Let's Zen!

Haller Family Video

2008-11-17T07:12:00.003-05:00

So this is what I worked on this weekend! Todd wanted to make a video of our favorite pictures to "Pictures of You" by Last Goodnight. I had a little extra time, so I threw myself into it. We are planning on giving dvds to family members for Christmas.

I am very excited about it, so I had to share. Enjoy!

Stop

2008-11-12T07:04:00.001-05:00

All I want to do is sit on my couch with my coffee, kitty, and the latest episode of Trueblood. Alas, this is not to be. Is it Thanksgiving week yet??

Making sense of the mess

2008-08-16T14:14:00.006-04:00

Well, we finally made it into our new house. The whole thing has been a comedy of errors. I haven't blogged about it because the move has basically felt jinxed from the beginning, and I didn't want to further it along until I was sure we had closed. Yesterday (for the second time) we finally closed on our beloved house making this whole experience worth it. This week alone has been one thing after another- from the first closing not going through, to my car battery completely dying, to my knock-you-on-your-ass head cold. But we are here and we love it. The house is absolutely perfect. So far, I have completed the kitchen. And that's about it. There are boxes everywhere and the rooms just begging for us to make them our own. Of course, that was frightening to do as we moved things in hoping everything would go well at the final closing. Todd has almost finished installing the blinds, and I am about to go unpack some more. We are a bit behind because I was in bed all day yesterday with this wretched cold- until I had to drag my butt to the closing of course. I basically just smiled and nodded and signed my life away while my head swirled in a haze of NyQuil and expectorant. Today I am feeling better and Todd is running to the store to pick up our new couches! Yay! I am so excited to make this house our home- such a cliche I know. But first I have to make some sense of this mess!

Feng Shui

2008-08-05T09:24:00.002-04:00

So I have a book on feng shui that my friend Mary recomended to me. Also, she knows a lot about feng shui, as does her mother and sister. We also have the help of Ellen Whitehurst and her superior feng shui skills. So now I am reading through my book and scuring decorating and furniture websites. I have been to every furniture store in town, and now want to hit outside of town. Yes, we must be moving. And I must be going nuts. Everything is feng shui. EVERYTHING. Remember how when you would play Tetris on your oldschool gameboy, and everything you looked at could be fit into a convenient tetris-like puzzle? Well, everything can be appropriately feng shuied. And if it's not, disaster could ensue. So, cue my blog, do you like it? Newly decorated. Don't ask me to explain or I will talk myself out of it.

Married!

2008-07-01T13:02:00.004-04:00

Well, after all of the craziness we are finally married. The ceremony was amazing! We were in the Bahamas on the beach. The weather was beautiful and the water was perfect! Steph, Meagan, and Dana helped to make it a fun trip and special day. Steph was the Maid of Honor, Meagan stepped up to act as Best Woman, and Dana got some super cute pictures while celebrating with us!

Overall the trip was lots of fun. We hit Senor Frogs a couple of times much to Todd's delight, and I even did some Karaoke for the first time ever. We ate lots and lots, and spent a ton of time just relaxing on the beach with yummy drinks and good books. Perfect!

When we returned home, we prepared for the big party at Beantown with our friends and family. We are so happy that so many of our loved ones from New England could make it to NC. In addition to our Carolina friends and Todd's Dad, my parents flew in to spend the weekend with us and attend the party. And Steph flew down for the night to celebrate with us. Also my Uncle Gerry hopped a ride with my Uncle Eddy and his dog Baxter in his RV and headed down for the event. It was so wonderful to see them! And The party was a great success! We showed the video and everyone got to hang out and enjoy themselves. The cheesecakes were delicious and Ryely rocked out with the band for a bit. She plays a mean "submarine." The last of our party left after 1:00 am, so I would say that our guests had as much fun as we did! Now it's all over and we look back happily noting that we would do it all over again.

I'd like to thank my sponsors!

2008-05-22T14:16:00.008-04:00

So I know it's been awhile since my last post. Since I finished up the semester (and my masters- woo hoo!) I haven't felt much like writing. In fact, this is the first that I have written in a couple of weeks other than some e-mails and the cards to my bride's maids' gifts- which I slaved over for a good two hours. Not that it has been all relaxation since graduating... in fact it hasn't been really relaxing at all. Other than getting to sleep in a bit, I have been staying rather busy. It seems like every moment of my being right now is in preparation for the wedding (or at a baseball game). This is because just after the semester ended, I had no sooner begun exhaling that heavy sigh of relief, when I realized "The wedding is in less than a month!" So far I have:

Decided on the wedding cake- Cheesecakes! Meeting with Katie (of KatiCakes) to finalize plans
Had my dress fitted- Mary's mom tells me I can't lose any more weight- thank you LA Weightloss!
Continuing with the process of fixing my teeth- I started my fifth tray of Invisalign and had my teeth Zoom! Whitened this morning at The Charlotte Center for Cosmetic Dentistry
Met with Donny today at Beantown to discuss menu options.

Hmmm... my wedding does seem to be resembling a Nascar race (or what I saw in Talledega Nights- everythng I know about Nascar I learned from Will Ferrell) But at least I don't have endorsements plastered all over my dress. Anyway, I am grateful for all of the help we have gotten. Everything is really coming together.

My bridal Shower was on Sunday and it was a wonderful day. We had a great time and Dawnette set up a yummy spread of food. Here's a pic of me stealing a bite before anyone arrived!

Delicious!

