Hello all. It has been a while, this will probably be a messy post as I attempt to weave a "what's been happening" post with a "my thoughts" post. 

First, what's been happening. The events have happily mainly included fun with J&K. Friday night we went to the baseball game, my second ever professional sporting event. I enjoyed it immensely because there was delicious food and some beer. I got a foot long hot dog as part of my American Ball Park experience, which dripped mustard and ketchup all over me but was still delicious. K also bought me a Funnel Cake which was another first. The result of that interaction was that I decided I would rather just have a doughnut, same ingredients, more delicious. The fireworks were also much more amazing than I expected and it didn't rain on us.

 In other news, my Mom, sis LP and I threw a wedding shower for the lady K, which was so fun that I didn't get any pictures. It was very lady like and LP was delighted to decorate and make delicious hours de vours. There was game playing and present opening and I hope it was a successful first step in my true MOH duties. Woohoo! Bring on the parties, I'm getting this stuff down. 

Second, my thoughts. It has still been pretty hectic lately but the good news is that I submitted my electronic Thesis today. It cost a pretty sum, but it is in there so I am done with it. That is exciting. Also, K has some time off and we will be looking at apartments and modestly celebrating our 6 month anniversary (yeah, I know) maybe with dinner on Thursday. There will be updates. 

I am on the job hunt, which is hopeful yet constantly discouraging and lately I find myself building into these waves of anxiety. I cry for reasons unspecified and then try to quench the feelings of elation when I find a job I can apply for that would be really good for me. I am still trying to nail down that "Hope for the Best, Prepare for the Worst" thing, as I mainly get stuck on the second half. 

Let me tell you what though, I've got some excellent people. Friends and family have been very supportive and I know I have it better off than a lot of people in this economy with less prospects. I am just hoping that all my M.A. work won't end up getting me nowhere, so the search continues. 

Meanwhile, this guy is the most awesome thing ever. 

This weekend began the Spring Frenzy. The craziness of what is to come until K and I have a somewhat stable arrangement with one job each, in the same city and one apartment. Until then, everyone is getting married there is the school year to finish, and K still works in two different cities. 

We started off the weekend by getting my first snow cone at a local snow cone stand. It was delicious and had something called Sno Cream on it, which was both delicious and entertaining (yep, we are twelve year olds). 

Then we had some quality time with A & B in Lee's Summit with board games and some skunky beer from the never-used beer fridge (oops). 

Then we had a fun trip to St. Louis to see an old college room mate get married with J & K. Those are some fun roadtrippers and we saw everyone I love from college. Fun Times. 

A stop in Columbia on the way home let K time travel back to high school with all his dude guys. 

Finally, we ate fruits and veggies and watched some quality movies on K's new monitor that he is pretty fond of. This included Space Jam, because apparently that is a movie you can get a craving for and you just have to respect that. 

So this winter I was sick for something like three months and apparently lost a tidy sum of weight as a result. It was clearly bitter sweet. However, the pertinent part of this story is that my lovely friend girl K is getting married soon and I got fitted for a dress during this magical time of skinniness. 

Then my thesis happened. 

Then the dress came. 

It fits. 

Barely. 

So....I'm back to working out regularly, which I was going to do anyway until I die, this is just good motivation. However, while I still love sweets and must remember that I should be eating Half if that of what my tall, skinny, buff 23 year old boyfriend eats, this is a story of triumph. I went to the gym today ,got on the treadmill and ran two miles continuously. I haven't run in years and am not at all built for it naturally so that was pretty cool. Grasping the little stuff. 

Still must try not to eat cereal when I come home though. 

Tonight I'd like to tell you about me and my roommate A. 

She, like me, is a grad student and she is doing her thesis much like I was last week-->crunch time. 

Tonight, however, we distracted each other from grading in my case and reading articles for class in hers. 

We don't have cable because we are very poor and basically never watch actual television. This means our entertainment habits are characterized by the fact that  I watch internet TV during breakfast and together we have been watching the same Office and 30 Rock episodes for the last 8 months during homework, punctuated by her excellent assortment of 80's movies. 

Today, we turned on the digital TV box (yep! 4 solid channels) and discovered what has been on the television. It was both disconcerting and strangely alluring. We found Dancing with the Stars 

We had tons of fun and I am pretty sure I didn't get sunburnt, which is kinda fantastic

The First Weekend of my pseudo freedom has been awesomely crazy. So far it went: 

Wake up go to campus to teach, grade, turn in copies etc. 

Drive with K to Sister's and eat lunch and go to the park with Nithi 

Drive to LS to get delicious Mexican food with Dad

Drive to Southwest Blvd/Westport to hit the town with J&K-->crash on futon. 

Get up Today to make delicious breakfast burritos at the J&K residence and watch the boys build a computer on NewEgg-->Drive home and nap. 

Needless to say it was really fun to see so many people again and feel something like my old self again. I look forward to adding to the list of people I get to see again in the coming weeks as I emerge from hibernation. 

Pictures with Nithi: as usual the highlight of my posts 

First, lest I confuse people, I am not done with my Thesis. 

However, the chunk of my writing is done. The process goes: I defend my thesis to my committee, they tell me what corrections to do, then I actually submit it. 

However, I have the draft going to my committee tomorrow and that is a big deal. 

These are all the flowers I saw on my walk to school today. I love Spring in Lawrence and will be taking pictures soon of the nature that abounds. 

I feel like my Dad, when he used to take a million pictures of our garden at our house in Grandview when I was growing up. As kids we wondered, "What the heck is he doing? Where are the pictures of the people? Who cares about plants, Dad?"

I guess we learned some lessons along the way though, because now that I struggle to afford produce, I have fond memories of his amazing vegetable garden with bunches of fresh spinach, bell peppers, lettuce, broccoli, cucumbers, green beans, herbs and more.

Now,  while I spend most of my days writing away in either my basement apartment or my basement office, I understand his pictures and both my parents' hard work. 

My parents made my childhood magical.