Annnnnd we're back.
Happy post-Thanksgiving, everyone! Hope you're all ready for the Christmas countdown! I would be if I actually had a flight booked back home and all my gifts bought. But alas, those things will eventually happen.
I had a great time back home visiting family and friends... I was able to spend a night in Boston when I first arrived, about a week in Maine, and then another night in Boston before we flew back yesterday. It was hard to find time to do everything and see everyone I wanted to see, but luckily in three weeks I'll be back for round two :)
A few highlights of the week: 1) The loud, chaotic environment of the Buckley household. I never tire of it. Even when the dog is barking and everyone is talking over each other. It just feels like a whole lotta love. 2) Being able to relax and see friends with whom I share a history and do not need to explain things to. No awkward "getting to know you" conversations. Just cozy comfort. 3) Nights out in the Old Port where Christmas lights are strewn everywhere, guitarists play barefoot covers of "Walking on Sunshine," and you attempt to run into some people from high school while desperately avoiding others. 4) DDing for Kristen's friends who never cease to entertain me. 5) Walking on the beach. 6) LL Bean adventures. 7) Incredible Thanksgiving Dinner where you have to unbutton your pants to breathe after.
So that about sums up my week... hope you all had similar ones!
Had a little trouble getting back on the plane to Indy, I will be honest. I didn't mean to, I tried my hardest to keep a stiff upper lip. But it absolutely did not work and try as I might, Chris knew my "I think I just have a little cold or some allergies" was total crap. I was OK after awhile but I would say that my feeling when I went to bed last night was not sad or happy or any other emotion. It was just exhaustion and complacency. Does that even make sense? I think, actually, a lot of the people I have met here would understand. This is very much the kind of place where people grow up, go to college, and stay put. I haven't met many people here so far who are from someplace else. Or if they are, it's from the next state over. I wish I felt more adventurous. I wish people didn't meet me and assume that because I was a Spanish major and studied abroad that I can pack up and go anywhere in the world. I feel bad when I think that maybe I've represented myself incorrectly. Or maybe it's just easier to drink wine with friends in the comfort of your home and discuss all the adventures you want out of life. The world always feels like your oyster with close friends and family by your side. It feels a lot different when they're not.
My goal for this week is to put my best foot forward. To not let the stress of what's going inside my mind affect how I come across as a person. Because to be honest, I feel like the midwest has not gotten the best of me. And that makes me a little sad because it's not the way I roll. I am going to try to my hardest to regain a feeling of control this week and focus on preparing for finals, getting more applications out, and decorating for Christmas somewhere in between.
Part of me wants to erase everything I just wrote and write some little essay about how well-adjusted and non self-focused I am right now, but that would be a big fat lie and probably boring. So I'm going to maintain my integrity as a writer and post this right now.
Lots of love :)
Tuesday, November 30, 2010
Monday, November 22, 2010
Home Sweet Home :)
It's Monday, November 22nd and I am sitting in my living room in Scarborough, Maine. I can't begin to describe how awesome that feels. Dad stayed home for awhile this morning so we could have coffee together and catch up. And now little Noelle is running around with her toy hedgehog and barking up a storm. Ahhh, home. Some things never change.
I am very fortunate in that I have 10 days in New England (well, Massachusetts and Maine) for this Thanksgiving break. The family I nanny for went away for the week so I didn't have to work and the one benefit to online class is that you can do it anywhere.
To recap, Friday night I flew into Manchester. The 11 Clar girls (with its newest member, Melissa) picked me up at the airport and basically tackle-hugged. It was the best! We got back to my old apartment and immediately found our respective spots around the living room with a bottle of red wine and some warm puffs. We discussed the rat situation in the basement, talked about how to fix the heat, and I was able to successfully remove a splinter from Kristi's finger. The thing I love about that apartment is that it is the epitome of what life right after college should be. It's old, the heating system is temperamental, the decor is a hodgepodge of color and style, and the faces inside are full of smiles and hard work. After hours of talking and laughing, we ordered crab rangoons from Kee Kar Lau (my all time favorite Chinese restaurant in Somerville). It was heavenly.
Kel and I bunked together in her room upstairs and laughed while the squirrels on the roof ran back and forth and caused a ruckus. When we woke up in the morning, everyone else barged into the room and soon there were 5 bodies on one bed (family style) chatting and laughing. We had a big breakfast with awesome music playing and then sang along while Kristi showed us her mad skill on her new keyboard. After, we got started on our Pranksgiving Day prep. We stuffed the turkey, let it cook for a few hours and simultaneously whipped up mashed potatoes, butternut squash, rolls, stuffing, green beans, cranberry sauce and these incredible pecan pie cookies. It was fun to have everyone's input flying based on how things were done when they were growing up. And it also made me excited to think that I'm now at the point where I know how to make a Thanksgiving dinner! Never thought it would be possible... The whole house smelled delicious and when everything was done we lit some candles, put on some good tunes and ate til we couldn't eat anymore. Then we read from our thankful box which is basically a compilation of everyone's thoughts on what they are thankful for this year. It's always a bit of a tearjerker but feels so great to remember all the blessings that we have and be grateful for them. Miss Meliss gave us all a picture she printed out from last Pranksgiving as a gift, we took a few more to document this year's, and then Kel and Meliss drove me home to Maine.
