Lots to catch up on, so I'll try to give the abbreviated version!
One...I received one of my Christmas gifts early this year. Two weeks before Christmas, Eric surprised me with a gorgeous silver bracelet, complete with a few sparkly diamonds!!!! I was so stunned and touched by his gift! I absolutely had no idea what he was getting me for Christmas, but I really didn't expect this bracelet! Also, I immediately was afraid that I'd somehow lose or break this beautiful gift, but I've already worn it twice and will wear it so many more time (just not to work....). It makes me smile every time I think about it :) Nice work, Eric! hehehe!
Two...I passed my qualifier!!!!!! Hooray! I am finally free from that horrible monster that's plagued me for the past year! Now I have to do some serious catching up to get back into the lab and work towards producing publications and a thesis. It'll be somewhere between 2-4 years, I'm guessing, before I can hope for my degree and be free of grad school. Those years will be almost entirely lab work or writing. I'm going to enjoy the qualifier-free life for a bit. Maybe read papers every day or try to keep writing scientific stuff (like writing my literature review or something). Baby steps will still take me forward!
Three...I had an incredible Christmas break with my family and friends! I love spending time with my family and felt particularly fortunate that Eric was able to share some time with them. I wish I didn't have to go back to Cincy already. And I wanted to get a lot more baking done, but c'est la vie!
Four...I am finally getting over my head cold/sinus infection from before Christmas - hooray! I can breathe again! My poor head, however, is hurting with congestion. Hopefully I can get rid of this entirely and stay free from my usual winter illnesses, because I want to start training to run a 10k or a half marathon sometime later this year. Not because I like running! I want to prove to myself that I have the dedication, the determination, and the discipline to do this. And I want to stay healthy and, well, trim and in shape. And I don't want to be left behind by Eric as he's getting back into consistent serious running form! While I'll never be as fast as him or able to run as far, I still want to be able to go out running with him (on separate routes, at different paces) on the weekends.
Five...I have been to Red Carpet twice since I passed my qualifier! After 2-3 months of abstaining from this delightful Monday night ritual, I finally was able to join Eric and Manning for some much needed PBR and wings. Ohhhhh man, I needed their wings! And I even got my parents to come along one time! I think they had a blast!
Six...Some birthday's and holiday's are coming up (Eric's Bday, Megan's Bday, my dad's Bday, Moe's Bday, Valentine's Day) and I am already excited to start figuring out what I want to do for them!!!! Without this qualifier looming over me, I can dedicate time to my friends and family again!
Seven...I'm going to do a lot of informational reading about cooking, brewing, and photography. I claim these are among my hobbies, but I haven't actually read the books I bought about them (oops) nor have I actually delved into brewing and photography. I do cook and bake a lot (though much less in the past few months because of the qualifier), but I want to expand my culinary repetoire and knowledge.
Eight...It's almost New Year's! While I usually get somewhat stressed by figuring out what's going on for New Year's Eve (mainly because I freak out about having to drive somewhere for a party and I hate anyone driving that night), I look forward to having a new year/clean slate thing. I think it's because I love to plan...and the new year is ripe for planning all sorts of things. Right now, I'm making:
a workout plan (through the end of March),
a budget (well, updating the old one),
plans for upcoming bdays/holidays, plans to stay in touch with friends (yeah, I'm actually making a calender to ensure I call or write more often than I have),
plans for my project at school,
and, maybe, just maybe, some mini-vacations to visit friends or get away for a weekend
I hope you have the most wonderful new year, filled with happiness and love!!!!
Tuesday, December 28, 2010
Wednesday, December 1, 2010
An Overly Dramatic Tale
Captain's Log.
1 December 2010
Yet another day trapped in this room. All the views are familiar. The long window out of which I can see a tiny slice of grass, some steps, the corner of a road and the front of another building. The high windows, where I can only see the very top of a radio or cell phone tower and sometimes the white smoke billowing out of some plant near main campus. The white board inside the room, with its two drawings. I can't figure out what one of them is, but the other seems to be a sketch of a cholesterol molecule. Out of the corner of my eye, I can see people coming and going all day long. Occasionally I hear the ding of the elevator arriving or the boom of a door closing.
