A New Beginning

It’s been about a month since I last updated this thing! So much has happened and changed, but every time I think I need to post, I realize that I don’t have the time to update on everything, and put it off even more. Funny how that happens, I guess.

So here are the highlights!


~ Move to Fort Worth ~

Benjamin & I moved from Richardson to Fort Worth on July 27. Although it took us what felt like an eternity to pack up our 530 square foot apartment, the actual move only took a couple of hours. That’s probably due in large part to his parents, grandparents, and a family friend offering their assistance. The night before we moved, Benjamin didn’t get to sleep until around 4:00 am. I fought the urge to sleep, knowing that a couple of hours would leave me acting totally drugged the next day. Instead, I bought massive amounts of packing tape and bubble wrap, as I had underestimated how much we would use. It’s amazing how much stuff we fit into our first apartment!

I love the new apartment. It’s only about 250 square feet bigger than the one in Richardson, but it feels like twice the size. We have several large closets, and our unit doesn’t share any walls with the neighbors. That means that we have 3 huge windows in the living room and 2 in the bedroom.

While I started organizing the apartment, Benjamin jumped into making it a nicer place for us to be in general. It’s in a middle-quality area, right between the “bad part” and the “good part” of town. The complex is old, but it seems like it’s been taken care of and we got an outstanding deal on it. Still, it was nice to have my husband do a few things that really made a huge difference. Here are a few of the nice things he did:

• Replaced all of the light fixtures. The ones that came with it were old and dirty, and we couldn’t get them clean again. Changing the fixtures also sealed the ceiling better, so that the cigarette smoke from our upstairs neighbors would not seep in.
• Changed all of the doorknobs. We brought our own high-quality lock, and he got silver knobs to match on the interior. He put a lock on our big closet as well.
• Put shelves in the pantry. The “pantry” in the kitchen is tiny, and I was disappointed to again have an apartment without a real pantry. I find that the kitchen is so much easier to keep organized when everything has a place, which is not as feasible without a pantry. Very quickly, though, we decided to use the closet in the dining area as the pantry, and the “pantry” as a drink cabinet (liquor, coffee, tea, sodas, etc). So he built some extra shelves in the closet, and now it’s perfect for our food & the appliances that we don’t use constantly.
• Hung curtains. We picked out some double curtain rods, so we chose tan for the curtain next to the window in both rooms, and avocado green for the curtain that shows in the living room and black in the bedroom. (We started with burgundy, but it didn’t look right with the comforter.) He did lots of drilling, which resulted in lots of vacuuming for me, but now it looks so nice. He even ironed them! (I hate ironing, myself.)
• Printed & hung photos. We’ve had a photo printer for months, but we haven’t really used it. Benjamin has gone nuts printing all of our favorite pictures to display, now, though. Lots of them are in black & white, and he’s done a nice job making them look top notch. I’d really like to learn how to do that sometime. It’s like we really live there now!
• Changed the shower head. He came home one day with a giant thing that looks like my diffuser for my blow dryer! It’s really nice though…there are 2 settings on it, and it sits higher in the shower (the other one was crazy low), so we don’t knock ourselves out now =P

We did have some problems though. Rather than get all into the specifics (I'll go nuts, I’m sure), I'll just do bullet points again. Rest assured, though, we have ample documentation (including letters and photos) in case this turns into a bigger issue.

