Life in Vegas Thus Far

Things have been going pretty well so far in Vegas. I got settled into the apartment in a week. Well, mostly. I have a few pictures to hang up and some files to organize, but other than that, I'm pretty much done.
Orientation started today. It wasn't very exciting actually. I thought there was going to be more to it, but we basically just got talked at for a few hours in a banquet hall sized room with 600ish new students in it. It was nice to be able to put names to faces of people I'd possibly need to contact if I had certain issues (where to get paperwork, who to talk to about funding, how to change the people on your committee, etc...). Yet, I would have been fine with just getting a big ol' packet of information and not wasting gas money to do the 20-minute drive to campus. (I took a quicker route this time. Last time it took 30 minutes. Tomorrow we'll see how long the same route takes but with morning traffic...)

Tomorrow morning I'm going to a teaching workshop. Some renowned speaker/teacher/professor is going to be teaching us about different methods to get students involved, I guess. I hope that it's helpful, because I don't see myself as a teacher at all (don't really want to be a teacher at all... but it's how I'm getting paid, and it will be a worthwhile experience). I'm more of a one-on-one person, not a lecture to a big group of people person. I'm actually ridiculously boring to listen to when I'm "lecturing." At least that's the impression that I got during my stint as a Sunday school teacher or during RA training sessions. But oh well, even if the workshop is a bust, I am going to the grocery store (a.k.a. Walmart Supercenter... I don't have to like them, but they're cheap and conveniently located) to get some stuff. I like grocery shopping.

And then Thursday, oh Thursday. I can't wait until Thursday. Here's the first reason. Thursday is the Geoscience Department orientation. So, I'll actually be meeting people that I'll see on a regular basis, and find out what the heck I'm supposed to be doing rather than getting talked at in a crowded auditorium hearing stuff that could have been sent out in a packet. And, there's a potluck, which should be fun.

The other reason I'm excited is that Erik gets back to Minnesota from his European adventure on Thursday. At that point, our long-distance relationship gets upgraded from Gmail chats and emails to phone calls. Yay!!

An Old Bookmark

While I was unpacking the other day, a folded-up piece of paper fell out of a book. I usually just use random scraps of paper as bookmarks. Those cute and/or fancy bookmarks that you can buy at the store are nice, but I'm always afraid that I'll lose them or that they'll get damaged. For this reason, I generally just use scratch paper.

On the outside of this piece of paper was this quote, which I must have found important while I was reading the book from which it came.

"Sometimes at our most discouraged, we can also forget that the past is a resource, not a destiny."
~Jill Fredston, from her book "Snowstruck"

I enjoyed re-reading the quote, and then tossed the bookmark into a pile to be dealt with later. As I was tidying up a few moments ago, I unfolded the piece of paper to see what, if anything, was written inside. There is a doodle of a daisy and directions to my boyfriend's house. The funny thing is, I have the route memorized now but I still don't know the street names for a lot of the turns. And a few of the roads, according to these directions, have an actual name and then a county road name. Three of the roads have the same county road name, which doesn't make sense to me. Maybe that's why Kyla and I almost got lost the first time we drove there!

Pesty Things

My apartment doesn't really seem to have a big pest problem, but I'm thinking I may have to buy some indoor pest killing devices. Two cockroaches so far, a few spiders, and then today I tried to get two spiders (one of which was kinda big, at least compared to most you'd find back in MN), but they both got away. The big one managed to hide behind the TV, but only after I wounded it slightly. I'm hoping the spider is not one for revenge... because it might know where I sleep... And seeing that my next task for the night was going to be organizing my DVDs, which are next to the TV behind which the spider is hiding... I will not be accomplishing that task tonight. I feel like such a wimpy girl right now. Every little itch I feel is making me jump because I think it might be the spider coming to get me... or some other annoying little fly thing that I've been finding. When I lived with other girls, I tended to be the bug killer, but now that I'm alone (and have carpet, which is much harder to squish bugs on than a tile floor) I am much more jumpy!

Anywho... the battery is about to die. Hopefully soon I will be settled in enough to post a few pictures. But other than my squeamish bug issue (which really isn't even that big of an issue, I'm just a bit jumpy about it now), things have been going well so far. I plan on going to campus tomorrow to sign my TA contract, get a student ID, and maybe pick up a book. We shall see.


**Update: I'm on a different computer now, which solves the battery issue I mentioned before. As soon as I got off the other computer, beasty spider made another appearance near the couch, which was where I had been sitting when I originally made an attack. It knew where to find me... so I put forth another offensive, this time with kleenex in hopes of squishing the thing more successfully than using the kleenex box earlier (stupid carpet... too soft to kill bugs with hard objects...). Beasty spider must have known I was about to strike because it moved with great speed. I took up higher ground standing on the coffee table (thank goodness it's sturdy!) waiting for spidey to make its next move.

It seemed to want a momentary retreat and headed for the cover of the blinds by the sliding glass door. It was then that I remembered a weapon that I had used years ago on a bug that was too fast for me... something that slows down the agile pests... febreze! (PETA and anyone that harbors sympathies for the spider community... I apologize, but desparate times call for desparate measures... I was hiding on top of the coffee table for goodness sake in my own apartment!) So I ran over to the tubberware bins full of toiletries and cleaning supplies and dug out my trusty trigger bottle of Clean Linen Febreze and took up my post waiting for the spider to show it's ugly large self again. To protect the spider's honor, it put up a valiant fight against my weapon, but eventually my efforts won out and I gave the spider a two-flush burial (and because I'm in the desert I will make sure to conserve more water than usual tomorrow to make up for that excess).

