Formatting

Formatting of my last blog is pants.

I am not going to correct it.

I actually really want to correct it as the perfectionist/anal retentive in me is having a small seizure.

I'm crap at blogging

I am resigned to it, I have accepted it... I am a bad blogger. I always write posts in my head but never online, so if you were in my head this blog would be AMAZING, just saying.

Last month I was 30 (cue dramatic music) and I planned to write a blog on my achievements in the last decade. It was rather interesting just thinking about it really as it made me appreciate the last few years so much as I have done so much more and learnt so much more than in the rest of the decade put together. Well anyway here is the list - it is mostly work related, clearly it is not exhaustive as there are blank years and I was not THAT lazy.

20-21

21-22 - Saw a talk given by a meteoriticist and decided to apply for a Ph.D. to study meteorites

22-23 - Graduated from Edinburgh with a BSc. Hons.

- Moved country to the USA to get my Ph.D.

23-24

24-25 - Got a fellowship at the Smithsonian and was offered job when I graduated

25-26

26-27

27-28

28-29 - Graduated with my Ph.D

- Went to work at the Smithsonian

- Met John, fell in love.... (awwww)

- Completed my first ever proper job application for my dream job at TCU

29-30 - Interviewed at TCU (day after 29th birthday) and was offered job

- John proposed

- Moved to Texas with John

One additional note: on the day after my birthday, my first full day of being 30 years of age, I ran 3 miles straight for the first time in my life.

Working out

I got myself a personal trainer at the University gym. I showed up for my first session and walked through the door and my stomach hit the floor. My new trainer is one of the students that lived next door to me when we first moved to Fort Worth. These are the students who were rather noisy, frat-types, who had loud parties and stayed up late much to my chagrin. These are the students I called the cops on. Well this won't backfire on me at all!!!!

Weekend

I need to work today but I woke up and made the mistake of turning the TV on. Now I am watching a movie. Oops.

Reality check

I was talking to one of my bridesmaids today who is a newly-married woman herself. She was asking me about all the wedding tasks that lie ahead and I began to realise how much I have not done and, ergo, how much there is to do. AGGHHH!!! The four month mark is looming very closely and there is seemingly more than 4 months worth of stuff to do. I am trying not to panic. I may have to draft in help. I think my spare moments may need to be always occupied with wedding tasks. Planning from overseas is not ideal at all.

Oh and I have not even thought about a hen do? Should I think of such things?

Home sweet home

Well John is now in Fort Worth permanently - hurrah! I flew up to DC and kept him company on the long drive down here and now we just have to get the house in some sort of order.... currently disorder rules and is taking over. There may even be a coup and then you may not hear from us again as we will be slaves to the disorder. We have been making strides today though as I tried to calm the paper stack that was beginning to rule the Land of the Living Room and John clothes are one step further to being in the closet.

It is amazing how fast the days go by. I actually managed to get up this morning and go out for my training run (walk/jog). Our group training was cancelled Thursday and I wanted to make it up somehow. Amazing how hard it is to get moving in 26 F (-3 C) weather. My lungs did not thank me but I do feel the exercise is giving me more energy throughout the day. I am so far away from being able to run the 5K though and it is only four weeks off now. One can hope though, since that is the aim of my group. Can't be too bad though as I am already tempted with the 10K group after this. We'll see how my joints hold out, today I was running with lead legs.

Week so far

Sunday - Running group (for running read mostly walking some jogging) = 1.7 miles
Monday - Walking to and from work = 2 miles
Tuesday - Running group (sans group as I went by myself) = 2 miles
Wednesday - Walking to and from work = 2miles
Thursday - Running group and walking to and from work = 3.75 miles

Ten for '10

A lot of friends have been posting their 'resolutions' for the new year in the last week. I put that in inverted comas as I am not sure that even one of them has used that term, instead I have heard intentions, plans, accomplishments... I certainly have things I would like to achieve this year so I thought I would follow their example. I am posting ten things for '10.

