I just paid $6 to access the internet from my laptop here at the Charleston airport. My flight leaves in an hour...I assume they'll start boarding in 20 minutes or so. But I will probably wait til closer to take off to board. So it's the perfect timing for a blog-on-the-go.

My trip has been great. I am worn out! I will post pics eventually, but who knows when. I have meetings at school today, and tomorrow is the Irish Festival followed by the UFC fights. The Dean of Mean vs. Rampage! I am rooting for the Dean of course (Keith Jardine), but I hope he doesn't get demolished. He got knocked out a couple fights ago, and it was pretty heartbreaking. I just love that guy. I don't know why. He is a badass. Then I have homework and studying to do Sunday.

So anyway, full disclosure. My flight was delayed when I came to Charleston. They told us the flight attendant was late, they updated us later that they were trying to find her replacement, they found someone to take her place, then announced another delay because they needed to verify the pilot's ID. LOL! I'm thinking, do we REALLY need to know all this?!? I am one of those that isn't that concerned about the government keeping secrets from us because I am pretty happy in my bubble. But anyway, there was another flight that came in Wednesday with a bunch of people I knew/met at the conference. Their flight was delayed because they had to make repairs on the planes (rubber seals), and when they boarded, the plane was nose heavy, so they moved someone from front to back. We are on those tiny tincan American Eagle planes with 1 seat on the left, and 2 on the right. And they knew the girl who was moved and said she was tiny. So 100 lbs really makes a big difference?! You better offer me a stiff drink with my new seat if I'm moved because the plane is nose heavy.

Edit: They just changed our gate from B1 to "emergency exit stairs next to B2". Hahahaha!

So let this be the ironic post everyone refers to if my plane goes down today. And the cherry on the irony sundae can be that I'm studying for my death & dying exam on the plane. ;-) Love y'all and see you soon!

Poor kitty. I swear we brush him, but it never fails, he goes outside and gets some horrible mat that just grows and grows out of control. We can't hardly get a pet brush through his thick mane, so I think I need to get him a human hair brush. We had him shaved again today to get his mats out. We can tell he feels so much better! This time, they gave him a bandana!

Have a good week!

http://www.cooks.com/rec/view/0,166,141184-243196,00.html

Un. Be. Lieve. Able. Well worth the consequences of eating cake every day since Tuesday. *drool*

I am in the mood for a countdown.

2 days until the Golden Girls marathon on the Hallmark Channel

3 days until I leave for Charleston (where it's supposed to be snowing when I arrive. Grrrr.)

3 days until I know whether my proposal got accepted for the Nashville conference.

10 days until I have a paper and an exam.

14 days until the last class day before spring break

19 days until we leave for our Tawakoni camping trip

2 months until Nashville, if it happens.

2.5 months until finals.

3 months until our Colorado trip, if it pans out.

And finally, 10 months until I graduate. Did you forget I was in school for a reason??? I know I do...

Will probably post again before I leave. Have a great weekend everyone!

Yesterday since I was at school all day, I did 30 minutes on the elliptical. This time, I did a program instead of just going at one level the whole time. It was tough! We had to study for an exam, so we didn't do anything other than the elliptical. But still, check us out! Not skipping a workout just because we had a test. Woot.

Today I was feeling a little overwhelmed by my to-do list when I got home, but I still pulled it together to do the 30-day shred. Pushups are getting easier every time, and today, lunges were easier. I couldn't believe it because that's been the hardest part so far. I was going down pretty low on the forward lunges but still not as low as possible on the side lunges. But it's not that the workout is getting easier, it's just that I can work harder. Today I felt like I got the best workout so far because I was able to put more into it. I'm bringing the DVD to Jessica tomorrow since I have that conference all weekend, so hopefully she'll be able to burn it and I'll have a 30-day shred buddy. I feel good. I probably shouldn't weigh myself anymore because it's discouraging - I'm building muscle, losing gut, wearing my "skinny" jeans, but sitting right at 155. UGH.

I am pretty excited about the conference. I won't be doing that great on my diet, but I get fed all weekend. No cooking, no buying groceries. Tomorrow we'll probably have fajitas and BBQ - they do Texas food since a lot of people come in from out of state. Breakfast Saturday and Sunday are ridiculous - eggs, bacon, sausage, fresh fruits, pastries, pretty much everything you can think of except an omelet bar. Then, Saturday night, another nice dinner, this time it's banquet style with full service. I love being waited on. Last year's speakers were great, so I don't have high expectations for this year because no way it will be as good. In fact, if they are HALF as good, I'll be super impressed.

I am not excited about how unprepared I am for my presentation. Oh well, I'm going to make some notecards and flip through them all weekend. My presentation is the last one in the afternoon, so probably no one will be there. But I have to be prepared because I invited both my mentors and have no idea if they are coming. They are the ones I have to worry about.

So anyway, I should be out of pocket this weekend, but I hope it's good for everyone.

Today was my 3rd day on the 30 day shred. Technically, I started Thursday, then again yesterday since I visited my grandma this weekend. But anyway. It is so fast! Seriously, anyone can do it.

