"But I've bought a big bat. I'm all ready you see. Now my troubles are going to have troubles with me!” Dr. Suess

I have been on a Suess kick lately as you might see! :) I believe that it is imperative to be able to laugh with and at oneself.

Right now my big conundrum is whether or not I want to spend New Year's eve watching the ball drop in New York City or just go out and celebrate and forget about the stupid ball! :)

Since that is my biggest worry of the day I think I am doing ok! ;)
IPG in the last few days of 2008

“Don't cry because it's over. Smile because it happened.” Dr. Seuss

It is hard to follow this quote sometimes. I love spending time with family, but sometimes I feel like begging for mercy. One thing that is tough about the parental units living so far away is that when you spend time together as a family you have to spend marathon amounts of time with the family. I am not complaining just saying about this time I start craving my home. I start wishing I was back home. I start craving my things. I start longing for the ability to do things my very own way.

I leave for NYC on Monday, and the city is so very exciting. I love how nuts New York is, and I love going! My fingers are crossed hoping that it doesn't rain or snow while I am in New York. If that can happen I will be a happy camper!

As 2008 draws to a close I am forced to reflect on the year in review. It is something I generally like doing....reflection. This year hasn't been what I would call a banner year. There are a few things I did this year I wasn't proud of. I have had a rough year in terms of finishing school, and making tough choices. All in all kind of a rough year. However it is over, and 2009 is looking very promising!

“Today you are You, that is truer than true. There is no one alive who is Youer than You.” Dr. Seuss

Today is IPG's birthday. I am 30 nothing :D actually I am 30 something... but I prefer the term 30 nothing. Overall my birthday went well. SD's flight was late, and I was very stressed about getting her and going to dinner for my Birthday. It was a crunch...I had to leave in the middle of my dinner scoot to the airport...pick up my daughter and then come back to have dinner. Challenging? Yes! Impossible...not for IPG. SD managed to have some of the yummy dinner and enjoy desert!

I like to reflect on my life a bit on my birthday, but I have not had time. I will though as soon as I possibly can. Perhaps Saturday!

Merry Merry Christmas Christmas -Dr. Suess

Merry Christmas! I am enjoying the last day before my birthday. I had a really good Christmas! Only two gifts have to go back, and that is because they were books I have already read. Thanks to my dad for giving me the Dog the Bounty Hunter biography two years in a row. Dad could not have known that I have already read the new Stephen King book. It was fantastic spending time with family. We watched A Christmas Story, which we watch every year on Christmas day. We had our traditional pancake breakfast, and then a nice Christmas dinner.

Bey, Mom, SD and I leave on the 29^th for NYC. We will be celebrating NYE in New York. So if you are watching the ball drop on New Year's…look for me..I will be there.

Because some dogs look like their owners...

There is a website that has pictures of owners that look like their dogs.
I used to have a strapping Chesapeake bay retriever, and he and I never looked alike. However my cocker spaniel lately has been having a problem with her bangs falling in her eyes. Funnily enough...I am having the same bang problem! So we have the same hair cut. She has always had the same color hair as I do...so I give you my version of dogs that look like their owners.

This is my fav pic of me that I took, but as you can see my hand moved and the light turned out weird.
This picture clearly demonstrates the bang problem we both are having. Only...Shug failed to look at the camera.
It is more difficult to see the bangs in her left eye here. But you can at least see that we have the same color hair and you can clearly see the bangs in my eyes.

SD in Cinderella

No serious post today...well maybe later. This one is for the light hearted...
Jamie (SD's mom) has a picture on her blog of every one of her children doing dishes except for SD. I just spent an hour trying to find the picture of her little brother doing dishes in his underwear...but I can't find it. That is neither here nor there...except that I was going to make one big collage type picture for her with SD, Jace, and Addison (who isn't really doing dishes just climbing on the dishwasher). But it won't work if I can't find the picture of Jace. I have it somewhere, if only my cough and cold medicine would wear off for 10 minutes.

Anyway, this picture is not nearly as funny as it could be (alas SD would not turn around and face the camera)!

However I give you Cinderella! She scours pans...

Works hard at the computer...
And then has to sleep on the floor....
I told you I was a wicked stepmother!

Nearly Wordless Wednesday

I took these pictures with my cell phone like a month ago. One thing I believe is that you have got to find the humor in the little things in life. And now I give you....a question of why?