1. Get in shape. I have to get in better shape. HAVE TO. I have let myself go terribly. The jeans that fit me the best right now were the pair I wore when was 15 lbs heavier. The fact they fit when I am lighter tells me I am fatter... my muscle needs to make a comeback.
2. Get in control of my eating. When I gave up wheat I was eating really well and I have let things slip since the move to Texas. Still no wheat but a lot of things with zero or little nutritional value and I felt SO MUCH BETTER when I was eating well.
3. Start my marriage off well in the Summer.
4. Get more organised at work.
5. Cut down on the amount of television I watch (hoping John will join me in this or it will be nigh impossible). Maybe a good place to start is to cut it out entirely one day a week.
6. Consistently take my lunch to work and eat it. Taking something for my lunch almost seems to guarantee I don't want to eat that food come lunchtime. I need to learn to suck it up and just eat it.
7. Drink more water.
8. Be more happy and less grumpy. I can be very unreasonable at times and often I don't even know why myself. I need to cut that out. Something to work on for sure.
9. Walk to work at least a few times a week even when John is available to give me a lift. We live a mile away from campus and it is so tempting to just let John drop me off all the time. I have been walking all this week while he is in DC and it is actually quite a nice way to start and end the work day... and a great way to help with point 1.
10. Be more social. I have become such a homebody of late, mostly because I am laaaaazzzyyy. Once I am home I can never seem to overcome the kinetic barrier to get myself out the door again.

The end.

Tales from the DMV

I finally took the plunge and went to the DMV for my Texas license today. I had been once before but the reception lady sent me away saying I needed more paperwork that was not listed on their requirements online - today they told me I did not need that paperwork. Sigh. Anyway...

The Texas DMV has a system where once your paperwork is checked you van then take a number and wait for it to be called. Once it has been called then and ONLY then you can join the very long line. A lady in front of me waited the two hours for her number to be called, waited another thirty minutes in the line and then I hear her say, in broken english "I'm here for my cosmetology license." There were several guilty of sniggering at that point (me included). I did feel sorry for the poor woman. She did have all the documentation for the driver's license she didn't want... because the lady at reception had sent her back home once for all of it.. shame she did not establish what license the lady wanted.

As I left the nice lady who helped me said "You're a Texan now, have a blessed day." She was lovely, shame about where she works.

Being right

So yesterday on the way to the airport something very interesting happened. John was recounting a discussion we had a while back (we were on opposing sides but it was not an argument so discussion seems the best term). John said 'oh by the way remember how I said this well I looked it up and I was right.' Now I am not blogging here about being annoyed that John was right, we both have our moments when we are wrong... me included. What took me by surprise here was that John had not taken the side he claimed... I HAD!!! He had switched sides and remembered everything incorrectly. Maybe this is a sign of a perfect marriage - I can be right all the time and John can remember that he was right instead. No one ever feels like they lose!

Getting fit

Well I think this is probably the 10th post (if not more) in which I have said 'oh I am going to start getting in shape' - problem being I start but never finish, I am not sure I even ever make any headway. I think exercise may be one of the only times I really just don't like my own company. In an attempt to rectify this I actually signed up for a group exercise thing. We meet three times a week and will be outdoors (another thing I hope will help with my exercise aversion). Alas it started this week and I am in Houston, not Fort Worth. Trying to stay focused though and I have been in the gym while my fellow group mates who I have yet to meet are out getting in shape. Hope I can keep up with them all on my return next week.

New Year, wedding crafting

2009 was a big year - got engaged, got wonderful job, moved to Fort Worth, bought first home. I am wondering what 2010 will bring - other than a wedding, the preparations for which are starting to get a bit overwhelming. I do love craft projects but I wonder if I have bitten off more than I can chew on this one doing as much as I can by myself. The bouquets are made and at home, the save the dates are ready to go out very soon but that leaves:

• invitations
• all the flowers for the church
• pew decorations for church
• all the centrepieces for the reception
• the buttonholes and corsages for the wedding party
• menus
• placecards
• table plans (much closer to date)

GAH! I am drafting in John's help now and he seems willing so hopefully it will all happen. If I just did not have this full time job things would go much easier ;)

Merry Christmas

Have a wonderful Christmas everyone.

