In-Laws

There is no more terrifying word that stops spouses in their tracks than "in-laws" other than "in-laws" with "visiting" in the same sentence.

Luckily for me, I love my in-laws. Although Dan and I are our own family, his parents and his brother are an extension of us. I feel absolutely at home and at ease with them.

For Christmas this year Dan and I spent a week with his family and it ranks as one of my favorite Christmas. There was relatively small drama but overall it was comforting and relaxing. It seemed we were busy going and going but I managed several naps somehow.

For gifts I scored a iPod nano and Bare Minerals makeup. They were the only two things I asked for and I got them! Dan's mom got me a few winter accessories for next year. I also scored a few backpacks that were on sale from Kmart. One of the best surprise present was a book light. Dan bought it on a whim but I had wanted one for ever.

The drive back to South Carolina was excruciating! It was the Sunday after Christmas so we were prepared but experiencing it was still tough. Several times we stopped on I95 for about 10 miles because the cars needed to rubberneck. If cars are pulled over to the side of the road, there is NO NEED TO SLOW DOWN. Please KEEP DRIVING.

After an eternity we made it home safely. The luggage is unpacked and groceries purchased. All I have left to do is vacuuming and some space clearing. We have friends staying with us after the first of the year so I'm making room for them.

After that I still have 2 weeks until I go back to school!! In the meantime I will clear out the "office" and get our stuff in order before we move so we can know what goes in storage and what comes with us when we move. We will probably move into a two bedroom apartment so we have to condense A LOT. It's amazing the amount of crap we've accrued since moving here.

We are super excited about moving! It's been four years of living in Charleston so are definitely ready for a new location. We will miss our wonderful friends we've made here but with Myspace and Facebook it'll be easy to keep in touch. The bonus is that we'll be closer to family :D

Slushy Weather

It's currently 21 degrees in PA. It's not too bad but then again I have socks on and am cozy on the couch with a warm laptop in my lap. The kitty came with us and Dan found him asleep on our futon under the covers. 

The sodas are kept in the garage to save refrigerator space. Dan just came back with a Mountain Slush instead of Mountain Dew. Hehehe. 

Other than keeping cozy I have nothing on the agenda for today. We're going to take a family portrait later so I should probably try to look decent for that. After dinner Dan and I are meeting a friend. It's so hard to see everyone when we get in town but we are trying. 

Cross off number 36

Everyone has a list. Although I grew up in Florida, skiing is something I've always wanted to try. 

Today I can cross it off my list!

With Dan and his stepdad, we hit the slopes. Well I hit the baby slopes. I only fell on my tush once! It was fun, a lot of work but still fun. It is definitely something I would try again. 

So far only my shoulders hurt but I'm sure more body parts will hurt tomorrow :P

"normal" Liz

By the way! Dan and I found out that my brain stops functioning coherently around 6pm. My brains waves can't articulate my thoughts and I forget what I am saying a lot. Before 6pm though, I am GREAT.

I was on the phone with Courtney earlier and she couldn't understand what I was saying. My thoughts were all jumbled and over the place. Haha. It's kinda funny sometimes.

I'll be normal in about a week and I will be back to functioning Liz who can construct actual sentences.

Grade Recaps

79 on History paper - overall 81 in class not counting Test 4 or final Exam which is tomorrow!

84 on Lab practical - 91 in Lab which is 30% of Biology grade. Take Bio Exam on Monday.

My Intro to Journalism class grade probably dropped to a middle C because I forgot to take the last test! D'Oh! I just took that exam so hopefully I did well enough to bring me back to at least a B.

After my history exam tomorrow I plan on SLEEPING. I miss sleep.

Good news!

Since the last time I blogged, my husband blogged FOUR times! That's insane! I've been slacking on the blog front but on the Liz front I have been busy.

I quit working at the library. I was having a hard time managing my time and working so much it was affecting my grades. My previous two Bio test grades were both 79. After I quit my next test grade was a 96. Talk about a difference!

At the end of September I turned in an application for Co-Editor of the school newspaper. Since I was a regular writer I applied. I didn't hear back about it so I shrugged it off until last week when I was called for an interview for today.

No more than a half hour later I received a call with an offer. I guess it also helped that I was the only student to actually show up for the interview but I'd like to think I wowed them too :P

Well I have to sleep now. Tomorrow is another study day for me. I have an exam on Monday for my online class. Tuesday is my history Exam. And then the following Monday is my Biology exam which is good because it gives me plenty of time to study for that.

