There's nothing you can say to make them go away
This is my 2,501st post! Yay! *throws confetti* My my, I've certainly had a lot to say, haven't I? Not recently as much, sadly, but LJ has been such a hugely important part of my life for the last 6 years or so. I'm so glad I found it and all of you. ♥
Life things! My daddy has now moved to Ann Arbor and it's so wonderful to have him around. He's moved into his brother's house because he couldn't afford to keep his house in Connecticut anymore. It's unfortunate, and he's sad he had to leave my sister (who's in high school and living with my mom), but he's always loved Ann Arbor and so much more of his family (his two siblings, his nieces and nephews, me!) are here and I think it's going to ultimately make him happier. He already got a good offer on his house back in CT and the inspection process is underway, so fingers crossed that that all goes smoothly! An offer this soon was definitely not expected in this economy, so I hope so much it works out. I recruited some friends to help him move furniture in and stuff, so that was fun, and since then we've just been hanging out now and then, and it's really, really nice. My daddy is my favorite person in the whole world, so having him around is like having a best friend nearby again (something I've felt sorely lacking ever since Francisco moved away). Yesterday we went for a wonderful walk/hike through the UMich arboretum - it was the most perfect fall day, 60s and sunny, and we had a lovely time. Then he made his delicious stew for dinner and ohhh I have missed my daddy's home cooking! It was a really great day.
Another great thing about yesterday is I finally got my bike!! My dad brought my old high school bike out with him and so now I finally have it, so I bought a helmet and a lock and lights and I am all ready to go! I hopped on it for a quick spin yesterday and it felt so right - I didn't realize how much I had missed it! Biking is so much more fun than running to me - I love speed! I'm going to be biking to and from work from now on (almost 1 mile each way) and tonight I took it out for a little while. I came back sweaty and noodle legged but it was so great, I really loved it. Hopefully I can make that a regular part of my life. :D
I still feel pretty meh about research and my project and everything. Various factors make me rather doubt whether I actually want to be a scientist - which is really fun in your second year of five years of grad school, let me tell you. I have a feeling my boss is pretty disappointed with me right now, though maybe that's just projection since I'm disappointed in myself, idk. But we had a good talk today that (once again) changed my thinking and put me on a better course, so hopefully something will come out of THIS avenue of investigation when nothing has come out of the others. Ehh idk, I don't really want to talk about it.
I semi-regret taking the class I chose this semester - biophysics. The bio-related stuff is interesting, but I've already had a lot of it because I had this prof for a module in a different course. And the other stuff, the physics and thermodynamics and etc, makes me want to diiiiiie. UGH. I cannot express my hatred of thermodynamics. I struggled through our homework assignment and I THINK I did decently, but it was like pulling teeth. Hopefully the bio parts will be better.
Roomies still good, that's all fine. But lately I've been feeling quite... lonely. Like I mentioned above, ever since Francisco left, there's just been an emptiness in my life. Not just specifically him (though I miss him a LOT), but I just don't have any friends that are MY friends here, who get me in a real essential way. In Dublin I had so many people like that, and until Francisco left I had him, Steffen and Katie. But when he left, the latter two haven't really made an effort to see me, and I've tried to make an effort but it just hasn't been reciprocated, and all in all it's left me basically alone. The aborted dating thing with the barista this summer didn't help matters. I just feel like I'm drifting from week to week, kind of getting things done but nothing amazing, and at the same time not really making any memories with people I love. Thank god for my roomie Emily because she's the only person who even kind of satisfies this gap for me, but she's just not enough. Meh. That's how I feel about my life right now: meh.
However, there is one thing getting me through each day. It will surprise no one that soccer/football still OWNS MY LIFE. This has been a mixed addition to my life - I love the sport so much, and I am so invested in it that I spend large chunks of my time reading, watching, and talking about the game. But it means that a large portion of my happiness rises and falls by the fortunes of my teams, and unfortunately, my teams have been having VERY bad fortunes lately. :-/ Bayern has had literally the worst start to a season EVER in the club's history, with only 2 wins and 5 goals in 7 matches. D: That's been frustrating, to say the least. And Liverpool's floundering, which has been very sad to watch. Arsenal is plagued by injuries which has led to some less than stellar performances, but I think as the talent starts trickling back onto the healthy list, they can make things happen again. Happily, the German team today managed to be a source of joy once again, romping to a solid 3-0 victory over a Turkey side that looked disjointed and incompetent, really. I was so nervous going into the match but my boys really played the beautiful game, despite missing my dearest darling Basti due to a ligament tear in his foot. :( He'll be back by next weekend, I think/hope.