Virginia Woolf and Me

2008-04-23T22:38:00.003-04:00

Well, of course there are a thousand things I should be doing, since my greeting as of late seems to be "there are a thousand things I should be doing." Specifically I should be putting the final touches on my Virginia Woolf paper. I should also be doing research on Louise Glucke for my Harryette Mullen paper. And I should be determining how slave women sought control through cooking for my Uncle Tom's Cabin paper. But instead I am sitting here in stunned silence waiting for Todd to return home from softball. The stunned is not a result of any particular shock. It is just the feeling that I am left with after so many days of working on papers and knowing that the next 5 days of them will be eqully jam packed. I have more books checked out from the library than I care to admit and I am pretty sure I know the Literary contents to JSTOR, MLA, and EPSCOHOST by heart. In short, I feel like I have been hit by a bookmobile. And I am fairly certain that I am one of the voices in Virginia Woolf's head. At the very least, I know that we have had a conversation lately- a lovely woman and very misunderstood. We sat for lunch although she mostly just played with the bowl of fruit.

I keep reminding myself that a week from now my papers will be turned in and I can take a deep breath. At least I can rest easy knowing that the MA is behind me- and yes I passed! Now I am just relaxing this evening, recovering from my day, and getting ready to do it all over again tomorrow. I am hoping to have my Virginia Woolf paper completed tomorrow. Of course that will have to wait until after my dentist appt. I go in for my third set of trays in the morning! The Invisalign is working beautifully, and I can already see the difference. Virginia thinks they look quite lovely.

The last of my thoughts today leaking from my brain

2008-03-29T15:21:00.004-04:00

I know it's been awhile since my last post, but this really is my first opportinity. Since Spring Break, I have been hitting the books extra hard. In addition to my regular homework, I have been studying hard for the MA Exam. Well, this morning I took the exam. Hopefully I rocked it, but we will know in 10 days if I passed.

Also of some excitement this week: I started my invisalign! Woo hoo! This is the first of ten trays which I trade out every 2 weeks. So in 20 weeks I should have beautiful straight teeth. I am not sure I timed it very well... although technically, my invisalign was supposed to start last week, but my case wasn't ready. Anyway, the first couple of days on invisalign are not pleasant, although way easier than real braces I am sure. Respect to all those that wore the real deal. Invisalign is for wimps like me. I can pop the suckers out for a couple of minutes if I start to go mad with discomfort. I am supposed to wear them for 23 hours a day, but I had to take them out for most of the MA today. It was just too hard to concentrate with these suckers hugging my teeth. Anyway, I am too freaking tired to take a pix now and upload it and all that jazz, but I will try to make a running photo blog of my progress.

As for the wedding planning; it is coming along well. The invitations are (mostly) out. The prep for the Charlotte Bachelor/Bachelorette parties is beginning. The bridemaid dresses are selected and I have finally gotten around to working on our registry. Bed Bath and Beyond if you are feeling generous! :-)

Spring Break

2008-03-06T10:48:00.005-05:00

Ahhh... spring break. Here I am on a beautiful day in NC enjoying a nice cup of coffee and playing on my computer... and yes I am procrastinating doing some school work as well-but I am feeling less guilty about it than usual. So far, my spring break has been wonderful. I gave my freshman a "library day" on Friday, so I was able to sneak out of town on Wednesday to start my break a few days early. I used that time to visit NH where I got to see all the friends and family that I missed over winter break following my "United made me pay to sleep on the floor of Washington-Dulles Airport only to return to NC the next day and lose my luggage for 5 days" fiasco. BTW- United still sucks. Yes, I made it there and back, but my connecting flight back was 2 hours late because after they boarded, the genius's realized that they did not have a co-pilot. Apparently, this is not unusual for United. Sigh. Anyway, my flight there was excellent. I flew direct to Manchester to make sure I actually got there, and to my glee (yes I said glee) it was operated by US Air and I made it in with no problem. My trip itself was lots of fun. Steph and Mom threw me a great bachelorette party on Friday! We went to a bar where my cousin worked, so she could enjoy in the fun. And my friend Kyle, who moved from NC to Boston came to the festivities. As any successful bachelorette party goes, a random group of guys, who I do not know, joined our crew and started buying shots. Woo hoo! They were actually friends of my other cousin. Meanwhile, everyone was capturing the magic on my digi cam and Bachelorette Book. And by magic, I mean drunken antics of course. But I will add that my tiara stayed on the whole time!
More Pictures will be posted on my wedding website www.mywedding.com/toddandtiffany

Tornados and Smooth hands

2008-02-22T13:07:00.003-05:00

I just love my dentist. I went for my second cleaning yesterday to make my teeth super clean and pretty. They look so much better and my gums are looking pretty snazzy too... although they are feeling the effects of the scraping today. The best part about the cleaning is the parrafin dip that you get while they attack that pesky plaque. So when I leave, my teeth feel nice and clean and my hands are nice and soft. So nice...

Yesterday, they also took the impressions for my teeth so they can order my Invisalign trays. It went pretty well, and after the X-Rays last week, the impressions were a breeze! My trays will be in a a few weeks, and I have an appointment in March to pick them up and get started. I am so excited to get started. I will finally have straight teeth!

My whitening is in April, and originally I was supposed to have come contouring then, but now with the Invisalign, I am not sure how that is going to work.