• Broken window. Before we moved in, they assured us that they would have the broken window in the living room fixed by our move-in date. It looked fixed, so we thought it was fine. The office staff had been really nice & seemed concerned about us being happy. Two weeks later, when Benjamin was measuring for curtains, he noticed that not only was the “window” not even glass, but it wasn’t installed! It had been cut, set in the frame, and held in place with a screen on the outside. Benjamin popped it right out! Needless to say, we were both furious. I took the window (yes, the window) to the leasing offices (both of them) to insist on it being fixed immediately. They were scheduled to be open, being a Sunday early afternoon, but they weren’t. I called the emergency number, which was “not in service.” I then left a message on their office voicemail expressing my irritation and telling them that it needed to be fixed before we went to bed. Benjamin boarded up the window for safety that night. The next day, Benjamin spoke to the office staff 3 times, and each time they promised him that it would be fixed by 4 pm. They even said that the glass man had just arrived at the complex and was on his way to our unit. They never came. So on Tuesday he spoke to the manager, who had never been alerted to the issue. It was fixed that afternoon. I usually don’t like to be demanding, especially when I feel like there’s no need to be a pain. But seriously, the window is 2”x2”, and either one of us (or a criminal) could have just climbed right in. And we’re on the first floor. Unbelievable.
• Deviants. There are 3 boys that live in our building that like to sit right outside our bedroom window and talk, laugh, fight, bounce their basketball, etc, anytime between 10:30 pm and 3:00 am. At first, I would go outside (because I’m a woman & less threatening) and ask them to keep it down. Once there were about 10-12 of them, and one guy started acting aggressive. So at that point, I went inside & called the police while Benjamin went outside & started asking for names. Long story short, to date we’ve had to call several times, and each time the officer that comes says that they have to give a warning before they can issue a ticket. We’ve also given letters to the apartment manager requesting her support. I know they probably get complaints all the time, but they sit on the air conditioner, and talk so loudly that it wakes us up. I don’t want to give too much information, because it’s kindof a legal thing, but the good news is that we haven’t had any problems in almost a week! We’re really hoping this continues, because we need more than 4-5 hours of sleep lol.
• Fleas. When we first moved in, Monte got covered in fleas, and he’s never had them before. I freaked out, and started giving him baths almost every day, vacuuming at least once a day, and washing everything in hot water. My mom even sent us some Capstar tablets for him, which kill all of the fleas that are on him. I know how hard it can be to get rid of fleas once there’s an infestation, and I did NOT want to deal with that. But, they seem to have subsided. We keep him out of the bushes and I’m still vacuuming & bathing him a lot. A flea comb is a great tool, too. Just sit there with a bowl of hot water with Dawn in it, and rinse the comb in the water after each stroke. It kills 'em!

In general, we love our new apartment, and it feels so nice to have started again in a new place.

~ Wedding Anniversary ~

Benjamin & I celebrated our 1st wedding anniversary on Monday, August 4. The day started with me leaving at 6:00 am to go to Plano for my US History exam. Then, since I had taken the day off work, I went home and began my exciting day. I picked up sushi at Central Market on the way home, then took a shower, fixed my hair, put on a sundress, did some light cleaning, and then met Benjamin at his office for lunch. I wanted to have a picnic at the Botanic Gardens (where he proposed), but it was so hot, and he was wearing his business clothes. He gets hot so easily anyway – as sentimental as it would be, I thought subjecting him to the heat wouldn’t be very loving. So we went home for lunch, and I put a blanket down on the living room floor for our air conditioned picnic.

After lunch, I went to the mall to pick up his present. I knew I needed to be home by 5:00, because he said his plans started then. With paper being the traditional first anniversary gift, I really wanted to have our marriage certificate framed in an engraved frame. But our marriage certificate is a really odd size, and there was no way I was going to cut it. So, that was out of the question. Instead, I bought him some nice cuff-links as well as a French-cuff shirt from Express. Those are his favorite, but he doesn’t like to spend that much on himself for a shirt. I, however, justified it with it being our anniversary.

When he got home, we exchanged gifts. He got me a silver clock with 12 tiny black frames around it. (Last weekend he printed black & white pictures & put them in the frames.) He also gave me a burgundy scrapbook that will look nice in our bedroom or even our living room, some scrapbooking supplies, a big black storage for all of that, some black frames (which he put some photos in for the living room), and a photo chest with spaces for pictures on the top. I think I may use it as a jewelry box instead of a photo box, though it’s quite big and it doesn’t have a latch. Either way, it’ll be great to use.

