K & Blue

I'm excited!!

My good friend, Kala, will be coming into Austin this Friday to hang out and stay the weekend with me. She hasn't been to Austin since I've lived here, so it should be a lot of fun. We have a very full day planned on Saturday, then we will be heading to a Blue concert on Saturday night at Stubb's.

It's been a long time since we've been to one, so it should be interesting. I'm not too sure about their new stuff, as I haven't heard even one single chord, but "old times sake" is enough of a reason for me!

I also keep forgetting (partly because I'm in denial about this whole time-quickly-escaping) that Easter is also this Sunday. Wild.

In other news, I have lots of other ... uh ... news. It seems that I finally know about grad school. I do need to have some more conversations and fully solidify everything before I divulge, though. As it seems things like this always are, it's a bittersweet kind of feeling.

Change typically makes me somewhat weary. Thankfully, I tend to acclimate well enough.

For this present moment in time, I'm just going to be excited about getting to spend some fun times with one of my oldest and best friends in the very near future.

The One About Firsts

Well, friends and fam, the title ain't no stinkin' liar! The trip to visit Alex's parents last week was a trip chalk-full of firsts for this West Texas girl.

Let's make a quick list:

- I had never held a gun, much less shot one ... did it!

- I had never driven, winding up a mountain packed with ice and snow ... did it!

- I had never feared death by plunging hundreds of miles off a cliff ... did it!

- I had never been in the middle of a "white out" (albeit, very briefly) ... did it!

- I had never been 12,000 feet high without an airplane ... did it!

- I had never gotten drunk on a single beer (altitude, oh, altitude) ... did it!

- I had never ridden in a high-speed gandola through mountains ... did it!

- I had never successfully mounted and dismounted a ski lift ... did it!

- I had never snow skied all the way down a huge mountain ... did it!

- I had never realized how much FUN skiing can be ... did it!

So, as you see, the trip was quite eventful. I got back to Austin on Monday afternoon, and I am seriously STILL tired. I feel like I need a vacation after my vacation.

We had a blast, though! As is obvious, I had never done almost everything we did this trip. It is how Alex grew up, though, so I thought it was somewhat important to overcome some fears (hello, tiny 2-lane roads winding straight up and around MONSTROUS mountains, with no guard rails, while it is snowing like nuts, with ice and all kinds of snow packed on the road!) and just go for it. You only live once, right?

Telluride was very nice; although, we stayed in Mountain Village, which is about halfway up the mountain and slope-side. Telluride, the town, from what we could tell in the hour we were actually in the town, is a cluster of messiness. It looks like it just exploded one day without much planning beforehand. (Remieniscent of the city where I currently reside. Hmmmm.) Mountain Village was lovely, though. We stayed in a lodge next to a high-speed gandola that took us to the ski lifts and shops and places to eat. The ride was about 5 minutes, if it didn't get stuck from someone freaking out about getting on or off.

We were in Telluride from Monday to Wednesday, in Aztec from the Friday before until Monday morning, then back in Aztec from Thursday to Saturday. We went to Durango a few times ... it is only about half an hour from Aztec, where his parents live. We strolled around "historic" downtown and ate and drank and had good times. The rest of the time ... which wasn't much ... was spent at his parent's house, hanging out.

It snowed a lot while we were there. It snowed A TON in the mountain while we were there. I think the only actual break we got was when I was having my skiing lesson on Tuesday.

I decided to take a lesson, as opposed to Alex or his dad teaching me. The sole reason is because neither of them can recall learning how to ski. Alex has been doing it since he was about 4, and his dad has been doing it all of his life as well. I am the very definition of beginner snow person, having grown up vacationing at the beach and the lake, and not in the colder climates. So, nervousness on my part was much to be expected. I saw no reason for frustrations and arguments, though I'm not even sure there would have been any. I just felt better going out on my own, with someone who is used to seeing clumpsy folk on skis.

It worked out splendidly in the end because I was given a "private all-day lesson." I didn't pay the amount that anyone would ever pay for it, but, instead, lucked out in meeting my instructor-to-be in the gandola that morning, then having him request to just take me to the top of the mountain alone.

His name was Seth, and he was awesome! He pushed me, but not in an irritating way. We laughed most of the day. I did fall coming off of the ski lift many times before I got the motion down, and I definitely fell TONS throughout the day. Stopping was tricky, and my upper body definitely felt the effects of dragging my butt off of the ground hundreds of times by the end of the day.

I'm proud to say that I went all the way to the top of the mountain and wound down by the end of the day on greens. No blues or blacks for quite some time, I feel!

I will certainly need more practice, as one day does not an expert skier make, but I am definitely willing to continue learning and trying. Being horrible and somewhat timid was still fun, I imagine being good and confident is a total blast.

That was really the highlight of the trip for me. I think everyone can envision the rest of the trip without me having to go into detail. We were on a mountain. It took some tedious work to get us there, but ... we made it.