I am just so excited to get started. I can not wait to get my first set of trays! Of course, now that my tooth neurosis is being dealt with, my body has substituted a new anxiety dream. And it looks like the tornados have it! The other night I had a dream that I was in a meeting in a tall building when a tornado came through. Everyone got under the table... not sure how much that was going to do considering it was coming right in. I woke up before it finished, but it was no fun. Only a dream though and I certainly don't miss the tooth one. Now if I could just do something about the horror movie ones...

Bye Bye Bad Dreams!

2008-02-10T13:19:00.000-05:00

Yes, yes, I should be reading, but I am taking this opportunity to procrastinate some more and blog about my latest exciting news.

So I have this crazy tooth thing. I have recurring dreams about my teeth cracking up and falling out. It's gotten so common, that when it starts to happen, I imediately know that I am dreaming and try to turn the subject matter to more cheerful things. Of course I usually just end up waking myself up.

Anyway, aside from being an anxiety dream, I think it also stems from my neurosis. I am super self conscious about my teeth. I always smile the exact same way so you can't see my crooked bottom teeth.

Well, flash forward to this week. I made an appointment with Bob and Sheri sponsors "The Charlotte Center for Cosmetic Dentistry." I went to my consulataion hoping to spruce up my smile before the wedding. Maybe some whitening and maybe even a little bonding. They kept talking about Invisalign, but I knew I couldn't afford it, but I let them do their thing. Well, since my teeth only need to be fixed in the front, and everything else is otherwise fine, they gave me an awesome price! So this week I go for my first session. By the wedding, I will have a brand new beautiful smile! I am beyond excited. I've been going to bed every night dreaming about my new smile. Hopefully my old anxiety dreams are a thing of the past!

Wedding Blog

2008-01-25T10:37:00.000-05:00

So, my blogging on this site will likely be slowing down a bit for the next few months. This is not because I have stopped blogging, but because I have begun keeping a wedding blog on our wedding website. Since most of my life is immersed in School and Wedding (and I do enough writing for school), most of my blogs have become wedding oriented. I decided this would be more appropriately done on our wedding website. So if you want to be updated on what's going on and miss my regular blogs, or would like to see my wedding website, you can view it at:

www.mywedding.com/toddandtiffany

Please check it out and don't forget to sign the guestbook!

I Present Mr. and Mrs. Rabbit

2008-01-14T17:52:00.000-05:00

So winter break is now officially over. Last week started on Wednesday, so I only had to teach one class on Wednesday and Friday. But this week my classes begin. I met with my professor earlier today to begin my directed reading and I am about to head to my American Lit tonight. Mondays are my long days. I teach at 11:00 and then I have a class at 6:30. Of course there is no reason to drive allllll the way back to Indian Trail, so I hang around for 6 hours and try to get work done. Of course today, I just successfully surfed. That's ok though. I kind of needed it. My winter break was not very relaxing, although it did get much better after my last post. We had a wonderful Christmas with my Mom and Herm here. Greyson and Ryely hit the jackpot with Santa and the family, and I cooked a very tasty meal and even got to use my fancy new flatware. There were lots of parties and dinners and adventures. Fun and enjoyable, but relaxing? Not so much.

Since the semster was about to start, I tried to make use of the free time I had before I got caught up in the whirlwind of schoolwork. The last two weeks have been spent almost exclusively and obsessively on planning my wedding. I am very excited about it and I am really enjoying the planning. But I am a crazy, neurotic, self-conscious, second-guessing kinda gal. I bought my wedding dress on Friday and have not slept decently since. It's a beautiful dress, and I can rock it pretty well (I think), but it's not as traditional as I was planning. THis is good or bad depending on my crazy second guessing neurotic mood swing at the time. I love me wedding website (www.mywedding.com/toddandtiffany) but I am also wondering if I should have gone with theknot.com like everyone else. I can't stop fighting with this idea of traditional. It stands behind me whispering in my ear about regrets I will have not spending my wedding as Cinderella. Well, maybe I don't want to be Cinderella! But when will I have the opportunity to wear a huge ass gown that I could hide a small country under??? They look at you funny in the grocery store. I really do drive myself crazy- it's a wonder Todd wants to marry such a wackjob, but then perhaps he finds it endearing. I find it exhausting trying to please me- I don't know how he does it? DO I want my wedding to safely blend in with everyone else's or do I rock it like my Jessica Rabbit Wedding Dress? Well, all sales are final and the the beach is booked, so I am gonna meet my Roger Rabbit by the sea and rock my wedding.

Cold Meds

2007-12-23T10:33:00.000-05:00

So again, I should be doing so many things, but instead I am sitting here with my coffee in Todd's bathrobe enjoying the quiet...and recovering from a cold and Christmas party. It's about to get crazy again and there are a few things I have to do today, but for now, i am going to take a breath and relax.

It's not really fair to say that this is my first opportunity for relaxing this week, but it is my first opportunity to enjoy it. After the airport fiasco where I was able to pay for the privilege of flying to Washington-Dulles airport, finding out that my connecting flight was cancelled, waiting in line at Customer Service for 2 hours, and then sleeping on the airport floor, only to return the next morning to Charlotte without my luggage (which would not appear for another 4 days). I realize that the last sentence was a fragment, but I don't think it could handle anymore after the description of my night- I know I couldn't! United was nice enough to give me a $150 credit for my experience as a "gesture of goodwill," meaning I only had to pay $80 for them to mess up my Christmas plans, give me a night of hell, and a week without luggage. But they certainly made it clear that I was lucky to get that. So, what have we learned?? 1. Fly Direct. 2. Do not fly United.

