Month of February, 2003

Midterms Done!

I'm done. I can hardly believe midterms are finally over. Relief.

Took my economics exam last night. It was really tough, not at all what I was expecting. It took me the whole 3 hours. I felt really stupid afterwards.

Took my accounting exam this morning. It was really long and similar to what I expected. It took me the whole 3 hours. I felt really good afterwards.

All that matters is they are done. I did my best. Now I'm going to New York City!

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Econ Exam

Only an hour and a half until my economics test. Nervousness has set in. I haven't taken an exam in YEARS. (Not including the GMAT which actually got me into grad school...that was nerve-wracking!) I'm just breathing and telling myself that it'll be OK.

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Ice, etc.

Got to work safely as most of the ice had melted some and driving caused it to flow away. There was a lot of slush around the side of the roads so you still had to be plenty careful. Work was CRAZY busy as only 3 of us showed up. Now I've got to drive home. It'll be cold but hopefully it's not freezing again. What a crazy couple of days!

Another Ice Day

It's still cold and icy here. I spent the morning watching local news. There's no way I would get on a highway right now...it looks horrible. There are tons of jack-knifed trailers, busses stuck, and cars spinning. Some of the truckers they interviewed had been sitting on the highway in a traffic jam for over 12 hours. So it doesn't look like I'll make it to work today either.

In addition, school has been cancelled again today which I'm really bummed about. I wish they would just hold evening classes so I could take my final! They've rescheduled it for Saturday but I leave for NYC on Friday. Can't I just take the test today...please?!

*Update - just spoke to my boss and she wants me to try to make it into work later. Bummer.

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Ice Storm

It was a heck of a storm last night and everything is covered in ice. Naturally, I'm not going anywhere. I figured it would take me at least 2 hours to drive to work and it's simply not worth it. So instead, I took a bunch of pictures.

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Ice Storm

Dallas/Fort Worth was hit with an ice storm today. The normal 45 minute drive home took me about 2 hours. Luckily I didn't get hit (or hit anything for that matter). It's still storming and only 23 degrees outside. Tomorrow is going to be interesting.

The worst part is they cancelled my midterm exam tonight. I don't know when I'll be making it up but drawing this kind of thing out is never a good idea. I decided to relax a little bit and cooked a big dinner tonight. Now I think I'll curl up in bed with a good book.

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2nd Blogversary

Saturday, Feb 22nd was my 2nd blogversary. It's hard to imagine all the things I've done in the past 2 years then I remember that I have record of it all! Scary.

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Tiger - Surprised

Tiger peeked into the dining room while we were having lunch yesterday so I snapped a picture of him. My dog is so cute...even when he was pressed up against me in the middle of the night because he was cold. (I'm not real fond of anyone sleeping right up against me.)

What is up with this cold weather all of a sudden? It's 28 degrees, but says it feels like 17. Brrr. It's only 1 degree colder in NYC! This is Texas, it shouldn't be this cold! Won't winter just quit?

Procrastination

Mom made the most amazing salad today at lunch - avocados & tomatoes. It made me feel like it was spring/summertime. I'm SOOOO ready for this winter to end. Don't know why, but the cold weather is driving me a bit mad. Today was an incredibly pretty day but it's already gotten cold tonight. Yuck.

I really have nothing to say at the moment. I'm really just procrastinating. My first midterm is tomorrow. The second is on Wednesday. I've been studying my butt off and I'm sick of studying. Unfortunately, I still have plenty of studying to do still. Midterms are the reason for my lack of posting. I've been so worried/stressed/swamped that I really haven't even had the time to complain about it...at least online. I think everyone I've bumped into recently has heard about it. The funniest was last night at AB's house. Vince said, "Are you ok, Erica? You don't look like yourself." Nope, I'm not myself, but this too shall pass. Spring break starts after midterms and I'm planning on taking full advantage to getting back to normal again...at least until school starts again.