I am having a lovely time at home with the parentals. Been a lot of wedding, some work, with smatterings of fun and family time.

Go go go go go go

Today I have been on the go all day. I have really achieved a lot, and it feels great. I got up early despite my late night last night and am now about to crash.

Sleep....

Tomorrow will be much like today, only with tighter deadlines since I leave for the UK tomorrow. I have to pack and the amount of stuff accumulating seems rather large for the case.

:(

John went back to DC today - I am not so fond of those airport trips. I actually leave for the UK on Monday. I am highly strung as there is so much to do before then. So much. Did I mention I had a lot to do? GAH. Been busy since I came back from the airport and midnight rolled around without me knowing about it. I am now blogging just to calm myself down to sleep. Deep breaths. DEEP. DEEP. In.....out.....in......out.

On the plus side I have completed all the bouquets for me and my bridesmaids. Hurrah. They will be travelling with me to England. I have packaged them up in a way that I hope protects them from the airline.

Right I am off to breath some more.

Cake

So I am the cook in the family... well in the couple. John can cook but doesn't most of the time, and I don't mind because I quite like to cook really - just a matter of having the time and being organized. However, last night I got home to find John had baked for the first time EVER since we have been together. What is even better is that he had baked a gluten free chocolate cake with allergy-free dark chocolate icing. Oh my goodness it was delicious and so very thoughtful.

Did I mention I ate far too much cake? No? Well I did... FAR too much.

did I mention

THAT I LOVE JOHN????!!!

He went and bought groceries for me and came back with bags of gluten free stuff. BAGS!!! He saw it on sale at a local store and seriously the amount he brought home is more than a usual store stocks in gluten free goodies. This is stuff I usually want to buy but I balk at as it is very expensive. Wow. I am such a happy girly and I am so impressed he saw this in the store and then bought it all.

He's a keeper.

Moved

Urgh moving was stressful - thanks to the power company not providing us with electricity when they said they would. However, I do not want to dwell on that as we are now in the house and it is fantastic. John worked hard the day of the move and, while the house may be chaos, he made the living room a serene, organised, and cozy place. I love this house.

Amusingly John seems most happy with our new refrigerator. I keep catching him in the kitchen admiring it. He is particularly enamoured with the deli drawer (it pulls out and the cover flips up) and the beverage chiller (which has a separate temperature cooler to get his beer cold quickly and keep it there). Earlier I heard him talking about it and he was alone in the kitchen... he was making a video to send to someone... ON OUR FRIDGE!!! I love him.

To the airport I shall go...

John flies in this evening. Hurrah!! I do not enjoy the drive to DFW airport but it is 110% worth it when he is the one I am picking up.

Post-thanksgiving

I have spent today in full lazy mode. I did make two trips to the new house but otherwise me and the couch have been very connected. It has been wonderful and just what I needed. I feel like I will be able to go into work tomorrow and be productive and not mind the fact I am in work on a weekend as today has been my weekend. The rental place is finally starting to look like I have taken some stuff out of it and I am looking forward to the move on Monday.

-> Pause in here because when I wrote 'move on Monday' I remembered I had not reserved our moving truck yet. I now have.

The day ended badly yesterday - I was tired after moving all day, sad I was by myself all day, and then I broke the lid to the toilet. It was the straw that broke the camel's back. The toilet in the place we are renting likes to continually cycle water at random times for no reason. I was trying to stop it for the nth time and the lid slid and broke into two. Bye bye deposit. Last night it seemed like the end of the world, today it seems like a broken toilet lid so perspective has returned.