skip to main |
skip to sidebar
Mom and Brian came to town for Thanksgiving this year. Dad stayed back in TX to go deer hunting. We made a couple of turkey breasts and all the sides. My friend Vonda joined us. She made 2 pumpkin pies, rolls and cranberry sauce. Vonda left a whole pie plus 2 pieces with us. Guess what I had for breakfast, afternoon snack and late night snack?
Movies watched from Wed-Friday: the extended versions of The Lord of the Rings trilogy, Snatch and The Usual Suspects.
Miner and Brian in full-on relax mode:
Mom and Brian helped me pick out a new sofa on Friday. They both left Saturday morning. Saturday, I did more shopping, went out for sushi with friends for Sarah's birthday, and then out to see Mommy's Little Monster. It's been snowing since I left the bar last night! Today, I stayed inside and organized my closets and cleaned my office.
I also checked grades for my statistics class that ended last month. They aren't all posted, but the grades for the final exam were. I got an A on the exam! Woot!
I think I mentioned that I am in a Leadership & Personal Development course in my MBA program. Last weekend was our first two sessions. I really enjoyed it. Shawna mentioned that she thought it was interesting that I wasn in a personal development class at the same time I am goign through a divorce. She's right...it's strange, poetic, thought provoking, all those things.
Anyway, one of the assignments is to complete a three to five page paper reflecting on our first weekend of class. The instructor made the comment that any of us who blog should think about it like a blog entry. So, I thought I'd at least get started on laying out the heavy hitters from the weekend.
1. Surprise, surprise...we did Enneagram assessments and I am a type two "helper, giver." Say that surprise, surprise as if you were Gomer Pyle. My ears did perk up when we talked about things a type two does when they are under stress and things a type two does when they are trying to become more "self actualized" (I think that was the term she used.)
2. We did this Lego exercise where you couldn't see what your team mates were building, but you all had the same pieces and could talk. The goal was for everyone to have the same thing when it was finished. 4 of the 5 of our team were spot on, but one guy was 90-degrees off. All I could keep thinking was, "where did we go wrong?" Our 'status checks' to see if everyone was on the same page were not as effective as we thought. One contribution I made was to take a little 1X1 piece that had an eye on it and put a little 'roof' piece on top of it. Sort of made it look like a one-eyed guy with a hat. I shared that idea with the group and at least a couple of the guys did the same, and we got a little farther along and someone said, "oh, I took that off." I was proud of myself for sticking up for my idea...so we kept it.
3. It's challenging to do all this self examination and focus in on how this effects me as a leader. My tendency has been to focus in on what did I do wrong in my marriage...
4. A week or two ago, my mom was talking with me about "bossy" and how when I was in pre-school, she worried to my teacher that I was too bossy. Mom said that Ms. Gonzalez said, "Amy's a leader, she's not bossy." I wonder about that. We talked a lot about the difference between a manager and a leader in class. I think bossy is more manager than leader...but maybe not?
OK, that's enough for now.
It's 4 AM and I can't sleep. This is mostly due to the fact that I can only breathe through my mouth and have to keep blowing my nose. It was nice and warm Sunday. By 'nice' and 'warm' I mean in the upper 40's to low 50's. I spent a couple hours outside raking leaves. That probably didn't help my sinuses, but I didn't think it would make them worse!
I saw a lawyer this week. It's still quite surreal. Even though they call it 'amicable' divorce, it's still pretty frikkin painful. We at least agree on the division of the stuff. I didn't realize that dog goes on the same list as brown love seat, bakers rack and TV stand. But yep, I get Miner.
I've been thinking a lot about the "could I keep the dog" question. He's an OK running partner, and I assume would improve with time and practice (just like me). And David is finding that it's hard to find a place he can afford that will also allow dogs. So I am going to pretend like I don't have David to rely on to come let the dog out...and see if I think I can handle it with my regular schedule...we'll just have to see.
Something very different about graduate school and my undergrad experience is what a difference 8 years makes when it comes to technology. And I'm just talking about the internet. Yesterday, my stats instructor posted the solution to the final exam on the course web site. I am pretty sure there is only one 5-pointer that I missed with very little hope of partial credit and two 5-pointers that I think will get some partial credit. Which all adds up to me feeling pretty good that my 'conditional' acceptance shouldn't be an issue any more. Unfortunately, I won't know my final grade for the course for at least another week.
well...for now anyway. I know I posted months ago that it was finished, well now it actually is. The inspector came out yesterday. So, now I can take that orange sticker off the front door!
I finished my final in 2 hours (we had 2.5). Not too bad, I was well prepard and my notes from class were well organized (it was open book). So, to celebrate that and the fact that I didn't die on my first quality run day...I am having a small bowl of slow churned peppermint ice cream with a little hershey's special dark syrup on top. Happy Happy...I'm going to top it all off with the 2nd disc from Pride and Prejudice (A&E version...mmm, Colin Firth) and then go to bed. (I know, it's 9 but I am all hopped up on diet coke).
I guess I am going to have to come up with a new name for this blog. David and I are separating and Miner will eventually live with him. I got to name the dog, but he's really David's. The whole separation thing is something completely different, and I am not sure I am ready to publicly provide details. It's just sad, and I wish that things could be different, but I know that they can't. And both of us realize it's the right thing to be doing.
Miner was just released from quarantine. Too bad it's frikkin freezing outside. Maybe we'll bundle up and go for a jog later on.
I'm feeling quite proud of myself. I've been making sure I'm doing something exercise wise every day for the past week. Makes me feel good.
Today, I was sharing with a co-worker today about my current cross-stitch projects and mentioned the last big project I finished. It's been more than a year, I think since I had it framed. It's hanging in the kitchen. So here it is:
I have always been greatful for the opportunities that being an American affords me. These were really cemented after spending a summer in the Dominican Republic. I really do have to say that I have never been more proud to be an American than today. We're watching history. I took part in history by voting. I am still crying, and the goose bumps are permanent at this point. Si se puede!
...get your ass off the couch and go vote! And if you have, good for you. And if you voted Democrat, even better!!
It will be exciting to see how this all turns out. To think, I was there on "that cold January night in Iowa" sitting in the multi-purpose room at Adams Elementary with the Obama group - one of many 1st-time caucus goers.
It's been a long time coming.
So what if it's 51 days before I go to Houston for Christmas. So what if I am skipping thinking about Thanksgiving all together. I am already making my mental list of what I want to do while there (in no particular order):
- Meet Marcus
- Take Owen to the zoo or something equally as cool, with just Auntie Amy. No Mommy, Daddy, Nona or Papi. Maybe Uncle Brian can go.
- Go to Jazzercise with Mom
- See Kelli, Steph, Trevor, and Kyle. Especially want to see Steph's new place
- Play poker, Settlers and possibly Risk
- Do Washington Post crossword puzzles with Erin and Brian
- Eat greasy Tex-Mex (preferably Tia's enchiladas) and have a margarita
- Costco
- See my Granny
- See a movie with Erin, Brian and John
- Make meatballs, stuffed artichokes and bushaluna with Erin and Mom
- Convince Daddy to make roast, rice and gravy with the "fine I-talian vegetable - butter bread"
- Read something not for school
- See live music
Can you tell I'm a little homesick?
Our neighbors' dog Shelby was Underdog for Halloween. Their son made the costume. Here's an example of one time it's OK to put a small dog in clothes.