Ok, I've wasted enough time already. Gotta get back to economics. Speaking of which, remember that for optimization MR=MC.

Gas Pump II

Looks like this has has already been done.
- Picture sent by someone who wants to remain anonymous.

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For Autumn and Summer

I read this and thought of you guys. So here it is.

"Whether you know it or not, you are already there.
You are the beauty...the power...the wisdom..the passion...the knowledge...the fire...the calm...the heart and the soul. You are the star of your being."

Places for Butts

My boyfriend cracks me up. I get an email with the subject "Places for Butts" and this link. I definitely thought twice before clicking.

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Gas Pump

At the gas station today, I noticed they have monitors above the pump advertising all of the tantilizing things you can get inside the convenience store. Wouldn't it be cool to hack into the system and display whatever you want?

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Referrals

Why is the International Atomic Energy Agency one of my referrers?

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Quote of the Day

"Life or death struggles against giant reptiles warrants obscenity."
- Kevin

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Sky on Valentines Day

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Valentines Day & Code Orange

Lots of conversation last night about what's going on in this country. Mom and Dad stopped by with Valentines gifts. They gave my sisters and I each a journal. My mother knows us so well and picked out a perfect book for each of us. Mine is orange with sequins on the front and definitely hand-made (I can actually see the stitching which is ultra cool). Kristen's is black suede and small. Karen's is red with Asian designs and a gold cord. They were all a perfect fit and such a surprise. Thank you, Mom and Dad!

So after the gift giving I worried about school and then conversation turned to the current events. I'm worried. I'm worried about code orange. The press is definitely churning up a reaction from the public. I'm freaked out about all this talk of plastic and duct tape to seal homes in the event of a biological attack. I doubt it's going to happen in Texas and definitely not in my little part of the suburbs. But I worry because Kevin lives in New York City. He's coming to visit this weekend, but I won't feel better until he's actually out of the city.

All this worry is probably not necessary. It's just an alert so that Americans are aware of what's going on around us. The weird part is I'm not used to the alerts. Shoot, none of us are. We're figuring out how freaked out to actually get. I'm not running out to buy plastic and duct tape but I did make mental note as to where the flashlights are. I'm thinking about purchasing a battery powered radio. Last night Kevin and I talked about our "evacuation plan" in case anything happens. So I continue to worry, but I probably should figure out what my level of concern can be. It's not like I can continue living all freaked out. As Kevin pointed out, people in Europe and the Middle East have had to live with the constant threat of terrorism for years. People just figure out how to move on and I guess I will too.

Anytime I've been using Google, I'm fascinated with what comes up under the "sponsored links." While searching for Office of Homeland Security, there are sponsored links for nuclear radiation pills. Talk about preying on fear.

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Weekend Update

I know it's already Wednesday and I'm just now getting around to talking about my weekend. So I'm having time management issues. I'm in grad school...it's normal.

Thursday night I went to class and really enjoyed lecture. The examples given for the theory seemed to make sense to me. Now we'll see how well it makes sense when I do the homework. After class I met with friends to celebrate Never's birthday. It was a great chance for me to drink a beer and unwind. Talked mostly with Griff of Ultramicroscopic, who by the way, is up for a SXSW People's Voice Award. You can vote here if the mood strikes you.

When I got home Thursday night, naturally, I called Kevin. Typically we talk for an hour or two before sleeping (depending on how tired I am and how late it is). Normally if we talk too late, I'll fall asleep on the phone. But for some reason Thursday night, I got past the point of exhaustion and we stayed up until 4am talking. The conversation was fabulous and totally worth it.

Friday was quiet at work, thank goodness. After work I hit the sack plenty early.

Saturday consisted of class and a quiz that showed me how much studying I need to do. Spent hours studying with a classmate before heading home to veg. I finally installed Grand Theft Auto and played to my hearts content. Saturday night I went to Anna Beth's house and hung out with some very fabulous women. It was really, really good for me to get out of the house and see friends.

