the first week of school, well half a week

School started Wednesday. So far I'm enjoying it. I think it's going to be a very busy and likely very stressful first semester. I already have lot's of reading to do (I'm taking a break from Foucault to write this- Foucault- Yikes!) 

I especially like the class I'm a TA for, I taught my first sections on Friday and I think it went really well and I really like my students. I do worry a little that one of them could stumble across this blog so I probably won't be saying much about the class here. But I will say I'm really excited about getting some teaching experience and even if it's going to be stressful. I am also getting excited about this semester, my classes seem like they are going to be very interesting (this reveals how big a nerd I am- but I think they are going to be fun too). I just need to get back into school mode and get used to reading an obscene amount again. 

Weather

Those of you who know me- know I wasn't excited about the humidity here in Virginia. But so far I haven't had a problem- the has actually been fairly pleasant. Yes, it has been humid and yes my hair is getting increasingly big, but it hasn't been that bad, today has actually been the hottest so far. I think it's about 90 degrees with 55% humidity- which means it feels about 98. But the rest of this week it's been cooler and frankly kinda dreary (which I prefer- I know I'm strange).

Way back in time (like, at least a month ago) I was talking to Melanie and she mentioned how bright it is in Utah and I didn't really have a full appreciation of what she meant until now. We have had some sunny days here but it isn't like a sunny day back home- it's kind of strange. 

The brightness (or dimness) isn't the only difference. The trees are amazing here and I can't believe the noise outside at night- I'm guessing it's bugs or maybe birds but it's an incredible racket. 

The one thing that's kind of annoying me- is my glasses. When I step out of my car my glasses fog- that doesn't happen in the dessert.  

From class

We watched this in my Performance Cultures class today- it's pretty funny- check it out.

Orientation

Monday was the day of orientations- first we had the new graduate student orientation and then we had the TA/TF orientation. Unfortunately, my program also had it's orientation at the same time as the TA so the three of us who are incoming TAs had to miss the department orientation. (wow I'm really sick of typing the word orientation).

Anyway, the first half of the day was filled with fairly useful but also very boring information. By noon I really just wanted to go back to sleep (noon is being generous- truth be told I didn't actually want to get up at all). The TA portion of the day was more useful and more engaging because it was kind of hands on- unfortunately by the time we got to that part I was half asleep from the morning and had completely lost interest. I probably wouldn't bother posting about this at all but I feel like I've been neglecting my blog as of late. I did learn two very useful bits of information so the day wasn't a complete waste- first, the Mongolian Buffet has the best Chinese food in town and second, tattoos with green or yellow ink are the hardest to remove.

My first week as a Virginian

I've been here a week, it's kinda odd it doesn't feel like a week.

So far I've managed to unpack and set up the kitchen, bedroom, bathroom and living room. And the office is very nearly done. The kitchen is still pretty much a disaster but it's unpacked- it's just been the dumping ground- where things go until they find a home. I'm sick of unpacking- but at least the end is in sight.

Rusty has gotten more vaccinations and is now licensed in Virginia- he is now officially a Williamsburg dog. I'm not a Virginian yet but Rusty is. Here are a couple pictures (you can probably see what I mean about him looking like a lamb).

 

I've also met with my advisor and the graduate advisor and will meet with my mentor soon. I can't believe school starts in a couple days, I'm ready but I'm not (more not). I guess it's good that school is starting before I've had the chance to get bored but at the same time- I'm enjoying settling into my place slowly and being able to hang out with Rusty without having to worry too much about being anyplace at any certain time. My life is about to get really hectic. It'll be my first semester as a TA and my first semester at a new school. Apparently it's going to be an intense semester with the classes I've got lined up (according to my advisor).     

Cooking

I decided to cook again tonight- I just ran out of leftovers- so while I was at the store I bought everything I need to make tacos and then I got home and realized that I didn't have a pan to cook the meat in. I really didn't want to make a second trip to the store (I've gone to at least one store every day since I've been here). Anyhow, I had decided to save the tacos for another night. Then someone knocked at my door. It was the mailman with a package- my mom sent me a pan- and it's perfect for the taco meat! Talk about good timing! 

