vroooooooom!

Getting Settled

2009-09-01T21:00:00.003-05:00

So this was the 2nd week of classes, and I'm trying to figure out how my days will go. I had a moment of brilliance last week and decided that I should try to run during one of my breaks. We often get a 20 minute break in the middle of class at least once a day. I figured I could squeeze in a quick run one of those breaks. So today I brought all of my extra crap with me. I decided to not rush myself on one of the 20 minute breaks and instead wait for lunch. I ran for the first 20 minutes of lunch, and had 40 whole minutes to eat lunch and relax. And you know what? It was really nice! There are like 300 different routes I can take each day, I didn't loaf around all through lunch, and when I left for the day, I had already exercised. I will have to see if it works at the internship too. I hope so.

So since I got that out of the way early, I was able to run a few errands after school. I went and picked up the comprehensive exam study guide to begin reviewing for comps in early spring. Yowza! That's one huge stack of papers! Then I went and picked up the most essential part of the dictation machine that I completely left behind Sunday evening when I went to pick it up. Then I did doggie duty, completed dictation, and then showered, fixed lunch, ate dinner, and watched Greek. I am pooped. Now I'm watching a few minutes of Flipping Out before I go to bed. I am also hoping that I'll have a chance to keep blogging on a more regular basis. The end.

Urban Dictionary

2009-08-28T20:35:00.001-05:00

1. VROOOOOOOOM 5 up, 1 down

The sound a car often makes when going a speed faster then 2 mph
Vroooooooom *silence of clutch* Vroooooooom *clutch again* Vroooooooom.

by Car enthusiast Oct 2, 2006

Year 2, Day 1

2009-08-24T20:39:00.002-05:00

Well, today was the first day of my last year of this program in school (I was recently told by a friend to NEVER, NEVER say it's your last year of school.) It's going to be a year of changes. For my internship this year, I will be working with animals and learning about pet-assisted therapy and the human-animal bond. I think it's a great opportunity to learn about an area that isn't really the first thing that comes to mind when you say Social Work. I'm looking forward to it. On a disappointing note, long distance and a lack of time has led Mystery Guest and myself to the dreaded discussion and ultimate decision that perhaps our situation is not the best situation for either of us right now. It was all very mature and adult. Which makes it smart even more! (By the way, I picked up "smart" from Archie comics) I still have the utmost respect and adoration for Mystery Guest, and am of course sad to go in separate directions. So. That's enough for now. That was hard enough for me to unleash.

Weekend Edition

2009-07-12T19:12:00.002-05:00

This past weekend has been a pretty good weekend as far as weekends go. Friday night the Osbornes and I cooked up some swordfish and veggies (okay, the Osbornes cooked up some swordfish and veggies... I managed to coerce Mr. O. to do the cooking by telling him that I had found a great recipe online... a microwave oriental swordfish recipe involving ketchup. Mr. O. was thoroughly disturbed and took over. Mission accomplished!) So we had dinner and wine and just good company with old friends makes for a really nice evening. Saturday I went to NOLA for a visit with the Mr. Federline and other assorted friends. First we went to a party for the people he works with. A lot of it was boring for me, but everyone was genuinely kind and welcoming. And besides, I bored him later on. After that we went to Dick and Jenny's and I had the Salmon “Osso Bucco” with Haricots Vert, Garlic mashed potatos & Tarragon Butter. What it actually is, is salmon surrounding a scallop, so that the scallop takes on the character of the bone in osso bucco. Interesting, and quite tasty! After that we went to the Rendezvous to meet up with some other old friends and close the evening. Good times!

Today when I got home, I picked the dogs up at my house and went over to my parents' house because my sister is in town (dearest sister stayed here with my dogs last night-- thanks!). We swam until the thunder and lightening sent us running for our towels. Eventually, the rain got so heavy that it was coming up onto the porch and the dogs were scratching at the door to get in, so I rounded them up to go home. When we got in and I turned on the windshield wipers, Camelia went nuts! First time seeing windshield wipers-- it made me laugh really hard! So that was my weekend. I leave for vacation in just a few days, and I'm very excited about it! Yeaaaaaa!

