Beginners Insomnia

It is now 1:01 AM. I am sitting in bed with the computer and numerous books and papers beside me. They are the materials I am supposed to incorporate into a tiny two page paper having to do with the first World War, Eugenics, the KKK, and various other organizations and movements. I have found a great many ways to avoid writing the paper. First of all, I took a two hour nap this afternoon, which explains why I am not the least bit tired now. Then I spent a good portion of my night looking at Facebook pictures of Reeanna and Ashley's wedding (they look so happy!) and feeling pretty bummed that I wasn't there and instead am stuck here avoiding the first of three papers I have to finish (and begin, for that matter) before wednesday. There were also other procrastination tactics used, like extra walks for the dog, eating ice cream while standing at the freezer, and doing homework unrelated to papers. You know it is bad when you are using homework to avoid homework. Now I am writing this inane post. Sorry about that.

In other news...Sergio had to sit on the runway in Denver for over two hours on his way to Little Rock. Let's all keep our fingers crossed that this doesn't happen on my trip. I don't have a lot of time and would rather not waste it trapped in a grounded plane.
I have been sleeping with the hall light on while he is gone. Because deep down I am still six and things live in the closet and under the bed and for whatever reason I want to see these things in full light whenever they do make their move. If I remember correctly, as a child I thought there were crocodiles under the bed waiting to nibble my toes, and my brother had a creepy Grim Reaper in the closet experience that was chilling enough to have become family legend.
We are doing peer teaching on Tuesday. I think I would rather have the bed-dwelling crocs nibble my toes, really.
Eliot is going to stay with a classmate of mine and his family. Since I arranged this I have been watching Eliot from an outsiders perspective. I am trying to figure out the most tactful and least embarrassing way to tell them that he will sleep under the covers and in between them in bed, and that he will chew up all of their dirty socks and underthings if they don't keep them away from him. Any suggestions?
It is now 1:30 AM. I guess I am out of ways to avoid this paper.

Our Attempt at Unwanted Advice

We have two sets of friends getting married over the next two weekends. Sergio and I tried to come up with some hard-earned advice on marriage, however, we didn't manage anything more than two bathrooms in one home makes life better. This is not really useful to our friends, who probably have two or even more bathrooms in their homes.

So, have fun at the wedding, eat something, and if anything goes wrong just let it go. Even if your calla lilies arrive as daisies, or your beef appears as pork, the unity candle refuses to light, or your best man passes out, at the end of the day you will still be married and heading for an exotic vacation. That is the point, after all.

Harry Birthday

There was a time not that long ago when I was a fairly normal, well-rounded person. Then about two years ago, I asked for the boxed set of Harry Potter books for Christmas, and my parents obliged. I was still pretty normal when the sixth book came out. I wasn't one of those "crazy" fans that had to run and get the book right away, in fact, I waited until that one was not only in paperback, but also on sale. However, that all changed with the appearance of the seventh, and final, Harry Potter book. I knew that if I waited, someone would let slip the fate of the main characters. I couldn't have that. I didn't preorder it or anything, but I went and got it Saturday afternoon and finished it late last night. I had to finish it as quickly as possible because it couldn't get in the way of school, but truthfully, I just really had to know. When I emerged from the HP daze I realized that I had not acknowledged my nephews first birthday. I could not feel lower.

I am told that he has six teeth, began walking (like an orangutan), can say several words, and can take off EKG wires from his chest with his feet. That is quite a lot to accomplish in one year. Phenomenal really, when I consider how much I usually manage in one year, which is maybe 15 loads of laundry and washing the car once. Maybe.

More Fun with a MacBook

Trying to Bore You to Tears

I don't know if we aren't posting much because we are so busy or because we are so boring. Either way, there just isn't that much to say right now. I think we are both counting down the days until we get to come back home. I am trying to contain my jealousy that Sergio gets to leave a few days before I do. Darn being back in school! So, anyway, here is what we have been up to over the last week or so.

I turned 25 on Sunday. I had to work. We did manage to see the new Harry Potter movie and have a jalapeno filled calzone in honor of the day though. My license expired on my birthday and I had to take two trips to the DMV to get legal again. I can now report that only three and half years after we got married I managed to get Barron on my license. Procrastinate? Me?

We were invited to dinner by one of Sergio's classmates/coworkers. This marked the first couple to couple dinner we have been on with people we haven't known since our college days. I was a bit nervous, but it was totally relaxed and fun. They made us vegetarian burritos and we met their two kids and apricot mini poodle named Socrates.

We are trying to figure out the best way for Sergio to get to work and back. On a bad day on the bus the commute can take two hours. The car isn't that much better.

One of the reasons we chose to move here was the free membership to a little gym across the street. It turns out they have a ping pong table. For today at least, I am the ping pong champion.

The Definition of Pleasant Day

Currently 100 degrees, no AC, sitting in a puddle of my own sweat while the dog drips drool off of his tongue onto my foot because he can't stop panting.

Before and After

Movies

Pan's Labyrinth ♣♣½

Ratatouille ♣♣♣½

Happy 4th everyone!

Santa can finally visit

DONE! Like just this minute. Actually, we still have to hang pictures and bikes and take out some empty boxes, but we are pretty much finished. I judge being done by the fact that every chair-like object in the house can now be sat upon. Everything miraculously fits into the one bedroom and it even looks sort of sparse. We are really learning how to chuck the junky stuff with each move. I wanted to take before and after pictures, but I couldn't find the camera this morning, or the toothbrushes, the dogfood, the toilet paper, or much of anything else for that matter. Trust me, the transformation is pretty spectacular.

In fifty years you can all come visit us here at this apartment because we are not moving again.

Moving Day Highlights 2007:
Nearly breaking Sergio's fingers in a recliner.
Scoring a sofa slipcover at the dumpster.
Having an apartment with a FIREPLACE.
Finally buying matching dishes.