And now for something completely different- I had some paperwork to turn into the apartment managers so Rusty and I took a walk through the complex, he walked up every single walkway we passed- he really wants to meet the neighbors.

Meeting

I met with my new advisor today and she seems cool, it was a good meeting even if I felt a little awkward. While I was on campus I decided to buy a parking pass- those of you I left behind at the U have no reason to complain about the expense of parking passes- sure they may seem expensive, that is until you buy one here- it was $305! 

I left Rusty home (obviously it would be less than professional to show up to a meeting with a dog). I had planned on leaving him in his crate for a while- until he got used to it here- but I thought I'd leave him in my office instead. It is the least organized room right now- I haven't had the energy to unpack my books yet- too overwhelming- so there are boxes everywhere. When I got home he was sitting on my desk. It was so funny- he looked like he got caught doing something bad. I'm sure he choose the desk because it's under the window- that way he could keep an eye out for me. Plus I threw so blankets and pillows on the desk because I was going to make the bed in there and ran out of time. With his new haircut he kinda looks like a little lamb- so I came home to a chagrined sheep on my desk.

 

Neighbors

I haven't been here a whole week and I've already met more of my neighbors here than I did in the 7 years I lived in my last place. I always waved or said hello to my old neighbors but we never exchanged names or anything and one neighbor wouldn't even acknowledge me when I said hello! Granted I never went out of my way to introduce myself to them either.

But I've already met two of my neighbors here. I was walking up the stairs behind the neighbor who lives across the hall from me and Rusty kind of facilitated the meeting by trying to push his way in front of her. And then yesterday the neighbor from downstairs brought me a cupcake and welcomed me to the building! How nice is that? 

I made dinner...

and it was good. I decided I should try to cook more- I eat out way too much so I made dinner tonight and it was surprisingly good, much better then ordering pizza (which is what I did last night).

 

Moving Tip Number 1

Keep scissors with you. If you pack your scissors then you won't be able to cut open the box to get the scissors. 

My dad gave me a tool kit as a going away gift and it has some very nice scissors but unfortunately they were in a shrink wrapped container and I couldn't get it open without scissors. So I went to the store and bought a pair of scissors but I have since misplaced them. Luckily I first used them to open the shrink wrap so I had a back up pair. 

more about moving

Ok, so I had planned on posting something everyday of the move but I was way too tired by the time we got in to the hotels so I didn't. Also, I took several pictures but now I can't remember where they were taken- the trip kind of went by in a blur- lot's of driving, very few stops, basically way too many hours in a car. But I'll try to remember some of the highlights.

I took this picture in Wyoming, sorry if anyone from Wyoming is reading this- but Wyoming is boring (at least the part we drove through), this was about as exciting as it got.

I think this picture is from Kansas...

I believe we came across this sign in Missouri- non-Utahns might not appreciate this but I think Ogden and Manhattan on the same sign is oddly amusing...

Here's West Virginia (at least I'm pretty sure- like 95%)

I'm fairly sure this picture was taken in Virginia- but it might be West Virginia...

And this is Virginia- it's kind of hard to see but there are mountains in Virginia- they don't look like Utah mountains- but they were still nice to see...

Of course, I also have some great pictures of Rusty. He did amazingly well in the car, for the first two days he stayed in the front seat- the back seat was stacked full of boxes and luggage, for the most part he sat on one of our laps but for several hours he slept on the center console kinds of wrapped around a drink and the gear shift.

On the third day we decided to eat breakfast in a restaurant instead of in the car and while he was alone in the car he figured out he could get more comfortable in the back seat on top of the luggage- I eventually put his little bed on top of the suitcases and he snuggled back there all day.  

the first day of driving

We made it to Denver. It was a rough day, we were able to get on the road at noon and I got to see my sisters and my nieces before we headed out and I'm glad we waited. Wyoming was as boring as expected but I was able to entertain myself with an audiobook that was better than I thought it'd be. Rusty was very well behaved considering that we were in the car so long with very short breaks. Of course when we got to the hotel he lifted his leg on the bed (near the floor not actually on the bed). And so the adventure begins.