Altitude does get you, though. Maybe not 7,000 feet or less ... but 9,000 and up ... yeah, you feel it. The first day, I was winded walking from the car to the hotel room. Believe me when I say that has NEVER happened to me before!

Does make for some cheap dates, though ...

We also went up into the foothills by his parent's house and did some shooting while I was there. Alex grew up knowing how to shoot, and all of my family (well, my mom and Kay and Norbs) all know how to shoot pretty well. It's not something I would ever care to do directed at anything other than bottles, but ... I think it's probably important to know how to at least handle a gun, as a defense-only kind of thing.

I now know. That's about all I can say about that. Oh, I will add one interjection ... the buggers are a lot heavier than they look. I was shocked. So were my shoulders.

So, that was my trip in a nutshell. I had a little solo time in Lubbock with the family before flying to Albuquerque, and also after the trip and before driving back to Austin. It's always nice.

I did take some pictures, as did Alex's mom. As soon as I receive her batch, and organize mine to a point of showing, I will post a little strip for everyone to check out. I'm not sure when that will be. Most likely early next week.

In the meantime, Alex and I are both back in Austin together, trying to get back to our regular routines after being gone for 2 full weeks, still waiting to figure out what our next move will be in a mere few months.

(More on that later ... as I do have half of the puzzle put together, but am still waiting on the very central piece.)

Happy Weekend!

Safe & Sound

Well, hellllloooooooooo!!

I feel like it's been ages. (Probably because it has.)

I am back in Lubbock, waiting on my car to be fixed, then I will head back to Austin. I'm thinking Monday. The dealership is closed tomorrow, so hoping for my car is a moot point. Plus, I think my mom, Kay, and I will be seeing Duplicity in the afternoon. (Clive is delicious.)

I flew in and was directed straight to a dinner party with a whole slew of Germans. For those of you who may not know, this means a neverending glass of red wine. The point, as far as I can figure, is to not ever have any clue as to how much you've actually imbebbed. Tonight ... I feel like a lot. I don't think it was too much. Travel makes me ringy.

I'm also craving a blueberry muffin. Don't ask why.

As soon as I get back to Austin and have spent some quiet time with my man (I love vacation, but so very much look forward to the unwinding once it is over), I will proceed to fill in the gaps.

A taste?

I did ski. I did not get injured. Go me!

I think I might be a little more tipsy than I thought ...

Spring Break

... means VACATION!!!!!!!!


Here's what I know so far, friends and fam ...


Next Monday: To Lubbock (just me)

Next Tuesday: St. Patrick's Day with my seeeeeeester!

Next Wednesday: Charlotte, Melanie, and Corinne arrive in the LBK.

Next Thursday: Family time in Lubbock! (Alex leaves Austin for NM.)

Next Friday: I fly to Albuquerque SUPER early in the morning to meet up with Alex.

Next Saturday: To Aztec, where his parents live and he was raised. (Small town at the very Northern tip of NM near Farmington ... about 7 miles from the Colorado border.)

Following Sunday: Alex-family time!

Following Monday & Tuesday: To Telluride for some skiing and true-mountain time.

Following Wednesday- Friday: Back to Aztec, which is also about half an hour from Durango, CO ... where we tend to "hang," eat, and enjoy.

Following Saturday: I fly back into Lubbock, Alex flies back to Austin (both from Albuquerque).

Following Sunday: I drive back to Austin. (Unless I am too exhausted to drive solo, then it will be Monday.)


Quite the Round Robin, wouldn't you say? :) I'm happy about it, though!! We haven't been to see Alex's parents since last July, and I always love going home for visits with my family. That I get to squish them all together in a two-week bonanza is fantastic with me!

I admit that I am a little nervous about skiing because it is in the realm of "the unknown," but ... you know ... you only live once! Can't be scared all your life.

All of this will, of course, be well-documented in photos. I am trying to figure out how we will take pictures on the mountain, as I will NOT be carrying my very nice and expensive mamma-jamma camera with me whilst skiing aboot. I imagine I'll resort to disposable for those 2 days.

OH! And Telluride is gorgeous, from what I am told. Alex and his family have never been there before either, so it will be new to all of us. I hear there's ice skating at night in the middle of town as well. I'm so there!

Can't believe my departure day is less than a week away! I feel like I should start packing already ...

"This is an emergency!"

You've heard the one about the woman who called 911 three times because McDonald's ran out of McNuggets, right?

Granted, they never should have sold her a meal that was unavailable ... and, granted, they should have given her a refund on the spot when asked.

But, really, 9-1-1 three times for roughly $4?!

People be crazy!!!!


(Full Story: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/29498350/from/ET/?gt1=43001)

Bitter/Ugly

I keep meaning to post this story, but continually forget when I sit down to write. I fear it might be lost in translation (and without the ability to "inflect," but whatever). Even so, I'm writing it down today. Classic teaching moment ...


