The Apartment

Ok----so here are LONG overdue pix of the apartment since some of you are FAR, FAR away...I thought I'd give you a virtual tour starting from the hallway-leading into our bedroom. Anyhoooooo---hope you like my decorating....I still have SOOOO much I wanna do--but I'm trying not to overwhelm Dave.... He's already been so patient with me and my craziness...like for example....me proclivity for tripping over invisible furniture and spilling drinks on electrical appliances....
To which he smiles, shakes his head as we mop up the spill and says "Having a blonde moment are we?" Perhaps I was truly blonde after all.

It's official

Ok.

Am total bum for not posting this sooner......but....

I'M ENGAGED!

Exactly one week ago this evening I got engaged to Dave and I feel I must shout it from the top of the internet mountaintops!

I'm not sure what being engaged is supposed to feel like---and I'm not sure if we're rushing things--when have I EVER been known to do things the "normal" way?

I'm a wee bit nervous (only that I'll cock this up--{thank you Sarah for that expression....}) but mostly very very happy to have found my soulmate and that he can actually imagine spending his life with me too.

Anyhooooooo

I wanted to share this with you guys and let you in on my happiness :)

Nick Drake Sings & Robert Frost Reads

I discovered a fantastic website, Salon.com which has TONS of audio files including:
(new) Nick Drake
Sylvia Plath's the Bell Jar
Now I can get up on my culture...so exciting!
Ya'll should check out some of the nifty things they have--parts of books, poems, songs and speeches read by great people. So exciting. Did I mention that this is so exciting?
Anyhoo---this beats some of the stupid mindlessness that comes on Youtube. I have been wanting to get some more culture--here it is--just in time for the summer :)

Classes Are Over! *woo*

I survived the final projects...I endured the slide comparisons...I stayed awake for the critiques.
And NOW...



I'm ready for a nap.
So yeah, I was expecting to feel all giddy and exhuberant-but there is a sort of let-down after all of the buzz and hum of activity from the semester.
I think I can thrive for awhile on adrenaline, then second wind-then my resources get tapped and I find myself getting slap happy and irritable. THEN the grumbles set in...
I could grumble about the rain coming down because my feet get wet (what's the point of having pretty galoshes if I'm never going to wear them?)and then grumble about the sun coming out because then my eyes hurt (uhm---why didn't I pack my stupid freaking sunglasses?!) and don't even get me STARTED on foggy days.
So yeah--the drama that ensues when I have combo lack of sleep/too many things to do/no patience.
I feel way to relaxed right now. Must create problems. Is there something wrong with me? I think it's a family thing. As far back as I can recall we have thrived (we meaning the whole family unit--not always including me) on one crisis after another. Getting used to living a life of mundanity and "normalcy" with some everyday drama thrown in is different.
I would expect drama to occur with anyone--unless a person was living alone in a room with a vow of silence--of course this in itself is dramatic...so ironically defies my no-drama definition.
Anyway...I am trying to resolve the need for something going on all the time and filling that with the sound of silence--or just time with people I enjoy.
What a concept.
Is this what being healthy looks like?

Still Alive

Brief post to let you know I didn't die...

I have been bogged with final projects---and TAH DAH!

I finally moved in with David, (aka Dave, aka the sexiest man alive--see picture)

Living in DC is wonderful, busy, hectic, strange--but it means being closer to Dave and closer to school(hello---15 minutes on the metro---wheeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee)

Gone are the 3-hour commutes everywhere...

Gone are the days of driving through potholes being cutoff by insane truck drivers with a NASCAR fetish...

Whatever will I blog about now?

How about taxi drivers with a homicidal streak and politicians with a proclivity for "gentlemans" clubs.....ah DC--how I love thee.

Well my duckies--off to write 2 papers, study for an exam and memorize slides....yeah....THAT's going to happen....

enjoy the state of the apartment....(Dave keeps saying he doesn't mind all my crap....what a guy)

The Thinking Blogger Awards :)

So---I've been honored with a Thinking Blogger award by Kelly.
Apparently she enjoys reading my blogs...I see that the subconcious programming has worked :)
SO-In turn, I am passing this honor on to 5 people whose blogs have touched me.
1) This is a Tagback to Kelly at Seeking Him . Kelly always has thoughtful insight about her walk with Christ from a balanced perspective as a mom, a wife and a friend. She's been a mentor and a buddy-and her blog is just and overall hoot sometimes.

2) My Pastor, Neil has a really insightful blog, Broken Bonds Loosed Chains that is thought-provoking and socially conscious. I always look forward to being challenged spiritually and mentally when reading this blog because there are relevent topics, and people comment with really articulate discussion. It's a blog that makes you ponder.

3) Sarah of Sarahisms was the first of us ladies to get a blog, so I feel a certain indebtedness (and cursedness...I am now hooked..tee hee) for getting me involved in this outlet. Her sarcastic wit, fabuluos video posts and "What I'm Currently Listening To" features are favorite parts of the blog, without which I'd be lost...

4) Kath was second of us to start a blog, with Kathisms her foray into all things poetic, brilliant and lovely--with pictoral blogs that are guaranteed to knock your socks off. Kath's recent return to college has allowed her to regale us with hilarious tales of her mishaps and joys which we wish we could share more closely.

5) Lex's finally succombed to blogspot and got her blog Lex's Space which is full of her fun, fabulous, FANtastic daily shenanigans. We look forward to when she will update her about life with the Houdini pups and the next exciting adventure (especially pictures of her upcoming trip to Rome!)

Death and Taxes

Bob Hope once was quoted as saying, "I like to come to Washington, D.C., at least once a year. Why should my tax money travel more than I do?"

Well, I figure, going to school in DC is like being close to my tax money all year 'round...

Though my tax money probably does travel more than I do...

*grumble*

(and you know what---I STILL stand by the fact that Bob Hope was hot back in his heyday...)

Anyway--I have veered off my original thought which was-taxes.

I finally did my taxes today.

Finally you say? Taxes aren't due till April...Emily has become an overachiever. Not so.

I had to do my taxes so that I could do my FAFSA for school. Which was developed by psychiatrists at Guantanamo in order to break prisoners down into confessing "heinous" crimes against the US government, such as pirating Britney Spears albums (for SHAME...).

Anyhow...I FINALLY got the gist of the tax forms...after learning greek, aramaic, gaelic and a little igpay atinlay in order to decipher the encrypted tax collector code...

It seems I now owe the government and excess of...3 million dollars...do you think I did something wrong?

Just kidding.

But seriously-I'm actually getting money back, which should help, because once I mastered my taxes (and by mastered I mean I spent the extra $30 to have Turbo Tax assist me fill my taxes out....) I had to then try to translate that to my FAFSAs....oy...and I think I botched that so badly that I will have to take out additional loans and probably sell a few organs.

Anyone interested in a slightly dinged spleen?