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.

Totally Cheating but Inserting Turkey Day post in here

I had one of the best thanksgivings ever. It was SOOOOOOOOO much fun. My handsome husband’s mom has a new man. I got to spend time with my stepdaughter…I got to see my nieces and kick it with my brother in law. I got to stir up a lot of trouble. All in all a fantastic Turkey Day.

In keeping with tradition here is what I am most thankful for:

1.) My family including of course my handsome husband, wonderful SD, parents, sister, in laws

2.) We are financially stable and able to do pretty much what we want.

3.) My education

4.) My dog

5.) My seemingly endless choices in terms of my future

So Jamie (SD’s mom) suggested I make a more personal blog. But I just don’t know how to separate it out right now. I just don’t think I can. Once I finish the dis the blog won’t be as overwhelming. I think it would make it less organic to split it up. And she wants more pics. Little does she know that I am the laziest person alive when it comes to pics.

"Half this game is ninety percent mental." Yogi Berra

No news is not good news when it comes to your dissertation. But that is where I am. I had to organize a big research project this past week. After that was done my parents were in town. We had a good visit but it means I didn't get anything important such as my dissertation accomplished. Sigh. Makes me sad because a dissertation is like a shark it has to stay in motion or it dies. That might not be the best analogy, but it is all I have for the day.

I am going to the Marine Corps ball on Friday. I am looking forward to it. Found the perfect cocktail dress. Additionally next weekend I will be in fabulous Las Vegas. Then it is turkey time. After thanksgiving my work load should drop down. Once that has happened I will be all systems go on the dissertation. :)

New Dissertation Plan

So …I am going to get up every morning and apparently have a good cry about my dissertation. Then go about my day like a sane person.

Not much of a plan I realize, but I don't have anything else that seems to be helping at the moment. Maybe I will go organize my shoe closet again. Sigh. :(

Random Sunday Night Post

Is there anything sexier than Peyton Manning when you can hear his audibles? I love listening to him say "Hut"

"Never mistake motion for action." Hemingway

So why hasn't IPG been discussing her dissertation? Because she is stuck. Stuck in the mud. I sat down and had a good old fashioned cry about it this morning. Let me just tell you that Bey was ecstatic about that little development. Tears flowed as I realized how overwhelmed I really am. I am going to have to come up with a new plan for working on my dissertation. However this week I am conducting a big research project that involves polling voters. Because it involves polling voters it has to be worked on for Tuesday. This means that Monday and Tuesday will be filled with coordinating my research problem.

Wednesday will be spent cleaning my house frantically because my parents are coming on Thursday – Sunday. It is going to be fun, and I am happy they are coming. I miss them. So I am going to have to puzzle this dissertation problem out while being busy this week. A dear friend said to me today. "Everywhere you turn there is change and it makes you nervous. You think that you need to stabilize your life now, but this may be impossible with so many circumstances out of your control. Instead of trying to do the impossible, focus your attention on how you react to what's happening. Your life will get easier once you give up the idea of being in charge of it all." Thanks El Paso. Some truer words have never been spoken.

Let the record show

So my stepdaughter was listening in to her stepdad on the phone. And he mentioned going to a strip club. Anyway, SD says "I know about strip clubs." And her mom goes, "How?" And SD says, "IPG." For the record I have never taken her to a strip club. I have never had conversations with her about strip clubs. She and I walked past a strip club when we were in New Orleans. Let the record show I don't talk to nor do I take 11 year old girls to strip clubs.

Been Poaching from Jamie

Ok so I totally stole this from Jamie. :) Sorry. But I am so proud of this kid! She made straight A's last year all year! And this year she made straight A's in her first quarter of six grade! I am so proud of you little girl.

So to my darling SD. Bey and I are proud of you. You are costing us a fortune in good grade gifts. But it is totally worth it.