What to say, what to say. So it's been a few weeks, so what? I'm a very busy and important person with lots of things to do.
First of all, this week is the last week of class for me! I had my article presentation today, where I had to talk for a while about a study my whole class read, but I had to explain it and talk about criticisms and limitations to the study. Thursday is our final exam and then I'm home free. I decided to drop my other summer class, partly because I didn't have to take it but mostly because I really didn't want to. A four credit class in four weeks while working over 40 hours a week? That just doesn't sound like my cup o' tea.
Second of all, I apologize to all the people to whom I've written long emails. Those of you who haven't received one, don't be offended. Count yourself lucky. These aren't just any ol' long emails. These emails are of epic proportions and I'm deeply sorry to all those who may have received them. You probably think, "Oh, a nice email from Alexis! I was just wondering about her, what she's been up to?" And then you open the email and you probably change your mind, deciding that you don't really care what I've been up to because the email is so freakishly long that you just don't feel like weeding through all the nonsense I've spewed over the internet. I just can't seem to shorten any of my thoughts or stories, no matter how hard I try. I need email ad libs or something, so I can just fill in the blanks in a generic form and be done with it.
Third of all, today for lunch I had chicken and corn. And I thought about Amanda. This led me to thinking about how she hasn't blogged in nearly a month and that made me sad. Where are you Amanda?
Mostly I'm just very happy that it's summer. It's a very different summer than all the others of my experience but it's been good. I miss Annie lots, off in Germany, and how much does it suck that she's coming home on August 15th and I'm leaving on August 18th? We really should have some sort of get-together around then. A good time would be had by all, I assure you. Anyway, I'm happy and safe and in less than two months, I'm going to Venezuela. Preparations are underway and I'm getting excited. I have to send my passport off to the consulate in Chicago so I can get a visa. Before I can do that, I have to go to the doctor and get a police clearance record, among what seems like hundreds of other things I have to care of before then. I can do it, I can do it!
Well, I must be going... I have to work in a couple hours and I think my sleepiness has almost won the battle. It's naptime.
June 28, 2004
June 16, 2004
Tonight whilst scrubbing floors I was nearly overcome by a driving need to watch Ace Ventura: Pet Detective.
Yep, that's all.
Oh, but also, I'm always amazed by how much work one can accomplish when one has so very little time in which to accomplish things. Only five of my waking hours per weekday are not spent in class or at work and I get a near ridiculous amount of things done, so much more than I think I would get done if I weren't in class or at work. Motivation is a strange thing.
Yep, that's all.
Oh, but also, I'm always amazed by how much work one can accomplish when one has so very little time in which to accomplish things. Only five of my waking hours per weekday are not spent in class or at work and I get a near ridiculous amount of things done, so much more than I think I would get done if I weren't in class or at work. Motivation is a strange thing.
June 15, 2004
Cat, I'm a Kitty Cat
I am living (still) at Dave’s house (temporarily) until the clouds part and the gods decide that it’s okay if they let sneaky Alexis sneak by with her sneaky self this one time and allow a deal on a house to actually close before they change their minds again. Until then, I’m here in a room with no furniture other than a bed and blue carpeting that matches my comforter in a way that is almost too eerie for me to comprehend. Other than me and Dave living here, there is Aaron, who I rarely ever see. Oh, and one of the stranger kittens I have met in my life and believe me, I’ve known me some kittens.
The kitten is Dave’s kitten and is an orange tabby. Or a ginger tabby, if you’re my mom and believe in being very specific (or a know-it-all) when you name colors. I named the kitten Jasper and he came from a house where a crazy (I mean, absolutely batty) cat lady lives with many many cats and kittens running around. Jasper runs around, attacking invisible enemies, tearing up rolls of paper towels, chewing on electrical cords, and jumping in one direction and then changing his mind midair and flying off in another direction. Sometimes he looks directly into my eyes and I think, “Oh, isn’t he cute?” until he opens his mouth and makes no noise and continues to stare at me and then I think, “Yoses, that cat is going to kill me in my sleep.” But just like every kitten, he’s so cute, especially when he’s lying in my lap and purring, instead of running around like the absolute nutter I know him to be.