I'm stuck here until I finish writing this paper. I've spent over 60 hours on it to date, and it's close to halfway done. But I'm behind where I need to be. If I have any hope of having people proofread it and me correcting it, I have to finish the paper tonight. Considering how slowly I've been writing, it just doesn't seem possible. But I desperately need others to read it and to fix it. I just don't know what I'm doing and I don't trust my abilities in this arena. I've been wrong too many times in the past.
I. Must. Get. Out. Of. Here.
Es--cop--ehhh?
That's funny, it's spelled a lot like the word Escape.
Dammit, back to writing.
(please note, I know this was overly dramatic, I wrote it in persona, if you will. I am, however, sick of writing. That fact is true.)
1 December 2010
Yet another day trapped in this room. All the views are familiar. The long window out of which I can see a tiny slice of grass, some steps, the corner of a road and the front of another building. The high windows, where I can only see the very top of a radio or cell phone tower and sometimes the white smoke billowing out of some plant near main campus. The white board inside the room, with its two drawings. I can't figure out what one of them is, but the other seems to be a sketch of a cholesterol molecule. Out of the corner of my eye, I can see people coming and going all day long. Occasionally I hear the ding of the elevator arriving or the boom of a door closing.
I'm stuck here until I finish writing this paper. I've spent over 60 hours on it to date, and it's close to halfway done. But I'm behind where I need to be. If I have any hope of having people proofread it and me correcting it, I have to finish the paper tonight. Considering how slowly I've been writing, it just doesn't seem possible. But I desperately need others to read it and to fix it. I just don't know what I'm doing and I don't trust my abilities in this arena. I've been wrong too many times in the past.
I. Must. Get. Out. Of. Here.
Es--cop--ehhh?
That's funny, it's spelled a lot like the word Escape.
Dammit, back to writing.
(please note, I know this was overly dramatic, I wrote it in persona, if you will. I am, however, sick of writing. That fact is true.)
Wednesday, November 17, 2010
Survey Says... (the responses)
My best friend and sweet sister Moe tagged me to participate in a little survey. After several weeks of intending to answer the questions, I finally did! And here are my answers:
1. If you could be friends with any fictional character who would you choose and why?
Ah. So, I read. A lot. And I often read things that I don't think other people read...particularly fantasy books. There, I admitted it, I read fantasy! I'd want to be friends Kaylin Neya from the Chronicles of Elantra series. Kaylin Neya is an officer of the law in the Elantran empire. Because of the way the author, Michelle Sagara, has written these books, Kaylin is portrayed as very human (read: full of very human attitudes and errors and emotions) and I feel connected to her through her very ordinary idiosyncrasies. But she's also got this whole "marked by ancient powers and gets involved in every crazy event" thing going on, which would make time with her exciting, unpredictable, and full of new experiences. She's also very good at working on her shortcomings - even if she doesn't immediately change, she usually gets into a situation where she has to admit a failing or prejudice and work to change it. That's an ability I admire tremendously.
2. What is the best date you've ever had? (It could be with the person you are with now or someone from the past)
This is easy! My birthday this year! Eric told me we were going out to dinner, I should dress fancy, and he'd pick me up. He shows up at my house in his dad's BMW convertible (yay! a treat for him and a treat for me!), looking very handsome. Strangely, we had both chosen to wear what we'd each worn to our friends Kara and Jeremy's wedding a little over a year earlier - it was awesome and hilarious! :) On the passenger seat of the car sat two stuffed penguins, one large and one small. They were holding an envelope with my name on it. As we're driving away to a "mystery" restaurant, I read the letter inside the envelope. The letter was from the penguins of the Newport Aquarium, inviting me to come visit them in the penguin encounter/experience; they'd heard a lot about me from Eric, so they sent two representatives (the two dapper penguins on the car seat) with their invitation. I was absolutely thrilled! Eric took me to one of my favorite restaurants, Meadowlark, where we ate incredible food and wine and, of course, dessert! As we ate, we named the two penguins; they, unfortunately, had to stay in the car during dinner. They're Roger and Perry. Perry even went to work with Eric recently (check out the wall posts page on Eric's facebook page). It was an amazing and truly memorable date! And I have to say it because it's true and I don't say it - Eric, you're the most wonderful boyfriend!
