Merry Christmas!!



(PS. Kim, you suck at posting.)

Almost There

I am one [work] week away from surviving my first semester as a hall director. Hot damn, where does the time go?

The building closes, essentially, on Wednesday. I have one dumb kid who didn't ask for an extension but is going on a school trip, so he might not get to move his stuff to his new hall until Friday. Damn him! But I told my staff to plan on being here until Friday anyway, so that's life. My flight is at 6:45 am on Saturday-- then home! Yay!

So my week:
Monday/Tuesday: 6 judicial cases-- yay beer pong. With study room furniture! Smart kids.
Tuesday/Wednesday: checking out kids for my floor that currently has no RA.
Wednesday: staff ice skating! I think. Yay.
Thursday: Finishing up around the builiding... RD Tacky Holiday Sweater Progressive Dinner!
Friday: Finishing up, sending my staff on their merry way
Saturday: Home!! Doug's birthday, concert
Sunday: KIM!! :)

Yay. More reflections later. This turned out different than I planned.

P.S.

Kim, I totally just noticed that Megan kicks our butt at blogging.  We should work on this!

Snow!!!

This is me blogging! I miss you girls mucho!  I will now update you on my life! :)

1.  It snowed today!!! It was really pretty but ended up only being like an inch...very disappointing.  However, the ski resort that is like 20 min from my house opened last Friday, so I think I might take lessons this weekend.

2.  The snow is now melted.

3.  I can't wait to go home for Christmas; however, I might be going home sooner than that.  Todd's (mom's fiancee) dad is in a coma, and the doctor advised them to start making funeral plans.  Todd's dad lives in NY, so I might be flying out to watch the kids while mom and Todd go to NY.

4. Tomorrow is my 6 month anniversary at my job!! Woo!!  Have I mentioned that I love my job?

5.  That means that it will be basically impossible to fire me with Utah laws.  I'm thinking about going in a bathing suit just for fun.

6.  Tomorrow,  I take the written part of my Spanish final!!!

7.  I am SO over Spanish and will be taking strength training next semester.

8.  Dang, it's actually hard to come up with 10 things today!

9.  The guy I was talking to is not in a relationship; however, he appears to be a big flirt.  We never actually went out...we've just been emailing, but I think I'll steer clear.

10. I totally hung Christmas lights all around the perimeter of my office today.  They complement my tree and gingerbread house!!

Love you and miss you guys!

Thankful

Happy Thanksgiving!

Things I am thankful for:

• A healthy, happy life
• A job, an income, and it's one I like, at that!
• An amazing family.
• Great friends.
• A wonderful guy in my life... who understands and puts up with me being so far away. But who looks forward more than anyone to me coming home.. and it's a good feeling sometimes. -gush- :]
• A roof over my head. And 400 others' heads.
• Y'all! [I guess you fit in the 'good friends' category, but it's worth separating]

Happy Thanksgiving everyone!

Oh, Junior High...

Goodbye, TRL. Thanks for giving me something to watch every day for three years...

I always got mad when Korn made the #1 spot instead of the Backstreet Boys. I remember when the crazy kid, Jesse, was hired as the new VJ. Wow...

Aw, the memories.

Weight of the World

You know you're a little too stressed when, even after venting it to five co-workers, taking a half-hour lavendar de-stress bubbble bath... you still feel your shoulders shaking, your back being tight, and no mental relief whatsoever.

I need Thanksgiving/Winter Break.
I need a little sanity.
I need a break, period.
I need a massage. Wanna donate?
I need a little home.

It's just hit me recently that both my sister and I aren't going to be home for Thanksgiving. That's the first time ever. How weird that will be for my parents! I'm sad I'm not going home. But I do have plans here, so it's kind of okay, it will just be strange.

I'm stressed. Did I mention that?

Megan's recent life:
- hired a new RA! So I had a full staff for the first time all semester.
- missing student
- student's stuff messed with by ex-roommate
- drug bust from two weeks ago
- finally got druggie to move
- fired one of my staff members. No more full staff.

That's that, in a nutshell.

Randomness

My dad gets here tomorrow!! I'm super excited. But also a little sad because my apartment is nowhere near decorated. So it's really just off-white everywhere. And I'm kind of embarassed to show it off. Sigh. My living room isn't even done yet! SAD.

