got hitched Saturday afternoon. It's official... Amy Z is no longer here... it's now gonna have to be "Amy Dubs here!" The wedding was beautiful, especially this one h-o-t-t bridesmaid named Natalie Gallmore. And the reception met every expectation. Amy, Amy, Amy... I love that girl!

Tonight, after dinner with the 'rents at Joe's Crab Shack, Brit and Kimbo took me to Halcyon for the best chocolate cake ever and lots of flaming S'mores. It's just the coolest place. It's a coffee house slash pub with S'more trays that you take to you table to roast your own marshmallows. Goodtimes, goodtimes!

Awwwwww SICK 'EM BEARS!

So today I felt like the luckiest girl in the world because I got to see one of my favorite people on earth... Rachel Lundeen. Our friendship is one of those that never seems to skip a beat no matter how long it's been since we've been in the same city, or the same state for that matter.

The two of us met at summer camp when we were 17 years old. Rachel was singing Britney Spears and Mmm Bop, while I was dreaming of becoming a back-up dancer. That was a summer of laughing, playing, and plotting to "make the playbook" by doing something outrageous! Well, we've both grown up a bit since then. These past 5 1/2 years we've watched each other learn and mature. And we've been there along the way to encourage one another and to add a dash of fun to the other's life. That girl never ceases to amaze me with her wisdom and understanding.

Today we just hung out and talked. We went to Starbucks, ate her mom's home-cooked dinner, and went to a Baylor basketball game... but mainly we talked. My favorite thing about Rachel is that we can talk for hours and never feel like we've exhausted all topics. She always makes me think. She's the kind of friend who challenges me to have an opinion and if I don't have one, to find one. After talking to her, I feel as though I know myself a little better. Strange I know, but true. I think everyone should have a friend like her. I just can't wait until we are living in the same state next semester. I'm gonna be tearing up that road to Vail. Love ya, Rach! Thanks for being you!

Best Friends Forever!

I was going through pictures tonight for my scrapbook and stumbled onto this one. How precious are we!?!?! For those of you who came into my life post-Bartlesville, this is Lindsay Burness... my childhood Best Friend. She is pretty much a part of every memory I have from age 5 to 13... every birthday, every sledding trip, every Miss America-watching party, every Halloween, every sleepover, every Field Day at Wayside, every athletic practice, every Glamour Shots photoshoot, every summer day at Hillcrest pool, every recess, every everything! I love this girl and never get to see her anymore. It's sad... so very sad, but life's like that. You build friendships and then life pulls you apart and puts half the country between you. I am anticipating that very phenomena in January and it's so frustrating. I've experienced it many times (moving to California, going to college in Texas, leaving friends behind at camp every summer, and finally peacing out after college) so you'd think I'd get used to it and no longer be bothered by it. It's just that this time I feel so odd because when I moved to A-town I knew that I would be making friends that I would only hang out with for like 5 months. It's like "interim friends," but the thing is... they're amazing and have huge hearts. I wish we had the time to develop even better friendships. But even so, they are going to make every visit to my parents' home during my adulthood a delight because I will have friends here! For the past four years I have experienced going home to a home where I knew no one my age, but now that's no more! These girls and guys (whom Kimberly and I so fondly refer to as "The Reasons") are going to be my Reasons to be excited about holiday visits to A-town. "Tarrytowners," if you're reading this, I love ya'll and I'm so glad to have you in my life! I hope we overcome all the space life will throw between us when I'm up in the mountains of Colorado! And Lindsay Burness, if you're reading this, call me so we can catch up. I love you so dearly, BFF!

Guzzle it Page!

I love Page Price and apparently she loves Rudy's BBQ Sauce!

PS Thanks for giving me your banana runts... you're the best. Can't wait until your next visit and our trip to Amy's wedding. I'll wrestle you for the bouquet!

The Bigger the Better

The best part about this picture is that I was shopping alone and a girl in line at the check out watched me snap this pic of myself. She seemed to think I was very conceited.

