I'm living somewhere between 2000 and 2002, I think

So since Dr. J decided to go out of town for five days, I decided to start up The Gilmore Girls Season 1, which I had borrowed from a friend. I indulged in way too many days of that and once Dr. J returned, we've been catching up on all the Season 2 Episodes of 24 that TiVo'd while I was out with The Girls. I know I'm way late on both these bandwagons, and I have no one to vent my frustration with about how oblivious Laureli is to Luke's interest because everyone else is literally years ahead of me. It does calm me down to know that L.A. is not going to be melted by a nuclear bomb since I have definitely seen Jack, Tony and the gang in random Day 4 episodes. Helps me sleep better.

Misc.

I'm so behind on my blog reading! I doubt this is something I should be ashamed of, but I certainly do miss them. It's been all I can do to squeeze in half of the first season of the Gilmore Girls - whew!

I'm also looking forward to seeing this outcome. Those guys apparently need some time in a private, perhaps barred, room to see the error of their ways.

On other news my former St. Louis surrogate mother (aka, my friend that had the graciousness to let me live with her for a month) is coming to see me, not-so-coincidently on the weekend of the Oscars!! There will be much tiara and feather boa wearing to accompany whatever snooty appetizers we can muster. My friends here in Columbia are in for a serious awakening of my need to be shallow and mock others.

Tissue anyone?

I’m not sure what her initial goal was, but right now, the lower half of Professor McGonagall’s body is protruding from an almost empty Kleenex box. Something tells me those last tissues aren’t really going to be up to the job after she emerges. She’s also started doing this thing lately where she walks around with about one-quarter inch of her tiny little tongue poking out between her lips. It’s the cutest thing ever. I’m on a mission to get a photo.

Back!

I've tunneled my way through to victory! Well, that's probably a bit of an overstatement, but I at least have part of my days back to myself. Sadly, Dr. J is out-of-town and I have to celebrate alone. Even more sad is the fact that Columbia, South Carolina does not carry CheezBalls in ANY OF THE GROCERY OR CONVENIENT STORES and how is a girl to celebrate without CHEEZBALLS!?!?

I have been looking for months in every store I go into and I've finally reconciled with that fact, but it doesn't make it any easier to swallow. This past weekend would have been a perfect weekend to curl with with a canister of cheezballs and watch a movie, but alas, it was not to be. Any of you that feel like UPS-ing me a crate or two, we're BFFEs.

More to come, but not now

It's a never-ending world of turmoil in la casa, things never stop-a changin'!

Panic ensued since I returned from Christmas Vacay to find myself buried under mountains of work. I'm slowly tunneling my way out and hope to see you all on the other side soon enough...

Home Beauty Shop

The weekend was full of not-as-much-work as it should have been but yet way-more-errands-than-imagined. Blick.

The Professor is now free of her post-op stitches, has a new manicure, and got her first full bath yesterday. Amazinly, she liked the warm water being poured over her, but shrieked with pain at the in-between times and the soaping-down when she shivered miserably. It was almost too much for my little heart to take. I certainly couldn't let her dry her little shaking body without some intervention, so I gave the hair dryer on a low setting a go. Although, she was quite obviously afraid at first, she gave it a chance since it was, at least, better than the cruel 70 degree room temperature, and it was only a matter of time before she was rotating so I could get her other side and ultimately, holding up her back leg for me to expose her wet underside.

What a cutie!

Dance to the Rhythm

YES!!!

Two of my favorite things will be colliding on March 5th.

So do YOU know how to do it?

In the past, I have failed to include what I like to call Paige Stories. No one to blame but myself, but you guys are overdue for an intro to the fun. Paige has a way of saying exactly what everyone else is thinking, but she can get away with it because 1) she was raised by my family (see below post) and 2) she's mentally handicapped.

For example. You have that friend that talks all the way through the movies at the theater, no matter how tense the movie is, or how involved you might be. You are probably obligated to maybe nod politely, or attempt in vain to ignore her. However, Paige's options are considerably more open in this same situation in one smooth motion, Paige will turn directly to her and say, "TRY TO LISTEN". In similar circumstances, when maybe your Grandmother is becoming a little overly advice-ey when perhaps, your vehicle is stuck in the mud and snow out in the Texas Panhandle and you have little option for getting it out since there are, of course, bovines blocking your only path, Paige will gladly verbalize, "Grandmother stop talking".

I loved those two days.

Anyway, so I was home having lunch with my mom and sister and we were discussing the details of the Afternoon Popcorn (the girl needs a plan to hold on to and Afternoon Popcorn is part of The Routine).

Mom: Missy can probably make the popcorn for you later.

[Paige lets out a small burp]

Mom: Paige, please cover your mouth

[Paige covers her mouth]

Mom: No, please cover your mouth before you burp

Me: Dr. J and I are working on the exact same thing at the Casa, but for me, not him

Paige [to Missy]: Do you know how to do it?

Me: Yes, of course

[Missy takes a napkin from the table, places it over her mouth, and forces a dainty little BUUUURP behind the napkin]

Me: Now you try.

[Paige mimics the taking of the napkin, the placing of it over her mouth, and the even more dainty BLURRRRRRRRRRRP behind the napkin]

Paige: So do you know how to make the popcorn?

Introducing Professor McGonagall

Whom you are free to refer to as simply Professor or Mona, but please, upon introduction, use her christian name.



Here we see The Professor in all her might, defeating her most hated enemy, George the Mouse. Many of The Professor's enemies (aka playthings) are rejected hand-me downs from the I'm-above-such-childish-things-predecessor, Daisy. The Professor doesn't mind how long the enemies have haunted our home, so long as it is the desire of the Big Cats for her to defeat them.



The Professor has not yet conjured a strategy for defeating The Evil Vacuum, and the fact that she was forced to retreat behind the Guest Pillows is utterly humiliating for her. She won't accept this sort of imposed humiliation and has resolved to learn more about The Vacuum. Below you can see she and Dr. J doing some afternoon net reserach so she has a slight hand up in the event that Vacuum emerges. She fully expects to be on the defensive, until she has considerably more time to learn the ways of such a threatening foe.

It's a Girl!!

We bailed her out just this afternoon (maybe that's what grandmother meant?!) 12 weeks old, grey/tan with black stripes, has better than average computer skills, very purr-ey, snuggly, clingy, very stinky (and can't be bathed for 10 days due to yesterday's removal of the femal organs), wants to scratch everything (10 minutes in she'd poked 3 holes in the side of the leather couch) and very nameless. She has to stick around for a couple of days and we'll try on a few of the early bids (Dobby, Bennie, Priscilla, Alice). The naming auction is still open though, and you have gender direction now.

The best part? She's a lap kitty. She likes to stay there while I work. It rocks.

"I've simply had a wonderful Christmas and I'm just so thankful none of us are in jail"

Per the finale of my grandmother's I'm-so-glad-everyone-could-be-together speech just after family Christmas rituals had concluded. My grandmother, queen of all that is inappropriate and untimely. Props to grandmother for pulling through the knee replacement surgery on tuesday with flying colors. She's a tough cookie. Now just a little bit tougher ... watch those groins, gentlemen.

This just one of many delicious nuggets from Christmas 2005. More to come.

Mexican Tuesday

As is our new Tradition, we'll be picked up from DFW airport tomorrow and shuttled directly to a Mexican Restaurant of our choosing. I am quite the ball of excitement about this, all except that I feel like poop and I'm afraid of feeling like poop tomorrow. Wish me luck that I overcome the poopiness before christmas and that I get along swimmingly with my neph-pup (to avoid further confusion on this issue, neph-pup would be my Brother's Dog).

Signing off till next week. Merry Christmas to all and to all a good night!

I'm not even getting paid for this

Coke zero rocks and this is a plug to get more people to drink it so it doesn't find itself in the wasteland of Tab and Pepsi Free. Even Dr. J, the sworn enemy to all that is diet, loves it.

Now that I'm of the late-twenty variety, am I still obligated to report my grades to my parents?