I was talking to a friend of a friend who lived down here in Texas for a month, and Hurricane Ike basically sent him back to Illinois. So we were talking, as I drove him around campus one day, about him leaving. And then talked about how long I wanted to be here. And you know, I was just saying the average as a hall director is 2-3 years, usually no more than 3. Usually it's unhealthy to do more than 3! Anyway, so then we were talking about him packing up and what it would take for me to get home. So then he was saying, "Well it looks like leaving is already in your head." And I realized.. yeah, it's way back there. And I don't like that it's there. I mean, to a degree, it should be. But at the same time, no bueno. Unless somenthing drastic happens, I'm here for two years at least!

So Jess... don't focus on leaving in two years. Focus on what you are doing, and what you can do and will do while you're there. I know you keep saying two years, but who on earth knows where two years will bring you. Keep that open mind-- I know I told you all the time, but I want you to remember that too..

Hi Kim! I hope Medusa turned out amazing. Show pictures!!

Love you both. <3

Blog blog blog

So, I was looking at our blogs and realized that we need to have 2 more by Friday. This is because we've had 8 blogs a couple months but never 9.  So, I'm challenging us to beat the record.  It's been really nice weather here the past couple days!!! Like 70-72! It's like mini San Diego.  I also love love love my job.  My mom asked me if that means I will want to stay in Utah.  I had to inform her that although I love it, all good things must come to an end...and this is no different....that's my piece of advice for the day! Off to read a book! LOVE! Miss you guys!

Listy Listy

Since making a list seems to be the popular thing...

1. I left work today at 10:30pm. Yuck. I hate that I have a 60 hour a week job but only get paid for 40 hours. Boo.
2. I had a political discussion with my students yesterday. They can't believe that I would be so conservative as to vote for the alcohol ban on the beaches. Ha! I laughed at that one. If only they knew...
3. One month until Thanksgiving Week and I couldn't be more excited.
4. I went apple picking last weekend with my sister and her bf. I'm pretty sure it was the most exciting thing I've done in three months. Is that pathetic?
5. Agreed about the friends. I feel like I don't have anyone here. I mean really...who would I call in case of emergency? Jerome? Honestly, he would be the top of my list right now. Awwwwkwwwaaaard.
6. I was a total beast to my student assistant today. I was frustrated and I took it out on him. And now I feel terrible.
7. We're doing a coloring contest in my office for Halloween. Lovin' it!
8. It's Homecoming on Saturday. And I can't wait for it to be over.
9. I've been very anxious lately because of some medical tests I had done two weeks ago. And I haven't heard results...which only makes me more anxious. I won't get into details yet, but please just keep me in your thoughts. I promise it's not life threatening.
10. I just feel like I needed a nice even list.

P.S. I'm listening to music right now and the song playing is "Your Kiss is On My List" by Hall and Oates. Haha. Lists.

Slacker....

That's what I feel like being.  I'm totally wiped, but I have to edit this silly assessment book.

1.  I love my job...

2.  I know how ya feel, Megan, about the friends thing.  I want to have one good friend in Utah...here friendy friendy friendy...

3.  I kinda may have a boy

4.  He may live in Arkansas gah

5.  Marilee is coming this weekend woo!  

6.  There is no way that I'll have the book edited by then like she wants me to.

7.  It's freaking cold in Utah.

8.  I'm almost to 10 and then I'm stopping

9.  I go to Jacksonville to present at ASHE in a couple weeks

10.  Anyone want to clean my house?

Lavender Fizz Ball

1. Lavender fizz bath balls from WalMart are neat. You throw them in as the tub's filling up, and it goes crazy and turns your water all purple. Fun!
2. The last two days have been... well, RIDIC.
3. This is among several of the times where I've wondering what I'm doing in this position... like, for real.
4. On the plus side, my supervisor, his supervisor, and our Director all say I'm doing very well, and that my building has never been as good as shape as it is in now (judicials, alcohol issues, drug issues, etc.).
5. Two months yesterday and I get to go home!
6. That seems soooo far away. :(
7. I feel that it's some days like today (and yesterday, and a few days last week) that I need to come home to a slobbery, fuzzball puppy/dog, just someone to greet me and cheer me up when I need it most.
8. I guess I'm kind of lonely sometimes. Okay, a lot of times. I have friends, I do, but there are times I still feel like I'm struggling to find anyone to call a real good friend around here. It took awhile in San Diego, but it's kind of important.
9. I'm going to see Boys Like Girls, Gavin DeGraw, Metro Station and Blue October in December! Woo! $30. :)
10. Oh, and TAI was amazing. ♥
11. I think that's it.

Sigh.

Here Fishy Fishy

I've had my first real "fishbowl" moment.