Be Blessed!

Last summer (2004) while working at K-Klassic I was in a Bible study led by Missy White in which we studied the beatitudes. I had read that passage in Matthew many times in my life, heard tons of sermons on it in my years of church growing up, and had even tried unsuccessfully to memorize the chapter a couple months before heading to Klassic but I had never REALLY gotten deep into what the scripture truly was saying. There was one beatitude that really struck a cord with me one hot summer day and I am reminded of it again this evening as God has put it on my heart to share about it. In Matthew 5:4 Jesus said "Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted." Some of you might be thinking... "What happened, Julie? Did someone pass away? Did you get sent to the ER... Again?" I feel like people (including me) forget about this verse and put it on the back burner, until we attend a funeral or until we comfort a sad friend who is going through a tough break-up... But that's not the heart of what Jesus is getting at in this verse. He is calling us to mourn sin everyday. We are to mourn our own sin and the sin that surrounds us in our depraved world.

We are sinful by nature. Ever since Adam and Eve messed up in the Garden of Eden we were born into it. Just like an alcoholic inherits the genes of an addictive personality, so we inherit the addiction to self... sin. It is hard for us to come to terms with the fact that we are all sinners because we love ourselves so stinkin' much! We have the audacity to think this world and God owes us something because we are the center of the universe. I think if you are anything like me (and I think you are) you have probably at one time in your life pondered the disgusting thought that maybe... just maybe everyone else was just a character in the play that was your life. Gross huh? And it's this selfishness that blocks us from seeing our sin... sin blocking the view of sin. It blocks my view a lot of the time. I have fooled myself into thinking that I am a pretty darn good person. And sadly, my eyes are rarely completely opened to how disgustingly sinful I am, as they are tonight. And it's when they are open that I pray God will allow me to stay aware and stay on my knees mourning my sin. And it's only when God allows us to breakdown that wall of sin and realize how sinful we really are, that we are able to mourn that sin. And His kindness leads us to repentance. It's hard to admit to wrongs when you know the judge is going to throw the book at you... but God's not like that. He loves us. He wants us to acknowledge and mourn our sins so He can comfort us! Those who deny their sins can't be comforted, and their sins become like unattended malignant tumors that grow under the surface. Only those who admit they are sick can be healed by the one true Healer.

We are also called to mourn the sins of others. I am not implying that we should go around saying, "Billy, I feel so bad for you cause you are a SINNER." But I've learned that we should love the sinner, mourn the sin. It's so easy to not like someone who gossips about you, hurts one of your friends intentionally, or is living in a life of habitual sin. But we are called to love them by separating our love for them from our disdain for their sin. We have to hate their sin and mourn that it so easily entangles them and us. God calls us to pray for our enemies. It's hard to hate someone you pray for every morning, noon, and night. We must love in an unusual way... loving the unloveable. May people find us wonderfully weird in our acceptance of people and our rejection of sin!

PS If you are randomly reading my blog even though you don't personally know me (as some are in the habit of doing), I'd love to hear your comments.

Happy Halloween!