After presents, I went to touch up my makeup, as I’d been running around all day. He told me I really didn’t need to do that, to “trust him,” but I did it anyway J I wanted to look nice for our anniversary! He had made a reservation for us to get a couples massage at a spa downtown. I had no idea where we were, and knowing that I am afraid of needles, he jokingly told me we were there for Botox. The massage was relaxing & very thoughtful, and I was ready to go to sleep after that. But he had made dinner reservations at a tiny Italian restaurant that I’d never heard of. He said it came highly recommended, and it was so nice. We were seated in a corner away from the other guests, and it provided a very romantic atmosphere. The food was delicious, though we ended up trading half-way through. They gave us complimentary champagne & dessert, too.

I had told Benjamin that our anniversary is very important to me, and I wanted to do something special. I said that either he could plan something, or we could plan something together. He took over, and did a wonderful job. I hope I can do something equally amazing next year for him.

~ College Graduation ~

This summer I took 15 hours (5 courses) so that I could go ahead & finish my degree. I took Criminal Justice, World Music and Advanced Composition at the university, and Statistics and US History at the community college. I finished my last final exam on August 14.

Unfortunately, I’ve had trouble getting my community college transcript to the university. Now they’re saying I might not be able to officially graduate until the fall. Of course, this is all simply because of a time difference in when grades are available at the 2 schools, and has little to do with me. But they’ve extended my deadline until Thursday at 5:00 pm, so hopefully it’ll all work. Otherwise, I'll be finished, but just won’t have my diploma until December.

Picture Links!

I realized that I don't have very many pictures on here! And since I just went through & copied all of my wedding blog posts into this one, I thought I'd update other stuffs too!

These are all of the pictures that I have on Facebook.

~ WEDDING PICTURES ~
Engagement Pictures
Rehearsal
Getting Ready
Ceremony
Reception
Honeymoon

~ COLLEGE PICTURES ~
Fall 2005
Spring 2006
Dallas Formal 2006
Zahra's Birthday
Summer 2006
Fall 2006 (1)
Fall 2006 (2)
Snow Day 2006
Spring 2007

~ SPECIAL ALBUMS ~
Mommy
Monte
Feast 2006
High School

Degree Plan - Literary Studies

So, here's my list of classes over the last 3 years (and a summer)!

I've even decided to have some school spirit and use orange & green! (Though slightly more tolerable hues.)

Fall 2005
HUMA 1301 Exploration of the Humanities
ARTS 1301 Exploration of the Arts
RHET 1101 Freshman Rhetoric
GOVT 2301 Government I
GEOS 1303 Geology
GEOS 1103 Geology Lab
PHIN 1120 Yoga
MUSI 2324 Orchestra

Spring 2006
LIT 2341 Literary Analysis
LIT 3330 Linguistics
GST 2300 Gender Studies
GOVT 2302 Government II
BIOL 1318 Human Genetics

Fall 2006
LIT 3320 Shakespeare
LIT 3329 African American Literature
MATH 1306 College Algebra
BIOL 3350 Pathophysiology
HUMA 3300 Nature, Science & Medicine
GOVT 3322 Constitutional Law

Spring 2007
LIT 3300 Western Literary Tradition
LIT 3314 Masculinity (Prose Narratives)
LIT 4348 Mechanical Structure & Syntax
ED 3314 American Public School
PSY 3339 Educational Psychology

Summer 2007
ISGS 4308 Forensic Anthropology

Fall 2007
LIT 3319 British Literature to 1850
LIT 4344 European Fiction
PHIL 2301 History of Philosophy
HIST 2301 Texas History
No Credit First Year Leader

Spring 2008
MUSI 3381 Orchestra II
MUSI 4V71 Advanced Chamber Music Ensemble
PHIL 4380 Medical Ethics
GOVT 4341 Politics of the Judicial Process
PSY 4346 Human Sexuality