Whew! Hard to leave those ladies... but then of course, I walked into my house and the chaos and laughter ensued! We were immediately talking and hugging and storytelling over one another while the dog raced around and jumped and barked, praying for more attention. I ended up snuggled in between my parents watching TV at the end of the night and my dad laughed at the fact that I'm still a little kid and always will be. He is 100% correct. And I'm sure Chris is laughing reading this as I do the same thing to him. No matter where we are sitting or what we are doing, I have to be smack in the middle and end up crunching him into the side of the couch, etc.
Now I am hanging out in my pjs, watching the today show with Noelle asleep snuggled next to my leg. I am trying to decide what to do for the day while everyone else is at work and school. Maybe take the dog for a run on the beach, maybe some time downtown in Portland... possibly some Christmas shopping??? Oooo and a movie with popcorn, my favorite solo event. It is so November here- the sky is gray, the leaves are all over the place and it is COLD. I love it :)
Not to continue to ramble because there are plenty of things to do today to make the most of this time, but this year has gotten me to thinking about the definition of home. Most people say home is where the heart is... well, what if your heart is in 3 or 4 different places? I spent my first seven years in Portland living with my grandparents, the next 11 years in Scarborough at my house, 4 years in Waterville at college, 2 years in Boston with 4 of my favorite people of all time (plus a scattering of Colby friends -lucky me!) and now find myself in Indiana with the love of my life and a childhood best friend. So it's hard to say where my heart is because pieces of it are scattered all over the place. That makes every departure and every return somewhat bittersweet, but I'm going to start thinking of it as a blessing instead. Because how cool is it that there are so many homes I can always go back to? To visit, to get a great hug, to relive memories pertinent to that place, and to laugh until my belly hurts? Not everyone is so lucky. There is so much love from every corner of the country (and even some other parts of the world) that you can never feel too alone. I like that :)
If I don't write before, have a Happy Thanksgiving! Count your blessings, eat lots, and make plenty of time for family and friends.
XOXO
I am very fortunate in that I have 10 days in New England (well, Massachusetts and Maine) for this Thanksgiving break. The family I nanny for went away for the week so I didn't have to work and the one benefit to online class is that you can do it anywhere.
To recap, Friday night I flew into Manchester. The 11 Clar girls (with its newest member, Melissa) picked me up at the airport and basically tackle-hugged. It was the best! We got back to my old apartment and immediately found our respective spots around the living room with a bottle of red wine and some warm puffs. We discussed the rat situation in the basement, talked about how to fix the heat, and I was able to successfully remove a splinter from Kristi's finger. The thing I love about that apartment is that it is the epitome of what life right after college should be. It's old, the heating system is temperamental, the decor is a hodgepodge of color and style, and the faces inside are full of smiles and hard work. After hours of talking and laughing, we ordered crab rangoons from Kee Kar Lau (my all time favorite Chinese restaurant in Somerville). It was heavenly.
Kel and I bunked together in her room upstairs and laughed while the squirrels on the roof ran back and forth and caused a ruckus. When we woke up in the morning, everyone else barged into the room and soon there were 5 bodies on one bed (family style) chatting and laughing. We had a big breakfast with awesome music playing and then sang along while Kristi showed us her mad skill on her new keyboard. After, we got started on our Pranksgiving Day prep. We stuffed the turkey, let it cook for a few hours and simultaneously whipped up mashed potatoes, butternut squash, rolls, stuffing, green beans, cranberry sauce and these incredible pecan pie cookies. It was fun to have everyone's input flying based on how things were done when they were growing up. And it also made me excited to think that I'm now at the point where I know how to make a Thanksgiving dinner! Never thought it would be possible... The whole house smelled delicious and when everything was done we lit some candles, put on some good tunes and ate til we couldn't eat anymore. Then we read from our thankful box which is basically a compilation of everyone's thoughts on what they are thankful for this year. It's always a bit of a tearjerker but feels so great to remember all the blessings that we have and be grateful for them. Miss Meliss gave us all a picture she printed out from last Pranksgiving as a gift, we took a few more to document this year's, and then Kel and Meliss drove me home to Maine.
