Kitties

I miss my kitties. I feel badly because I haven't been spending much quality time with them. My Scuro and my Ra are the best kitties in the world! (I love Grace and Harley too though.)

I have been staying at Mike's house more often lately. He had his medical procedure today. His mom drove him to the hospital and back, and we both hung around for most of the day to make sure he was all right. Pretty much, he was just groggy and a little sore all day. The doctor said he has rings in his throat that cause him to gag on some foods. He said that the rings are caused because of allergies. So we have to see what exactly it is that he is allergic to. So between these rings in his esophagus and his diverticulitis his whole digestive system is pretty much out of whack. Poor guy.

I am happy but anxious today. Here are some of the things stressing me out:

1) Not spending enough time with my kitties
2) Not getting research done
3) Batteries not working in my camera
4) Mike being sick
5) Getting fatter
6) Being sleepy all the time
7) My foot is asleep
8) Problems getting reimbursed for the conference
9) Zits, weren't they supposed to disappear by now?
10) Mike's upcoming travel abroad

But there is a lot more to be thankful for. I must remember thanksgiving, prayer, and petition.

Ideal, Ideal Weekend

I think Mike and I will always remember this weekend. I think we have both surpassed the point where we have been in any other relationship, and it feels right to be where we are. I spent most of the weekend day dreaming instead of researching, but my priority right now is to enjoy being happy and in love. There will always be more work to do.

On another note, I taught Ru how to shake hands yesterday to surprise Mike when he got home from Oregon. It made him smile. Now Ru wants to shake hands all the time! He is a hand shaking machine!

I just ate a burrito, and Mike just had a bowl of ice cream. We are doing well on our diets. He goes in for his endoscopy in the morning, so those who pray, say a prayer for him that he will come out all right. I want them to find the problem so they can fix it, but I don't want something really bad to be wrong.

We bought a gourmet, one cup coffee maker and a pillow top thingy for my bed at Bed, Bath, and Beyond this weekend. I had 20% off coupons. Mike also made another very large purchase, but I can't officially talk about that yet . . .

What else happened this weekend? Mike sprayed my yard for weeds and bugs, of which I have a plethora. I watched Ru on Friday while Mike was away on business. He wanted to catch up on sleep Saturday, but I wouldn't let him. Hmmm. Mike started some projects around his house to start getting it fixed up. I successfully avoided doing research. The end.

Busy

There is too much to do and too little time. I straightened up Mike's house today, then I came home and straightened up my house some. Spent some time with Ru this morning and the kitties this afternoon. I logged into work and got a call about my other work (henceforth, they will be called work and work 2). I paid some bills, submitted some expense reports, scheduled some meetings, and all sorts of other stuff. I am about to head out the door to go back to Mike's place so Ru can go pee. Mike will get home from his business trip tomorrow afternoon. All this travel has really been wearing him out. He has surgery on Monday on top of it all.

It will be a lot easier on both of us when we only have one house to maintain. The pets will be stressed for a while, but they will eventually learn how to co-exist. They are already not doing that badly.

I am going to make bacon fried rice for dinner tonight. I would watch a movie, but for the life of me, I can't figure out Mike's television in his living room.

Conk

I think Ru might have given me a black eye. I bent down to pet him, and he got excited and jumped up. I put an ice pack on it so hopefully it didn't leave a mark. Chris and I cooked and ate dinner together tonight. I feel like I haven't seen him in ages. It was good to catch up. My Internet was down for a good part of the day today. Unfortunately that means I have to work tomorrow since I didn't put the hours in today.

Mike gets home tonight, but he has to fly to Oregon on Friday. I don't like him traveling so much but he makes time for me when he is in Charlotte so it is okay.

Effusive

Ooh, thanks to my daily horoscope, I just learned a new word that is very Pam:

Main Entry:

ef·fu·sive

Pronunciation:

\i-ˈfyü-siv, e-, -ziv\

Function:

adjective

Date:

1662

1: marked by the expression of great or excessive emotion or enthusiasm <effusive praise>
2archaic : pouring freely
3: characterized or formed by a nonexplosive outpouring of lava <effusive rocks>

— ef·fu·sive·ly adverb

— ef·fu·sive·ness noun

Okay, maybe not definition number 3, but definitely definition number 1.

Queek Queek Queek

The Ru is awake and whining. I let him out to go to the bathroom while I fixed his gate. He didn't get out this time, but he did considerable damage by pushing it out on the bottom. I have a feeling we will need to get a new gate. Other than that, he was pretty good last night - unless I just slept through it from sheer exhaustion. I think the Tabasco sauce on the gate really helped. I will name the gate Chimichanga. Going back to bed.