Given that I was never an RA, I can only say that I understand the concept of being in the fishbowl. Until now. I've officially been the fish being stalked by the cat from looking over the top into the water. But I've admitted it. I've talked to my supervisor about it. And I've definitely, sooo definitely, learned from it.


The story, you ask? Wellll, you know how birthdays go. *guilty face* So when Tina was here visiting, we went out to Austin and 6th Street (oooh infamous 6th Street) for my birthday. A bunch of my co-workers came, my family friend (Bethany) came, it was a good time. But, seriously, I haven't been drunk since... May. More like March, probably. So Megan had a little too much fun... wayyyyy too quick. Whew. So needless to say, we go upstairs (really? Stairs? At a large bar? Dumb.) to dance, and we dance for a little bit, and my knee gives. Not likeI'll-be-back-up-in-five-minutes-gives, but gives. Like I can't stand, can't walk, can't do nothing. So I drunkenly stumble to a chair, at which point some crazy hippie (yay Austin) asks my friends if I'll be okay, they say my knee's given out, and he asks if he can make it better. So he puts his hand on my knee and stars bowing and does this crazy chant thing. Haha, hooray Austin. So I sit a little while longer, we chill a little while, and then we go back downstairs (why? I don't know), where I sit down at a table with my co-worker's friend (who's been staying with her since he was a Galveston evacuee, so we all know him well), where I proceed to vom all on the floor. *blush* He moved a little, just to hide the fact that I was puking at this bar. Classy, I know. So at some point, we get up to leave. Nick, Galveston Boy, carries me five blocks to the car. And we drive home-- at which point I'm pretty sure really-drunk goes to really-trashed, and yet again I vom all over the side of the highway (side note: ten points for me, though, because unlike Loralie's car, this car made it home clean. Oh, Kim. Yes, I was that beyond drunk, like that one night at the Lamplighter). And then make it home.

And then... damnit, I have to get up the stairs, across my lobby, and down some stairs to get to my apartment! But of course my smoker community is chilling on their picnic table out front, two of my RAs are in the lobby about to start their last round, and yay. So Tina tries to play off as the really drunk one, whereas my knee had just given out (which is true, I still couldn't walk at this point). And somehow made it to my apartment. Um. Yeah.

So I had a conversation with my supervisor yesterday during my 1:1 because one of my residents kind of called me out last week. Ha. Lovely. So I just told my supervisor that I was wayyy beyond embarassed, especially once resident called me out. And he was totally understanding, saying that you know, we've all been there at some point, and unlike your underage resident, you're of age! So yeah. Difficult conversation over, embarassment still remains a little bit, but... okay.

Anyway. The adventures of Megan to continue. *blush again* Sigh.

Happy Birthday!!!

From San Diego to San Marcos - I miss you!!!

Happy Birthday to Megan!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Love ya!

Pink Month

Day 1!

I pulled out all my pink clothing to one side. Hot damn, I own a lot of pink.

Breast Cancer Awareness Month

So I've always said I would try to do something for BCAM. And I never do. Sometimes I wear a ribbon. Sometimes I don't.

But today I came up with a challenge to myself. I'm going to wear pink every day in October. Seriously. If I need to, I can repeat outfits. But truly, I've got enough freaking pink in my closet that I don't think I'll need to. :) I'm going to have one of my RAs take a picture every day and I'll put it on my LiveJournal to see if I can make it my own challenge.

And, I'm going to admit, I've never had a clinical examination... mamm, or anything. So I'm going to go do that this month too.

My great-grandmother had breast cancer, though it wasn't the reason she passed away, but was among many things. I think I'm going to do this for her, and the several other women me and my family knew. I'm making this a challenge for myself... wanna join?

I have pink tank tops, shirts, dressy shirts, skirts... I think I have plenty! Woo!

Happy Birthday!!!!

You're old!! Oh, I mean happy almost birthday!!! Miss you and love you!

Happy (almost) Birthday, Kim!! ♥

i <3 assessment....

So...I've decided that I like my job...a lot.  Not enough to stay here more than 2 years though. :)  The people I work with are finally adapting to my sarcasm and using it back!  I told a few groups yesterday that I didn't care if their goal was to plant sod around their office next year....if sod is important to them, then they should articulate that esp. if student's are learning from it.  Basically, I was trying to portray that they're not doing this for me or anyone else....they should be doing what's important to them and what they think are the important things students take away from using their services....yes, i'm a nerd....