Summer 2008
LIT 33?? Advanced Composition
MATH ? Statistics (CCCC)
HIST 1302 US History I (CCCC)
MUSI 3322 World Music
CJS 1301 Intro to Criminal Justice

38 Down, 3 to Go!

Today I finished another class! Boy, am I glad to be done with World Music. What was supposed to be a really interesting class turned out to be a lot of babying and busy work, and while I respect a professor's right to format a class they way they like, I'm thankful that this particular course is over and I can be more efficient with my time. (That also means no more Wednesdays that look like this: 5 hours work, 20 minute drive, 10 minute breather, 4 1/2 hour class #1, 4 1/2 hour class #2, collaps.)

My Criminal Justice final is tomorrow. I can make an 84/105 and still have an A in the class, but I'm so concerned about it. I made a big mistake by not studying the court cases earlier, and thinking there were just a few. There are like 50! Bleh.

I still have my Advanced Composition class, since it's a full-summer class. My final project is due August 6. I'm bummed that I'll be having to work on it over our anniversary weekend, but perhaps I'll get in gear and finish it early!

In 2 weeks, I'll start my online History class, which ends on August 14. I wish I knew what to expect there, because I'd like to tweek my work schedule to keep my driving down once we move.

At some point I'll post a list of all of my college classes. I know myself well enough to know that I'll want to have something (other than my degree plan) to refer back to when school has totally left my brain.

Countdowns!
Anniversary = 35 days
Graduation = 45 days

I'm so tired of school...

I just thought I'd mention that.

Spring 2008 Grades

They're here!!

Orchestra = A -
Judicial Process = A -
Chamber = A
Medical Ethics = A -
Human Sexuality = A

Wahoo!

My Smartification Baby

Benjamin & I were talking tonight about my upcoming graduation, and how I won't know what to do with myself once I finish. I told him that I would need to prioritize how I would continue my "smartification" (aka, graduate school, teachers certification, MT school...).

Me: I could do a masters in like 4 semesters. I just wish I could find a job that I like. I don't even mean get a job that I like, I just mean find one to apply for.
Benjamin: Yeah, I know.
Me: *pouting* Ugh, it's so hard. *hug* Can I just have a baby instead?
Benjamin: Sure, in a couple of years!
Me: Hmm, I think I could go to school for another 2 years. Sounds like a plan!

Long Time, No Post

It's been a while since I've posted, mostly because of the end-of-semester madness that comes a couple of times each year. Here are some of the things that I remember:

My violin recital went quite well. I got to wear a pretty dress, and there were no major mess-ups! Somehow, I think the fact that the hall was full actually made me less nervous. Strange how that works... But Benjamin & my dad gave me some really pretty flowers, that I've been able to arrange nicely in a vase. It's a pretty mix of dark & light pink gerber daisies (duh), pink calla lilies, and pink gladiolas. Benjamin's family, grandparents, and cousin came, along with my parents & Juliane, Julie & Derek, and Zahra & Neil. I feel I was well supported :)

I was not, however, well supported by my teacher from last semester. I got a B+ in one of my literature classes in the fall, and decided to contest the grade and request an A-. I have gone all semester under the impression that I had until finals to start the process, but really I only had 8 weeks. I met with the professor anyway, and she didn't want to change the grade. I understand that teachers have the final authority on these issues, but I feel like I should not have made an "A/B" (whatever that is) on my paper and a B- on my exam. Especially when her only complaints were things like "don't phrase it that way" and crossing out "their native country" and scribbling in "Czechoslovakia." And really especially when I speak English fluently, and...well...

I have 1 more exam tomorrow, and then I'll be finished!

This summer I'm taking 5 classes:
> Statistics (CCCC)
> Advanced Composition
> World Music
> Intro to Criminal Justice
> US History

And then I'll be finished-finished! I don't know if I'm relieved-excited or scared-excited. Luckily I don't have to decide right now...I just need to get to the point where I do.