Doing Good So Far

2009-07-06T19:36:00.003-05:00

So I've stuck to the no-coke (aside from the once weekly treat) and exercise thing. It's been good, and I feel good. Saturday I went to several July 4th events at various places. I spent most of my time at my parents house with my sister and nieces. There was a really good part of the day where me, Kristin, Hannah, and Lucy were all in the pool making our hair into George Washington's, (have kids done that since George Washington existed???) under-water butt bumps, and other fun water games from childhood. I find it amazing that Hannah and Lucy knew exactly what the George Washington thing was. Hannah's was really good.

Camelia is doing really well, her last little bit of a wound is healing nicely, and she is snoring away on the couch next to me right now. In other news, I am 10 days away from vacation!!! Once again I'll be headed north to PA/NJ to attend Duszapalooza. I need to start working on my outfit! I'm hoping to make it to NO this weekend, so perhaps Buffalo Exchange will have some good merchandise available. We will see.

3 Days and Counting...

2009-07-01T17:44:00.005-05:00

You all know how I struggle with not drinking coke. Well, lately I've been sucking down the high-fructose corn syrup nectar of the gods at an alarming pace. I've taken to keeping some in my fridge at all times, and buying at least one each day in the $0.50! coke machine at Cancer Services. Well, my increasing levels of inactivity coupled with my extra empty calorie refreshments have left me feeling not so good about myself. So I haven't had a coke since Sunday. That's right! I'm wondering how long this will last. I've also made an effort to be more physically active.

Tonight there's an opening at Baton Rouge Gallery,and Amy J. and Leanne C. will both be showing some work. Needless to say, I will be attending. I'm about to hop in the shower because I'm a sweaty, gross mess. Then I'll eat a quick dinner and head out to the gallery. Have a good evening!

image is stolen from the BR Gallery site... it's one of Amy's pieces, perhaps included in tonight's show. I know I've never seen it!

What's New?

2009-06-30T20:09:00.003-05:00

What's new with me, you ask... Well... I've found a dog! She's a beautiful brindle coat boxer I spied trotting down the street almost 3 weeks ago. She had some visible wounds on her low-back area, and I thought perhaps she had been used as fight bait. I stopped and threw her in the car, and we headed off to the vet. Once we got there, we waited quietly in an exam room for a vet to arrive for the day. When the vet came in, she began the exam, and we discovered that poor baby hadn't been used as fight bait, (as far as we can tell) but was badly burned. So for the past almost 3 weeks, Annie and I have been learning to live in a 2 dog house. So far, so good.

Otherwise, I've been volunteering at Cancer Services a couple of times a week and working for my dad on the other days. Mystery Guest is still around, and he just started an exciting new job for the remainder of the summer yesterday. Ooooooh! Exciting. In other news, I haven't blogged in eons, but I'm going to try to get back into it because it's therapeutic. Amen!

Vote for Cancer Services' Resource Center

2009-06-01T13:32:00.001-05:00

Go check out the video for Cancer Services' library and leave a comment (on youtube, not vroooom!) view video here!

Happy 50th Cancer Services

2009-05-14T21:03:00.001-05:00

Today was the 50th birthday party for Cancer Services. And I am absolutely EXHAUSTED. Good night.

Year 1, Done.

2009-05-13T20:03:00.005-05:00

Yeppers, I'm halfway finished with grad school! And look, I apparently learned how to spell skool! It just slipped out, I guess it's been such a long time since I blogged that I forgot. Anyway, it was a successful first year. And I'm FINISHED. I am proud to say, I made a 4.0 this semester! So what will this summer bring? I will probably still hang around my internship organization, lurking around like a ghost of interns past. But I missed a lot in the days that I wasn't there, and would like to attend some of the groups that are held on Wednesdays and Thursdays, so I'll probably check those out and be there at least 1 day a week. Otherwise, I'll work for my dad some, and hopefully get to spend some time painting.