It was harder today in some ways. I noticed I could do more pushups. Modified pushups, mind you (you know, from the knee instead of the toe), but I got a lot more done today than yesterday. Had a hard time with all the lunges, though. My legs are jelly. They have been sore, especially my calves. The first day, it was all these weird muscles around my knee I didn't know I had and couldn't figure out how to stretch. At least I know how to stretch a calf muscle.

(Edit 1 hour later: my calves hurt BAD. OMG. Edit Tuesday morning: I spent every spare moment last night stretching my poor legs, and they feel better today. A little stiff but no pain)

I made my own peanut butter today. 2 cups unsalted roasted peanuts, 1 tbsp peanut oil, and 1/4 tsp salt (or to taste, or use salted peanuts) all in the food processor for 2-3 minutes. It's yummy.

I got done with a lot of my list today. The big items are still there, but the small ones are done. Life will be easier with that nitpicky stuff out of the way. Tonight we are having whole wheat spaghetti. Yummo.

Have a good night!

Twice this semester (that's going into its 4th week this week), I have gotten 2 bottles of water out of a particular vending machine even though I only paid for one. The first time, it wasn't a big deal. I figured I might have accidentally hit the button twice. They take debit/credit cards, so it would be pretty easily for me to hit the button more than once and they just charge me $2.50. But since it happened again this week, I decided to check my account, and nope, I only paid $1.25. Cool huh?

I made a to-do list for tomorrow. I have mucho going on. But tomorrow is just one day, and here is what I need to accomplish - it doesn't look nearly as intimidating on paper as it feels in my head, so it helps to write it down:

Wake up 5:30, get dressed, have coffee and oatmeal, head to school (Monday morning edit: sleep til 6 since the coffee won't come on til 5:30, realize it's cold, so have coffee and oatmeal in bed til 7, then get ready. Hey, I aim high so I don't end up behind.)
Work on AmHighEd paper
Finish McNair conference powerpoint
Print 3640 and 4610 notes
Work on 3640 study guide
Work on 4610 study guide
Price GPS units for grant
Turn in timesheet
Meet with Twila
Meet Shaneka after 5pm to workout
Help cook spaghetti, eat, and study

Also, I need to go shoe shopping this week. I am still on my neverending quest for black dress shoes that don't hurt my feet. I want to get some before Friday, which is when the McNair conference starts. I am really looking forward to it - last year's was so nice, a lot of work, but a great conference.

I need to remember my favorite advice I was given last year. Put out the hottest fire first. The hottest fires are those exams on Wednesday. But still, I have been sitting around stressing over that stupid AmHighEd paper. In reality, I need to tackle those tests first, then I won't feel like crying because I am working on a paper when I need to study for tests. Same goes with McNair. AmHighEd is a bigger deal, but it's not due til AFTER McNair stuff. So I need to reorder my priorities if I am going to get anything done. Hottest fires first. It works.

Friday after class, I headed to my Grandma's house for a visit. This seemed to be the last weekend that would really work out because I have a lot coming up. We had a great visit. We went to Bealls, then Wal-Mart later. I met that guy that's been trying to get with her for a couple years Buzz. He is fishy...he was nice enough and I'm glad he comes to visit her, but no means no, and he needs to quit trying to get her to live with him or marry him. He wants to meet family members so we can try to convince her that he is OK. I think it's rude for him to keep trying to chip away at her resolve.

I came home, took a shower, and waited a few minutes on Tom. He brought me red roses and a card. I did more than usual since he bought me that awesome camera a couple weeks ago. He got a book about physics (I would explain more if I understood...but it is over my head), John McCain's "Faith of my Fathers", the book about his time as a POW, and the Xbox 360 game Left4Dead, with zombies. I don't like zombies, but I knew he really wanted that game, so I got it. My grandma got him funny boxers - one with Homer Simpson and with Batman. LOL! He loved them. I guess she is officially his grandma now that she bought him underwear. She seems to really like Tom (everyone does) and I am really grateful that he gets along well with my favorite family members.

We went to Alfornos in Flower Mound and it was pretty good. We had a bottle of chianti, crab cakes for an appetizer, and a salad. I got the osso bucco, and still have a lot of leftovers for lunch. I can't wait. It was a veal shank, basically like a roasted veal butt, really tender, cooked up with a great sauce with carrots, onions, celery, etc, served over pasta with sauteed broccoli and asparagus on the side. Tom got a seafood pasta dish and asked me to remind him not to order seafood in the future unless he's on the coast. He was pretty jealous of mine. LOL We got dessert to go, 2 orders of tiramisu, stopped at Tom Thumb for champagne, picked up some Valentine's treats for the pets, and watched The Princess Bride. We had a nice time.

Today we slept in til 9, he made coffee (really, the ultimate luxury to me is having someone else make coffee), and now a couple of his friends are over to play the new video game. I wanted a shower, but figured I should do the 30 Day Shred video beforehand. Again, it was a great workout but totally easy to make it through because of the way it's set up. I think it will be easy for me to set aside 20 minutes to do this regularly. I felt fine, but now that I am out of the shower, I wonder if working out with a stomach full of coffee the day after after sharing a bottle of wine and champagne was a good idea. I am not feeling so hot now. Oh well. Gotta sweat it out. LOL

So, now it's time to get some school work done. Got steaks out thawing, need to make a grocery list for tomorrow, but mostly, I am just going to sit here in bed or my office and get stuff done! I have 2 tests this week.