Oh Happy Day!

I had my first interview today.  And I'm still buzzing on the high of loving what I'm doing.  I'm SO energized by the issues and people surrounding nutrition education (and I'm SUCH a dork).  And it didn't help that I was outside doing a lot of walking on this gorgeous day.

So, I'm thrilled.  :)

Well, maybe just very happy...I still have a paper to finish before class tonight.  :p

Vicious Cycle

I know that all I do is bitch about my thesis.  And I really should just suck it up.  I did do this to myself, after all (on so many levels).  And I will not revert to bitching about my final semester of grad school and the amount of loathing I hold in my heart for group projects, group papers, and professors who assign both.  (Or, just consider that my rant.)

But I feel like I'm in a never-ending cycle of "God, help me make it through this" to "I quit" to "Light, I see light!" to "I LOOOOVE public health and I really do love what I'm doing" back to "God, help!"   I don't know anyone who doesn't feel this way through school, at least at some point.  And, as a friend (and coincidentally, a group project member) said, "no one is so tragically unique!  We are all under the gun with so much on our plate."  Isn't that the truth?!?

So, I'm trying to keep in mind that I'm not tragically unique and that, either way, God will help me through it all.  Ridiculous professors, endless papers, exams and all the other things I haven't even thought of.  And somewhere, at some time, the vicious cycle will end.  And it will be a little bittersweet because I've been doing this for a solid 12 years now (K-8 don't count, those were the days!) -- with a nice little 2.5 year break before this last round.

And of course, I'm sure I'll throw myself (or be thrown) into another cycle.  Maybe one not so vicious, or maybe one a whole heck of a lot more vicious.  Either way, I'm going to try and keep in mind that it's these crazy circles that make life worth living.  That and really good cake.  :)

And now, just because you stuck out this whole totally boring post, a picture.

In the name of public health and all things humorous in the world:

Taken on a little break from the vicious cycle, on our cruise back in May to the Caribbean with these crazies.  Friends like these also make life worth living.  :)

Light? Is that Light?

At the end of the tunnel, you say?  Well, let's not put the cart before the horse people.

I FINALLY FINALLY FINALLY got approval from the Institutional Review Board for my thesis project which means I can begin contacting interviewees.  Thank you sweet baby Jesus in a tuxedo shirt!  I thought this day would never come.  But now that it has, I just want it all done without the work that needs to happen in between.  Too bad that's not a possibility.

In reality, the only other big things on my plate right now (since I just emailed edits for a group paper due tomorrow) are my weekly 2-3 page papers for Management.  And a few things that I'm just going to put off until the end of the semester, you know like the 20 pager.  SO!  That means emails and phone calls and interviews...all over DC...OH MY!

Wish me luck.



Or bring me a drink.

Shout Out to My SEEEEEEEEESTER

Maaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaara!!! I'm so excited to see you this weekend!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Love you like woah, and like the sister I never had, and like chocolate cake.  The chocolate cake from the Trellis.  With whipped cream and some raspberries.  And a side of macaroni and cheese.

Girl.  That's A LOT.  :)

Wedding Joy!

I mentioned last week that I was heading to a wedding on 10-10-10.  It was so lovely.  :)  Most of the llamas were there and we helped set up the reception hall/ran bride errands/generally lent our man hands.  This was also the first wedding that Hubster and I have both attended in...um...ages.  I think since last May (like 2009).  And we (read: I) have been to a lot of weddings these last two years.  So, it was extra special to hear wedding vows again with him by my side.

Alright, without further ado, pictures!!

The night before, after the rehearsal dinner.  Llama men (alpacas??) were in attendance.  David seems less than thrilled, but he really did have a good time.  Or so I told him.  :)

Di, Merah da Bride!, Liz and Katie.  

Laurel, trying to move in on Keith's bride.  Too bad they are both (now) married!

I was SUUUUUPPPPER excited to help set up.  !!  It was a ton of fun and a tradition that I wish had started before my wedding...c'est la vie and looking forward to putting my wedding skilllllz to work at the next llama wedding.  

Love love love. Prom style. Love.

I'm pretty sure that we wore these exact same outfits to Kiki's nuptials last October.  Ah, and I realized that was the last wedding we were together for.  But Hubster was post call and only present physically.

Wuv.  Twu Wuv.  And just a year after their own wedding!

What what what?!

See, we're really professionals.  That and Merah is a srrrrrrrious planner and had everything mapped out.

First dance as Mr. and Mrs.!!!  Isn't she GORGEOUS?!?!!!

Although Papa is blurry in this one, I love the look on our beautiful bride's face.  She smiled all night.  

Taaaaable 1!

