It's official. I'm not cut out for graduate school.
Everyone in my classes seem so committed, but I'm having a really hard time making myself care. Every night I tell myself I'm going to do homework the whole evening and try to catch up, but I inevitably find myself in my art room painting with watercolors, sketching in some obscure corner of the house, reading about the election on the computer, doing yoga, or cleaning over and over again.
I realize I'm not the first graduate student to procrastinate, but this is the first time in my school career that I've ever not cared this much. Hopefully, I'll knock out of this before my major papers start being due.
On a more serious note, I've been waiting for the appropriate moment to announce that BJ will not be returning to his job next year. I think it is common enough knowledge now that I can put it on my blog. The school said he has been a very good teacher, but that they have a vision for the future, and he is not in this vision. We ask for prayers as we search for jobs for each of us next year. BJ is applying for ministry jobs, and I'm applying for teaching positions. I am really excited about the possibilities ahead of us. We have met some really fabulous people while we've lived here, but it is quite obvious to me that I was not cut out for the metroplex, and I am especially not a suburb girl. I am grateful for all that I've learned here (like how to drive in crazy traffic), but I'm ready to move on if it is God's will.
Thursday, February 28, 2008
Thursday, February 21, 2008
TONY!!!!!! I mean Gus.
I realized today that whenever Gus gets in trouble, I always accidentally call him Tony. It's like I'm programmed to say "Tony" anytime my voice rises in an angry reprimand. I wonder what that's about.
Friday, February 15, 2008
The best Valentine's Day ever, or the only good Valentine's Day ever
I generally hate Valentine's day with all its commercial mumbo jumbo and the pressure it puts on couples to act really "in love". However, for the first time ever, I had an awesome Valentine's Day, and it is all because me and BJ have no money.
Since things are more than a little tight right now, BJ and I decided to do something a little different this year. I constructed two zig-zag books using random supplies from my art room, and I filled them with questions, fill-in-the-blanks, and other fun stuff that we had to fill out about each other. Last night after dinner, we sat down and read what the other had written. It was so funny and touching and romantic, and BJ even made me cry a little. I've decided to post some of the high-lights from each of our books.
Excerpts from BJ's book for me:
-If Kalyn were a Biblical character, who would she be? Mary, Martha's sister, because she was kind of a hippi who was running around sighing "Jesus" with butterflies in her hair.
-If Kalyn were a food, what would she be? Chicken-fried steak, mashed potatoes, and corn (that's right, I'm a steak).
-If Kalyn were a place, where would she be? a shaded, cool but warm forest with lots of water.
-Favorite memories: the car ride our first day of marriage, canoing in Indiana, all our trips to Illinois.
-5 words that define Kalyn: gentle, caring, passionate, self-sacrificing, and great!-cook.
-Fill in the blank: Kalyn is the most sensitive person I know.
-Fill in the blank: If I could get you anything for Valentine's Day, I would get you financially free so you could stay home and make art.
Excerpts from my book for BJ:
-If BJ were a character from a book or movie who would he be? Ron Weasley because he is stubborn, hot-head, but good hearted...and he got the nerdy girl.
-If BJ were a Biblical character, who would he be? Jeremiah because he was always honest with God and was willing to become vulnerable for the sake of maintaining that honesty.
-(this one is my favorite) If BJ were a dog, what breed would he be? Scottish Terrier "Independent and self-assured...rugged nature and endless determination...sometimes seen as aloof, he is actually very loyal to his family. He can have a temper, but is also quite sensitive."
-Five words that define BJ: resilient, goofy, loyal, devoted, passionate.
-Favorite thing he has said to me: "It's like you, the embodiment of elegance with a smudge."
-Fill in the blank: BJ is the most passionate person I know.
-Fill in the blank: If I could get you anything for Valentine's Day, I would get you a new computer with all the works.
Since things are more than a little tight right now, BJ and I decided to do something a little different this year. I constructed two zig-zag books using random supplies from my art room, and I filled them with questions, fill-in-the-blanks, and other fun stuff that we had to fill out about each other. Last night after dinner, we sat down and read what the other had written. It was so funny and touching and romantic, and BJ even made me cry a little. I've decided to post some of the high-lights from each of our books.