My other football happy place is the revelation that is FSV Mainz 05. This is a baaaaby team that never really does too well, and has only been in the top tier of the Bundesliga (the German league) a few years total, but this year? Oh, this year they've only WON ALL SEVEN OF THEIR MATCHES. :O That is a tie for the best start to a season EVER, and I am very confident that next weekend they will BEAT that record by winning against Hamburg! The secret to their success is a quartet of young, sparkling talents that all happened to land at the same time and gel perfectly, in addition to a young, creative coach who's really put a fire under the team. My faaaaaaavorite is this super cutiepie named Lewis Holtby - he's half British half German, so he speaks wonderful English, he's the captain of the German U-21 squad, he's tiny, blond, and stupidly, marvelously talented. ♥ I was charmed with him in an interview, and then when I saw him play I was just a goner. I LOVE HIM SO MUCH. He likes to laugh and leap on his teammates and coach and make the most beautiful through passes and I adore him to bits and tiny pieces.
This is his ridic adorable self WASHING HIS OWN JERSEYS. He Tweeted this photo! I love boys who Tweet. And do their own laundry. And document it. BASICALLY I LOVE HIM.
"But Anne," you might be thinking, "isn't it rather treasonous to root for someone in the Bundesliga other than Bayern?" And to that I say, dear reader, yes. Yes it is. But when I come delightedly to a new league, excited and ready to watch some great football, and what I am rewarded with is a team unable to put a ball in the net, who plays frustrating, ineffective football, well, I am going to go to greener pastures, at least temporarily. Bayern still has my heart for now - I couldn't imagine not watching Basti and Lahm play, for one thing, and I've invested too much effort into the team at this point - but there are definitely things that frustrate me about it, and I needed something that would keep me smiling instead of putting a drag in my step. Mainz is that something. They are SO much fun to watch, creative and energetic and finding all sorts of fun new ways to put a ball into the net. Plus, Lewis. ♥
So that's my life right now! I figured it was time for an update of some sort.
How are you? ♥
Life things! My daddy has now moved to Ann Arbor and it's so wonderful to have him around. He's moved into his brother's house because he couldn't afford to keep his house in Connecticut anymore. It's unfortunate, and he's sad he had to leave my sister (who's in high school and living with my mom), but he's always loved Ann Arbor and so much more of his family (his two siblings, his nieces and nephews, me!) are here and I think it's going to ultimately make him happier. He already got a good offer on his house back in CT and the inspection process is underway, so fingers crossed that that all goes smoothly! An offer this soon was definitely not expected in this economy, so I hope so much it works out. I recruited some friends to help him move furniture in and stuff, so that was fun, and since then we've just been hanging out now and then, and it's really, really nice. My daddy is my favorite person in the whole world, so having him around is like having a best friend nearby again (something I've felt sorely lacking ever since Francisco moved away). Yesterday we went for a wonderful walk/hike through the UMich arboretum - it was the most perfect fall day, 60s and sunny, and we had a lovely time. Then he made his delicious stew for dinner and ohhh I have missed my daddy's home cooking! It was a really great day.
Another great thing about yesterday is I finally got my bike!! My dad brought my old high school bike out with him and so now I finally have it, so I bought a helmet and a lock and lights and I am all ready to go! I hopped on it for a quick spin yesterday and it felt so right - I didn't realize how much I had missed it! Biking is so much more fun than running to me - I love speed! I'm going to be biking to and from work from now on (almost 1 mile each way) and tonight I took it out for a little while. I came back sweaty and noodle legged but it was so great, I really loved it. Hopefully I can make that a regular part of my life. :D
I still feel pretty meh about research and my project and everything. Various factors make me rather doubt whether I actually want to be a scientist - which is really fun in your second year of five years of grad school, let me tell you. I have a feeling my boss is pretty disappointed with me right now, though maybe that's just projection since I'm disappointed in myself, idk. But we had a good talk today that (once again) changed my thinking and put me on a better course, so hopefully something will come out of THIS avenue of investigation when nothing has come out of the others. Ehh idk, I don't really want to talk about it.