Last night Benjamin let Chloe sleep in the bedroom instead of in her kennel in the living room. I didn't notice until I got up to get some water at 4am. So I guess she behaved herself rather well, or maybe I was just tired & didn't notice her walking on me.

It's only 4:40 and I'm ready for a nap.

I'd like to find out what I need to do to get teacher-certified without having to take classes here.

I had a yummy margarita last night, and it was yummy. I want another one today :)

Something Smells

On Tuesday, a girl at work wore a lot of perfume, and it made me ill, because we had to spend a lot of time together training.
Then on Wednesday, the same thing happened.
Then on Thursday, the same thing happened.

Mom told me to talk to my boss, and explain that I can't be around all the smelly stuff, but I'm a chicken. I don't want to come across as rude, so I suck it up and get sicker. Of course, this isn't the best course, I ended up crashing yesterday afternoon. I got home from class around 4:30, and didn't wake up until after 8:00. Everything hurt, and I didn't have a fever. In fact, my temperature was 97.3!

I had to ask Benjamin to go to my sex class with me yesterday, just so I'd have the motivation to go. We were supposed to go over the exam, on which I got an 85, which is terrible. Since only about 1/3 of the class actually showed up, though, we got 5 bonus points for that, and another 7 points for the curve. So my 85 is really a 97, and I'm happy with that :)

I'm feeling a little better today. My temperature got up to 97.9 right before I went to bed. Benjamin had gone out to get me soup, and when he came back he saw me sitting on the bathroom floor cleaning the bath tub. He wasn't very happy with me for that, but I have this thing against taking a bath if the tub hasn't been scrubbed.

This morning, Chloe got up in bed with us & took a nap. I think she's becoming a little more amiable in general. She hasn't tried to bite me in a couple of days, and she's started bringing her feather toy to us and dropping it at our feet like a bird. That means she likes us :)

I just finished a research project for work, which I got to work on at home (thankfully). I don't know if I'm going to be able to stay there. I explained to the girl that perfume makes me sick, but she's continued wearing it and sitting in my cubicle. I could handle it if I didn't have to be near it, but this I can't. And I don't want to be a tattler. Oh well, we shall just see what happens...

Ft Worth Teen Weekend

This weekend was the annual Teen Weekend in DFW. Juliane went to the teen prom in her pretty yellow dress, but didn't play basketball because of her shoulder problems. Cameron, though, did play, and quite well. I think he got 17 points in the "all-star game" at the end of the tournament. Cammy & Ryan played against each other...that was fun :)

We took Monte with us to the gym yesterday, and he ran around outside for a long time. He must have been exhausted by the time we left, as he'd been the center of attention all afternoon. He basically stayed glued to Mom's lap the whole time, except when Dad was holding him. There was a 3 month old long haired chihuahua there too. Some dumb friends of the owner-kid were pretending to throw it to each other. Poor baby. I should call Child Control.

Saturday night I came home while Benjamin went to the teen dance for a while & then to his parents' house to play games. Julie came over after her banquet (she looked so pretty in her "cocktail dress") and we watched a movie. I had rented No Reservations because it had been recommended to me. Julie said some old ladies suggested it to her as well, so we eagerly watched it. About 30 minutes into it, Julie asked when the girl was going to start dating the guy. I said she probably wouldn't Julie didn't know it, but I was secretly hoping that she would not start dating the guy, because that would mean that the plot was just beginning, and I wanted to movie to end! As it turned out, we both thought the movie was lame, so we turned it down & talked. And ate Sour Patch Kids.

Today I registered for my UTD summer classes:
- Intro to Criminal Justice (online & pass/fail...oh yeah)
- 19th Century British Literature
- History of American Religion
- Hitler & National Socialism (my back-up)

In a few weeks, I'll register for my CCCC summer classes:
- Statistics
- US History (online)

After 15 hours this summer, I will be finished with my bachelor's degree, and ready to take on the world! Really, I'll be ready to take on a serious vacation or something. August 14th is my day of freedom.