Playing Mommy

I worked from home today and watched the kids. Ru and Ra are starting to warm up to each other some. Scuro is still holding a grudge. I had Empire Today come over and give me an estimate on hardwood floors throughout the living room, but I decided their price was too high. Bennett said he would be able to do it cheaper, and Mike said that he would be able to help. If Ru is staying over more often, then I want to get rid of the carpet downstairs. He hates being locked up in the kitchen at night. He tried eating through his gate last night. I basted the gate with Tabasco sauce this morning so maybe he will stop. Otherwise, I might need to get some metal gates.

Mike talked to mom on the phone for the first time last night. It was cute.

Chris just got home. He is playing with the animals. It is definitely more lively here the last few days. I just hope Ru won't push down his gate tonight and will let me get some sleep. Poor Mike had meetings all somewhere near Newark so he didn't get very much sleep last night. I at least got to sleep a bit longer than he did this morning.

Full House

Humans are out numbered by animals 2:3. Women are out numbered by men 3:2. Dogs are out numbered by cats 2:1. There are cats chasing dog, and dog chasing cats. It is crazy around here! Ra has decided his safe haven is under the coffee table. Ru has decided to follow either me or Mike around as much as possible. Scuro, well, she is just perturbed by this whole thing. However, she is starting to calm down some. She just joined me on the couch for some cuddling. Now my belly is getting mashed. We are one, big, happy family. :-)

Mike is asleep because he has to leave to catch a plane at 4 AM. We ordered in Chinese food for dinner tonight. We went to the new Tijuana Flats (yay!) for lunch which is right down the street from my house. Tomorrow is a work day and hopefully I can get some research done as well. This weekend was house cleaning, pet calming, and boyfriend napping.

Happy Saturday

I woke up smiling this morning. It is going to be a busy day. We are going to take Ru to training then he is going to get groomed so he can make a good impression for his first meeting with Ra and Scuro! Mike and I made stuffed pork chops last night, and they were soo good. We have been eating really well . . . steak, lamb chops, stuffed pork chops, quail, veal something-or-another, chicken marsala, you name it. Unfortunately, now we need to go on diets. I am going to have a smoothie for breakfast.

Matt and Amy

I invited Matt and Amy over to Mike's for dinner. Mike is cooking steaks, potatoes, corn on the cob, and creme brule. Yummy. Worked from home today. My tummy was hurting this afternoon. Now I have a kink in my neck. Ru got in trouble today for chewing on the furniture. Can't wait until he comes to my house . . .

Things to Help Mike

Here is a list of things I can do to help Mike so he doesn't have to feel like he has to do everything himself. Besides, I like to feel useful.

1) Make a list of things I can help do for Mike
2) Help cook/do dishes
3) Watch Ru when he is out of town
4) Help him fold/put away laundry
5) Help him organize his office
6) Help him fix up his upstairs closet
7) Take out the trash (his trash is always overflowing)
8) Start exercising together
9) Encourage one another to eat healthier
10) Buy him new, brown t-shirts that don't have holes in the armpit

Sunday Colorado River

We went tubing down the Colorado River today which was pretty fun. We were starving when we got back so we chowed down on Pizza Hut pizza. I am ready to go home! Our flight leaves at 1:45 PM, and I get home at 9:45 PM. Will probably sleep in the car and on the plane.

I don't like that Colorado hotels don't have air conditioning. It is hot in here, and there is a dog barking outside. We need a fan.

Saturday Rocky Mountains

I got up too early this morning so I will be exhausted tonight. I go back to work on Tuesday so I won't get much of a break after travel. Hopefully I will get some sleep on the plane. Matt has an interview in an hour which is when we will head out to the conference.

Not too much to report. Feeling like I should get home and start being productive.

Friday Colorado

The conference went fairly well today. I got through my presentation and my interview. Mike sent me some flowers which was very sweet. I am finally out of my dress and high heels. Yay! I am ready to get home, but we aren't flying back until Monday.

This conference is really giving me a sense of urgency on getting more research done. Publish or perish!!

Colorado Thursday

I sat out by a beautiful mountain lake this morning. On the way back to the hotel room, I passed Matt and Amy in the hot tub. I am about to hop in the shower. Matt and I are going to a session this afternoon. I have an interview at 5 PM. Then we are meeting with our advisor and going to a welcome reception tonight until 8 PM.