Well, the movie is coming to a close fairly soon. Hopefully I will have calmed down a bit by the end and will be able to get to sleep. I'm definitely glad that I chose to watch the first Harry Potter movie tonight rather than the second... there's no way I'd be able to make it through the giant spider scenes tonight after this ordeal!

Photo: icanhascheezburger.com

The Next Time I Post, I'll Be in Nevada!

The moving process begins tomorrow!!!! My dad's going to pick up the moving truck around 8:00 (which is approximately when I'll be waking up). Then Grandma B. is stopping over at some point with cookies and banana bread. Yummy! And then as soon as everything is loaded up, we'll be on the road!

The goal is to get to Las Vegas around 10-11 in the morning on Saturday. Then the whole paperwork process and signing of the lease happens. Then I can move in!!!!! But I most likely won't be posting for a while because the internet isn't getting hooked up until Monday.

And then it's going to be busy, busy, busy with unpacking, finding out where everything is, and then orientation starts the next week!! Man oh man!

What's Up?

I have a cold. It's not that bad, really, but it's a bit annoying when I should be putting my energy into packing because I move in a week! Crazy, I can't believe it's already down to just one week. Today I'm going through my CD collection trying to find CDs that I can maybe sell for a little bit of money. I'm also making back-up copies of some of my CDs because I'm not actually bringing the real ones with me to Vegas. But I'm only making some, like Christmas music, because I don't keep that on my computer. I like the shuffle function, so I keep the Christmas music off the computer so I don't have to listen to holiday tunes that randomly pop up during August.

The only problem is that I'm running into the problem of finding blank CDs that my computer isn't recognizing as anything, so I can't burn anything to it. Luckily, I bought a new spindle of CDs the other day (Target is having a great deal on them right now!) so I have the new ones, which my computer does recognize. I'm just not happy about the prospect of possibly having to throw away 10 CDs that aren't working. I thought it was my computer's CD drive that might be the problem, but then the new ones worked... oh wells.

And then I'm going to re-alphabetize my CD collection in the CD shelf that's staying home. (Have I mentioned I'm a huge nerd? Who can also be a bit OCD sometimes...? Yeah.)

In other news, my best friend Kelsey got married last weekend. The ceremony and everything, especially her, were just beautiful and everything went really well! I hope to make another post about it when I can get my hands on some pictures. My mom was the wedding photographer, so I could just sneak them off of the home computer, but Kelsey and her husband have not seen the pictures yet. I guess I'll be a good girl and wait.

Both are true, I think

"Missing someone gets easier every day because even though it's one day further from the last time you saw each other, it's one day closer to the next time you will." ~ Unknown

"I miss you more today than yesterday, but not as much as tomorrow." ~ Unknown

Couch!!!!

We don't have to buy a couch!!!!!!!!! My wonderful cousin and her husband (who've been mentioned a while back in regards to their new baby, Isaiah) are going to give us their couch! So excited!! They are going to get a newer couch from my aunt, who is re-doing pretty much their entire kitchen, dining, and living room, and will be getting a new couch.

Yay for hand-me-downs!! And it's a fold-out couch too, so we'll have a place for visitors to sleep in our apartment!

Colored Bubbles!

This article popped up on the feature list on my homepage today, and it sounds so cool!!!

Colored Bubbles That Won't Stain

How cool is that?!?!?!

Photo 1: http://www.zastavki.com/eng/3D-graphics/wallpaper-6938-1.htm
Photo 2: http://www.eikongraphia.com/?p=63
Photo 3: http://digd.ug/dig/184

Me? Royalty?

Kathleen from Easy for me to say... has graciously included me in a blog award. "The Queen of ALLL Things - Awe-Summm!!!" Award, to be precise. As a part of this honor, I am supposed to list 7 "awe-summm" things about myself, and then pass this award off to 7 other awesome bloggers. I might not get to seven, because I don't know if I closely follow that many blogs, but I'll try to get there (one might be a king, though... I wonder if that is allowed... probably not, I guess).

1) I am generally a very organized person.
2) I'm not afraid to fall down (especially during volleyball, or soccer and basketball..... which has allowed for some good digs and some penalties called on other teams, respectively, haha).
3) People say that I have amazing eyes. I get them from my dad, though his are more blue than mine. Mine are more of a blue/green/gray with flecks of gold.
4) I am starting grad school in August! (nervous, but excited!)
5) I have kept my cactus alive for almost two years now, and my other two plants for one year! Maybe I will add more plants when I get to the new apartment.
6) Though I am very picky about food, I am getting a lot better about it. Thanks (largely due to Erik) I am trying new and healthier foods.
7) I............. um.... can make some really tasty pancakes. Not my recipe, but they're really good!

And now to pass this award off to some other awesome bloggers:

1) Shannon at Juhnke's Junket (Miss you! Keep up the D.C. stories!)

2) Melinda at Kia Ora Aotearoa (Sharing her awesome adventures in New Zealand)

3) Allison at Sonny (Miss you too! You should post an entry!)

4) Kathleen at Easy for me to say... (Yes, you just won this, but you are pretty darn awesome! So you're getting it again from me)

Calla Lilies

I made this card for my friend's bridal shower a few months ago. I wanted to keep it simple (I've never really made anything that complex, so I like simple). I embossed the stamp with black powder, then colored the image with chalk.

Hopefully I'll post some new cards relatively soonish. We'll see how distracted I get, but I need to make some cards for a few occasions.

In an attempt to save money, I'm making it my goal to not buy cards for stuff. I've got enough supplies and old, old cards to salvage that I should be able to just make them. And then they'll be more personal. If only I knew clever things to say inside of cards... We'll have to work on that part.