I made it back to Waco - YAY! We had a long but safe drive, and it feels so great to be back in the humidity. 
Yesterday Bryan and I went to Olive Garden with his family for his mother's birthday. And today I've been contacting every realtor in South Austin looking for a place. Slim pickings is what I'm running into, however. Wish me luck!
Fertile Minds
Today was my second to last day team teaching a science/computer camp. Its been a three hour long job, for four days a week, and I'm making more than I was at Academy full time. And I love it.
Today we got lazy and let the kids watch a history channel movie entitled 'How the Earth was Made'. The kids were totally amazed by tectonic plate movement, Pangea and the 'SUPER ICE AGE'. I had fun stopping the movie and explaining everything to them. Just to watch their faces light up with understanding is one of the most rewarding actions I have ever encountered. The kids that Stacy and I have are so damned smart - I wish every kid was like these are. Oh, they make the morning fly by. It is going to be sad to have it come to an end tomorrow.
The Bryan countdown is down to NINE days. Yes. Very excited about seeing my goober. I can't wait.
Oh, but I have competitive news to Bryan's arrival - I just landed my third rotation at MD ANDERSON. I get to do three ten week lab rotations with different 'prospective mentor/professors'. Okay, so I already had two down: One in reproductive cancers (and xenoestrogens) with Dr. Walker, and a second in epigenetic factors of carcinogens and teratogens with Dr. Bedford. Guess who I'm doing my third one with??? Oh yeah, that's right: The Dean.
Dr. Richie, the dean of Research Park, asked me to do a rotation through her lab. She specializes in studies of the thymus (that organ above your heart that produces young antibodies). When you're about twenty years old, your thymus stops producing naive T cells and begins to turn to fat through a process called involution. This means that after this time, your body won't recognize and fight any new diseases that you encounter. Dr. Richie's research interest is in either keeping the thymus from involution OR being able to restart the thymus' ability to produce new T cells through a motif on an outer thymus cell's DNA. While talking to her today, she made the comment that they basically have this theory explained by data, and now are just looking for a way to make it happen in the animal model. If her lab group can actually pull of 'restarting' the thymus, elderly susceptability to common diseases like the flu and TB would be irraticated. IRRATICATED!!!!!
...And I could be one of those partners in that lab. Pretty cool, huh?
Oooh, I'm so ready to get back to CenTx. It's going to be an AWESOME fall.
Recent Happenings…
Alright, it's been a while since I last wrote. I know I'm guilty of laziness sometimes, but I blame my office chair. Yes. I slouch a lot. I slouch so much in fact that my chair at work has started to lean back so far that it's not comfortable to type when I'm leaning back that far. I blame any lack of productivity on my chair- bad chair.
So! Last night I went and lost $10 poker. We were playing over in Baylor Plaza 2 with Jeremy, Burke, and a bunch of other guys that I didn't really know. Anyways, it was fun all in all... I just didn't play a few hands very well and got unlucky on a couple of hands.
MORE IMPORTANTLY - - I've got a plane ticket to El Paso for the 25 of July. I'm going to fly out there and help Michelle drive back to CenTex. I'm really looking forward to seeing her. We will have been apart for just over a month- way too long. I love this girl and it's not been fun to be so far apart this summer. Hopefully we won't have to go through this kind of distance again for a long time.
In the meantime, I've got Nightcrawler back living with me. I love that cat. He woke me up this morning just a few minutes before my alarm clock went off and was purring and meowing and rubbing his head up against my leg. Crazy cat... it's been good to have him around. The apartment is really empty without Mbagnick (room mate) around and he's not coming back till the end of the month.
Alright-- I better end this here.
My Dog is an Idiot
Oh poor, poor Lucky... met a skunk in the front yard at about 8pm this evening. And proceeded to get sprayed all over his poor wittle face.
I didn't notice anything until my parents started asking about which dog was sprayed. Sadly, I couldn't really smell it - guess my nose isn't as keen as I thought! So, after a thirty minute long baking soda and peroxide bath, I had one relieved and neutralized pooch. I figured he'd probably get into a skunk at some point, since my next door neighbor thinks its cruel to evict the family of them living in her run down horse barn. But I never thought he'd get it full-on in the face! What an idiot! It apparently traumatized him, because he came in after his bath and wouldn't get back out of his bed. Poor guy.
On other fronts, I worked my last day at the shoe store job a few days ago - it was brilliantly rewarding! I never thought I'd enjoy quitting as much as I did. AND I started my new summer camp job today, which I love. The kids are so smart, sweet, and well behaved. We built lawn chairs, draw bridges and robots out of legos today, and they even enjoyed my little lesson in excel! The hours flew by, and I can't wait to see what they create tomorrow (We're making motorized levers!)! See people, I do love kids. I just don't want any for the next, say, eight years?
