Spain!

I'm going to Spain! For two weeks! So excited!

I'll be going on a tour with my mother and sister. It's like, what did my mom call it?, a pilgrimage. We're traveling Northern Spain. I usually like to spend more time in the bigger cities, learning the culture (my favorite thing to do!), but this way I'll get to see more of the country. Hopefully I can recall the 4 (or was it 5) years of Spanish I took. Probably not, because I didn't really learn it in high school, and luckily (or, to be more realistic, unluckily) got paired with a group in my college Spanish classes that knew more than I did... I'm going to be a nerd and take my spanish book, and on the (my sister said) 13 (!) hour flight, cram as much spanish in me as possible. Good thing I'm good at cramming... I hope....

Anyway, if you want to get in touch with me, email me or facebook me. My mom is bringing her iPad, and I think we can use it. Or I can do what I did when I went to my favorite city (LONDON! you can tell it's my fave because I named my kitten after it - my kitten who is at the mercy of my dad for two weeks while I'm gone. Don't get me wrong, he is a good caretaker, just allergic to cats, so I'm afraid my kitten won't get the lovin' he deserves or is used to - and try to go there as much as possible) and use internet cafes where I can pay a small fee to use the internet. Cross your fingers that I'll have at least SOME access to the internet!

Anyway, can't wait to leave! Enjoy the rest of your summer!!!

amyg

My new place....

So, my mother and I flew up to Bozeman, Montana this past weekend, in order to find a place for me to live. Now, this is only the second time I have been up here. The first, was when my dad flew up with me so I could see/interview the graduate school program I entered into. We did a few things around town, but nothing much. That was different than the weekend I just had. I knew I needed a place to live, other than the graduate school housing that was available (they don't allow pets, and were a little, uh, not to my taste). So, I let my mother (mainly because I was lazy, but a lot because she wanted to know) look up places I could live. She really wanted me to live in this apartment complex right across the street from where I would be working. But, she made the mistake of letting me look at a condo first. After that condo, this apartment was SO not what I wanted. For both her tastes and mine. I think I had a better place IN COLLEGE! The conditions of finding a place were that I had to have a two bedroom, so she (and the rest of my family... and friends...) could have a place to stay. The one place she wanted for me, and the other place I like from the outside, were TOTALLY not worth it! But we finally found a place we both agreed on. I will be renting this condo for a year. It's a little skinny (meaning it is not as wide, but the only place you notice it is the living room), but totally worth it. Actually, after looking at almost every available apartment there is (for two bedrooms), this was the cheapest that had the most. And she made me look at the SCARIEST apartments known to man! You know in movies, in the tacky apartments where someone gets shot and killed? Well, I saw those. Twice. WAY creepy!!!!

So my new condo goes as followed: there are 3 floors. The first is basically a garage. From the garage, there is a door to an entry room. In this entry room, there is also a door to the outside that doesn't include the garage. And the best part? Someone snow plows (weird that I have to deal with snow on a daily basis) the street and my driveway. Yay! From this entry way, there are stairs to the second floor. On this floor includes a (BIG and AMAZING) kitchen (which makes me REALLY want to cook, NOW), with a small dining area and a half bath (meaning only a toilet) that connects to this. Also on the second floor is the living room. It is a little on the skinny side, but I am pretty sure I can fit my couch, coffee table, and TV stand. Then there are stairs to the third floor. On this floor there are two bedrooms, with a full bath. And the views from all the windows are fantastic! Mountains on both sides! On the second floor, I will be sharing a balcony with the person next to me. That's a little strange, but I don't want to say much until I meet this person. I hope we become good friends! Cross your fingers!!!!

It's a littler further away from school than my mother wanted, but honestly, this is the best (and cheapest, for what I'm getting) place for me. I LOVE it!!!!!! I can't wait to move!!!!