Having a ball.  Or scrunching our necks into really odd positions (me).  Or just looking confused and anxious (Kel)...

So, all in all, an amazing wedding and a fantastic weekend.  It was great to see my girls and as always great to see the beginning of a blessed union!

Oh, and as I was uploading these photos, I found pic from Justin's wedding (when I was the best lady, back in July).  Those will be coming to a blog near you...probably this one...soon.  :)

Ciao!

Wedding Weekend

This beautiful lady is getting married this weekend!!!!!  Hooray to the almost-new-Mrs.!

And I get to see all of these wonderful ladies!  Gah!  Woot!  And half of them are currently sleeping in my house!  Even better!  :)

I've got the best friends a girl could ask for!

And I'll remember to take my camera with me to all the festivities.  Promise.  

The Beasts Within

What do you see when you look at these faces?

Innocence?  Playfulness?

Happiness?  Companionship?

Ha!

I see beasts.  BEASTS!  The most merciless crazy beasts on the planet.  

These two are pretty well trained.  They know the commands Sit, Stay, Come, Leave It (um...mostly), Wait, and a few others I can't remember right now.  

But do you know what they SUCK at?  Walking.  Specifically walking on leash together; they become Alaskan sled dog beasts.  Plus, in a few years when there's also a stroller in this crazy mix, I'm going to end up loosing a child (either 2-legged or 4-legged) every time we go out to pee.

Which means that we've had to revert to super basic leash training, separately.  So I'm spending an inordinate amount of time each day taking 17,432 walks (times 2).  I know that being a puppy parent, I've decided to spend the time for their sake.  But I expected to take them for walks 2 at a time.  

Yesterday, I let Hubster know that we have 3 options...  

1) Get rid of one or both dogs.  Fear not Mom and Aunty Mara, we're not doing this.  But I threatened the children, OH how I threatened.

2) Move to a house with a large enclosed yard.  Buy lawn mower, leaf blower, weed-eater, etc. to take care of said yard.  Not to mention move again within 6 months and deal with finances.  Clearly this was also not an option.

3) Get an in-home training consultation.   

So, #3 it is.  I'll let you know how it goes.  And then you can offer to dog-sit any time you want.  :)

And for the record, I do love these crazy mutts.  Which is why we're not getting rid of them.  Yet.

Woah Woah the Metro...

Before I go any further about public transport, I should say that, without question, I would move away from DC in a heartbeat if that were a possibility.  Unfortunately (or fortunately, I believe there's a reason for everything), leaving DC would mean either serious military repercussions or leaving Hubster.  So, um, no.

Living in the happening metropolitan area that is our nation's capital, I use WMATA almost daily. Usually, I bus to the red line and go in from there.  I can also say that there's usually a delay of some sort or another.  Over the last two weeks, I have been stranded on a train between stations for a half hour, off-loaded because of a tourist taking a photo of the train, and evacuated because my train car was on fire.  Like black smoke pouring from under the train approximately 6 inches behind where I was sitting.  JOY.

Not to mention the other people.  Tourists aren't always the best, but I can handle them any day.  I cannot handle the "young professional woman" sitting beside me smacking her gum to high heaven.  Or the man falling asleep ON ME.  Oh, or the guy who keeps swinging his bags into my face and elbowing me.  But my real favorites are the booger pickers and iPod blasters.  Best when it's the same person.

Some days I feel my metro ride is God's way of testing and strengthening my patience.  Some days I just want to throw people off the train.  Some days it's both.

Yesterday was a really good transport day.  They do happen occasionally.  :)

There is this trio of a cappella singers that travel around to different stations and sing.  They sing mostly 50's songs, the type that we used to play when I worked at a soda fountain and ice cream shop.  The kind that make me smile, even at the end of a rough day.

So, it's not all bad.  

Plus, at least it's not driving in this city.  Now THAT is a horrid experience.  And there are never 3 guys in my car singing to me.

I'll remember that when I head in this evening.

Day Ten: One Confession

Clearly I'm late with this final "Days" entry.

So, here it is.  Day 10: One Confession.

I'm obsessed with my vacuum.  It's a disease.  And it's due, at least in part, to the fact that I have 2 black-haired mutts.  If you had this much dog hair floating around your house, you'd be obsessed with your vacuum too!

I'm actually  having a hard time right now deciding if I should wash the filters (you're supposed to do this monthly and it's on my first of the month check-list along with other oh-so-exciting things like dog's heart-worm meds and sharpening knives...I'm SO COOL).

If I wash the filters now, I won't be able to use the vacuum for at least 24 hours while they dry. Um, did I really just lament not being able to vacuum for 24 hours?!?!


I told you it's a sickness.