Day One Hundred Fifty One

I stayed up too late. Oops.

And all I did today was read and watch the Longhorns lose their bowl game. Sad face.

Day One Hundred Fifty

I did research this morning. And I may have fallen asleep on my laptop at one point. Oops. But then the Seahawks game came on and I perked right back up again. Seahawks win! SEAHAWKS WIN! Four out of the five people in the house were sporting their Hawks jerseys (Mom........). Side note - thanks to Alaska Airlines signing Russell Wilson as their official spokesperson, if I wear my Russell Wilson jersey to the airport I get priority boarding. Russell, you come through for me once again. Now we all just need to cross our fingers for a Longhorn win tomorrow in the Alamo Bowl, and all will be right in the world.

After the game ended I headed off to Puyallup to meet up with my best friend Amanda. We exchanged Christmas gifts and quickly learned that we both got each other mugs. Great minds. Then we went to Zoolights at Point Defiance Zoo, and it made me laugh that we ended up parking in the "Duck" section of the parking lot after the duck mob I got caught in yesterday at Tumwater Historical Park. A very nice woman gave us one of her extra tickets, so we only had to split the cost of one ticket to get in. The sheer amount of Seahawks jerseys and sweatshirts and hats present at Zoolights was amazing, I loved it. We took lots of photos and pet some stingrays. The whole night was pretty fantastic.

12th Man Tree!

Day One Hundred Forty Nine

I need to stop sleeping in. It feels fantastic, but when I have to go back to Austin...the switch to Central Time Zone is just not going to be pleasant.

We went to The Ram for lunch today, one of my favorite places to eat. And now it's even better, as I learned a new cake/pastry shop opened up right next door to it. Um, hello dessert. One delicious peanut butter cookie later, we headed off to Tumwater Historical Park to take photos by the old brewery. Once we walked down to the water...the ducks converged. It was crazy. I'm used to birds running and flying away from me, not swimming as fast as they can towards where people are. It seems these ducks are used to being fed (this could also be seen by their impressive size). Not wanting to disappoint them, I found some crackers in my purse...and proceeded to make some new bird-best-friends. It was weird and wonderful all at once.

The giant white duck and I had a connection.

I think he wanted to join the family.

They were literally everywhere.

The rest of the day was spent eating delicious halibut for dinner, watching movies, reading, and playing cards. Do I have to go back to real life?

Day One Hundred Forty Eight

I didn't do much today until the very end of it. The bulk of today was spent reading, taking a nap, then reading some more. It was pretty great. Then...comedy show! My brother, future sister in law, neighbor, and I all went to Tacoma Comedy Club to see one of my favorite comedians, Jeff Dye. The entrance to the club was one of the sketchier entrances I've ever seen, and we took the guy checking IDs off guard when he saw that while we were all together, our IDs placed us in Washington, Arizona, and Texas.

The three opening comics were all great, but Jeff Dye completely killed it and was hilarious. He has a special on Comedy Central coming up, so if anyone hasn't heard him, you should probably watch. He makes me cry from laughing. Every. Time.

Day One Hundred Forty Seven

The day after Christmas. Also known as recover-from-Christmas day. I got my belated Christmas gift to myself in the form of my Electrochemistry textbook for next semester. Yay? It's one of the smaller chemistry textbooks I've possessed, but I know better than to assume that a small textbook makes for easier reading. My brother read a couple sentences from it, and I'm pretty sure he butchered about half the words. It's okay Jeff, it's basically a foreign language, even to those of us studying it.

Since Jeff and Krystle got in after dinner time yesterday, we had our giant Christmas feast today instead. It was delicious, thank you mom! We now have enough left over ham to last us well into the new year. Then we all indulged in some Christmas movies and progressive rummy (a card game). I'm pretty sure Krystle bested us in all of the games, causing my dad to burn all of the scoresheets. Dad, you're lucky we live in a place that has a wood stove, or you would be out of luck. Krystle, welcome to the family. Then we played Battle of the Sexes, and per usual...the women were victorious. Even though we're all still impressed (and confused) at how my father knew that YSL stood for Yves Saint Laurent. All those years of watching Project Runway are paying off. I always knew they would.

Day One Hundred Forty Six

Christmas. I love Christmas. Especially when I get a present like my brother and future sister-in-law coming home for a few days. The Advil PM I took last night for my arm made me sleep in longer than usual for Christmas morning, which was a weird feeling. I still remember being little and getting in trouble with my brother for waking up our parents waaaay too early so we could open gifts, and now they're the ones that have to wait for me to wake up. Oh how the tables have turned.