Bryan made me giddy today by buying a plane ticket to EPT. He's going to be driving back with me to Waco on the 26th. That drive sucks the life out of you, one mile at a time. Only 18 more days until I get to see his happy face! This distance has been tough, but I also know I won't be seeing the people in El Paso for at least six months once I leave, while I get to see him on a regular basis.
I do say, it will be great when I'm back in the real state of Texas.
Missing my girl…
Missing my girl... and too broke to do anything about. Today was "bill paying" day. Our electric bill was $250 this month because our air conditioner was broken and we had to run it on 50 degrees to keep it even mildly cool in the apartment. That, tacked on with an expensive last month ($400 suit, $300 bed & breakfast, jewelry, $400 Playstation 3, $150+ spent at restaurants, gas, etc) and I'm pretty much out of money for the next couple of weeks. That's not to say that all these things weren't worth it- they definitely were. I'm just recuperating a little bit!
This weekend I saw Wanted with Josh Moore. Pretty decent movie. It reminded me a lot of both Shoot 'Em Up and Jumper. It had action sequences like Jumper along with humor very similar to Shoot 'Em Up. Overall, I'd give it a B+. Very entertaining movie. The only thing that was lacking was a little bit of the plot development. It was better developped than Jumper, but was still lacking. There's no explanation of the root CAUSE of the story- where is the loom getting messages from? Fate-- seriously? Anyways, good movie overall.
It's getting closer and closer to August, which is when Michelle is planning on moving to Austin (or Bastrop). Most likely that is the next time I will get to see her! It's sad, but it's only 3 more weeks, so I know it won't be that bad! It will definitely be exciting to help her get moved into her new place. While we're still not sure where that new home will be, I'm certain it will be awesome when it all falls into place!!! 
I miss my girl... badly.
Back from a weekend of bliss
So, I have returned home after a wonderful week/end with Bryan in CenTex. Leo and Lindsey's wedding was a cute outdoor shindig, and it was great to see them on cloud nine on their big day. Also got to see Ferrell Searls and some of Leo's family, so it was a little like a high school reunion. Bryan and I stayed at a little bed and breakfast in Kyle, and it was gorgeous. Absolutely gorgeous.
Also got to look at some apartments and a house or two in Bastrop on the way back to Waco, and (cross your fingers) I may have found a house for the fall. Its a little two bedroom, with a small backyard in town, just what I need to start out in. The flooring's been redone on the inside, and it was the cheapest dwelling I've seen yet in that area. Should know if the owners will hold it until August for me some time this week. Please keep your fingers crossed for me!
Like I figured, it was wonderful to be with Bryan for the week. Though I didn't get to see many people while I was in Waco, he and I did get a lot of little errands done in preparation for my move in August. I still can't wait to do it - only a month away and it feels like its going to be ages!
On other fronts, I came home to a few major happenings too! Take a look:
WHOA.....
Lucky's learned to play fetch!!
AND how to play tug o' war!
To top of this extremely important update, there is a bee hive in our water meter hole. Pretty cool, I'd say.
That is all for now.
It is two days until my best friend from high school gets married. I am sooooooooo excited for him! I'll be flying out of this ill-forsaken town wednesday morning at 11am, and will be back on the right side of Texas that afternoon. I have a dress, the shoes, and the plane ticket... I wouldn't miss this wedding for the world. The best part is I don't have to come back to EPT until Sunday. YAY!
I am very glad to be going to visit Bryan too. The distance is hard on us both, but amazingly not on our relationship. If anything, it does make the heart grow fonder! I am really looking forward to spending time with him and exploring Bastrop in search of an apartment for moi.
If you could see my face right now, its lit up like a little kid's at Christmas - I have finally realized that there are only a few more days until I am back with the one I love.
Oh, and I hate my Al Bundy job. 'Nuff said.
. . . New Suit. . .
Yesterday after work, I went to Men's Wearhouse. I am now the (proud?) owner of a new suit. It's still getting tailored, but I'll be able to pick it up Friday. I spent a little more than I would have liked, but I guess this is a real investment. Hopefully Michelle will like the way it looks on me. I thought it looked good on me in the store, but what do I know? I'll probably end up looking like a goober. What's new, right?
Check it out:
Also-- only one more week until MIchelle and I are together again! She's flying into DFW on Wednesday and we'll be going to Leo's wedding together. We'll be staying in an awesome bed and breakfast- The Inn Above Onion Creek. It should be very very cool. I'm sure we'll take some pictures. Michelle- don't forget your camera?
Check out the place we're staying:
So, Wednesday night is Leo's wedding. Thursday we'll be driving around Bastrop TX looking for apartments or other places for Michelle to live when she moves in August. That should be fun. We'll be getting to know Bastrop a little better and hopefully get a couple places to choose from for her as she starts out grad school!
