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March 14, 2005
Update on Life in Austin
Hi! It's been a while since I've done a day-to-day post. In my personal life, things have been quite chaotic. This past weekend was absolutely beautiful! It was in the 80s and just sunny as all heck. After 6 straight weekends of rain it was an EXECELLENT break! I am looking at the calendar now, and realize that I have actually survived the huge stretch of time since I returned from Turkey with no visitors and no trips! I'm quite happy that the stretch is almost over. Seymen is coming to visit me in 10 days! Which is a HUGEEEEEEEE relief, because I thought I might die of missing him.
Anyway, after a few rough weekends, I've been making an effort to keep busy. This past Friday, Jennifer and I took a walk around the apartment community and ended up at the happy hour. We grabbed a glass of free iced tea and lemonade from the main office (where I was so excited about free lemonade anytime--that I spilled my first cup on the floor!) and we then moseyed on out to the pool where they had a live band, food, and free drinks. Saturday, I had the training at the Literacy Council of Williamson County for teaching ESL. I met 6 ladies there, and spent the day from 9am-3:30pm training for the tutoring job. Now, all I have to do is complete an observation and I will be "certified" to tutor. The best part about it is that if I decide to move anywhere else in the U.S., I can find a literacy council there and volunteer. Sunday, I met with Janet -- my new friend at work (she's a temp that took Erin's position, starting the day I came back to work, from my Turkey vacation)...Anyway we met and went to the Oasis, which is this restaurant about 20mins from my apartment. It overlooks Lake Austin (I think...I read the map when I was there, but now I'm second guessing myself and it might be Lake Travis)...either way, we had a nice relaxing lunch on the deck, and then moved down to the bar deck where we sat in the sun having drinks. Actually, Janet had two shots and I had water because I was driving and I forgot my tums...but I wanted a free shot glass too, she so sacrificed herself and had 2. We spent a good 3 hours there, just hanging out and dreading the fact that we had to go back to work the next morning. That night, I was noticing in the mirror, in typical Beth fashion, I had sunburn on my face. But only my left check and the left side of my nose. The other side of my face is still butt white :-) Thank god for makeup on Monday morning ;-)
Tonight I came home, and for the first time in 3 months, Jennifer is not having morning sickness (Did I mention that she's PREGNANT?!?!?!)! So I went over for dinner. Both she and Li-Wei were in rare form. Li-Wei was getting all excited because they were going to meet a guy about buying some furniture, and had a whole plan for bargaining and "slashing prices" :-) They just signed a contract on a house to rent, so they will be moving 2 exits north of the Riata. (Close by to here, because Jennifer and Li-Wei didn't want to move too far away from me, so I'd be all alone! Isn't that just the sweetest??!) Anyway, they are moving in one week. And Jennifer's mom is coming to visit from Taiwan TOMORROW!! for a full month! They are very excited.
At work today, I had a pretty productive day. I completed 5 new training posters for the training rooms. Somehow word got out that I know Photoshop, so in addition to all my projects, I've been assigned a bunch of "creative" projects. Anyway, those have been on hold for a few months due the Online Banking project and HELOC project. But today I was in a creative frame of mind, so I cranked a bunch out. I also changed my CD for the first time in 7 months...This one is much more upbeat. (I had been listening to Alison Krause and Union Station for 7 months and never had the urge to change the CD. Considering my already slightly depressed state, it was not a good combination). Anyway, my current music is so upbeat, and reminds me of college, that I find myself singing and dancing in my chair. Stephanie keeps laughing at me because she can see me in her "rear view mirror" and watches me dance and sing to myself :-)
Today, Jeff came in with a special surprise present for me :-) The funny joke around our team is that in my interview for the job (back in July) they asked me what my hobbies are. I told them reading...then they asked what I read? And those of you who know really know me, know I can't lie so why even bother--well I told them that I read romance novels (Yes, I could have said Fiction--but of course I didn't think of that until after the call)...anyway, Jeff has a memory of steel and always rags on me because of my "smutt novels"...This weekend at the library they had a used book sale...and he found the perfect romance novel for me...so he bought it and gave it to me at work today. It is called "Slow Dance". On the cover is some cheesy guy dancing with a cheesy girl who is holding some silver dancing shoes :-) Of course tonight I'm definitely going to read it :-) But everyone had a big laugh over that one. I was slightly surprised with the mildness of this "joke"...Stephanie and I have been getting more vicious with our jokes :-) Last week, we sent Jeff a revenge prank (taped some paper over his mouse) from the "Girls". Janet, Steph, and I are the "Girls". We were on a mission to get revenge for Jeff placing a huge tree on Steph's chair during lunch, and taking my cardboard box wall of privacy down...Anyway, our prank was quite successful...He knew something was going on because we kept peeking over at him waiting for him to boot up in the AM. After pulling his computer out to check the connection, he realized what we had done. It was classic.
So...that's the stuff that's getting me through the days and weekends until I see Seymen again. I IMed with a friend of mine and Seymens' from college this weekend. He is living in San Antonio. We decided that next weekend on Sunday, I'm going to drive down there for the day and go to Sea World together. His apartment is right next to sea world, and he can see the roller coasters from his place! Saturday will also be a busy day because I'm supposed to go do a mural painting job with my friend Elizabeth, afterwards is Turkish class, and then Shelly's birthday party. Seymen comes the next Thursday night...The weekend after that, I'm flying back home to Rochester for his 25th b-day!
So anyway, I should go now because I doubt anyone really wants to read this much text about my life :-) Goodnight!
Posted by beth at March 14, 2005 09:14 PM