a study break and growing excitement

It is 12:15am am I am only now taking a brief break from my reading material.
Tomorrow starts finals week, and I couldn't be happier to see the semester come to an end.
I have been asked a million times, "So, are you excited for Europe?"
Which, I in turn answer with, "Not yet!"
Which always brings on either the question of "Why not?" or just the blank confused stare of disbelief; how could could I not be excited...."You're going to Europe for two weeks" the stare seems to say.
There is just a lot going on between now and when I leave for me even to start thinking about what I need to get, what I need to do still, what I need to pack....etc.
First of all, I started my job at the Greenhouse this week.
Don't get any romanticized ideas in your head of walking around talking to plants and looking at all the pretty flowers.
There are no flowers...yet.
In fact before Tuesday there wasn't even a greenhouse.
That was my job for 3 days, helping construct the main frame of the greenhouse that we will just have to take down all over again in 3 1/2 months or so.
I know that I am not in tip top shape as far as exercising goes, but I was not prepared for the pain brought on by hours bending over pipes, drilling metal screws into metal pipes.
Oh-my-gosh! It's Sunday, and only now am I beginning to walk correctly and sit down without pain!
I am SO not complaining though. It does a body (my tired body) good to do something physical and not to mention the added bonus of extra hours at a job that only takes 5 minutes to get to rather that 25 minutes.
Secondly, there is the pesky little annoyance called final exams.
I am only taking one actual exam, and I'm not even worried about that.
It's the 5-10 page research paper due. (I've been putting this off for quite a while)
It's the "arts and crafts" project due. (which involves baking clay)
And it's the series of images i have to make with photoshop due. (still have no idea what I'm doing for that)
I'm also working 2 days at the "greenhouse" and 2 days at the inn before the troops start coming in for Jason's graduation on Saturday!
Yeah!!! Graduation!!!
Booo, though, for friends leaving. (another post entirely)
Then the weekend after graduation we are heading downstate to attend Katie and Seth's wedding, which I also have the privilege of being the photographer!!! (thank you Katie and Seth!)
Working for a few days and then, finally, I get to leave for Europe!
Don't worry though, with every task that gets checked off of my imaginary list in my head of things to do, I am becoming more and more excited!
For the last 4 Sunday's I have had to go to class for the Europe trip.
Everyone in the group had to present on a certain subject of something we are going to see and do in Europe.
Today was the last day! (Thank goodness for that)
Today we received some of our travel information which added to the excitement.
And (mom, you'll appreciate this) they all came in very cute packages, which made it all the better. (such a sucker for cute packages)
Well, I'd better be off to check more items off of my list.

Cute red envelope, with flight and hotel info in it!

My pass for the metro system in Paris, also in a cute little plastic sleeve.

And finally my museum pass for any and almost all museums in Paris!

split

I got my hair cut.
That is obvious.
But...sometimes I forget.
Like this morning.
I woke up...
looked in the mirror,
and was almost shocked at the reflection I saw in the mirror.
And then I remembered...
"oh yeah! I got my hair cut!"

I am split though because:
On one hand...I look like I'm 15 again.
Which really isn't a bad thing.
When I'm 40 I will want to look like I'm 15.

On the other hand: I am Sooooo Sassy now!
I just bob my head around and I have a whole new sassy attitude!

Neither things are bad,
I'm not complaining.
It's just weird being a sassy 15 year old again!

I took the plunge

I've been debating chopping my hair for a while, and today I begged a new hair dresser to fit me in. (she took mercy on me and didn't want me cutting my own hair!!!)
It was driving me crazy, so I said to heck with!!!

Little bit of Heaven

For my birthday and Valentines day Jason asked me what he could get me.
A baby was out of the question....and for some reason diamonds were too.
So, I asked him to get me house plants. Something that I can grow and something alive in our house!
Being such a wise, and lovely husband he got me exactly what I asked for.
I received 3 different plants that I replanted into cute little red pots I got at Target.
I have to be honest though, I do not have a great track record with house plants.
So it was not a surprise that one had completely died, and another one was on the way out the door.
I did my best to will them and love them back to life, but alas....it was not enough.
Sadly, I said goodbye to them and made room in my heart for new plants.
Hopefully I will do a better job of keeping these alive.

These are some of the new ones (in a coffee can planter)

Another new one.

Another new one.

Finally the only plant that survived the over watering and too much sun!

I'm going to be published!

The ad below is something that I designed! My boss at work was not happy with the ad that had been designed for her, so she asked me to see what I could do.
And she LOVED IT!!!
Now it will be published in one of the tourist magazines that gets put out for the UP!
Wooo hooo!

On to other news of the UP. Yes, it is still snowing here. It looks like it might be done for a little while though, we'll have to see how long that lasts.
Uggh, this snow needs to go!
Sorry Mom, I don't think you'll be able to go hiking in your new Keens when you come!
Hopefully we will get some rain and warm temps. to melt most of the snow.
I have a feeling though that there will be quite a few piles left!