Why are these enormous granny panties...

less than 1/2 the price....

of these g strings?

Mindless Blogging

I don't often get to read books of my choosing. While I am frequently seen with my nose in a book, it is typically one of the textbook variety. However twice a year I get to gorge on books of my choosing (Christmas Break, and Summer).

I read lots of different things:

• Non fiction such as personal finance, Freakonimics, and investment books.
• True murder books especially about serial killers, and spouses that murder their spouse
• Biographies on occasion
• The American west
• World War II
• Fiction-
• Trilogies such as Lord of the Rings, and the Inheritance series, OF COURSE Harry Potter, Twilight Series, and now I have started the new Hunger Games Series
• Horror - King and Koontz and various others
• Mystery- Michael Connelly, John Connolly
• Bridget Jones style books
• Southern Fiction
• The bazaar- I love Chuck Pahalaniuk and Brett Easton Ellis and I don't know where they would go
• Other- Nick Hornsby, Sue Monk Kidd etc.

I just have a few rules about what I read:

1. NO starting to read DEAD AUTHORS. I discovered this truth because of J.D. Salinger. I love his stuff, but he is dead, and not writing anymore.
2. No authors that give their books cutesy names such as "A is for Alibi”, Fearless Fourteen", “The 6^th Target”
3. No more starting new trilogies until all three books are out (I accidentally got sucked into Hunger Games because I honestly did not know it was a trilogy). I will probably have grandchildren before Christopher Paolini finishes the Inheritance series, and Brisinger was not all that great.
4. No authors that have only published one book. This might sound elitist, but I don’t want to fall in love with an author and have them disappear never to publish again. I know that even if I find an author with multiple publications they could stop writing, but…I try to hedge my bets.
5. No books that have been written AFTER a movie. That is the wrong way to do things, in my view.

At this time I don’t have any other rules, but this is my list that I typically work using. I am very excited that I should be receiving the latest J.K. Rowling for Christmas. I also hear a rumor that Santa might be bringing me a Kindle!

IF sage readers you have any book suggestions for me I am in a SEVERE book drought. I spent an hour in Barnes and Noble and left empty handed because I could not find not even ONE book that looked like I might enjoy it. So suggest away...I am listening.

Running out of intellectual steam -- not that my boiler had much pressure to begin with...

`Would you tell me, please, which way I ought to go from here?'

`That depends a good deal on where you want to get to,' said the Cat.

`I don't much care where--' said Alice.

`Then it doesn't matter which way you go,' said the Cat.

`--so long as I get somewhere,' Alice added as an explanation.

`Oh, you're sure to do that,' said the Cat, `if you only walk long enough.'

- Lewis Carroll Alice and the Looking Glass

I am a bibliophile so I oftentimes identify with characters in books. Sometimes I am Scarlet O’Hara, a wicked stepmother, Bridget Jones, Eve, Venus, Joan of Arc. But here lately I have been more like Dorothy lost in Oz or perhaps Alice. I love the way Lewis Carroll writes so this quotation is fitting.

One thing that I had not anticipated when I started my doctorate is how working on my doctorate would steal part of who I am for quite some time. I crave those 3 letters. Not my M-R-S…I already have those, thank you very much. I want my P-H-D. I do believe with out my MRS it might have been very difficult to obtain the PHD. I will say that I appreciate my handsome husband and the supporting role he has played in me getting my degree. I realize I am not done, but I can see the horizon at this point. Day is breaking, and I am almost done.

My identity has been stolen or more accurately sucked up and absorbed by being a Ph.D. student all these years. I have to stop and wonder who will I be when I graduate? Another thing I wonder is when I finish school will I be relieved, exhilarated, or looking for the next big shot of adrenaline that life has to offer?

If I have to die young, I want it to be in a meeting...That way, the transition from life to death will be as seamless as possible.

Yawn! Still sick...absolutely no better. Which means I now have cabin fever, but don't feel well enough to leave. NICE!

I went and ran a few errands today. I managed to make it to 2 errands. T-W-O! Then I came back home whimpering and crawled back in bed prepared for a nap.