3. What was the last good book that you read?
Ha, so this is funny...but I read a book at school when I go to the gym...and I read a book at home on the weekends. The last book I read at school was the most recent Chronicles of Elantra book, which was good and certainly captivates me the first time I read it. The last book I read at home was The Perfume Guide, by Luca Turin and Tania Sanchez. I know, how can a guide book that review perfumes be a good book? Well, they're hilarious and eloquent with their writings. They don't hesitate to tell us something is a bad perfume or an exact copy of another perfume. And they write so poignantly, so tenderly about the perfumes they love that I want to try so many of them! Happily, I found a little website that might fulfill that desire - theperfumedcourt.com You can buy little samples, ranging from 1mL to 15mL of a perfume. I'm definitely going to go nuts here!
4. Someone gives you a hundred dollars and tells you that you have to spend it today - on yourself. What would you buy?
Oh my gosh, there are so many things I want!! (yikes, I'm very selfish!) Shoes, beauty products from Sephora, or a dress from JCrew. Those are the most likely places I'd spend the money right now. If I had to choose a single thing...I'd probably go with another pair of Ugg Dakota moccasins. They are so warm and so comfortable, and I wear my old pair all the time in the fall, winter and spring. And when I like something and wear it frequently, I have an overwhelming desire to purchase another of it...just in case something happens to the first one. :) I'm weird like that.
5. If you could travel anywhere in the world what would your top 5 places be?
In no particular order...
1) Australia/New Zealand - Whenever I see pictures or movies set in Australia or New Zealand, it looks breathtakingly gorgeous and full of such diverse, stark scenery. While I don't think I'd enjoy living in some place like the desert or the mountains, their beauty always moves me
2 & 3) Spain and Italy (with a long time in Florence!) - I've been to Spain and Italy for short trips and I absolutely fell in love with them. Honestly, I'd love to live in Spain and Italy (Florence, of course) at some point...but when I start thinking of realistic details, it seems overwhelmingly scary. So I'd like at least a long vacation there!
4) Hawaii - Moe lived in Hawaii for awhile and all of her pictures are stunning! To me, it is one of those places that is unlike any other on earth.
5) Greece - I've been obsessed with ancient Greek and Roman mythology since grade school. And Greece looks incredible! It has ancient ruins, museums full of treasures, natural geographic beauty (have you seen the pictures they use in calenders?????), good food (I may have to learn to like seafood before I go...).
6. What are 2 or 3 items on your "bucket list"?
Travel to several places around the world. Probably the ones I've listed above :) I definitely want to go back to Spain and Italy. I would even like to walk a part of the Camino de Santiago pilgrimage route again. And I want to take incredible pictures of these places, the kind of photos you see on postcards!
Do something big with food...like host a tv show about food (I'm thinking Alton Brown's Good Eats, where science and food play together in hilarious yet informative models) or have my own bakery (a risky business...maybe I could sell baked goods out of my home or do it catering style?). I love cooking and I love food. If it weren't so damn risky, I'd make it my career now. And this would be a way for me to do something artistic, which is something I have always wanted to do.
Use power tools! Okay, I admit I have used a drill before and maybe a staple gun. My grandfather and two of my uncles are very skilled woodworkers. Even my mom comfortably uses several different power saws and drills! I know I can do it, I just have to overcome my fear of losing a limb or an eye! Plus, I want to build something with the power tools and be able to proudly show it off to people.
7. If you could live the life of one TV character who would it be, what show are they from, and why?
Ah! Great question! It'd be awesome to be Fiona Glenann from Burn Notice - she's badass, independent, hot...but I'd have to deal with being in extreme danger at all times, not to mention deal with a boyfriend who tends to get himself into a lot of trouble. So...to make life easier on myself, I'd probably be Sean Spencer from Psych. He pretends to be a psychic and hangs out with his best friend Gus all day in a pretty awesome place. I particularly would like to solve a mystery involving a dinosaur!!! (I would have said Sheldon from The Big Bang Theory, but he seems like his extreme particularities would make life stressful. So maybe I could just hang out with Sheldon instead!)
8. When you sit down for Thanksgiving dinner in a few weeks what will you say that you are most grateful for this year?
Easily, the people in my life. My parents, my relatives, Eric, Moe, Megan, Kayleigh and all the rest of my friends. They're the reason I make it through each day, they make me laugh, they touch my heart, they encourage me when I'm frustrated or quite ready to give up, they're patient with me when I'm not patient with anyone, they make me a better person. I love all of you and I am so very thankful that you are in my life.