Free Wi-Fi

Yay!! Our room has free wi-fi. Awesomeness. I miss my boyfriend and kitties already. We flew into Colorado Springs and Matt drove the rental car to Keystone. I napped most of the way. I practiced my presentation once, and it is running about 25 minutes which is pretty good. I need to do some more practicing before my presentation on Sunday. Matt's presentation is on Friday.

I didn't get much sleep last night as I stayed up pretty late packing. I got up around 6 AM, and they picked me up at 7 AM. It is 6:40 PM Charlotte time but two hours earlier here. Might nap for a minute before dinner with our advisor.

Focus

Okay, my ADD is kicking in today, and I need to focus on two and only two things today: work and packing. Pack, work. Okay. But before that, I think I am going to make some lunch. Then pack, work.

The Perfect Guy

He . . .

lets me sleep in his armpit
comforts me when I have a nightmare
gets my dorky sense of humor
worries about me when he sees me cry
takes me camping
joins me when I silly dance
talks in his sleep
isn't a partier
knows more elements on the periodic table than I do
can cook
lets me wear his t-shirts
likes to tickle me
believes in God
loves animals
loves his family
follows me when I run to the other room
proof reads my papers
gives me lots of forehead kisses
doesn't get embarrassed when I act silly in public
reads to me in bed
gives me the prettier piece of meat at dinner
has messy handwriting
lets me organize things
helps fix things around the house
humors my random questions
knows the names of my inanimate objects
can interpret my "stuffs" and "things"
protects me
tells me I am beautiful
loves my cats
wakes me up when I start grinding my teeth
carries my packages when we shop
lists the reasons why he loves me when I ask
is faithful
understands me for who I am
knows what I need
lets me take care of him sometimes
drags me out of bed for work in the morning
answers the phone when I call
leaves me little messages
gives me the key to his house
lets me plan things together for the future
doesn't get mad at me easily
laughs at how impatient I am
thinks about me when I am not around
wants a family
makes time for me
helps calm me down
is down to earth
cries sometimes because he cares so much
thinks I am a good person
is supportive of my career
responsible
smiles when he sees me
misses me when we are apart
can be a smart a**
always tells me the truth
knows how to compromise
apologizes when he is a jerk
accepts that I am emotional
can challenge me intellectually
takes me to see waterfalls
trusts me
knows my ring size
can teach me new things
thinks I am smart
is someone I can tell anything to
knows who he is
is consistent in his actions
is my best friend
loves me

Pictures

John Mayer concert

Ru

Mike in his office

The Scuro (tomorrow is her birthday)

Big Yawn

Mike left for Colorado Springs today. The funny thing is that I leave for Colorado Springs on Wednesday so we will be passing each other in the air. Oh well. I was busy this weekend putting together my applicant portfolio for Fall 2008. I didn't expect to be in the recruiting pool so soon, but we will see what happens! Mike is willing to move as long as there is a major airport near by. I would be just as happy if I found a good opportunity in Charlotte. Charlotte is a nice city.

Ugh, I have to get some more work done for work, but I feel distracted due to the upcoming conference. Bleh. I also need to pack for the conference. Time to make another list.

To Do:
1) Finish outbound distribution for work
2) Pack for Colorado
3) Practice presentation
4) Print boarding pass - DONE

I am sure there is more, but those are the biggies for right now.

Exxcellent

Look, I Simpsonized Me!!

I also took a stab at Mike . . .

Grumpy

Now, when I should be sleeping, I am wide awake. On my agenda for tomorrow (actually, later today): write a statement of purpose that includes my teaching philosophy and research interests. I also need to get some quotes from my student evaluations to include in my teaching portfolio. Busy, busy. And I need to practice my presentation for the conference next week.

Things to include in my portfolio:
-Statement of Purpose, DONE
-CV, DONE
-Student Feedback, DONE
-Teaching Evaluation Scores, DONE
-Teaching Peer Evaluation, DONE
-Class Syllabus?, DONE
-Letters of Recommendation, DONE
-Abstracts of Working Papers, DONE
-Transcripts, DONE

What else? I don't know. I have to have all this bound professionally as well. Yikes. I guess I didn't realize that it was already time for recruitment to begin until I started getting emails from various universities. Then I thought about it, and I am pretty much on the market for Fall 2008. Unlike industry, faculty positions are recruited in a lumpy way. They really only recruit to start during the fall of each year. Getting my butt in gear. :-)~

Sleepy and Doc

We have been relatively productive today. I took Mike on one of my little destressing shopping sprees. Basically, I go shopping for the purpose of finding products that help make my life more manageable. So first we went to Target. I got some zit medicine and face cloths for this huge zit I have on my chin. I bought some vitamins to make me healthier and sleep better. And a light bulb for my refrigerator. Mike got laundry baskets, a toothbrush holder, bathroom trash can, throw blankets, and some other random stuff. Then we went to PetSmart. I bought a litter mat for the cats and some pheromone calming spray for when the cats meet Ru. I encouraged Mike to sign up for obedience training for Ru. He also got some other stuff to try to calm the wild Ru. After that, we ate a relatively healthy lunch at Panera.

