Dreamin'

Last night, I dreamed that I told my former boss at the Alley Theatre that I still hadn't been able to find a job. He nonchalantly said, Okay I have this Coordinator position I was just trying to fill so you can have it and the pay is $70,000. I was super excited and started the job right away. Except I was late to work because I couldn't remember where in the mall the space was located and I was roaming lost for a while and accidently got past a restricted area. There were people each in front of a skinny plane with helmets, about to enter and take off in them. I quickly left and found my boss and explained why I was late. Then he asked me to do my first task and I went to the cubicles and all the people at McCarter Theatre in Princeton that I worked with back in 2005/2006 were there, vivid faces in my dream and everything. I told Marielle the good news but then next thing I knew, Matt's alarm went off and I was awake, unemployed, and back to reality. Ah, well!

Ups and Downs of Seesaw Days

I don't have much to report. I am still looking for a job, save for tutoring a few hours a week and teaching a weekly acting class. I continue to slog through the online teacher preparation coursework, which is living up to its boring status. I will say that the tutoring job has blossomed and it is very rewarding. It started off as meetings at Starbucks hourly twice a week to practice English, awkwardly make conversation, and explain cultural colloquialisms to a PhD graduate student from Korea studying at UT. Then he began applying to professor positions so we shifted our focus first to interview practice, then to presentation material and delivery. This was my "aha!" moment. I am really experienced and good at providing guidance in both areas. I may be unemployed, but I can provide a powerhouse interview, darn it! And I have had training in presentation strategy in undergrad as well as graduate school. I soon found myself being highly valued, giving input to the student that he got excited about and told me was just what he needed, and putting in extra tutoring hours. Finally, I could be anal and harp on all the little details (grammar, active verbs, engaging prose, consistency, format, pacing) and it was helpful! :) The graduate student has also asked me to start tutoring his two elementary aged children once a week to help with their writing and reading comprehension. On the days that I get to spend part of my time teaching, I am much happier. That is what it comes down to.

On other days, I am not so happy. I think I cried twice last week. One evening, Matt came home and for no specific reason, I got all emotional. Then a few days later, after spending a good chunk of time on a job application that I was overqualified for to begin with, I hit the submit button but I'd taken too long and been logged off from the system. Nothing saved, I had to do it again, and so there were more tears. I am more okay when I am out and about during the day, with friends or family, or doing something productive like cleaning up or laundry or cooking. But I don't want to slow down on my job search so spend a good MANY hours a week searching for and applying to jobs. The searching is what takes the longest, actually. Then I apply to the jobs that I might remotely enjoy or be qualified for. This means adding to my over fifty cover letters, attaching a resume, and the hard part: transferring my resume into the organization's online application, section by section. That part kills me because it is a huge time suck and seems really unnecessary. The "better" jobs only require a resume and cover letter, but there are other jobs out there that need this form as well. It contains "fun" things to look up like the address of my high school and they all want to know, Have I graduated high school? Been convicted of any felonies? Etc. These forms are pros at building frustration and anxiety. And if they didn't, then I have their no-responses to look forward to, or their rejections. Those are fun. A worse response than that came to me a few weeks ago. A very good, reputable company contacted me. A manager left a message on my phone that he was interested in having a phone interview with me. Unfortunately, I missed the call because it was one of the rare days that I had a substitute position. I called back and left a voicemail and followed up with an email. Never heard back. (This led to tears a few weeks ago as well.)

Sometimes I feel silly getting so upset when I have so much to be thankful and happy about. Matt tells me not to worry, that we are okay, and to do fun things during the day, too. I am very supported indeed. And yet I seem to be worrying more than usual. Hopefully by being reflective, addressing it in writing, and being kinder to myself I'll crawl out of this funk that I am in. But I am in a bit of a funk. Last night, Matt had to get some work done. I had come from a lovely girls night out with Traci and then Matt took time to play card games with me. Then I got comfortable and dove into a wonderful book. But even then, the grumpiness crept back. I felt lonely and annoyed, realizing all the same that I was fine. I've lived by myself before, I've been single for years, what was my problem that I couldn't spend a few minutes, even, alone? Then Matt came to bed and held me, just as sweet as could be. And I wondered what my problem was. Really. I hope I can shake this rain cloud over me. I'm normally a pretty happy girl.

To end on a higher note, Sunday evening Matt went with me to my cousins' house for dinner and games. It was nice to see them and we stayed a good three hours or so. After spending all that time with my family and before getting done what he needed to get done, Matt challenged me to a game of Scrabble right when we got home. He is always trying to be sweet to me, I appreciate it immensely, and I only wish I could allow myself to be happy. I was bummed that Christa and Tony were unable to spend the weekend with us as planned. Tony had an emergency surgery, though, so plans had to change. In November, Matt and I are going camping for a weekend and another weekend we're spending in Houston. That's just the beginning of November. Then both our improv troupes are performing in The Hideout's Wafflefest and on the same night, in the same show--my troupe gets to open for Matt's troupe! My parents are in town one weekend and before we know it, we'll be in Florida to spend Thanksgiving with Matt's family.

The trend with me and in this email, you see, is thinking about why I SHOULD BE happy and NOT fussy and while it's great to have perspective, Traci was very helpful in reminding me last night that sometimes...it's okay to just be upset. And recognize and validate these feelings. I have a hard time with this. Always have.

This post is getting long but I must add that as I was writing this, I got asked to play in Flying Theater Machine's next run of shows, Snowball Fight! This means I get to perform as an improviser for children AND I get to perform with Matt! Big, big yay! So that cheered me up a ton. But hey, if I want to be sad in spite of it all, even if I don't know why I'm feeling that way, that's okay, too. Just sayin'.

I'm Just Sitting Here Watching the Wheels Go Round and Round...

I had a really fantastic weekend and I wanted to capture it here so I don't forget the feelings it invoked, that way instead of the memory fading away I can keep it snuggled up to me in my thoughts. I enjoy scrapbooking for the same reason. I like to keep comforts from the past and dreams and hopes for my future nestled around me like a time-traveling hug.

Friday when Matt got home from work, I surprised him with a Texas-sized chocolate AND glazed donut I picked up from Round Rock Donuts. This donut was bigger than his head! He enjoyed the treat, which of course I helped him eat over the next two days. Later that night after his improv show, Matt took me to Jasper's and I relished a triple chocolate martini and his company.

Saturday brought crisp weather and a lovely blue sky and light breeze so Matt and I took to the backyard and played board games on the covered patio for hours. We acted silly, relaxed, and just played. Then we caught a quick trip to the gym for a workout, ate dinner, and cleaned up before heading downtown for my second improv performance with the troupe Continental Breakfast. I was nervous but did okay, better than the previous week, and Sarah came to watch me.

