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*waves from beneath a pile of japanese*
Hi guys! I'm sorry, i've been ... utterly uncommenty, utterly unwriterly, and basically mute for the past couple of days ...
Not for lack of inattention, it's just getting to be that time again. That time when I have to make school a priority over everything else. (Gasp! No!)
This week was pretty frigging fabulous, because I was able to do one other thing - make Neil & Kate time a priority. We're not big Valetine's Day celebrators, but for some reason this year, we managed to do silly things. See, we forgot to get reservations until it was too late, and the restaurant we wanted was all booked up. So we decided to make them for the next night. It's not as if we're tied to a day, right? And so, on Wednesday, we didn't really have any plans. I got this great idea on my way home from school about stopping into the expensive grocer's and grabbing some lovely light yummies so we didn't have to work that hard. Besides, I wanted to get Neil a card. So I did that, found some strawberries, chocolate fondue, along with peppercorn salmon fillets, two cesar salads, and figured what the heck - I'll get him some flowers too!
What do I find when I got home? The most adorable little tableau with a valentine's day stuffed dragon (it's pink! with glittery wings!) on the dinning room table, along with some chocolates and these really stunning tulips and gerber daisies. Yep, Neil had the *exact* same idea! He'd gone to the other expensive grocers' and bought salmon steaks and polenta and fresh bread and these dynamite looking chocolate mouse cakes with raspberry sauce.
I got home and laughed my ass off, along with my lovely boyfriend. Then we decided which set of salmon to eat, which set of dessert to save for later, and had quite the enjoyable evening.
And the next night, thursday, I was treated to a mouth watering steak at Ruth's Chris Steakhouse, which is just freaking fabulous and if you're a meat eater ... GO THERE! They serve the steak in these special plates that are temperature heated with melted butter in them to ensure you get the most juicy, tender, buttery steak around. It was DIVINE!
Not to mention the lovely bottle of wine, the scrumptious salad, the light and fluffy creme brulee. And the very very full couple that exited the restaurant and spent the rest of the evening cuddling on the couch.
Then last night we had the other salmon! So it seriously was like a three day valentine's day celebration, and this from two people who tend to shy away from all the extravaganzas (we've done them in the past, they always seem to turn out a little cockeyed... ). Anyway, it was the kind of error I'd like to make more often, and shows you how much our brains think a like these days - even down to the entres.
Other than that, school's been chugging away. I'm doing applications for Summer in Japan right now, trying to put together my statement of purpose (and lo, it's another one! And I still don't know what to put in this one, other than FUND ME!). Yesterday our profs did this great seminar where they talked to us about the three big things we should be concerned with as grad students: Publishing, Conferences and Funding. It was grim, but ... I feel better about the whole thing, regardless of how grim it is. I like to *know* things, ya know? Even if it's the worst news. And it's not quite so bad for me. The upshot of the whole thing really was: don't be a conference floozy, pick and choose, don't be a publication slut, because it matters where you get published as much as when... but, most master's thesis should be considered as things you can transform into publications. Oh, and funding... apparently the more you get, the more you'll get. Just like money everywhere.
Now we're off to look at tiles for the bathroom remodel. Yep, we're going to tear out our master bathroom and put a new one in. This is me giving y'all fair warning that although I adore you, it is doubtful I will be a commenter in the next months, because with school + remodel + applications + grad research.... yeah, i don't know how i'm gonna do it either.
Not for lack of inattention, it's just getting to be that time again. That time when I have to make school a priority over everything else. (Gasp! No!)
This week was pretty frigging fabulous, because I was able to do one other thing - make Neil & Kate time a priority. We're not big Valetine's Day celebrators, but for some reason this year, we managed to do silly things. See, we forgot to get reservations until it was too late, and the restaurant we wanted was all booked up. So we decided to make them for the next night. It's not as if we're tied to a day, right? And so, on Wednesday, we didn't really have any plans. I got this great idea on my way home from school about stopping into the expensive grocer's and grabbing some lovely light yummies so we didn't have to work that hard. Besides, I wanted to get Neil a card. So I did that, found some strawberries, chocolate fondue, along with peppercorn salmon fillets, two cesar salads, and figured what the heck - I'll get him some flowers too!
What do I find when I got home? The most adorable little tableau with a valentine's day stuffed dragon (it's pink! with glittery wings!) on the dinning room table, along with some chocolates and these really stunning tulips and gerber daisies. Yep, Neil had the *exact* same idea! He'd gone to the other expensive grocers' and bought salmon steaks and polenta and fresh bread and these dynamite looking chocolate mouse cakes with raspberry sauce.
I got home and laughed my ass off, along with my lovely boyfriend. Then we decided which set of salmon to eat, which set of dessert to save for later, and had quite the enjoyable evening.
And the next night, thursday, I was treated to a mouth watering steak at Ruth's Chris Steakhouse, which is just freaking fabulous and if you're a meat eater ... GO THERE! They serve the steak in these special plates that are temperature heated with melted butter in them to ensure you get the most juicy, tender, buttery steak around. It was DIVINE!
Not to mention the lovely bottle of wine, the scrumptious salad, the light and fluffy creme brulee. And the very very full couple that exited the restaurant and spent the rest of the evening cuddling on the couch.
Then last night we had the other salmon! So it seriously was like a three day valentine's day celebration, and this from two people who tend to shy away from all the extravaganzas (we've done them in the past, they always seem to turn out a little cockeyed... ). Anyway, it was the kind of error I'd like to make more often, and shows you how much our brains think a like these days - even down to the entres.