So after that fiasco, I was sick. Was it the changing temperatures or the night on the airport floor? Or perhaps, it was simply my body giving out after a stressful semester (and a night on the airport floor). But I got a horrible cold. Luckily Herm is here and he watched the kids and let me sleep and sleep and sleep. So, I did get rest, but it was that tossing and turning, hallucinating dreams, sweaty kinda rest. Luckily I was feeling better Friday night, so we were able to go to The Trans Siberian Orchestra. That was a lot of fun, and that's not the cold medicine talking...although I am sure that made the lasers all the more exciting. Todd was able to get us amazing seats on the floor, so it felt like we were in the show!

Then last night, we went to the annual holiday party at Brian and Dawnette's. It was so much fun, and I think I drank an entire bottle of wine...hence the recovery today. It was fun though, and I made it through the Yankee Swap with my Wine decanter set! I had to steal that bad boy back a couple of times, but I prevailed.

Now it is Sunday morning and I have a couple more things to pick up. I have to go to my apartment, and should probably start preparing for Christmas dinner. My Mom is coming in Christmas Eve night, so I am looking forward to that. It's going to be a Griswald Christmas at the Haller homestead this year. Although, we cheated with the tree and just bought one off the lot. My cold is passing and there is more to look forward to. My winter break can still salvaged. Of course, now Todd is starting to feel a little under the weather...it couldn't be my cold, could it? Anyway, there is still lots to do, but for now I will just enjoy the quiet!

Just a blurrrr....

2007-12-10T16:05:00.000-05:00

So I am writing a paper on D. H. Lawrence right now. Like literally right now. The paper is underneath my internet browser I write this. I am taking a brief break because I have been plugging away all afternoon and can hardly see straight. The topic itself is interesting to me, because I love Lawrence. I have always enjoyed his writing, and have found his words and ideas intriguing- and it's not just the smokin hot sex scenes either. I remember reading three of his novels in high school for AP Lit. It seems like a lifetime ago, although seriously- it was not THAT long ago...of course it could be because I can't remember what I wrote about, nor do I remember what one of the books was about- my favorite book no less! So I definitely need to do some rereading.

Anyway, I am taking a break now as the end of the semester wraps up in a whirlwind. I have already written, printed and turned in my papers for my Shakespeare class and 17th Century Brit Lit class. Now, I am just finishing up this Lawrence paper for my Modern Brit Lit class.

One would think that at this point, I would really be feeling the end of the semester, and they would be mistaken. In addition to finishing my paper, I still have to present my paper, give two classes finals, grade two classes worth of finals, report grades for two classes, reread King Lear, Cymbeline, and Winter's Tale, and take a final myself. Also, i wanted to get a haircut this week. Oh, and it's Christmas season... probably should do some Christmas shopping...Anyone want a brilliant paper about the marginalization of women in the 17th century written and signed by the author? I know it's at the top of everyone's list.

So do you have a minute or two to spare? Because I sure could use some! It's December and 70 degrees outside and I would love to take advantage of it!

Lazy Saturday

2007-11-17T09:31:00.000-05:00

Oh what bliss this is! Saturday morning, sitting in my jammies, playing on facebook and being extremely unproductuve. And do I feel guilty?? Not a bit. FOr the first time in months. Of course, there are papers to write, and there is work to be done, but I have an entire week to do it. And no, I am not planning on putting it off til the end. But I do feel that after my extrememly long, extremely busy, extremely busy week, I have entitled myself to a little downtime before I dive back into schoolwork.

Of course, there is also the issue of Thanksgiving to consider. We are hosting this year, so I will be roasting a turkey, making some gracy and apple-walnut stuffing, along with plenty of starches including mashed potatos and macaroni and cheese. I love entertaining and mkaing huge meals, but there is still plenty to do to prepare! So it will be a busy week despite not having any classes.

SO for now, I will take a deep breath, drink my coffee... and go entertain a 5 year old who is bored. So, it looks like my lazy morning is over, and I am off to the pool!

Skydiving with the Golden Knights!

2007-11-11T18:31:00.000-05:00

Well, I think the title says it all, but for those who need more here it is: Todd and I went skydiving today with the Golden Knights. It was my third jump (second with the Knights). It was Todd's second jump with the Knights- he says he will only jump with The Golden Knights. And it makes sense, they are simply the best. And if Chuck Norris and Tiger Woods can jump with them, certainly we can too! Interesting side note, Former President Bush jumped with them yesterday- and Barbara was not too pleased when she found out! Anyway, why write about it, when I can post some pictures!

Ours

2007-10-24T14:38:00.001-04:00

It's Wednesday and I am all ready exhausted. I am planning on going home and drinking a bottle of wine and maybe taking a bath. Of course, that means I need to clean my bathtub first. Also, I have no toilet paper and I forgot to steal some from Todd's. So it looks like I am going to the store. I do love the Teeter, but I am also eager to get back to my apt with some merlot and a very very very large glass. I do not stay at my apartment often, maybe 2 or 3 nights a week. It is strange living out of a weekender bag and constantly packing and unpacking. I love my apartment, and its not worth buying out the lease that is up in 3 months. THen I guess I will be staying at Todd's until we buy a new house. It doesn't look like his will sell before the spring, so I will be moving all of my new apartment stuff into a storage area. Luckily storage areas are much much cheaper than my apartment. I will miss my place though. It's just the right size and was getting to just the way I like it. I love my balcony that faces the road. I can sit out there at night and listen to the traffic beyond the trees with a glass of wine. It's so relaxing. I love my great big garden tub and big bathroom and massive closet. I love that there is no tv to be droning on in the background and sapping my energy. I love that it's my place. The only place that was just mine. But there are things I love more and people I love more, and I look forward to joining them again full time in a few months. And hopefully soon, I will be able to post about the new house that I love that I share with the people that I love. And the best part is that I will love it because it is not just mine, but because it is "ours."