I've been keeping up with the exercise blog, or at least I had, until those last 2 weeks of school. I went to the rec center today and swam for a while, which was nice. A good change of pace. For a while, the group exercise classes are out, so I don't have any ballet or pilates or anything to direct me, so I'll probably fit in some bike rides, runs, and swim sessions until they kick off again. For now, I'll just be enjoying some relaxing time, watching tv, reading what I want to read, etc. Oh! I bought my ticket to PA for DP V coming up in July yesterday. Super-duper excited about that... I don't think Spazz the Clown will be there again this year, but it's pretty much guaranteed to be a good time. So that's that. Oh yeah, and Mystery Guest is still around, enjoying his summer before he has to get back to law related things. blech!

this photo of Mystery Guest and me was taken a long time ago by JK at some little hole in the wall across the river. there was some SPECIAL hair at this place!

REJECTION!

2009-03-26T19:25:00.001-05:00

Dear Natalie,

On behalf of Baton Rouge Gallery, I regret to inform you that your application was NOT selected to be part of Venus Envy 2009 Exhibition. This decision was based on the following criteria: conceptual and aesthetic diversity, feasibility of proposal, overall artistic merit and relevance to the Venus Envy mission statement. Thank you for your time and we encourage you to reapply next year.

AS IF!!!!

Guest Updater: Mystery Guest

2009-03-22T11:04:00.003-05:00

Hello interwebs. Natalie is busy painting her kitchen, but wanted me to take a break from priming to update the blog!

Here is the latest news: Natalie went to ballet class again this week, and reports that it was awesome, and that she was in a great mood afterwards. Most of you will certainly be asking, as I did, "Did you wear a tutu?" The answer to that question is, unfortunately, no. Although otherwise it was a great experience. Perhaps there will be more tutu-wearing in the future, we'll just have to wait and see...

In Social Work news, Natalie is trying to decide what to do for her internship next year. She absolutely loves BR Cancer Services, but has decided it would be beneficial to get some different work to give her the most well-rounded experience possible. As she does a lot of work in group settings with Cancer Services, she would like a chance to have more one-on-one interaction. Ultimately she would like to do more care giving as well. As she would like to open her own cancer services or hospice type operation one day, I am encouraging her to do something where she can also learn grant writing. If any of you on the interwebs have suggestions or ideas as to where she should do her internship for Fall 2009, you can do so by leaving a comment.

This weekend, Natalie and I celebrated the one year anniversary of the day we met. How did we celebrate? Lavish dinner, followed by fancy ballroom dancing? Well, yes! We shared a basket of chicken fingers, and then we watched our LSU Tigers fall to the hated North Carolina Tarheels in the NCAA basketball tournament. And then we went home and watched part of "Superbad." And now we're blogging/painting the kitchen. So overall, it's been a good weekend, except for the Tigers losing, that part was sad. Hopefully when we celebrate year 2, we can also celebrate a victory by the Tigers...

That's all for now. The kitchen is coming along well, so Natalie hopes to be able to post pictures of the new, much brighter kitchen.

I Heart Thursdays

2009-03-12T20:33:00.003-05:00

Would you like to know why I heart Thursdays? Because skool is over for the week, and the weekend is just a few hours away. I go to my internship for a half-day tomorrow, and then get to start doing things I need to get done without feeling any guilt. Target! I need groceries. I need groceries pretty badly.

Hopefully, the kitchen will be done with sanding tomorrow afternoon, so I might get to start painting next weekend. I actually am a pretty swift painter, so I should be able to get started and finish next weekend if I have the whole weekend to get it done. Then I can move everything back to where it belongs and have a kitchen once again. Then the groceries will get eaten!