Spanish is going better....I like having mini lessons via aol with Megan. :)  I've also gotten myself wrapped up in the housing phenomenon on campus...I think we have like 900 students who live on campus...altogether.  We're looking at building new res halls, but we don't have a cafeteria....students have to walk all the way to the union to eat at hogi yogi or "the grill"...or a couple other options, but NOTHING is healthy....also it all closes by 7pm and only one place is open on the weekend!!! Ridic, yes?  So, I've been asking random students why they never lived on campus and they cite that reason and the fact it's expensive as the reasons why they don't live there....silliness...I'll keep you updated..

My house is dirty....

I should also practice singing....

I miss you guys...

Ok, going to do my presentation for tomorrow's conference...love love

Diaries of the First On-Call Weekend

1. Played Phase 10 for 3 hours with my regular group of girls. I lost. Badly.
2. Eventually made it to my apartment, laid on the couch, watching the news about Ike coming ashore.
3. 1 am: Call about student passed out in female restroom. Alcohol poisoning. Transport. He just turned 18.
4. 2:30 am: Finish teaching three new RAs how to write Information Reports and all the details necessary.
5. 2:45 am: Hung out on the front steps of the building, talking to two returner residents.
6. It's 3:34 am and I am on my floor, watching Ike approach Houston... and pondering said alcohol transport.
7. Second call of the weekend: a clogged sink! Woo!
8. Almost made it all the way through Saturday night. My only call was at 5:30 am regarding a resident that got punched in the face by another resident. Interesting.

More to come...

:)

I wanted to show off a little bit.

http://www.reslife.txstate.edu/about-us/housing-staff/Falls-Hall.html

Learning Curve

It's been a bit of a trying week. I feel that there were things I always heard about (since I heard a lot sitting in that office), and thought "Okay, that would be tough, but I could handle it." And a lot of those things came up this week and for a bit of it, I was freaking out just as much as some of my residents.

On Tuesday night, the stalker situation came forward. A woman had gone through a friend to tell one of my RAs, who came to me Monday night and Tuesday night to tell me what was going on. Stalker was on my waiting list to move into my building, was only on my waiting list, and slept in his car because he was so uncomfortable with where he was really supposed to be living. So I went to our Director (eep), our Assignments Coordinator, and lo and behold, he's not in my building (though he apparently begged and pleaded quite a bit). Anyway, so this young woman wants to talk to him about how to tone it down with her, and is really un-okay with informing UPD about the situation, even though I told her we really need to inform them. I need to follow up with her tomorrow...

There was also a suicide threat on Tuesday night (yes, lots of fun on Tuesday). Apparently this student had been on medication, was no longer. So I asked to see him today. Talk about the shortest and the most difficult conversation I have ever had in my life. One word answers, refuses to go see a counselor because "they would only put him on more medication anyway" and is mad at the friend who called UPD on Tuesday night after her conversation with him. Whew. So the conversation was all of 5 minutes... what more can I do? I was full of such nerves leading up to this conversation, and after he left I was so frustrated. I asked him to follow up with me next week, that I encouraged him to go see a counselor. I know he won't. And I don't know that I can do more than that.

On the plus side, I had my Hall Council interest meeting tonight. I had seven show up, and about five email me saying they were interested, but couldn't come to the meeting. I think that shows something good-- yay! One of the women running for president already went out and bought posters. Exciting! She's on the ball, and really impressed me from the minute I met her tonight (I haven't really seen her until then!). So I'm super excited. There's ideas I would like to see happen, and it seems a lot of them are already inspired with things they can do too...

I feel like programming here in general is very all over the place, but gosh knows I've got enough experience/ideas/energy to get it going. We have an Assistant Director that oversees everything programming, so I have to create a semester program plan with my staff, have a 1:1 with him about our plan (done!), and yeah. It's a little crazy. I'm still kind of unsure how I feel about it, but we'll see how it goes.

Yay. Oh! And I am going to try and get a Campus Sweeps program started here... it might start as my personal judicial sanction, but I want to try and work with the Alcohol Education program to establish something like that. Exciting!

That is all. :)

:(

I miss him.

Holy Moley!

I'm blogging!

That's right friends, I'm still here.

I'm sorry to hear that you don't feel like you have much to do Jess. Want me to send you some of my work? Haha. But seriously, that's frustrating. I have days (not many) that I feel like I don't really need to be at work, and it's tough. You should have a talk with your boss about it. Who knows...it could actually be really rewarding!?!

And I talked with Megan tonight, which was great...so I know how her job is going.