My parents and I opened a few gifts this morning, but waited to open most of them until my brother got home this evening, because it just didn't feel right opening every gift without him there. There were definitely some gifts this year that were unexpected, and all of them were completely wonderful. The most unexpected...a giant metal rendering of a serotonin molecule. I. Love. It. I have a necklace with the same molecule, and have made multiple crafts using it as a design. What makes it even better is it was custom made by a local artist. Man that makes metal art pieces at the Farmer's Market...I love you.

Overall, it was a relaxing day with my family, and I wouldn't trade it for anything. I even got my annual Christmas nap in. Even a bulky arm brace that impeded my wrapping-paper-removal abilities couldn't damper the wonderfulness of the day.

Day One Hundred Forty Five

Today was Christmas Eve. I spent it...watching Christmas movies with my parents, talking to my brother on the phone, and reading a mystery novel by the Christmas tree with a fire in the fireplace. It was pretty much wonderful.

Day One Hundred Forty Four

Sometimes, it's late and you want to go to bed, but then you start talking to your brother online and realize that some things are worth being a little extra tired for. Jeff, I love you, and I can't wait to see you (and Krystle!) in a few days. And I will hold you to your offer of trying to voodoo my wrist back to normal.

The wrist has been feeling better, so I took my brace off, forgot it was hurt for a nanosecond, and when I tried to push myself up using my left arm...I promptly collapsed back down. Ugh. Something tells me this is going to take a little longer to completely heal then I had hoped. Lame.

My parents and I went to a neighbors house today to watch the 49ers vs. Falcons game and collectively hope for a 49ers loss so the Seahawks could clinch the #1 seed for playoffs. But, alas, the 49ers ruin everyones day once again and pulled out a win. It was great to see all my neighbors though and be reunited with all the "neighbor kids." We may all be adults now, but that doesn't mean we can't fondly remember our days of Boom Ball and Gun Tag (no, we didn't use real guns, for anyone reading this that isn't aware of the game...which is probably most people).

The cool kids of Norfolk Court (minus Jeff and Rachel).

Tomorrow is Christmas Eve!

Day One Hundred Forty Three

The Seahawks lost today. I'm too distraught to blog.

Day One Hundred Forty Two

Sometimes, my parents forget that my brain is on a different time zone then theirs. And sometimes, it results in me being up until 3am Texas time. It's okay Mom, I still love you. Just don't get mad if I fall asleep in the middle of a conversation tomorrow...

:)

Day One Hundred Forty One

It was snowy outside this morning! I love it. Now let's just hope that we get a little more on Christmas day...not enough that the whole city freaks out, but just enough to have a white Christmas. Could that happen? Please?

Unfortunately the snow is all gone now, thanks to the persistent rain all day. Such is life. Today was full of shopping and relaxing by the fire. For anyone who hasn't had the chance to warm up next to a woodstove fire, it is one of the most relaxing things in the world. Shopping five days before Christmas...not so relaxing. My dad and I were champs though, braving both Costco and Target today (and Safeway, but we go there so often that it just doesn't even count anymore). And since it was my dad and I, we were unable to leave Costco without muffins. Seriously, who in their right mind leaves Costco without muffins? No one, that's who.

I ordered textbooks today, which was especially painful since my budget is so tight this time of year (along with everyone else's). It's another book written by one of the current professors at UT, which just blows my mind. This guy, Dr. Allen Bard, is considered the father of modern day electrochemistry and was awarded the National Medal of Science from the President (of the United States). And I walk the same halls as him. Insanity. But so awesome.

Day One Hundred Forty

I love being back in Washington, but this time change is throwing me all out of whack. As is this bulky wrist brace. Bah humbug.

Day One Hundred Thirty Nine

Guys, I just found out I got a B in my Advanced Analytical class. And I have never been so happy to get a B in my entire life. This means I don't go on academic probation (which happens if you get a B- or below), keep my TA position, and continue to be funded by the school. I was so worried about this (as were all my fellow first years), and I was so happy to see my B that I actually cried. I can finally relax...until spring semester.

Today was low key, considering I'm in an arm brace and my mom is in a leg brace. We somehow made it to Pier One, but that was the only venture outside the house. The rest of the day was filled with reading, writing Christmas cards, and watching Psych The Musical (which was just as wonderfully ridiculous as I thought it would be).

It's 2am my time. And I recently took Advil PM for my arm. Sleep is coming on fast.

Day One Hundred Thirty Eight

I'm home!!! And exhausted. And my arm hurts. Good night.

Day One Hundred Thirty Seven

Today started with an early lunch at Kerbey Lane with the Avants. I took their Christmas gift to surprise them with (a candle and a restaurant gift card), then we all laughed when they presented me with my Christmas gift, which was...a candle and a restaurant gift card! Great minds. Lunch was delicious though, and exactly what I needed before packing my bag for my trip home tomorrow. Tomorrow!!! I can't wait!

