Good News!!!!

So you know the three finals I had next Wednesday? I now have only one. One of my classes had a practical assignment tonight where we had to describe to the class what we would do in different therapy situations, and at the end the prof told us that was the final!!! What a relief!

Also, in another class, a different prof split our final into three smaller (much simpler) tests, which we will finish on Monday. Woo hoo!

The final I have left (Anatomy of the Speech Mechanism) on Wednesday is still going to be tough, but now I can focus on just that one. You have no idea the weight that has been lifted. God is so faithful.

So, on Wednesdays I usually go home during my 3 hour break and clean my apartment (fun, right?). Well today I decided to quit wondering what my living room would look like if I rearranged it, and I just went ahead and moved everything. I think it's kind of awkward now and will probably put it all back the way it was...but here it is:

You can even see my Charlie Brown Christmas tree. There's not really a good spot for it now...oh well.

Oh, and one more thing. Amy mentioned on her blog a while ago that there was a coffee company that donated the equivalent of a month's worth of food for an orphan (I think in Africa...) for each pound of coffee you buy from them. Well, I ordered some and had my first cup today...it was probably the best coffee I've had. Ever. And the they are also a micro-roaster, so my beans were roasted last week! Now that I know it's good, I might give some as Christmas presents this year. So yummy. You should come over for a cup some time.

Winding Down.

The semester that is, not me. There are only three more days of actual class in the semester! It's crazy. Seriously. As the remaining days continue to decrease, my stress level continues to increase. I have a test and a couple assignments due on Wednesday, 3 finals next week, and 2 finals the following week. And then it's over. My first semester of graduate school. Who wants to join me for a celebratory drink?!?

I'm just excited to get going on the mountain of books I've been wanting to read for pleasure (lame, right?). It will be sweet.

I downloaded a Christmas album from iTunes the other day (good background noise) so I'm off to make some coffee and get to studying (oh, and that's my spot on the floor. I've always studied better on the floor...).

And in case you care, I decided rather than order the eight gazillion cards I wanted on etsy, I'm going for the Hallmark (red) Christmas cards (as soon as I go get them). They're getting pretty creative with words that end in -red.

Florida...it's good for the soul.

Happy Thanksgiving!!

Well, I'm feeling much much better (thanks to a fantastic P.A.) and am hanging out with my parents, grandparents, and one of my brothers in Ft. Lauderdale, FL. It's sooooooo nice.
Exhibit A: This is the canal just beyond the pool at our house.


And we just ate Thanksgiving Dinner out here by the pool:
Other than that, we haven't been too busy. Yesterday mom and I went shopping and I got some new wintry clothes (including a knee length coat that I've been wanting...)! It almost makes me excited about getting back to Oklahoma now that it's cold there. But for now, I will continue to enjoy the warmth and sunshine. This is where and how I've spent my time thus far:
And I'm sure I'll be posting about this book soon. It's fascinating and I think it should be required reading for everyone who eats food. Which hopefully is everyone. Oh and just so you know these are reserved for anyone who wants to come down here with me for a little vacation sometime.

Alright, I'm going to go spend some more time with my family before I head back to the frozen tundra (or 45 degree weather, same thing).

I hope you have a wonderful Thanksgiving!

Mmmm...Chili

I get sick (like fever, stay home from school sick) about once a year. This weekend is it, I'm afraid. I'm feeling sinus infection-y, so if I still feel like poo on Monday, it looks like I'll be finding a doctor in Oklahoma...

I'm tired of No Chicken Noodle Soup. I haven't had much of an appetite, but yesterday I was craving some chili, so I soaked some beans overnight, threw all the ingredients in a pot, and let it simmer all day. The result: a bowl full of tastiness. So good. Although, I made enough to feed a small army, so I'm pretty sure I'll be eating chili for the rest of my life. I still haven't adjusted to this cooking for one thing yet.



Netflix was kind enough to send another installment of Heroes: Season One today, so I am catching up on that while being pathetic with my box of kleenex and nyquil.

A vocab quiz that feeds the poor?

A friend sent me a link to an online vocab quiz called free rice. For every word you get correct, they donate (the equivalent of) ten grains of rice to the United Nations World Food Program. They pretty much just route the advertising money straight to the WFP. In my effort to score above a 41 (I gave up, but will try again!), over 3,500 grains of rice were donated. I like it. You should try it.