I wanted to apologize in writing how sorry I am that those pesky ATO boys (yes, BOYS) treated you with such disrespect. But I am glad that they have an advisor will be supportive of you. YAY Greek Life professionals!

Things here are going well. Work is...well...it's work. Let's just say that I'm THRILLED for the students to come back. As you may know, Joe left our office (he and Amy are out in CO) and it's been pretty quiet since. James quit his job (I'm not sure his plan...I'll keep you both updated), which was also a change. And I'm pretty sure that a couple more will disappear before my birthday.

But...I've had a good summer other than all of that!

I even have pictures to prove it!!!


New York: L to R- Jenny, Anna, Cambria, and ME! We found this awesome sign outside a bar...and knew it was made for us.


Colorado: L to R- Kim, Shannon, and Dani. I had a good time visiting with Shannon (whose mannerisms remind me so much of Megan). And the best news...she has two kitties and I didn't have an allergic reaction to them! (Just one claritin a day did it!) So there's hope for me!

So, yeah, that's basically it. I'm just working and keeping myself out of trouble. (well...trying to at least!)

When are we all planning a reunion? I will probably have money if we plan for say...January? Haha. But really...

Aww

Silly staff....want me to come beat them up??

School started today! Crazy traffic!!! I guess I thought since I was in Utah that 20,000 students would seem like a smaller number.  It's still a lot!

I start Spanish tomorrow woo!!

I am SOOOO bored at work! I think I'm going to email my boss and ask if there's something I should be working on.  I feel bad doing that cause I feel like they might not know what they want out of my position yet, but if I don't get more things to do, I'm totally going to start applying to doctoral programs.  Gah!

Naptime! Miss you guys!

Boo.

I don't want to be disappointed in my staff already.

I realize I have high expectations for some people, but I should especially have them for a staff. And when they're shrugged off... sad day.

:(

Random Thoughts

1. My staff has already named me Cookie Monster. So we kind of have a Sesame Street theme going on. There's a little kids sweatshirt at the bookstore that says "Brought to you by the letters S-T-A-T-E" and has all the characters around it. Adorable, and I'm super excited to get it!

2. I've already gotten to use a bit of my confrontation skills... with a dozen Alpha Tau Omega men. Good times. Ask for the story, 'caus it's long.

3. Doug's coming next weekend!! YAY!!

4. I think I found the puppy I want. Oh, she's so adorable. She's a shepherd/collie mix, so appears to be not too big, which is perfect. And I think she'll enjoy the water. She's 6 months old... and I'm getting hung up on her, so I hope she's not adopted in the next week. Damn pay day.

5. I heart my staff.

6. Miss you!!

Sick. Seriously? Seriously.

1. Kim sucks at updating THIS blog. Geez, slacker.
2. I jinxed myself. Seriously. My staff and I were talking about sicknesses on Thursday morning at breakfast, and I started getting into the story of how I get sick in October and February, for like six weeks at a time, yadda yadda. The next morning, I woke up at about 3 with this lump in my throat (you know, that initial oh-boy-a-sore-throat feeling?) and felt like it was so hard to breathe. Greaaaaat. And since then, it's been my usual steady downhill roll into Megan's-hardcore-sickness.

3. OPENING IS in FOUR DAYS. And wtf? I'm sick? Hells no. Only yes. :(

4. Opening is in four days! Omg, so excited, so scared, so nervous, but sooooo excited. Ha. I have 409 residents, 10 of which move in on Monday, a handful on Tuesday, and the vast majority on Wed/Thurs (new student days). Exciting!

5. My staff is awesome. They already give me a hard time, like they've known me for months. And I kind of like it. Because I can give them a hard time back. Woo! But my three returners are helpful, certainly, and definitely appreciative of some of the changes I've made from last year. Always a good sign, I think! My new staff members are energized, excited.. and nervous (like me!). But so far, all nine (instead of 10... one to fill) get along so well and are working together to get things done as they should. Yay!

6. Also... nearly EVERY RD here calls their STAFF "kids." UGH! And that trickles down to SOOO many RAs calling their residents "kids." Ew, no. I told my staff I was going to start charging them a quarter every time they did that. Same for using the d-word. No other RD seems to realllllly be irked by it, which I find interesting. So maybe I'll have enough by the spring for you both to fly out here... paid for by my RAs. ;) Grand!