Then Sunday morning, Sarah and I breakfasted together and afterwards I played computer games with Matt. He played something on his computer involving attacking each other's land and I started a fresh game of The Sims 2, which I have barely ever played. It was very satisfying to surrender my time to a ridiculous computer game. :) Then Matt and I played video games together, rocked out on Guitar Hero (he played guitar and I sang!) and played Spades and Casino card games. We polished off our evening at an Ethiopian restaurant. It was his second experience with the cuisine and my first. We got to eat with our hands, save for the spongy paper we wrapped around food. It was pretty good, but heavy and we were immobilized for the rest of our evening.

It felt like Houston today. Oh, the humidity!

In regards to the title, when I told Matt the pun that I was so proud of, he did his usual response: silence, then a slow groan. He's the punster, so I think he should appreciate the bit that's rubbing off on me and my sweet efforts to share terrible puns with him... :P

But really, it was quite humid today and not all that cool. But it rained this evening with a terrific thunderstorm and no damage, so I'm pretty happy about it. I spent all afternoon at The Domain, which was no easy feat. For one, I was hoping to get stuff done at the house. And being in such close proximity to all that great shopping was tough. I wanted to play in the stores and shop shop shop! But I was good and only purchased the new book by the author of The Time Traveler's Wife, Audrey Niffenegger. That was one of the best books I've ever read, by the way, so it's an understatement to say I have high hopes. Anyhow, the book was 30% off so I marched it to checkout. As I was literally wondering if I should ask for a teacher discount but deciding against it since I have no paycheck from a school district to prove conventional educator, this woman asks if I'm a teacher. I smiled and said yes and asked if I looked like one. We got to chatting as I filled out an educator application (she didn't seem to care that I had no proof) and when I said I was a teaching artist, she told me her mother had been one in Brooklyn. We only talked for a few minutes, but it was a really lovely conversation and she said her mother would have been proud to hear about teaching artist work in Austin. I left the store with a smile, and an educator discount card that said Teaching Artist for "subject" and All Over for "school." :)

Ah, yes, so you're probably wondering why I was "trapped" at The Domain. Poor me, surrounded by the petite section at Banana Republic, the makeup counter at Neiman Marcus, White House/Black Market, BEBE, Origins, and Cole-Haan, NONE of which--le sigh--I ventured into! My hard drive decided it had better things to do and gave notice of impending doom. Fortunately, I received the memo in time to back up everything and received a bonny new hard drive under warranty. Sadly, however, I couldn't swing getting my laptop back to normal with my backed up files so I was spending Day Two at The Domain and waiting forever for the Apple store to fight the good fight against my laptop. In the end, they won as they always do. Amusing fact about the Apple store: they have a CONCIERGE! You have to check in as you enter the store so they can type your information into the iPod they all carry and get you in their system. Very amusing. And they have scrapbooking SOFTWARE programs, which I never knew of! They look super fun, but I must admit a good chunk of the pleasure of scrapbooking is the tactile part of the hobby. Recreating everything with clicks of the mouse is cheaper than materials, more polished in results, and unlimited in possibilities for the pages, but the traditional scrapbooking with its messiness and hands-on appeal are my go-to.

Time to get back to my new book before I burrow under my comforter and call it a night.

Being Alone, or Why I am Still Five

When Matt goes out of town for work, I think about how nice it would be to have a puppy. Just the simple company of an animal, I think, would preclude any jumpiness and anxiety at night. My little companion could follow me all over the house. Granted, I don't want a dog at this stage of my life. Flexibility for random hours or weekend trips are here to stay for a while, plus it's not affordable right now. More simply, I realize how much of an extrovert I am and how much I appreciate companionship.

That's why last night I had the random idea to return a small, soft squirrel stuffed animal to my computer desk, where he had been stationed for the latter part of my thesis writing to keep me company at my old apartment during many late nights writing. I told Matt about this new development on the phone the other night and when we got off the phone, I was giddy from getting to hear his voice and very content. I took my squirrel friend downstairs with me and we watched another episode of Seinfeld together. The squirrel was my constant companion. He followed me when I refilled my water, checked my email, and tucked me in when it was time for bed. The simple act of playing with a stuffed animal was soothing and fun, though of course I still can't wait for Matt's return.

Yup. I am still a wacky five-year-old.

Missing Loved Ones

I don't know if there is a connection, but Matt's being out of town for work has coincided with my thinking alternately of the family dog Hershey Kisses and my Nana. Both of them have passed away, but I wonder if missing Matt has spurred missing other loved ones as well.

All I know is I was sound asleep the other night when a particularly feisty bolt of thunder woke me up. Here it is--5 AM--I was moments ago sleeping peacefully, and my groggy self drifted to memories of Kisses being afraid of storms, shaking like a leaf, and my holding and consoling her. It was a sweet memory but there I was, half asleep and near tears as I remembered the little pup after having her away from my thoughts for a while.

Then this afternoon, I went to pick up Jell-O chocolate pudding because my parents used to always make it for me, I love it, and it can't be that hard to make myself. Granted, I've taken years to rise to this minutiae challenge, but that's not the point. As I toss the package into my cart, I recall my recent hankering for banana pudding. I grab the banana cream Jell-O mix and head to the crackers section. As I toss Nilla wafers into my cart, thoughts of my Nana flood my head. There was never a time, at least that I can remember, that her apartment was not well stocked with a cracker assortment spread of Nilla, Ritz, and Wheat Thins boxes. I miss her.

The good news to end on is that Kisses and Nana may remain comfortably tucked in my thoughts BUT Matt I shall see shortly!

Little Tidbits

Since my last post, I've thought of a few amusing tidbits to capture here. Nothing majorly noteworthy has occurred, as I am still unemployed minus tutoring twice a week and teaching once a week. Yes, I started teaching an acting class Thursday evenings. My group of students is great so it will be fun to have another drama class but it also happens to take place in South Austin, which in traffic is no small jaunt. I think I'll make a habit of heading towards that part of town early and perching nearby before rush hour strikes.

I had to get fingerprinted as part of the many hoops I must jump (and pay) through "on the road" to teacher certification. I use that cliched phrase because my alternative certification program uses it. Frequently. I must say, however, fingerprinting wasn't as annoying an errand as I had surmised. The building was easy to get to and I didn't have to wait for my turn. Lastly, and this detail is odd but true, the process of fingerprinting is a bit like a hand massage. In order to digitally capture the most accurate reading, each finger must be rolled against the scanner. Case in point.