Dear Bey, you know it takes me FOREVER to get to sleep. So when I tell you that I am tired and am taking a nap and I am sick, why would you come home in the middle of the day? It was sweet. It was a nice gesture. But then when I acted like a crab because I have only been asleep for 10 minutes why are you surprised? Love, IPG

Because the semester is wrapping up...I have to discuss a few of my students. I have 3 separate variety of students. I will break them down by type...
Type 1 students- These are my very best students, and they want the very best from me. I love these students I would like to have 10 per class.
Type 2 students- These are pretty good students. I don't hear from them much. But they turn their work in on time. They do a pretty good job. I like these students. I wish I got to know them more.
Type 3 students- These are the students that turn everything or at least some things in late all term. They always have an excuse, and come the end of term they will either "forget" their term paper, or will be "confused" about the directions. Then they will belligerently get mad at me because I did not make this clear to them. It doesn't matter that they haven't turned anything in since 2 weeks before Thanksgiving. Oh and by the way...I know it is the end of term, but can I make up week 2's quiz? I have been dealing with 2 of these very special students today. I usually have the patience of Job when it comes to my students, but today I am sick of being sick. Mr. and Ms. Type 3 today...get with the program you have until SUNDAY to get your work in...and I am off in a puff of orange smoke!

Spotted while snooping on my husband's laptop

MISSING PERSON REPORT:

Bright vivacious gregarious blond with sparkling blue eyes and a sunny personality. Last seen circa 2005 headed into an institution of higher learning to work on her doctorate. If you have any information about this missing person please call XXX.XXX.XXXX. Patient husband is seeking any and all information about his missing lovely wife! Huge reward if found.

Wonder who he is looking for? :P

I rarely put pictures of myself on the blog. Who am I kidding? I rarely put pictures on the blog. However I was feeling so yucky today...I gave myself a full face of makeup. So now I still feel yucky...but look fabulous! MUAH!

Before the makeup I need to mention I looked like the unibomber. I was wearing a black hoody, black yoga pants (boot cut at least), and some tennis shoes. At least with makeup people won't be so scared that they are grabbing their children and hiding from me.

“Oh, Fortuna, you degenerate wanton!” John Kennedy Toole, A Confederacy of Dunces

I am stuck...at the doctor's unable to do anything except wait in line for more lab results. The only upswing of wasting the whole day getting X-Rays and what not is that I have now seen every single room of the student health center. NICE!

Because I am too sick to write a meaningful blog post not to mention I have about a billion things for work to do that I can't do because I am STILL HERE....

I just wanted to take a second to think about what it is going to mean for this southern gal to move to AZ. I love the desert. I like baking in the sun. I like having arguments with the various Yankee men that live down south because they snagged themselves a southern gal! It reminds me of the little phrase,

"If You Love Southern Girls, Raise Your Glass. If Not, Raise Your Standards"

My hot Californian Husband certainly understands that phrase. The same handsome husband that forced me to go to the doctor today.

They think I have asthma. Seriously who gets asthma in their 30's?
Gimme some shuga y'all! Been missing the postings.

A feast of football and mindless thuggery

Today should be back to the grind for me. However, I have a temp of 101 degrees. I will be going to the doctor in about 3 hours. Hopefully at that time I can get the good drugs so I will feel better immediately if not sooner. This is what you get when you don't take care of yourself. :(

I have lots to say about my weekend. The good the bad and the ugly...however I just can't type right now. UGH I HATE TO BE SICK!

Leaving for New Orleans

So I am out the door in a few hours to go to NOLA. I personally love NOLA. :) I know that you either love it or hate it, but I love it!

However I just received this text "If you have a tacky Christmas sweater bring it" uh oh! What am I getting myself into?

Never play leap frog with a unicorn

My cough persists. I have had a niggling cough for 2 weeks now, and it has finally gotten on my nerves. I guess patience is one of my virtues. ;)

My new schedule for work is working out better than I had hoped, and I believe that is going to leave me to be a much happier camper. Also not concentrating or even fretting about the dissertation has helped. I have a super secret plan of how to knock it out, but I will divulge in a few days.

I may work up at the coffee shop tomorrow. Just for a change of pace.

I have more to say, and am dying to say it tonight…but I am so tired. I just can’t hold my eyes open. The running is wearing me out. My shins are screaming at me when I stand. Me and my cough are going to bed.