Excerpts from BJ's book for me:
-If Kalyn were a Biblical character, who would she be? Mary, Martha's sister, because she was kind of a hippi who was running around sighing "Jesus" with butterflies in her hair.
-If Kalyn were a food, what would she be? Chicken-fried steak, mashed potatoes, and corn (that's right, I'm a steak).
-If Kalyn were a place, where would she be? a shaded, cool but warm forest with lots of water.
-Favorite memories: the car ride our first day of marriage, canoing in Indiana, all our trips to Illinois.
-5 words that define Kalyn: gentle, caring, passionate, self-sacrificing, and great!-cook.
-Fill in the blank: Kalyn is the most sensitive person I know.
-Fill in the blank: If I could get you anything for Valentine's Day, I would get you financially free so you could stay home and make art.
Excerpts from my book for BJ:
-If BJ were a character from a book or movie who would he be? Ron Weasley because he is stubborn, hot-head, but good hearted...and he got the nerdy girl.
-If BJ were a Biblical character, who would he be? Jeremiah because he was always honest with God and was willing to become vulnerable for the sake of maintaining that honesty.
-(this one is my favorite) If BJ were a dog, what breed would he be? Scottish Terrier "Independent and self-assured...rugged nature and endless determination...sometimes seen as aloof, he is actually very loyal to his family. He can have a temper, but is also quite sensitive."
-Five words that define BJ: resilient, goofy, loyal, devoted, passionate.
-Favorite thing he has said to me: "It's like you, the embodiment of elegance with a smudge."
-Fill in the blank: BJ is the most passionate person I know.
-Fill in the blank: If I could get you anything for Valentine's Day, I would get you a new computer with all the works.
Friday, February 08, 2008
A good day
Tuesday was the crazy meeting of three pretty awesome day: my birthday, Super Tuesday, and Fat Tuesday. All of these days are exciting on their on, but put together, it was a combustion of awesomeness.
My day started as most days do, with the alarm clock. But on this really awesome day, my husband threw a birthday card and a package of gum at me before he pushed the snooze button. The card was in Spanish. BJ wrote in it, "I don't know what it says either, but Happy Birthday!" So romantic. On my way to school, instead of listening to morning talk shows reporting on Brittney Spears, I got to listen to The Audacity of Hope, a b-day gift from Brittany. Then, I went to school and set in classes where we talked about the only things English majors ever seem to talk about: sex, the end of Christianity, and fairies. The rest of my day was pretty normal (or as normal as English classes can be) until I got home and BJ took me out to Macaroni Grill. We then embarked on a long search for All-Star Converse tennis shoes, but found none that struck my fancy. So instead, we went to Old Navy where BJ set in the dressing room and told which items he did and did not like. Actually, he didn't have to say a word. All I had to do was look at his face and I knew. After we returned home rather late, I spent the rest of the evening watching, agonizing over, analyzing, and fretting over election results. I'm pretty sure my recent swing into political junky-hood is not good for my health. But all in all, I'd say it was a successful day of combined awesomeness.
My day started as most days do, with the alarm clock. But on this really awesome day, my husband threw a birthday card and a package of gum at me before he pushed the snooze button. The card was in Spanish. BJ wrote in it, "I don't know what it says either, but Happy Birthday!" So romantic. On my way to school, instead of listening to morning talk shows reporting on Brittney Spears, I got to listen to The Audacity of Hope, a b-day gift from Brittany. Then, I went to school and set in classes where we talked about the only things English majors ever seem to talk about: sex, the end of Christianity, and fairies. The rest of my day was pretty normal (or as normal as English classes can be) until I got home and BJ took me out to Macaroni Grill. We then embarked on a long search for All-Star Converse tennis shoes, but found none that struck my fancy. So instead, we went to Old Navy where BJ set in the dressing room and told which items he did and did not like. Actually, he didn't have to say a word. All I had to do was look at his face and I knew. After we returned home rather late, I spent the rest of the evening watching, agonizing over, analyzing, and fretting over election results. I'm pretty sure my recent swing into political junky-hood is not good for my health. But all in all, I'd say it was a successful day of combined awesomeness.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)