Remember those days of yesteryear when you would go home at the end of a rough semester for the Christmas holidays, indulge on free food and free laundry at Mom's house, maybe go out with some high school friends with a 10-spot from Dad that felt like 100 bucks since you hadn't actually held 10 dollars in your hand that wasn't already predestined for laundry or groceries since the last time you came home to visit the parents? Yeah, me too.

Remember how exhilarating it was to finish your finals, pack up the car and drive home? And how you used to wallow in the freedom of having completed another round of coursework and how you didn't even care how you did on the final because you were just so glad to be done with it? And remember how you would wake up feeling completely relaxed and thrilled with the fact you didn't have to study that day, or do homework, or go to classes ... right up until the day that you could call in on the Automated Phone System that would give you your grade report for the semester and then you wish that you had studied a little more for your finals, and the fret and the praying would start all over again? I probably have a few readers who had to look at Posted Grade Sheets the next semester when they returned, or something very archaic like that. Today the hip kids (I think the mere fact that I call them The Hip Kids makes me Not Hip) are checking those grades online. And the grades pop in as the professor decides to post them. So I don't understand why my one teacher is holding out on me ... UGH! Although I can't imagine how distracted I would be if I still had finals to take and I already had posted grades in other classes ...


I wonder if I'm still entitled to that 10 bucks? Maybe I can finagle an extra 5 bucks since I'm married now. Or does it go down by $5?

The Ultimate in Sell-Out

So today, at my conference, I was having a conversation with a certain someone that is the Assistant Director of a certain organization that funds (or more importantly, doesn't fund) university projects ... potentially my own. Apparently Mrs. Assistant Director's mouth was exceptionally full of fresh saliva because she accidently spit all over me in mid-sentence.

And what did I do?

Nothing.

I simply pretended like Mrs. Assistant Director had not spat on me and that I didn't all of the sudden have droplets of said saliva drying all over my face. I didn't even flinch or consider embarrassing her by wiping it off.

I've sold my soul.

Semester 1. Over and Out

One semester less. Doesn't say much since I only took one class, so I'm 1/6 of the way there. But 1/6 is better than 0 - hooray! This is just a quick hoorah before I skidaddle to Atlanta for the weekend. Don't get too excited, it's for work. However, there is shopping scheduled. At real stores. Some of the many millions they don't have here in the S of C. Be back next week, kiddos.

I absolutely LOVE Christmas

Love the songs, the houses dressed top to bottom with lights, the movies, the wreaths, the jingle bells, the snow (or thought thereof), the mistletoe, the ornaments, the s'mores, the christmas pageants, the egg nog and apple cider, the spicy candles popping up in all the stores, the vacations from work and the days off from school, the holiday sales!, the giving of gifts, the green, the red, the silver, the gold, santa, rudolph and the gang, the family home videos, the lazy days of winter, the smell of fireplaces burning, the holiday cheer. Love it, love it, love it all. Never get a bit tired of any of it.

God Bless You, Everyone!

One Week In

Last set of house photos, I swear. I know some of you are interested and requesting photos but there are still others who could not care less.

Witness. Christmas is in full swing at La Casa, inasmuch as christmas can swing sans Tree.


I can practically hear the reindeer's footsteps clacking on my roof.


That's a little Leonardo Da Vinci via the History Channel in the background. A perfect Advent accompanyment if you ask me.


Yeah! The newly installed refrigerator hosting many a christmas treat (and many a Thanksgiving leftover)


If you squint through the darkness you can see a stack ... ahem ... a mountain of boxes and plastic wrap. That's the trash. Ready as can be to find a new home. Wonder who's job that is.


Unplaced decor stacking up in this room, on the bed and furniture. I'm sure it will be sorted last. It did help in upping the box count in the hallway though.


Forgive the poor photo. It's hard to see from this angle but there are pencil markings surrounding the perimeter of that shelf. That shelf there, the one that almost became the bane of Dr. J's existince.


The official study/work area. We are currently accepting donations in the amount of $25. No personal checks please.

Cupcake Day!

It has just occurred to me ... back in the day, when I was at A&M, on the first day of finals each semester all the engineering professors and staff would each bring in about 3 dozen or so homemade cupcakes. For those of you that think that's not that many cupcakes, there are about 900 Civil Undergrads at any given time and I could always eat cupcakes until I was sick to my stomach. They actually lined the corridors with them.

Sweet, luscious, mouth-watering cupcakes.

Somehow I doubt I have that to look forward to here. I have a feeling that not every university does that. Come to think of it, it may have only been the Civil Engineering Department. I do, however, have my very own professor that I sleep with every night. Maybe he'll make me a private stash. I like the white ones. With the pink icing. Maybe rainbow sprinkles inside too.

New Pet Peeve

When someone messes with all the settings on my camera and I don't realize it and I take two dozen photos and then I go to upload them and they all look like monet paintings.

A man and his dog

a man and his dog
Originally uploaded by missyajg.

I didn't get to see my family ... ahem ... my now extended family (that's a shout out to the new fam, dr. j) but my uncle sent me some great photos from the celebration. My brother's post-Thanksgiving naps are becoming legendary. I wish I could follow this up from the ones I have from previous years. I think I will someday, if I ever can get around to it.

We're In!

Remaining boxes are generally all piled in one room so the place is fairly livable now. Tivo, fridge, phone has arrived, and we are just waiting on them to come do something with the phone line that is just LAYING in our yard.

I don't even want to think about how far behind I am with school/work right now. Rest assured, you won't hear much from me in the next week.

DONE!

Small glich, but it was overcome. As of 4 pm today, Dr. J and I had signed all the papers, had our celebratory wine bottle, and have parted ways to get back to Thanksgiving prep / work. Official move in is two days hence.

Countdown to new countdowns

My life is just full to the brim with anticipation. In the on-deck circle is ...

Tivo (sweet lord, it's about time!)
satellite (bye bye little rabbit ears that have sat diligently in our rocking chair)
full-sized refrigerator
Christmas decor (love it! love it! love it! love it!)
future kitty (we have already decided where future kitty's food and water bowls will lay)
internet service at home
and finally ... a nod to next summer and some very likely upcoming travel

House Update

We are supposed to close tomorrow, and all is in order for that to take place.... all except that the electricity isn't hooked up, so the inspector can't inspect it, and we can't close till those things take place. Why isn't the electricity hooked up? Beats me. But now it is because yesterday it rained (heavy sprinkle all day) for the first time in 3 months, and the electrical company can't hook up the electricity in the sprinkle. More sprinkle today as well. Why did they wait until today to do this? Some questions can never be answered. In the meantime, we can show some new pics ...




Dr. J continues to forget to take pictures of the other rooms or useful bathroom perspectives. I'll see if I can take that camera away from him. Actually, the bathrooms aren't his fault. Since there's no electricity yet, those rooms are very dark. Hopefully soon though ...

Lost thoughts

Am I the only person left that didn't like Ana Lucia before Wednesday night's episode and still doesn't like her? Aren't you all still pissed at her for shooting Shannon? I didn't see anything redeeming in her character this week ... I do like Eko more though. And I can't WAIT for the Bernard-Rose reuniting ... CAN'T WAIT!

I take it back

The house is all but done. Get ready to pop the corks off your champagne bottles, we're gonna dance on the 23rd after all! Be ready for a lengthy photo posting this weekend.

How to put a damper on a good time

This weekend, here in mini-bottle land, is the big Clemson-USC rivalry game. Haven't heard of it before? Me neither!

Which is why I feel like such a putz when everyone from my 6th graders to the guy checking my groceries at the store asks me if I'm a Carolina fan!?!? Even if I lie, it's hard to get anything more than a halfhearted "sure" out of my mouth. I mostly want to talk about the fact that the new Harry Potter movie is being released on Friday and FOR ONCE this town doesn't have to wait for the wide release (still no word on when Pride and Prejudice hits theaters here). Anyhoo, so half the time I just confess I'm not from here, and if they are really nice they might ask where I'm from, to which they really have no reply to since most of them have never been west of Atlanta. No offense, little confederate flag bearers, but you haven't. Anyway, so I'm a conversation killer. You just can't fake school spirit like that.