After packing I went to meet up with some of the people I met last night at the devo to play sand volleyball. And, as my life usually goes, I lost my footing in the sand, fell backwards, and had pain shoot up my arm, with the worst centered around my wrist. Awesome. Luckily my roommate showed up at the park right as I was walking to my car and was able to drive me to an urgent care clinic. Thank you, Austin Immediate Care, for being awesome and open late. I got x-rays, nothing appears broken, so I gave the doctor a high five (with my good arm). Now I'm rocking an super fancy splint (courtesy of Austin Immediate Care) and taking copious amounts of Advil. Happy holidays to me.

But I get to go home tomorrow! Yay! And Austin has made sure I will remember it via wrist splints and arm pain. Thanks Texas. Thanks.

Day One Hundred Thirty Six

Church this morning. Lunch with grandparents. Laundry at home. Christmas card writing. Devo tonight. That was my day. And it was really, really fun. It's now 12:30, and I am too tired to write more. Goodnight!

Day One Hundred Thirty Five

Today, I went to Chuck E. Cheese. Land of germs. Kelly and I took photos in a miniature-sized photo booth.

I think it's the most attractive we've ever looked.

Day One Hundred Thirty Four

Guess what? Grading only took me 3 1/2 hours! That may sound like a long time, but where these exams are concerned that is seriously fast. Especially since I was grading two problems per exam instead of the normal one problem. I lucked out and got the two shortest problems on the exam, thank goodness. I love when things work out that way. I was able to get home by 2:30pm (I was mentally prepared to be grading until 5pm, so this was awesome) and get a nap in before dinner at my grandpa's house.

Then, time for dinner with grandpa and Mary. We had fish, baked red potatoes, broccoli, and salad, and it was absolutely delicious. I love spending time with them, and it was great to have some one-on-one time with both. It's nights like tonight that make me feel so blessed to be living so close to extended family that I rarely got to see before I moved to Austin. And I get to see them again tomorrow! We're going to the UT vs. Texas State basketball game. It'll be my first UT home basketball game, and I can't wait!

Final note - I fly home in 4 days. I'm so happy. I miss you, Washington.

Day One Hundred Thirty Three

I helped proctor the undergrad's final tonight. Longest hour and a half OF MY LIFE. All we do is stand and stare at 60 students taking a test. And watch the clock as our life passes before our eyes. For the last 20 minutes of it I just stood in the back of the room and stretched in an attempt to stay awake. Who holds a final from 7pm-10pm anyway?! Madness.

Other then that today was pretty uneventful. I went to Goodwill in search of an ugly sweater, and failed to find one. Why must you fail me now, Goodwill? And why does Goodwill always smell so weird? One of the mysteries of life. Then I went to H.E.B., where I was very excited to see that gas had once again dropped below $3/gallon. Awesome.

Tomorrow I grade the exam I helped proctor tonight. I should probably get some sleep so I can stay awake for that...

Day One Hundred Thirty Two

I had my last TA meeting of the semester today, and had to turn in my lab keys. It was slightly bittersweet (they're cutting analytical TA positions, so who knows if I'll TA this class again), but I'm happy that my keychain is slightly less heavy and has one less identical key. Seriously, why do all of the keys for everything at that school have to look exactly the same? We talked about things to change for next year and laughed about the outrageous length of some of the lab reports we received.

Then I came home and read. Read a book I actually wanted to read...not a textbook. I haven't gotten to do this in a long, long time, so it felt amazing. I plan to go back to it after this post. Woohoo!

Then I went back to campus, but only after picking up Kelly so we could go bowling at the Union. For two games and shoe rental, it cost us $6 each. Um, what? That's amazingly cheap. We were pretty happy, especially when we found out that Kelly got the same student discount as me because I had my UT ID on me. That card has come in handy more than once. After both games, we were reminded that neither of us has any future in professional bowling. It was really fun though, and we didn't even use bumpers. Though at times those probably would have been very helpful.

Look at that stance! If only it helped me actually bowl better.

Kelly's stance. Okay, she only did this twice, but it was worth
capturing.

Just. Barely. Won. No one needs to see the score from the first game...it
was less than impressive.

Day One Hundred Thirty One

Before I say anything about today, here are the photos I failed to post yesterday.

Bevo getting festive for the holidays

The name of this food truck made me laugh. Real hard.

I had an early morning today, which wasn't cool. I got to campus, then remembered that the shuttles are on a weird Finals Week schedule and took extra long to move between stops. So...I had to walk to Welch Hall, and it was a seriously chilly endeavor. I made it to group meeting on time though, thank goodness. Whenever you beat the advisor to group meeting, you know you're in good shape. I even managed to stay awake the entire time, even though I didn't get much sleep last night. Success! 

