Monday, December 15, 2008

Leisure Time


So my hopes for a wonderful semester weren't exactly met. Dissertation proposal was one big panic attack and internship applications have given me a large dose of humility. I have to grade papers today and give a final tomorrow and then I'm done teaching for the rest of grad school. So strange! I loved teaching this class and this program, but teaching is a lot of work! (Who knew?!)

Well, now that things have dramatically slowed down I am a huge lazy mess. I would love to sit in bed and eat bon bons all day. And by eat bon bons I mean drink coffee, go on Facebook, and read books of no psychological significance. Alas, there's always SOMETHING to do so it seems that my leisure time will be cut short.

I have 3 interviews for internship coming up and while I'm thrilled with those interviews I'm more than a little annoyed at the ones I did not get. Texas State? University of Illinois-Chicago? Come on! Those aren't even amazing programs! I'm not great at a lot of things, but I am a damn good therapist and so it is more than a little upsetting that these programs didn't want me. I know, I know, I sound like an egotistical bitch, but I do feel this way.

Thursday, August 28, 2008

School Starts

It's been awhile! Well, classes started back up yesterday, but this lady was only teaching! Yay! I have plenty to complain about (extra therapy hours, no pay increase or TA for teaching twice as many kids as last year), but all in all things are going well.

Dissertation coming along...check! Internship applications coming along...check! Excited about teaching 60 wide-eyed 18 year olds...check! Fabulous, adoring, sweet, smart, and hilarious boyfriend...check! Seeing as how I'm naturally a high strung person and am obviously worried about dissertation and internship applications, I'm doing quite well. This is going to be a fabulous year:)

Friday, July 18, 2008

Me time

Writing's supposed to be cathartic, right? Well, I could use a little catharsis right now. I am overwhelmed and overworked!

"It's summer," you say, "how can one be anything but blissful and lively?" Well, as usual, this bitch has taken on too many damn commitments! I was only working 10hrs for the first part of the summer and was very poor so naturally I thought it would be brilliant to accept a 20hr TA position and a bazillion hours of babysitting. Oh yeah, and I think I acquired a boyfriend in the meantime (crush status has upgraded!)so although that is a blissful acquisition, boys require attention! Hence, now I have too much on my plate and not enough time to do anything particularly well. Ugh.

Worry not, dear friends! I have devised a genius plan for tackling my stressful status. It's called sitting on the couch and watching every B movie that cable has to offer until I fall asleep still wearing my clothes. It's fool-proof.




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Wednesday, July 9, 2008

Misc.

Ahem, summer crush going swimmingly:)




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Saturday, June 28, 2008

Group Therapy

I'm taking the LAST CLASS OF MY LIFE this summer and it's group therapy. What a great course to end on! The class is 3 hours a day and the first half of it consists of all of us students forming a group with the instructor being the group therapist (he is in private practice and IS a group therapist so it's all kosher) and the second half of the class is lecture.

Being in a group is AMAZING! I recommend it to any and all! Now, granted, some of it may have to do with the fact that we're all therapists already so we kind of 'get it' as to how this whole therapy thing works, but I have to imagine that with a good leader all groups could eventually get to this place.

I've learned things about total strangers that have taken my close friends years to reveal. I've also learned that I have more in common with total strangers than I ever could've imagined! Finally, I learned that someone I had already known before the group (and did not care for) was actually quite similar to me and much of my distaste for this person probably comes from that very fact. When people display our least favorite traits in ourselves it tends to hit a chord.

The book we are reading for the class is called "The Theory and Practice of Group Psychotherapy," and it's written by the guru of group psych, Irvin Yalom. He comes of as an intellectual snob, but he's a psychiatrist so what do you expect? :) Just check out this picture and you'll see what I mean.

Thursday, June 19, 2008

L'ete

I love summer. Yes, it's hovering right around 100 degrees outside here in the Southwest, but even that can't dissuade me from loving this time of year. I love that even though I'm writing a dissertation and taking a class and working it still feels like I have endless amounts of free time (it's my delusion and I enjoy it). I love the food of summer (screw the salmonella scare-I love my tomatoes!). Summer pastas and fruits and veggies and fun summer cocktails!



I love summer clothes, too. You can live in your bikini and summer dresses. Shorts are perfectly acceptable (provided you have a tan) and everyone ends up with highlights in their hair.



I love summer books! Lighthearted reads and books you've always wanted to read but never had the time to. I'm currently reading 'Cry, the Beloved Country,' and could use some chicklit after this! Apartheid isn't for the faint of heart! It's also required that you do most of your reading sitting by a pool and that's fantastic.