Halloween is one of those holidays that I just associate with my sweet friend Page. Most of my adult memories from October 31st include her... Freshman year of college driving around wishing anyone and everyone a "HAPPY Halloweeeeeeen!"... She pretty much slept through the entire fall semester sophomore year so I remember sneaking quietly out of our room at the Theta house to go down stairs and hand out candy to the little trick-o-treaters... And then there was the time we thought up those Black Eyed Pea outfits (so cool)... Let's just say, Monday night I was missing me some Page, even though I still had fun. A bunch of our girls from Hot Ladies of Austin Dinner Club (HLADC) got together for a festive dinner in our costumes at Shady Grove on Barton Springs. We had great times eating, laughing, taking pictures and chatting it up with our waiter, Jay Jay. During one conversation a newly engaged couple came up, so Allison dove into her purse for her LIST. Yes, Allison Nelson carries a list in her purse of all the people she knows that are engaged or newly married. I find this quite amusing. It's like a game... minus the fun and the competition. On this list (of mostly Aggies, may I add) are approximately 45 couples (90 stinkin' individuals) who are newly engaged or wed. CrAzInEsS! I mean really... Anyways... After dinner I headed over to the Fall Festival at my church to check in on my friends from "The Reasons" and also to see lots of cute kids. (P.S. Halloween costumes make kids so huggable... It's torture because you know it freaks moms out when strangers dressed up as crazy things are huggin their kids, so you have to refrain.) After making a couple rounds and visiting with everyone I decided that my face painting talents needed to be employed, so I joined my friend Natalie at her station. I warmed up by drawing a sweet dainty ladybug on a little girl named Laura's cheek, and then I moved onto my masterpiece pictured above. The joy of satisfaction overwhelmed my soul. It was as if she was born to look that way. Anyways, after painting her face I had an awkward conversation with Zorro who insisted I take his contact information, and then I petted many different soft animals in the petting zoo. All in all... Okay Halloween.

Small Town Saturday Night

Tory singing with the windows down. "I had a barbaque stain on my white t-shirt. You were killin' me in that mini skirt..."

Natalie toughed it out in the back seat with all the wind! What a happy camper!

Who's driving???

We missed the beautiful sunset photo by like 30 seconds. Man oh man... but we still got the beautiful smiles!

Sometimes I am amazed at the moments of wonder God let's me experience. Wow! And my camara phone took this picture!

Here's the band that made it all happen in Lockhard: "The Fossils." What a fun night of dancing with the locals in a small town.

Halloween Style Preview

So I found out some sad news Tuesday night. The party I am hitting up Saturday is not... I repeat... NOT a Halloween costume party. I totally thought it was and had planned to show up in my majorly hot butterfly costume. I was totally unaware that no one else would be dressed up. It could have been a total retake of the seen of Legally Blond where Reese shows up to the Harvard house party as a hot bunny. But hey, Reese did end up nabbing Luke Wilson, so maybe it wouldn't have been that bad had I fluttered around the dance floor batting my eyelashes and my wings.

So tonight I put on my wings and flower headband (that the product developers obviously thought looked butterfly-ish) and danced around my house, speaking in an English accent (because if butterflies could talk, they'd definitely be British) and terrifying my dog, Murphy.

This summer a friend of mine told me that he thought some costumes transform us. When we slip into them, we naturally slip into that character. And certain costumes just seem made for certain individuals. This summer my favorite costume was one I stumbled upon on opening day of 6th camper term. Randi and I had been putting on new outfits every 10 minutes to add excitement and surprise to the awkward platform introduction scene. We had been on a roll of wearing monochromatic outfits compiled of all one color. We visited Blue, Pink, Green, and Gold before arriving at PURPLE. Normally not my favorite color. AND oh my goodness... we were transformed! We became "Purple." I felt this amazing phenomena of taking on the persona of the color. And tonight I felt that same sensation of becoming the butterfly. Let me tell you that I am STILL wearing the costume as I type and I am LOVING it! I just wish that someone was here to enjoy the character I have become. My parents marveled at my graceful leaps and jumps around the living room earlier, but now they lie in bed probably dreaming of little mariposas flying over a field of wild flowers. I wish that I had a partner in crime like TBone or Randi here to share in the festivities. unfortunately I will soon have to remove the costume and become my former self before slipping into a long slumber. Saturday night awaits. And who knows... maybe I will defy the social norm and show up as a butterfly anyways. I would be so much more fun as "Julie, the Hot Butterfly" than as just plain old "Hot Julie."

Missing My Kimberlaaaay!

She just left for Columbus, Ohio this morning, but I already miss her. That girl is an absolute bundle of fun. For those of you who don't know Kimberly, you are missing out. She inspires impromptu dance parties outside people's houses with the car radio blaring... She often speaks in a British accent to strangers and friends alike... She goes shopping almost everyday... She commutes half-way across the country for work... She likes to wrap herself in toilet paper for fun... She is currently addicted to coffee... As seen above, she likes to ride statues in public... She has crushes on foreign, metro guys... She loves to read... And the lists of fun qualities goes on and on and on and on... Let's just say, I can't wait to see you Thursday, Kimbo! We are going to make the most of our weekends!!!