Little H got in town yesterday or today, I'm not certain which. I'll head to New Orleans either Saturday or Sunday to try and carve out an hour or two with her. I'm sure she's going to be super busy trying to visit with everyone, see her city, and squeeze in a super-long shift at the Rendezvous while she's there... I was thinking I would skip St. Patty's Parades altogether this year, I guess we'll see. If I go down there on Sat., it would be a waste to not go, right?

Word

2009-03-10T20:18:00.003-05:00

Helloooooooooooooooo. This week has been pretty mild so far. I had my field evaluation today, which means that my field liaison came to my field placement agency and checked to be sure that I was doing what I was supposed to be doing and that they were giving me the opportunity to learn what I needed to learn. Last semester I had no idea what this would entail, and the whole thing went over pretty poorly. I am not good on-the-spot. This time my liaison was nice enough to let me know what to expect, and she was very pleased with my ability to rattle on and on about what I do every day.

This afternoon I went to the rec center and attended my first ballet class in many years. I'm not good at ballet when I go on a regular basis, so it was interesting, but I felt great when I left. Just happy. smiley. I like doin' the ballet, even if I did kind of feel like an ass because my balance has gotten to be so bad. So I'm going to try and keep it up. I might check out what other classes the rec center has to offer!

Race for the Cure 2009

2009-03-07T12:15:00.003-06:00

It's that time of year again! I started the morning off by riding my bike to the race. I figured that if I rode my bike there, I wouldn't have to actually RUN the race. Then I decided to run the fun run. Then I started off walking the 5K with Khaki and Co., but Caroline wanted to run. So we ran, then walked, then waited for Khaki and Co., then quit waiting and ran, then stopped to use the bathroom, then ran, then ran to the top of the Indian mounds ("Do you think they're really made of Indians?") stood up there, cheered, ran down, ran back up, cheered, ran back down, ran some more, walked some, stopped and sat on the swing at the KA house, ran some more, petted every dog we saw, looked at the lake from the Alumni center deck, practiced spelling various words, learned about all of the rides at Disney World, stopped and sat by the other lake, ran a little more, walked, and ran through the finish line. Then I rode my bike home, and now I'm home and after a shower off to another fun event. Poof!

National Health Survey

2009-03-04T20:00:00.002-06:00

Somehow I was suckered into participating in the National Health Survey. It actually wasn't bad. A nice lady came to my house and sat on my front steps with me as I told her all about my health insurance coverage and the frequency I go to the doctor. It took about an hour, and because the lady was nice, it wasn't bad at all.

I had my first mid-term of the semester today, and I feel fine about it. There were a few multiple choice questions I was unsure about, but overall, I think I did fine. Tomorrow I have my only other mid-term, and then the week is about over. I have a quick day at my internship on Friday and then it's weekend time!

Race for the Cure is Saturday morning, and while I'll be running it with people from my internship, I am sure I'll be taking the time to go back inside my head and spend a little bit of time talking to Em. Speaking of which, Baby Emily will be turning 1 this month! Now I'm going to watch the Top Chef reunion before I go to bed. The End!

Missed the Boat

2009-03-03T20:26:00.002-06:00

I was going to go to a ballet class this afternoon, and jumped up, got dressed and was headed out the door and remembered I needed my school ID to get into the class. Well let me tell you something... not last week, but the week before, I decided to get a new ID. They changed IDs at the beginning of the year and I had still been using my original ID that I got when I started school. It had started coming unpeeled, so I decided it was time for a new one. Instead of telling me I was awesome for being able to hold onto an ID for so many years, they charged me 15$ because I didn't update it quickly enough. Bastards! So anyway, I went to get my ID and I couldn't find it anywhere. So I held on to that crappy old one for like 5 years, and within 2 weeks of replacing it lost it.

I spent about an hour cleaning my purse and coffee table, and found it about 15 minutes into the ballet class. Oh well. There's always next Tuesday, right?

this image is from a book called Kiki Dances, which I believe belonged to one of my aunts.