Friday and Saturday will be spent in Waco just being lazy. I'll have to work Friday, but hopefully Michelle will do lunch with me so that won't be TOO terrible. I'm sure she'll find something to do... Sunday she flies out and I won't see her again for quite a while! :-/
The unthinkable happened…
I actually got a job. Yessiree. At a sports store, lol. I will be like Ted Bundy (the sitcom character, not the serial killer), and sell shoes to random people. For $7 dollars an hour. Oh boy.
What's rather sad, is the fact I am excited about it. I have applied for 20+ jobs in the greater El Paso area, and this is only my second interview and first job offer. It seems that the area has been hit pretty hard by the recession, and my temporary work status coupled with my lack of spanish-speaking skills left me a poor candidate for most jobs here.
It really is depressing to see me, a college graduate getting turned away from job opportunities. And it angers me more to think that I was promised a job last month and then stripped of it only to find out that the other candidates who were selected only finished high school. To make matters worse, it was a summer teaching position. Talk about issues in the education system - its a wonder I made it out of this town alive.
Why don't some people value the effort put into a degree? And furthermore, when will women be treated as equals in the job place? I just don't understand the complexities of life, my friends. I just don't get why it can't be black and white.
:/
So, Bryan Deric Frederick is certifiably insane. Why, you ask? Because he decided to buy a ticket to come to El Paso to cheer me up Friday afternoon. As in LITERALLY bought a ticket and 4 hours later was in El Paso, TX. I was shocked.
That shock wore off and turned to pure joy though. It was absolutely wonderful to spend the weekend bumming around this stinky little city with him. Even though I did want to kill him at first for not giving me fair warning of his arrival, and then making me stay up till 11pm to pick his butt up from the airport, I really enjoyed having him in person. And it was like pulling stitches to have to let him get on that plane to Dallas this afternoon. I already miss him terribly, and have been walking around the house in a daze since he left. Even my dad has been worried about my zombie-like mood.
But let me back up a little and tell you WHY I was so unhappy on Friday. My mother volunteered me to substitute for a pre-k class at her private school. "Easy money!" I thought. I taught pre-k during the 04', 05' Summer camps, and Bible schools at this same Church, and understood basically what I was getting into. Boy was I wrong. The class I subbed for was apparently the WORST class at the school, and yelled and cried and misbehaved so much that I couldn't hear out of my left ear for 2 hours after class was over. I should have been clued in that something was amiss when the teachers I did know apologized and gave me hugs after I uttered the name of the teacher I was filling in for... That's never a good sign. 
So, Bryan could tell I was frustrated, and quickly getting into a state of total inebriation that afternoon over AIM, and made the rash decision to fly to El Paso that evening. It ended up being just what the doctor ordered, since he was able to meet one of my best friends from high school, Arlynn, and then bum around the Canutes outlet mall with me. (Which I found out that I've lost enough weight to fit into a jean size 6!!Woot Woot!!)
My boyfriend is insane, but I love him dearly. He always seems to know just what to do to cheer me up. Even if its a bit unorthadox.
Planning Visits…
Oy... Michelle has only been gone a week and a half now. Somehow it feels MUCH longer than that. Levelling my Orc Warlock and playing some Halo3/GTA4 have been good distractions, but still... it's hard to not miss someone as awesome as Michelle. 
We've got our first visit planned though!
Heheh... We'll be going to Leo's wedding, looking at apartments and have a great time.
Absence may make the heart grow fonder, but I'd rather have a good hug every now and again...
Here we go, here we go again!
Hi guys! I FINALLY got Bryan to wake up and explain to me why my u&p weren't working. So sad, really, that I'm going to grad school and still cannot figure out how to navigate the internet!
So, if you haven't heard, yes, we've succumbed to having a website about ourselves. I'll admit though, that I had been leery about it. Bryan and I have only been dating for a year, come tuesday, and although we're madly in love (most days), a website is a lot of committment. And I'm not one for committment!
But here it is. This should be fun! I'm getting ready to start off on this crazy journey to graduate school. At the moment it looks like I'll be moving to Austin so that I may study at UT Houston's Science Park, a molecular carcinogenesis research facility under the umbrella of the Health Science Center at Texas Medical Center, but located in Smithville, TX. Confusing, I know. The program is just one of UT Houston's many (and I mean MANY) biomedical programs centered out of Houston. The reason this particular program is located in Smithville, however, is that the radioactivity counts in Houston and the surrounding areas are too high to complete the sensitive counts needed in this particular area of research. That's why this program is located out in the middle of freaking nowhere. The upside to its isolation is that the site is between Austin and Houston, and is actually closer to Austin, so I can live there! I visited both the Smithville and Houston campuses over the last couple of days, and enjoyed it immensely! Now I can't wait to start the program!
Hopefully this website will help both Bryan and I keep up with the people that we don't mean to neglect, as well as share our good news and brag about Lucky's latest trick.
Chelle