Surprise!

Aww, so sad. Last night we went to our final shin-dig with Metzger's Animal Hospital. The fabulous MAH group threw a surprise party, for Matt, at Champs, our favorite sports bar (because of the food, not the sports). We enjoyed lots of yummy snacks, drinks, pool & darts, and great company. I'll wait until Matt recovers from his open-bar hangover before I let him post a sentimental "Ode to Metzger's." Until then, here are a few pictures from the big event.

Matt with all of the MAH doctors

Matt with Fred and Lee Metzger (proprietors of MAH)

The reason Matt has a hang-over

Aww, We love John and Laurie!

Matt with his harem
AKA. The MAH technicians

The count down begins...

Woo-hoo! We're down to our last 10 days in Pennsylvania and the move can't come soon enough. Mentally, Matt and I are already Floridians, so we've been taking advantage of our final weeks by playing "PA tourist." Our first stop was the annual State College Arts Festival, followed by a day with friends in Philadelphia, and then shopping for quilts and pottery in Amish territory. To top it all off, we've enjoyed several ice-cold bottles of Yuengling, our favorite PA brew.

Cute new cream and sugar set from Eldreth Pottery

Amish gathering in Lancaster County

Arts Fest on Allen Street

Ice cream at The Franklin Fountain in Philly

Quehanna Hike

Pennsylvania, where the woods are as wild and verdant as you will ever find in Canada...and without those crazy Canooks ;-) Over the holiday weekend I journeyed a portion (~20 miles) of the Quehanna Trail in Moshannon State Forest. According to some true locals, this area is the progenitor of BFE. Here are a few pics from my last--final--backpacking trek through the amazing PA woods.

Look kids, a wood angel! See the heavenly glow?

My cheap digital camera doesn't do the scenery justice.

Like a true woodsman, I only need 40 lbs. of gear...eat it SurvivorMan.
(Les Stroud--Absolutely kidding about the Candian and SurvivorMan remarks...mad props!)

What do you do?

Family reunions, Holiday parties, and Derby Day celebrations roll around and inevitably the small talk begins with "So, what are you doing these days?" That question is easily answered. It's the follow-up that I dread. "An Industrial Engineer!? So, what do you DO?"

Industrial Engineering encompasses a wide variety of jobs in many fields, but the common thread, in my opinion, is a focus on efficiency management and the art/science of making good decisions. That's probably not the most satisfying answer, so for all those family members and friends who are still wondering "What's Whitney do?", here's a video about IE work at Disney. Enjoy the geek-y goodness ;-)

We're Moving!

In case you haven't heard, Matt and I are moving to Orlando, Florida on August 1st! We're both thrilled about beaucoup de soleil and I'm super excited to get to work. I landed what is arguably the coolest job on the planet for an Industrial Engineer- I'm going to work for Disney. The only hitch is that I have to finish all of my dissertation research by mid-August in order to defend in late September. Do you think that'll be hard to do while I'm laying by the pool, sipping a pina colada?

Matt is counting down his last days of work at the animal hospital.. 19 to go! And moving from small-town State College to the metropolis that is Orlando, we're hoping he can finally find a creative job as a copywriter or editorial assistant. At the very least, he has enough energy to land a gig as a costumed Disney character... his vote is for Aladdin, but I'm thinking more along the lines of The Beast.

Since we're moving even further from family and friends and more importantly because all the cool kids are doing it (Katie, Abbey, Brileen, & Josh), I thought I'd start a blog to keep everyone up-to-date on our riveting lives! So enjoy a few pics and check back often to see what's new.

Second load of stuff for Goodwill. LOVE purging!

Isabelle's new hairstyle. She's recovering nicely after surgery.

A night of bowling with the vet techs (picture by Tiffany)