Whew! Hard to leave those ladies... but then of course, I walked into my house and the chaos and laughter ensued! We were immediately talking and hugging and storytelling over one another while the dog raced around and jumped and barked, praying for more attention. I ended up snuggled in between my parents watching TV at the end of the night and my dad laughed at the fact that I'm still a little kid and always will be. He is 100% correct. And I'm sure Chris is laughing reading this as I do the same thing to him. No matter where we are sitting or what we are doing, I have to be smack in the middle and end up crunching him into the side of the couch, etc.
Now I am hanging out in my pjs, watching the today show with Noelle asleep snuggled next to my leg. I am trying to decide what to do for the day while everyone else is at work and school. Maybe take the dog for a run on the beach, maybe some time downtown in Portland... possibly some Christmas shopping??? Oooo and a movie with popcorn, my favorite solo event. It is so November here- the sky is gray, the leaves are all over the place and it is COLD. I love it :)
Not to continue to ramble because there are plenty of things to do today to make the most of this time, but this year has gotten me to thinking about the definition of home. Most people say home is where the heart is... well, what if your heart is in 3 or 4 different places? I spent my first seven years in Portland living with my grandparents, the next 11 years in Scarborough at my house, 4 years in Waterville at college, 2 years in Boston with 4 of my favorite people of all time (plus a scattering of Colby friends -lucky me!) and now find myself in Indiana with the love of my life and a childhood best friend. So it's hard to say where my heart is because pieces of it are scattered all over the place. That makes every departure and every return somewhat bittersweet, but I'm going to start thinking of it as a blessing instead. Because how cool is it that there are so many homes I can always go back to? To visit, to get a great hug, to relive memories pertinent to that place, and to laugh until my belly hurts? Not everyone is so lucky. There is so much love from every corner of the country (and even some other parts of the world) that you can never feel too alone. I like that :)
If I don't write before, have a Happy Thanksgiving! Count your blessings, eat lots, and make plenty of time for family and friends.
XOXO
Wednesday, November 17, 2010
Holiday Season, End of Semester, Holy Macaroni?
Somehow (don't ask me how) it is November 17th already. And per the reminder of my friend who informed me I did NOT blog on Monday like I was supposed to, I am here today to catch up.
Life has been a little crazy (in a good way) since I last wrote. The impending end of semester and start of Thanksgiving/Christmas "race" is here. I can't say I'm not delighted- I love the adrenaline rush of somehow trying to get everything done. It's a little weird, but it just makes me feel really alive and active. BUT- I'm trying to remember (like I do every year) to simultaneously appreciate the little moments of the holiday season. To take time to stop and just be happy and have some hot chocolate... or to plan some fun holiday crafts/baking activities with the kids I nanny.
Before I go any further, here is your midwest weekend recap:
1. Friday night was ladies night... need I say more? Mer, Sara, Katie and I went downtown for sushi and drinks, did a little bar hopping, and stayed at the Hilton downtown (at an awesome discounted rate of $40. YES!) It was so much fun to have a girls' night and be out on the town, all dolled up (when you spend most of your days in jeans and a sweatshirt, with kids with drippy noses and food-filled fingers, it's always nice to find time to shower, smell good, and I don't know, wear heels?). We didn't end up asleep til 4 am (this is absurd for me, ps... I am not a night owl). Andddd it was just fabulous. Done and done.
2. Saturday I sped back to our neck of the woods for a guitar lesson (which went well... and this coming week I get to start picking a song to learn! WOOHOO!) and then met Chris for the Butler game. I got in trouble for wearing my Colby sweatshirt to a Butler game, but I argued that the school colors were the same so no one would know. They won and even in my somewhat comatose state, it was fun. After the game, I went to Starbucks to finish my stats assignment and then babysat til ten. When I get home, Chris was already asleep on the futon and I was asleep about three seconds later.
3. Sunday Chris had to work so I did some more homework/studying, went to church, and then headed to Lowes for some potting soil. I was so hoping to plant my herbs but when I got home, could not find the seeds anywhere. Not the best time of the year to have to go out and buy these things since everyone looks at you like you're nuts when you ask where to find stuff to plant. Once I had given up the search, I listened to the new Sara Bareilles CD "Kaleidoscope Heart," searched to no avail for tickets to one of her shows, then watched TV for a bit with Chris (he was home at this point). I started to feel stir crazy around 5:30 or 6 so went for a nice long walk to recharge then came home to make dinner. We made Tikka Masala pizza (soooooo good!) and watched Meet the Parents and Meet the Fockers. We both agreed that it was nice that our parents were not crazy and intimidating to our signifcant others, haha. Quite the contrary actually! :) Lucky us!
And that's the recap of the weekend.... now the week has been NUTSO!
Monday morning, I met with the woman who hired me on as a freelance Spanish interpreter, went to Lowes to get parts to fix the broken faucet lever in the kitchen (ahem...apparently my boyfriend has superhuman strength. Kidding, it was already loose when he went to use it) and studied/did work for a few hours. Then I worked from 2-10 and Chris worked til 10 as well. We pretty much crashed after that.