Inside My Head

2009-03-02T19:57:00.002-06:00

I've kind of been inside my head for the past few months. I think that after a hurricane I tend to go inside and lock up in there for a while with my thoughts rattling around. Not that this hurricane was nearly as devastating as Katrina, but it brought back all of those feelings of disorganization at the beginning of a semester, housing issues, etc. Then I think that the cold darkness of winter maybe pulled me in a bit further. I don't want to say that I was depressed, but I was definitely not enjoying life to the fullest.

The days are getting longer and warmer, and I can feel myself coming out of this funk, and it is extraordinarily exciting! I wake up ready to get out of bed, I feel like taking Annie on extra walks because it's not so cold, and I'm much more willing to make myself change clothes and do something in the realm of exercise when I get home in the afternoons. It is a welcome change, and I look forward to its progression. And I'm really going to try to be better about writing more often.

This image is an illustration by Camilla Engman, whom I am very fond of. Here is a link to her website! That old bear is my winter attitude grumbling around in the cold forest. brrrrrr!

Marching into Spring

2009-03-01T13:07:00.003-06:00

Dammit if it didn't get COLD last night. I refuse to accept it, and titled my post Marching into Spring. Because it is March, and it WILL GET WARM AGAIN. SOON.

I had the pleasure of spending yesterday with Amanda, which is always a very entertaining, relaxing, and usually a productive experience. She's got a show in New York coming up, so she was busy working on some pieces that needed to get to the framers by 5:00, and I was busy working on the robot. He's coming along, but let me tell you, he is VERY time consuming. I have gotten the bulk of the collage part finished, and could possibly finish him up in 1-2 more day-long Amanda visits. Mucho thanks to Mandie for letting me hang out with her all day and use her space!

So last night I got to meet the Mystery Guests, which was a totally benign experience. They were really nice and there was really no small talk, which I am NOT good at at all. We went to dinner at Dante's Kitchen, which I don't know if I mentioned that Lesley and I had gone there for her birthday last month, but we did, and I liked her dinner way more than my dinner, so last night I got to order what she had had, which was the chicken. It was yum! After dinner, we parted ways and Mystery Guest and I went to see some of his friends who were playing at a coffee house. Ew! Coffee! But it was nice, and good to see those guys again. After that we followed them to Cooter Browns to hang out for a bit, and I ran into Brant, who I haven't seen in a loooooooooooooong time. In 6 weeks or so, he will be a father of TWINS! He already has at least one child and one step-child, so I guess they will have a full house. It was good to see him, and strange how I avoid places I don't frequent, and then when I finally agree to go there is a familiar face.

This morning I had breakfast at Slim Goodies with the Bernicks, which as always was nice. Now I'm home, listening to Wait, Wait... Don't Tell Me. I might take a nap, I might read a magazine, I might do a number of things. Then I'm going to visit the Osbornes and then STUDY for mid-terms. I might make an attempt to blog more often, because I really do miss it. It's just a matter of taking the time to do it. So. That's it. The End.

PS: Here's a link to an article about Jen's studio... check it out! Today's image is one of Jen's paintings. Of course, Jen and Mandie are linked on the sidebar with artists.

Meet the Mystery Guests

2009-02-27T15:11:00.001-06:00

I meet Mystery Guest's parents tomorrow.

YO

2009-02-25T11:18:00.003-06:00

What is going on, you might ask. Well. I am spending my Mardi Gras holiday a) being sick, and now that I am recovered b) sanding my kitchen walls. The big kitchen renovation has also resulted in my misplacing my camera charger, so I can't even take photos of the progress. I decided the other day that it would be a good idea to start sanding the walls. It progressed very slowly, and I began to feel sore and unenthusiastic. Then I realized I was sick. This morning I woke up refreshed and started early. I've been sanding away for about 3 hours, and while there is still a lot to go, I have tackled quite a bit of the walls. I'm hoping that once I get to the big wall the fact that the paint is chipping will help me along. Otherwise, it might be a while before I'm back in business in the kitchen. But it will look SO, SO nice when it is finished. I'm on my lunch break now, and decided to blog a bit. Lucky you! Now I need to go find some lunch and chow down before I get back in there, sander in hand.