Then, it was time to get down to business and choose a song for the Chemistry Graduate Department Holiday Party/Karaoke Challenge. Um, karaoke challenge? Bring it on. Oddly enough, only the girls in my lab group were enthusiastic about this. All of the guys (including Dr. Shear) told us there was just no way they would be doing that. We're all graduate students in chemistry....I think we've passed the point of being too cool for karaoke. Oh well, Janine, Maryam, and I shouldered the burden ourselves. We ended up singing REO Speedwagon's "Keep On Loving You" wearing mustaches fashioned out of electrical tape and random accessories we found in our office. Proof is below.

I would like to introduce you to Shear Rhythm.

This is Mike. He decided not to participate, opting to cheer on his lab mates
from the audience.

Scott and Buddy from the Brodbelt Group, giving an inspired rendition
of "Don't Stop Me Now" by Queen

Kudos to Maryam for whipping out some serious air guitar action when none of us were expecting it.

Day One Hundred Thirty

So...I took photos today with the intention of putting them on my blog. But, my camera is across the room in my purse, and I'm too tired to go get it. So, photos tomorrow, I promise.

Today I ran to campus to pick up late lab reports to grade, went shopping at the Co-Op, went to Kerbey Lane Cafe for dinner (yummmm), went to Costco, then graded papers and uploaded grades. Pure. Excitement.

I'm so tired. I need to go to bed. Goodnight.

Day One Hundred Twenty Nine

I went to the gym today for the first time in a while. And my arms and legs have felt like noodles all day because of it. But, it felt good to go, and for once the TVs weren't playing soap operas, so I got to watch downhill skiing qualifiers instead. Why are winter sports so hypnotizing? I'm ready for the Winter Olympics. Now. Even though I know it'll just reignite my vigor to one day try curling. That isn't even a joke, just ask my family.

After the gym I settled in to watch the Seahawks, where my heart was subsequently broken. Colin Kaepernick...you ruin my day one again! Atleast the Saints won, and as long as Matt Forte gets me 6 points in his game tomorrow, the Moonsnails will have won. Come on Matt Forte...this is alllll resting on you buddy.

It is both weird and wonderful knowing I don't have class tomorrow. And I get to go home in 9 days. I. Can't. Wait.

Day One Hundred Twenty Eight

Today, I did essentially nothing until 2:00pm. And even then, I only left the house to go to the Avant's to watch the UT vs. Baylor football game (which determined who the Big 12 champs would be). In case you didn't watch, it was REAL disappointing. If you taped it and haven't watched it yet...just don't do it. I tried to grade lab reports while I watched it, but it was way too distracting and I only got 4 reports graded in 3 hours. So...not exactly productive (oops).

Then I came home and turned right around to go to a surprise party for my roommate's Aunt. Surprise, Kelly's Aunt, you don't know me and I'm in your house! It was full of Kelly's relatives, and I had some serious bonding time with her Uncle that used to live in Alaska. Then I learned that he and his wife both went to the same high school as my parents, and they even vaguely remembered them. That was unexpected. It was also unexpected when he got up to get a drink and I noticed he had a gun strapped on him that I wasn't even aware of. Turns out becoming buddies with him made me the safest person in the room. Yeah! I had a good time, even though the frosting on the birthday cake left a sketchy aftertaste in my mouth.

Tomorrow...I upgrade my laptop to a new operating system. Wish me luck.

Day One Hundred Twenty Seven

I vacuumed today. This was actually really exciting, because I haven't had time to do that in a week and it was driving me crazy. I feel like there's nothing more successful at instant gratification then vacuuming. Oh I see you dust bunny...and in two seconds, you will literally disappear.

Other than the excitement that came with vacuuming, the day was pretty uneventful until about 7pm. There was some grocery shopping, a doctor's appointment, and then....John Mayer concert. I was so distracted all day because all I could think about was how amazing tonight was going to be. And it didn't disappoint. I may have seen him just earlier this year during the same tour, but half of the set list was different songs with this show. At the concert tonight, he played my favorite song ever - Why Georgia. I was unspeakable happy.

You know what else made tonight awesome? Free parking! My UT parking permit came in handy tonight, as we were able to park in reserved permit parking at no charge one block away from the arena. John Mayer, thank you for holding your concert in a UT venue, and thank you for making an otherwise rough week end in such an amazing way.

Day One Hundred Twenty Six

It was my last official office hour today for the semester. Lesson learned...never hold 9am office hours. No one comes and I get stuck in traffic. So today, I was productive in the form of reading emails and finding out that John Mayer is playing on campus tomorrow. Don't worry, I quickly consulted with the roomie and bought tickets. First row of the mezzanine. SCORE. I can't wait!!! I started my trip to Austin with a John Mayer concert in Washington, and now I'm ending my first semester with John Mayer. Best thing ever.

