Back from the Dead!

My triumphant return to writing starts now. Over the course of a week or so hopefully I can recount the past two plus months in multiple entries. Here goes. First, I alarmingly realized that my last real post was in February. So I guess if I had any faithful readers, they are long since gone. I'm gonna try and do this in however many installments it takes to recap things more or less. I'm actually going to have to look at my calendar to discuss whats been going on with me...

I'm going to have to make multiple entries so they're bite-sized. And I'm going to hafta go back to February to begin with. Man. I think back then Tiffany was still waiting to hear from UT about acceptance to her program- she's since been accepted, which I think most people know. Three-year joint Master's of Social Work and Public Health. I think she'll actually have two Master's degrees. But I forget. Which probably annoys her :)

In the Spring U2's new album came out, and I listened to only one or two songs from it each day for like five days. I wanted to stretch out the elusive and rare experience of hearing a song for the first time- which obviously you only get once, with any particular song- which could be the next great thing. And that feeling of discovery is pretty amazing, like the first time you saw a beautiful sunset and your jaw dropped. By the time you're done looking at it, its cool, but not the same anymore.

We also back in March went to the Southside parade for St. Patrick's Day for the first time- and apparently the last, cause it sounds like they cancelled the old and revered drinking celebration because it was too much of a ruckus. Single white college graduates across the city who like drinking Guinness one day out of the year lamented. We had fun on the $10 bus ride down to the South Side, where some unnamed friend of mine was mooning passing school buses full of people just like us- white, wearing green, drinking beers on the bus. See below for the mustache I sported for the day :)

ALSO! I just remembered, that Tiffany and I went on a cruise in March :) So that's next post.

UNBELIEVABLE.

I'll post a new real entry soon.  Soon as in after May 5th, when my final review is.  In the meantime, I have something to share courtesy of my professor's firm's website:

"If green roofs are installed on 10% of Chicago's rooftops, the overall temperature of the city can be reduced by 6-10 degrees on a hot summer day. For every degree the city temperature is lowered, the City can save $150 million."

Hair

There should be a name, a technical term, for when the number of hair follicles on your face exceeds the number on your head.  I'm not there yet, but like they say, all the hair on my head is rapidly flying south for the winter. so it won't be long.

I love sweet cars.

Cars I can (and would) buy for under $20,000 

(assuming I needed one, which I don't for at least another year+)

Porsche 968/968 Cabrio

Audi TT/TT Cabrio

Mercedes SLK

BMW M3

Lexus IS

Mini Cooper S

Mazda RX-8

Mazda Miata

Mazda 3

Nissan 350z

Infiniti G35

VW GTI

Scion tc

Honda Accord Coupe

Obviously year and mileage is a significant factor.  But I could own a Porsche or a 2000+ Mercedes, Audi, Lexus or BMW for under $10k!  Wow.  I can't wait.  But I think I want a TT, an RX-8, or an M3.  Assuming Tiffany already has a Mini Cooper :)

Why

I think I blog because I wanna be heard or understood.  

And maybe eventually respected or admired.  Liked.

Sometimes its just a way of turning my head inside out like a sock, so everyone else can see what's going on in there.  

Maybe someone can make sense of what I can't.

Perhaps its all just another wave crashing out in the ocean though.  No one sees, but they keep right on, because that's just what they do.

Monty Python

THIS

Monty Python - The architect sketch

is EXACTLY what being an architect is like.

I Don't Like Losing At Poker.

So now that over a month of 2009 has gone by, its time to think- GEEZ, over a month of 2009 has gone by!!  Are your New Years' Resolutions gone already?  Forgotten?  Barely started?  Well the nice thing about springtime is Lent is right around the corner :)  I thought I'd share some of my New Years' things- resolutions and other such things.

My general resolution of the year is an extension of last year, which is to focus on being selfless.  I also reminded myself that in nine months, Tiffany moves presumably to Austin to start grad school, and I move to Barcelona for 4 months for school.  Meaning we have 9 months to maybe work out things we need to talk about and do whatever else we need to do to further and strengthen our relationship before we're apart for the better part of a year.

I also resolved that this would be the best year yet.  I resolved that the year I got my favorite job, met Tiffany, and decided on grad school.  That was 2006, and 2007  I started grad school and Tiffany moved to Chicago, 2008 was great as well (though a kick in the pants in terms of the amount of work I had to do).

Finally, Christmas break gave me a chance to do some things- to get my life back on track.  The important thing is I got to start cutting back my possessions. I cut back my expenses when I started school, but now I'm cutting back my belongings too- thinking of having to move, thinking of consolidating stuff with another person at some point :), and thinking about all the stuff I don't need, don't use, don't want, and takes up space- and space costs money, when you're talking about a house or storage or something.  So I feel much more streamlined.  