Clearly, UT sucks and I'm all over that bandwagon. =)
(that's for you Karo - I know how much you love it)

Next Wednesday

I haven't been posting pictures on the house much because, to be honest, not much is happening there. Dr. J and I are preparing, but no one else seems to be. We are supposed to close in 10 days and the To Do List includes:

- Complete kitchen cabinets
- Paint kitchen cabinets
- Put hardwood floors in the entire house minus two rooms
- Put carpeting in those remaining two rooms
- Paint the walls (one coat is on ... but very blotchy, desperate need of multiple coatings)
- Install all light fixtures
- Install appliances
- Touch up all the little places you beat to death while trapesing in and out
- Anything else that's not obvious to your average lay-person.

Let's see a show of hands that thinks we'll be going to see the new John Cusack movie on the 23rd instead of closing. There's really not much we can do about it, so I'm preparing a Thanksgiving Grocery List and wrapping up my Christmas shopping. We did, however, buy a washer and dryer this past weekend. Refrigerator is next on the list.

Huh.

This guy is either going to end up as our president or in jail. Do you think that city council meetings will be considered an excused absense? Would he technically be his principal's boss? There is an endless amount of wondering to be done here.

I'm back on!

YAY!!! I got a new computer at work today and I am back in Messenger! At least MSN, but it's at least a small step forward. And I even think computer guru man is warming up to me enough that he might let me install some of that software that I like have but tight-wad-tech-geeks freak out about. Happy Friday to me!

That and I'm hacking up lots of mucus to day. Not fun (or quiet), but better out than in. Also better than feeling like slushy poop on the couch with tickley snot throat (i.e., yesterday).

Raider, P

Raider, P
Originally uploaded by missyajg.

This guy, who has always been known to me as "P", is The Biggest College Football Fan. And sadly, he, like myself, is being forced to watch the Aggies muddle their way through '05. P is my cousin, the whole lot of us are Aggie grads and none of us are discussing the feat of the Ags this season.

Fortunately, the rest of us didn't make bets with our co-workers that would put us in this position. You can't imagine what a sore loser this guy is (that guy, the one in the right-background knows though, he definitely knows). But we love P even more for it. It just wouldn't be a family gathering if P wasn't getting pissed about losing something.

Beasley Grubbs

Beasley Grubbs
Originally uploaded by missyajg.

Presenting the newest member of our family, my neph-pup, Beasley.

Beasley joined the ranks a few weeks ago and just endured a rough weekend of vets and vaccines, so let's give the little tyke a hand. Dr. J and I intend the snuggle the poop right out of that guy come Christmas.

We loves ya, Beas!

Now He's just showing off

So things seem to be moving along, maybe the builder is actually going to make our November 23 close (and move) date. I was watching TV last night and see a preview for an upcoming attraction starring, none other than John Cusack.

The Ice Harvest, starring John Cusack, is being released not-so-coincidently on Wednesday, November 23.

Very spooky.

Not one to waste an opportunity ... it would fulfill me a million times over if a perfect stranger would show up at our closing and offer to pay off our mortgage.

God feels bad leaving me here in ColUmbia for Thanksgiving but he's trying to make it up to me

Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire: 11/18/05
Pride and Prejudice: 11/11/05
Rent: 11/23/05

There is little else I love more dearly than these three things: Jane Austen, Broadway, and Harry Potter ... oh and movies (especially free ones - where's that pizza guy?). If I could just get John Cusack to stop by and help us move into our house, I could die a very fulfilled and happy girl.

Just call me Missy McLucky

So, poor Dr. J has had this horribly busy week ... yes I even had to sleep alone one night while he practically pulled an all nighter. So last night I wanted to surprise him and go pick up a pizza (all the poor guy ever wants is fast food and that mean wife of his just doesn't go for it).

I'm standing there alone at Papa Johns waiting on my pizza to be done and this pizza delivery guy walks in the door, back from a round of deliveries. He starts to walk past me, but then he stops and he says to me, "Do you think you'd use these tonight? I'd hate for them to go to waste and I have to work", and hands me two tickets to see The Fully Monty at the Koger Center in downtown. It takes me a minute to realize he's just handing me a pair of musical tickets, to a musical that starts in an hour. I try to be polite and suggest that maybe he'll be able to go, but he insists. So, I thank him, get my pizza, and make my way home.

Despite the fact that Dr. J is already in his pajama pants, he doesn't want to pass up the free seats, so we scarf down a few slices of pizza, change our clothes and make our way down town. It's not until we arrive that we actually look at the tickets and notice they are in the Lower Orchestra Section. That's right folks, pizza guy gave us third row tickets to a musical.

We really enjoyed the musical, we both agreed it was much better than the movie by the same name. I have to admit though, we didn't actually expect to get the full monty, but get it we did, it was hilarious. Even conservative South Carolina seemed to agree. However, we were definitly reminded how red this state is during a particular romantic scene (a VERY quick one) where two of the guys that became friends almost kiss. The entire audience actually groaned and you could hear hundreds of very audible "oh god"'s! Now, obviously I'm not gay, and I don't anticipate moments like these, but COME ON! It's not like those guys were trying to kiss the men in the audience.

This IS as good as it gets

Witness Harry and Hermione as of Friday eve:
Note the detail (not all of which appears here). There's the obvious lightning bolt scar, the crazy gel-ed hair (for both of us, I suppose), Harry's got his Nimbus 2000 (in case someone hadn't read all the books and doesn't know of the more advanced broomstickery) and a wand for each of us. But Crookshanks is there also, Hermione is toting one of her favorite textbooks, and our wardrobe is consistent with the white button-up shirt and tie overlain by the grey v-neck and black unzipped robes that appear in the films. On closer inspection, you will see that we located a Gryffindor symbol on the web, printed it out, and since I could not find a safety pin at the apartment, I stitched the crest to the robes. And by "stitched" I mean I pulled out the needle and thread and SEWED.

I mention all of this to you because we managed to attend a Halloween party with 30-ish other people, NONE of which had ever read any of the books or seen ANY of the movies. I can't imagine that a collection of 30 people exist in any portion of the english-speaking world where this is even possible. So we had to continually explain who we were and nary a soul appreciated the detail of our wardrobes. No less than 10 people during the course of the evening made mention that "oh and you brought a cat!", to which I would reply, "It's Crookshanks", and receive this retort, "wow, you even named it"! It just about killed me that we had to constantly say who we were so people didn't think we were "students".

Oh, and to top it all off, everyone now thinks I'm this huge sci-fi and fantasy fan because I've read all the books and people keep trying to ask me about Star Trek.

I never knew I had a fascination with pancake syrup before

All those years of dreading that I would forget it was the weekend to turn back the clocks finally paid off. I looked it up and wrote it in my planner so we wouldn't forget to Fall Back, but alas, we greeted our Sunday morning an hour earlier than necessary.

Luckily, Dr. J realized this about 20 minutes after we woke up (don't ask me how) so he suggested we go get breakfast at this place near our church that always has crowds of people waiting outside of it, The Original Pancake House.

Ladies and gentlemen, The Original Pancake House did not disappoint. I suggest you find one near you, or if you ever decide to come and see us, remind us to take you there.

It took me a full 15 minutes to select which variety of pancakes to go with, torn between the blueberry, the banana nut, the georgia pecan, the classic dollar pancakes, not to mention the succulent variety of waffles ... but who knew it would be the syrup that would utlimately cause me to forget my surroundings and lick my plate clean in public. We'll be back, TOPH.

Because I couldn't get Dr. J to dress up as Zorro ...

... we will be leaving the house tonight as Hermione and Harry, complete with Harry's homemade Nimbus 2000 and Crookshanks. Pictures to follow.

I think Dr. J thought Zorro was too cliche, but a latin guy in a cape and mask never gets old, am I right ladies?

Actually, yes, I have wanted to do that very thing

"For anyone who's ever wanted to sit down with several pints of ice cream and watch every episode of "Sex and the City," you get half your wish: "Sex and the City: The Complete Series" -- 19 discs and a bonus disc -- comes out Tuesday." - Eye on Entertainment, CNN

All I can say is, bring on the Triple Choclate Fudge and a stick of Tollhouse cookie dough.