Yesterday, I was up early studying when I got a call from the interpreting company that they needed someone for a case at 11. So I threw on some clothes, got my stuff together and went to the site. It was great to be speaking Spanish and feeling challenged in that way again. After I finished, I studied for awhile longer, babysat til 6, then went to my first of two client casework trainings at Red Cross. I'm definitely excited to be volunteering with them and am so close to being done with training!
The rest of the week is a bit nutty work/training/school wise because morning nanny Heather is on her honeymoon and there is also a sheep brain dissection involved with lab this week (YES! Finally! Gotta get rid of some of these "lab parts" which are currently hanging out in the closet).
BUT- tonight is date night! It's the only night of the week Chris and I are both home before ten so we are going to go out and do something fun. Can't wait :)
Saturday I leave for Maine/Boston and am sooo pumped for Pranskgiving w/11 Clar and time with family and friends. It's been WAY too long!!!!!!!!! Chris flies out on Thanksgiving day and I have grand plans of a trip to LL Bean, tree lighting in Portland and some rendez-vousing in Boston.. Plus, I think I finally have some Christmas present ideas worked out and am super excited to get started with some shopping/prep.
Ok, I will leave you with a few thoughts/quotes:
1) "Mariah, is that word you just used something that your people in Maine say?" (Please insert here that word I used was "content.") -4 year old
"No, actually that is word people who speak English say... my people don't speak any differently than your people."
"Ohh... it just sounded wicked funny." (Yup. She's using wicked now. Uh oh).
2) 4 year old again, while brushing teeth: "Mariah, when people have babies, how does the information from the husband get to the wife?" I let this one slide. And said something about how chickens hatch eggs. Or something.
3) Listen to 99.5 for the Make-A-Wish Radio-A-Thon here in Indy tomorrow!!!!!!!!! Request a song in exchange for a donation and help make kids' wishes come true.
That's all for now... much love on a sunny Fall day :)
XOXO
Life has been a little crazy (in a good way) since I last wrote. The impending end of semester and start of Thanksgiving/Christmas "race" is here. I can't say I'm not delighted- I love the adrenaline rush of somehow trying to get everything done. It's a little weird, but it just makes me feel really alive and active. BUT- I'm trying to remember (like I do every year) to simultaneously appreciate the little moments of the holiday season. To take time to stop and just be happy and have some hot chocolate... or to plan some fun holiday crafts/baking activities with the kids I nanny.
Before I go any further, here is your midwest weekend recap:
1. Friday night was ladies night... need I say more? Mer, Sara, Katie and I went downtown for sushi and drinks, did a little bar hopping, and stayed at the Hilton downtown (at an awesome discounted rate of $40. YES!) It was so much fun to have a girls' night and be out on the town, all dolled up (when you spend most of your days in jeans and a sweatshirt, with kids with drippy noses and food-filled fingers, it's always nice to find time to shower, smell good, and I don't know, wear heels?). We didn't end up asleep til 4 am (this is absurd for me, ps... I am not a night owl). Andddd it was just fabulous. Done and done.
2. Saturday I sped back to our neck of the woods for a guitar lesson (which went well... and this coming week I get to start picking a song to learn! WOOHOO!) and then met Chris for the Butler game. I got in trouble for wearing my Colby sweatshirt to a Butler game, but I argued that the school colors were the same so no one would know. They won and even in my somewhat comatose state, it was fun. After the game, I went to Starbucks to finish my stats assignment and then babysat til ten. When I get home, Chris was already asleep on the futon and I was asleep about three seconds later.
3. Sunday Chris had to work so I did some more homework/studying, went to church, and then headed to Lowes for some potting soil. I was so hoping to plant my herbs but when I got home, could not find the seeds anywhere. Not the best time of the year to have to go out and buy these things since everyone looks at you like you're nuts when you ask where to find stuff to plant. Once I had given up the search, I listened to the new Sara Bareilles CD "Kaleidoscope Heart," searched to no avail for tickets to one of her shows, then watched TV for a bit with Chris (he was home at this point). I started to feel stir crazy around 5:30 or 6 so went for a nice long walk to recharge then came home to make dinner. We made Tikka Masala pizza (soooooo good!) and watched Meet the Parents and Meet the Fockers. We both agreed that it was nice that our parents were not crazy and intimidating to our signifcant others, haha. Quite the contrary actually! :) Lucky us!
And that's the recap of the weekend.... now the week has been NUTSO!
Monday morning, I met with the woman who hired me on as a freelance Spanish interpreter, went to Lowes to get parts to fix the broken faucet lever in the kitchen (ahem...apparently my boyfriend has superhuman strength. Kidding, it was already loose when he went to use it) and studied/did work for a few hours. Then I worked from 2-10 and Chris worked til 10 as well. We pretty much crashed after that.
