Eight (ish) reasons my life in New Mexico is pretty awesome

I've failed a lot on the whole blogging thing lately but for the record I've been busy. Let me tell you 8 things about my life now.

1: You already know this, but when I'm home, I often don't wear pants. It's genetic. Don't judge. (Luckily,, the land lord came and fixed my blinds so they go down all the way now.)

2) I finally got a bed. I've been rocking the air mattress for WAY too long. My body loves me now.

2.5) I bought a desk for $5 at my favorite consignment shop (yes, you read that right, $5!) but it was ugly =(, so I fixed that! Here's the before (the green is tape, not the desk... fyi) (also, check out my cute ikea curtains in the back)

 And here it is finished! So cute, right? You wish you could study at a cute desk like this, don't you? Don't you? (I've got knobs that just need painting waiting for me to have time to pull out the paint and get-er done!)

 2.67) And this: is a shrine to the babies... (and by babies I mean nieces and nephews) (and yes.. there are 5 pictures of William, and 5 pictures of Amelia, Lucy and David all together... sue me, I had so many of William to choose from!) Someday I'll probably paint the clothespins... or at least stain them.

 2.75) Also at the consignment store (for $2!) I bought this sweet spice shelf to hang above my stove. It's pretty awesome, and will be awesome-r when I get around to painting it... someday. But I'm pretty happy with it for now.

3) I got a rocker-recliner for $20! Let me tell you, I have become a frequent of the local consignment store. (seriously, I LOVE IT!) and The rocker/recliner was originally $40, but was marked down 50%. I called my friend Dara and she brought her mini van and we loaded it in the back and the rocker is my BFF. Seriously. Every grad-student should have one. I didn't take a picture of it, but trust me. It's awesome.

4) Let's talk for a minute about weather. Most days it is HOT, like burn your hands on the steering wheel hot. But then sometimes, usually about 3 in the afternoon there are these crazy rainstorms. They have thunder and lightening, and sometimes hail, but LOTS of rain, quick. And this weird things happens that I've not really seen before to this degree. Drainage is crazy bad and there ends up being rivers through the streets (luckily not through houses, or rather, not through my house.)

Note: This is not my car, but I did call my dad and ask him what the deepest water I ought to drive through.  This isn't far from my cute little duplex.

5) Okay, these are all accessories to my prime directive for being here.

Enter: Lampy from Brave Little Toaster

My prime directive is to study/learn. I'm not here because I want to make friends or, heaven forbid, settle down here. My classes are pretty great. I'm glad I have enough background from my undergrad that I don't feel totally out of my depth. The teachers are all pretty great and know a whole lot. We're jumping right in, and I've been seeing clients, and we're starting our culminating research project, which is basically the equivalent of a thesis. There's no slowly wading into the shallow end down here, it's all about jumping in with both feet and sink or swim. And I'm swimming, Dory style.

 

6) Clinicals: I'd been in Grad School for ONE WEEK when they made clinical assignments. And poof! I'm put in front of real people! I've been assigned (abnormally) to an elementary school in Clovis (the town 20 miles north that has things like a mall, a good will, and a big lots.) The school is a private one that hasn't previously had services at all, so we are starting from the ground up. (We= two other student clinicians and one of our professors.) We're screening right now, which means we do a short test with every Pre-K, Kindergartner, First Grader and Second Grader. We started with the kids that the teachers thought needed services, but now we're doing general screening. 

This is pretty much what I look like. 

The test we're doing is called the FLUHARTY screener, and it involves me sitting in a chair that is made for 4 year olds (giving a terrible case of numb-bum) and asking the children to tell me what this is a picture of 

These are actual picture I show kids. 

Then I make them repeat sentences I say like : "My new dog has spots" and tell me how to wash their hands (checking for their ability to sequence things...). I ask them to tell me about their family and how they got there today (to check their receptive and expressive language-- do they understand and know how to respond to questions?) It's interesting because we just assume that kids can do these things, but it's interesting to see that some can't! Pretty much I'm the best screener that there is (mostly because I don't have any experience doing anything else.) 

6.5) I get to go to Idaho next summer to do a research project... on my family. Which is pretty sweet, right? I got Grandma's buy in... now I've just got to get the rest of them to agree to it... Maybe I"ll make delicious things-- see #7-- and bribe them...

7) I'm eating pretty delicious things... Snickerdoodle bars, pumpkin cinnamon rolls, no-bake cookies, molten chocolate cake, crock pot broccoli and beef, crock pot roast, crock pot honey chicken, smoked salmon and cream cheese omelets (YUM!) Frittata muffins are next on my list of 'fun things to bake' so I can have grab and go breakfasts. Also-- the list I came up with seems rather... not healthy. I should note that I take fruits and veggies to school with me every day. I eat less of these cookies/sweets than you think I do (I had the no-bakes go bad because I just never ate them after the first day-- not doing that again). I'm working on balance, and giving up my dr pepper habit. It's a bad one.

8) I have no time to blog-- this blog has been in progress for probably 10 days. I set this awesome timer on my google chrome and I have a limited amount of time on time wasting websites each day so I can focus on school. I think it's pretty awesome.

Speaking of which, my time is up.

Pants: why you ought to wear them, or at least keep a pair handy.

