back to winter

so monday it was warm, which i blogged about.

the next day, the temperature went from about 40 degrees to -7 (but it got down to -35 with the windchill) and we were in a blizzard warning.

i don't think we official had a blizzard (which i learned doesn't have to do with the amount of snow but rather wind and visibility because of blowing snow), but it is extremely cold again and icy. so winter is hanging on with a vengance even though we wish it would take off for a while. monday was certain a taste of spring that was quickly taken away. crazy ass iowa.

fresh start

this past week i moved into a new housing arrangement. i'll be sharing a beautiful house with my new friends brad and christine. the moving in process was exhausting, but in the end, i noticed this pretty peaceful feeling. like spring was nearby or something. or just that i was getting to wipe the slate clean and really start my new year. (hopefully i can hang onto that feeling as it starts to snow and get cold again this week. we were blessed with warm temperatures today but it isn't going to last long.) regardless, i'm hoping the spring semester brings a few things:

• improved work out habits (i can walk to work once it warms up, so that will help
• healthier eating
• better money management
• maintaining sanity while teaching stats
  
• clarity about future directions
• lots of fun :)

so...to the left you see my room. it's a bit cluttery now since i'm still getting settled. there are some more pictures posted in the gallery and i'll try to get some better ones of the house. it is amazing!!

fast-paced 2008

i'm not sure if the entire year will go as quickly as january has, but so far 2008 is FLYING by. in the time since my last post i've been packing up my apartment, moving things into storage, preparing for the spring semester, working on collecting more data to publish my dissertation, catching up with a few friends, and spending a wonderful time in albuquerque. in fact, i got back from the sunny southwest yesterday and now it's pedal to the metal time once again. fortunately, i had a wonderful week full of fun and relaxation in my former stomping grounds. it came at a great time, since now i have about a week to finalize syllabi and complete my move into my new home before the spring semester starts. i managed to get a lot done tonight on the syllabi and hopefully the weekend will be very productive in regards to the move.

as for the time in new mexico, it was really, really great. i caught up with a lot of friends, ate a bunch of really good food, and spent a lot of time with mike which was just...fantastic. it was hard at times, because i had to remember that i wouldn't be heading back to my apartment down the road at the end of the week, but instead would be on a plane going back to the frozen tundra that is currently iowa. but, i tried to make the most of the time i got to spend there. i noticed a few things almost immediately upon my arrival. one thing was that though it wasn't warm while i was there, it was really, really sunny. there's something to be said about getting some sunshine. i can't remember the last time we really saw the sun in iowa. maybe november?! no idea. the other thing i noticed was how instantly i was able to relax. i've been having neck and back pain for a few weeks, likely stemming from stress which leads to a GIANT knot in my back. i spent $16 for a chair massage before i took my trip to NM which helped somewhat, but the knot, and the pain, was still there. but, once i got to albuquerque, the pain eased up and didn't really bother me until i was getting close to my departure back to dubuque. interesting. ;)

all in all, it was great. i even got to bookend the trip with visits to jen and jed's house. they graciously took me to and from the airport thus saving me $98 in parking costs. we had so much fun just sitting around their house watching their adorable boys and catching up on things and talking. it reminded me of all the times we got to do that when i lived in milwaukee and simultaneously made me realize that we need to do that more often. :) the drive back to iowa was...for lack of a better word, freakin' scary. it snowed again today and it was windy, making conditions pretty treacherous on the hilly roads from rockford to dubuque. i made it in one piece though, which i'm grateful for.

so...things are good with even more good on the horizon. cross your fingers that i get my W-2s soon so i can get a refund. woo-woo!

p.s.--miss you already ABQ friends. SOOOOOOO good to see you. big hugs.

year in review

so we're already two days into 2008 and i thought i'd start the year of blogging by summing up the highlights of 2007. :) hold on to your butts. (classic line from jurassic park!)

january

• barely made it to mike's in time to ring in the new year due to weather mayhem
  
• lost and then found all my dissertation taps
  
• turned 31 (gasp!)
• started phone interviews for faculty positions
• went to first on-campus faculty interview after a fun weekend in st. louis with mike and the fam

february

• happily quit full-time job so i could work on transcribing dissertation interviews
• dealt with first rejections for the job search
• went to iowa twice for job interviews and it was freakin' cold (much like it is right now...hmmm)
• made delicious and unhealthy valentine's dinner for me and mike
  
• hung out in o'hare airport for 18 hours trying to get back to ABQ

march

• two more on-campus interviews for jobs making the grand total 5
• lots of fun times in Texas at SXSW with mike and was able to catch up with other friends too and eat queso every day
• got two job offers and accepted one
  
• found out that i would be graduating december instead of august (which worked out way better in the long run)
• lost aggie ring :(
  

april

• worked on a lot of transcribing
• ran 3.1 miles (which was a personal best at that point...gotta get back there)
• started working in crazy retail jobs to earn some extra money

may

• finished up teaching last course at UNM
• had good times watching the brujos play at the sevens tourney
• "celebrated" the annual ritual of not having air conditioning in my apartment
• hung out with mike's family in ABQ
• found a cool apartment in DBQ
• started packing stuff
• more transcribing

june

• dennis came to visit ABQ and we had so much fun!!!
• ran in a 5K
• went to see bob schneider in santa fe with my friend kirk
• started packing more and sorting through stuff
• firmed up all moving plans
• continued transcribing
• went to TX for a visit
  

july

• had a fun 4th of july bbq
• shitty bar tour '07 and the discovery of "who's your daddy" a great local band who desperately needs a sound tech.
  
• went to vegas with mike to see richard cheese!!! so much fun!!!
• had a fun going away party at mike's (though it was sad to be saying good-bye to friends)
• stopped working retail (for a while anyway)
• hung out at the beach in galveston
• transcribed more

august

• went to las vegas again to hang out with mike for DEFCON and the brujos for the sevens tourney out there. it was crazy fun. crazy. fun.
• moved out of my apartment with the help of awesome friends
• moved across the country with help of awesome boy and heard hilarious commentary on iowa. ("iowa smells like shit....i wish i could fart to cover up the smell.")
• moved into new apartment with help of other awesome friends
• finished transcriptions!!!
• started new job
• had an impromptu family reunion

september

• finished draft one of the dissertation
• welcomed my niece cami to our family in st. louis
• finished drafts two and three of the dissertation
• (not much going on this month...mostly spent all free time writing dissertation)
  

october

• successfully defended dissertation
• got to hang out with mike in TX after not hanging out for two months
• celebrated homecoming at the alma mater
  
• went to ABQ for a visit
• submitted dissertation to thesis office for final approvals
• met future new roommate via discovery of having the same last name
• started working retail again
  

november

• hung out with mike in iowa
• got to catch up with friends i haven't seen in way too long in milwaukee
• completed final corrections on the dissertation
• had a wacky but good thanksgiving at home for the first time in three years
• caught up with my old friend bill
• found out dubuque doesn't have a lot of jobs for the boy...so started discussing new plan.
  

december

• got my first taste of winter back in iowa...brrrrrr!
• wrapped up a successful first semester of teaching
• GRADUATION in texas!!
• decided to save some money by moving out of my awesome apartment
• found my lost aggie ring!
  
• had a wonderful time at home for christmas
• put in notice to stop working retail
  
• crazy ass and super fun new year's eve that started in iowa and ended in illinois. hell yeah!

i undoubtedly missed some things that have happened but hopefully i covered the major highlights for kate in 2007. so far 2008 is off to a pretty good start. more on that to come!