As for the rest of my summer: I will be spending the rest of June in Spain. A mother/daughter/daughter trip. I can't wait! I think I have everything packed for it! The only thing about this trip is the fact I have to leave my baby kitten (okay, he might be a cat now...) behind. My dad will be taking care of him. He seems to get along well with the dogs (especially Cabela; he puts her in her place. Meaning he beats up on her, even though she has to be 10 times heavier). I hope he does okay without me for two weeks! I will miss him TONS!!!!!

And after this June trip? Well, I need to pack and get ready and decide when to move. But I would like to see all my friends before I leave Texas. What I really want, though I know it won't happen (hey! a girl can wish!), is a birthday, slash, going away party in DFW. That way I can see all my friends before I leave the state and go ALL THE WAY UP NORTH!!!! It's crazy far, though I expect EVERYONE to visit! I am tentatively planning a trip to the Houston area, where I can see some of my best friends: Jenny Letz and Diane Allen. I hope I can make this happen!And while in Montana this weekend, my mom and I drove to Yellowstone, where we saw two Grizzlies (one with cubs, though we didn't see them), elk, bison, deer, and big horn sheep. Whoever comes to visit me, we are definitely going down to Yellowstone, because it is awesome. I went as a child, when my parents used to take us to Wyoming, but it is still awesome!
So, I will end with a few pictures. Enjoy!!!

My new place! My condo (SO weird to say!) is the light brown place to the left of the white place. In this picture, from the left, you see the windows without the balconies, then the wooden balconies, then a white place, then a slight space, then a light-ish brown place. That place is mine. I almost asked for a place with balconies, then though about how much I used my balconies/patios the past couple of years. Yes, those were in the heat. But honestly, how much am I going to use a balcony in the snow? Umm... that sounds way cold, so probably not...



I made my mother stop at this sign before we entered the park. I remember doing it when I was younger, and my parents used to rotate which child they took to Wyoming to the annual meeting they had up here. Now I'm older, and able to appreciate the amazing opportunity that I have. If you are wondering why we are bundled up, it was because that, even though it is JUNE, it was very cold in the park!!!



The first grizzly. My mother said this is the closest she has ever been to one. And now I know why she didn't get out of the vehicle but encouraged me to.... She was on the safe side. However, I got this AWESOME picture!



The brown bear we saw right before we left the park. Again, I was the one out of the car, while she stayed safely inside...


-amyg

When did life get so busy?

When did life (or the rest of June) get so busy?!?!?!

Next week, I have (my last! well, almost...) three days of work at UNTHSC. After spending almost two years here, it's hard to believe that this is the end (again, almost. I have to go back for a day in July sometime). So, Wednesday is my last day at the University of North Texas Health Science Center. Then on Thursday, my mom and I are flying up to Montana (EXTREMELY early in the morning) to go look for apartments, check out banks, go check out Yellowstone, and just hang out in Bozeman. Then, as soon as we get back, we head straight for Texarkana (Texas!), because I need to catch up on doctors appointments, etc (it's hard to go home for these things when you're in school. And I haven't gotten around to switching doctors and dentists and such. Why would I? I live so close...). Then straight from Texarkana to, get this, SPAIN! My mother, sis, and I are spending 2 weeks traveling northern Spain. It'll be super awesome, and we all can't wait! I'll then be home (TXK and Fort Worth) in July, and then maybe I'll get to slow down and rest a bit before packing and figuring out how to move all my crap (whoops, I mean lovingly gathered furniture and personal memorabilia) up north. Crazy, crazy few months...

As for the rest of my life, nothing very exciting has happened recently. I've just been hanging out with friends and my sister as much as I can before I leave. And today, I bought new pillows, so I'm excited to try those out. My cat is as cute as ever. Although, the long-haired pet thing is getting a little annoying. He is shedding like crazy! So, in order to try to keep it under control, I've been brushing him daily. He HATES it! He's more than happy to make my apartment un-enterable (is that a word? I doubt it... but you get the point) for anyone with the slightest allergy to cats. Thank you, London, for crippling my social life even more. But, I'm trying to take care of the problem, even if I endure a few scratches... He's still a cutey.