In other news, the first day of fall was aptly marked by chilly weather and bouts of rain. I loved it, avoided the heater, and eagerly look forward to the fall weather returning, this time to stay awhile! Also during this lovely turn of weather, I spotted the neighborhood cat curled up into a cold, sleepy ball on the lawn chair in the backyard, seeking refuge from the rain on the covered patio. It was quite cute.

I had my first substitute teaching job recently and made a whopping $10/hour. Science to 2nd graders and English/Reading to 5th graders at a private school. Tomorrow morning, I become Gym Teacher for a few hours. Haha. Sigh...

Matt had to go out of town again for work recently, boo on that! I always miss him when he is gone, and these feelings are only reinforced by hearing all kinds of things at night. Such as when it is windy, our shed door in the backyard makes noise. Such a pleasant noise... However, I would like to say that I can be okay by myself at night. I was mostly okay in an apartment, but a house is a bit different, I suppose. Me and my overactive imagination.

One of the nights that Matt was out of town, I knew it was an hour later and didn't want him to go to bed without hearing "goodnight" and so forth from me. I sent him a text literally to the minute that he sent me an email of the same nature. Sadly, he did not see my text until that morning, but the fact that we were thinking the same still makes me smile. I love that man. :)

I have been very busy with improv rehearsals in preparation for performing during October. Lots of three hour rehearsals and practicing our troupe format are tiring, but I can see myself improving both in confidence, instincts, and focus. I have lots more to go, or shall I say room for mooooooooooore growth, but it's a great group of people to rehearse/play/work/perform with and I am enjoying it. We had our photo shoot the other day and it was really fun. Yay for finally getting to act again. It has been too long.

That's it for now!

Six Month Mattiversary

Last night, Matt and I celebrated our first six months together.  He took me back to Eastside Cafe, where we went on our first date.  Although we hadn't requested it, they seated us at the same table we sat at six months ago.  That made our celebration dinner even more special, and the food was wonderful as always.  Then we went to Brown Bar to continue our night out and toasted with two sweet and well-mixed martinis.  Yum!  We wrapped up our evening at home watching Across the Universe.  All and all, a delightful evening with my darling.

Mayday! We have a tree down!

I hoped like crazy that it would rain yesterday.  Austin needed some rain and I've been fighting a cold.  I'm feverish, sweaty, can't taste or smell anything, and am a sneezing machine.  I had no interest in watering but knew I'd have to soon since it's 100 degrees around here daily.  Well, I got my wish, and more.  It rained, it thundered, it brought winds reported up to 60 mph.  Sadly, there was a casualty in this over-an-inch-of-rain tempest: The Little Tree That Couldn't.

The Chinese Elm to the right of my yard didn't survive.  Rather, it fell against the house!  I am so lucky it didn't cause structural damage to the house nor hit my car, which was not in the garage.  Now, I had no idea it had fallen until some nice neighbor knocked on the door.  Do I answer nice neighbor?  No, I freak out, because it's 10 PM and I'm alone at home because Matt's in San Diego for work.  I tried to call him then but his ringer was accidentally set to silent.  Marielle answered, I felt better.  I got off the phone, opened the door, and found myself face-to-face with a tree.  Its branches extended right to the entrance.  I finally got a hold of Matt, felt so much better just hearing his voice, and we arranged next steps in dealing with it.

This morning, an arborist came by and said the tree didn't have good roots at all, he showed me, and that it's a good thing it didn't fall later in its life when it would have been bigger!  A mixed blessing?  Reluctantly, I must admit that it is, though I will miss having that tree there.  He is coming back this afternoon to take it away and then we'll see if any damage was done to the house at all.  Insurance is also coming by.

Morals of the story?  Don't plant Chinese Elms, they are loser trees.  And boyfriends shouldn't go out of town because then their girlfriends get sick and trees uproot themselves...okay, okay, strike that.  But I can't wait for Matt to get home!

Waiting, crying, loving

I recently read The Time Traveler's Wife and watched The Notebook and I realize there are strong themes that both of them share.  These themes particularly draw me in and speak to me.  They are the themes of waiting and of unyielding love, fierce and constant.  In The Time Traveler's Wife, Clare, wife of time-traveling Henry, endures her husband's erratic absences for minutes, hours, sometimes days.  She is constantly waiting for the next time she will be reunited with her love.  Sometimes she has to wait many lonely years.  Yet she never falters in her love for him.  In The Notebook, Allie does not receive the daily letters Noah writes her after she goes off to college.  Without knowing this, he continues writing for a year, every day, 365 letters.  Despite not hearing from her, he sets out to build the dream house she described to him that memorable summer they spent together, when they fell in love.  Against all odds, he waits for her, and his love for her does not fade over time.  A series of events ultimately reunites them, but their fairy tale story dissolves when Allie's Alzheimer's disease advances such that she forgets who her love is.  Heart-wrenching scenes show Noah patiently reading the story of their lives together, dancing, eating, and other activities to take care of Allie and help her remember.  There is a beautiful scene when she does remember him, but then the disease returns as swiftly as it paused and Allie becomes terrified of this "stranger" near her.  Saddened but loyal, Noah stays with his love, waiting for her to remember again and reunite their forgotten love.

I can identify with these themes, as someone who has waited a long time for the right person to come into my life.  On a much smaller scale, my love is out of town all week for work and so you could say that I am presently waiting as well.  Until I find more work, I will be waiting for him to come home from his job each evening.  Waiting, waiting, and loving intensely, fervently, passionately.  This week, Matt and I celebrate our first six months together.  I am very happy.  It is relevant now to mention also that once during The Time Traveler's Wife as well as The Notebook, I cried.  In fact, Matt came home while I was reading the novel and there I was, sprawled across the bed with the book, hot tears streaming down my face.  Of course, the only balm I needed was a few minutes cuddled up to him.  During one of the scenes from The Notebook that I described, I was also affected by it.  Both situations brought my thoughts back to my own love, causing the scenes to be made more poignant by the intensity of my own relationship.  I am reflective about this because aside from one movie (Imagine: John Lennon), I have never cried during movies or novels.  It is as though any remaining protective walls have fallen away and my emotions have been further unlocked.  I believe the relationship that Matt and I have has freed me of barriers and given way to intense feelings that could only have been borne out of absolute trust, love, loyalty, and comfort.  It is incredibly liberating and satisfying.  I am simultaneously at peace with my life as well as awed and excited by it.  Sometimes I stare at Matt or across a room in our house together in wonderment.  I simply cannot believe my luck in these instances.  And yet, here I am.