This conversation took place this morning

[Dr. J sneezes 20 times in succession - normally I would find this very funny but you can't laugh at these things immediately after someone wakes up or you have to sleep on the couch that night]

Missy: Are you getting sick?
(see how sweet and sympathetic I am?)

Dr. J: My allergies are acting up ... I think maybe I'm allergic to you!

Missy: Maybe I should run away with John Cusack so you have time to heal?

Dr. J: No wait! Then who would cook for me?!

When normal people are given free football tickets, that's usually the highlight of the weekend

Thanks for the outpouring of support, really we are all fine except that one of us accidently bare-handled a pot immediately after it came out of the oven last night and has some pretty nasty burns. If you have to wonder who it was, just ask yourself how many times Dr. J has ever used a pot and/or the oven.

The game turned out to be a really good one to go to, quite exciting (scoring wise). It shouldn't have been so close and would be if USC's QB wasn't such a little girl when it comes to running the ball himself. We tried to give that extra pair of tickets away - I emailed everyone in our class at church (~50 people) and got no replies (no I didn't feel AT ALL rejected from that) so we decided to take it to our new neighbor. So I knocked on their door Saturday morning, was greeted with a weepy face, asked if the owner of the home was there and received a reply of, "she passed away two days ago."

Uhh ... how awesome did I feel. All I could say was, "sucks, here's a pair of football tickets to express my condolences" ... not to mention I'm wearing a black t-shirt that actually has COCKS written across my chest.

So anyway, our breakdown for the weekend was: fun game, found good chinese food, completed disc 3 of Everwood Season 1, and we are down a neighbor. Oh that and it turns out the tree in our front yard is a pecan tree. Made me much less homesick.

Homecoming: Cocktoberfest

The worst part is I didn't even have to make that up.

I just found out that Homecoming has been going on this week at USC. And with no time to spare because apparently the parade starts at 4 pm. To top it off, my boss just walked in here and said that he and his family can't make it to the game tomorrow and handed us 4 tickets*. So this should be a very different weekend for us. Beats the crying fit I had in Bed, Bath and Beyond yesterday because I couldn't decide which window treatments would work best for the house. Sure, it may have had more to do that I don't have a SINGLE FRIEND in town to help me decide, but it didn't make my public breakdown any less ridiculous. Oh and if you know 2 people who love the Gamecocks, we've got a pair of tickets with their name on them.

*Dr. J's ticket request for 2 seats to one very insignificant game this year was rejected by the athletic department. You aren't even permitted to apply for tickets until you have completed a year with the university.

I'm definitely behind the Stros

Very sad to see the Cards go down this way, and even more saddened by the fact they started ripping apart Busch Stadium the next morning. Pitiful, mutilated, warm corpse that it is.

However, I can get behind the Stros easily, seeing as how I did root for them while I was at A&M for SIX YEARS that and they played their arse off against St. Louis. This morning I heard on the radio of Houston's troubles, their unprepared-ness in hosting the World Series since it's untimely appearance lines up with the Annual World Quilting Convention that brings a minimum of 50,000 knitters, quilters, and crochet-ers to this apparent metropolitan center of fabric and thread. Not to mention the some 45,000 refugees still in hotels there. I imagine with winter looming, those guys are gonna get a little chilly. I feel like there's a connection here but I just can't put it together.

One More Thing

Wanna know how kool Dr. J is? He has agreed to let me watch The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants tonight as a reward for all of my hard work as of late.

What a guy.

Nothings

Sounds like these guys have no business robbing pharmacies. They are really just do-good-ers at heart.

Wish me luck on my exam tonight. That and recouping from everything I've been putting off because of an overwhelming amount of things to do all at one time. I did get to crush Dr. J with my icey-cold toes under the covers last night since it's finally getting cold at night here. Rumor is the cold will be short lived, so I had to take advantage of it. That was fun.

Crazy Week

Sorry for the non-updating. Nothing much I can do about it though.

I will say that now that nothing will make you miss your former hometown like watching a little post-season baseball in your pjs and knowing you are missing all the fun. Sniff.

Common Grad School Sightings

You know, I don't even bat an eyelash anymore when a see a little chinese guy with his tapered, frosted jeans tucked into his pale pink socks and held up by those plastic crayola-colored belts with his shirt tucked in tight enough to expose his squirly ribcage and tinsey nipples, but today I saw this American guy with double-pleated, fire-engine-red, mid-thigh length shorts hoisted up to just above the bottom tip of his ribs, tied off with a thick, rope-like, black belt. I know he was wearing a shirt but I didn't have time to take it all in. It did make me feel better about this half pajama lookin outfit I have going on today.

No baseball in SC

I've complained to a few friends already, but Dr. J and I are very sad because there is no baseball here. And by no baseball, I mean they don't even really talk about it on the news. Now that it's into the playoffs, we'll get a little blurb every now and then, but something along the lines of "a team with a red bird on their jersey played a couple days ago and beat these other guys ... that and there are some other teams still playing ... mmmm ... let's go get us some nachos". And the closest baseball team to here is the Braves who had a very sad, sad day yesterday, so you'd think they'd at least follow them around here, but no. Pretty much everyone watches Gamecock Football and not much else (by watch, I mean is OBSESSED with) and their year sucks worse than the Ags, so that's no fun either. Anyway, so for having gotten caught up in all the Cardinal Hype the last couple of years, it's very sad to know that's all going on without me. And that I can't even watch much of it on T.V. (no cable just yet)

Anyway, so in trying to see the silver lining, I've decided that my leaving St. Louis might help the Cardinal's since I've altered their karma ... you can't explain these things, you can merely point them out ... and maybe this time they'll have a better showing in the Series.

Sleepeeeeey

Have you ever had one of those weeks where every day you feel completely sleep deprived regardless of how much sleep you are getting? I think I'm on my second week of that.

All of this makes it quite hard to focus, and I've read about all the message boards I can stomach while trying to wake myself up.

The as-promised photos

Before I get too carried away, I have two friends that are down to within days of having little ones emerge from their wombs, and I wish them both the best of luck while I kick up my legs and thumb through interior design magazines over a chilled latte. Let me know if you need anything, girlies. I had offered to take some cookies to my prego-friend here in town, and I was going to let her choose her favorite until I saw a canister of pumpkin, black cats, ghost, and goblin shaped sprinkles at Target yesterday, at which time my open ended cookie giving turned into Halloween sugar cookies. But who doesn't like Halloween sugar cookies? I daresay my Reece's loving Karo would even gobble a goblin or two.

Anyway, so friends, feast your eyes upon our soon-to-be-abode.



Our official new home in it's developing stages


... developing master bedroom and closet


... developing kitchen with missy practicing her hollywood poses


... developing kitchen/breakfast nook with missy practicing second hollywood pose


... developing rear and deck with missy not practicing hollywood pose and looking bloated


and finally, dr. j's artistic zoom in of the developing porch.

We signed a contract on the house!!

Pictures to follow.

As well as much paper signage and a tremendously lengthy lists of tasks prior to ownership. If all goes smoothly, D-day is Nov 23.

My computer friendly time has signifcantly decreased

Which doesn't speak well for my e-future not to mention my availability for dancing to the rhythm.

Here's a house update: we've FINALLY started the offer/negotiation process. As it turns out, my alien-resident of a husband is going to make this a touch more difficult than we would have liked, but we'll get through it, little green antennas or not.

Other good news: the wedding photographer has been overly-swamped and behind but will be posting our photos by next week - yay! So all the requests I've gotten for photos will soon be appeased. Plus, we get a few free prints for the wait - excellent! It pays to be patient. (stop snickering mother)

When you gotta go ...

Working diligently, I didn't quite realize how loud nature was calling me until I had to burst down the hallway and was forced to unbutton and unzip my pants as I was opening the door to the ladies' restroom as to not waste any valuable time standing around once I was safely in the stall. Note: pants came open NOT upon entering the stall ... upon entering from the main hallway.

To celebrate how childlike I felt, I high-fived all the posters, corridor corners and hangy-down-thingys on the way back to my office.