Updating the blog.

2007-10-03T13:39:00.000-04:00

So, I should be reading criticism on Virgina Woolf, or getting a jump on my reading for 17th Century Brit Lit. But what am I doing instead? Updating my blog. It looks pretty though doesn't it? I like it- and I don't know the first thing about HTML. I got it from suckmylolly.com. It took some playing around, but I managed it, and spent a valuable hour on it easily. Oh the reading I could have gotten done! I am sure I will kick myself later, but for now I am just going to sit back and admire my pretty blog.

A little time for Tiffany

2007-09-25T15:17:00.000-04:00

Oh my! What is this??? I am not quite sure. I think it's a moment of free time! What? You mean a few minutes where I may indulge in some mindless internet entertainment with no feeling of guilt?? Why, I had almost forgotten what that felt like. I think it's a little like what Heaven must feel like it.

Yes, I have class in ten minutes and my paper is typed and printed. After laboring over it all weekend, I think it is done. I think. But it is printed and there is nothing else I can do now but wait to pass it in. I have been working all morning on my other paper due tomorrow. I think it is close to completion, but I cannot work on it now. I think it just needs some polishing anyway. So for now, I can sit and relax and add some applications to facebook or just surf the net. I do need some inspiration for my Posh Spice Halloween costume this year. Yes, Todd and I are going as the Beckhams! I love Halloween.

I also love not having to watch my transitions, support my claims, or adhere to parallel structure or spelling. And conclusions??? Hooray for the Blog!

Wow

2007-09-16T10:13:00.000-04:00

So it wasn't until I got a friendly comment reminder from Meagan that I realized it has been nearly a month since I posted last! Everything has been so crazy, it's been hard to find even a few minutes to jot down some new happenings. But this morning, I am going to take those minutes and work them over like they need to be, and put off grading the rest of my students' drafts for a little bit longer.

When I got back from Japan I pretty much hit the ground running. I arrived in Charlotte Sunday night after about 24 hours of travelling. The next morning I was driving to school to begin my workweek. I taught two classes that day, and I admit I was a little out of it by my 3:30 class. But there was no time for jet-lag. I had my own classes to take on Tuesday. I think the schedule forced me to readjust my body clock pretty quickly... OR maybe I haven't adjusted yet- I don't think I have stopped long enough to notice!

It has been a busy time since getting back. OF course in grad school there is always something to read or write, and now to grade. But I love it. And I really can't complain- one of the reasons I am so busy this weekend is because two weekends ago my mother paid me a surprise visit, which was awesome! I was just sitting reading Passage to India waiting for Todd to get home. When the door opened and I heard my mom's voice, I was in shock! It was so nice to have her here. And she was here for my surprise birthday party! Todd and Mary had been plotting a birthday party for me since I had been in Japan for my actual birthday. It was great, complete with a pink princess cupcake cake (tiara and sceptor included)and lots of my favorite foods from the Asian Mart.

Then last weekend, Todd took me on a cruise to the Bahamas. While we were in Nassau, Todd asked me to marry him. It was so nice. It was formal night, so he was in a suit- not something you see often. We had just had a wonderful dinner and a bottle of wine. We were taking a walk around the boat and ended up at the front of the ship admiring the stars, and that's when he took the ring out. I absolutely love it- and rather than explain it- I will just post a picture.
So we are very excited about that! Although still no date or anything like that. We are thinking next summer sometime.

I can't believe I have been back for almost a month now. SO much has happened, yet it has gone by so quickly! And I must catch up as time keeps whirling by. So before I can plan a wedding, I think I have to go grade some personal narratives!

I'm H-A-P-P-Y!

2007-08-17T03:41:00.001-04:00

Today was the last day of SDC where I was teaching this summer. This means that I will be leaving Tokyo in only a couple of days. I am both happy and sad about this. I will miss the great friends I have made and the beauty of Japan. But I am also ready to return to my friends and family back home. As I reflect on all of the wonderful experiences I have had, I wish I could convey to you in words what they were like. Instead I will offer some pictures that I think offer a glimpse into what I have seen and what the last month has meant to me.
Flying over Alaska
Pokemon! Buddhist Temple
Prayer Cards at a Shinto Shrine Out with Uncle Gerry
Sticker Booths with Isolde

Lunch with the Girls at School
Happy Birthday to me!Bamboo Grove outside of my place

There are so many more wonderful pictures, and it was impossible to choose. But that is so much like my trip. There were so many experiences that I don't know where to start. It went by so fast, I can't believe it is almost time to go home! Yet, I am eager to return home and share my stories- and all of my pictures!

Tiffany is Twenty-foxy today!

2007-08-06T03:03:00.000-04:00

Today is officially my birthday! As, I am on the other side of the world, I was concerned that I may be a bit homesick on my birthday. Luckily, I have made some wonderful friends here who were not going to let that happen. In Tokyo there are all sorts of fun ways to celebrate. We decided that we would celebrate in the proper fashion. That is an all-night clubbing fest in Roppongi! Since the trains and buses stop relatively early, it is difficult (and expensive) to get back to wherever you are staying in Tokyo. Luckily the clubs are open all night to keep you entertained while you wait for the next train. We planned this and got a relatively late start (and a nap on Saturday afternoon). I left to meet Isolde and Steph at their place around 8:00pm. We then caught the train to start our adventure.