1. If you could be friends with any fictional character who would you choose and why?
Ah. So, I read. A lot. And I often read things that I don't think other people read...particularly fantasy books. There, I admitted it, I read fantasy! I'd want to be friends Kaylin Neya from the Chronicles of Elantra series. Kaylin Neya is an officer of the law in the Elantran empire. Because of the way the author, Michelle Sagara, has written these books, Kaylin is portrayed as very human (read: full of very human attitudes and errors and emotions) and I feel connected to her through her very ordinary idiosyncrasies. But she's also got this whole "marked by ancient powers and gets involved in every crazy event" thing going on, which would make time with her exciting, unpredictable, and full of new experiences. She's also very good at working on her shortcomings - even if she doesn't immediately change, she usually gets into a situation where she has to admit a failing or prejudice and work to change it. That's an ability I admire tremendously.
2. What is the best date you've ever had? (It could be with the person you are with now or someone from the past)
This is easy! My birthday this year! Eric told me we were going out to dinner, I should dress fancy, and he'd pick me up. He shows up at my house in his dad's BMW convertible (yay! a treat for him and a treat for me!), looking very handsome. Strangely, we had both chosen to wear what we'd each worn to our friends Kara and Jeremy's wedding a little over a year earlier - it was awesome and hilarious! :) On the passenger seat of the car sat two stuffed penguins, one large and one small. They were holding an envelope with my name on it. As we're driving away to a "mystery" restaurant, I read the letter inside the envelope. The letter was from the penguins of the Newport Aquarium, inviting me to come visit them in the penguin encounter/experience; they'd heard a lot about me from Eric, so they sent two representatives (the two dapper penguins on the car seat) with their invitation. I was absolutely thrilled! Eric took me to one of my favorite restaurants, Meadowlark, where we ate incredible food and wine and, of course, dessert! As we ate, we named the two penguins; they, unfortunately, had to stay in the car during dinner. They're Roger and Perry. Perry even went to work with Eric recently (check out the wall posts page on Eric's facebook page). It was an amazing and truly memorable date! And I have to say it because it's true and I don't say it - Eric, you're the most wonderful boyfriend!
3. What was the last good book that you read?
Ha, so this is funny...but I read a book at school when I go to the gym...and I read a book at home on the weekends. The last book I read at school was the most recent Chronicles of Elantra book, which was good and certainly captivates me the first time I read it. The last book I read at home was The Perfume Guide, by Luca Turin and Tania Sanchez. I know, how can a guide book that review perfumes be a good book? Well, they're hilarious and eloquent with their writings. They don't hesitate to tell us something is a bad perfume or an exact copy of another perfume. And they write so poignantly, so tenderly about the perfumes they love that I want to try so many of them! Happily, I found a little website that might fulfill that desire - theperfumedcourt.com You can buy little samples, ranging from 1mL to 15mL of a perfume. I'm definitely going to go nuts here!
4. Someone gives you a hundred dollars and tells you that you have to spend it today - on yourself. What would you buy?
Oh my gosh, there are so many things I want!! (yikes, I'm very selfish!) Shoes, beauty products from Sephora, or a dress from JCrew. Those are the most likely places I'd spend the money right now. If I had to choose a single thing...I'd probably go with another pair of Ugg Dakota moccasins. They are so warm and so comfortable, and I wear my old pair all the time in the fall, winter and spring. And when I like something and wear it frequently, I have an overwhelming desire to purchase another of it...just in case something happens to the first one. :) I'm weird like that.
5. If you could travel anywhere in the world what would your top 5 places be?
In no particular order...
1) Australia/New Zealand - Whenever I see pictures or movies set in Australia or New Zealand, it looks breathtakingly gorgeous and full of such diverse, stark scenery. While I don't think I'd enjoy living in some place like the desert or the mountains, their beauty always moves me
2 & 3) Spain and Italy (with a long time in Florence!) - I've been to Spain and Italy for short trips and I absolutely fell in love with them. Honestly, I'd love to live in Spain and Italy (Florence, of course) at some point...but when I start thinking of realistic details, it seems overwhelmingly scary. So I'd like at least a long vacation there!
4) Hawaii - Moe lived in Hawaii for awhile and all of her pictures are stunning! To me, it is one of those places that is unlike any other on earth.
