Ice Days and W-2's

I'm mostly writing right now to vent, not because I have nothing better to do (I'm a graduate student, after all--there's ALWAYS something better to do). As I've stated before, we don't have internet at our apartment. So, I steal a few minutes here and there to check emails, etc., making sure there is nothing telling me to evacuate the building because it's on fire (by the way, UNT, I don't know if email is the most practical way to alert people in the case of an emergency), and trying to stay on top of these things. So, this week (yesterday at about 2:00) I got an email saying that I needed to pick up my W-2 in the main office before today. I was relieved to have read it before, especially since I was booked solid from 2 until after the office would be closed. Unfortunately, the part that I didn't read said that I needed to pick it up before NOON.

I march into the office today at about 1:20, ask for my form, and am greeted by an unhappy administrator telling me that the email SAID noon, and he waited until 12:45, but now they were on their way to be mailed. Not that this is a huge deal anyway, because I will get it in the end, but I hate being treated like an idiot (even when my actions justify it). I wish people would just be respectful all the time, because even little things like this really hurt me. I'm a sensitive soul!

Anyway, in Other News, we got two Ice Days this week, due to adverse weather conditions. This really threw me off in the second week of class. I basically took it as a total vacation and didn't do any work at all, to realize upon returning to school that I actually had homework I could have been doing and so forth. Whoops. Hooray for too much idiocy from Rachel this week!

Additionally, Andy and I met with Pres. Benavides of the Spanish Branch yesterday, getting two shiny new callings. I'm a little intimidated by mine, but excited. I will definitely learn a lot, and I hope that I can do some good. We're excited about Andy's calling, too--that will be fun. I feel glad to be a part of the branch--it's nice to feel needed and like we can make an impact in the branch. Details to follow once we've been sustained on Sunday. What a party!

Other than that, "married life" is great, for those of you who want to know. (Why people always ask that is a mystery to me. What am going to say? "Wow, yeah. It sucks! I hate it!" Very unlikely. Of COURSE it's great. You're silly.)

Nate Comes to Denton

This weekend showcased a guest star: Nate Watson of Funkalicious fame.



Nate-dawgg, in all his funky glory.

If you don't know who or what Funkalicious is, that is indeed a sad story. Fortunately for us, its not ours.

His brief time in the Denton area allowed us the opportunity to show him the sights (i.e. the historic courthouse, Beth Marie's ice cream shoppe, the UNT campus, etc). He also met some of our friends at a post-wedding housewarming get-together on Saturday night. After all of that, I'm sure that he's realized that his graduate school search is now over.

In all seriousness, it was a fun weekend. I guess that almost goes without saying, though. The best ones are those spend with friends and/or family.

On an entirely different note, poor weather conditions have kept Rach and I indoors today. In Texas, a thin layer of ice (or the perceived threat of it forming at some point in the day) is typical grounds for school closures and work absences. Not that I'm complaining...It gave me time to write, a real treat for a Tuesday at 11:11 am.

Andy

Back to School, Back to Reality.

Yes, it's back to the grindstone for Rachel. Here I am, sitting in the commons of the music building, using my eaglenet (useful, as there is no world wide interweb at our apartment), and avoiding the reality that awaits me in so few minutes. It's been full-speed ahead already this first day back, and while my class load seems quite manageable (yet, it always does at the beginning of the semester), I feel unmotivated. Why can't I just stay at home and vacuum all day?

Just kidding.

Kind of.

I'm so close to being done with my Master's, but I did so little while on break to prepare myself for this semester that I already feel somewhat submerged. Compound this with the fact that, obviously, there have been some major life changes in the past month for Andy and me, and I get the feeling that this may be a stressful semester for me. Of course, this is largely my own fault: the result of having ignored the fact that school was resuming for as long as humanly possible (and the fact that I continue to do so even now). I just keep waiting for the motivation to come back. Where are you, Motivation?

Nevertheless, I have faith that I will somehow survive this semester. After all, I haven't yet met one that has licked me.

Ah, well. Duty calls, in the form of the prof for whom I am the worst TA ever, and already I'm behind. Yay reality!

I hope I don't die.

"Just Married"

Rachel and I were married a little more than two weeks ago on January 2, 2009. We thought it'd be neat to provide the world (and by that I mean primarily family and friends) with a little window into our fledgling marriage relationship. It's an exciting time for us, and we'd like to share it, albeit an heavily abridged version with all who are interested. So with that, enjoy...

I decided to call this post "just married" for obvious reasons. For the most part, we're just kind of settling into day to day stuff: work, laundry, house cleaning, etcetera. It's been a fun adjustment, as boring as it may sound. Rach is just about finished moving into our place, a charming little garage apartment located in the outskirts of Denton (see photo). We should be ready to re-enter the social realm shortly.

I know it's cliche, but I honestly have little else to say besides "life is good." Thanks for stopping by. In the coming days, weeks, months, or however long we decided to keep this up, there will be more to report.

Andy