Sunday was spent mostly with my parents. The whole family had lunch and I had a really great conversation with my grandmother afterwards. Then Mom, Dad, and I went shopping for bathroom ideas. We were far more impressed with The Great Indoors than we were with Home Depot Expo (which seems to be just for the insanely rich, which we're not). I'm excited about the ideas we have and am looking forward to getting estimates soon! Sunday was a beautiful day outside and I always have fun to hang out with my parents. I finished up with more studying that night.

This week has already been full. Monday night I stayed up until midnight studying. Last night I met with my study group (got a lot of productive work done) but didn't get home until 10:30pm. I hope my dog doesn't hate me for being gone and only sitting in the study. Today I've started worrying about midterms which are in two weeks. I started formulating a study plan this morning on the way to work so I'll be prepared for my tests. Tonight I'll implement the plan and finish up some homework that's due Saturday. Thursday night I have class and Friday night Kevin arrives. I'm glad to be so busy, because it makes Friday arrive faster.

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DaveCam

Wow, so sweet! Hey everyone, this is Dave of Floorpie.net. He's one of my very first internet friends...we realized today we've known each other almost 2 years. Dave, we really do have to meet in person someday. Dave used to put up with me instant messaging him all day everyday. Don't know how he survived! Now he gets to put up with me walking away from instant messanger with no explanation. Sorry!

So here's what Dave said today: "You must be stopped...you're getting so overtly in love it feels almost criminal to flirt with you anymore. Every post 'Oh Kevin is the Kevinest Kevin that I've ever been so fortunate to Kevin in the most Kevinly Kevin ever!'" Heh. Yeah, I guess I'd better stop.

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Central Park at Twilight

I wish I had been there.

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Before Work

School is kicking my butt. It's amazing I can get out of bed and get ready for work. AND still manage to smile for you. Hey, just like Kevin says, everything is going to be alright. (If it doesn't turn out ok, I'm blaming you, Kevin.)

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Hiccups

Kevin told me last night about an article he read about hiccups. Then I stumbled up a link about it today. I'm not sure if I believe this explanation, but it sure is interesting.

There are many similarities between hiccuping and gill ventilation in animals like tadpoles, the researchers argue. Both are inhibited when the lungs are inflated, for example, and by high carbon dioxide levels in air or water.

- From NewScientist.com

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Wifely Duty II

This is in response to the comments from the post below. I started to respond as a comment then realized this needs a larger space. I don't want anyone to get the wrong idea of why I posted that article. So here's what I'm thinking.

Billy & Charles, I don't think that the author is necessarily sexist nor does she really believe the things in the quoted paragraph. I think she's just saying what she's seen other women saying/believing (and yes, those things might be sexist).

I'm fascinated with the paragraph below in particular, because I wonder how true it is. My boyfriend is definitely one (as are Billy and Charles, from what I can tell) to notice the need for toilet paper...but I realize that he and I definitely do things differently. He wouldn't do things the same way I would do them. In the same way, I wouldn't do things the same way he would do them.

So in thinking about these kinds of things, I'm fascinated with "roles" that people take on in partnerships. I think for our generation it's a constant struggle to figure out one's role. Maybe figuring out the role isn't the hard part but rather learning how to be content in it.

Only a few years ago (in my extreme liberal thinking), I thought that equally sharing the domestic work was the way to go, and I believed it would be a horrible thing if I took on historically female roles (like staying home to raise children). As I get older and see things through new perspectives, I don't feel that way now. I recognize that people have strengths and weaknesses and they should do what they are naturally best at, regardless of where it falls in gender roles.

In addition, I'm learning to appreciate that people do different tasks differently. As mentioned in the excerpt, a man might not chat with the teacher when taking the child to school like a woman would, but that's OK. He's in no way obligated to do this. I think the problem lies with the woman who expects a man to do things exactly like she would. Whoever said that we all had to be the same? Somehow I think I got distracted in thinking that equal meant the same, but it doesn't. This article was a good reminder to me that I still have a lot to figure out about relationship roles.