Then my day was pretty uneventful. I did have Whataburger for dinner, which is always a happy way to end the day. Now I'm wondering why I'm still awake. WHY AM I STILL AWAKE?! Grad school is ruthless. I blame that.

Day One Hundred Twenty Five

Best part of the day today came from my Advanced Analytical prof.

Ryan (fellow first year) - "But if you were describing this to a lay-person..."

Dr. Holcombe - "We don't talk to lay-people."

Goodnight.

Day One Hundred Twenty Four

Last exam of the semester tomorrow. Must......study.....

Day One Hundred Twenty Three

Today was my last day of teaching lab this semester. It was really bittersweet, I'm going to miss my students! Two of them gave me hugs, one of them told me he loved science again (sarcastically, but he said he really enjoyed me being his TA), and another wants to know what section I'm teaching next semester so her friend could take me. It was really nice. Until one of them came over and showed me he sliced his hand open. Seriously? On the last day of lab? We weren't even doing anything! So much for my bloodless semester. He handled it like a champ though.

Then I went shopping at the mall for software for my laptop and gifts for my roommates. I got suckered in to a make-up kiosk, where I was told by the Russian man running it that I was lazy for not wearing make-up and my lack of make-up was probably why I didn't have a boyfriend. I probably would have been offended if it wasn't so completely absurd. It was so hard for me to contain my laughter during the entire thing. The make-up looks great though, so I can't fault him there.

Seahawks winnnnn! Awesome way to end the day. But now I have to study for my exam...not so awesome. Goodnight.

Day One Hundred Twenty Two

It's too late to blog. Toooooo tired. Curse you, homework!

Day One Hundred Twenty One

I should know that whenever I can't sleep, its because I've almost forgotten my blog. Whew! Today was great time with family, and I can't believe my parents are already leaving tomorrow to go back home. Let the 17 day countdown commence until I can join them in Washington! Can't wait.  :)

Goodnight.

Day One Hundred Twenty

Happy Black Friday everyone! I now have Christmas shopping done for my family, and it feels awesome. And I may have bought a couple gifts for myself. Such as the movies The Heat and Galaxy Quest. Because how could I say no to those two movies on sale? It was impossible.

After shopping, I did a little homework (lame) before going to my Grandpa Myers' house for Thanksgiving dinner #2. It was barbeque and homemade pies, and so amazingly good. And I finally got to meet my cousin's new wife Emily, which was great. Family time is fun between the random short arguments over what features are present in brand new Hondas (yes, this actually happened). Here's a couple photos.

With Josh and Emily.

Josh showing his true self.

Day One Hundred Nineteen

Happy Thanksgiving! And happy UT-won-tonight! Overall, awesome day with good food and good times with family. The temperature at the game tonight dropped to the low 40s, and my friend Natalie and I went in search of anything warm. We went to the team store in search of a blanket (the didn't have any), looked at buying extra clothes for layering (they were way too expensive), and when we decided that we would just freeze in an effort to save money, we stumbled across a short line for hot chocolate. This was an unexpected find, considering the two other hot chocolate lines had a wait time of 30+ minutes (everyone was cold). This was in stark contrast to the first home game of the season, when all I wanted was something cold, and had to settle for luke-warm water. I can't say I expected the temperature to change quite this drastically from the first home game to the last.

Here are photos from the game tonight. I would post photos of our Thanksgiving meal earlier, but let's be honest...no one wants to look at a photo of themselves eating.

Watching drumline warm up at tailgate. 

Pre-game sunset.

I decided to go all out for the final home game and wear eye-blacks.

Natalie and I.

Why yes, that is a football player wearing a cowboy hat and marching with
the band. And yes, it was the best thing ever.

Dad and I, grateful for hot chocolate!

Touchdooooown!

Dad with the orange tower.

Day One Hundred Eighteen

I always underestimate how long grading will take. But, now it's done and I can enjoy the long weekend! And my parents are in town! This weekend is going to be fantastic. And since both sets of grandparents are in Austin, that means two Thanksgiving dinners (one Thursday, one Friday). Two delicious meals in one week that I don't have to pay for? Best thing ever.

Tomorrow is Thanksgiving, but it's also the final UT home football game. No matter what happens though, one roommate will be very happy and one will be very sad. It's unavoidable.

It was another day of doing very little...I slept in, went to get groceries, watched an episode of Grimm, got tired again and took a nap, then went to the airport to pick up the parents before dinner and grading. I love these relaxing days, they don't come nearly enough.