Other than that, school's been chugging away. I'm doing applications for Summer in Japan right now, trying to put together my statement of purpose (and lo, it's another one! And I still don't know what to put in this one, other than FUND ME!). Yesterday our profs did this great seminar where they talked to us about the three big things we should be concerned with as grad students: Publishing, Conferences and Funding. It was grim, but ... I feel better about the whole thing, regardless of how grim it is. I like to *know* things, ya know? Even if it's the worst news. And it's not quite so bad for me. The upshot of the whole thing really was: don't be a conference floozy, pick and choose, don't be a publication slut, because it matters where you get published as much as when... but, most master's thesis should be considered as things you can transform into publications. Oh, and funding... apparently the more you get, the more you'll get. Just like money everywhere.
Now we're off to look at tiles for the bathroom remodel. Yep, we're going to tear out our master bathroom and put a new one in. This is me giving y'all fair warning that although I adore you, it is doubtful I will be a commenter in the next months, because with school + remodel + applications + grad research.... yeah, i don't know how i'm gonna do it either.
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Ooh and I hope you get the trip to Japan. I know I want to go when I graduate from college. Till then I'll do things like , I don't know, learn more Japanese than "Hello"
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And keep your fingers crossed for me!
btw, i'd *highly* rec going to japan right after college - when you get to that point let me know, and i'm happy to share all the info from friends who have done those teacher exchange programs and stuff. for JET you actually have to know japanese, but there are other programs that will help you learn it before you go - my nephew's in japan right now for a year doing one of those.
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Could we possibly get pictures of cute Valentine's Dragon? Have you named him? And now I'm hungry. I want meat!
-BJ
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Anyway, yeah, schedule, freakish, oh well. :D We are tough women, we can survive!
And when i get the chance I will take a pic - soon! I haven't named him - suggestions??
LOL - with the hungry - if you ever make it down here we're totally going to the Austin Land & Cattle Co, which is like just this side of less fancy *and actually affordable* but they give you 5 dipping sauces!! Butter, garlic butter, blue cheese, gorgonzola, honey bourbon and ... i'm forgetting some of the other choices, but MMMMMMM! Now i've gone and gotten msyelf hungry again too. ;)
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I already get paid to 'fix' house plans for those wanting to build so I figure I might as well take the extra steps and do a fair chunk of the work myself and save a coupla grand that can go into my pocket instead! Anyhoo, if you like clawfoot bathtubs, they are tending to be cheaper nowadays because they aren't 'practical' anymore since most are looking/buying jaquzzi tubs and such but most places have a shower seperate from the tub so a clawfoot is awesome (and much deeper) than the typical tubs. (god I sound like a house geek)
I envy you your VDay. I don't celebrate it because when I had a significant other, I tend to find guys with the romantic capacity of a rock and this year I'm solo and did it for my sons which was more fun that all of my other VDays combined.
Aaaaaand I'm gonna shut up now! *grin*
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Now I already get paid to 'fix' house plans for those wanting to build is a cool job!! Are you an architect? And sadly, our bathroom is a cupboard size place, so there's no way it would even accomodate a clawfoot (although i would love to have one - we actually had one in one of our houses when i was a kid and it was really really cool) - instead we're actually going to be yanking out the tub/shower insert and doing a master shower instead. And I love your house!geekery! it's awesome!!
See, now your VDay sounds like fun too - and you're teaching your boys at the same time. *massive happy Valetines' Day* (belated) to you!
and ... ok, yeah, i have another comment to reply to you that I know yo'ure dying to hear back, so, off to reply to that one! *squishes you*
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THIS is how geeky I can be...when I'm writing a fic and it has to do with the home they live in, I have to 'give' Buffy or Willow or whomever a 'home'...something that I actually reorganize and fix up and such so I can see it in my mind so I can write better about it when I write.
Case in point: Willow's Grandparent's home - which is now hers since they passed...
http://i171.photobucket.com/albums/u311/indigostevens/Zmiscellaneous/WillOzfirstfloor.gif
http://i171.photobucket.com/albums/u311/indigostevens/Zmiscellaneous/WillOzsecondfloor.gif
http://i171.photobucket.com/albums/u311/indigostevens/Zmiscellaneous/WillOzbasement.gif
http://i171.photobucket.com/albums/u311/indigostevens/Zmiscellaneous/WillOzoutside.jpg
Told you I was geeky *grin*
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OH, and i asked EB about Clem and ... you have a fertile unconscious don't you? ;)
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I blame the spicy food an hour before bedtime! ^^
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Ugh. You sound insanely busy! Hope you at least have some sort of up-lets in time *hugs*.
~e!
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and yeah, well, who needs to sleep, right?
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Good luck surviving the coming months. :)
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how have you been?
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Unfortunately, I have no umbrella. :p
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http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v467/br0kenangel/LJlayouts/asheader1.gif
If you say eeeeh, no...then I'll pop up the banner as is.
Also, just to show you how dorky I can be:
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v467/br0kenangel/LJlayouts/katekatbannerwall.jpg
That is my new desktop wallpaper...just cause I like the banner so much!
Now...if I could just get you to do something like that with Oz -- I'm messing around with the images of him laying on the bed with Willow in New Moon Rising and its lookin pretty ok because his tunic has those orangey colours in it but's its just not comin out as nicely as yours and stuff...and ok, I'll be quiet now...
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And someday I will figure out a way to do that with Oz.
OH, and also, you asked me about where I got the flower? It was from one of
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*grin*
Thanks so very much!
Oh! Go ask