Dear Mom, Today I saw a cow, and I met a duck, and I made a friend.

Wednesday already! My weekend flew past without a hitch. Saturday was spent shopping with my Mother. I spent WAY more money than I intended to. But I needed some new shirts. And usually - when I need shirts, I buy pants - and vice versa. But this time, I was successful at buying only shirts. (okay - and ONE skirt, but it was only $9 and super cute, so I couldn't pass it up!) Sunday is always a lazy day, and that's how I like it. We have our read the paper and drink coffee ritual on Sundays that I wouldn't trade for a whole bushel of walnuts.

Monday I cleaned a little more. Just the kitchen - nothing major. And then Alex and I ran errands. I acquired some Lamasil AT. This might be gross - but it's my blog, so here goes... My feet have always been dry and cracked on the bottoms. Always. I can't remember when they weren't. I've tried corn huskers oil - all brands of lotions - regular pedicures... NOTHING worked. And then I saw a commercial for Lamasil. It said that cracked feet could be a form of athlete's foot - and that I should spend $12 on an insanely small tube of their product to fix it. Well - I happened to have a $3 off coupon for the stuff, and I decided to give it a try. Wouldn't you know - after 2 days of use, I already see a difference! My poor feet. They were sick, and I didn't know. After speaking with Mom about it - we deduced that I probably got athlete's foot way back in the day when I used to share a locker room with a bunch of smelly boys - and I just didn't know. YUCK!

Yesterday was Superman day. Alex and I had tickets to the 10pm premiere. We got there at about 9 - and the line was nearly out the door of the theatre. The movie was really good. Now - growing up, I really wasn't a fan of the Superman movies. Admittedly, I haven't watched them since I've been an adult, but I hesitate to do so, because I really didn't like them as a kid. But this movie was actually good. I don't know whether it was the fact that I've been subjected to such movies as Daredevil and Hellboy that made this movie so appealing. But I have to say - it was enjoyable.

Tonight - another premiere! Blade the series premieres tonight on Spike TV 9pm central I expect all of you to be watching. Why, you ask is this so important? Simply because the brother of my sweetheart is a production assistant for this show. We are very excited for Sterling, and we're really proud of him for all the hard work he's been doing. (not to mention how proud of him we are that he had the sack to move out to LA and try to make it!)

There is no new news on the Master's degree front. I guess I'll be taking some undergrad English classes coming up this fall and spring. Bastards! I am thinking that I may as well find out what more I would need to do to make it into a 2nd bachelors. Since it's still a BA (which I already have) it shoudln't be too much more. And it might help me in the future. WHO knows?

I'm excited for this weekend! Heather is coming to town - Uncle Phill is coming too. And next week - I hear that my good friend Amy Ealey will be in town, and we might even get to have lunch or something! I am also sketching together some plans to hopefully go to the Moore/Norman area in mid-July to see all of my peeps there. No big plans for the 4th. Last year we went to "Boom pond" which was a private fireworks display put on by one of my friends. We were invited to that again this year - but Alex has vetoed the idea since last year - he ended up with 40 or so mini-marshmallow sized mosquito bites. (even despite the fact that we covered ourselves in OFF before we went out there)

Oh - and I cleaned the front room, dining room, family room today. I have been a productive little thing.

mmm... I'm thinking it's shower time.

Caution: Hot beverage

I'm so bad at this doing nothing gig that I'm going to turn myself into a maid. Okay - so it might not be exactly that dramatic. Marmee offered to fire her maid and let me clean her house for the same amount of money. I decided it would at least be something. Something to do and some extra cash.

Alex and I went to Wal-Mart tonight. We planted some herbs a couple of months ago, and they needed to be repotted. Now - I've never repotted anthing. Frankly, I've never even potted anything for the first time. But my moneymaker tomatoes seem to be thriving. Or - they WERE before I repotted them. Don't tell anyone - but I am not even sure what a "moneymaker" tomato is.

And that was our big Friday night. To be fair - we did go on a mini double date with Marmee and Rico. We had a nice dinner at Outback steakhouse.

Now - after flexing my green thumb, I am here on my sofa watching re-runs of Sex and the City and Will & Grace. At least I wasn't a total slug today, though. I cleaned all three of our bathrooms today. I'm hoping that I will dust and vaccum tomorrow. Then maybe Sunday I will mop the kitchen floor and FINALLY get my office all set up.

Okay.... Resuming slackery.

Don't mention it

Hi guys.

Just a hot and muggy Thursday here in la la land. My brain is slowly oozing out of my ears. I have nothing to occupy it with. I am short 150 kids, and my sanity.

