sunday afternoon thoughts
I haven't messed around on livejournal in so long. I think it's long overdue and the fact that I'm finding the time to do it means my life is back in a place where I can take control of my artistic energies.
Things are good here in the suburbs of DC. I seriously have such a great life right now. Although I still get angry, sad, and lonely at times, overall I don't have anything to complain about. I feel like you have to hold onto these times in your life with everything you have or else they will fly out the window.
Aaron and I have adjusted to living in the same 'vacinity' quite well. I can't even say we live in the same zip code, but we are working on it. We hit a few bumpy parts here and there when trying to go from 'weekend bf/gf' to 'all the time bf/gf' but I think the transition is mostly made at this point. For the first time in our lives I know all his friends, and he knows all mine. We know where we work, who we work with, what our home life is like. It's like getting to know each other all over again.
I **FINALY** got a dog ( mere weeks after I moved out here). The fact that I have to write this means it's been over 6 months since I have typed out my life in journal form. As my New Zealand boss would say, 'she is lovely'. Her name is Lady, which is sick I know, but it was the name she came with and it just sort of stuck. She is a miniature longhaired dachshund who makes every person she meets fall in love with her (including my rough-around-the-edges grandma). Aaron says he feels embarassed being so in love with a little dog after he has made fun of them for so many years. What can I say, she is a heart stealer.
My job has been really amazing. I'm studying how children learn from media and running around the DC metro area to collect data. While I love the 'research' aspect of it, what I love even more is being in charge of my own lab. My boss really gives me free reign to mold the Early Learning Project the way I want it to be, and I can tell that she is impressed with how far it has come. With over 14 undergrads, 3 grad students, 2 full time employees, and Dr. Barr to keep organized it sometimes feels like I"m never done. But, as per usual, I love the mayhem. And all the chubby little babies I get to play with.
On the side, I've also started up lots of babysitting gigs and I've helped manage a belly dance studio. Unfortunatly, my committment to belly dance has waned lately because my grad school applications have been INTENSE. But I highly reccomend it to anyone looking for a sexy-yet-sophistocated workout.
One of the coolest babysitting jobs I've gotten is for a movie writer. His first two movies out of the box were September's The Kingdom and Lions and Lambs which just game out this week. I know nothing about the movie industry so I ask him relentless questions about the politics involved. Luckily, he is just starting out in his movie career and is very young so he is eager to share every movie-star moment and the hurt that comes with being in the public eye. He and his wife have a 12 month old daughter who is absolutely adorable. It's nice to know that such kind loving people are behind some of the major flicks that hit our box office (as I always thought it was completely the opposite...).
OH I almost forgot - my roomie! Autumn has been great. I was nervous about rooming with someone who was a 'friend' but we really haven't had too many problems. I do , however, feel a pang of guilt with the way she religiously does the dishes before I can even glance at them in the sink or the way she is so motivated and energized that she never seems to need 20 minutes in front of the television. I am just lesser of a person what can I say. Our outlooks on life, our fashion sense, our decorating ideas, and our priorities are nowhere near each other. But somehow we have come together in a hodge podge of roomie love.
The one thing Aaron and I still say we miss is Pittsburgh and all our loves far across the way. If only we could be everywhere at once.
Things are good here in the suburbs of DC. I seriously have such a great life right now. Although I still get angry, sad, and lonely at times, overall I don't have anything to complain about. I feel like you have to hold onto these times in your life with everything you have or else they will fly out the window.
Aaron and I have adjusted to living in the same 'vacinity' quite well. I can't even say we live in the same zip code, but we are working on it. We hit a few bumpy parts here and there when trying to go from 'weekend bf/gf' to 'all the time bf/gf' but I think the transition is mostly made at this point. For the first time in our lives I know all his friends, and he knows all mine. We know where we work, who we work with, what our home life is like. It's like getting to know each other all over again.
I **FINALY** got a dog ( mere weeks after I moved out here). The fact that I have to write this means it's been over 6 months since I have typed out my life in journal form. As my New Zealand boss would say, 'she is lovely'. Her name is Lady, which is sick I know, but it was the name she came with and it just sort of stuck. She is a miniature longhaired dachshund who makes every person she meets fall in love with her (including my rough-around-the-edges grandma). Aaron says he feels embarassed being so in love with a little dog after he has made fun of them for so many years. What can I say, she is a heart stealer.
My job has been really amazing. I'm studying how children learn from media and running around the DC metro area to collect data. While I love the 'research' aspect of it, what I love even more is being in charge of my own lab. My boss really gives me free reign to mold the Early Learning Project the way I want it to be, and I can tell that she is impressed with how far it has come. With over 14 undergrads, 3 grad students, 2 full time employees, and Dr. Barr to keep organized it sometimes feels like I"m never done. But, as per usual, I love the mayhem. And all the chubby little babies I get to play with.
On the side, I've also started up lots of babysitting gigs and I've helped manage a belly dance studio. Unfortunatly, my committment to belly dance has waned lately because my grad school applications have been INTENSE. But I highly reccomend it to anyone looking for a sexy-yet-sophistocated workout.
One of the coolest babysitting jobs I've gotten is for a movie writer. His first two movies out of the box were September's The Kingdom and Lions and Lambs which just game out this week. I know nothing about the movie industry so I ask him relentless questions about the politics involved. Luckily, he is just starting out in his movie career and is very young so he is eager to share every movie-star moment and the hurt that comes with being in the public eye. He and his wife have a 12 month old daughter who is absolutely adorable. It's nice to know that such kind loving people are behind some of the major flicks that hit our box office (as I always thought it was completely the opposite...).
OH I almost forgot - my roomie! Autumn has been great. I was nervous about rooming with someone who was a 'friend' but we really haven't had too many problems. I do , however, feel a pang of guilt with the way she religiously does the dishes before I can even glance at them in the sink or the way she is so motivated and energized that she never seems to need 20 minutes in front of the television. I am just lesser of a person what can I say. Our outlooks on life, our fashion sense, our decorating ideas, and our priorities are nowhere near each other. But somehow we have come together in a hodge podge of roomie love.
The one thing Aaron and I still say we miss is Pittsburgh and all our loves far across the way. If only we could be everywhere at once.