Reflections, Aspirations, and Celebrations

So much has happened since my last update that I find myself, as always, unsure where to begin. I guess I'm motivated to write because I don't want to forget all the wonderful moments leading up to this current point in my life. Also, since my life is now the equivalent of the "pause" button for the time being, it's a simple enough time to get caught up.

I met Matt's parents over Memorial Day weekend and had a great time getting to know them. Later in May, since I received my MFA, Matt kept his promise to take me on a celebration trip and we went to San Francisco for a week. We had an incredible time together and I found the trip to be romantic, relaxing, and gorgeous. I loved the area's tons of pink flowers, heart sculptures, sweeping views, rose gardens, and old, shady redwoods. Right after getting back into town, my summer job at The Alley started. In the back of my head, I'd always thought I'd end up starting a full-time job in Austin by then but as no offers were made, to Houston for seven weeks I went.

June and July represented a whirlwind of activity! I threw myself back into teaching drama full-time to 1st through 4th graders and loved being back at The Alley. My students were fun to work with and I enjoyed the two productions my students and I developed. My first group adapted Scaredy Squirrel in the Dark and the second group created The Wizard of Candy Oz Land. Each weekend, I went to Austin or Matt drove to Houston but during the week we were apart.

Whenever I was in Austin, we looked at houses with a realtor, something we had loosely talked about and started towards the end of May. The next thing we knew, we were finding houses we liked and making or contemplating offers. Finally, we found the perfect house. Both of us loved it from pretty much the moment we set foot in it, so much so that we made an offer that day! One thing led to another and we closed on the house July 20. I finished my summer position on July 25, our five month anniversary, and Matt came in town to see my students' performance and a show at The Alley on a double date with good friends. Then Sunday, my parents, Matt, and I all drove to Austin to move things into the new house.

We are all moved in now, just moving furniture around and getting settled together. The house is beautiful and I am still getting used to the fact that we live there. (As in, getting used to the house and garage and watering plants part...and getting used to the privilege of cuddling up to Matt every night.) The only catch to what feels like an everyday fairy tale to me is that I am now unemployed. Granted, I was a full-time graduate student through part of May then full-time teaching artist at The Alley for two months so it's not as dire as it sounds. I've applied over the past few weeks to around 30 positions in Austin, yet nothing has worked out yet for full-time. I did land a very part-time teaching position that I am quite excited about, so that's something worth grinning about, but it doesn't pay off my loans nor offer benefits.

The past two weeks were busy with unpacking and getting settled and gearing up to present my thesis research at a nationally attended presentation as part of a professional development debut panel session for emerging scholars. Tuesday morning, I'll read a six-page paper as part of the largest organization in the country for Theatre Education's conference. I am writing this entry, in fact, from New York City at my friend Helene's apartment.

When I return home to Austin later this week I am trying to decide what to do with my time. Certainly, part of that time will go to cover letters for job applications and searching openings on the Internet. I'll do house stuff to keep it nice and hope to [learn how to] cook some meals for Matt. Even when I get a full-time job, this thoughtfulness on outside of work next steps still applies because I am finally settling down, spreading my roots in a permanent address, and no longer in school. I am VERY eager to reclaim having a life, and I'm curious about what to fill it with--what would be the most satisfying, that is to say.

Helene and I watched Julie & Julia today and the movie inspired inward thinking about sense of purpose and partaking in hobbies for pleasure and passion. I certainly want to try cooking more and stop being afraid I'll screw it up since-honestly-who cares if I do, scrapbooking and gardening are other must-haves, but what else? I am toying with getting back into theatre, whether it is auditioning for plays or developing myself at improv. I also am realizing how much I need to throw myself back into going to the gym and attending gym classes. I've strayed away from that for too long and it's starting to get to me. So these are some of the next steps I am thinking about...this is not rocket science and most of what I'm saying is obvious, but it's still occupying my thoughts and worth writing about to me. I want to be intentional with my time.

Last week, I started diving into improv theory books I'd been meaning to read and I've found that to be really satisfying so far. I want to do more reading in general as well. When I do these activities and how it will all fit in to day-to-day and short-term and long-term goals, and life in a house with Matt (eeee!), that is a mystery I look forward to watching fall into place. I can feel my momentum picking up and my energy poised to spring into action now that I'm recharged and excited for life back in Austin, after my short stint in Houston.

I seek focus, optimism, perseverance, and centeredness to keep me going as I figure out the little pieces and work to get a solid job in Austin. And appreciation. I have so much to be happy about!

We'll see what the next update brings...

I Have an MFA!!!

My latest fun update is that I passed my thesis defense yesterday! The Friday before that, after two insane days staying up crazy hours to FINISH the thesis (and slightly less insane days leading up to that), I turned in 138 pages to my committee members and hoped for the best. Yesterday at noon I gave a twenty minute presentation, fielded around twenty more minutes of questions from my committee members and guests, then spoke privately with my committee. They recommended a teensy amount of revisions (woohoo!) and then signed off! Finally, Joan and I opened the lecture room door so she could introduce me as the department's newest MFA! This moment was commemorated with special guests: my parents, Matt, Marielle and Gary, Sarah and Leon, Yael, Shiraz, and Meital, Terry, David, Roz and Don, Craig, and Dr. Ovando.

Celebrations were indeed in order! I lunched at Eastside Cafe then relaxed at my place and chatted on the phone with Christa. My voice was gone from the presentation and I was exhausted and in shock that I actually was an MFA. Then Matt took me out to Clay Pit (yum) and we sat at the lower level which was this cave-like, candle-lit romantic room. Fun! Then we played some Spades at Cru and tasted wine flights.

Today, I slept late, caught up on the latest episode of The Office, attended Eyore's Birthday Party with Matt (Austin has some crazy, silly, random events), watched some Labyrinth, and Sarah took me out to Z Tejas. Now, more relaxation time until I cheer like a maniac for Matt in the Maestro improv show later tonight. I have an MFA, I have every right to play the fool all weekend. :)

I hadn't been able to think about what comes next beyond THESIS insanity. Now, I look in my planner and I like what I see--a whole lot of not much for a good chunk of time!! All I need to do is get a job and I'm all set...but I'll figure it out.

I am busy the next two weekends so thank goodness I don't have major thesis revisions! Next weekend, I am in Florida to be a bridesmaid in Linnea's wedding and the following weekend I am in Chattanooga, TN to present at an arts integration conference.