5) Greece - I've been obsessed with ancient Greek and Roman mythology since grade school. And Greece looks incredible! It has ancient ruins, museums full of treasures, natural geographic beauty (have you seen the pictures they use in calenders?????), good food (I may have to learn to like seafood before I go...).
6. What are 2 or 3 items on your "bucket list"?
Travel to several places around the world. Probably the ones I've listed above :) I definitely want to go back to Spain and Italy. I would even like to walk a part of the Camino de Santiago pilgrimage route again. And I want to take incredible pictures of these places, the kind of photos you see on postcards!
Do something big with food...like host a tv show about food (I'm thinking Alton Brown's Good Eats, where science and food play together in hilarious yet informative models) or have my own bakery (a risky business...maybe I could sell baked goods out of my home or do it catering style?). I love cooking and I love food. If it weren't so damn risky, I'd make it my career now. And this would be a way for me to do something artistic, which is something I have always wanted to do.
Use power tools! Okay, I admit I have used a drill before and maybe a staple gun. My grandfather and two of my uncles are very skilled woodworkers. Even my mom comfortably uses several different power saws and drills! I know I can do it, I just have to overcome my fear of losing a limb or an eye! Plus, I want to build something with the power tools and be able to proudly show it off to people.
7. If you could live the life of one TV character who would it be, what show are they from, and why?
Ah! Great question! It'd be awesome to be Fiona Glenann from Burn Notice - she's badass, independent, hot...but I'd have to deal with being in extreme danger at all times, not to mention deal with a boyfriend who tends to get himself into a lot of trouble. So...to make life easier on myself, I'd probably be Sean Spencer from Psych. He pretends to be a psychic and hangs out with his best friend Gus all day in a pretty awesome place. I particularly would like to solve a mystery involving a dinosaur!!! (I would have said Sheldon from The Big Bang Theory, but he seems like his extreme particularities would make life stressful. So maybe I could just hang out with Sheldon instead!)
8. When you sit down for Thanksgiving dinner in a few weeks what will you say that you are most grateful for this year?
Easily, the people in my life. My parents, my relatives, Eric, Moe, Megan, Kayleigh and all the rest of my friends. They're the reason I make it through each day, they make me laugh, they touch my heart, they encourage me when I'm frustrated or quite ready to give up, they're patient with me when I'm not patient with anyone, they make me a better person. I love all of you and I am so very thankful that you are in my life.
Thursday, September 16, 2010
wait, what am I doing?
This is a question I ask myself about a dozen times a day, most while I'm at work. Bouncing between three or more projects every day is a little crazy, but I like the challenge, even though it's exhausting. Well, maybe I'm not always thrilled about doing it, but it's way better than having a mindless, repetitive job. I like the constant change and challenge, even if it frustrates me.
I know it's been awhile since I last wrote...sorry! As seems to always happen, I plan to do something (you should see my "to-do" lists!) and never get around to it. I don't know what keeps me from getting to things (okay, I strongly suspect TV, exhaustion, and trying to juggling way too many things at the same time), but I really have meant to write.
What have I been up to the last month or so?
~Searching for a new qualifier topic, with increasing desperation.
Okay, it's downright panic right now. I have to submit the first part of my qualifier (a two page document with a rough outline of what I propose to do) on Wednesday. That's 6 days from now. And I still haven't decided on a topic. Considering I spent over a month the previous two times doing what I need to do in 6 days...yeah, I'd say I'm seriously screwed. The stress levels and emotional tumult are increasing exponentially. As is my desire to do any task that does NOT involve my qualifier (This is a often discussed theory held by me and one of my former co-workers, Andy. The theory is that if you have a task you don't want to do, you will do any other task before it. In order to do this undesirable task, you must be presented with an even more odious task. Sadly, I don't have a more distasteful task than a qualifier. I even WANT to clean and organize my closet!).
~Cleaned my closet out.
Please see above for reasoning. I'm not done yet, but it is better!
~Helping my mom prepare food for my Aunt Norma and Uncle Charlie's birthday fiestas.
We had a friendly cook-off (okay, it wasn't a competition at all) where each guest made a Bobby Flay recipe to share. It was like Thanksgiving--soooo much food, all of which was delicious! I ate so much (just like Thanksgiving) I was in pain for the rest of the night and very nearly entered a food-induced coma.
~Made grand plans to get back on the exercise train...and not (yet) follow through on them.