Lost, my sci-fi lust

Gotta admit, I love that show Lost. And I just wasted my lunch break plus some scanning message boards and snickering at people's theories and overactive imaginations. However, as much as I wish that show was just mysterious and fun to watch (ahem, Matthew Fox), I can't deny the fact that there is SO much mystery in the plotlines, that there must inevitably be something complex, if not science fiction, about the way it has to play out. So I'm in the midst of trying to console myself to the fact that I really love a sci-fi drama, which I've always despised to the point of nausea.

3-0

You know how we all have those friends that so fervently loathe aging like the wild beast from hell that it is that they act as though birthdays actually inflict physical pain on their bodies? And although we may have many friends who would rather not talk about it, there's the one that is so adamant about the not talking about it that just to keep him or her honest it is imperative that you bring it up on every possible occasion?

Mine is turning thirty on Monday. Go three - oh. Sweet Lord this is gonna be fun.

Prayers for South Texas

Local weatherman Bruce came to our 6th graders classrooms yesterday to talk about pressure or air currents or something ... I'm not really sure. I could have paid better attention if Columbia, SC didn't have the hottest meterologist ever! Sorry, Dr. J. I came home, didn't I?

Anyway, so I did learn much about the pending hurricane that's causing all the Houston traffic to rear its ugly head. Friends and family there, keep me posted, I'm worried for you all!

Also, breathe easy folks. The Ags got the game in early. Thank God we didn't also have to sacrifice a weekend of Texas Football. At least they didn't keep it scheduled for Saturday. I suppose the NCF will see it's limitations from time to time.

Refer Me to Dance to the Rhythm

A very occasional pasttime of mine is to look at what pages have referred my blog. It's interesting to see what combos of words lead you my way, and even more interesting to see the combos of words people are looking for in the first place. I should have been posting these before now, they almost always make me laugh, but this week I hit pay dirt by being referred from yahoo search when someone search for "soaked panties" (I was about 50-something on the referral list, but hey, you didn't make that list, did you?). I thinking I have officially recieved recognition for my talents.

Other notable entries for this week on yahoo were:
"oprah granola pie million dollar" the number THREE result! WOW!
"cheetoe" - number FIVE result ... are Daisy (2002-2005) and I the only ones who appreciate the contribution of the cheetoe???
"the mascara story pictures" - number TWO
"football thought of the week" - number TWO AND FOUR

Our First Achievement as a Married Couple

I am pleased to announce that as of 11:00 pm, Wednesday, September 21st, we have completed Season One of 24.

I suppose all of our shock and dismay at the ending was about 4 years behind the rest of the television-loving-world, but nevertheless, shocked and dismayed we were. I am a firm believer in not spoiling endings for other people ever since the time that Dietra told me that Macaulay Culkin dies in My Girl as we were on our way to the theater. I still cried when that little cutie got all the bee stings and bit it in the end, but it just wasn't the same. All this to say, you'll have to watch 24 for yourself.

There is no way a normal person can read this and not be completely mortified on her behalf

Probably most of you have already read that she said this, but I just came across it and I just want to SHAKE HER INTO REALITY, but I can't so I'll do a little blog-shaking in her direction.

"I have a feeling I'm going to have an operation. I don't know why but I hope so.

"My mom said giving birth was the most excruciating thing she's ever gone through in her life. So if a caesarian doesn't happen, I'll be like, 'Epidural, please.' "

"The only thing I haven't done so far is experience the closest thing to God and that's having a baby. I can't wait."

-Brit brit


She's not a kid anymore (matter of fact, she's raising one!), but it's as though she still exists in the mental and emotional state of a five year old.

I'm officially a student

I have my first exam tonight. It's a non-engineering class so I spent half the day yesterday memorizing lists and definitions. I felt twelve. The good thing is that it only takes a couple hours to study for it, freeing up plenty o' time to make a batch of chicken n' dumplings and to read half of Eldred's 106 Common Mistakes Homebuyers Make ... I'll keep you posted if it results in us not making any. I assure you, it has already prevented a few.

All this free time pre-exam does make me dread taking engineering classes again. All I can say is a big, fat ugh.

House Hunting Update

I know I haven't been putting any detailish things up about the house hunting. We have found a house we really like that's under construction in an old neighborhood, close to work, church and Target which pretty much covers the basic necessities of life. So I'm supposed to meet with the builder to see if we can change a few things about the house today or Monday. If things go well, we hope to put an offer down soon and then we hope that an angel will be sent down from heaven to fill out the paper work and double our down payment (and possibly throw in some guest bedroom furniture and maybe some artwork for the living room). Once things are more set in stone, there will be photo posting and wild announcements. Celebrations of unimaginable enormity will be in order.

Pet Peeve

Please do not send me photos that are greater than 2 MB a piece in an email. I can see the same photo when it's only 100 Kb. If you don't understand what I mean, you are probably the one that's sending them to me.

And don't come over and squish my toothpaste in all the wrong directions or flip the toilet paper upside down.

There. Now we can be friends again.

ok this is just weird

Is it possible that my logging in to Flickr made the photos work again? Does anyone out there know the answer to this?!?

Why aren't my pictures coming up?

If anyone knows the answer to the title of this posting, please feel free to help me out. I haven't had time to figure out this little puzzle, nor do I think I have the capability even if I had a weeks time to give my undivided attention to the problem.

Dr. J and I are in the middle of watching the first season of 24. I wish I had listened to our friends Maureen and Diego back in the day when they told us we would love that show because now we are completely addicted and it's costing us money to feed the addiction. It's just as well during the summer because there's nothing much on TV (save Dancing with the Stars) but the new season of Lost is right around the corner and we are going to have to start scheduling our evenings to get all this hard work in.

Also, since J and I are right around the corner with this house thing (we hope) let's start looking towards the Other Perks of getting out of our apartment .... namely, Dr. J will let me get another kitty. (Yes, we had wanted a dog, but it's looking like the house and yard will be a touch too small to support the canine of our choosing) .... Thus, shall we start thinking of names? Any ideas, little friends?

To guide your thoughts, with the exception of Daisy, I have always named the little ones after some favorite characters from books, movies, musicals, etc. Any favorites among you?

Dreamy Stupor

I am way too young to have chronic back pain but I do. It's in this one crampey spot and I can't get rid of it. Believe it or not I am pretty sure it's an ergonomic issue that I got from my last job which got so bad, I think I'm never going to rid myself of it. Anyway, so last night I took a muscle relaxer that the doc had given me (with much warning as to the drowsiness effects of it) and I fell into a drug induced coma which took me about 15 hours to sleep off. Needless to say I was a little late to work, but my back does feel a little better.

We had our quiktrip to the Big D this weekend to watch my little bro marry his new bride. In spite of absolutely everything going wrong for them, they still got married, so the end result was the same. At least the rain held off until 10 pm, as requested. Thanks, God, for a very timely, answered prayer.

Of panties and stockings ...

A friend of mine, and I mean "friend" in the true sense of the word, not code for "something-embarrassing-that-happened-to-me" (I really have no problem posting all my stupid stunts on the internet and claiming them as my own) went for her annual visit to the GYN recently. No, she didn't get stuck midway through a mammogram for 2.5 hours while the power went out and didn't accidentally use her daughter's glitter soaked washcloth to clean up that morning, she simply doesn't live in the United States at present and observed a few subtle differences between the procedure here and there. I didn't ask, but I'll venture a guess that it was still cold and unpleasant. Essentially, she had to undress, walk across the room, and lay on the "observation table" completely naked in front of her doctor. No one gave her a gown or an option.

It's no secret that nakedness is much more ... errr ... available outside of the States than it is within. And for someone like me who is painstakingly modest, I think I would have absolutely blushed from head-to-toe. My friend probably dealt with the situation with much better poise (in the psychological sense) than I would have. She simply accepted that there were no gowns in the available undressing area and just understood the situation. I probably would have asked for a gown and upon rejection, successively named each article of clothing I was wearing, begging to keep one of them on. Even if I ended up laying on an aluminum observation table wearing nothing but stockings.