I feel light and carefree, so relieved and un-stressed, and HAPPY. Yay. :)

All smiles with my thesis advisor Joan after my defense

Yipperooni! Introducing...My Boyfriend!

I haven't updated in a loooong time, which is typical of my blog to be sporadic anyhow, but I have good excuses this time. I am weeks away from my thesis defense and furiously writing. I have reached around 50 pages so far. Do I hear 55? 60? 65? Groan. Yes, in due time, my friends. Also, I've been otherwise occupied because

I have a boyfriend! He is wonderful and I feel very lucky to have him in my life. For the past month or so that we have been dating, I have been (and still am) on Cloud 9. Sigh... :)

And Matt posted entries on his blog about me, which made me happier than he could have imagined, or maybe he knew I'd like that...but anyhow, it meant a lot to me that he opened up and shared with his friends details about this person he is dating, even encouraging them to ask questions about me. I think putting my feelings out here in cyberspace about a significant other is kind of daunting, but I wanted to reciprocate as some sort of gift to him. Also, it's fun to ramble about how happy he makes me for any friends willing to read the sappiness. Here goes!

Soooo, here's the lowdown before I disappear into thesis land again. His name is Matt, he is my age, computer engineer, and he is an awesome improviser, a hobby he participates in for fun. He performs with his troupe and at other shows, too, and I think he is so funny and charming onstage as well as off. Matt also performs in improv shows for kids, how sweet is that. I'm biased, but it's the truth! And get this, he started doing improv to overcome shyness. What the heck? I'm not particularly shy but I couldn't imagine performing onstage without a script. Get me a script and I'm your ham, but not improv. I have lots of admiration for this man of mine.

Matt told me, without begging on my part, that since I love to go dancing so much, we can take dance lessons together and then he'll take me dancing. We're going to start swing dancing next week. I can't wait.

We have lots of stuff in common. He likes board games, too, and on one of our dates we played three rounds of Scrabble in a row! Anyone willing to play games, and repeatedly, without getting sick of it is awesome in my book. And we're a good match, too, we both have to put our game faces on to try to win. I taught him how to play Spades so we're playing some cards, too. He isn't a Monopoly fan but I am willing to see past this. ;) . He also likes hiking and we both have been to Mt. Rainier, Grand Tetons, and Rocky Mountain National Parks (I think that's all of them!) He is super silly like I am so we can be playful and random together! We share fondness for Lost, nature, fresh bread, crossword puzzles, cuddling, and dark chocolate.

He is really picky about dating, too. He somehow likes to do the little things that make me happy, or knows what I appreciate and does those things for me. He is also really easy to talk to and I love talking to him about everything. On one of our dates, we stayed up all night, just chatting about everything and anything.

Matt is a master at puns. He even won second place at The World Championship Punoff held here in Austin for his mad skills.

Last weekend, we went camping at McKinney Falls State Park with his work friends and I had so much fun with him. Two weekends from now, he is driving to Houston with me to meet my family and celebrate my birthday. I get to introduce him to my family and friends so they can see for themselves how awesome he is. Yay!

He now has to put up with the ups and downs (okay mainly downs so close to deadline) of my thesis writing process. I feel badly that he had to start dating me at this time but it's nice to have his support. Just thinking about him can temporarily soothe me from the stress of it all.

More soon, I'm sure...

The Life and Woes of my Apartment

After my most recent apartment hiccup, I decided blogging the ridiculous issues I have experienced in 2.5 years of residence might be interesting.

Air Conditioning: My first apartment problem occurred soon after I moved here in August 2006. My A/C had almost no coolant left and in the Texas heat, it was becoming painfully apparent that the A/C was not up to the job of cooling down the place. More coolant was put in and a short few weeks later, the same problem occurred. A coolant leak was discovered and the entire A/C unit had to be replaced.

Months later, the thermostat broke and had to be replaced.

At the beginning of Summer 2008, a crazy Austin hailstorm literally struck down my A/C unit. It damaged the coils permanently and had to be re-replaced. This time around, my landlord splurged on a weather-protective cover as well.

Kitchen: Occasionally, for no good reason, the lights in the kitchen will not turn on. When this happens, pressing the reset button by power plugs in the bathroom fixes the problem.

The ice maker in the freezer has never worked, and the door to the fridge sticks and needs to be shut tight or it won't shut all the way.

The sink faucet started leaking one night and water ran down the counter onto some of my papers. A plumber had to install a new faucet. About a year later, the disposal got backed up and a plumber had to come out to clean it.

There is a chance that the kitchen light will burn out when turned on. This has happened a few times.

Bathroom: There is no exhaust fan and after a steamy shower, sometimes small yellow dots appear on the green painted walls. I think this is some kind of glue from above paneling sweating down but I'm not sure.

The shower occasionally would make a humming noise. It would sometimes turn into a shrieking noise and even escalate into rumbling on the bottom of the tub and wall where the faucet is. I finally decided this was driving me insane and getting too loud and a plumber fixed the problem on the second try by replacing the water spout. The technical term for the problem was that it was "hammering." That sounds unpleasant, too.

Window: The window has to be propped open carefully with a rod of sorts, looks like a long flashlight, because it no longer has working mechanisms to raise and lower and stay in place other than closed completely. Once, I had it open to air the apartment out due to problems I have yet to discuss. This was before I had the handy rod and the makeshift items I had used to hold it open fell with a gust of wind. The window slammed shut and the middle glass pane shattered. This resulted in having to have someone come and install a new pane. Also, a cable cord outside the window connects up to the roof. I have tried to have this cord removed but to no avail. When it's windy, it slaps against the building and makes spring-like sounds. Not fun. In fact, it's windy right now...hmm.

Construction: Lucky for me, I get to live here for all sorts of construction (sarcasm!). My unit just happens to be directly below the main "hallway" up in the roof. I thought it was my imagination until that was confirmed. Yes, I indeed could hear feet above me every morning for a long time. Why? Because the entire roof was being replaced at my apartment complex. It finally got so loud, I was convinced the ceiling would cave in, workers were going to fall into my apartment, and I would be crushed. I expressed concerns to my landlord and soon after that, plaster was literally falling from the ceiling and my fan was shaking. I contacted maintenance to repair the ceiling and check on roof safety. They assured me that there was never danger of the ceiling collapsing but that yes, the force of the work being done had caused plaster problems and they'd take heed. To fix the ceiling, I had to arrange for maintenance to fill and paint over the holes.