Word on the street is that I was accepted into my program for Venezuela. I guess I haven’t made a sufficiently big deal about this yet which is very bad of me. I found out right before I left for my vacation and then have been so stressed with school and work and filling out paperwork for study abroad that I haven’t been blogging much, if you hadn’t noticed. This is the sort of conversation I imagine people have about my blog:
Obsessed Fan 1: Alexis hasn’t blogged in weeks, damn it.
OF 2: Yeah, what’s up with that? Who does she think she is?
OF 1: How dare she! Let’s send her horrible emails!
OF 2: Okay, but I really want her to think I’m cool so maybe we could just ask her to please write something soon.
But I know that’s not how it really happens. Anyway, so yeah, I’m going to Merida, Venezuela. I leave on August 18 and the program runs til December 1 but if at all possible, I’d like to try to travel around so I’d be there longer than that. I’ll have to write more about that later but for now I should sleep. Adios!
The kitten is Dave’s kitten and is an orange tabby. Or a ginger tabby, if you’re my mom and believe in being very specific (or a know-it-all) when you name colors. I named the kitten Jasper and he came from a house where a crazy (I mean, absolutely batty) cat lady lives with many many cats and kittens running around. Jasper runs around, attacking invisible enemies, tearing up rolls of paper towels, chewing on electrical cords, and jumping in one direction and then changing his mind midair and flying off in another direction. Sometimes he looks directly into my eyes and I think, “Oh, isn’t he cute?” until he opens his mouth and makes no noise and continues to stare at me and then I think, “Yoses, that cat is going to kill me in my sleep.” But just like every kitten, he’s so cute, especially when he’s lying in my lap and purring, instead of running around like the absolute nutter I know him to be.
Word on the street is that I was accepted into my program for Venezuela. I guess I haven’t made a sufficiently big deal about this yet which is very bad of me. I found out right before I left for my vacation and then have been so stressed with school and work and filling out paperwork for study abroad that I haven’t been blogging much, if you hadn’t noticed. This is the sort of conversation I imagine people have about my blog:
Obsessed Fan 1: Alexis hasn’t blogged in weeks, damn it.
OF 2: Yeah, what’s up with that? Who does she think she is?
OF 1: How dare she! Let’s send her horrible emails!
OF 2: Okay, but I really want her to think I’m cool so maybe we could just ask her to please write something soon.
But I know that’s not how it really happens. Anyway, so yeah, I’m going to Merida, Venezuela. I leave on August 18 and the program runs til December 1 but if at all possible, I’d like to try to travel around so I’d be there longer than that. I’ll have to write more about that later but for now I should sleep. Adios!
June 06, 2004
The past few days have been so blissfully lazy that I just haven't worked up the motivation or desire, really, to write anything. The thought that I'm starting summer class tomorrow also fuels the laziness. Not like summer school will be terribly hard, mind you, but starting tomorrow, I'll be in class from 9-11:45am Monday through Thursday and then be at work from about 2-10 Monday through Friday. That's around 60 hours here, people - 60 hours spent at school every week. Gah. I imagine that I'll survive somehow... right?
The trip to Nevada, Lake Tahoe and Montana was mostly really really enjoyable with a side of agitation, a combination common to family roadtrips. I saw more family members in two weeks than I normally see in two years. The Stiles/Stapp family card game, Progressive Rummy, was played numerous times. Trivial Pursuit was played as well, with the Young People (me, my brother Ethan and my sister-in-law Jennie) against the Old Folks (my mom, Mike and my Grandma). If you think I know a lot of trivia you should see my brother and sister-in-law in action. Damn.