7. I got elected the Traveling Leadership Consultant (TLC) for this district of OPA. YAY! I'm super excited. It covers the University of Texas, Texas A&M Corpus Christi, and Oklahoma State chapters. I get to help serve as a liasion between them and nationals, in addition to helping plan their annual district rally weekend (maybe in Oklahoma this year--I can add a new state!). So I'm super excited. I totally failed at the Alum Convention Coordinator (thank you, job searching), but I think this is a fairly easy and less of a time commitment that I am prepared to make. So I go to Atlanta at the end of September for training and then I'm on my way! Neat.

8. I didn't think I had this much to say.

9. Hooray Michael Phelps!

10. Silly Chinese gymnastics program.

11. Our roll call on Monday night is a spin on Sesame Street and taking a little poke at the amount of constructioni and re-building on campus. It's going to be amazing. I'm Cookie Monster. Pictures to come! :)

Love you, miss you both. <3

Blog, blog, blog

Hiiiiiii!!

So, I'm sitting at home on a Saturday night looking at my computer screen wondering what in the heck possessed me to tell my boss I'd have this book chapter done by this weekend.  That though= unreasonable.  However, I'm going to try really hard to get it accomplished.

My car decided to have a hiccup today.  By hiccup I got my oil changed, went to walmart, and on the .8 miles back from walmart my car decided it wanted to overheat.  So, I played mechanic for a lil bit and now I'm debating quitting my newfound career as a race car driver to become a mechanic.......maybe not :)  I think it's a happy car now though...I'll update you more on its progress later.

Work is good.  On Tuesday at the kickoff banquet I'm dressing up as "scary mary poppins" (see youtube for further information)....basically they're saying I'm a big scary assessment person (so true so true). :)  I'm excited about the book deadline approaching on Sept 1st-ish; however, I hope I have new stuff to entertain me at work by then.

It's so nice outside today!! Like 75!!! I hope that doesn't mean it's going to get cold soon!  I start my Spanish class on the 25th (so excited!!!), and we're still trying to hire people like crazy before school starts (and they're still considering moving my office...weirdos) :).  

I should stop procrastinating now.  Have I mentioned I have new elephants who live above me?I'm totally renting a house next go-around.  

Love you guys!!!! Miss you sometimes too!!! :)  

Almost sleepy time....

Look! I'm blogging...just like Megan told me to.

So, just in case you wanted to know, some people are ridiculous when it comes to assessment....if you say that you're going to create a lunch and learn program wouldn't you figure that the students are going to learn something from that??  AND, if you're going to assess it...would you put in the Methods of Assessment category  that you will "assess the program"? No shit sherlock...of course you're going to assess it, hence the name of this process.....

I have no hard feelings about that at all of course.  I went to Reno this past weekend.  Lake Tahoe is GORGEOUS!  I'll post pictures sometime soon.  University of Nevada, Reno is also quite pretty.   I really like my job lots on most days.  Sometimes they just don't give me enough to do.  I'm sure I'll regret posting that at some point soon. :)  I have managed, however, to schedule lots of meetings that involve trips across the street to Baskin Robbins.  

I made Andes mint brownies today and forgot about high altitude, but they may have turned out ok anyhow! :)

I've also decided that, next time I move, I'm getting an apartment with a washer and dryer in it.  Doing laundry is expensive.

Plane tickets are also expensive.

I like broccoli.

Youshi says hi....actually he said "let's go to bed mom"...but that's close to hi.

I love fishes cause they're so delicious.

That is all.

Miss you guys lots! You should schedule a skiing/snowboarding/tubing trip to come see me!

Love love

Stories from SD

Well, not really. I don't have any stories really. I'm just going on with my boring life.

I went to NYC a few weeks back and visiting there makes me want to move there. I absolutely adore it. And I mean, I love being in a city with my friends. San Diego has been so boring since you all left. I have such a hard time here when I'm not at work...and I have a hard time at work.

I've been watching lots of movies (using my netflix) and catching up on x-files episodes before the movie this weekend.

Dani and I are going to Colorado in a few weeks to visit our sorority sister Shannon. I'm really looking forward to it! Then...I get back right into the swing of things. School starts and we're back! Ah! I can't believe the summer went by so fast.

So yeah, no real updates, but I felt like posting to let you all know I'm still here...getting by.

Texas

So... I'm in Texas. I never thought I would say that sentence in my entire life. Weird.

After two and a half days with my mother and loaded belongings in the car (in addition to my grandparents' unexpected accompanying us on the road), we finally made it to San Marcos. That's Marc-us, remember (dumb). A few co-workers greeted me when I first got here, made sure I got settled enough to get started until Monday. And since then, it's been a little crazy. There are days I sit on my couch and wonder how I ended up here, what the hell am I doing here, and what was I thinking? There are days I spend in the river, floating down for an hour and a half, realizing why I loved the outdoors so much as a little kid. And then, there are times like right now, where I also sit on my couch and wonder why I'm not in California anymore.