I semi-regret taking the class I chose this semester - biophysics. The bio-related stuff is interesting, but I've already had a lot of it because I had this prof for a module in a different course. And the other stuff, the physics and thermodynamics and etc, makes me want to diiiiiie. UGH. I cannot express my hatred of thermodynamics. I struggled through our homework assignment and I THINK I did decently, but it was like pulling teeth. Hopefully the bio parts will be better.
Roomies still good, that's all fine. But lately I've been feeling quite... lonely. Like I mentioned above, ever since Francisco left, there's just been an emptiness in my life. Not just specifically him (though I miss him a LOT), but I just don't have any friends that are MY friends here, who get me in a real essential way. In Dublin I had so many people like that, and until Francisco left I had him, Steffen and Katie. But when he left, the latter two haven't really made an effort to see me, and I've tried to make an effort but it just hasn't been reciprocated, and all in all it's left me basically alone. The aborted dating thing with the barista this summer didn't help matters. I just feel like I'm drifting from week to week, kind of getting things done but nothing amazing, and at the same time not really making any memories with people I love. Thank god for my roomie Emily because she's the only person who even kind of satisfies this gap for me, but she's just not enough. Meh. That's how I feel about my life right now: meh.
However, there is one thing getting me through each day. It will surprise no one that soccer/football still OWNS MY LIFE. This has been a mixed addition to my life - I love the sport so much, and I am so invested in it that I spend large chunks of my time reading, watching, and talking about the game. But it means that a large portion of my happiness rises and falls by the fortunes of my teams, and unfortunately, my teams have been having VERY bad fortunes lately. :-/ Bayern has had literally the worst start to a season EVER in the club's history, with only 2 wins and 5 goals in 7 matches. D: That's been frustrating, to say the least. And Liverpool's floundering, which has been very sad to watch. Arsenal is plagued by injuries which has led to some less than stellar performances, but I think as the talent starts trickling back onto the healthy list, they can make things happen again. Happily, the German team today managed to be a source of joy once again, romping to a solid 3-0 victory over a Turkey side that looked disjointed and incompetent, really. I was so nervous going into the match but my boys really played the beautiful game, despite missing my dearest darling Basti due to a ligament tear in his foot. :( He'll be back by next weekend, I think/hope.
My other football happy place is the revelation that is FSV Mainz 05. This is a baaaaby team that never really does too well, and has only been in the top tier of the Bundesliga (the German league) a few years total, but this year? Oh, this year they've only WON ALL SEVEN OF THEIR MATCHES. :O That is a tie for the best start to a season EVER, and I am very confident that next weekend they will BEAT that record by winning against Hamburg! The secret to their success is a quartet of young, sparkling talents that all happened to land at the same time and gel perfectly, in addition to a young, creative coach who's really put a fire under the team. My faaaaaaavorite is this super cutiepie named Lewis Holtby - he's half British half German, so he speaks wonderful English, he's the captain of the German U-21 squad, he's tiny, blond, and stupidly, marvelously talented. ♥ I was charmed with him in an interview, and then when I saw him play I was just a goner. I LOVE HIM SO MUCH. He likes to laugh and leap on his teammates and coach and make the most beautiful through passes and I adore him to bits and tiny pieces.
This is his ridic adorable self WASHING HIS OWN JERSEYS. He Tweeted this photo! I love boys who Tweet. And do their own laundry. And document it. BASICALLY I LOVE HIM.
"But Anne," you might be thinking, "isn't it rather treasonous to root for someone in the Bundesliga other than Bayern?" And to that I say, dear reader, yes. Yes it is. But when I come delightedly to a new league, excited and ready to watch some great football, and what I am rewarded with is a team unable to put a ball in the net, who plays frustrating, ineffective football, well, I am going to go to greener pastures, at least temporarily. Bayern still has my heart for now - I couldn't imagine not watching Basti and Lahm play, for one thing, and I've invested too much effort into the team at this point - but there are definitely things that frustrate me about it, and I needed something that would keep me smiling instead of putting a drag in my step. Mainz is that something. They are SO much fun to watch, creative and energetic and finding all sorts of fun new ways to put a ball into the net. Plus, Lewis. ♥
So that's my life right now! I figured it was time for an update of some sort.
How are you? ♥