I have this countdown application thing on Facebook, but this makes more sense than that. Wow, I love my slipping antecedents and their implication on my slipping scholarly-ness.

Countdowns
Recital: 25 days
Anniversary: 126 days
Graduation: 136 days

Monte all Fluffy

This morning Benjamin gave Monte a bath. Really, he gave him a shower...he's started giving the puppy showers when he takes showers. It's quite efficient, really.

Afterwards, Monte was very excited, and needed to tinkle. He was such a good boy, waiting by the front door for us to let him out. Of course, he was still really wet, and we didn't want to let him out in the dirt until he was dry. It took both of us to blow dry this little chihuahua. He gets so frantic whenever he hears a blow dryer or a vacuum cleaner or anything like that.

Then I took him outside. He proceeded to sniff out a place to poo, and then backed up perfectly so that he could provide fertilizer to the only weed plant in sight. Then he scooted and ran back up the stairs. T'was quite cute :)

Benjamin has just left for his monthly bridge game. I've requested he be home around 9:30, so that would be like a 4 hour game. I wish things could hold my attention that long :(

This week I have 2 exams...one on Wednesday and another on Thursday. I'm looking forward to the end of the semester in...6 weeks! Then it's a few crash courses in summer school and diploma time for me. I'm not sure if I spelled "diploma" correctly...that would probably be something to look into.

Eeenyway, I'm tired even though it's mid-afternoon, and I think I'll watch a movie & fall asleep. Of course, laundry would probably be the more efficient choice...

It's raining, it's pouring...

...And if the old man was snoring, I'd probably want to smack him upside the head. It's miserable outside, which is saying something for someone like me, who loves the rain.

It seems I'm the only one who didn't get the memo from weather.com, as I wore thin pants & a short-sleeve shirt to work today. I did, however, remember to take flip-flops for my chamber music rehearsal.

When I got to UTD, it was pouring so hard that I stuck my keys & my phone in my violin case, changed into flip-flops (a bitter-sweet reality, as they kept me from swimming in socks, but it's absolutely frigid), wrapped my music in a plastic bag, and headed out (coatless) on my quarter mile treck to rehearsal.

The situation wasn't helped by the fact that I somehow hurt my left wrist on Sunday, and the pain hasn't subsided. For a more accurate picture, see the below visual aid:

hurt wrist + 2 1/2 hr rehearsal + cold + wet + irritable + sortof mean instructor
=
unpleasant situation

Then I called Benjamin on my way home, and he alerted me to the power outage in our apartment. Apparently it was still out, because the traffic light he had just passed was blinking. But, it came on about 10 minutes after I got home. I was able to warm up slightly by nuzzling my freezing toes under Benjamin's shirt, and putting my hands on his neck. He did not seem to appreciate my attempt at snuggling, as he complained like a munchkin that I was making him cold. However, when I allowed him to warm my extremities voluntarily, he was much more amiable.

Anyways, I'm skipping class because I honestly feel like if I go out one more time I'll get an ear infection. And, I'm not sure that I can handle people talking just to hear themselves talk for 3 hours right now, wishing that I was snuggled on the couch with my hubby watching House and eating the soup that I think he's making for me. Mmmm...veggies!

That is all!

I am slowly...

(Original post at www.abforever.blogspot.com)

I just remembered this annoying song that I used to know:

I am slowly going crazy - 1 2 3 4 5 6 switch
Crazy going slowly am I - 6 5 4 3 2 1 switch

And then you repeat. I'm not sure why I remembered that.

Mom had hip surgery again on November 14. It was supposed to be the last one to remove more bone, and then she'd have her first hip replacement in December and the second next year. However, she developed a staph infection in her bone while at her rehab hospital. After running a fever, she was taken to the emergency room at another hospital, and had to have an unplanned surgery. The infection is still there, though, and she's on really strong antibiotics for several weeks, administered through a catheter in her arm and chest (so as not to destroy her blood vessels with a normal IV).

