BRB. Going to Asia.

The Big Question Mark

For better or worse, the GRE is over.

Let's put it this way: I spent weeks studying for it and I paid to take a class.  And I got my scores today and still can't tell if they are good enough for grad school admission.  Ladies and Gentlemen, I'm a jenius with a capital "J."

The crux of my problem:

If verbal score + math score = total GRE score, I'm in!  I did it!  I'm golden!

However, if the total GRE score is an average of math and verbal scores, I'm an academic failure unworthy of post secondary education.

I did OK on the verbal and atrociously on the math, as expected, but all in all - considering my non stop grilling of all my peeps via text this afternoon -  I *think* I squeaked by.  And I *think* I nailed the essays.

But I feel like my future is one big question mark.  Did I do well enough for admission?  I'm not definite.  Did I really ace the essays?  I won't know for a few days.  So I spent the day crying in frustration and was such a basket case that poor G had to take Lucy into the vet's and get her set up for boarding by himself.  I hate goodbye's, even with pets who hate me, so I sulked out in the car.

That's how mature I am.  I'm a real joy to live with.  It's so fun divvying up foreign currency while gulping, hiccuping, and yelling my frustrations at G.  Sooooooo fun.  I betcha he CAN'T WAIT to be on a plane with me for the next 24 hours!!!

Here's the thing, though.  People prayed for me.  I prayed for me.  I want to be in God's will.  What matters to me more than any test score is the encouraging texts and emails I got this last week and today after I went through a box of Kleenex and finally summoned the nerve to check my phone.  The fact that you guys supported me and checked in and followed up is what matters more than any test.

After some Sonic, about 20 Ibuprofen and several re-runs of Frasier, I'm starting to feel like myself again.  Curtis Sittenfield's latest book is waiting for me.  Hong Kong and Singapore are waiting for me!  I have the best friends in the world!  I have the best husband (something tells me I rarely let him know that) in the world.

Thank you peeps.  Either way, thank you.

TGIF, people!

Calm Before the Storm Before the Calm

T minus 1 day until the GRE.  I am ready but I'm not.  I guess I'm as ready as I ever will be.

T minus 2 days until VACATION. I am ready I am ready I am so so ready.

PUMPKIN SPICE LATTE!  YES!

Hong Kong currency - check.  Singapore currency - check.

Obnoxious and sturdy and new luggage.  Check.

Fat bunny.  Check.

This is her "I'm relaxed but I still don't like you" pose.

Bing Crosby said it right

Far away places with strange soundin' names
Far away over the sea
Those far away places with the strange soundin' names
Are callin', callin' me

Goin' to China or maybe Siam
I want to see for myself
Those far away places I've been readin' about
In a book that I took from the shelf

I start gettin' restless whenever I hear
The whistle of a train
I pray for the day I can get underway
And look for those castles in Spain

They call me a dreamer, well, maybe I am
But I know that I'm burnin' to see
Those far away places with the strange soundin' names
Callin', callin' me

I pray for the day when I'll find a way
Those far away places to see
Those far away places with the strange soundin' names
Callin', callin' me

Callin', callin', callin' me

Childlike Wonder

I can't think of anything that excites a greater sense of childlike wonder than to be in a country where you are ignorant of almost everything. Suddenly you are five years old again. You can't read anything, you have only the most rudimentary sense of how things work, you can't even reliably cross a street without endangering your life. Your whole existence becomes a series of interesting guesses.

 {Bill Bryson, Neither Here Nor There: Travels in Europe}

The Evolution of Procrastination

What's that, you ask?  Why am I writing yet another book review when I should be studying?

You're such a smart reader!  I have no answer for you!  But I have a really, really good book recommendation!

The Evolution of Calpurnia Tate by Jacqueline Kelly

Have you heard of this book before?  As you can see, it's a Newberry Honor Book.  Put it on your reading list and the kids' reading list.  I am not sure the intended age bracket but I was trolling around Barnes & Noble this weekend and saw that The Hobbit is in the Age 7-12 bracket.  I would place this book within those ages as well.  The language is fairly sophisticated, even compared to books written for older kids (cough Twilight series cough), and the themes are just subtle enough for an older-than-elementary-school-audience.  Also, the book touches on complex issues such as slavery and the food chain in a way that would be inappropriate for children younger than 7.

Says the woman with no kids, but I'm trying, people!  I'm trying!  I helped raise my brother so I do have some street cred here.  And I was a kid with her nose in a book all the time.  So.

This book follows Calpurnia Tate through the monumental year of 1899 in Texas.  She is on the cusp of turning twelve years old and America is on the cusp of a brand new century.  Changes are afoot and she is going to have to learn how to grow up and navigate them.  Luckily, she becomes - quite unexpectedly - close to her grandfather.  They begin to go on adventures that teach her valuable lessons about nature and the power of observation, and that present her with challenges in all areas of her life.

The book is great for animal lovers, nature lovers, science lovers, history lovers, and those who strive to empower young girls.  Calpurnia must learn to balance expectations of becoming a lady with her goals of becoming much, much more than that.  With that said, she has four brothers to contend with, and has a brilliant role model in her grandfather, which makes this an entertaining book for boys, too.

Her writing is not in-your-face-Southern-drawl.  It is easy to understand, sophisticated, and witty:

"With the change in the weather came the realization that Thanksgiving was sneaking up on us.  We'd all been too hot for too long to give it much thought.  It was unfortunate that this year the task of feeding our small flock of turkeys (numbering exactly three) fell to Travis.  One turkey was destined for our table, one was for the hired help, and one was for the poor at the other end of town.  This was traditional in our house.  What was not traditional was that this year the softest-hearted child had been assigned to look after them.