"All are lunatics, but he who can analyze his delusion is called a philosopher." Ambrose Bierce

So a guy friend of mine sent me a “girlfriend” quiz today. I am obviously spoken for… so this quiz was not for me, but I found some of the questions irresistibly funny. :)

The true or false section included a few of these gems:

Q2. A cheerleader AND/OR schoolgirl outfit is a wardrobe must.

Q5. 'Anchorman' and 'Superbad' are hilarious movies.

The essay section:

Please select one of the following questions and answer it as fully as time will allow. Please try and be as descriptive as possible, and where applicable, come up with at least TWO convincing arguments to support your case. Arguments must be backed up with cited evidence, not anecdotal perspective.

Q2. Please come up with a convincing game-plan for having me come shopping with you, keeping in mind my retail oriented attention span is about twelve minutes, and I am prone to wandering after flashing lights and shiny things.

Several of them were inappropriate, and I don’t like to be gross on the blog. :)

So I started training for my 10k today. My friend who works with my man and I are training. I am exhausted already. I am a swimmer not a runner, but I managed to stick it out. I will get better the 10k is April 4.

Again I am home alone although it is a lot less fun day 2 than it is day 1.

Now for the catch up post…prior to posting yesterday I had not posted since November 10.

On November 13 I spent the night in Jackson with one of my girlfriends who got married back in August. We had a good time although we had to discuss some very serious subjects. It felt good talking to her, and going to dinner just discussing girl stuff.

November 14 was the Marine Corps ball. I had a very good time although I was not able to wear the dress I had specifically bought for the event. I spent hours and hours getting ready (something that is unusual for me). And my precious Bey did not even bother to compliment me. I had a great time at the ball, but my feelings were hurt that all my efforts didn’t even deserve a compliment. The rest of the week was a regular work week.

On November 21, I left for Las Vegas. It was an interesting trip. I didn’t have as good a time as I had hoped, but it was interesting nevertheless. I don’t have good luck in Las Vegas. The last time I was there I sort of called off an engagement (mine). So perhaps the town is cursed for me. :) On November 23 I got stranded in Phoenix for the night because of some sort of airplane malfunction. I finally made it to El Paso on the 24^th. I spent the entire week with friends and family. I couldn’t have asked for a nicer time to see friends, and catch up.

There have been some weird things with school going on since I have returned. I am not sure I should discuss them yet. Being careful and all that. However…I may have new and exciting news coming soon. :)

Home Alone

Because I am home by myself tonight...I am going to sit around in my J's...sliding on the floor in my socks (which I am not supposed to do at least when Bey is home...he thinks I will hurt myself which is ridiculous). I am eating a waffle, a pickle, an apple, and a handful of almonds for dinner. YUMMY YUMMY to all you naysayers. Flipping back and forth between Monday night football and the Tivo version of TrueBlood, Dexter, and Entourage notice the control I have of my remote. Talking on the phone loudly to girlfriends...putting mousse and makeup on the dog...and cackling.
All in all not a bad night.

"There are only two tragedies in life: one is not getting what one wants, and the other is getting it." Oscar Wilde

After traveling for the holiday I returned home to cold grey Mississippi from the sunny southwest. I have in the past been slightly affected by SAD (seasonal affective disorder). The grey gets to me. I can’t stand how claustrophobic it can make me feel. I miss living in the desert. I miss the big sky and the sunny days 360 days a year. Life is all about choices. The move to Phoenix is much anticipated now that the grey is back, and a gloom has descended on my household.

I haven’t been on the blog much because I have been traveling for the last 10 days. First to Vegas, then an unexpected stop in Phoenix, finally to El Paso. I realized one of the things really missing in my life here in Starkville is a gaggle of good girlfriends. I have friends here, but it isn’t the same as the friendships I formed in West Texas or during my tenure in Atlanta. While that might seem strange, it isn’t really. I moved here as a married woman. Most of my friendships have been formed with other married couples. The ladies here I feel didn’t know the “old IPG” dare I even say the “real IPG.” Because of this I find myself longing for my female friends.

I have decided to put my dissertation on hold for the month of December. I just have too much going on. Bey and I are putting the house on the market on February 1. I have a lot of projects to oversee in between now and then. Because of that and obviously it is the holidays I plan to concentrate on my teaching, and on getting the house ready for market.