We came back to my house and ended up napping because I love day-time naps. I also woke him up at 5 AM this morning and convinced him we should get up and go to Waffle House. After we ate breakfast, we went back to sleep for a few hours. So now I am awake and have been PhDing.

My presentation for AMCIS is done except for needing to cut out a few slides and practicing. The next things on my list to do include:

-Create Statement of Purpose, DONE
-Make resume into vita, DONE
-Create interview portfolios, DONE
-Create cover letter, DEFERRED
-Pack for Colorado, TO DO

Mike put up my new chandelier in the breakfast nook while I was working on my presentation. He went to the grocery store and is now cooking dinner while I blog. The cats are roaming around the house looking kind of bored. It is a lazy but busy day just living life.

Happy

Mike had to drag me out of bed this morning so I could drive home to get ready for work. I am not a morning person! I am ready with a few minutes to spare so here I am blogging. We went shopping for something special last night (not saying much right now), and things are going really well. I love my boyfriend. We already say the same thing at the same time the other person is about to say it. I think he is probably the first guy to really pay attention to who I am and what I need - and love me for who I am. I know I can be difficult, but for the right guy, I am worth it.

Mike is so sweet that he has a hard time punishing Ru so the silly dog runs wild sometimes. He is also really smart and can take care of himself. He has a nice house (a little messy sometimes), and he usually does the cooking since he is a better cook than I am. He is handsome even though he gets insecure about his receded (because it did but isn't now) hairline. He has big, brown eyes that are so cute when he gives me crap or when he has no idea what to say or do to comfort me if I am crying. We get along really well by just being ourselves which is the most important thing. Sometimes he isn't wordy enough for me, and sometimes I am too impatient for him, but in general, we are pretty perfect together.

Sorry for gushing. I am in love and happy. Say a prayer for us. Neither one of us want to get hurt again so we are trying our best to take care of each other. Not everything is easy, but I think God will help make this possible.

Well, it is time for me to get in Pearl and drive down the street. Needing more sleep, but I think I will nap this evening. Happy Friday.

Skype

I now have Skype on my phone and computer: pamela.j.karr

It really only makes sense to use on my phone if I am calling internationally which I don't do. Mike did get a Skype phone though so he can call me when his is in Germany, France, Taiwan, and wherever else IBM sends him. He travels a lot but he works from home the rest of the time so it isn't too bad.

Okay, I am going to eat hotdogs now.

I Can Leave!!

I got my passport today so now I can officially leave the country. Yippee! I don't know when I will be able to take this trip, but darn it, it will be within the next year. Mike and his sister are going to London for Thanksgiving. I am not invited because they made the plans before Mike and I got really serious. I am kind of bummed about it, but I think it is important that he get to spend time with his sister. She has been his best friend for his whole life. Hopefully I will be able to go with them next year.

Some upcoming events:
8/7 - Scuro's 10th birthday
8/8-8/13 - ACMIS Colorado
8/20 - Fall semester begins
9/22-9/23 - Mike and I meet Mom and Watson in Savannah
10/5-10/8 - Mike and I visit Kim and Tony in Chicago for my birthday
11/20-11/26 - Thanksgiving in Chicago with Kim, Tony, Mom, and Watson
12/14 - Fall semester ends

I am happiest when I get to plan ahead. :-)

I enjoyed the John Mayer concert. They didn't play my three favorite songs though: Daughters, Wonderland, and Home Life. I got to dance under the stars with my boyfriend though which was worth the whole concert.

I have to get up early and work on a presentation tomorrow before logging into work. I better get to bed. G'night.

Room for Squares

Mike and I are going to see the John Mayer concert tonight. I just dropped Chris and Amber off at the airport. She is taking him to Vermont to meet her family. Pretty serious stuff, huh? Mike and I are meeting mom and Watson in Savannah for a weekend in September, and he meets Kim and Tony in Chicago for my birthday. I haven't figured out when he will get to meet Lisa, Steve, and the kids.

I am thinking I will take a short nap then get the work I have to get done today done. I love my naps.