Finally, the best of the best is summer romance! I know I've been complaining about all things boy related as of late, but I have a new summer crush so things are looking up. If things go well I'm sure there will be more written about it here.

Wednesday, June 11, 2008

Summer Lovin'

Wow, dating is just too much! Why can't you just skip the dating process and immediately know if someone's a good match and be able to call them on a Tuesday night to complain about your life? Hmm...maybe that's what friends are for!

I've been dating a whole lot lately and I'm just plain worn out! Maybe it would be one thing if I was dating one amazing person after the next, but so far that's not the case. They're either dull or annoying or possibly a closeted homosexual. Not to brag, but I'm way too cute, smart, funny, and socially adept to spend so much time on sub-par men. The scary thing is that maybe I'm not and that's why I keep dating weirdos. Maybe I'm a weirdo and I just don't realize it! Do weirdos know they're weird? This is a question that has been plaguing man kind since the dawn of time.

I still do have a crush on the intern and he officially checked me out yesterday and then we were stuck on the elevator together (fate perhaps?) and he introduced himself and we shook hands (i.e. We touched!). He went to grad school in Colorado and seems terribly outdoorsy (I'm allergic to all things fresh and organic.), but that arm band tattoo just does it for me! Yum!

I know this goes against all things preppy in me, but I actually think sleeve tattoos are hot. A somewhat nerdy, engineer-type who has pro-feminist ideals and had a sleeve tattoo would be my idea of the perfect affair.






Wednesday, May 7, 2008

What about Bob?

I thought I could be ready to possibly give up single bliss and went on a date with this guy, let's call him "Bob." Bob sucked. He was cocky and argumentative and here I'd thought him witty and nerdy (totally my type).

He did not A) offer to pick me up or B) walk me to my car. He did, however, accept my offer to split the bill, answered his phone during dinner, and told me he enjoyed going to naked girlie shows. Nice.

The worst part of the whole thing was that I was such a bitch. When someone gets cocky I automatically get bitchy. It's like a switch flips and all of my social graces turn off. Yeah, that's probably not the best approach. Now I'm stuck without a crush and still hearing about my uber in love friends. Hmm...I may be getting bitter.

Just to remind myself that crushes still exist here are a few of my favs.




Swoon!

Monday, April 28, 2008

Singledom

I am awash in newly-in-love friends and strangely I find myself at a point when I am most enjoying being single. It is rather weird to be so out of synch with your friends. I moved to Austin in August of 2004 and became single again for the first time in years. After that I was a dating machine! That poll that ranks Austin as the #1 singles' scene is true. This is an easy town in which to date.

Granted, there have been times in the past 4 years when I've been single, but I don't know if I've ever been so content with it as I am now. It feels pretty good to not have someone judging you to see if you're worthy. It feels nice to not be anxious about a relationship. I tend to be a little anxiety-ridden in relationships and I'm working on that, but for now I'm just enjoying where I'm at.

Yes, I do have crushes. I'm still human! For instance, there's the intern at the counseling center (Tattooed and in touch with emotions? HOT!) and the guy at the bike shop (Athletic and intellectual? Nice.), but they mainly just serve as nice day dreams to get me through dissertation torture. No serious potential.

So, when my friends are telling me romantic tales of twitterpation I merely sit back and listen. I've been pretty hurt by the past couple of boys I've dated and I'm finding that the healing process has begun. It's nice to be dating myself. I'm going to go take myself out for a cup of coffee right now! :)


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Tuesday, April 22, 2008

5 Things

I was perusing Ruth's blog and I loved this idea: “List 5 things that certain people (who are not deserving of being your friend anyway) may consider to be “totally lame,” but you are, despite the possible stigma, totally proud of. Own it.”

So, here are my 5 things (in no particular order):

1. My love for my cat. Yes, he's fat. And he howls, not meows, howls. And he gets litter and fur everywhere. He's adorably needy and cuddly and he follows me around everywhere and I love that! He's basically my bff. Sorry Jill.





2. Social networking sites. I spend waaaay too much time on these, but now that there's Scramble and Scrabulous and Word Twist I can challenge my brain and forgo the need to ever leave my desk. And I stalk people. Whatevs, like you don't.

3. My fam. I guess this isn't so lame, but I always just assumed everyone really loved and was very close to their families, but that's not the case. I talk to at least one family member a day. And I look forward to it! I spend my vacation time visiting my family. They are hilarious (well, most of them) and supportive and like to spend money on me (well, most of them).