One of my new (as in, she's new too) co-workers mentioned I always seem so happy, so perky, and that if she were me, she would be unhappy and miserable and not so excited to be here. And I said sure, there are times I'm not so excited to be here, but there's also a part of me that recognizes (also in part due to my parents' pointing it out) that the first three or four months for me, in any new place, I'm miserable. But I need to get settled, to figure it out, because if I'm miserable, and my students get here and they're miserable, and they see me unhappy-- they're going to wonder why they need to be happy at all too. And I don't want to influence them in that way.

Anyway. Pictures eventually. I just got my computer today, so I'm slowly catching up with the rest of the world again! Woo!

-M

Hmmm

So, tomorrow I'm giving a presentation to the student affairs division.  I'm kinda really nervous cause I want it to be fun and exciting, but you can only make assessment so fun and exciting. :)  My Powerpoint does cool things though.

My grandpa is also having open heart surgery tomorrow (mom's dad, the farmer).  He went in for a check-up yesterday and they found out that the two major veins or arteries or whatever in his heart are 80 and 95 percent clogged.  They can't do a stint because of the blockage, so they're taking veins out of his leg and putting them in his heart.  This would be a fairly common procedure, but he's diabetic and his kidneys are only operating at 38 percent on a good day.  So, I'm kinda scared.  The doctors say they don't know what to expect...his kidneys could fail during surgery or he could wake up on dialysis.  My mom flew up there today...just in case.  Anyhow, I should find out about his surgery right before my presentation tomorrow.  He better be ok, or else I might have to sign myself up for grief therapy or something.

On the bright side, I've made friends!!!  There are three young (under 30) single girls who all hang out together, so we're having a "girls night" soon.  Then, there's Jan (the vp) and Diana (director of the counseling center) who are also super cool, and we've done dinner a couple times.  So yay!:)  They're totally not as cool as you two though!  Ok, I'm old, so I think I'm going to bed! (yes, at 8:30pm). 

Miss you guys!! 

TAI

We're going to Warped Tour! Woo!

Megan has a job!!!

So, I just read everyone's blog and thought that I would post a blog full of excitement for Megan having a job!!! WOOOO! Yay Texas State! (cept it's in Texas, I know that's no good Kim) :) If you ever need any help, my mommy will take lotsa care of you cause you're kinda close to her.  

I'm super excited cause when I meet with my vp tomorrow, I might convince her of our need for institution-wide learning outcomes! (I know, I'm a dork).    

I should do laundry, cept it may involve getting off the living room floor, and I'm quite comfortable here.  Oh, and I get a new phone tomorrow, woo!!

Life is good, and I have 1 friend here!  Yay friend! :)  Miss you and love you guys!

Things I Need to Do

One
Load PhotoShop onto my computer in order to create a new header for our blog

Two
Finish my shopping for New York

Three
Start planning trips to visit the two of you!

Also, I started a tumblr...it's another type of blog. Feel free to check it out. It's on the right with megan's and my blogspot blogs!

Check Us Out

Ten points for Kim for making our blog pretty! Ten points for Jessica for actually saying something. And ten points for me because I have no life and sit at my parents' sloooow computer for as long as I can put up with it.

So... today is the supposed O-Day. I say O-Day because it's "Offer Day." Because both Texas State and UPS said I would hear from them today. And I'm scared. And nervous. And trying to not realllly think about it. But, as you know, that's too effing hard to even attempt.

I put in about six other job applications in over the last several days. UCSC, CSUN, UCR, UGA (yes, Georgia), and Georgetown. -shrug- I figure it can't hurt, right? I'm also debating (depending on today's events) on submitting my application to Pasadena City College (see, Kim, then you could see me allll the time!) and the City of Claremont. I know, they're all around home. And I'm not sure why that is (well, except for UGA, UCSC, and Georgetown), but they're jobs that kind of excite me. Darrell's good friend from grad school is the Assistant Director at UGA and I talked with him a bit yesterday, since I met him at NASPA and he helped me coordinate our day trip up there when we were there in April for ACPA. They left me a message this morning... I'm assuming about scheduling an interview... but I haven't checked it yet. I'm all nerves today, I'm telling you.