Did I tell you that this year is my ten year high school reunion? Yep. And for those of you who haven't yet experienced this rite of passage - let me give you a heads up... You have to pay to attend. Now, I'm not an idiot... Really. I figured, you know, $35 bucks tops. I didn't guess it would be... $150 for the weekend. That's right. One hundred and fifty dollars. Are they insane!?!?!?!

In other news, I'm so bored I considered cleaning my neighbors' (whom I've never met) houses for free. >somebody save me<

I find it interesting that just as being really busy is a non-motivator to be productive, so is being really not busy. I was such a vegged out slug yesterday, that I actually felt like I was getting sick. I wasn't, of course, but I really thought I must be. I even took my temperature.

It's about to rain here, and the biggest most exciting part of my day (going to the grocery store) is about to get rained out. Guess I should go clean a bathroom, or finish unpacking my office.

In an era of male dominance, violence and conflict, she becomes known as "River Queen", generously helping others. Including some who want to kill her

Good Sunday evening, readers!

I hope everyone had a nice Father's Day. Mine was celebrated last night with my Dad. He invited me to go to his church with him for a special Father's Day service. So - today was a lazy day. I tried out a new recipe (parmesan crusted chicken cutlets) out of a Real Simple magazine. It was super yummy and way easy!

Now - Alex is off in his office, and I am here at my laptop. I've been working on getting my home office out of chaotic state in which it's been living... But it's turned out to be bigger than a one-afternoon project. I've got a couple of bookshelves to put in there that will hopefully help. SO MUCH JUNK! And to think - I got rid of a bunch of junk before we moved here!

Alex and I had a movie weekend. On Friday - we went to see Nacho Libre. It was ok. Not the best Jack Black movie - but entertaining. Then, yesterday - we saw District B13. If you have a theatre that shows independent films - go as soon as possible to see this movie. It had some great action in it - and an interesting plot. *warning* the movie is in French with English subtitles. But it is way worth it. You get to see really neat examples of "parkour" which is the art of constant motion. Think Matrix but real.

The summer is starting to speed by too quickly. Before I know it - July will be here and gone.

2am musings

I think my brain has become too idle. Not that my class is overwhelmingly easy. But - my brain and my body became used to the frenzy that is being a teacher. And now, I have free time. So much so that it has zapped my focus for anything AT ALL, and has since made it impossible for me to sleep tonight. So, Alex is in bed. Slumbering blissfully. And I have returned to the dining room and my laptop.

*sigh*

Nothing is "wrong" perse. I'm just... God! I can't even think of a word to describe how I'm feeling. Just not at home with myself these days. I have doubt infesting my brain like a mossy parasite. I doubt everything right now. And I know it is this setback with my Masters that has me so self-conscious. On one hand, it's sad to know that something over which I have zero control can affect my mood in such a way. And on the other hand - it really shows that getting this masters and subsequent PhD is really important to me. Enough so that I am completely frustrated with any and all bumps in the road to getting those things.

When I start to feel all spastic and out of control, my mind always takes me back to college. The days when I was so surrounded by friends that I could barely take a dump without someone else in the room. I know that I must have been longing for some alone time then. Now - I long for some non-alone time. Not that I'm alone. I'm not. I have Alex. But it is one thing to have a boyfriend, and quite another to have a friend. And I have friends. I have Angie and Phill and Crumpets and Laura and Tiffany and Sarah etc... But I don't have a single one of them here. Which is I guess what happens after college. We move on. But don't we get other friends once we've moved on? Don't we have work friends and neighbors? At very least school friends. I had a couple of school friends when I was getting my teaching certification. But our lives kept us from making those friendships into lasting ones.

I have a million things I could be doing right now, reader. I could be planning for the school year, reading for my class, finally setting up my office, hell - I could even be watching TV - but the truth is that none of that places even a distant second to sitting right here at my laptop letting you in on all that is running through my mind.

I hope it hasn't been altogether unpleasant for you.

Elvis sightings

I am sitting at my table with a yummy fresh cup of coffee ready to take on the world this morning. I don't have class until 430, and I've already finished my novel for this week. Actually - it was pretty good.

In store for me this week, aside from class, I'll be seeing The Lion King! I'm really excited about that! Otherwise, not a whole lot going on.

Special shout out to my cousins Michael and Cathy, whose birthdays are today and tomorrow respectively. :) Have a good one, guys!