4. Bad reality TV. The lower the budget, the better. I secretly watch Keeping up with the Kardashians, The Hills, Hogan Knows Best, The Real Desperate Housewives of Orange County, and now I'm ashamedly getting into The Real Desperate Housewives of NY. I wish to goodness Kathy Griffin's D List would come back on TV. That's good shit.

5. Writing letters. Who doesn't love to get some snail mail? I started writing letters when I went away to college and it tapped into my (shrunken) creative side. I decorate them with stickers and colored pens. Wow, I'm getting embarrassed just typing this! Believe you me, if you've been so lucky as to get one of my letters they do make you smile.



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Thursday, April 10, 2008

Health Scare

I am currently an 8th semester grad student.  Goddamn!  Seeing as how I would be a second semester senior if I were still in undergrad I have decided that my current lack of motivation is due to senioritis.  

In addition to senioritis I also have a travel bug.
  I went on vacay to the coast last weekend and it just made it worse!  In an attempt to cure this affliction I booked a trip to Mexico yesterday.  Of course, after I told people of this excursion I started to hear everyone's fabulous travel plans: Vietnam, South Africa, Thailand...come on!?  Okay, I get it, there are cooler places than Mexico, but I am thrilled about this trip so don't rain on my freakin' parade. 

I apologize for the whiny-ness.  I have a paper to write and my dissertation to continue and all I really want to do is hang out with my friends and drink daiquiris.  Oh, and nap.  And yes, watch the Office:)

Tuesday, March 25, 2008

Workaholic



I'll admit, when the show "The Office" came out I was feeling like the entertainment industry had no creative imagination since they obviously just stole the idea from the move "Office Space." Granted, they share the same white collar corporate setting and the main characters are white 30somethings, but I've come to love "The Office." So much so that I've been renting the DVDs, gluing myself to my couch, and only getting up for intermittent bathroom breaks.

A few thoughts: From season 1 to season 2 Kelly's character really sprang to life. I know that she's one of the writers for the show so I'm guessing that she focused on developing others' characters before finding her own groove.

If the bloopers reel is to be believed, despite his on-screen persona, Dwight has a hilarious sense of humor. His character is by far the most out there so it's understandable that he would crack himself up portraying Dwight.

Michael to Oscar: "Not because you're gay. Your gayness does not define you. Your Mexicaness is what defines you, to me. And I think we should celebrate Oscar's Mexicanity."

Michael: "I would like you to accept this cheque, for three hundred and forty dollars, made out to 'Science'. Make sure that gets into the right hands."

Michael (talking about the Dundies): "An employee will go home and he'll tell his neighbor, 'Hey, did you get an award?' And the neighbor will say, 'No man, I mean I slave all day and nobody notices me.' Next thing you know, Employee smells something terrible coming from the neighbor''s house. Neighbor''s hanged himself... due to lack of recognition."

Jan Levinson-Gould: "You already had a party on May fifth for no reason--"
Michael Scott: "No reason? It was the 05/05/05 party, it happens once every billion years."
Jan Levinson-Gould: "--and a tsunami relief fundraiser which somehow lost a lot of money."
Michael Scott: "No that was a fun raiser, I think I made that very clear in the flyers."

Michael Scott: "The Busiest Beaver Award goes to Phyllis Lappen! Yeah! Way to go, Phyllis! Nice work! Her usual!"
Phyllis: "It says 'Bushiest Beaver'."
Michael Scott: "I told them busiest... idiots!"

Kelly: "I never really thought about death, until Princess Diana died. That was the saddest funeral ever. That and my sister’s."

Michael Scott: "Last week I would've given a kidney to anyone in this office. I would've reached right into my stomach and pulled it out for them. But now, no. I don't have the relationship with these people that I thought I did. I hope they ask, so they can hear me say, 'Uh, no, I only give my organs to my real friends. Go get yourself a monkey kidney.'"

Toby: (Casino Night) "Actually, I didn't think it was appropriate to invite children since it's, uh, you know. There's gambling and alcohol... And it's in our dangerous warehouse. And it's a school night. And, you know, Hooters is catering. You know. Is that- is that enough? Should I keep going?"
Michael Scott: "Why are you the way that you are? Honestly, every time I try to do something fun or exciting, you make it not that way. I hate so much about the things that you choose to be."

Angela (on Drug Testing): "I used to get a runner's high. That's why now I lift." (Deleted Scene)

If you have any fav Office quotes, please post them!

