Updates

Where to begin?...? Some updates...

Work: Status quo. Still a professional student/researcher/educator/slave. Ah, such is the life of a grad student. I have been accepted to a few conferences, which means some travelling this Spring! I'm both petrified (my public speaking skills rival Mia's at the beginning of Princess Diaries, no joke) and excited. I am still convinced that my boss hates me though.

Friends: E+T's wedding was amazing!! I am officially a bridesmaid for VetChick's upcoming Fall wedding. TeachG and her bf, A, moved in together, picked out a ring together, and chose a wedding date together (Fall 2012) but are not officially engaged. TeachS has a new/old man in her life - its her first love, back in her life. Notice a pattern? Yes, out of my 4 best friends, 3 of their wedding's will be within 2 years of each other. I promise not to allow this blog to turn into a bitch fest about being a bridesmaid.

Love?: I have a new man in my life. We are dating, I guess. I have made it a point not to ask the "where is this going" question, and try to go with the flow. The operative word in that sentence being try. I will post tomorrow on how we met, etc. Because wow is that a story!

Travel: I went to a conference in L.A. in the middle of January. It was a fast 4 day trip, and the talks were really boring, but Cali was gorgeous! It was my first visit to the western state, and while downtown LA wasn't for me, Long Beach was superb! I must make a non-work trip back there. I also just booked tickets for a long weekend trip to Colorado at the end of this month. I have family out in Denver and they have a house in the mountains, which means... skiing!!! I am beyond excited about this trip. The family that lives out there are (shh don't tell anyone) my favorite Aunt/Uncle and cousins. Unfortunately I rarely get to see them since they are so far away.

MrGrizz: I know I said I would not go into details. But consider this my paragraph to closure. After the breakup phone call I have not spoken to him since. Well that is not the complete truth. Two weeks to the day after the phone call, I checked my phone and saw that he had texted me (uhh excuse me, what?! cue heart attack).

When I read the words, my heart sank and I proceeded to vomit (sorry, is that too much info?). I'm paraphrasing, but in less than two sentences he told me that a mutual friend of ours had been killed. I dropped the phone. I immediately called him and wanted to know what on Earth he was talking about. Needless to say I was so caught off guard and upset that it didn't hit me how awkward it was to be talking him. I was so distraught I quickly got off the phone with him - not before fumbling and asking how he was doing, how was the family, etc. I don't deal well with death or surprises or any combination. And that was it. The last time I have spoken with him.

I would be lying if I said my eyes were not filling up with tears and I think about this last conversation. Mainly for our friend that was lost. And slightly for the loss of MrGrizz as a friend and confidant. I'm sorry if that makes me selfish, but I am being honest. Forever the two events are coupled in my mind: the breakup and my friend's death. Maybe it is a coping mechanism, to have two heartbreaks rolled into one, I just don't know.


I'll end on a less depressing note. I made a complete fool of myself the other day!! I had also thought that the saying was "for all intensive purposes." Yes, I realize this makes no sense at all, but I never thought about it. Yesterday I was in a big board meeting with professers, grad students, and some business people from industry and I use the aforementioned saying. More than once actually. Post meeting an aquiantence of mine who was also in attendance came over and whispered to me that its actually "for all intents and purposes." Uhh, what?! Epic fail. I felt like an idiot. At least I know for now on though, right? This is kind of like when I thought that the drink a rum & coke was called a Roman coke. Oops.