Also during roofing construction, something harmed the A/C power connections/electrical. To fix the problem, new wiring had to go from the control box in my bedroom to the A/C unit. This involved cutting a small hole on the wall between my bedroom and the hall by the A/C unit. Then that area had to be filled, sanded, and repainted. The process ended up covering my apartment with tiny specks of dust from the wall. It looked like it had snowed dust everywhere. I took a picture, sent it to my landlord, and arranged to have a maid clean the mess.

Currently, the building behind the parking lot was demolished and now a parking garage and other things are being built. Basically, I live next to dunes of dirt and dust that blow grit everywhere and I wake up to the beeping of cranes backing up. The apartment pool is in the process of being resurfaced.

Water heater: Over Winter Break beginning of 2008, the water heater broke and leaked not into the living room (aka Sarah's chateau), no no, but into my room. The water built up while I was in Houston. I came back and discovered the pleasantries when I went to dump my trashcan and noticed the bottom was wet. Under closer inspection, it was also covered with tiny, moving bugs. I don't "do" bugs. Looking around my closet and vanity area, I discovered more small, unpleasant bugs in the carpet and feasting on papers and notebooks that were stacked on the floor. This time, the landlord had to fly in from California to help me deal with the problem while I stayed in a hotel a few nights and then with Marielle for about a week. Mold remediation, that's the term for what we had to do. Everything, and oh I do mean everything, had to be removed from my bedroom. The only item I refused to move was my beloved dresser, which is bubble gum pink with dancing dogs across the drawers. :) It may not survive another move, or least not the mirror attachment, so we covered it in plastic instead. Once everything was out of the room, the carpet was ripped up and replaced and the wall was knocked down and replaced, sanded, and painted. And, obviously, the hot water heater had to be replaced! This time, it was a tankless heater. Now, my showers actually stay warm for the entire time...who knew?

When carpet was replaced in my bedroom closet, a small hole in the wall connecting bedroom closet to living room was left. Ants somehow got in this way and hung out in my dirty laundry. I cannot handle ants. This was the second ant problem, the first ant problem occurring months earlier under my computer desk, again, through some small gap in the wall. Before the problem was fixed, I found a few desk ants moonlighting on my laptop or strolling down the walls. Not tons, mind you, but enough to make me antsy. The rest of the ants roamed the carpet underneath. The closet ants enjoyed shacking up in my bras and hamper. Fortunately, sealing areas and exterminating the life out of them solved the problem. I really, really cannot stand ants. Whenever I'm anxious, ants appear in my dreams.

In recent news: The inspiration, if I can even call it that, for this entry is recent tragic events in the life and woes of my apartment. The apartment tenant directly below mine by two floors decided without alerting the unit owner to renovate the floors. In the process, he managed to spill polyurethane on the floor. Then, I am pretty sure it was improperly cleaned and unventilated for the day. This was a perfect opportunity for the fumes to waft up, becoming increasingly concentrated inside nearby apartments, in the halls, even out in the parking lot. This resulted in another round of hotel stays. Change/disruption is clearly not good for thesis writing! The only high points that came of this were playing with Sleep Number beds with Sarah at the Radisson (though we give them two thumbs down), staying two nights at The Driskill (free printing, winter snow globe, postcards, and toiletries are exciting for a grad student! But the hotel is one of the most famously haunted hotels in Texas and we freaked ourselves out, haha.), and staying two nights at the AT&T Executive Conference Center on campus and a stone's throw away from my EdPsyc class. I could see into the building from my balcony! Also saw Edward James Olmos at the hotel.)

Also about a year ago, there was a gas leak from the laundry room on the second floor. My nose detects all and I noticed it from inside my apartment, even when two friends came over and didn't smell anything. I called to report it and someone came out to check--yup, I was right, definitely a leak. Very low levels in the apartment, but when they went onto my balcony outside it was much stronger.

During my first six months living at the apartment, TWO Apple computers broke. Coincidence? I wonder...

And yet, I continue to live here. Sigh.

To be continued? I hope not!

Life in Amira Land

25 Things

1. When I was little, I wouldn't eat until I'd smelled my food. If I didn't like the way it smelled, I wouldn't eat it. I have a keenly developed sense of smell now.

2. I cannot carry a tune, yet for two plays that I was in I had to sing: In Barefoot in the Park during a drunk scene and in And Baby Makes 7 by myself, in a bad French accent. Go figure.

3. I love to dance, did pointe in elementary school and drill team in high school (Marielle convinced me to join, quit a year later, then resumed senior year when I quit). Westbury football made it to playoffs at the Astrodome and our team got to do jump splits down the line! In college, I took Argentine Tango with Ricardo and Linnea. After college, I took a continuing studies course on Tango History. Now, I can't afford classes nor do I have the time. Someday. :)

4. I could probably survive on cheese. Or pasta. Or combo: Mac and Cheese! Or candy. Or liquids--I really like health smoothies, grapefruit juice, and carrot juice. A lot. My tastes changed about a year ago and I've gotten weirder about foods that I like. But in a healthy granola crunchy way.

5. I don't like the sound of balloons popping, wasps, or ants. When I was little, I would tiptoe in the grass to avoid ants. Whenever I am anxious, there are ants in my dreams.

6. I am an only child, I am left-handed, and my second toes are longer than my first toes.

7. I have lived in Houston, Arad, DC, Salamanca, Williamstown, Princeton, and Austin.

8. When I laugh really hard, the vein in my forehead bulges.

9. My nickname in college was Midget. My roommate called me Little and my boyfriend called me Little One. Whatever, I am almost five feet tall. :)

10. I had to wear glasses starting in the 1st grade.

11. I can't whistle.

12. Good things, but not romantic things, happen to me on Valentine's Day. On a Feb. 14 in 2002, I found out I'd get to live in DC for a summer and intern with a nonprofit serving youth and in 2006, I found out I was accepted to UT's theatre education grad program.

13. My favorite color is pink and I love feminine things and being girly. Half the time, though, I'd rather be hiking in the mountains.

14. I have always loved to teach and when I was little I would "teach" my Nana how to print instead of writing in cursive. At our "school," I would make snacks and come up with assignments. The snacks were Ritz cracker cream cheese sandwiches, placed in a small Dixie cup, covered with a Kleenex, and bound with a rubber band.

15. I love games. I could play Monopoly, Scrabble, or Spades for hours. At home, at a bar, at a restaurant, on a train...yes.

16. I once pet a deer in the wild in Wyoming. I have pet lots of squirrels, though they're not a fan unless distracted by food. They like Corn Nuts and Girl Scout Cookies.

17. I sometimes listen to Avril Lavigne and Britney Spears songs.

18. When I was born, The Smurfs cartoon was on TV. My dad claims my fist was curled such that it looked like I was flicking off the doctor.