Yesterday, I was up early studying when I got a call from the interpreting company that they needed someone for a case at 11. So I threw on some clothes, got my stuff together and went to the site. It was great to be speaking Spanish and feeling challenged in that way again. After I finished, I studied for awhile longer, babysat til 6, then went to my first of two client casework trainings at Red Cross. I'm definitely excited to be volunteering with them and am so close to being done with training!
The rest of the week is a bit nutty work/training/school wise because morning nanny Heather is on her honeymoon and there is also a sheep brain dissection involved with lab this week (YES! Finally! Gotta get rid of some of these "lab parts" which are currently hanging out in the closet).
BUT- tonight is date night! It's the only night of the week Chris and I are both home before ten so we are going to go out and do something fun. Can't wait :)
Saturday I leave for Maine/Boston and am sooo pumped for Pranskgiving w/11 Clar and time with family and friends. It's been WAY too long!!!!!!!!! Chris flies out on Thanksgiving day and I have grand plans of a trip to LL Bean, tree lighting in Portland and some rendez-vousing in Boston.. Plus, I think I finally have some Christmas present ideas worked out and am super excited to get started with some shopping/prep.
Ok, I will leave you with a few thoughts/quotes:
1) "Mariah, is that word you just used something that your people in Maine say?" (Please insert here that word I used was "content.") -4 year old
"No, actually that is word people who speak English say... my people don't speak any differently than your people."
"Ohh... it just sounded wicked funny." (Yup. She's using wicked now. Uh oh).
2) 4 year old again, while brushing teeth: "Mariah, when people have babies, how does the information from the husband get to the wife?" I let this one slide. And said something about how chickens hatch eggs. Or something.
3) Listen to 99.5 for the Make-A-Wish Radio-A-Thon here in Indy tomorrow!!!!!!!!! Request a song in exchange for a donation and help make kids' wishes come true.
That's all for now... much love on a sunny Fall day :)
XOXO
Monday, November 8, 2010
Chilly November Mornings
Good morning, happy daylight savings! (I realize this actually took place yesterday, but I am loving the fact that it was sunny by about 7 this morning).
Last week was a little wild in terms of school and work (and let's just say Friday morning started and ended with a technical glitch for one online course and a dissection interrupted by a cut finger for another-try dissecting a chicken wing with one hand... not as easy as it sounds). But, I had a good chat with a friend, laughed it off, and went to work. Friday night, I hung out at Mer and Sam's and had pizza and drinks with them and a few of their friends (poor Chris found out last minute he had to work late... no fun). But it was a great night and by the time I got home, I was feeling relaxed and more in control of everything going on.
Saturday morning it took me forever to get up (lazy, lazy) but I had a guitar lesson so I forced myself (with some prodding) to get a move on. And of course, I ended up giving my teacher some lengthy disclaimer about how I hadn't practiced very much and not to expect much out of me. He just laughed (as chill guitar teachers do) and said, "Just have fun. That's why you're here, right?" And I smiled because he was right... and that's exactly what Chris had said before I left. So we jammed for awhile (and by jammed I mean convinced my awkward little fingers to form the few chords they know) and was in a great mood when I left.
Came home, had lunch, and attempted my Stats quiz for the second time (holding my breath that the glitch was fixed) and it went really well! This class has felt like the bane of my existence this semester so it was nice to finally feel things click and see a grade that accurately reflected my effort for once. I'm hoping this is a turning point of sorts.
After the quiz, I felt a sudden urge to clean... and I mean, CLEAN. When Chris came downstairs to see what all the noise was about, he just sort of laughed and jumped right in to help. And now we have a clean, sunny house to live in! Hooray :)
As we we were cleaning, he kept asking me what I wanted to do that night... I wasn't really sure and just kept trucking along. Then he asked if I wanted to go ice skating- AWESOME!!!!!!! I love love love ice skating and it's so nice to get out and feel active. So we finished up at home and then went to the Fishers Forum (which is literally about a five minute walk up the road). It was actually pretty packed and it was cool to see people of all ages out on a Saturday night just having fun. We were a little wobbly at first but ended up doing a pretty good job I would say! It was such a blast :) There was some great music playing and a few interesting sights to see (little kids racing around at lightening speed, teenagers on dates where the guy was showing off and the girl was totally bored). We stayed for almost the whole session (which is two hours by the way, so the legs and bum were a little sore on Sunday) and then went to Chatham Tap for dinner and drinks. We topped it off by watching a funny movie with the fire going. Now that's what I call date night :)
Sunday we went to get our oil changed, walked around the mall for a bit and then got stuff to make for the football game. Mer and Sam came over around 8 and we had baked mac and cheese, chips and guacamole, beer and wine. I still don't really understand what's going on when I watch football (I try to remember everything people tell me about the rules and what things mean but sometimes it just hurts my brain...), but it's still fun to have friends over and just hang out. Searched for flights for Thanksgiving and Christmas (a little stressful because holiday travel is absurd and expensive), but felt good about things by the end.
