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 :)