It probably doesn't help any that when I was 12 I had to start going to the doctor every three months to get my back x-rayed (scoliosis). Mom and I didn't really know what to expect from the initial visit, certainly if we knew I was going to have to wear a hospital gown that didn't close in the back while I waddled back and forth across the room like a duck and then bent over and touched my toes in front of this Doogie Howser of an M.D. that we had given a "10" to when we walked in, I would have worn panties with fewer holes in them. Incidentally, the doctor had to ask my mother to leave the room until after the examination was over because she couldn't stop laughing. Dad was never prouder.

When Tragedy Strikes ...

I'm unspeakably saddened by what has happened to New Orleans and all along the Gulf Coast, and more than a little ashamed at the timeliness of our goverment's response.

However, I'm so proud of how the citizens in all the nearby states have turned out in droves to help out in any way they can, and the financial support from everyone else in the United States. Being from Texas, I'm hearing tons of stories of the outpouring of generosity from all the people there - giving their time, talents, clothing, food ... my mom is even doing laundry. Just to support the hundreds of thousands of people that are staying in shelters in Texas requires tens of thousands of citizens to help support them there. In the small county that I'm from alone, there are 1,000 refugees. And everyone is working to support them ... willingly, happily, and thankful to help.

I've never been prouder to call myself a Texan.

In total, I spent 10 hours on the phone with various airlines yesterday

And now we are on our way to Dallas for my brother's wedding this weekend instead of Houson/Galveston. Very much a last minute change. Their honeymoon cruise has also been cancelled since Carnival has donated the use of some of their cruise ships as shelters. I'm sure my brother and his wife don't mind a bit helping out the hurricane victims, however, you would think that Carnival would NOTIFY them of their cancelled cruise. They just luckily came across the cancellation while websurfing late Sunday night and had to call to verify.

Sigh. If only Dr. J and I could run the world. People would find out their cruise has been cancelled before they drive 6 hours to the dock.

That and air travel would be free. I don't know how I would work that out, but I would.

And cars would endlessly run off of their own emissions and there would be no pollution or $4 gas.

And world peace. And chocolate chip cookies would make you lose weight.

Let me warn you away from Delta

Delta is the most unorganized airline ever. We were given some flyer miles to use on the airline and it is nearly impossible to do, and it takes AT LEAST 2 - 4 hours to figure out what you can't do because their website and phone system BLOWS. Their phone system has left me on hold for 20+ minutes and then hung up on me before I get to speak with anyone THREE TIMES IN SUCCESSION. And I'm having to call them because to find ONE flight that's available for milage purchase takes half an hour. Not to mention how long it takes to compare flights.

DELTA. MAKE A CALENDAR OF YOUR BLACKOUT DATES AND/OR DATES WHICH REQUIRE HIGHER MILAGE. IT'S JUST NOT THAT HARD.

We never fly with them and this experience of attempting to fly with them has been so horrendous that I can't wait for it to be over and then to never mention their name again.

Maybe I will turn this blog into a place where you can publicly let others know how various companies - large and small - try to take advantage of the american consumer. I've got a few stories.

I love that I'm spending my entire holiday on this. Thanks.

Back to Happy Friday

I'm not sure what's to become of this thing, the blog thing, since it's original purpose has now been fulfilled. You've all seen my through my voyage to ColOmbia and have returned with, and beared with me through the initial marital chaos. So now what? Do I keep it up?

My current schedule isn't providing me with the mountainous supply of computer time I had grown accustomed to at my previous employment. Not that I'm complaining. I do, however, have a nugget of a story to share with you later, but for now, Good Morning to All and (in the spirit of yesteryear) ...

"The crime bill passed by the Senate would reinstate the Federal death penalty for certain violent crimes: assassinating the President; hijacking an airliner; and murdering a government poultry inspector."
Knight Ridder News Service dispatch

That should keep the gamecocks happy.

Oh, and GIG'EM AGS!!

Pop This, Mr. Computer Man

So here at the U, even if you are a graduate student, they won't allow you to have administrative privileges on your own machine. Which means you can't do hardly ANYTHING during the day without having to call Mr. Computer Man. I even had to bring him in so I could use my jump drive. UGH!

And I have a personal preference for utilizing a pop-up blocker. Mr. Computer Man says I don't need one because he doesn't have one and it doesn't bother him, so no. How on earth can this possibly violate the university computer policies? It's not like I said can I please have a pop-up blocker that also allows me to download music illegally onto the university network? I'm thinking if I could secretly install a blocker on his machine and he can see how nice it is to not mess with ANY pop-ups, that I might win this battle.

I still need to figure out how to deceptively word the phrase, so how 'bout those instant messaging programs?

And why do computer men not feel the need to wear long pants at work? And why combo the denim cutoffs with a blousy Hawaiian tee? Is it part of their coursework to pick a decade and just go with it?

Wish us Luck!!

Tomorrow, Dr. J and his new wife will embark on the all important, house hunt.

I have the willie-gigs just thinking about what I would do when I don't have to step over the coffee table to sit down on the couch.

When does it stop?

I find the last three comments in my previous post absolutely disgusting. Can't I just write into cyberspace without having to worry about brown-noser-advertisers who are trying to flatter me so that I will visit their site (although a little cheap satelitte tv never hurt nobody)?

Their comments will remain and I hope you all hang your head in humiliation for your little antics.

You know who you are.

As in ... Go Cocks!

I would like to publicly answer a question that was posted on this site. Given the answer, I believe it is important that it be given our undivided attention.

The mascot for USC (no, the other USC ... on the east coast) is the Gamecocks. Like a rooster. Interestingly enough, their rival is Clemson (who the Ags are going to beat the hell outta come next Saturday!!) Tigers. I don't think any of us lay awake at night wondering whether a rooster would actually stand a chance against a tiger, but there are those here that seem to think otherwise. Maybe that's why they call it a cock instead, so you don't realize you're wearing poultry on your jersey.

And yes, there is much paraphenelia here that reads simply, "COCKS". I saw a skinny little freshman girl running around with that very phrase tatooed across her behind on a pair of rather skimpy athletic shorts she was wearing. Is she aware of the message she's sending out, or is she just that naive?

I've been here for 7 days

And I've already lost my keys. This is really going to impress my boss.

We here at Dance to the Rhythm apologize for the inconvenience

I can't say I am ashamed of this, I just simply haven't gotten around to it, but as of today I am back to checking my email address that is posted on this blog. To those of you that have emailed me there anytime in the past 3 months, you'll be hearing from me soon.

I like to use the word mature, rather than old

I haven't quite fallen into the student role yet (other than I did my laundry in the middle of the day on Thursday), I really don't think I am going to feel that way for a while. I've spent most of my week teaching 6th graders (SO fun by the way!). I have my first Wifely Duty this weekend with the Husband's Coworkers. I already feel like a cliche.

I've definitely moved to a college town though. Yesterday while driving in my car, I heard The College Song on the radio. To give you an idea, the chorus contained the lyrics "Oh Dad! Won't you be proud! I can do a keg stand for two minutes now!" and then some kind of similar message to his mother about coke and bourbon costing $2, then yada yada, the girls are easy ... Imagine my utter delight.

Oh and those 6th graders I'm teaching were born when I was a junior in high school. I don't think they would even believe me if I told them we didn't have the internet when I was in school. Friends, you are all very old people.

Honeymoon in a nutshell

We went to an island off the coast of Colombia near Cartegena. I hear Cartegena is not what it used to be. I was starting to get this feeling right about the time that random man on the street accosted me and requested that I eat his ... err ... excrement. I politely declined. It's still a beautiful city and I want to go back once they decide it's time to rid the city of the plague of vendors that is currently swarming their streets.

The island was very remote and very private, it took a very rocky 2 hour speed boat ride to get there. Friends with sea sick tendencies would have been toast. Upon arrival we were welcomed with a nice young gentleman handing us chilled beverages as we exited the boat, had lunch immediately and then headed off to settle in the room. Nap #1. On average, we took 2 to 3 naps (ranging from one to three hours) a day .... some in the room, some on the beach under the huts. I had no idea how tired I was till I got there and had nothing to do but sleep.