Okay, this is starting to sound like a record. My most recent idea was to go to the gym at work in the morning, then do a workout video (either the Brazil butt lift or creepy yoga) at night. The rationale for this plan is that I am incredibly good at finding reasons not to go the gym at the end of the day...so if I do it first thing, I will not have time to find an excuse. One snag in my brilliant plan-I have to wake up early. I strongly dislike getting out of bed, particularly to perform physical activity. I think I have some work to do!!!!! I really want to get in shape!
~Hung out with my two best friends, Megan and Moe.
Megan was in D-town for a week and the three of us went out to dinner to one of the most delicious restaurants, Thai9. Then we wandered around Target, which is another of our favorite past times. I miss spending time with them!!!!
~Done some baking. And cooking.
I tried out a few new dishes - tart with figs and almond filling, iced brownies (I'd never iced brownies before!), salad of celery root + fennel + apple (didn't get to try any before it went bad, though), and some more stuff I don't remember. :)
~Organized school events.
As the new president of our department's grad school organization (which means next to nothing), I am in charge of running our bi-monthly meetings. And I am co-in-charge of organizing and setting up our monthly happy hours. I did both! Call me the department social director!
I'm going to bury myself in the qualifier for the next week, but once I turn it in, I will hopefully be able to talk about something more fun! I do have a lot of amazing things to look forward to (and write about!) -- hopefully going to a Tennessee football game, seeing Eric's band play at the Air Force Marathon (I love this outside morning show!), running a 5k, trying some recipes from my new cookbook, playing with fall activities (octoberfest, saurkraut festival, pumpkins, apple cider, football watching, earlham homecoming risotto!), some awesome new movies and tv shows coming out, and hopefully getting through the qualifier without losing my mind! So here's to fun...starting in one week :)
I know it's been awhile since I last wrote...sorry! As seems to always happen, I plan to do something (you should see my "to-do" lists!) and never get around to it. I don't know what keeps me from getting to things (okay, I strongly suspect TV, exhaustion, and trying to juggling way too many things at the same time), but I really have meant to write.
What have I been up to the last month or so?
~Searching for a new qualifier topic, with increasing desperation.
Okay, it's downright panic right now. I have to submit the first part of my qualifier (a two page document with a rough outline of what I propose to do) on Wednesday. That's 6 days from now. And I still haven't decided on a topic. Considering I spent over a month the previous two times doing what I need to do in 6 days...yeah, I'd say I'm seriously screwed. The stress levels and emotional tumult are increasing exponentially. As is my desire to do any task that does NOT involve my qualifier (This is a often discussed theory held by me and one of my former co-workers, Andy. The theory is that if you have a task you don't want to do, you will do any other task before it. In order to do this undesirable task, you must be presented with an even more odious task. Sadly, I don't have a more distasteful task than a qualifier. I even WANT to clean and organize my closet!).
~Cleaned my closet out.
Please see above for reasoning. I'm not done yet, but it is better!
~Helping my mom prepare food for my Aunt Norma and Uncle Charlie's birthday fiestas.
We had a friendly cook-off (okay, it wasn't a competition at all) where each guest made a Bobby Flay recipe to share. It was like Thanksgiving--soooo much food, all of which was delicious! I ate so much (just like Thanksgiving) I was in pain for the rest of the night and very nearly entered a food-induced coma.
~Made grand plans to get back on the exercise train...and not (yet) follow through on them.
Okay, this is starting to sound like a record. My most recent idea was to go to the gym at work in the morning, then do a workout video (either the Brazil butt lift or creepy yoga) at night. The rationale for this plan is that I am incredibly good at finding reasons not to go the gym at the end of the day...so if I do it first thing, I will not have time to find an excuse. One snag in my brilliant plan-I have to wake up early. I strongly dislike getting out of bed, particularly to perform physical activity. I think I have some work to do!!!!! I really want to get in shape!
~Hung out with my two best friends, Megan and Moe.
Megan was in D-town for a week and the three of us went out to dinner to one of the most delicious restaurants, Thai9. Then we wandered around Target, which is another of our favorite past times. I miss spending time with them!!!!
~Done some baking. And cooking.
I tried out a few new dishes - tart with figs and almond filling, iced brownies (I'd never iced brownies before!), salad of celery root + fennel + apple (didn't get to try any before it went bad, though), and some more stuff I don't remember. :)
~Organized school events.