19. During a semester abroad in Spain, I took my first step aerobics class. Learning how to do the footwork in Spanish was a challenge.

20. I have seen U2, No Doubt, They Might Be Giants, Cake, Tristan Prettyman, Regina Spektor, Tom Petty, and a bunch of others in concert. Austin City Limits makes it hard to name them all. Yay, ACL.

21. I love The Beatles. From listening to the albums on road trips to national parks, I could hum the opening notes of the next song in the pause before it.

22. I once biked from Houston to Austin for a good cause and some good exercise. I am sensitive to sugar and after a Gatorade surge I was biking so fast I missed the next rest stop. I had to go back to find my dad. Having to go the other direction on a 100-mile day was not fun. I also once hiked 142 km in six days in Spain with my friend Christa.

23. I really hope I have a girl in the future. My days of playing with Barbies and Playmobil cannot be over, I won't allow it.

24. I won't eat sushi, other weird fishy things, really spicy food, or liver.

25. I get excited about candy stores, toy stores, and cold weather. Snow is awesome. Oh, Texas.

Obama-isms

While playing Spades with my parents over Thanksgiving break, my mom and I somehow got on the topic of words that rhyme with Obama. I think it started when she asked what the new slogan would be after That One, Go-Bama, etc. We started brainstorming words and we got really into it. Soon it wasn't just the words but funny questions before the Obama punchline of sorts. My dad patiently waited for the joke to die down, but seemed amused enough that we were both so engaged in it. It was too late anyhow--we were a lost cause and couldn't be stopped!

I relayed the evening to my roommate Sarah a few days later and she got caught up in the fun as well. The following are the fruits of our labors, so to speak. As Sarah said, they are are 95% Amirabama. A few come from Sarah, and some from my mom. The rest are from the randomness lurking inside my brain. My all-time favorite is courtesy of my mom so I'll post that first. Its unexpected specificity and weirdness lend it lots of charm! I don't understand how she came up with that one... Anyhow, without further ado I present: Obama-isms!

All-time Favorite: What do you call Obama with a foot fetish? Toebama

What do you call Obama by the sea? Bigelowbama

What do you call Obama who faces He-Who-Shall-Not-Be-Named? Harry Pottobama

What do you call Obama in the middle of a rap? Flowbama

What do you call Obama in the winter? Snowbama

What do you call Obama with his hood? Brobama

What do you call Obama the artist? Michaelangelobama OR Picassobama

What do call Obama in Hawaii? Alohabama

What do you call Obama at a health food store? Trader Joebama

What does street slang Obama say? Yomamabama

What do the aliens say upon exiting their spaceship? Take me to Yobama

What do you call Obama who peed all over himself? Yellowbama

What do you call Obama on a walk? El Caminobama

What do you call Obama with sugar and spice? Obamaliscious

What do you call a Republican convert? Obamanized

What do you call the new value meal at McDonalds? Obamasize it

What do you call an animal you may see at the zoo? Iguanabama

What would happen if McCain won the presidency? Obama Trauma

What do you call Obama before he goes to sleep? Pajamabama

What do you call Obama over 100 degrees? Obamasauna

What do you call Obama with no moving facial parts? Lipobama

What do call Obama in a flowy white dress? Marilyn Monroebama

What do you call Obama sweet bread? Greek Phyllobama

What do you call limboing Obama? How-low-can-you-go-bama

What do you call McCain and Palin? Way Belowbama

What do you call Obama at cards? Hi or Lowbama

What do you call Obama at the zoo? HippoBama

What do you call Obama when things go missing? Kleptobama

What happens to Obama when you say “cheese”? Photobama

What do call the space between Obama stars in the sky? Ellipsobamas.

What do you call Obama by the disco ball? Strobama

What do you call Obama with an iPod? Nanobama

What do you call Obama with a mushroom on his head? Super Mariobama

What do you call Obama with one eyebrow? Frida Kahlobama

What do you call Obama working with kids in a drama classroom? Creative DramaBama

What do you call Obama making a strike? Bowl-a-rama-bama

What does a bovine Obama say? Moo000bama

What do call an Obama of the people? A fellowbama

What do you call Obama as cargo checked under a plane? Stowbama

What do you call Obama with cowboy boots? Howdy-HoBama

What do you call Obama as an action figure? G.I. Joebama

What do you call a far-spitting Obama? A llamabama

More Random Thoughts

I was at the UT pharmacy the other day, sitting around waiting for my prescription to get filled. This observation amused me: the aisles have their placards above to label their offerings such as antacid, vitamins, cough and cold, etc. The next to last aisle read "Candy, condoms" and THAT made me laugh. Not that aisles have to be grouped so all sections go together, but it's an interesting combo.

I finished David Sedaris's [not so] new book, When You Are Engulfed in Flames. I definitely enjoyed it, though I didn't find it as laugh-out-loud funny as Me Talk Pretty One Day or even Dress Your Family in Corduroy and Denim. Some essays read too much as unedited journal entries and it was sad to read about his years of drug and alcohol abuse. However, I did find the articles to be as tightly constructed as ever if not more so, with neat ways of wrapping up a story in a clever, almost too perfect ending.

I am presenting my work on my own at a conference in Houston in January! My hour, fifteen minute session at the Texas Educational Theatre Association's (TETA) convention is titled Drama Strategies for the Math Classroom. It's funny, I haven't even been notified by the organization yet unless they sent mail to my home address. I was writing about conferences in a paper for grad school and then realized, I haven't heard back from TETA so if I wasn't selected, I will look silly for mentioning this! So I hopped on their website, found a list of presenters, searched for my name and voila--it was there! I am very excited.

Random Thoughts

When I was moody a few days ago, I thought of the stormcloud on MarioKart for Wii. It's the only unwanted item you can pick up and the only way to get rid of it is to run into another kart. Until you shake it off, it hovers right above your head and rains and thunders on you. For some reason, this image stuck in my mind and I pictured an animated stormcloud persisting above my head. Another random connection--on an episode of Sabrina the Teenage Witch, this literally happens to Sabrina when she is upset. At any rate, turning my moodiness into a cartoonish metaphor made me feel a little better. :)
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I went to a step class at the gym the other night. On the way there, I realized the last step class I'd taken was in Salamanca. Talk about awkward, my first time with step and it was taught in Spanish. The instructor taught and reviewed step movements but Spanish dance moves were presented as prior knowledge. I almost didn't want to go to this class so step memories could stay steeped in Spain. But how silly is that?!