Dr. J and I had different ideas about a pleasant day on the beach. I was looking forward to flying through a couple books (sadly, I inadvertently abandoned Harry Potter on the plane) beneath the huts, getting an afternoon massage, and sucking down one pina colada after the next. Dr. J had starry eyes dreaming of the kayaking, snorkeling and sand castle building that lay ahead. Most of the week was some combination thereof, but it's terribly difficult to have productive reading time when your child is in the water constantly screaming, "look at me! look at me! come see this!". Sadly, I didn't have the camera with me the day the Grand Castle was constructed so I can't show you Dr. J's handiwork that was so extensive that it nearly caused us to miss lunch hour. (Also, let me point out that there were a couple dozen children under the age of 12 and NONE of them built sand castles until after old school Dr. J took the initiative)

I did manage to get that massage, oh and to have a friendly native woman spend two hours braiding my hair (photos to come). The only bad thing about the week was that the food wasn't really up to par. This could be considered a good thing since we didn't eat ourselves into oblivion, however, by "par" I mean that I spent one night Praying to the Porcelain God until the island nurse came and injected a syringe into my bo. On my honeymoon. It was most embarrassing, yet somehow very fitting for me. It was sort of another welcoming ceremony to Dr. J so he could really see what he'd gotten into.

I suppose there is more, we'll see if I get to it later.

New Town, New Name

I thought it would be convenient to take care of some of this name change stuff before I get too settled into this new town. I think most people wait a few weeks before they start having to fill out thousands upon thousands of forms, but not me, I have to fill them out right now. And since the name change thing takes a few days to process, I will have to fill them all out again in a few weeks and then probably battle for the next 3 years what could have been avoided if everything just went my way all the time.

And it is so very very humid here. I've already sweat off half my body weight running between offices here. It's most unsightly.

Ahhhhhhhh

Home.

After about a 17 hour drive yesterday, Dr. J and I have finally crawled into our own private space. There's lots to do this weekend so that we can actually walk and/or sit somewhere in this apartment, but at least these don't involve sleeping in other people's beds or driving across the Continental U.S. The only bad thing is that it doesn't really feel much like home here and probably won't for a while.

Maybe a Tivo would help :-)

No stories here ... no time yet

What a whirlwind of sightseeing these last few days have been. And oh just fyi to the parents, if you really want those grandbabies that you are ALREADY pressuring us about, don´t put us in side-by-side twin beds. You guys know how it works.

To all: I would like to announce that after a FIVE AND ONE HALF MONTH dry spell, I will be returning to my own bed this Friday night.

More that Dance to their own Rhythm

I´ll have to start further back and work my way up to present time. There´s a story that the world really shouldn´t have to wait a second longer to hear, anyone who was at my wedding probably heard it, but it´s so classic, I know they´ll all still laugh when they hear it again. And again.

My "rehearsal dinner" was more of eating barbeque at a friend´s house in town, uber-low-key. Rehearsal ran a little late, imagine that, so we all showed up about 45 minutes late to the dinner and I felt awful since we had several friends that were just joining us for the dinner and had probably been waiting on us that whole time, hanging out with my friends that they didn´t know. They were amusing themselves, I needn´t have worried.

I have many friends that sort of just float around in their own little bubbles, paying enough attention to things to just get by and use the correct gender bathroom. One of them was heading up this group. She and her husband came with the husband and 10-month old of one of my bridesmaids. However, not having REALLY looked at the directions and only gotten the general idea of where things were, they stopped about 15 houses too early at the first party they saw.

Intruders: Knock, knock, knock. Hi! I´m Carm and this is my husband Dom and this is Heather´s husband Matt!

People who had all reason to be there: Great! Come on in! Help yourself to some food and make yourself at home!

So scuttles in the trio and baby who settle themselves into a few plates of cheese crackers and set up baby with a bib and some munchies so they can hang out to wait for the wedding party to show.

(THIRTY MINUTES PASSES. It should be noted that during this time the party photographer took their photo for the scrapbook.)

Trio decides to be more social, Dom´s off to get a Margarita, and Carm´s mingling with Matt in tow. So they start making the rounds...

People who had all reason to be there: So, whose baby is this?

Intruders: Heather´s baby.

People who had all reason to be there: OH! .... Who´s Heather?

Intruders: A friend of Amber

People who had all reason to be there: OHHHHHH!!!! ... Who´s Amber?

Intruders: The .... bride?

People who had all reason to be there: Umm ... we`re realtors.

(Matt and Carm left to clean up baby cracker crumbs while Dom bolts at world record pace for the door. More photos taken for scrapbook)

Will be returning to dance to the rhythm soon

Well the wedding is over, the honeymoon is pretty much over and there is much to tell... Dr. J and I have had a great time ... followed by some rather interesting times that will make great stories in the future. All to come soon ...

Thanks Suzie

Dang. If only I'd gotten the word earlier.

Should I go to grad school?

Kids and Screaming

Usually I'm the unfortunate one that has to sit at the back of the plane with all the screaming kids since my travel plans always seem to get made last minute (I guess it's possible that since I travel the economic route this could have a little something to do with it as well). Anyhooooo ... yesterday I managed to finagle a second row seat and really enjoyed my three hour flight without having to listen to the engines or know when ever passenger flushed. However, about a half hour from the end of the trip a three year old two rows behind me started screaming bloody murder like someone had just broken her arm and was trying to set it ... over ... and over ... and over.

I really tried to not be one of those passengers that turns around and looks ... I know those moms are embarrased and are trying to shut their fool kids up, but after 15 minutes of banchee behavior and my headache that had developed, I had to peek. Sure enough, it was the lady that had walked her daughter onto the plane with a leash and a harness. Yeah, when I saw the daughter-on-a-string I thought it was a little bit ridiculous but it didn't really clue me in that it is probably a sign of someone that just doens't know how to be a parent. This lady just let her kid SCREEEEEEEEAAAAAAAAM (I don't mean cry either) for a half hour and all she did to try and calm her was make a very faint shhhhhhh every 20 seconds or so. Finally, a perfect stranger calmed her down by letting her play with her bookmark. This girl is either going to be a librarian or she just needed a toy. Me thinks the latter is more likely. Why the parent didn't try something, the world will never know.

I'm not opposed to having kids on planes, and I know why they cry. Planes are scary things. Sometimes I want to cry. But maybe we should evaluate which parents should fly the friendly skies.

As if I don't already have a wedding to attend shortly and then that honeymoon thing followed by the Other Reception and the drive from Dallas to SC

But today I had my "orientation" for graduate school dos accompanied by the work program I'll be starting. Oh and as soon as we get back here in a month (after completing above duties) we'll have to start up that house buying thing and the whole getting married thing, with a quick interlude of the brother's getting married a month later thing. Yup. That should about do it.

Most importantly, I have my entire extended family watching the first season of 24. If anyone owns it and wants to let us borrow it, you'd save us a cumulative rental fee of about $75.

It's about the weather, which I know is really old and boring but at least it's not about the wedding

I can't believe how much it has rained here this month. I think it will be quite the achievement to post this blog without the power shutting off as well. I feel like I'm in some sort of tropical (humid) climate and in the rainy-season. It's still about 100 degrees every day but the nights and mornings are so pleasant and cool. The folks and I swang on the back porch with the kitties last night and watched the storm tear branches from the trees. Probably safer inside, but not nearly the fun!

At least it will probably be cooler than we were expecting for the wedding now (DANG! I almost made it without mentioning the "W" word, I swear I'm not one of those brides)

A different kind of game

When you watch a baseball game from the OWNER'S BOX (as Karo, BK, and I did on Friday night - Thanks BK!) it really, REALLY changes your perspective on the game. You gotta be on your toes though. Sitting right next to the dugout can prove to be quite precarious from a foul ball point-of-view. And it really adds to the fun when you can actually see the answer to boxer vs. briefs question.

Karo came away a much more learned person than before the game, having learned many a baseball rule, and what exactly that guy-that-just-stands-there-next-to-first-base-and-doesn't-do-anything-ever is actually doing.

Err ...

I might have been a little jumpy with the asterisk. I'm not sure I'm ready to give up on The Abbots, the Browns and the gang just yet. I'm such a sap when it comes to that show. I'll lose DH, we'll talk about the other one.

I keep meaning to tell you that ...