Auntie Money

Thursday night I finally got to meet Little Miss Reilly "Agget" Dean Newman! It was such an amazing experience because I really felt like I already knew her. Every day this summer I had multiple conversations with Katie Newman's belly. As many of you know, the Newman's (like the Federlines) did not release the name of their baby until the time of her birth, so they had all of us guessing! I decided early on that her name was to be Agget... the name of a precious jewel and she could go by Ag or Aggie for short! Perfect... huh? Katie said I could now refer to her as Reilly Agget Dean Newman which would make her initials spell RAD... Ha... anyways... Last semester I learned in my Cognitive Psychology class that the first sense a human baby develops is that of being able to hear... so I think that when I finally met Reilly outside of her mamma's womb, she really did recognize my voice. It was so fun to get to hold her and listen to her coo. My favorite part of the night was when Katie asked me to burp her since she was on the phone and it needed to be done. Of course, I have never burped a baby and don't know how hard you have to tap her back. I went at it timidly and as a result, got spit up on 3 times! Ha... so gross but so funny too. Despite the projectile vomiting, I really liked getting to burp her because I got to hold her sweet little head up next to my shoulder and kiss her on her forehead. She is definitely the cutest baby in the world. Just check out those cheeks... okay wow... I definitely have baby fever!

Dust That Dirt of Your Shoulders!

So today I sat in the mall food court with my mom and her friend Denise. I ate the lunch that I had packed this morning... including a sandwich, soda, cheese its, and m&m's (no cookies... sad!). My mom and Denise shared a plate of rice and suspicious chicken from some chinese restaurant. Our conversation consisted mainly of me complaining (like only you can do with your mom) about a personality conflict with a girl I see almost everyday. This girl frustrates me like crazy and really gets under my skin. My mom listened, inserting the proper back-channeling cues such as "uh huh... yeah... interesting" to let me know she was taking it all in. Then when I paused, signaling that I was ready for some real feedback, she responded with, "Julie, when she irritates you just brush it off... just brush it off." As she said this she demonstrated how to brush it off by dusting the dirt off of both of her shoulders. I couldn't help but laugh out loud and ask her to pose for a blog shot. Can't you just see my mom dancing in a music video, singing "Julie, dust that dirt off your shoulders!"

FYI

Many of you are probably very disappointed in my recent blogging hiatus. You may be thinking... Julie's life really must have somehow lost its luster and become "lame-o" because she hasn't been blogging at all lately. Well... Don't you worry... I may not have blogged recently but that is just because I have been out living a life worthy of blogging about... Living so much that I didn't have time to blog! How fun is that!?!?! I greatly apologize for not blogging about many events that I intended to... I've had so many blog ideas run through my head, but by the time I get home I'm all tuckered out and only have enough energy to check Rachel Lundeen's blog and then hit the sack. By the way, I am blown away by the quality of her blog... I mean today alone she blogged like a ba-gillion times! Now that's dedication to her public! Anyways, please accept my apologies for my cyber-absence.

Hot Ladies of Austin Dinner Partaaaaaaaay!

A New Sorority has arisen! And the Charter Class of Alpha Delta Chi (Austin Dinner Club) is H-O-T-T... HOTT! Don't you wish you could join? Well... Tonight was our first meeting and a great success! It was funny how much it resembled a rush party without all the singing when we entered and exited. Plus, there was no re-application of make-up every 30 minutes. Everyone was adorable and so sweet. We all had some sort of relation to one another and had "heard so much about" everyone else. The food was delic and the fellowship, fab! The meeting was led by our newly appointed president, Lindsey Droms and the unofficial minutes are being related in this very blog. We discussed future meetings, socials, themes, and food. We all took on the role of Party Pics and have a ton of glamour shots as a result. Finally, the meeting was adjourned by the watching of the OC. Next week will be initiation. Below is one of our pledges (Rosanna), very nervous about what to expect during the rite of passage.