And now we're off to a new week (second week in November! What in the world??) and I'm starting to think I should be thinking about Christmas shopping or something. Oh goodness... I'll crack a book for now instead.
Ohhh ohh and here's a great article my friend Kayla sent me which is from a nursing magazine but definitely something we can all relate to: http://journals.lww.com/nursing/Fulltext/2010/09000/Who_do_you_want_to_be_when_you_grow_up_.1.aspx
Enjoy :)
Last week was a little wild in terms of school and work (and let's just say Friday morning started and ended with a technical glitch for one online course and a dissection interrupted by a cut finger for another-try dissecting a chicken wing with one hand... not as easy as it sounds). But, I had a good chat with a friend, laughed it off, and went to work. Friday night, I hung out at Mer and Sam's and had pizza and drinks with them and a few of their friends (poor Chris found out last minute he had to work late... no fun). But it was a great night and by the time I got home, I was feeling relaxed and more in control of everything going on.
Saturday morning it took me forever to get up (lazy, lazy) but I had a guitar lesson so I forced myself (with some prodding) to get a move on. And of course, I ended up giving my teacher some lengthy disclaimer about how I hadn't practiced very much and not to expect much out of me. He just laughed (as chill guitar teachers do) and said, "Just have fun. That's why you're here, right?" And I smiled because he was right... and that's exactly what Chris had said before I left. So we jammed for awhile (and by jammed I mean convinced my awkward little fingers to form the few chords they know) and was in a great mood when I left.
Came home, had lunch, and attempted my Stats quiz for the second time (holding my breath that the glitch was fixed) and it went really well! This class has felt like the bane of my existence this semester so it was nice to finally feel things click and see a grade that accurately reflected my effort for once. I'm hoping this is a turning point of sorts.
After the quiz, I felt a sudden urge to clean... and I mean, CLEAN. When Chris came downstairs to see what all the noise was about, he just sort of laughed and jumped right in to help. And now we have a clean, sunny house to live in! Hooray :)
As we we were cleaning, he kept asking me what I wanted to do that night... I wasn't really sure and just kept trucking along. Then he asked if I wanted to go ice skating- AWESOME!!!!!!! I love love love ice skating and it's so nice to get out and feel active. So we finished up at home and then went to the Fishers Forum (which is literally about a five minute walk up the road). It was actually pretty packed and it was cool to see people of all ages out on a Saturday night just having fun. We were a little wobbly at first but ended up doing a pretty good job I would say! It was such a blast :) There was some great music playing and a few interesting sights to see (little kids racing around at lightening speed, teenagers on dates where the guy was showing off and the girl was totally bored). We stayed for almost the whole session (which is two hours by the way, so the legs and bum were a little sore on Sunday) and then went to Chatham Tap for dinner and drinks. We topped it off by watching a funny movie with the fire going. Now that's what I call date night :)
Sunday we went to get our oil changed, walked around the mall for a bit and then got stuff to make for the football game. Mer and Sam came over around 8 and we had baked mac and cheese, chips and guacamole, beer and wine. I still don't really understand what's going on when I watch football (I try to remember everything people tell me about the rules and what things mean but sometimes it just hurts my brain...), but it's still fun to have friends over and just hang out. Searched for flights for Thanksgiving and Christmas (a little stressful because holiday travel is absurd and expensive), but felt good about things by the end.
And now we're off to a new week (second week in November! What in the world??) and I'm starting to think I should be thinking about Christmas shopping or something. Oh goodness... I'll crack a book for now instead.
Ohhh ohh and here's a great article my friend Kayla sent me which is from a nursing magazine but definitely something we can all relate to: http://journals.lww.com/nursing/Fulltext/2010/09000/Who_do_you_want_to_be_when_you_grow_up_.1.aspx
Enjoy :)
Thursday, November 4, 2010
Ramble.
The thing about manicotti is, unless you blow on each individual piece (regardless of whether or not it is hot or cold), a one-year old will immediately eject it from his mouth. This is a fun, psychological game toddlers play. So a lunch which should be fairly quick ends up taking about 30 minutes. Good.
This is my day so far... a good one, certainly. But also sort of hilarious and patience-inducing.
In between the manicotti feedings and singing to soothe, I've been pounding out as much homework as I can. This week has been a little brutal school-work wise. And I still need to dissect a chicken wing and take two quizzes. Why am I blogging then, you ask? Because I can. Because if I sit and stare at a statistics book for much longer, I will burn it and throw it out a window and that is not productive. Plus, last night I had a dream that I took my fetal pig out of its bag, went to start a dissection and then watched it run and jump off a ledge. Too much studying.