And on that note, I'll wind up my latest blog post with a few pictures. Enjoy!



A joke at school. The lab next door to mine has this, well, I only know it as a sewing light, only because it is something my grandmother has in her house. Basically, it is a magnifying glass surrounded by a light. Well, that day (it had been a long day for all of us) they figured out that if you positioned it just right, well, it looked like a halo. And I got to be the 'angel' that day. haha! I'm such an angel!!!!






A couple of months ago, my cousin lost her poor French Bull Dog, Gigi, to a stroke. My cousin was devastated. But ended up adopting a new dog, this time a weinie dog, which she named Bogie, after Humphrey Bogart (my cuz in an absolute movie freak). Here he is, at a FABULOUS Mother's Day luncheon thrown by my aunt. My cousin's cousin (I have no idea what that would make her, to me) modeled with Bogie and his Hollywood style. Too cute!






Okay, this picture needs an explanation. Recently, I have been making sandwiches to bring to school for lunch. Well, I have been making them first thing in the morning, and leaving them on my table. It has never been a problem, until a couple weeks ago. My cat has been stealing my sandwiches. He takes them (and I SAW him do this) and starts throwing them in the air, catching them in his mouth, and shakes the bag back and forth, before starting all over again! That's my lunch! I started putting my sandwiches in my bag. He still got them. So I started buttoning my bag. He still got them. I started putting my sandwiches in the bottom of my bag, and latching it, TWICE. He still got them. WTH? I decided to try to catch him in the act. This is what I found. He was waiting for me to take my shower, before digging in it and stealing my lunch! The little bugger!!!





I didn't realize how big he was until I took this picture. He seriously took up over HALF my bed! (yes, I know my bed looks messy. I just woke up, hopped in the shower, and came out to find him laying comfortable across my bed before I made it for the day.) When I worried about his size, I took him to the vet for his check up, and I was told he was a perfect 5 (1 being way underweight, 10 being terribly obese. The vet said she RARELY ever sees a perfect 5. Go London!) Although the vet wondered about his breed, he is in perfect health and is just a big cat. How did I end up with a monster for a pet? And I love him, even though he is a monster...





The biggest frog I have ever seen (alive, I dissected a few in high school. Yes, I'm a science nerd) right outside my apartment one morning. And my sister had pet frogs. And they never got this big. Too bad the picture doesn't do them justice. My lab told me I should have put my hand up next to it to show the size compared to something, but I was too afraid. This frog was seriously hopping after me. I was extremely disturbed (read: kinda scared he was coming after me, for my LIFE!)




My new wallet, a victim... how sad! He's been in a biting mood recently...





He's been obsessed with my shopping bags...


Crazy, no? He LOVES to get tangled up in them. I will admit, my cat is a little weird...





Long story (kinda) short: my friend just got married and moved into his first apartment, which is right across the driveway from me (he lives WAY too close! kinda weird...) and he's been borrowing (stealing, but no one cares) boxes from the school to move. He gave them to me, but the afternoon I got them, I gave them to my sis because she was moving across town before I would ever need them. Well, she gave them back to me. One of the complaints I have about this apartment complex is the lack of storage. I mean, in Sherman my senior of undergrad, my apartment had at least 2 extra storage closets, plus the biggest closet you've ever seen. The only thing I have here in Fort Worth is a big closet. But overall I lack storage space. So, when my sis gave ALL THOSE BOXES back to me, I'm not ready to pack yet! So, my solution, tacky as it is, is to flatten all the boxes and stick them behind my couch. Before I shovedslashstored these boxes behind my couch, my cat found them. And has really enjoyed them since...





So, I bought new pillows today, and they came in a plastic cover. Apparently, these 'plastic' (unsafe) covers are fun to play in. Great...

Apparently he realized this was bad...

But he is so cute when he wants to be! Especially after I 'saved' him...

And that's what's been happening, in pictures!

-amyg