I was filling in for a 7/8 Grade English teacher a couple of weeks ago. The school is "on the bad side of town" and most of the kids are minorities. A rough school for sure, but you discover fairly quickly that the kids there are so, so, so great if you have a chance to really talk to them and get to know them a little bit ... apart from their violent and seemingly destructive behavior (most are on probation at the age of 13 or so).

(Must not get on my soapbox about these kids and the conditions in which they have had to grow up and experience! Later ... much later.)

Anyhow, I was in the same classroom for 2 days, in which the regular teacher had left absolutely no lesson plans, meaning I had to make something up spur-of-the-moment for what the school calls "advisory." Since kids had been learning about character development, theme, and plot, I had them read a book of their choice independently for about 30 minutes, then write a summary including ... you guessed it! ... character analysis, theme, and plot.

While it took most of the students the majority of the class period to finish this assignment, about 3 of them finished way ahead of the rest. These 3 asked if they could work on a crossword puzzle together in one of the monthly educational magazines they use for supplementary assignments from time to time. Since they weren't asking to run around the halls with their hair on fire, and, instead, asking if they could complete something of merit ... of course, I said yes.

With about 20 minutes or so left for that particular class, then entire class was done with the reading portion of the day, the 3 aforementioned students were sitting in the far corner of the room together, barely even whispering about the crossword as they worked, while the rest of the class was very quietly writing their summaries, and I was walking around the room answering questions for those who needed help ...

Without warning, in bursts a "lead teacher," slamming the door open, stomping into the classroom with wild eyes and unruly hair, hollering at the kids to "GET TO WORK!!!!!" Thundering to the front of the room, she screams at me ... "What do you have these kids doing? What are they working on? Why are those three sitting over there? What is going on in this classroom?!?!?!"

Mind you, NONE of the kids had been talking, save the 3 in the corner, who I could so very barely hear from a mere 2 desks over ... and ALL of them were busy working on their assignment when she came barreling into the room like a much taller and more unkempt, yet equally as off-putting and bitchy, version of Ms. Umbridge from Harry Potter.

Stunned, yet composed, I politely answered her questions, explained the lack of lesson plans left for the day, told her my emergency assignment, expressed the reasons for the kids in the corner working on a crossword together, and told her the students were actually behaving amazingly well, were delightful, and that I was doing my job to down to the very last detail.

To this response, she huffed (audibly), spun on her heel, and tore out of the classroom, telling 5 or so kids, who were sitting down ... to "pull up their pants and tuck in their shirts immediately." (The pants were being sat on ... with no butts hanging out ... and it is school dress code to tuck in shirts, which I check every period of every day as they walk in the door ... so nothing was awry, and her outburst was absolutely unwarranted.)

As she slammed the door behind her ('don't let it hit you in the ass on the way out'), all of the kids, as well as myself, looked as though we had been sucker-punched across the face. All 25 or so pairs of eyes were staring at me for some sign of an appropriate reaction to follow, and I was still too in shock from being reamed for absolutely nothing to blink, much less speak.

After about a full minute of silence (long one in that situation) with everyone kind of oddly staring at each other, one of the timid little girls in the front said, "She's like all the time. No one likes her. Not even the other teachers." I nodded and asked to the entire class, "I mean ... ... ... seriously ... ... ... what's wrong with her?!"

A very quick and witty boy in the back of the class immediately responded very matter-of-factly, "She bitter 'cause she ugly."

25 or so kids froze with saucer-sized eyes ...

And I literally fell over laughing! Then it was a like a hysterical chain reaction. The boy who made the comment started to chuckle really deeply and loudly, then the rest of the class positively burst! I snorted, I cried, we laughed and laughed and laughed. It was like that horribly inappropriate moment where you are definitely not supposed to even crack a smile, but simply cannot contain yourself in even the most slightly controlled way. And it just got worse and worse and worse, until we were ALL snorting and crying and falling over. None of us, including myself, regained control until the bell about ten minutes later.

I wish I had a recording of his face, his voice, and overall demeanor when he said that ... "She bitter 'cause she ugly." Oh ... it was so great! By leaps and bounds my favorite moment in teaching so far.

Whooooosh!

It's crazy what shortening a month by a mere 2 or 3 days will do to the brain. February being only 28 days really screws with me for some reason. I feel like March has started on stolen time, or something.

Ah, well ...

This month should be a good one! Spring Break occurs in a couple of weeks, and Alex and I have big plans for long-vacationing. We are working through the details this evening, so I'll give the whole skinny later.

A little taste? Skiing ... on the snow ...

Should be interesting ... for me, anyway ... he learned when he was 4 years old, or some-such ridiculous fact like that. I, on the other hand, have only been skiing once ... and it was mainly done on my ass.