While I was setting up, the instructor introduced herself to me and asked if I'd taken a step class before. I said yes, a few years ago in Spain so hopefully I'd have an easier time of it here and smiled. She explained that there are terms for step that are specific to the form but to hang in there and I'd get the hang of it. I didn't think much of this because I pride myself on catching on to footwork more easily because of my strong dance background.

Wow, was I wrong. For starters, she did double step so we all had two step benches, one in front of the other with space in between. There was lots of turning and weaving over, around, and between the two benches. I was definitely facing the wrong way a lot of the time. I didn't reach my limit, but my face turned redder than usual. Great workout, I'll be back...
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Today, I did another thesis residency and again, did not function well with little sleep. Between class periods, I went to Central Market to save myself time later. But I switched purses and had not a credit card nor cash in sight. Fail! They refrigerated it for me until I was able to come back for it.

I went to HEB seeking a specific planner that they did not have and then thought I'd surprise my roommate with food she likes. But then I left it in the car. Fail!
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The Daily Juice, this amazing health food bar, has a new location nearby! I got The Subliminator: blueberries, cherries, banana, apple juice, brown rice protein, spirulina, flax seed oil, peanut butter, and goji berries (add-in). Yum! I am growing into my "granola Austin" culture.

I am SO tired I could...

...start writing a paper in the teacher's lounge of the school I'm doing thesis work at and absentmindedly think about pressing the "save" key for my paper...except I'm writing in a notebook with a pen! Sad. Yet amusing. :)

Meanwhile, it's 62 degrees in my apartment and my heater strike is going strong--I am toughing out the cold! I am so proud.

Okay. One, it's not THAT cold, I am being a bit dramatic. And two, it's a bit ridiculous to say I'm proud of abstaining from turning on the heat. But I'll say what I want.

Yep, that's all I got. I need to get back to that paper. Um, but did I mention how clean my bedroom is getting?? I really don't want to do this paper...

Thanksgiving Break

This Thanksgiving break was my first time back home since I left in August after spending the summer at home. The weekend I had planned to come home in September was Hurricane Ike so that didn't happen. All the annual doctor's appointments I'd scheduled had to happen over Thanksgiving instead.

I packed two appointments into one day. At my regular doctor's, my appointment ended in a little room to have my blood taken. Normally, a nurse that I'm used to seeing did it in the room but now it's a woman I'd never met in this creepy small room that I shall call The Blood Room because that is its only purpose. I sat down at the awkward Blood Chair and was promptly asked to hold the phone. The Blood Lady was on the other line and wanted me to let her know if someone ever answered. I wasn't exactly thrilled about this duty but she was going to put a needle to me so whatever she said I'd do. :P So just after she has me prepped and ready, someone comes back on the line. I reluctantly told her and she started talking on the phone AND continuing with me. I'm not big on the routine blood test to begin with, but I was really not keen on her doing it on the phone, then securing the vials one-handed. I was convinced something horrible would happen. But I survived. For this, I am thankful.

Then it was off to the eye doctor to get my eye numbed up so it could be prodded for pressure check, followed by dilation to check my prescription. This time, the guy wasn't on the phone so that was a plus. Nothing else to say about the eye doctor.

The next day, I went to the dentist. The good news is no cavities! The bad news...I found out right before my appointment that the family dog Hershey Kisses was going to be put to sleep. When I came home from the appointment, she was gone.

I'd only gotten home the day before, and my parents had just had blood work done for her to see what was the matter. She'd been throwing up, losing weight, and was looking jaundiced--her belly was all yellow. I got to cuddle her that night but her eyes looked all weird and she was so lightweight. I petted her and she talked to me, little breathing noises she makes when she is uncomfortable and wants to tell me about it. She really is trying to communicate, I believe it, because I've been gone and she has to catch me up. Last time she was hurt, she did the same thing when I got home.

The next morning, I held her before my appointment. Her eyes were watery like she was crying. Can dogs cry? I'm not sure, but it was sad. When I left, I kissed her goodbye just in case.

When I got home, I found out it had been liver failure and there was nothing to be done. At least she didn't suffer. And she was 12 years old, so she'd lived a long time.

It's weird being home without a dog that you're used to. I guess I'm lucky that I wasn't home for a while so it isn't as hard for me. But the past few days, I'd keep expecting to see her from the corner of my eye on the couch or underfoot...and she simply wasn't there. I'm definitely going to miss my strange, unique little dog.

Kisses had tons of energy--Marielle and I once were bored enough to count home many times she could jump nonstop in front of the window and she exceeded 100. When she got puppy rage, she would run through the house and then throw herself, hard, against the back door while making funny dog noises. She likes to sleep in my clothes hamper and she let me dress her up in clothes. My favorite outfit for her was a Harley Davidson black jacket and matching hat. Also as a puppy, she liked to hide under beds and stick just her long nose out. If you got too close, she'd draw it under completely or play bite. When it rained outside, she liked to jump and bite at it. She was also prissy in that she wouldn't sit all the way on her butt when told to sit while she was outside. When asked to sit before eating dinner, her teeth would chatter and she's back away in nervous anticipation. She liked to go through grocery bags and when they'd get stuck on her nose it was quite funny. Once, she got an entire piece of brie from the groceries and ate it before we'd realized it. She loved cheese in general and, oddly enough, bread. If we had it close to the edge of the countertop, she'd jump up and down and stand on her hind legs to get a better view, then sit and bark at it. She was a good dog.

As it is Thanksgiving time, I reminded myself despite this sad loss that I have much to be thankful for, and that I should focus on that. I got to spend quality time with my awesome parents, celebrate my dad's and uncle's birthday, play Wii with my dad, Spades with my parents, see some friends. Good times. I also noticed the new David Sedaris book in my parents' bookshelf and snatched it up. My mom then grabbed it and tried to run it to her bedroom -it was meant to be my Chanukah present and autographed - but I was determined to claim what I'd already found. I've enjoyed reading it so far!

I enjoyed seeing family over the break. I saw my twin cousins and Jacqueline and Adam's sweet baby, Madison. Then over Thanksgiving, I played with cousins Valerie and Brent's baby, Megan, and she counted to seven by herself. She is around a year and a half. Also during Thanksgiving, I saw my uncles and aunt and more cousins. I also went out to The Woodlands to see still more cousins, two of which have a sweet six month old, Sammy, also very cute. We all played a card game I'd never played before, Golf.

Now, I'm back in Austin to finish off the semester. I'm tired, but am so close to my final semester. One shorter paper, one longer paper, thesis work and writing...and then I head to the home stretch. It's a long stretch...but I'm plodding along. :)