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Wifely Duty

Josh just like this essay on books called "The Wifely Duty." It's less a review of books and more a discussion about topics affecting women and the popular books written about them. My favorite part is listed below.

"Until they program men to notice you're out of toilet paper, a happy domestic life will always be up to women"—a sentiment almost unanimously held by the working mothers I know. What we've learned during this thirty-year grand experiment is that men can be cajoled into doing all sorts of household tasks, but they will not do them the way a woman would. They will bathe the children, but they will not straighten the bath mat and wring out the washcloths; they will drop a toddler off at nursery school, but they won't spend ten minutes chatting with the teacher and collecting the art projects. They will, in other words, do what men have always done: reduce a job to its simplest essentials and utterly ignore the fillips and niceties that women tend to regard as equally essential."

A theme seems to be how women's roles at home, in the workplace, and in society in general have changed which directly affect the roles of two married people. My generation, especially, is trying to figure out how to be liberated yet still be successful in marriage. I think the one lesson we all need to learn is being selfless. A partnership never works if someone is selfish. There's no way a marriage can work with two people being selfish.

Another interesting article
Guardian Unlimited's article "I'm losing patience with my neighbours, Mr Bush" which calls out the President on his intentions to attack Iraq.

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Mush

My brain is currently mush. I'm so sick of looking at accounting numbers and trying to remember what they mean. Our first quiz is Saturday. Needless to say, I'm nervous. Will I ever feel like I've mastered this stuff? Why aren't there more hours in the day? I just need a few more to make sure this stuff sticks! God, please, please, please, can I have that huge remote control just so I can hit pause for a few hours?

Am I Awake Yet?

I have nothing to say so I'm turning this into a photo blog.

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Bentley

Kristen's dog, Bentley. Soooo cute.

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Skating with Tiger

This was Christmas Day just after I got my new skates. I was only mildly prepared for Tiger's ability to pull me that fast.

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Lucci House Renovations

So if you've been to Lucci House before, no doubt you've seen the disaster that is my bathroom. It was poorly designed and was falling apart when I moved in. In order to make it useful, it has a very ugly setup. For so long, we've talked about remodeling the bathroom. Conversation after lunch yesterday finally got us on the right track. I'm motivated. I'm excited. I'm shopping for bathroom products.

Bathroom products are probably my favorite because they're so different. Naturally I'm looking at anything and everything. I'm ignoring the fact that many of these amazing products are completely not right for my house. Hey, they're fun to look at!

So in my searching, I found the Riverbath by Kohler. It's a beautiful jacuzzi tub with a twist - whirlpool, rapids, and whitewater river experience. "Strange that someone would want to bathe in a near whitewater river," I thought. Not particularly relaxing in my opinion. But what really caught my eye was the next point - "Extra-large basin provides room for up to three bathers." Three?!

Wow, rich people must be getting freakier all the time.

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GreenEyesGo

Drinks with Miss GreenEyesGo who came into town for a visit. Still can't believe she's been gone 7 months already! She is definitely a missed part of DFWBlogs.

Flowers!!

Flowers from a very sweet man. Thank you.

Space Shuttle Explosion

Conversation with Karen
Erica says: are you watching the news?
Karen says: i am
Karen says: it's terrible
Erica says: what's going on? i've only heard bits...did it explode?
Karen says: i'm not sure
Karen says: it exploded over texas
Karen says: I'm fairly sure I heard it this morning
Karen says: mom and dad heard something and ran downstairs thinking grandma had fallen
Erica says: wow, we were driving so we didn't.
Karen says: i think it was supposed to land'
Karen says: debris has fallen in oklahoma
Karen says: oh god. the space shuttle was carrying the first israeli in space
Erica says: yeah, i heard that the other day
Erica says: where did it explode?
Karen says: above n central texas area

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