The Parallel Universe... aka The Mall

I feel obliged to share my experiences from work because the things I see at the mall amaze me. I wonder many times a day, "Is this really happening? Am I really seeing this?" Here are the "Top 10 Weirdest Things I Have Noticed at the Mall":

10. A ton of people don't know what size they wear.

9. It's surprising how many people come in looking for a gift for someone else and end up buying hundreds of dollars of clothes for themselves.

8. Women shop with their friends on the weekends and spend hundreds if not thousands of dollars on clothes and jewelry and then return most if not all of it during the week.

7. There are some random characters that just hang out at the mall all the time and walk around stores. The other day we had a guy come in and spray every cologne a few times and then proceeded to rub his favorite fragrance all over his face and neck.

6. A lot of customers don't realize that they are always being watched by eager sales associates. The other day I watched a man feel our fake topiary (tree) to see if it was real and then lean in and sniff it for about 10 seconds to try to come to a conclusion.

5. I walk faster through the mall than the mall walkers do. Eeeee! Daniel Fells was right... I am a Speed Walker! PS I miss you, Daniel!

4. The other day we had 3 naked manikins posing on a platform at the entrance to our store and no one said anything about it being weird or acted shocked. Don't you think that if statues of naked people with correct body parts randomly presented to the general public (including small children) it would throw someone for a loop?

3. While "greeting" at the entrance to my store I noticed that some people just plain don't treat you like a human being when you say "Hi, how are you today?"or "Bye, have a wonderful afternoon!" and flat out ignore you as if you were some sort of rude solicitor calling their house during dinner. Some even tilt their head away from you and avoid eye contact. Anyways... WAY RUDE!

2. There are a lot of people who care a lot about buying the classiest clothes, but seem to care nothing about the fact that they have such extreme B.O. that the salesperson gags when they spray down the dressing room with Febreeze after their exit. BLUHHH! I think I threw up in my mouth 2 days ago.

1. Some people have no modesty in the dressing room area. I work back there a lot, and I am always surprised how comfortable people feel opening the door to me... uh... in between outfits. You know, only in the mall would this be semi-normal to the point that I wouldn't scream, "Whoa... you aren't wearing clothes, " or "Uh uh... your flies undone, sir." I mean really... its weird to talk to a total stranger who's half-dressed or just plain in their underwear. CRAZY!

Make New Friends But Keep the Old...

Tonight was fun. Five of us went to dinner at Hula Hut on Lake Austin and ate until we could eat no more... okay I did have enough room for a piece of chocolate pound cake later, but I mean come on... I hadn't had a cookie all day so my special reserve was empty! The restaurant was fun and festive. We laughed a lot and really enjoyed one another. The weather was just right with a breeze blowing through and a beautiful, clear, star-filled sky above. The night would have been close to ideal had the bugs not decided to dive-bomb me and had Joanna not spilled her entire water on both of our laps. Ha! Goodtimes.

The Music-Making Machine!

So I am thinking I might just start a band or try to find one to join! So don't be taken aback when you turn on VH1 and see "Behind the Music: The Julie Penuel Band" or flip to MTV and see "Driven: Julie Penuel." It all started last night when I got home from San Marcas and my dad had left a little "sus" (that's what my family calls a surprise) for me on my bed. It was a little plastic egg filled with seeds or something mysterious. And when you shake it, it produces a wonderful rain-like, rhythmical sound! This morning I grabbed the green egg on my way out the door for work. As I drove the 25 minutes to work, I shook and I shook and I shook that little egg to the radio. Then when I drove from work to Community group I practiced yet again. And by the time I was headed home, I was pretty much a professional. So now I am just waiting to be discovered. Here is the first photograph of me with my instrument! Just think... one day you will be able to say "I knew Julie when she was first embarking on her road to fame!"

