Monthly Update

Dear Readers, 

I am so sorry that my updates have dwindled to the occasionally blurb.  The truth is I did more work in the last month of school than I did all semester.  Next year--where ever I may be--I will NOT assign 87 research papers to be due the first of May.  The Ap exam went well for my students--I think.  The majority of them said it was not as hard as the practice tests that I gave them in class, so that is a comforting feeling.  

But enough of school--school is OVER!!!  I am a free woman with no strings attached.  Here are just a  few of the things that you have missed out on since my last blog:

1.  ALL-CLAD!!!--I got my fabulous new All-Clad pot and pans for my birthday.  I cannot wait to cook something in those babies!

2.  Matt and I spent a weekend in Starkville with my parents looking for houses.  And after a whole day of looking at houses that seduced us with their hardwood floors and their granite countertops and all new stainless appliances and gigantic laundry rooms, we woke up in the morning and said "Maybe we should look at apartments..."  So at the very last minute--on our way out of town--we stopped at one complex and made a really great decision on  2 bedroom, 2.5 bath townhouse.   It's so cute.  The first thing we are going to have to redo is the kitchen, as it had two different types of hideous wallpaper.   And now Matt and I are knee-deep in paint swatches and spend all of our free-time wandering the isles of Lowe's.  SO.  MUCH.  FUN.

3.  Some of our family friends threw us a very nice stock-the-bar party.  We now have A LOT of booze to celebrate through the next five years of marriage--at least.  

4.  The bridesmaid's dresses are in AND my wedding dress has been hemmed and it looks fabulous!  I get to pick it up next week!  I am so tempted to post a picture of it, but that would probably bordering on bad-luck.  

5.  Getting married in 49 days!!!  7 weeks from today!!!

I Will Never Go To Bed...Never!

I have decided that the worst chore in the whole wide world, is writing stupid comprehensive exams. ABSOLUTE WORST!!! I would rather clean toilets, scrub grout, fold laundry (*shudder*), do sit-ups, eat anchovies, milk a cow, fast for 36 hours, or learn a new frickin language. I would rather be a student and pull an all-nighter studying for an impossible test than face being a teaching and write this stupid exam for one more minute.

26th Birthday: How Did That Happen??

So another year has come and gone.  I am still stuck on the same realization I came to this time last year:  When did I have a 24th birthday?  I seriously don't remember that one at all.

But this year was quite memorable--Matt was home, and we got to celebrate together.  He got me some new fancy chef knives, and I cannot wait to chop something!  Also, I got some fabulous pearl earring that he said I could "wear with my wedding dress."  What a great idea, Matthew!

And THEN, as if that was not enough, we ate dinner at Ro'Chez in Ridgeland.  It's a very intimate setting with only room for a few couples each night, and the 5 course menu changes every weekend.  We arrived early and talked over a couple glasses of wine (And at this point, I'd like to add a shameless plug for TOASTED HEAD--Both the cab-sav and the merlot are fabulous.  Do not be mislead by the ridiculous name or the fire breathing grizzly bear on the label; it is very serious wine.)  

Our Menu was wonderful.  The third course was by far the best:  the most tender beef medallions in a chocolate/balsamic vinegar reduction sauce over cheese grits.  I came very close to asking for seconds, and Matt said it made him--and I quote--"want to squeal like a little girl." 

And I think that about sums up the whole evening... Also, as it turns out, eating for two and a half hours is a very exhausting task.