We had dinner at Samrat. Yes, it is an ugly name, but the food was delicious! If you ever happen upon one, order the Butter Chicken- it's an amazing curry.

Next we met up with Jeannie and James and hit The Hub. It's a cute little English style pub that they have throughout Tokyo. Isolde and I had an extensive conversation about the irony of a Coldplay picture next to a Nirvana picture.

Finally it was time to dance! We first stopped at Motown, which has an odd obsession with Lionel Richie. There was a massive 6 foot picture of him on the way in. The place was packed, but there was always room to dance.

We moved from club to club throughout the night. There were quite a few observations to make as we went including: Even if the first Samrat is closed, don't be discouraged- the one down the road may still be open. The same goes for Motown (if the first is full). Japanese business men love "It's Raining Men" and will sing it loudly with you. Daytime comes at you fast in Tokyo. It may be dark when you go into that last club of the evening, but it will be daytime when you come out. A Mcdonalds McMuffin at 7:00 am after a night of celebrating your birthday in Roppongiis is the most delcious breakfast ever.

After savoring every bite of our McBreakfast we headed home. Each of us struggled to keep our eyes open as the trains hypnotic movement lulled us to sleep. When we finally pulled up to the campus, I climbed off the bus and dragged myself to the townhouse that I had left 12 hours ago. I then passed out for the next 4 hours, satisfied that after Saturday night, Sunday would be delightfully spent in recovery with Harry Potter. It was such a fun night, and a great and memorable birthday. Turning twenty-foxy (as Jeannie so wonderfully put it) was pretty awesome!

Pictures

2007-07-29T19:51:00.000-04:00

I finally managed to upload some of my pictures onto the computer. Of course, in the interest of time (and the fact that I am still trying to figure out Japanese Blogger) I am just going to post my favorite right now. It's a picture of me in front of the bridge to the Imperial Palace. More to come soon!

What a week!

2007-07-27T02:46:00.001-04:00

Wow, I can't believe that I have been here for a week already! I have just finished up my first week at the camp. That means I am half way through the first session. It has been crazy! It's been a lot of work, but a lot of fun. The kids are adorable!

Tokyo has been simply amazing. I spent last weekend with my aunt and uncle. My aunt's apartment itself is an adventure. She is on the 20th floor in Roppongi Hills. This is a particularly beautiful and newly revamped part of downtown Tokyo. Her view is breathtaking and is only outdone by her bathrooms. As many of you know, I wrote a paper this passed semester on plumbing technology. Well, her apartment has some of those sweet features- including a wall panel and heated toilet seat that lifts as you approach- I have not experimented with the bidet feature, but it's there too! When we left the apartment to explore, my uncle showed me some amazing places. I saw The Imperial Palace, A Buddhist Temple, A Shinto Shrine (where a wedding happened to be taking place), and did plenty of shopping at the markets and the giant shopping Mecca in Ginza. Of course, we also ate at all types of wonderful places. I will hopefully be posting pictures of some of the amazing sites I have seen soon!

This weekend, I will be staying on the campus and will be venturing out with some friends. We are planning on hitting the shops. There is so much to see when shopping, that it is a cultural adventure in itself- and I get to buy things- bonus!

First Day

2007-07-20T02:37:00.000-04:00

Well, I just saw that my previous post was incomplete. Appropriately, it cut off exactly where I was saying not to expect anything fancy as google sites appear in Japanese. Thus I have to guess at what which link is which.

I have just finished my Orientation Day at the school. My Uncle met me this morning at the townhouse where I am staying. It is an adorable place on a college campus just down the road from the school I am teaching at this summer. There is a bamboo grove just outside my front door and a beautiful garden in the backyard. It is very peaceful and comfortable.

This morning after he met me, we climbed onto our bikes and headed towards the campus. This of course is the most dangerous part of my day. I am not a coordinated person to begin with, and I haven't been on a bike in a few years. Whoever said, "it's like riding a bike..." either didn't know what they were talking about, or people have been grossly missusing the quote. About halfway down the hill towards the campus and a few close calls with oncoming bikers, I finally decided that it sure would be a nice day to walk my bike. It is fun to be back on a bike though, and basically I am doing fine- but it will take a couple of days to really be comfortable! Last night on the larger and flatter road to the grocery store, it was actually a wonderful ride on a beautiful night. I may need to pick up a Huffy back in the States.

Of course the grocery store is one of my favorite places, and to explore one in Japan was some kind of Heaven for me. I am looking forward to going back again to wander and wonder (and purchase) some more. Looking at the colorful labels guessing at the contents was a delight, and marveling at the wonderful sushi creations that you can not find at Harris Teeter was a special treat.

Of course as I try to write about my day, I keep getting side tracked, so perhaps the blog about my job can wait as I recount my first experiences in the culture.

After finally settling in for the evening last night after my Uncle had left, I found myself very alone. The townhouse was so quiet, and I admit, my horror soaked American mind had a few images of the Grudge creeping through it. I opted to watch some Japanese television while my jet lagged body enjoyed some rest and an English muffin. Awesome, is all I have to say about the television. I have no idea what I was watching, but I loved it. I had previously planned to take a shower before bed to help relax and knock the day and a half of travel off me, but instead the day and a half of travel caught up with me.

