Mini Tour

So for all waiting here are the first of the pictures from the house.

This is the office... one of my favorite rooms in the house! I spend A LOT of time here!

Desk, next to the door... books & coffee & and a painting from the Dominican Republic (1999).

Reading corner, behind desk... bass (TM), books, books, and treats from some of my favorite people.
Reading Bed...across from door, pictures from a museum exhibit and a completed cross-stitched dog that will become a pillow one day. Don't worry, if you come for a visit there is a real bed with pillows you can sleep on.

Ready to Vomit

Mostly, because I am starting classes Thursday and I am beginning to work myself into a tizzy!

But also from some of the statements of my fellow TAs... "my favorite fact [about herself] was that I performed in a traveling production of [some play that escapes me] in Jerusalem"
Now I know that most of this is just nerves and the fact that almost all of them are FRESH out of their undergrad program, but still.

Also, this morning one of the boys (yes he is a boy) said, "This is gonna look so good on your vita." It was so innocent and endearing.

Tomorrow is mastering the bus and buying a couple books that are cheap enough to merit buying in the bookstore.

You Were Right Mom..

Though it pains me to admit it, I must recant my hatred of Tuesday Morning stores. You were right they are filled with deals, particularly the one here.

These are the closest pattern I could find to the fancy new sheets (Sf*rra) for the guest room. The embroidery is a light green and so sweet. Evidently this brand of sheets is about $500 a set, but I walked away with them for a mere $75. So guests, prepare yourself for luxury when you visit.

The deals were so good that Mom picked up a set of sheets to mail back to the land of humidity. I also got a set (of slightly less fancy) sheets for the Cal King and a huge taupe table cloth to cover our ultra modern I-key-uh table. The styling isn't quite the same as our new diggs.

Mom and I decided it was all meant to be...who carries an oblong taupe table cloth?

On the academic front:
This is my last day of freedom. Tomorrow is new GTA orientation and a new grad student information session. There are 3 days of GTA orientation. The Spanish department seems to be pretty hardcore. But it is a good thing for my vita and my wallet. The Spanish department has 100% placement of their PhDs in tenure track positions!

Also I am contemplating taking the tour of my library next week. I might meet a nice librarian or a nerdy freshman...

We Made It!

After 26 straight hours of driving we made to the Midwest!

We've actually been here for a week now, but it has taken this long to get the Internet and cable... It was a two day install that involved me and TM going to H*me D*pot to buy bolt cutters at 9pm. The competition had our cable box locked and since we weren't going with them they were "far too busy" to come out and take care of it. So we are now the proud owners of bolt cutters!
While there, we observed a group of sorority girls trying to get the guy in the orange apron to help them build a beer bong. "Could I just like pay you to build me one." As the man explained it is a funnel and some tubing; if you can't handle putting those two together you might reconsider drinking that much beer... those brain cells are precious.

Mom brought unused furniture from the land of humidity and has been helping to get us situated. We're to the point of hanging pictures and moving around things that we probably should have just thrown away instead of moving. Pictures to follow soon I promise.

Collectively, we have made the trip to Targ*t (right next to the hardware store) at least 10 times. Unless you go at 8am; it is overrun with returning students buying cases of Easy Mac.
We had to go and get...

• hangers
• bolts for the dining room table (yep we threw them away in CA, evidently)
• shelf liner
• goo gone
• a Fivebucks
• more hangers
• a broom
• Macaroni and Cheese... the good stuff is just 52 cents a box!?!