(I actually wrote this post a couple days ago but had issues posting so I'm posting it now... more to come... hopefully soon).  

Delayed start

It's a long story but basically my sisters and neices got stuck in Hawaii (the joys of flying stand-by) and won't get home until late this morning. So, instead of leaving at 5ish this morning, as planned, my dad and I will end up leaving closer to noon so we can see them before we leave. I re-figured our route and stops and changed our reservations to different hotels and we will still should arrive in Virginia at about the same time as planed- but we will have a couple really long days of driving. Good times.

Empty-ish condo

Yesterday I stopped by the condo- to straighten up a little before my sister got home and passed out at the mess- and I must say- it was strange (kind of like hiring movers). Even though all my sister's stuff is there, as well as more than half the furniture, it still felt so empty. It felt strange being there now that it's no longer my home. It's like I'm in limbo, I am a girl without a place to call home (aahh... sad).   

The Movers

Well, the movers have come and gone. It took far longer than I thought it would. I've never used movers before and I have to say it was strange. I wasn't sure if I should help so I started to but then felt like I was kind of in the way and I was paying them so why should I have to carry heavy stuff, and then (seeing as I'm a social historian) I started to think about what hiring movers said about class, and well, it was a downward spiral from there. So I basically stood around and occasionally helped but mostly tried to stay out of the way.    

On the bright side of this whole moving thing I will be escaping the bird. A couple years ago a pigeon (at least I assume its a pigeon- what do I know about birds) took up residence on my bedroom window sill and has used it as his home base ever since, making noise, making me think I had a mouse, cooing- or warbling whatever pigeons do, and pooping all over everything (sorry about the strong language there). I began calling him DB which is short for Damn Bird, and my sister called him Tom (she didn't hate the bird as much as me likely because he wasn't living in her window and waking her up). We tried to get rid of the bird, we got a fake owl and some fake snakes- both of which were supposed to scare away birds- both of which failed miserably. The one thing that worked was bringing over my parents dog Angel (these were pre-Rusty days) and this was only a temporary fix- about an hour after Angel left he was back. But since he has been in my life for several years now, I thought I should include a picture of him here... so here's DB aka Tom.   

Volunteering

Today was my last day volunteering at the VA. It's the beginning of  a long week of goodbyes. Today was nice, they gave me a certificate of appreciation and my supervisor seems sad to see me go. Now I need to decide wether to volunteer near my new home. I would like to volunteer somewhere but I'm a little worried about overloading myself and not sure what to do. I'm sure volunteering at the VA there would be a very different experience than here. 

Music

Music is seriously amazing. I've been kinda down all afternoon (the impending move is getting to me) so I choose some upbeat songs for the drive home and it cheered me up- I may burst into tears at any moment but it is far less likely now than it was just an hour ago. Now I'm going to fix myself a drink which may help as much as the music.

Warning

Never let a four year old play with glitter. Ever.

My niece got a hold of a bottle of glitter and dumped the WHOLE thing on her head. Her scalp is glittering green. They slept over last night and as soon as she got into bed she starting getting itchy- thanks to the glitter that was now all over everything. We tried to rinse it out in the sink- who knew glitter is impervious to water. So her scalp stayed green and itchy for the night. This morning I had the bright idea to use a toothbrush to rub the glitter out of her scalp (I used a new toothbrush). Well the toothbrush worked much better than the water but it also flung glitter everywhere. Bella is covered with glitter (even more than before), I'm covered with glitter, the chair is covered with glitter, the floor is covered in glitter, the dogs (all three of them) have tracked through the glitter and they are all now covered (lightly) with glitter. 

Seriously people- stay far away from glitter!