Okay, I need to get my sleep to get ready for the feasting that will happen tomorrow. Happy almost Thanksgiving everyone!

Day One Hundred Seventeen

I barely slept at all last night. So why am I up so late? One of life's mysteries.

I literally did nothing interesting today. Unless dusting and backing up computer files now fall into that category...but I'm almost positive they haven't. But......

My parents fly in tomorrow! I can't wait.  :)  I hope they notice the freshly dusted furniture. It took me way longer then it should have. I swear, those dust bunnies show up EVERYWHERE.

Day One Hundred Sixteen

Today was my last full day teaching lab. It was really bittersweet, I'm actually going to miss all my students! They decided to be awesome today and all finish lab 30 minutes early while breaking no glassware. Seriously, this is almost unbelievable considering their track record. One of them was in awe that it was 40 degrees out and my only layer was my rain jacket. Today's weather was perfect Washington weather. I was actually sad when I checked to forecast and saw that a week from now its supposed to be back to 70s and sunny.

Other then lab, all I had today was lecture and dinner at Whataburger (mmmmm). I'll leave you with the inspirational poem my shuttle driver told us all this morning -

"All of you on this shuttle are heroes
You don't get no zeroes
And while you're on the go go
Don't forget your coco
And as always, have a good day
And you go work on that A"

He's a genius.

Day One Hundred Fifteen

It's 35 degrees and rainy outside right now. In Austin. And I love it. There isn't any thunder, so I get to fall asleep to the sound of rain and pretend I'm at home in Olympia. It's so wonderful.

The last home football game for UT is on Thursday, which is kind of bittersweet. I've loved going to games, I'm sad to see the season end! The forecast is predicting a high of 52 degrees, which I can't even believe considering the first home game I went to was 104 degrees at kickoff. Seriously? How does the temperature between the first and last home football game get literally cut in half? It's just bizarre, but I'll take 52 degrees over 104 degrees every day of the week.

My fantasy team is dangerously close to losing this week. I'm not okay with that. It'll all come down to how well the quarterback for the 49ers does tomorrow. Everyone needs to hope he does horribly (or just horrible enough to not score 20+ points). Are you with me?

Today was extremely quiet and uneventful. In other words, it was an awesome Sunday. I went to lunch with the grandparents, did some grocery shopping, then came home and had a mini-Grimm marathon before grading papers.

It was my Mom's birthday today! Happy birthday, Mom! I love you, and can't wait to see you in 2 1/2 days!

Day One Hundred Fourteen

Lesson learned today - Costco on Saturday during the season for Christmas shopping is TOTAL MADNESS. I only bought 6 things, but ended up loitering around the aisles much longer just to avoid the check-out line. I also went to Whole Foods for the first time in a while, and was reminded that their fancy organic brands-I've-never-heard-of are just way over my head. No, I don't want organic singly-wrapped truffles that cost a million dollars, I just want a Reese's Cup. They also had live music in the form of soothing acoustic guitar music. The entire visit was just filled with absurdity.

Then I wasted time watching Grimm (it was wonderful), graded papers (not as wonderful), and went to my roommate's parents house to celebrate her birthday (delicious food). Thank you for feeding me, Herzog family! I had a great time. And thank you Kelly (roommate), for being born today and giving me a valid reason to buy and eat cake. You are the best.

This weekend is going by way too fast.

Day One Hundred Thirteen

Finally. The weekend is here. It's been an exhausting week, and I'm just so excited to sleep. Then do a little grading, some homework, then nap. That's my master plan for tomorrow. And I made cookies tonight (and by "made" I mean put pre-cut squares of dough in the oven), which means there will be delicious snack items readily available.

I just took NyQuil, and I'm slowly falling asleep on my phone. Goodnight.

Day One Hundred Twelve

Early office hours. No one showed up. Lame. Thank goodness I had my kindle with me to play games on, or I probably would have just fallen asleep on the table.

Still improving on the health front. Now my main issue is a horrible sounding persistent cough (hack) that I'm pretty sure makes everyone want to veer as far away from walking next to me as possible. Oh well, I don't mind the extra personal space. Plus it means no one wants to sit next to me on the shuttle, which gives me more leg room. Bonus!

I had to proctor an exam tonight, which I wasn't thrilled about. But, it all ended up being worth it when I walked to my car, turned around towards campus, and saw this - 

Orange UT Tower

So cool. I've never seen the tower lit up completely orange in person, and it was pretty amazing. I still have no idea what the occasion was, but I don't even care. All I could think was if I hadn't been on campus to proctor an exam that night, I never would have been walking to my car in the dark, and I never would have seen this.