Ignorance

Dear Flight Crew Members:

Just because you live in big cities, does not mean that you can come to the place where I live and work and act like it is the worst place in in the world you could possibly spend the night.

I know that it is not the fanciest hotel you will ever stay at in your travels, and yes there are certain things that are done differently than you will experience anywhere else...but you will not have small children screaming down the hallway, or rowdy drunks having a party in the room next to you.

Despite what everyone else that you work with has told you, the bears and deer will not climb in your window(chances are you will not see either of them on your short stay here), the rooms are not haunted, and no, the restaurant is not going to stay open later just because you fly an airplane and think that it should stay open just for you.

I am amazed that the airlines you work for let some of you fly airplanes. Really it's scary.

And I don't deserved to be treated like an idiot because of the fact that I have actually chosen to live here. I love it here. It is beautiful, it is quiet, and for the most part everyone is nice to everyone else.
Yes, I chose to live here as opposed to your crime ridden, smog filled, people-ignoring-each other cities.
And I should not be looked down upon because of this fact.

Please be nice to the people who drive you to your hotel rooms at night, who make sure that you have breakfast waiting for you in the morning, make sure you get up in the morning, and drive you back to your aircraft in the morning.

Be kind to everyone you meet, you never know when you will need them.

open windows!

Well, it has been an interesting weekend.
On Thursday night instead of going out with the English dept. gang, Jason stayed home to work on his thesis, and I called our friend Liisa and volunteered to babysit while she went out.
I was so excited to get a little baby time. I was thanking her for letting me kidnap the baby for a couple of hours, and she looked at me crazy because she was the one thanking me for giving her a couple hours of adult time!
Jason worked all through the night finishing up his thesis.
His problem was exactly the opposite of what you would think it would be.
He had too much information! He had to cut things out in order to keep to the length requirements. I know, I would NEVER have that problem writing a paper!
I think he finally finished it around 11:30 in the morning on Friday.
He caught a couple of hours sleep and then he headed to the office to hit the SUBMIT button.
I think it was a bitter sweet moment for him to turn it in.
On the one hand it was finally finished, he can breathe a little easier.
And on the other hand, he's worked for almost a whole year on this paper and then suddenly it's not there for him to work on anymore.
I'm so proud of him!
Hopefully soon he will be able to get it published!

Friday:
I was feeling a wee bit cabin feverish, so I grabbed my ipod and took an hour and a half walk.
The road around Presque Isle was still closed, so there was quite a bit of snow left on it.
With the warm temperatures the snow was very slushy and hard to walk on.
My legs hurt for 2 days after trying to keep from slipping.
It was nice with the road being closed I could lay on a rock and just soak up the sun for a little while.
I came back and Jason and I ordered a pizza and decided to stay in. He had been up for so long, he wasn't sure he was going to be awake for very long.
(and he wasn't!)

Sat:
I worked from 8-4, and when I got back to Marquette, I spruced up and headed out to my pool league banquet.
By the way, who uses the word banquet anymore? I hear that word and I'm instantly transported back to high school having a potluck in the school cafeteria and having awards handed out.
Anyway, this was the worst banquet I have ever been too. I will not go into specifics, but you'd think that some of these ladies had never been let out of the house before.
Seriously it was ridiculous.
I left very soon after the awards had been given out.
Then at around 9 or so, we were hosting a party to celebrate the completion of everyone's theses.
We played holdem poker and other games that created bedlam!
The picture below is of the awesome air mattress that my parents got us.
It can either be a king, two twins, a double thick twin, or as we used it last night a couch!
It worked so great and I can't wait to try it out when we go camping.

Sun:
I woke up this morning (ok this afternoon) and made some coffee, opened the windows, put all the furniture back in it's place, vacuumed and after looking through dirty windows for a while, I got my windex, paper towel, and screwdriver (needed for prying off the screen) and headed outside to wash my windows.
What a great thing to be able to actually see out of my windows!
And to have them open to air out the place.
That is how I know it is spring, when you can open the windows and not freeze to death!
The other great thing that happened today was that I was able to talk to my friend Kristin who lives in Greece. We both use Skype, so we were able to not only talk to each other for free through our computers, but I was able to see her and her beautiful daughter for the first time!
Technology is great! Being able to see and talk to someone for free in real time who lives across the pond is so amazing to me.
My mom and sister have also taken advantage of it with us all living in different places!
Great, so great.

snowday!

Despite the blizzard conditions, the sun did come out later today, and it was beautiful.
Everything was dripping and glistening, and looked like diamonds.

I took 262 pictures today.

Yes, it's true!

I know it's April fools day, but the snow came!
They are still calling for blizzard conditions until around 2 or so today.
It's just blowing and blowing and STILL SNOWING.
And yes, we did have a snowday today! Whoo hoo!
Enjoy your Tuesday!
I know I will.