Funny. One part of me is wishing away summer and its heat. Another part of me wants it to last forever! The staying up late playing Nintendo with Alex, the sleeping in til whenever. I just need to add in some sugary cereal, cartoons, and summer camp - and it's just like being a kid again! :) (you know, minus the grad school)

My time is much more free now that I'm not working on a thesis. Although I'll be 57 years old by the time I get my masters... But oh well. At least I'll get the one I actually need. The thought briefly crossed my mind to go ahead and get the MS degree, and THEN get the MA. It would probably take the same amount of time. But who needs to go through the thesis writing process twice, I ask you?

Marmee and I had a girls' day yesterday. We got pedicures (mine was courtesy of my Aunt Donna!) and then we saw "The Break-up". It was fun to just hang out and be girls. The movie was different from what I was expecting... But good nonetheless. All though since it was set in Chicago, it really made me crave a good visit to the windy city. It has been nearly 2 years since my last visit. I'd really love to stay downtown in a fancy hotel for at least a couple nights. And then, of course - stay with my family.

All right - I'm out...

You came back to haunt me and I realised That you were an island, and I passed you by

Underachiever's Love Song

I'm bored. I can't think of anything good to do. I baked. I made up a hybrid recipe. All though I'm sure it's not my own original recipe... But I made a yellow-butter cake with a pecan coffee cake crumbly top. In 34-38 minutes - we'll see if that worked out.

Should be reading. For those of you keeping up at home - this week is Northanger Abbey by Jane Austen. Read along!

ugh!

I'm out.

Get a circus makeover!

I'm back from North Carolina. It was a great trip. It was so nice to see my family. The graduation itself was so fun. That's right - I said a graduation ceremony was "fun". The North Carolina School of the Arts does things a little (okay, a lot) differently than other high schools. First - the students do not wear the traditional cap and gown. They wear whatever they choose. I have to say I liked the fact that they could express who they are through their clothes. Nick (my cousin) wore a cap and gown. He was the only one. Much like a college graduation, they graduated in groups divided up by schools. The school of dance, visual arts, music... Nick was in the school of drama. They were the most entertaining to watch. One guy walked across the stage to accept his diploma on stilts. One rode a unicycle. One, wearing a pimp suit and carrying a cane, stopped in the middle of the stage and in his best projecting voice said, "Ladies and gentlemen, I am about to be graduated." the place went up in laughter and applause. Nick, whose last name begins with a Z, was the last in his school to go across. They called out his name, and faintly in the background "Chariots of Fire" began to play. Nick ran across the stage IN SUPER SLOW MOTION. He slow-motion mouthed "thank you" to the chancellor as he received his diploma. Then to the front of the stage. Still in slow-mo, he unzipped his gown. (Side note - you couldn't tell whether he had clothes on or not underneath the gown, so as he reached for his zipper... he heard someone behind him say "oh, god") He tore off his gown, swung it around over his head, and threw it into the audience. Then, on to his drama teacher who he proceeded to pick up and carry off the stage. I know I'm biased. He is, afterall my baby cousin, and as dear to me as a brother... But Nick stole the show!! It was then that I realized - out of the millions of people who want to be stars - Nick already is one. So many many people want to go to LA and "make it". Nick will have no trouble.

On to me... I started summer school on Monday. I'm taking a class called "History of the Novel". In 8 weeks - we will be reading 7 novels. I finished the first one last night as I have a quiz over it today. Also - I did find out for sure that I am having to change my Masters from an MS in College Teaching to an MA in English. Turns out that if I want to get the PhD in English - I at very least have to have the MA in English. Needless to say - I am frustrated. I was 12 hours in. Would have been 18 hours in with a thesis done by the end of this summer. Now - at the end of this summer - I'll be 6 hours in, and maybe I'll be fully accepted in to the MA English program. But that's a pretty big maybe. Turns out - I have to have 30 hours of undergrad English to be accepted. I have 24. An undeclared minor. Why, you ask, do I have to have 30 hours of undergrad English? I have NO IDEA. I've already requested a meeting with my new advisor to discuss what hell he's planning on putting me through. I'm really frustrated that I was recruited for this MS program. I have never been unclear about my future goals. Masters, PhD, professor of English. I should never have been in the MS program. I should never have been recruited.

But what's done is done. It is going to take me a LOT longer to finish my masters now. Especially if I have to take 6 more hours of undergrad. Alex and Marmee both pointed out the fact that that time will pass whether I get my masters or not. True. But I'd rather get this damn thing out of the way!!

The heat of summer is upon us. 90 degree weather - and hotter. YUCK!

This is me - signing off, and thinking cool thoughts - until we meet again.

Nick Graduates!

Nick Graduates!,
originally uploaded by amberqt.

You might have to click on this to see it best. But here is Nick - tearing across the stage in super slow-motion to accept his diploma. Funny stuff.