On a more exciting note, Chris and I had a date night last night (at the Olive Garden which we loooooooove) and then as a surprise, he got me a guitar stand and case! He says it's because I did a good job on my 10k over the weekend- if he had seen me huffing and puffing up the hill on mile 6, he probably would've gotten me a gym membership and thrown away all the Halloween candy that we still have. But I prefer this :)
Another cool thing is that tonight is my first real Red Cross training to do Client Casework and Disaster Relief. I figured it'd be a great way to learn valuable skills, get involved with my community, and maybe meet some cool people. I will report in on how that goes. Especially after 10 hours of babysitting.
Alright, folks, that's about all I've got. Just thought I'd ramble and entertain you for a second.
P.S.- has anyone driven 70-W to St. Louis and seen the enormous, house-sized cross while listening to one of the five country stations on the radio? This is truly God's country out here, lol. Love it.
This is my day so far... a good one, certainly. But also sort of hilarious and patience-inducing.
In between the manicotti feedings and singing to soothe, I've been pounding out as much homework as I can. This week has been a little brutal school-work wise. And I still need to dissect a chicken wing and take two quizzes. Why am I blogging then, you ask? Because I can. Because if I sit and stare at a statistics book for much longer, I will burn it and throw it out a window and that is not productive. Plus, last night I had a dream that I took my fetal pig out of its bag, went to start a dissection and then watched it run and jump off a ledge. Too much studying.
On a more exciting note, Chris and I had a date night last night (at the Olive Garden which we loooooooove) and then as a surprise, he got me a guitar stand and case! He says it's because I did a good job on my 10k over the weekend- if he had seen me huffing and puffing up the hill on mile 6, he probably would've gotten me a gym membership and thrown away all the Halloween candy that we still have. But I prefer this :)
Another cool thing is that tonight is my first real Red Cross training to do Client Casework and Disaster Relief. I figured it'd be a great way to learn valuable skills, get involved with my community, and maybe meet some cool people. I will report in on how that goes. Especially after 10 hours of babysitting.
Alright, folks, that's about all I've got. Just thought I'd ramble and entertain you for a second.
P.S.- has anyone driven 70-W to St. Louis and seen the enormous, house-sized cross while listening to one of the five country stations on the radio? This is truly God's country out here, lol. Love it.
Monday, November 1, 2010
How is it already November?
Well, it seems that Monday is the day I've blogging so I may as well keep up with tradition!
Let me start by saying that I am feeling extraordinarily homesick right now. I don't really know why... those feelings come and go in waves and I haven't felt them much over the past few weeks but they are full blown today. It'll pass... it'll be fine...this is part of growing up, right? I think there's just too much quiet. I am so tired of quiet. I want a full house that's loud and vivacious. Maybe I need to get a pet.
But I'm not going to expand on that thought because it's negative and not fun to read about. Just feels good to get it off my chest.
Had a fun weekend! After work on Friday I drove straight to St. Louis to visit my friend Holly. Two hundred and forty miles on 70-W was a bit of a drag as it is 100% flat and there was a big stretch there where all the music seemed to be country (there was also a cross the size of a house on the side of the road at one point which was a little weird). But I made it there and proceeded to have a great weekend! After I unpacked, we ate pizza and then dressed up for 80s night at a local bar. Interestingly, we were one of three people dressed up at this bar which for some reason did not bother me at all. Must be my inner freak. We didn't drink or anything since we had to do our run early in the morning, but I got to meet a few of her friends and that was nice.
Saturday morning we ran our 10K for Haiti- it was awesome! So great to see people come out to support an awesome cause. It was a good run, but by mile 5 I was hurting (running three times before a 10K is not exactly awesome training, haha). But alas, we finished and hugged it out. We both agreed that we were feeling the urge to either throw up or cry once we finished- some form of catharsis. But we did neither, which was good. Afterwards, we met up with Holly's sister and two adorable kids for a local Halloween event. We went store to store at a mall and trick-or-treated and then listened to some Banjo players and painted pumpkins. Thennnn of course, we stopped at Cracker Barrel for lunch and I ordered "Chicken 'n dumplins" (mostly because I've always wanted to say it). DELICIOUS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I immediately made friends with the munchkins (who made me laugh throughout the whole lunch) and I'm beginning to think that I do a whole lot better with children than adults. Ah well. Maybe it's because children always talk to you, even if you're the new guy.
When we got back to Holly's apartment, we had grandiose plans of going to the zoo, walking around the city, etc. but ended up in mini-comas for about an hour. Finally we regained some energy and got into our costumes for the night. At 6:30 we left to pick up Holly's friend Rachel and then went to a Blues game (my first ever NHL experience!) It was a ton of fun... they ended up winning in a shootout and we were even on the jumbotron! Ice hockey is by far my favorite sport to watch.