Travis had promptly christened his charges Reggie, Tom Turkey, and Lavinia.  He spent hours communing with them, preening their feathers with a stick while sitting in the dust and gobbling softly at them.  They, in turn, seemed attached to him and followed him about within the confines of their pen.

Helen Keller could have seen what was coming, so why couldn't my parents?"

(The Type A in me must mention this:  overall the writing and dialogue is superb.  But.  There are just a couple of times that the author includes words and phrases that took me right out of 1899 Texas and placed me back in 2013 with a jolt.  She used the phrase, "bust a gut," once and I was like, WTF?  She also used "fat chance."  I ain't no historian but something tells me that is inaccurate.  And nothing will remove the suspension of disbelief faster than small slipups like this.  But back to the praise!)

It is possible that this book resonated with me because it closely mirrored (time frame and big family aside) my childhood relationship and adventures with my Papa.  So there's that.  But I do believe you and the kids will enjoy it!

It is going back on my shelf for several future readings.

Enjoy!

Inheritance

The laws governing inheritance are quite unknown; no one can say why...the child often reverts in certain characters to its grandfather...

{Charles Darwin, The Origin of Species}

It Begins

T minus one week.

And since the *&%$&** GRE is next weekend, mere hours before we fly to Hong Kong, the goal is to do most of the packing and prepping this weekend.  So that, in theory, I can use next week to study.

Honestly, though, there is not much studying going on.  I'll have super productive spurts for a couple of days, and then will go for a couple of days without doing anything except milling around the house and picking up new books to read.

I think I'm slowly becoming resigned to the fact that it beez what it beez.  I'll do how I'll do and that will be that.  Let's just hope it's good enough.

We finally broke down and bought new luggage.  It's lime green and awesome and should last us for the next decade at least.

Truthfully there is not much prepping left to do, just deciding on clothes and charging cameras.  Everything is ready to roll except face masks and foreign currency.  {Travel books are ready: Sisterland and Gone Girl.}

Think Lucy will fit in our suitcases?  {Nah, this is a vacation, we need a break from Lucifer.}  Please pray for those poor techs at the boarding facility.  They don't know what's coming.

It is nice to face a pretty open and free Saturday:  a little car maintenance, a little refrigerator maintenance (even our ice has ice on it), but otherwise, packing, decorating the bedroom so that it looks like people actually live here, finishing Season 3 of Falling Skies, and letting Lucy run around.

Oh, and studying.

TGIF, people!

The Dining Room (Before & After)

Not much to show with the dining room, but it is part of the general layout that caused us to buy the house, so here ya go!

Before

See the wine bottle on the counter?  Incidentally, it was a gift from our lending company and I'm drinking a glass right now.  :)  Oh, Cabernet Sauvignon, I <3 u.

After

Selling Point

This isn't the best pic (phone) but we like the open layout; this pic is taken from the kitchen and you can see down into the living room.  It's nice to have these three main rooms right next to each other on an open floor plan.  All the better to spy on the bun bun.

I Spy

Having a rabbit is a bit like having a furry toddler running around the house.  Eyes on them at all times and such.

Also, when things get super quiet, it's time to worry.

Can you spy the little bun bun hiding out?

How about in this one?  

{hint: she didn't move very far.  Look for the tell tale ear.}

Fortunately, we are well-trained to always keep one eye on the bun buns.

Food and Drink

What else to call this post?  The subject basically covers my reason for living.

Look what arrived at my office yesterday!

If you have never tried chocolate-covered pineapple, then you now have a new life goal, my friend.

I can't decide if I like it better with white chocolate or dark chocolate.  Perhaps I should write an argument essay discussing the value of both in preparation for the GRE.  Or...I could just eat some more.  Because we all know I could use those calories like a hole in the head.

I have a wine recommendation for you that is perfect for summer (you know, now that summer is almost over.  But hey!  Better late than never.)

Yes, that is a lime you see.  On a wine glass.  They recommend a splash of lime and you will not regret it!  It tastes like a combination of limeade and ginger ale and champagne and wine.  It's like, if Sonic served alcoholic beverages, they would bring you something like this.  With lots of crunchy ice.  Now that I think of it, I bet they could pour an entire bottle's worth into one of their large cups.

Also, dinner last night:  My Favorite Sushi Roll Ever.  I consider it preparation for Hong Kong and Singapore.  Fresh fish?  Why, yes I believe I will!  Basically anything that adds a bit of spice (pun!) to my study schedule.

Food and drink are the highlights of my life right now (oh, Jesus is probably so proud of me for saying that) because the rest just consists of work and studying.  And quite frankly, I'm not studying as much as I should.  What I call "studying" for math is really just staring at it and praying for enough osmosis to create some damage control. 

The rest is staring at hundreds (and hundreds) of vocab words, taking practice tests, cussing (again with the Jesus comment), taking more practice tests, and writing timed essays over and over again.  Only to finish them and think, hey, maybe I should have addressed the main argument.  OMG I can't wait - either way - for this to be over.

Kind of like how Lucy feels about going to the vet.

In other thrilling news, G replaced our shower head and now I can clean myself like a normal human being.  I was breaking records, people!  The old shower head, combined with a zillion pounds of water pressure, was so painful that I could take a full shower AND wash my hair in under about three minutes.  Probably more like two, if I'm being completely honest.  Combine that with the hot CO temps of late and you get a delightful smell picture.

Enough procrastinating.  Back to it...