I think I may need this light switch plate.

I'm Still Here

2009-02-19T19:08:00.002-06:00

I am still here, I just haven't been making the time to keep up with mah blawg. Sometimes I really miss mah blawg, and others I just forget about it. School is going well this semester, things are a LOT less stressful than last semester. Last semester we had to do SOMUCH writing that I think I was sick of it. I swear I had at least one paper due each week. This semester not so much. The teacher I wasn't sure about? Still not 100% sure, but am leaning towards liking him. The lecturer actually turned out to be a movie lover and likes to let us watch movies.

And now it's 7:12 and I haven't had dinner and I'm hungry and need to go figure out which frozen entree I'll be cooking up tonight. Miss my kitchen!

Bizzy Bizzy

2009-02-08T20:32:00.003-06:00

It's been bizzy. I had a great time in Philadelphia, and am looking forward for Carey and Boob to come down this way next weekend. Yea! School isn't as demanding as it was last semester, I don't have as many papers or assignments so far, which makes things a little less hectic. I still love my internship, and have been regularly exercising for 5 weeks now! I wish I were more regularly blogging, but I just don't seem to find the time to squeeze it in. The kitchen being a construction zone doesn't help tremendously, since I have to try to figure out what I can eat and how I can fix it. Hopefully that will not take too much longer to remedy. I can't really do pictures, because my camera charger is hidden somewhere amidst the dishes and food that is stored in the dining room and guest room. I know its here somewhere, just can't find it now. So for now I will leave you with a photo of myself and Eric of Tim & Eric Awesome Show Great Job! Taken by Carey in Philly.

Cornification

2009-02-06T15:51:00.001-06:00

25 Things

2009-01-28T17:33:00.005-06:00

Since this seems to be the trend, here are my 25 things...
1. I have a metal rod in my leg and screws and pins in various other parts of my body
2. My first cat was named Casey, but I liked to call her Maggie because I thought she was magical
3. I once found a photograph of Katherine Elliott Creech dressed up like a devil in the woods behind my house
4. I am probably the only person to ever be in the freshman facebook at Tulane for 2 consecutive years with the same picture and different hobbies
5. I have a blanket named Howard, who was the host of the PBS show NOVA, and also owned the chain of Howard's discount stores
6. Howard was married to a smaller yellow blanket named Harold. Harold was a woman.
7. At one point in my life, my friends and I assigned animal likenesses to all of our friends and still refer to them as hippos, squirrels, bunnies, lambs, etc.
8. I have a stuffed animal that I still sleep with, and for Christmas this year the only thing I asked my dad for was for him to perform some corrective surgery for years of disfiguring dog attacks
9. My dad performed the surgery, and puppy now has new eyes and a nose!
10. I count when I run
11. I actually count when I walk too
12. Today is my oldest nieces birthday, she is TWELVE! (this list was actually written on the 27th)
13. I am still good friends with most people that I have lived in the same house with (probably not very good grammar there)
14. I am kind of weird about spelling peoples' names correctly
15. My dog's feet smell like fritos
16. My dog's ears remind me of cinnamon crispers from Taco Bell
17. I am going to Philadelphia in two days!!!
18. I've never felt like I was doing the right thing as much as I do now (life direction-wise)
19. I still read Anastasia Krupnik books, as well as Beverly Cleary and Judy Blume
20. One of my toes reminds me of a turtle. It's my favorite toe.
21. I love cooking and organizing things
22. I love washing dishes by hand, and sweeping with a broom and dustpan
23. I love my dog, my family, and my friends very very very much!
24. I have never been to Europe
25. Yes I'd like to visit the moon, but I don't think I'd like to live there... (you'll get it if you know it)