Once my english muffin was consumed, I only wanted to collapse on my bed. Of course my travels had only felt like a long day. While it was 24 hours later from when I had left the US, I had not experienced night yet. We had flown with the sun, so my daytime had been over 24 hours long. Additionally, it was also almost two days later than I had left in Japan. Let me explain. Japan is 13 hours ahead of the US, so without moving an inch I had already lost 13 hours, then the travelling from Atlanta had cost another 13 hours, then there was the trip from Charlotte and layover, add another 4 hours. Then once I landed in Tokyo, there was the time before I had to catch the bus, add another 2 hours, then the bus ride, 2 more hours, then the trip from the station on the subway with my Uncle (only one stop) and short bus ride (maybe 20 minutes total). That's a lot of math that I am just not willing to do because I experienced it all and was surprisingly exhausted by it. Even though the trip had seemed easy at the time, my exhausted body was about ready to give out. So I climbed into bed and passed out.

And that's when the phone rang. I snapped out of my hazy slumber and picked up the phone. It was my Mom on the other end, who I was thrilled to hear from. The hardest part about landing in Tokyo was that I could not call anyone to tell them I had landed or to share my experience with. In fact until I met up with my Uncle, other than some interaction with people, I had not actually talked to anyone since my flight left Atlanta. I told her all about my day that had just ended while hers was beginning. No sooner had we hung up, then I passed out quickly again for 9 more hours.

Now after finishing my first day at the camp, I am playing in the computer lab while I wait for my uncle to begin the bike trip (uphill) back to the townhouse. I can feel the jet lag catching up with me, so I have a feeling it will be another early night. It is 3am in the US right now after all!

Arrived Safely!

2007-07-19T19:43:00.000-04:00

Well, I made it to Tokyo and in one piece! Although the real danger comes in me riding a bicycle! Anyway, as I feared, I cannot access myspace from the school, so I will have to stick with my blog to keep everyone updated. Don't expect anything fancy though- all of the google

2007-07-09T09:42:00.000-04:00

Happy (Early) Birthday to me!

True, my birthday is about a month away, but I will be in Japan on that special day. Instead, Todd opted to take me out for my birthday before I left. He selected a restaurant that would be a surprise and presented me with my birthday present before we left the house. I was beyond thrilled to see it in a certain little blue/green box. He had made the daunting trip to South Park and bought me a necklace at Tiffany's! I love it and wore it that night- Here's a picture!

I wore it to dinner at Carpe Diem in Charlotte. The dinner was awesome! I am such a foodie nerd, so I love trying new yummy restaurants. We started with a wonderful glass of wine and some shrimp empanadas. Then I had the delicious mahi mahi. And even though it wasn't technically my birthday yet, the waiter still put a candle in my dessert. Happy Birthday to me!

Boogie Boarding and Universal Studios

2007-06-14T11:26:00.000-04:00

So after several attempts at posting some vacation pictures on Myspace and my blog, I have finally given up. Mental Note: check on my Snapfish account...

One of the great things about Cocoa beach is the miles of surf shops with super cheap beach goodies. We have had quite a good time on our $4.77 boogie boards. Other than a header into the shore, I think I am getting pretty good. Rye on the other hand has gone into early retirement after her header. We suspect she'll get back out there, because she is the best boarder among us.

On Monday, we had a blast at Universal Studios! We only waited in one long line (Jimmy Neutron) for 45 minutes. The rest of the rides we practically walked on! Other than a screaming Ryely on Jaws, all of us had a great time playing like we were 5 again.

Otherwise we've played with some wild animals and had an awesome dinner at The Rainforest Cafe at Downtown Disney with Brian, Dawnette and family (pictures to come soon).

Right now, we are waiting for something to happen at Cape Canaveral. We have a great view of the launch pad from our balcony, and everyone on the beach is standing in place with eyes glued to NASA. Soon we will be hitting the beach ourselves for one last day in the sun. Better start working the sunblock! Other than Todd's fiery red back, we did pretty well with keeping the burns at bay. I'd like to keep it that way- so I'm gonna go find the SPF 30!

Cocoa Beach

2007-06-10T13:18:00.000-04:00

The weekend started off a little crazy.

Todd and I rolled out of bed at 5:00 am yesterday and started stocking up the coolers and the Element with the help of a 5 year old. Rye and I had to go work with Todd so we could leave for the beach right away. As soon as the Why Weight? Show was over at 10:00, we jumped in the car and headed to Florida. We made awesome time- and without Todd speeding. We arrived at the Orlando airport just as my mother was stepping out of the baggage area. She climbed into the Element next to Rye and we were off!

45 minutes later we pulled into a somewhat sketchy looking resort. We held our breath as we found our way to our condo for the week. When we stepped into the room, I let out a tremendous sigh of relief as Todd anxiously inquired from the hall: "How is it?" The condo is absolutely adorable with an amazing view of the beach.

We unpacked and stocked the kitchen while Rye showed my Mom pictures from Greyson's birthday party. I heated up some turkey chili for us to dine on before climbing into bed for the evening. It had been a long day and we wanted to be ready for another one- on the beach.

When we woke up this morning, the sun was shining and the blue ocean was calling us. We sat on the balcony in our jammies while the coffee brewed and Todd assessed where the cruise ships were. After some blueberry pancakes, we threw on our suits and hit the beach. The water was perfect, so we swam for quite awhile, but of course there was still time to search for seashells and build a sandcastle!