Tomorrow is Friday. Thank goodness. Hopefully by next Monday I'll be completely better and ready to tackle my monstrous 2-day week. That's right, I only have class Monday and Tuesday. My prof is gone Wednesday, which means I get a 5 day Thanksgiving break instead of 4! Dr. Holcombe, you're the best.

Day One Hundred Eleven

Guess what? I can finally swallow again without wincing in pain! UT Health Services, you and your prescribed Z-Pack saved me. Thank. Goodness. I'm still on the mend, but the mend is now much more tolerable.

Today was filled with homework and class. And three episodes of Grimm thrown in at the end while I was grading. I love that show and I don't even understand why. It's so bizarre...yet so fantastic.

I get to see my parents in a week! I can't wait, its been way too long since I've seen my mom. And I may have seen my dad just a few days ago, but I'm ready for him to come back also. Now if only I can figure out a way to get my brother here again. Unless he's carrying some new illness I can catch...then he can stay in Arizona. Quasi-strep is more than enough for me this semester. I love you Jeff, even though you're responsible for my miserable state these last few days. Just don't do it again.

Early office hours tomorrow. No one ever let me hold office hours before 10 ever again. The traffic is bad and no one shows up before then anyway. Goodnight.

Day One Hundred Ten

Still sick. But now on antibiotics and hopefully on the mend. It's been a long time since my throat has been this painful, and I'm ready for it to get better. I'm also ready to not have my voice crack every time I speak. That's been fun.

I went to school for a while today, and in hindsight it may have been a little too soon. But I got a visit to the health center in, which was definitely good. I swear, the UT health center is like a mini hospital on campus. It's seriously impressive, and nothing like the transformed-dorm-room health center I had in undergrad (that isn't even a joke). The doc I saw here had his eyes closed whenever he spoke directly to me though, which was weird. I'm still not sure what to make of that.

Hopefully I'm in less of a daze tomorrow. It would be nice to actually comprehend what is being taught to me in class.

Day One Hundred Nine

Sick. Bedtime. Yuck.

Day One Hundred Eight

Jeff gave me his cold. Not cool, big brother. Not cool. This means that I took a long nap in early afternoon and was just generally unaware of everything for the rest of the day. DayQuil, good for a cold, not good for focus. Tomorrow should be an interesting day due to this. Hopefully I'm at least semi aware of what's going on in the lab I TA.

Dad and Jeff left today, which I didn't enjoy. But...both my parents come back in a week and a half and I get to see Jeff over Christmas, so it was a little easier to say goodbye this time. I'm getting really good at this airport drive, thank goodness it's only 25 minutes away (on a no traffic day). Speaking of traffic, it was monstrous in downtown Austin today due to the Formula One race this weekend. Austin has the only Formula One race track in the United States, which is good for the state's economy, but makes going downtown and going to the airport a complete nightmare all weekend. Luckily, my dad showed me a way to cut through a side street downtown to avoid the majority of the highway traffic. Those are some of the best tricks to learn.

I can't stop yawning. I take this as a sign I should just go to bed.

Day One Hundred Seven

Game days are so exhausting. And we lost, which was lame. But, Jeff got to go to his first UT game! I wish they could have won for him, but it was still lots of fun. And Dad got to go too! He went with Bob, and they sat nowhere near us, but it was still fun to know we were all there together. The oldest living veteran in the United States was also there, at a spry 107 years old. That was awesome. The game finished with an amazing sunset. Here are some photos.

Tailgate!

Jeff had to get a photo in front of Big Bertha. Well, we made Jeff get a
photo in front of Big Bertha. Same thing.

Gorgeous sunset at the end of the game. The state of the game is accurately
represented by all the empty seats. Dad gets photo credit for this.

Dad gets credit for this too. Sunset behind the tower. Amazing.

Both Jeff and Dad leave tomorrow. Which stinks. Thankfully my parents come back soon for Thanksgiving.

Also, we had Kerbey Lane for dinner today. It was so fantastic. Breakfast for dinner will always win.

Day One Hundred Six

Today. Was. Exhausting. It's been a crazy stressful week, and my brain is still whirring from everything. Thank goodness it's the weekend. But...can we make it longer than two days? Please? I'm tired, and I have family in town, and there's a home football game tomorrow so obviously nothing productive is going to happen during that day.

Jeff came into Austin this morning and immediately conked out when his head hit the pillow. I had to leave for class, but I felt pretty confident he would remain dead to the world for a while. And he did, until my roommate's unexpected midday arrival at the house made him uneasy (footsteps when you aren't expecting them...not comforting), and him opening the door to see what was going on scared the bejeezus out of her. I only wish I could have been home to see it.