To continue with the good news, Dan got accepted to Penn State! We are super stoked! I will transfer in the Fall whereas he will start Summer Semester. I looked up the foreign languages offered by Penn State and they offer Korean! I am super stoked!!! I haven't even applied to Penn State yet but if I get in, I can learn how to speak Korean! That would be one more thing crossed off the list.

Going back to school has been a lifesaver for me and I am so thankful I came to this decision on my own. I'm in school because I want to be and therefore getting the most out of my education. Okay, I am babbling now, this is why I haven't blogged in forever.. lack of quality material to blog about :P

"The Ottoman Empire: Full of Furniture for some reason"

I finally found my Ch 12 notes. They ended up being stapled to Ch 11. D'oh!

Since the weather cooled down I threw some chili ingredients into the crockpot. I stole the idea from Courtney, thanks! It was tasty the first night but after being refrigerated it was DELICIOUS reheated. That is just like lasagna and spaghetti. I should create a "lasagna phenomenon" if one doesn't exist already :P

Since Dan is soon to be working overnights I will make some more crockpot meals. I'm going to attempt the "zuppa toscana" from Olive Garden. I only have regular sausage and not a spicy sausage so we shall see how that turns out.

It finally happened today. I took a nap (MUCH NEEDED) and woke up with a sore throat. It is officially cold season. I sipped on some hot tea with honey but my throat still aches.

I just crammed my head full of history. I could tell you all about caesaropopism and the Minoans and the silk roads but if I do, I'll forget it. Heh heh.

After tomorrow's test I have to work on genetics homework. YUCK. Then I have a journalism test this weekend. Then I am taking food downtown for the Clemente program. Then I am passing out candy for Halloween and then heading to the Dive for a FREE show to see Trust Company!! YEAH! Then is Grady's birthday party. Then is the Nine Inch Nails concert and then finally my FOUR DAY WEEKEND! WOOHOO! After that is Election day then Panic At the Disco show!!

Despite all my activities and school I am happy. I have come a tremendous way since this time last year and I am super proud of all my achievements.

I am PISSED and YOU SHOULD BE TOO!

In general, I listen and read the news with a grain of salt. It's important to keep current with issues affecting our world but I then research the issues and form my own opinion.

Because I don't follow the norm, I keep my opinions to myself unless asked but not today.

When I vote November 4th, I am not only voting for the Presidency but also for the Senate and the House of Representatives and because I know nothing about the candidates in my area I headed to Project Vote Smart to inform myself without any bias so I can form my own opinion.

Just for kicks I clicked on the Presidential nominees. Then I got PISSED.

There is a BLACK FEMALE running for President. WHY HAS THIS NOT BEEN MENTIONED ON TV?

There was so much hoopla over Hillary running and that's been wonderful. There has been so much hoopla over Barack Obama and Sarah Palin which is also fine because of all the firsts. But a minority female is running for President and to blatantly not report this is LYING.

I understand she is an Independent Party but that makes her no less of a candidate than McCain or Barack.

I am LIVID. How many other times has something this significant not made a blip on media?

This is the very reason why I hold media with a grain of salt. Don't believe everything you read and hear. Get the facts and form your opinions.

Project Vote Smart - Presidential Candidates

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Balancing life

Lately I have had a hard time managing my social/extra life with my work/school life and my work/school life has been the one to suffer.

During the next two weeks I'm changing the way I balance the two with a more healthy approach. I guess this is why I never heard from my friends who were in college; studying and working consumes about 95% of your time. The other 5% is spent sleeping.

Partied Liz

Last Thursday Dan and I dragged a few friends to see Nonpoint and 12 Stones live. Nonpoint is amazing live. They started the show with a rendition of "War Pigs" by Black Sabbath. It was the best I have ever heard.

I was too tired to be in the pit this time but at the end when Nonpoint started playing "In the Air" accoustically, I had to jump in. At the end I met the band and told them they were amazing!

Then Sunday Dan and I and a few friends drove to Mrytle Beach to see Rise Against headlining with Alkaline Trio, Thrice and Gaslight Anthem. That was a killer show! I was miffed that Alkaline Trio didn't play the ONE song I wanted to hear but it's okay. Rise Against were just as amazing as I thought they would be!! They really know how to work a crowd! Near the end, I was getting miffed because they hadn't played my song yet but turns out they were waiting to use it as the closing song.