Now we are back at the condo and everyone is sound asleep. It is so nice to be here together with my Mom. Ryely is super-excited to have her here as are Todd and I. It is so funny to see a five year old with more excitement than her little body can contain. She is practically running in circles and is literally climbing all over Mom. She loves the beach and relishes every wave that knocks her over. Todd enjoys pointing out the odd looking people and tracking the cruise ships. Mom loves taking her walks and enjoying the sun. I love it all, and am so thrilled that this is only the first day. We still have a whole afternoon to enjoy in the surf today, and a day of fun at Universal Studios later this week. For now, I will just relax and listen to the ocean and quietly wait for everyone to wake up...

Summer Adventures

2007-05-21T14:08:00.000-04:00

It's wonderful to have two full months to enjoy the summer after my first year in grad school. I am also very excited to take my first trip to Japan at the end of those two months. It is not a trip of leisure however. I will be teaching English in two two-week summer camp programs with my Uncle. I will be in Tokyo for a month before my return- the day before the semester starts at UNCC. As excited as I am for this opportunity, it does put a little bit of a crunch on my summer. I am lucky enough to have some additional trips to enoy this summer. We will be going to Cocoa Beach for a week next month, and we are planning to jump with the Golden Knights again sometime this summer. There is of course the grand festivities on the Fourth of July, which celebrates not only our country's independence, but also Todd's birthday. So of course this means, double the fireworks and double the celebration. I want to get home to NH for a week or so to visit my family and friends there, but it's a matter of trying to figure out where I actually have a week free. Right now, it's looking like the last week in June. It's either that or the week before I leave for Japan, only leaving me 3 days to prepare for a month long trip to the other side of the globe. So it looks like the end of June may be the way to go! It's really turning into an amazing summer. There are so many exciting things that I will be doing, and I can't wait to get started. Right now, I am just resting and gearing up for the adventures! So back to the pool!

Ahhh... summer

2007-05-14T11:28:00.000-04:00

As a starving grad student, I don't make a lot of money. As a girl, I require certain staples like designer handbags. This means that some necessities have to take priority over others. So, cute new haircut? Check. Internet? maybe not. So, here I am enjoying my first Monday of summer vacation sitting in the clubhouse at my apartment complex. I could, and probably should, be sitting out by the pool, but I am still waiting for my horrible splotchy burn from day 1 of summer vacation to finish fading. Besides, I am in my sweats (hittin the fitness room in a bit), and that's just not pool attire.

Besides, I still have to hit LA Weightloss to see how much damage I did this weekend! On the upside, I was down almost 10 pounds at last check! But, it may have changed a bit since then. We had a wonderful weekend, and I enjoyed a few extra treats! I finally showed some school spirit and hit a baseball game with Todd and the kids and Kelly and her kids. We lost, but we had a wonderful time. Although I am still trying to understand the Uh huh guy... Then there was the Gwen Stefani concert on Saturday for Rye's birthday present, which she has been waiting patiently for since March. She used her birthday money and bought a concert t-shirt. Of course even the adult small is a huge on her tiny 5-year old frame. We had to knot it up and roll her sleaves to get a fit, and it looked absolutely adorable- especially while she sat on Todd's shoulders singing "Hollaback Girl." The best part though was when we were leaving, and she asked me: Was that my birthday present? I answered that it was, and she replied: That was the best birthday present ever!

So now it's lazy time. Just after I swing by LA Weightloss, the grocery store, hit the fitness room, and maybe a dip in the pool. Ahhh... summer

Shakespeare and I are taking a break

2007-05-10T11:04:00.000-04:00

Ok, it's not a long break, but it's a well deserved one. I have just spent the last three days straight with him. I am feeling a little smothered frankly. I still love him, but we just need some time apart. I am thinking maybe, 3 months. Then when i get back from Japan we can resume in his late plays.

Yes, the semester has finally come to an end. I have turned in my last research paper and annotated bibliogaphy (yes on the bard). Now I can screw around and play on myspace and my blog... which coincidentally has not been touched since I started it at the end of last semester...

But I feel like this summer should be documented. I will be Japan after all in July-August, and I would like to share with everyone how that experience is going. Also, I am just trying to get back into my routine of writing. I am not sure I can still do it after my intensive semester!

Still, I am thrilled to be back in school. I have one year down and one to go. I am officially half-way to my Master's degree! Woo hoo! But for now, I am going to go start my summer!

Drinking and not sleeping

2006-12-14T00:23:00.000-05:00

OK, so that's not entirely accurate. True, I am not sleeping. But I am not drinking anymore. Really, I haven't had too much too drink. In my old age however, my tolerance has slipped a tad. Although, really my clumsiness doesn't need alcohol as an excuse. In reality I am simply a klutz, and though we were out celebrating tonight, thankfully I did not tell anyone off. This is because, I am a happy drinker. Anyway, the semester is basically over and I don't have to be anywhere until class at 5:30 tomorrow night where I will present my paper on a corpus based analysis of representing displaced immediacy in verbal versus written storytelling discourse. Then, my first semester of graduate school will officially be over. So, here I am starting my blog (finally) at 12:30 at night on a Wednesday... or Thursday morning... I wish I had something more insightful to say, but I am tired and ready for bed. I meant to just check my e-mail, but here I am! Will this eventually be archived for students to frantically reference in their own last minute linguistic papers, or will it disappear forever in cyber oblivion? I guess it depends on how motivated I am on this winter break and beyond... and how desperate linguistic students become. So, as always I am optimistic- and that's not just the wine talking! It's the water and exhaustion too. Good night!