Also, I'm almost finished with wreath number one, it's a glass ball wreath that I will post pictures of as soon as I can figure out the logistics of hanging it where I want it. Get excited.

It's getting to be that time of year!!

I drove up to Stillwater today to do lunch and a movie with Sarah, and we ended up watching Fred Claus. This turned out to be just the thing to get me in a Christmas-y spirit! The weather has been unusually warm, so I haven't really been feeling any holiday excitement; but friends, now it's on.

So what have I been doing? Looking for some Christmas cards. Hallmark has gone (red), so that was an option I was considering, but I think I found some I like even better (and of course, they're more expensive). The one pictured above is one I found on etsy, and I love almost everything this artist has for sale. So, if you get one of these in the mail, act surprised and ooh and aah over it anyway. Also, 25% of her profits are going towards buying livestock for the Dalit people of India. So check it out!

So now that I'm in the Christmas spirit, I really want to decorate my little apartment, but I came to the sad realization that I have no decorations. I had Halloween decor and I even have a few Thanksgiving things, but for Christmas all I have is a tangled pile of lights. I'm thinking that a wreath project is in my near future. And I'm lighting my cinnamon and clove candles to at least make the place smell like Christmas. Who cares that it's 75 degrees outside?

Coming to terms with "pencils down"

As you may or may not know, the writers guild of america is on strike. All writers of TV shows are part of this guild, and they have put their pencils down. Anyone who knows me knows that I love good TV (which I define as my favorite shows), so this was troubling news. So I found this video that is supposed to help us understand what's going on.



So, I get it, but to me, the whole thing boils down to watching reruns after Christmas, and that's not cool. Which Heroes will turn evil? Will Chuck and the Piemaker move on because they can't touch? Will Senator McAlister get the presidential bid? (probably not...) All the answers are in those writer's pencils and they've put them down. Lets hope they come to a resolution quickly! (The last strike apparently lasted 5 months...)

The Newest Sturzenbecker

I can't believe that I have neglected to introduce my precious soft cuddly little nephew Mr. Buster B. Sturzenbecker! I love him even though he ate the contents of my wallet. He was born July 5 and grows about a foot a day (he's going to be massive). Michael and Sarah have their hands full with this fella.






Based on his attentiveness during the show, I'm also pretty sure Buster wants to be bff with Digby from Pushing Daisies (Who wouldn't?)

I walked to Homeland today to get batteries for my camera, and they only had store brand. So my next post might actually have current pictures if these batteries can make it!

Inspi(red)

Earlier this week I saw that Gap is promoting its product(Red) line, and I've seen the shirts here and there and decided it was time for me to have one. Half of the proceeds from each shirt goes to buy medicine for AIDS patients in Africa. Pretty sweet, right?

Well as I stood in the Gap (who has been having its own bad press due to sweatshop scandals...) contemplating which $28 t-shirt I wanted, I felt really convicted. Do I really need a shirt to show people that I care about AIDS in Africa? Not so much. I don't need another shirt at all. So instead of $14 going to AIDS medicine, I'm just going to give the whole $28 to blood:water mission to get some people some clean water. I think it's sad that there has to be a trendy product for people (myself included) to even think about giving a little money to the many crises facing Africa.

All that said, I think product(red) is a really cool concept and I'm sure in the future that I will probably own one or more of their products, but at this moment in time, I think my money can be put to better use. It certainly inspi(red) me, just in a different way.

(And just so you know, the 14 dollars from the (red) shirts can get 2 weeks worth of medicine for someone suffering with AIDS, and that's really terrific! 28 dollars t0 the 1000 wells project at blood:water mission will give a years worth of clean drinking water to 28 people. Also terrific).

You've gotta laugh...twice.

First, that Colbert is running for President in South Carolina, and actually shaking up the Democratic National Polls, and

Second, that he is officially endorsed by the Puppet News Network.

I almost had to spit out my water when I was watching CNN the other day and the Democratic National Poll had Colbert neck and neck with Biden. As a registered voter in SC and a Colbert fan, I have to say the news is both amusing and terribly disturbing. But mostly amusing.