I learned that there's a turtle pond on campus today. I didn't believe my friend when she told me about it, but she proved me wrong when she showed me a pond behind the tower with over 50 turtles in it. I stood in disbelief. How did I not know this was here?! It was like discovering the bowling alley on campus all over again.

UT Turtle!

I saw all of my grandparents today. Which was nice, I just wish I wasn't so exhausted when I was talking to them. I'm sure I looked half asleep the entire time. Which is why I'm going to bed. Right. Now.

Day One Hundred Five

Really bad day. Really really bad.

Day One Hundred Four

Guess what? It was Whataburger Wednesday today! That always makes my day better. Number 13 meal please, no sauce needed. It seems like sweet coincidence that my favorite number also coincides with my favorite meal at Whataburger.

Also...Jeff comes tomorrow! Then dad comes the next day! If only Mom could come too (can't wait until Thanksgiving!).

School was boring today. Hence, no update is needed there. I just did lots and lots of grading to get it all done before family comes. Amazingly, all of my students did pretty well. This is not a common occurrence. But I'll take it. Way to apply yourselves, seniors! I may let you pass.

Day One Hundred Three

Another boring day. I had a group meeting this morning, which is always enjoyable due to the sheer absurdity of what some people in the group say. In contrast to what many people think, scientists are really pretty funny. Though it's entirely possible that we're only funny with each other, as not everyone understands science humor (example - Big Bang Theory). Then I graded papers before class, where I was given back (another) disappointing exam. Argh.

Luckily class was my last obligation for the day, so I just came home and took a nap. Because everything in life can be at least temporarily solved via nap. And...our heater is fixed! No more waking up in a freezing cold house and burrowing under covers instead of getting out of bed. I had another reminder driving to school that I should never let my car use outside air for air circulation. Because you never know when you'll pass a dead skunk on the road, and there is no way to switch that flip fast enough to avoid the smell. It was...not pleasant. People should be given a ticket for running over a skunk. Because when it happens, everyone suffers.

Life decisions are being made. It's been quite a process so far. Growing up is hard! At least I get to see my dad and brother this weekend. I need some family time.

Day One Hundred Two

Guess what? Nothing tragic happened in lab today. Except for someone breaking a giant piece of glassware, but that's just become the norm now. Unfortunately.

Nothing exciting happened today. Well, there was no traffic because of everyone getting today off for Veteran's Day (except for anyone working at UT...harumph), so that was nice. I also learned someone is coming to fix our broken heater tomorrow. I'll (hopefully) no longer have to wake up in a freezing cold house. Woohoo!

I need to go to bed. I have group meeting tomorrow morning, and it probably wouldn't look good if I fell asleep during it.

Day One Hundred One

I'm tired. I woke up in a freezing cold house (our heater isn't exactly functioning at the moment), went to church, went to the grocery store, then did what felt like a million loads of laundry. But don't worry, I also squeezed in a mini Breaking Bad marathon with Kelly while grading lab reports. And when I say grading lab reports, I mean barely looking at them while watching TV. Oops.

Tomorrow is one of my long days, which I'm not looking forward to. Having a lab end at 5pm kind of stinks, since rush hour traffic is already happening and will continue to be so until 7:30pm. Lame. Good thing I always pack a copious amount of snacks in my backpack.

Goodnight.

Day One Hundred

I've officially lived in Austin one hundred days. Triple digits. What better way to celebrate than a Physical Organic exam at 9am? But moving on, because I don't want to think about the exam anymore now that it's over.

I celebrated my 100 day milestone with...Wurstfest! Wurstfest is a giant German-centric festival with food (pretty much all of which is fried...and delicious...), live music, and copious amounts of alcohol. While I did not partake in the alcohol portion of the event, I can tell you that the majority of the people there did. To the extreme. And when I say extreme, I mean multiple-pitchers-for-one-person extreme. It was madness. There were also carnival rides. But I didn't do those either. I'm saving my carnival ride money for the Texas State Fair.

A big, BIG thanks goes out to my parent's friend Charlie, who graciously provided Kelly and I with tickets to Wurstfest, saving us precious money. We had a great time!

Then we stopped at Buc-ee's on the way home. Because it has super nice bathrooms. And delicious snacks. And it's GIANT and has over 100 gas pumps. And we found a Buc-ee statue outside. Things just kept getting better.

Charlie!

Listening to live music in the main tent. Note the giant stack of beer
pitchers behind me.

I think we make pretty good looking giraffes.

Official Wurstfest guys.

It's Buc-ee!

Day Ninety Nine

I'm an emotional mess right now (Phys Org exams tend to do this), which I'm pretty sure means the last thing I should do is write a blog post. Goodnight, and everyone pray that day 100 is a better one.

The one bright spot today - this dessert. Thanks for sharing it with me, Kelly!