My nephews are cute and entertaining and a handful. They seemed to like me, right from the start, especially Tyler. I became his designated shoe-tier and he turned something I said into his own catchphrase - "Stop being so crazy!" My dad and I took him to see Shrek 2, his very first movie in a movie theater. He was mesmerized by the noise and sheer enormity of the screen which lasted for about, oh, half the movie. Then he started tugging on my sleeve occasionally, saying, "Yalexis, can we go yet?" Dad and I definitely enjoyed it more than he did. Tyler gives the best hugs. Jacob is much less outgoing than his big brother but he does have the cutest smile. I also discovered he's a lot tougher than his brother. After falling backward down the stairs and hitting his head on the railing, he didn't cry at all. He just sat there on my lap looking stunned, pointing to his head and saying, "Bonk." It's somewhat frightening and yet awe-inducing that these short people are my brother's kids and he's a daddy. Also frightening - somewhere in their wriggly little bodies they probably have some of the same genes I do. Interesting.
The recap:
I went on two boats (one on Lake Tahoe and one on the Missouri River), one "train" tour through historic Helena, MT, saw Reno, NV, visited the Montana Capitol building, saw two movies, made a candle, went hiking, met both of my brothers' numerous pets, saw Idaho for the first time, ate out constantly and had a lot of fun with my family. I also spent somewhere around 65 hours in the car. On top of all that, when I was leaving the Cities to drive back to Duluth last Thursday, one of my rear tires blew out. I ended up staying at home an extra day (thus successfully escaping another day of work) and drove back to Duluth on Friday, just barely in time to make it to work.
In other news, Chelsea is leaving Australia on Saturday and will be back to Minnesota next Monday! I'm so excited!
The trip to Nevada, Lake Tahoe and Montana was mostly really really enjoyable with a side of agitation, a combination common to family roadtrips. I saw more family members in two weeks than I normally see in two years. The Stiles/Stapp family card game, Progressive Rummy, was played numerous times. Trivial Pursuit was played as well, with the Young People (me, my brother Ethan and my sister-in-law Jennie) against the Old Folks (my mom, Mike and my Grandma). If you think I know a lot of trivia you should see my brother and sister-in-law in action. Damn.
My nephews are cute and entertaining and a handful. They seemed to like me, right from the start, especially Tyler. I became his designated shoe-tier and he turned something I said into his own catchphrase - "Stop being so crazy!" My dad and I took him to see Shrek 2, his very first movie in a movie theater. He was mesmerized by the noise and sheer enormity of the screen which lasted for about, oh, half the movie. Then he started tugging on my sleeve occasionally, saying, "Yalexis, can we go yet?" Dad and I definitely enjoyed it more than he did. Tyler gives the best hugs. Jacob is much less outgoing than his big brother but he does have the cutest smile. I also discovered he's a lot tougher than his brother. After falling backward down the stairs and hitting his head on the railing, he didn't cry at all. He just sat there on my lap looking stunned, pointing to his head and saying, "Bonk." It's somewhat frightening and yet awe-inducing that these short people are my brother's kids and he's a daddy. Also frightening - somewhere in their wriggly little bodies they probably have some of the same genes I do. Interesting.
The recap:
I went on two boats (one on Lake Tahoe and one on the Missouri River), one "train" tour through historic Helena, MT, saw Reno, NV, visited the Montana Capitol building, saw two movies, made a candle, went hiking, met both of my brothers' numerous pets, saw Idaho for the first time, ate out constantly and had a lot of fun with my family. I also spent somewhere around 65 hours in the car. On top of all that, when I was leaving the Cities to drive back to Duluth last Thursday, one of my rear tires blew out. I ended up staying at home an extra day (thus successfully escaping another day of work) and drove back to Duluth on Friday, just barely in time to make it to work.
In other news, Chelsea is leaving Australia on Saturday and will be back to Minnesota next Monday! I'm so excited!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)