M&D (local reference to Mom and Dad) TIVO'd my shows while I was in ColOmbia including Scrubs, Grey's Anatomy, Desperate Housewives*, & Everwood* ... all except the season finale of EVERY SINGLE ONE OF THEM. And Television Without Pity only recaps DH, which I've really lost interest in anyway.

* will be removed from Missy's Fall 2005 Television Line Up. My heart has been won over by 24 and Lost, and those will probably please the rest of the house more anyway. Compromise means never having to watch Star Trek.

Stop feeding me! I have to wear that dress here in about 25 days!

Every day since I've been home someone has made cakes, cupcakes, homemade ice cream, potato salad, deviled eggs (DELISH!) brought over bags of cheetos or slapped some brats on the grill. I can pass on the ice cream relatively easy, not really my thing, but at church Sunday there were rows upon rows upon rows of cupcakes and there is NO walking by those without sucking down at least a bakers dozen. I actually attacked the cupcake man when he tried to sneak by with the ones with sprinkles.

This really has to stop. Not forever, just for ... oh ... 25 more days and then someone can FILL my hotel room with cupcakes. Or .. hmm .. it does seem like there will be cake available that day too ... but from what ...

Quickie

Sorry guys, things are just crazy and hectic still. I wrote a couple posts on the plane but I don't have them with me. I did spare you the details of the airplane musical chairs debacle that was brought on by the Dominican who wanted to sit with his wife and son (not child, he was about 35) yet the three of them all had reserved seats in the middle of three different rows (and none of them had seats in the row he insisted on them utilizing). I was forced to relinquish my beloved aisle seat to squirm between two very stout gentlemen to accommodate his desperation. It was quite pathetic.

Thanks to all my amazingly wonderful friends who showered me with e- and snail-mail cards full of welcome homes and birthday greetings!

Happy Birthday to Me!

I get to come home tomorrow!

The other reason I’m ready to come home

I have had this allergic reaction to something on my hands which has turned quite ugly and rather infected. Mostly only the fingers adjacent to the one that I’ll be taking pictures of here in about a month. Rock on.

Home Sweet Home

I just did a weather check and noticed on my first full day back, it should be 100 degrees. Sweeeeet!

Oh and last night, on the way home from seeing Madagascar (cute, but I felt so bad for that starving lion ... lions can't live of SUSHI - COME ON!) the guy dj-ing the car radio halted when he heard Whitney belt out ... Iiiiiif, IIIIIIIIIIIIIII, cooould stay ...

Now, I won't deny that I'm a closet Bodyguard fan. If Dr.J's out working late and my neighbors are away and TNT shows it's version of the movie, I'm the first to make popcorn. And MAYBE I would "not change the radio station" if it came on, but that's a MAYBE, and that's if I'm in that time of the month where I cry every 15 seconds .... MAYBE. But under normal circumstances, I'm with the rest of the world, and it's. been. played. enough. You certainly shouldn't try to sing along when there are other people in the car, Mister. Oh no, you don't sing Whitney in public. No, no, no, no, NO.

Nearly done

As my D-Day approaches I am starting to salivate and long for what lies ahead. Day 1 involves a giant cookies gorged to it's seams with dark chocolate, and then I can probably settle and slow down a bit. My mom and aunt are in top form with invitation making, just about done with the exception of a few stragglers. I so left the country at the perfect time to avoid hand cramps from overuse of calligraphy pens.

It has only recently occurred to me that I've never actually been out of the country this long before. And the odd thing is, that I've missed it much more on my shorter trips. I guess one can really only take so much sightseeing before you need to go to the movies and sleep late, and I've had my fill of sleeping in here. Although, I fear that I'm aging exponentially here since I haven't been able to sleep past 7:00 a.m. even once. Maybe it's all the rice.

I have two Spanish classes remaining, a dentist appointment, a nail appointment (oh by the way, you can get a french manicure on your hands and feet for a grand total of $4 here. yeah, that's $2 for each. and they'll even handpaint a dainty little flower on your big toe and fourth finger for you if you so desire) and a going away party Saturday. Talk about a place that loves an excuse to party. I've been here 7 weeks and I'm having a going away party.

Dad, I'm making a list of Day 1 necessities. Expect an email.

Eyewear and Vanity

As many of you know, I have a tendency to get eye infections, which tend to worsen with contacts. I have been given a number of prescriptions to help me out, several of which contain precautions that prolonged use “may cause cataracts”. I’m not sure that the wearing of the contacts is the problem, but they definitely encourage and inflame the problems once they start. If I wear my glasses and let my eyes breathe the problems normally work themselves out. The length of time that I have to wear them varies according to how severe I let the problem get before I just wear my glasses.

Obviously the logical answer is that I should just wear my glasses all the time, but simply, I am too vain. I feel frumpy (not to mention sleepy) and underdressed when I wear them, like I’m walking around in pajamas and pretending like I just forgot to get dressed that morning. I salute those of you that have the self-confidence to wear glasses all the time, I don’t have it, and truth be told, I don’t desire it. And I’m not talking about the group that is all cutsie and adorable in glasses with your trendy frames and your thin lenses. I’m talking to the group, like me, that would have been the village idiot 200 years ago, but for the coke bottles they have to wear so you don’t slap up against walls and trip over the edge of carpeting … you know, the lenses that warp the shape of your eye depending on the angle that someone looks at you … those of us with 10+ year old frames because WE can’t afford to continually update our frames and lenses because OUR glasses cost the equivalent of a home theater system.

And right now, I’m having tons of allergy problems and was going through contacts rather quickly … trying to wear newer contacts rather than having to don the frames. Here however, my cheapness has overcome my vanity … that and this time I really don’t want this to escalate to the point that I am caught wearing glasses at my own wedding, so I’ve been wearing my glasses for a couple of weeks and I HATE that in half my vacation photos I look like I was torn from my sheets at the crack of dawn and tossed into a group photo.

And if you are wondering why I don’t have surgery and just have my eyes fixed, send me a check for $4,000 and I’ll consider it.

Sunday Morning I locked myself out of the house before anyone woke up and had to ring the doorbell for 20 minutes

I'm not elaborating more on the title. That's what happened.

Dr. J's mom has been on a kick to teach me Colombian cooking. There's hardly time to learn to cook here since The Cook is always cooking breakfast or lunch. Anyway, today we are learning Arroz con Coco (which I ate a week or so ago at a friends house ... it was love at first site for me) and Arroz con Leche which is a dessert. Both are delicious. Dr. J shivers with delight every time I learn a dish from here.

More importantly, Dr. J's father got sick on Saturday and had to go to the doctor. Not to worry, he's fine. Nothing two pills a day and an inhaler every couple hours can't cure. Anyway, I did not accompany them to the doctor, and Isabel was working and Victoria was playing at a friend's house. And I. Was. Alone.

I watched a 5-hour Marathon of "24" All. By. Myself.

It has literally been months since I was alone. I even have to sleep with my door open here because of the heat. And my March Parents know how difficult this is for me, what with fire safety and all.

If you are like me and have never watched that show before - DUUUUUUDE! It rocks!

Moscas

Everything insect like that has the ability to fly here is referred to as a mosca (fly). If you inquire further, you can come across different names such as mosquitoes, fleas, etc. I’m one of those lucky people that is especially susceptible to the mosquito … I get it ... I’m sweet or different and rather delicious … I’m foreign cuisine. I think most gringos here are attacked by mosquitoes, but I really take it to the next level. I get at least four mosquito bites a day, and that’s down from about six or seven a day. Needless to say, my body has been covered by mosquito bites since the day I arrived, no matter how religious I am with the repellent. I think they like it when I use repellent, then they can bite me anyway, leaving their distinctive red swollen marks the size of the U.S. quarter, and snicker at my pathetic efforts to prevent it.

A couple of days ago the unthinkable happened when a mosca bit me on my face. Right there on the high point of my cheek. And I stomped around irritated about it for a day or so until last night when one bit me on the lip.

The lip.

Isn’t there some sort of unwritten code of agreement that thou mosquito shalt not bite thy prey on thy lip? Or even thy face? It happened while we were watching a movie on TV and luckily it was dark and no one see that the left side of my bottom lip was three times the size of the right. I already stand out enough here without having facial features like botox gone awry.