There is another show tonight I want to see with Drowning Pool, Saliva and Tantric but instead I will be drowning in homework. Bad Pun, I know. But seriously, I am way behind on homework and studying. I have a test tomorrow for Bio and then I have a history test Tuesday and I have a Journalism test this weekend.

On top of all of that, I lost my notes for Chapter 12 about the Silk Roads. I'm pretty sure I took the notes but I cannot find them. I just organized my notebook and Ch 12 is missing.

Last Saturday was a baby shower for a friend. This Saturday is a friends kid's 2nd birthday party and then next Saturday is a friends kid's 1st birthday party. I think by November I will be partied out :P

So while I really want to go to the show tonight I think I will do the responsible thing and work on studying for my tests and save my partying for the weekend :D

Opportunities in October

The Remus household has been waiting for months for October. October was the month when our future was to be decided.

October seemed to have taken forever to get here and when it finally did arrive, there was to be more waiting. And then more waiting.

Dan got accepted into the Officer program. He is going to be a United States Naval Officer!!!

I am so proud of him! He has worked so hard for this moment. Not only as his wife, but as his best friend and life partner, I am extremely proud of Dan. I am proud to call him my husband and have him in my life. Congratulations Dan, you deserve this!

Insert "L"

Last night I hung out with Hillary catching up on Army Wives. Before we know it, it's 8:30, my bedtime! Ha! I only wish I was kidding.

So I'm driving home jamming out in my car, this time with the windows UP. As I'm driving two dudes in a red car to my left are waving at me and trying to "holla" at me. I ignore them but they keep trying to catch my attention. Then they almost run into the car in front of them that stopped for the red light. I laugh and point at them and then raise my thumb and finger into an "L" shape and put it on my forehead. They soon speed off and leave me alone after that.

Eat the Banana at home

While commuting in stop and go traffic, eating a banana is not wise. The banana inadvertanly becomes a microphone while you are singing the latest pop song.

NINE INCH NAILS

I haven't blogged lately mostly because I didn't have anything to blog about. It's been the same; busy busy busy with life.

BUT, I have something worthy to tell you!!! Guess who won tickets to see NINE INCH NAILS in concert?!! That's right, ME!!!! WOOHOO!!

I've been suffering from "music ADD" so lately I listen to the radio in my car. It was "happy hour" on 98x and Potter(My favorite DJ) was giving away free tickets as long as the caller answered the question right; what was the name of Nine Inch Nails first album? Pretty Hate Machine. At this point I had just parked in the driveway and was hollering "OHMYGOD" outside my car.

My neighbor Keith came running out of his house asking me questions but I just gave him a thumbs up as I continued talking to the DJ. Dumbfounded, my neighbor just stood outside for a few minutes. After I got off the phone, his wife Janell, yelled out the window asking if there was an emergency because they heard me screaming "OHMYGOD" and heard sirens too. HAHAHAHA. Oops!

I am so stoked!! I feel so ecstatic that I could do this for Dan. He already purchased tickets for him and a friend so this means I can go now and his wife's friend can go too!! I'm super stoked!!

"Through Fire and Flames"

In the game Guitar Hero, one of the hardest songs to beat is by Dragonforce called "Through Fire and Flames".



"Through Fire and Flames" couldn't describe the weather here more perfectly.

The weather recently cooled down to an ember but I cannot wait to feel cool wind again.

But Freud says..

Growing up, as a family, we discussed our dreams. Even if you don't believe in the power of dreams, it's still fun analyzing them and trying to figure out what they mean.

Since this has become a little more than a hobby to me, I read up about it all the time and practice as much as I can.

Lately I've been feeling busy and rushed all the time. It just seems I have no free time to just sit on the couch and space out. I need my space out time but at the same time I'm really enjoying my extra activities. It's very gratifying.

Well since I won't listen to my body, my brain sends me a message in my sleep.

Last night I dreamed several dreams. The first one involved kissing another person other than my husband. And then the second dream involved running away with another man and then pursuing myself as Dan in a mini cooper.

As soon as I woke up I confessed my sins to Dan. I was so upset and distraught.

Freud would say I want to be with another man but that's not true so I'm going to analyze this dream as a metaphor that my life is too stressful and another life just seems rosier so I run away.

So if it seems like I haven't been blogging as much as usual, feel free to smack me.