As the new president of our department's grad school organization (which means next to nothing), I am in charge of running our bi-monthly meetings. And I am co-in-charge of organizing and setting up our monthly happy hours. I did both! Call me the department social director!
I'm going to bury myself in the qualifier for the next week, but once I turn it in, I will hopefully be able to talk about something more fun! I do have a lot of amazing things to look forward to (and write about!) -- hopefully going to a Tennessee football game, seeing Eric's band play at the Air Force Marathon (I love this outside morning show!), running a 5k, trying some recipes from my new cookbook, playing with fall activities (octoberfest, saurkraut festival, pumpkins, apple cider, football watching, earlham homecoming risotto!), some awesome new movies and tv shows coming out, and hopefully getting through the qualifier without losing my mind! So here's to fun...starting in one week :)
Monday, July 19, 2010
My Birthday!!!
With my previous two weeks being busy with preparing for weekend trips, my birthday snuck up on me this year. And it was the big 2-5...so I am the owner of a new, very pink Ohio license and the inability to remember that I am 25. hehe! I don't feel that "old". When asked, I'd probably say 21 or something, though I often feel like I'm still awkward enough to be a teenager. There are only a few ways in which I feel "old" - paying bills/worrying about money, having my body feel a lot older when I exercise, being tired without enough sleep, and not wanting to go to work. I think those are all things they don't tell you about when you're 5 and want to be grown-up. hehe!
To celebrate turning a quarter, I did two things: went out to dinner with Eric (a fancy little date where we got all dressed up - high heels for me! - and even had wine) and had a cookout with my parents and friends. I loved every minute of both things! Each year, I look forward to having a night with my family and friends - I don't even care if they know it's my birthday! I just like getting everyone together and having fun together....which is why I like throwing parties. I really enjoy assembling all the tiny details into one wonderful party for people I care about. It meant so much to have my friends around me, especially since I hadn't spent time with most of them in awhile.
I was so happy Maureen and Dan were at my cookout!
And to top it all off, I received my traditional ice cream birthday cake from my parents....and I had even more ice cream cake for Eric's half-birthday, which is the day after my bday. Delicious! I love ice cream, I love cake, thus my tremendous love of ice cream cakes (whether they contain any actual cake component or not) makes sense. :) Oh man, I want a piece right now!!!
Thank you for making my quarter birthday so wonderful!!!!!! I love my friends and my family!!!! You make me so happy!
(ummm, I also received my very first beer can coozy, which is awe-some! surprisingly, i owned no coozies until about 2 years ago. Maureen, my lovely sister, has given me both of the coozies i own - for bottles and for cans. i think of her every time i use them!)
To celebrate turning a quarter, I did two things: went out to dinner with Eric (a fancy little date where we got all dressed up - high heels for me! - and even had wine) and had a cookout with my parents and friends. I loved every minute of both things! Each year, I look forward to having a night with my family and friends - I don't even care if they know it's my birthday! I just like getting everyone together and having fun together....which is why I like throwing parties. I really enjoy assembling all the tiny details into one wonderful party for people I care about. It meant so much to have my friends around me, especially since I hadn't spent time with most of them in awhile.
I was so happy Maureen and Dan were at my cookout!
The guys invented a new game at the cookout - one-handed volleyball! The games took a lot longer to play and at times, they got quite heated (ahem, Jeremy!). Thankfully, the judge line (Tony), was able to resolve all problems :)
I had PBR tall boys as a surprise for these three hooligans. I think they liked them :)
Eric and I all dressed up for our dinner date. We actually wore the same outfits for Karemy's wedding last summer...but I think we still look darn good!!!
And to top it all off, I received my traditional ice cream birthday cake from my parents....and I had even more ice cream cake for Eric's half-birthday, which is the day after my bday. Delicious! I love ice cream, I love cake, thus my tremendous love of ice cream cakes (whether they contain any actual cake component or not) makes sense. :) Oh man, I want a piece right now!!!
Thank you for making my quarter birthday so wonderful!!!!!! I love my friends and my family!!!! You make me so happy!
(ummm, I also received my very first beer can coozy, which is awe-some! surprisingly, i owned no coozies until about 2 years ago. Maureen, my lovely sister, has given me both of the coozies i own - for bottles and for cans. i think of her every time i use them!)
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