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School is Cool

Three (3!) Things Thursday

Mar 15th, 2012
by gazelle.
3 comments

1. I am reading a book on leadership, and came across this passage:

Umm – so except for this book, everything else I’ve read has been smutty vampire or werewolf paranormal romance. I am not at my most intellectual right now. And I’m pretty sure the values they teach are loyalty (to your pack and/or sire), the value of a good sword, and that you should always kill someone to make an example out of them to discourage others from coming after you. This is not necessarily the message I’d like to impart to my team.

 

2. A couple of weeks ago, after (yet another stellar swim! I love swimming! Last night I swam 1800 yds – i.e. more than a mile!), the Ambitious One (my awesome swim partner) brought me a wee little birthday cake! It was so adorable! And tasty!

 

3. I also received in the mail the official signed approval sheet for my capstone project!

Yes – you may call me Master, if you wish.

 

Happy Thursday, y’all!

Three (3!) Things Thursday – Most Excellent News Edition

Feb 16th, 2012
by gazelle.
10 comments

Super late 3 things today!  It’s been a busy day at the circle K. Or whatevers.

ANYWAYS -

1. I know I’ve been saying this for the last two weeks, but now it’s true! I am 100% done with school! WOO! My capstone has been handed in, and unless the nice things that were said to me via email from the Capstone advisor/program academic director were completely misleading, I think I’m going to get a passing grade (the terminal project is a pass/fail). Which means I graduate! WOO!  Party in August! You’re all invited to have cake & punch with me!

2. Because I don’t (typically) work on Fridays, and Monday is a holiday, I have a 4-day weekend coming up. Although I won’t be traveling to Los Angeles as I’d originally planned (my midwives have grounded me, due to stress-related issues, apparently not realizing that Mexican food in Los Angeles is almost enough to repair the stress that flying causes…whatever), I still have FOUR WHOLE DAYS off. In a row. AND, since next weekend is my birthday, and I’ve been working 50 hour weeks for the last 5 weeks (a note: I get paid to work 36 hour weeks), I am taking a vacation day next Thursday, so I will have another FOUR WHOLE DAYS off. In a row. And next week? I will only work two days. YAY! Vacation! Sleeping! Time off!

And – most awesomely -

3. The architect – I think I’ve mentioned him once or twice before? Well, you may remember that my architect was laid off from his architecture position in late 2008. And then was mostly unemployed for awhile, due to the fact that all the architects in the world (scientific survey conducted by me thinking about the architects I know) were also laid off, and there was no money for the building industry, etc., etc. He did get employment in the summer of 2010, but it wasn’t so much architecture. It was a job. And it paid in actual money, which is good. BUT – it was not architecture. Well, I am extraordinarily pleased to announce that starting next Monday, the architect will, once again, be architecting. His commute will be cut in half. He salary will be a bit higher. But mostly importantly, he will be, again, doing the job that he loves. I couldn’t be more happy for him.

2012 has really been kicking me in the teeth, but this is a reminder that for every devastatingly bad thing that happens, there are good things to help balance it all out.

Weekend in Review

Feb 13th, 2012
by gazelle.
2 comments

The weekend seemed like it went really fast. Friday was a really full day. I worked in the AM, had a yogathon meeting immediately after work, happy hour plans at 4:30, and dinner plans at 7.

I am not sure I can actually do four things a day anymore, even if I did take a 1-hour pregnancy pity party break b/w yogathon meeting & HH. I ended up flaking on my dinner plans, which was a fantastic decision for me (I was so exhausted that I could barely move by the time I got home), and a sad decision (I was really looking forward to seeing my dinner companions). I think I was in bed by 8 that night.

Saturday & Sunday, the architect and I spent most of our days at birth prep classes. Long days. Good information. The most uncomfortable chairs in the history of the universe. I was in bed last night by 8 again, although Saturday night, I think I made it until 9.

Since the classes were at the hospital where I work, I kind of feel like I’ve been to work every day for the last 17 years. This is going to be a long week, too. Doula appt tonight, midwife appt tomorrow night at 7:30 pm (happy valentine’s day!), busy work days. ALTHOUGH this is my last official week of school. My capstone is done, I just need to SAY I’m done. Officially. I’m going to read it one more time today, and then release it into the wild.

Fortunately, it’s a long weekend, and a short week next week (I am only working Tuesday & Wednesday next week, and have two 4-day weekends in a row! Woo!).

Photos from the weekend:

 

 

I love these early spring signs, even though I know that spring is a ways off yet; and that’s why February is 150% better than January; we get the spring tease! (Also, we get my birthday, in 11 days, in case you were counting.)

Happy week!

Weekend in Review! (now with photos!)

Feb 6th, 2012
by gazelle.
7 comments

I feel that I had a pretty productive weekend. Friday, I left the house! And had lunch with a friend! And went to New Seasons. And then, had to rest for the remainder of the day.

Saturday was yoga, then visiting with a neighbor, then cake making!

I love to make cakes, and make very good tasting cakes. I just don’t necessarily make pretty cakes. Part of the problem was, I think, that my baking powder was at the end of its useful life, so I got poorly risen, lopsided cakes. Because they were just for me, I didn’t bother leveling them, but it did result in less pretty than hoped-for cakes. Also, I have not yet mastered the art of the dripping glaze down the sides in an artful & beautiful manner.

BUT – the cake is delicious.

 

Sunday was another busy day (well, new pregnant-Amy busy, not old Amy does lots and lots of stuff all the time-busy).

I made banana bread – two loaves; one to freeze and one to eat now.

 

I cleaned the kitchen. I helped the architect do some garden stuff. As I was doing the garden stuff, I made a discovery! The tulips are starting to poke up:

 

 

I am hoping that this week is infinitely less stressful than the last couple. I am hoping to get some swimming time in Monday, Wednesday & Friday this week. I am having an ultrasound this afternoon, so new baby pics for the bumpday update this week! (Because I know you’re dying to see grainy b&w pics of my fetus.) Actually – lots of baby stuff this week: u/s today, waterbirth class tomorrow, daycare tour on Thursday, and childbirth classes on Saturday & Sunday.

Sometime in there, I’ll need to do some school work, but I’m so close to being done! YAY!

Happy Monday, y’all!

Three (3!) Things Thursday

Feb 2nd, 2012
by gazelle.
2 comments

1. Today I have the day off work so that I can finish writing my Capstone. Which means that in approximately 10 minutes, I need to log into work remotely and do some work stuff. I hired a new person this week, and she starts next week, and I couldn’t be happier unless she’d been able to start a couple of months ago. I swear if I had a time machine, I would only use it for good!

 

 

2. Seriously – did you catch that first sentence up there? Today I am going to finish writing my Capstone. I have two weeks left of school after today, but that will be reserved for revisions and formatting. All the major writing will be done by 6 pm today! DONE!

 

 

3. I had a great swim again last night with the Amphibious Ambitious One. The pool we’ve been at the last couple of weeks has been so delightfully empty! I hadn’t been feeling my best before getting there, and wasn’t sure how well I’d do, but she talked me into at least giving it a try for 15 minutes. I swam for 30 minutes w/o a break and felt amazing! I definitely need to add more swimming into my week – no idea why it’s such a pain in my ass to do this. Seriously – the pool is a 10  minute walk from my office, is always empty-ish, and I have a 10-punch card. Why can’t I do this 3 days/week?  I feel so amazing after. Maybe once school is done & don’t feel I have to rush home to write every night?

photo credit – the Ambitious One

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