Enough about this job shiz. I'm going to the beach tomorrow; waiting for Doug to wake up from Grad Night (woo Disneyland) and we're going to visit our high school teachers; and apparently not going to my oral surgeon consultation (PS. Having no health insurance or dental insurance kind of puts a block in the plans of having two teeth removed. Eep.)

That's all. :)

It rains in Utah...

So, I'm blogging (for the first time ever woo!)  So far, Utah has been an interesting adventure to say the least.  Instead of mapquest's 11 hours and 40 min, it was a long, not so exciting 17 hours in the car.  Some of the mountains were pretty though! :)  I'll suggest that when you guys come to visit that you fly!:)

My apartment is lovely; however, there are still elephants who live above me.  I think they go to bed around 10:30 though.  No one is beside me though! Woo.  There are also pretty, fake hardwood floors, and I love to play with the electric fireplace.  There's a switch to turn it on and off.  

Work is interesting.  Everyone is really excited to have me there, and I'm really excited too.  I've just realized that everyone is on such different levels.  It's going to be a really long process (especially with all these committees they're put me on).  There's also this one lady who isn't particularly fond of me cause she wanted my job, but it's my goal to make her like me.  Hopefully, tomorrow I'll get my email address and computer login information and key to my office.  

Tomorrow, I have to take poor Youshi to the kennel.  I think he may end up hating me.  He's doing really well though.  He's even playing fetch with me! He misses you guys though.  

This is kind of a depressing blog and has really short sentences just in case you haven't noticed that yet! :)  I just miss San Diego lots!!

 I do really like it here and look forward to all I'm going to be able to do and learn.  :)  I also got to meet everyone at a retreat today!  It's really cool because I met with the Assistant Provost today, and he's really excited about collaboration stuff!

Ok...I'm going to bed now cause I'm still old, and I have to wake up at 6 a.m.  In case anyone has a lack of meetings in the next few weeks, I have plenty you can go to!!! I miss you guys whole bunches!! Love love

Dr. Crentist

I went to the dentist yesterday and the entire right side of my mouth drilled and filled! Seven fillings in all. And I have two on the left side they are filling next week. YAY! Ugh...I don't hate the dentist, I really don't. It's the whole...I'm a grown up and I have to pay for it that I don't like! :)

Just stopping by again to say hello, let you know I changed the blog again- I am going to load photoshop back on my comp this weekend and make us a nice pic for the top. I'm also going to chat with Anna about using html so we can get the blog looking nice.

That is all for now. I should get ready for work, I told them I'd be in around 10...boo.

Hope all is well.

Stokely Out.

Working hard or hardly working?

I've been brushing up the blog! Aren't you proud? Now we just need to actually use it.

Well, this weekend was very boring for me. I did literally...nothing. Which is probably good because I have a big dental bill coming up tomorrow...yuck.

But, I did go to the grocery store. It was thrilling. But eeew...the man behind me in line stood WAY too close to me and had really bad B.O. It was disturbing to say the least.

But this weekend, I have also started watching army wives on lifetime. I watched the entire first season yesterday and I am currently watching the season premiere. It's actually quite a good show. I never thought I would enjoy it either since you all know my stance on the military. But, you all should check it out.

That's all for now. Miss you Meg and Jess!

Sappy.

Thanks for the rather amazing chicken parmesan.

And for being an ace-hole. And for talking about wet things in large bodies!

I'm going to miss you, Kim. 

Makes You Think

Everything that's gone down the last few days on campus has just been really... for lack of better words, interesting. It's so crazy to see how divided students are-- some are glad "something finally happened," some are pissed because they think it'll knock down the value of their degree. 

I'm proud to say State's actually taken the initiative to do something about it. Should any campus collaborate with their local DEA office, they'd be bound to find just as many illegal drugs as they did at ours, if not more. I think it takes guts, effort, and a hell of a lot of energy to be able to do what they did. 

That being said, and I surely won't say this just because you'll read it Kim, but I am saddened at the fact that media (and nearly as many students) are knocking all the Greeks as being the ones to completely blame. Any non-Greek students could be a cocaine dealer, it just so happens the main ringleader in this case is Greek. It could be any student that passes away from mixing alcohol and drugs, not just the two in the past year. Being Greek doesn't make you any more stupid, doesn't make you any more immune, doesn't make you the one to blame when everyone starts talking about drug busts and alcohol poisoning. 

*shrug* I commend State, I really do. I wish there were other students who could see that too. 

A New Beginning

Welcome ladies!

As I put together this blog, I need some pictures to create fun things. Please send me great stuff! (Jess- stuff from Incahoots & WG!)

YAY! This is going to be great.

That's what she said.