So... this funny thing happened. I moved to New Mexico for Grad School (yay!) and I got my own apartment. My VERY OWN apartment. No roommates at all. Just me. And a strange thing happened.

I stopped wearing pants.

No, I still wear pants to school, work, wal*mart, etc. I just don't like to wear them at home, if I can help it. Don't worry-- I put up curtains, and keep my blinds closed. I'm not an exhibitionist. It's just... a genetic thing-- ask my dad.

And it is a great thing, I'm a big fan. (also note that NM is HOT-- and it means I can keep the AC at a higher setting, thus reducint my bills). Except for when the unexpected happens. Like someone knocking on your door at 8:45 at night. And you have no pants on.

This has happened TWICE in the past week. Once it was a pizza delivery guy, not delivering a pizza to me (he had the wrong house) and the second time it was the sister missionaries.

Luckily, I had a pair of shorts convenient for throwing on while I yelled through the door to find out who it was (a peep hole is on the list of things for my landlord to do for me).

The moral of this story is-- if you don't want to wear pants around the house, and I'm not planning on it, at least keep an emergency pair near the door, just in case.

That's all.

Top Three Ways I am Turning into my Grandmother

I love my Grandma Z. so, so much. She was the best grandma who lived next door a girl could ask for. As time goes on I find myself doing little things that she used to do. It's a little weird, seeing as I'm not quite the 81 years she would be if she were alive today. She was a quiet, classy woman who wasn't afraid to do hard things (like kill the mouse we found in the house when my parents were gone-- I'm not there yet.)

Without Further Ado... 

3: I find myself licking my fingers and using them to pick up the single piece of fuzz from the floor. I remember her doing this all of my childhood. 

2: Bathrobe Time. I get home from work and it is "bathrobe time". Okay, so I don't actually own a bathrobe but I do come home and put on my jammies almost immediately (unless there is some compelling reason not to). Even when I am with friends, sometimes, my PJ's start calling my name! It's just 'bathrobe time.' Time for me to go home and wind down. This time has become more and more necessary.

and the number one way I am turning into my grandmother is.....

1: KLEENEXES. Grandma always had a Kleenex on her. Usually it was stuffed in the wrist of her sweatshirt (which I do in the winter) but in the summer, when short sleeves abound, there's only one place for a Kleenex. Not in my pockets (of course not), but in my auxiliary pocket. Needless to say, I usually forget about these Kleenexes and find them when it's bathrobe time! But in the mean time they provide a little extra something something... 

That awkward moment...

When you 've just taken off your pants in the comfort of your own house and your roommate's boyfriend knocks on the door...

On the bright side I got to hang out with these guys today!

The S word.

Today I saw my future...

     

I worked grown up hours (8-5),
came home from work, 
did homework for several hours (ie: took an exam) and then.... (this is where it gets sad)


I ate a hot pocket 

and ice cream out of the carton with a fork while watching TLC's Say Yes to the Dress (the original).




Watch out. 


The cats are coming next. 

Pretty soon I'll start thinking like this:

And then... I'll feel lonely and this might happen:

I'm turning into a spinster.  Albeit an awesome one, if I do say so myself.

It's just really too bad I don't like cats.


(note: for my parent's sake-- my evening only went like this till 9:00 when I went outside in my apartment complex and watched a movie with a large group of people, then stayed out talking to people till after midnight. I was social... It's just that in a few weeks here, I won't have any friends within 400 miles of me. That's all.)

Dear Boys

My friend/coworker introduced me to this blog and said "I think you could write some good ones" So, while avoiding my homework (don't worry Mom, I've been good, I gave myself a 3:30 deadline for starting it today) I decided to see if I could write a few of them, just for kicks.


Dear Boy with Girlfriend,
Why would it be okay for us to go out because 
I'm more attractive and better marriage potential
than your girlfriend but not available for two more years?
Please lose my number, 
Not gonna be that girl, ever.


Dear Colorado Boy,
I'm sorry things ended so abruptly. But, from a distance 
I can see it was really a good thing for me. Sorry, I just don't want Jello.
Love, 
Looking for Creme brulee


Dear First Kiss,
Thanks for making it a good story. Too bad you were such a tool. 
But then again you apologized (7 yrs later). No hard feelings, a'ight?
Love, 
Not VL any more


Dear HS Crush,
Ugh. You lit a firework off of your head! That should have been my sign. 
All the best (seriously, you'll need it), 
Emily



Dear Magician,
No I don't want to experience your magic, I also don't want to 
discuss underwear with you. Telling me about how my
roommate turned you down is not a turn on.
Love, 
Glad my disappearing act has worked since I returned to Provo


Dear Missionary,
I hate to break it to you, but 5'4" is well below my height requirement.
I don't want to spend my life as an amazon.
Love, 
Fleeing the state before your return.


Dear boy at work,
I appreciate the presence of some masculinity in our office.
Love, 
The night time receptionist.


Dear Ward Prom Date,
Sorry I made it awkward. I think you're great.
Love,
Emily

Dear Mall lotion salesman,
Your "Helllllo" made my day the other day. But no,
I don't want your lotion.
Love,
Looking pretty darn good

And that's what I've got for today.

food for thought...

 I saw a sign the other day that said

"How someone treats you says more about them than it does about you."

Have a think about that!

Also, I am in love with these cookies-- 99 cents can buy a lot of happiness...