Sisterhood of the Moonlight Drive

Want to join?Tonight I felt a lot like Bridget in The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants (which by the way was one of my favorite reads this summer). Many of you might be thinking, "Oh Julie... You WOULD love that book and the movie to boot!" And well... you know what, I DO! I have come to find that one of my very favorite words in the entire English language is pants. I think it is a wonderful word and it makes me giggle at its every utterance, especially when it is spoken with a British accent. This summer I laughed out loud during FOB as I voraciously read through the intro to this tale of sorority. Here is an inspiring excerpt from that very segment...

They were noble pants, but unassuming. you could glance over them and just

think, "Okay, pants," or you could stop and really look at the beautiful

complexity of colors and seams. They don't force you to admire them. They are

happy just doing their basic job of covering your butt without making it

look fatter than it actually is.

Now if that doesn't light your fire, then your wood must be wet! Well, anyways now that I have gone off on how much I loved the cheesiest book on earth, back to my original point... Tonight I felt a lot like Bridget! She was the one with the rebellious free spirit who went to soccer camp in Mexico. She could not be kept indoors, escaping her cabin every night to sleep on the beach under the starry sky.

As I drove home tonight with my sunroof (or should I call it my moon roof) open, the light of the beautiful full moon flooded my car and lit the open country road so that one could possibly drive without headlights. The moon rays tickled my cheeks as I sang at the top of my lungs to the blaring country music. It was a true experience of wonder as Austin Sailsbury would explain it. The music and the light made me drunk with wonder, soaking up every last bit. Yet, as much as I was enjoying myself, I began to dread pulling into the driveway and having to go inside. I wanted to spend the night on the hood of my car basking in the magical glow. But here I am inside, sitting in front of the humming, mechanical computer about to sleep in my own bed. I crave to live the life of adventure that Bridget did. And one day I will!

I LOVE 7-YEAR OLDS!

So for four years I had 11-year old campers pretty much exclusively. I thought having the 7-year olds would be a nightmare. My friends even played a joke on me last year and told me that instead of Real Deal, Jill and I had Barn 1. I almost cried. This year, Katie Newman wanted to challenge me and see how I'd do with the youngest division. However, she didn't tell me this and I was shocked when I found out that I had been given the opposite of my pref sheet. I spent the last month of camp playing with 7-year olds and having my favorite term ever at camp. I LOVE THE LITTLE ONES. And I am so sad that I missed them all these years. Below are some pictures of the cutest little girls on earth. I just feel so blessed that God entrusted them to me and their counselors this summer.

Certified to Save Lives

As many of you know, I became a Certified Life Guard in May of 2005. It's a job and a title I take very seriously. This summer it allowed me to spend every single day patrolling both the slew and the pool almost every class period. You might be thinking "Julie, wasn't that distracting for the kuks for you to always be in a swimsuit???" And the answer is yes... yes it was, but kids' lives were at stake and that's what mattered. But don't worry, I made sure to cover up at co-ed freeswim and parties with my very attractive plastic shorts (which Katherine Ambrose admires so much) and/or my Israel track top. I always topped off the ensemble with the very stylish and practical Life Guard hat and floating device... both essential accessories. And don't forget the protective eyewear. I normally wore a mom-sized pair of sunglasses from the lost & found or if none could be found, I would just slip on a pair of tinted swimming goggles. Goodtimes. I was pretty much a major stumbling block to any kuks near the pool deck. Those poor guys!

WALK PLEASE!!!
Below are some pictures taken of me during a model/life guard/pool CO photo shoot during third term.

Above, I am pulling in the blob to test the pressure before the kiddos "blobbed on!"

I was always serious when wearing the hat. I wasn't about to break character for the camera... plus I am naturally photogenic in most candid situations.

Here I am recording the blog pressure with the accurate surrounding information.

Below I am putting the shallow-end rope out and taking down a closed sign. This job included many tedious and pertinent responsibilities!