I finished my finals, and I must say I'm unhappy with how the semester went. I'm going to slap the "experience" label on it though, and remind myself that I was working a lot and trying to focus on my marriage this semester. I've had a good GPA all along, so one sorta-bad semester shouldn't hurt me too badly.

Actually, today I was off work. Now that school is done, I'll have 2 days a week where I can relax & run errands. Hopefully I can get stuff straightened up around here, too. We really need to do that =/

So now I'm just waiting for Benjamin to get home, so we can go spend another crapload on new tires, and then get my car inspected. I hate maintenance stuff.

Good News & Bad News

(Original post at www.abforever.blogspot.com)

We got the Forum! On the right date! Yay! *is excited*

On the other hand, I made another appointment to try on that dress again at 7:00 at David's Bridal. I fought through traffic for just under an hour (it's right at 10 miles), only to find that the store was closed due to power outages. Thanks for calling me to tell me my appoinment was cancelled! Eh, I guess everything was electronic or something :(

So I went to the Verizon store, and got a headset for my phone. My hope is that my parents will no longer threaten me with bodily harm (maybe it was just hanging up on me...) when I call them.

Today was the longest day everrrrrrrrr! I went in to work 1/2 an hour early, so that I could take an extra 1/2 hour for lunch, to go to Arapaho Classical Magnet & take a cake to my tutoring class. It's their last day of 3rd grade! I left work at noon, got the cake, took it to the class (where only 4 students were since it's apparently the teacher's birthday, and they kicked her out to decorate). I waited until the last minute before I needed to leave, then wrote a note to the class on the board, and said goodbye. Rikki gave me a hurt look, and said, "But Miss Bounds! We need you to hang streamers!"

...So I hung streamers. And was late getting back to work.

Then there was a crap load of rain, which I did not expect. I went to David's Bridal anyway, and, well, now I'm home in my comfy pjs that for some reason have this spot in the leg that has been poking me for several weeks, even though there's nothing sharp in there! I think it's time for some sleep...

Juliane just called

(Original post at www.abforever.blogspot.com)

She's a rebel, calling me from athletics. Then, I contributed to her rebel attitude, calling her back & informing her that being the maid of honor requires her to entertain my blog habit by reading it.

Mourning the Fishy

Yesterday, Benjamin's white fish (name unknown) died. He will not be flushed immediately, though, as a proper mourning period is in order. He was a good fish, and we are sad to see him go.

On a slightly more hilarious note, we watched a video in Ed Psych last night, which elaborated on Kohlberg's 6 steps in moral development. In the video, a doctor was conducting an experiment which involved giving electric shocks to a student (the "learner") when he answered questions incorrectly, as asked by the "teacher."
Doctor: When you get a question wrong, you will be punished with an electric shock.
Learner: Are you sure this isn't dangerous?
Doctor: Although the shocks may be extremely painful, there will be no permanent tissue damage.
Class: *partially laughing, partially dumbfounded*
Time passes
Teacher: That's wrong...15 volts. Excuse me, sir...how long do I hold the lever down?
Doctor: That's for you to decide...you're the teacher.
Teacher: Wrong...30 volts.
Time passes.
Teacher: Wrong...120 volts.
Learner: Aaaah!!!
As it turned out, the guy wasn't really getting shocked...Kirsten was able to tell me this about 5 seconds into it. Ergo, I was able to laugh along with the unintended humor of the low-budget video without feeling like a terrible person. The experiment was really on the teacher-dude :-p How's that for a twist?

Aaaaand, today was my first day of tutoring 3rd grade! All in all, I think it will be a positive experience...a little crazy at first, but I'll soon settle in. Hopefully I'll have my own class in about 2 1/2 years! Wow, that'll be nuts :)

Tomorrow (errr, today) we'll have breakfast with Megan & her boyfriend, and then dinner and stuff with Jill & her boyfriend. Should be fun!