Sunday, March 16, 2008

Fuck 'em Bucky



Wisconsin is, yet again, in the Big 10 basketball championship game. Boo-ya! Yes, I'll admit, when I was an undergrad someone told me that Wisco was in the Final Four and my astute reaction was, "Yessssssssssss! What's the Final Four?" But I've learned! Oh how I've learned.

Our beloved Bucky Badger will take on the Native-American-slighting Fighting Illini at 2:30pm today. Godspeed boys, Godspeed.

Saturday, March 15, 2008

The New Cary Grant


I watched Michael Clayton last night and it was really good. So good, in fact, that I woke up and just stayed in bed thinking about it. Well, mainly I was just thinking about George Clooney. He's funny and handsome and fighting worldwide hunger and actually a damn good actor and director, so why is he dating some Vegas cocktail waitress half his age?

It just doesn't make sense. You would think after seeing his good friend, Brad Pitt, be with a single mom who is trying to save the world (Although she is definitely an odd duck. Vial of your hubby's blood around your neck? Making out with your bro at the Oscars?) and his friend, Matt Damon, marry a single mom (Yes, I know she was a bartender, but she's not that attractive and is at least of legal age.) he would grow up a bit.

How can someone be so sophisticated in their professional life, but SUCH a cliche in their personal one?

Male evolutionary drive aside, here is a hilarious and politically relevant video of George and Brad up to their shenanigans.

Sunday, March 9, 2008

Tiny Tales

I spent a lovely day at the bookstore yesterday and came across an unexpected jewel in the "self-help" section. It's a little book...you know, those annoying miniature books that don't quite fit on your shelf with your grown up books and never have anything all that original or insightful to say.

Anyhoo, I had about 4 "real" books in my hand and was attracted to the cover of "Looking for Mr. Right" by Bradley Trevor Greive. He actually tells a funny, yet thoughtful tale about the dating process. It's accompanied by hilarious photos from the 1950s.

Here's a blurb from a few pages, but this just does not do it justice without the accompanying pictures:

"In your heart you know how life is supposed to turn out. We've all seen how Mother Nature brings two creatures together in the right place at the right time.

They then fall madly in love and live happily ever after.

And so you ask yourself: "If a penguin can have a worthwhile, stimulating relationship, why the hell can't I?"

Or maybe you ask yourself: "Would I be happier if I started dating a penguin?""


After reading as many of his little books as I could get my hands on I ended up buying this one and "The Meaning of Life" for friends. I also liked "The Blue Day Book" (as I'd been having a blue week) and "The Book for People Who do too Much" (I almost bought this one for a friend, but I thought she might be a little offended).

Who knows, maybe I'm a little book convert. Or maybe this guy's just exceptionally good at writing in simple, uncluttered prose. Or maybe I wanted something I could read and finish while sitting in the bookstore. Probably all of the above.

Sunday, March 2, 2008

All I Want for Christmas...

Holy shit! Here I was enjoying my Sunday morning drinking a cup of coffee and perusing articles on the internet when I came across the most amazing invention since the flat iron. The CatGenie is the answer to a feline lover's prayers! (Metaphorically speaking, of course, as I'm not one to pray.) Never touch cat litter again? Yes! Never scoop my cat's poop? Sign me up! Never have to be disgusted by the noxious smell after kitty "uses the facilities?" Please! I'm adding this little gem to my wish list of graduation gifts. There will be a registry so no need to write it down.

Thursday, February 28, 2008

Awwww Shit!

It's my first blog! I have mixed feelings about blogging myself. I love to read others' thoughts and ideas; I'm happy being a little voyeuristic, but to put all of my stuff out there is a bit scary. My mom asked if she could read my blog! What if I write about her?

My impetus for doing this is because I adore journaling, have loads of extra time at work, am always looking for a great way to procrastinate from writing my dissertation, and perhaps have a bit of an exhibitionistic side.

So, what to write about? Stress! I know the entire nation is awash in cortisol due to our anxious, over achieving natures, but despite my many years of therapy I have yet to be an expert at recognizing when I'm stressed and, moreover, doing something about it. I tend to be a bit of a social mariposa and have (once again) taken on too many social commitments. I had to cancel on a few people (and now feel like a jackass), but I think it was for the greater good, i.e., me not stuffing my face with a box of Oreos because I've overcommitted myself. If I were to get a tattoo it would be a large print calligraphy of 'BALANCE' across my chest. Boobs and all.

A bientot!