After the game, we headed over to a Halloween party which was slightly awkward for me. Most likely because I wasn't drunk and everyone else was lol. Plus, in true Halloween style, everyone else was dressed a bit more... well, sexually, while I was dressed like a princess complete with a puffy green vest and my sneakers. Victoria's Secret even has their own Halloween line now... I mean really? Naughty nurse and sexy kitty? Gross. But I talked to a few nice people and got to see a belligerently drunk man get hoisted into a cab by two grown men, which was interesting.
Sunday morning I raced home for Halloween and the trick-or-treaters. My luminaries all blew over because it was windy, but at least we had a jack-o-lantern and a skeleton outside. I got all dressed up as a fortune teller and sat with the bowl of candy for three hours for three trick-0r-treaters. What the heck? Oh well.
And here we are at Monday. I am trying to motivate myself and am struggling big time. I need to finish gathering info for nursing applications STAT and also need to book my tickets home for Thanksgiving. And you know, do homework since I am working three full days and two part time days this week (Heather -morning nanny- gets married on Saturday!! So I'm covering)... but I'm feeling a little overwhelmed right now. One thing at a time. Here we go!
Have a fabulous day :)
Let me start by saying that I am feeling extraordinarily homesick right now. I don't really know why... those feelings come and go in waves and I haven't felt them much over the past few weeks but they are full blown today. It'll pass... it'll be fine...this is part of growing up, right? I think there's just too much quiet. I am so tired of quiet. I want a full house that's loud and vivacious. Maybe I need to get a pet.
But I'm not going to expand on that thought because it's negative and not fun to read about. Just feels good to get it off my chest.
Had a fun weekend! After work on Friday I drove straight to St. Louis to visit my friend Holly. Two hundred and forty miles on 70-W was a bit of a drag as it is 100% flat and there was a big stretch there where all the music seemed to be country (there was also a cross the size of a house on the side of the road at one point which was a little weird). But I made it there and proceeded to have a great weekend! After I unpacked, we ate pizza and then dressed up for 80s night at a local bar. Interestingly, we were one of three people dressed up at this bar which for some reason did not bother me at all. Must be my inner freak. We didn't drink or anything since we had to do our run early in the morning, but I got to meet a few of her friends and that was nice.
Saturday morning we ran our 10K for Haiti- it was awesome! So great to see people come out to support an awesome cause. It was a good run, but by mile 5 I was hurting (running three times before a 10K is not exactly awesome training, haha). But alas, we finished and hugged it out. We both agreed that we were feeling the urge to either throw up or cry once we finished- some form of catharsis. But we did neither, which was good. Afterwards, we met up with Holly's sister and two adorable kids for a local Halloween event. We went store to store at a mall and trick-or-treated and then listened to some Banjo players and painted pumpkins. Thennnn of course, we stopped at Cracker Barrel for lunch and I ordered "Chicken 'n dumplins" (mostly because I've always wanted to say it). DELICIOUS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I immediately made friends with the munchkins (who made me laugh throughout the whole lunch) and I'm beginning to think that I do a whole lot better with children than adults. Ah well. Maybe it's because children always talk to you, even if you're the new guy.
When we got back to Holly's apartment, we had grandiose plans of going to the zoo, walking around the city, etc. but ended up in mini-comas for about an hour. Finally we regained some energy and got into our costumes for the night. At 6:30 we left to pick up Holly's friend Rachel and then went to a Blues game (my first ever NHL experience!) It was a ton of fun... they ended up winning in a shootout and we were even on the jumbotron! Ice hockey is by far my favorite sport to watch.
After the game, we headed over to a Halloween party which was slightly awkward for me. Most likely because I wasn't drunk and everyone else was lol. Plus, in true Halloween style, everyone else was dressed a bit more... well, sexually, while I was dressed like a princess complete with a puffy green vest and my sneakers. Victoria's Secret even has their own Halloween line now... I mean really? Naughty nurse and sexy kitty? Gross. But I talked to a few nice people and got to see a belligerently drunk man get hoisted into a cab by two grown men, which was interesting.
Sunday morning I raced home for Halloween and the trick-or-treaters. My luminaries all blew over because it was windy, but at least we had a jack-o-lantern and a skeleton outside. I got all dressed up as a fortune teller and sat with the bowl of candy for three hours for three trick-0r-treaters. What the heck? Oh well.
And here we are at Monday. I am trying to motivate myself and am struggling big time. I need to finish gathering info for nursing applications STAT and also need to book my tickets home for Thanksgiving. And you know, do homework since I am working three full days and two part time days this week (Heather -morning nanny- gets married on Saturday!! So I'm covering)... but I'm feeling a little overwhelmed right now. One thing at a time. Here we go!
Have a fabulous day :)
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