I got my apartment how I want it and my room how I want it, so now its easy to start my New Years things before I go to bed- reading a book, reading the Bible (been going two years now trying to read the whole thing...) playing some guitar, reading my three books of extensive pictures called Modern House, and doing Rosetta Stone so I can learn Spanish in time to hone it in Guatemala.

I'm also doing well at not taking school too seriously, which is a resolution for my own well-being but also for what I'm like when I'm with Tiffany during the semester, which is important.  I just gotta make sure I still pass my classes however :)

SO, 2009 is gonna kick ass.  Onward and upward.  Someday I'll get to my long-term goals of building my own house and buying a Lamborghini, and taking a trip once a year out of the country with Tiffany.  And paying Chris to fly me places :)

I Am a Hot Mess

First, a shout out to my newest discovered reader, Ryan, my classmate.  I have someone who sympathizes with my bitchnmoan.

Second, as they say, I am too old for this $[-]!+.

That means that for the first time in seven months, I went to the gym Tuesday.  I ran two miles in under 14 minutes which I can live with.  Then I decided to do some stuff on the giant exercise ball at Josh's suggestion.  Three sets of pushups and situps.

Next day, sore, yeah okay, sure, whatever.

Thursday- ummmm my stomach hurts.  Like bad.  Like I can't stand up straight.  Feels like a chronic stomach ache.  Pretty sure my abdomen is actually swollen.  Its kinda stiff.  Distractingly sore in class.  Start popping the ibuprofen.  Came home from class and had two ibuprofen, a beer, and a healthy smearing of Icy Hot.  Went to bed with more Icy Hot.  Mmm minty.

Friday- same.  Annoyed.  Uncomfortable.

Today- still can't stand up straight.  Drinking water at Jenny's suggestion.  Clearly inflamed angered muscles.  Ibuprofen.  ND basketball.  Schoolwork.  Blogging.  Most of those aren't helping though.  Found out last night that some beers help- until they add to your filling Greek food dinner (flaming cheese!  "Opa!"- what is this, My Big Fat Greek Wedding?  Who actually SAYS that??") and then your already stiff swollen midsection is stiffer and fuller with food and then drink.  

Back to school work.  Ryan knows what I'm talking about.

Whoa. Whew. Wow. Yum.

Whoa- regardless of anyone's feelings about him, our nation's first black president was inaugurated today.  He's got a long hard road ahead of him.  A combination of blind faith and the fact that things can't get much worse will keep his approval ratings high for quite some time.  I was impressed to be able to watch the swear-in on a projector during class this morning.  Again, whatever you think about him, it was momentous one way or the other.  Certainly something to see and remember, and look back upon in four years.  Can you believe its been eight years since Bush started?  7+ since 9/11?

Whew- I ran again for the first time since May.  What a slovenly slobby slob I had become.  I had a rough time running two seven minute miles.  Happy though that my second mile was on pace with my first.  Begin the countdown to (near to) a 5 minute mile by the end of the semester.  Shoot for the moon, land among the stars, something like that.

Wow.  I dunno if he wants to be called out for this, but Uncle Steve joins the ranks of I think only my parents (maybe grandparents as well, my mind fades) to have given me a graduation present- yeah, for college.  I never had a graduation party because of my odd graduation circumstances, being a super senior and all, so I never got all the booty (money that is, not the other kind of booty) that goes along with a party.  I mentioned it to him under some or other circumstances and suddenly I get a "Bank Error in Your Favor" note in the mail.  FanTAStic.  I'll buy myself something pretty- like a student loan payment.  Thanks U Steve.  U're the best.

In other news, I plan on having a smashing graduation party from my Master's program.  Since its kicking my @$$ and all.  I'm gonna wanna celebrate.  Please bring gifts of strong dark Belgian ales.

Which brings me to my next point.

Yum- Chocolate Belgian Stout (so it was called, but seemed more like ale) with an 11% alcohol content (11%!) is tasty.  Tasty-riffic, in fact.  But being that its as strong as wine, I kept it to half a glass, being that I have things to do tonight, like NOT get drunk...

...Like listen to U2 for the next 6 weeks straight.  Their new single was released yesterday.  Viva U2!  "No Line On the Horizon".  Available March 3rd.  Preorder, please.  Already hoping I can see them once in Europe and once (twice?) in the States.  Time to get back down to your wearing-tight-jeans weight, Bono.

One Year

Hard to believe its been one year since Grandma died.  I had an interesting reminder- of all nights to leave my phone ringer on, two nights ago I woke up to a reminder text from Google Calendar at 3:40am.  Hmmm.