In the spirit of having a Grammar exam...

...here are some quotes!

Professor: We're starting with the big picture, and we'll get more specific, so the limits to fun are endless!

Discussing something about the use of the word "sir"...
Student: But if I were talking to the professor, I'd put "sir" at the end
Professor: And as soon as you said "sir" I'd stop paying attention

We were feeling worried about this grammar stuff we're supposed to know...
Professor: Are there any other exercises you're finding annoying?
Class: *silence*
Professor: ...or are you just generally annoyed as a class?

Public Service Announcement for Julie: I want YOU to not comment annonymously! *imagine pointed finger and unproportional patriotic top hat* <3

In the spirit of having a Musicals paper due...

...here's some humorous stuff from last class.

Watching a clip with Fred Astaire & Ginger Rogers dancing
Professor: Once again they'll dance. She'll try to push him away, but eventually she'll fall for his charms, they'll have metaphoric sex and post-coital bliss, and she'll end up crying again because she thinks he's married to her best friend.
Dance, Dance, Dance
Professor: *makes some more commentary that I find humorous*
Dance ends, Ginger sits down, Fred offers her a cigarette
Professor: Aaaaand, there's the cigarette after sex.

Julie & I do not know what "major & minor oppositions" are. Neither, it seems, do other people. "Sad days."

Light as a heifer

On Monday night, Julie & I watched Gold Diggers of 1933 for Film Musicals class:

*Girl & Guy dancing*
Guy: Why, you're light as a heifer! I mean, feather!

Then yesterday, we watched 42nd Street in class:

Girl: *passes out during rehearsal...they carry her into the lobby...she wakes up* Oh my, I guess I passed out.
Guy: *hits on the girl who just passed out*
Girl: *bats eyelashes, etc etc*
Guy: remind me to tell you I think you're swell!
Julie: *leans over to me* Adriane, remind me to tell you you're light as a heifer!

Maintenance just came to unclog our bathtub drain. As expected, it was just hair. Lots and lots of hair.

Monte pooed on his mat! Twice! This is a big accomplishment for him :)

Oh, and while we're discussing old movies, here's part of an email from Benjamin <3:
Ummm, you didn't mention anything about catching up on school work on Sunday. :-) I figured that you would want to, but frankly Scarlet, I don't give a crap. ;-) I want to smooch you.

I want to smooch you too <3

Now that I've probably alienated most people, that is all!

The Great Rebirth

So it's been almost 6 months since I updated, and the time apart has made me realize how much I miss those frequent scurryings to the computer, coupled with a shrill, "I'm blogging that!" I liked myself better as a blog-adict, and I believe there are some others who would agree. Perhaps my attitude in person is improved by my willingness to write bluntly.

Who knows. Anyway, here's a quick update:

I went to Houston several times, and spent Thanksgiving in Dallas

For the Feast, I went to Kerrville and got absolutely nothing done. It was more fun that I expected, because I hung out with several young adults I hadn't seen in a while. Benjamin went to Italy, and sent me this:

This picture is everywhere, I know, but I love it bunches :)

I got a chihuahua puppy in November. His birthday is October 11, and he's just over 3 months now. A couple of weeks ago, he was almost up to 2 pounds! Montezuma (Monte) knows his name, and how to use his potty-pad. However, he likes to be defiant and tinkle on his mat, but poo on the floor while I'm looking at him. Other than that, he's quite well behaved.

Wreck on 45 going home over winter break. Ouch. My darling came to take care of me <3

Finally, this semester my classes are:
~ Syntax & Mechanical Structure
~ Western Literary Tradition
~ Film Musicals
~ Prose Narratives
~ Educational Psychology
~ American Public School

PS- Don't forget to post comments. I know it's sad, but I have very little excitement in my life.