Labor Day Festivities

Five day weekends are definitely my favorite. Left DC on Friday morning and am not returning until tonight (Tuesday), oh wonderful life.

The weekend was busy but great. Spent Friday night with my mom and two of her friends (Jules and Deb) eating, eating, eating. It's what we do best! Hamburgers and hotdogs -- mini-indoor-picnic. We even ate chips! That never happens, mostly because of the guilt involved with the digestion of said chips. But they were glorious, just the same. Then Saturday we made a jaunt up to good ole Schoolcraft, MI to visit my Aunt Rita and Uncle Steve -- and Allison and Ben and Brennan and Micah and Kenzie and Sydney and Emma....woot! Finally got to see the little one. I wish we lived closer, they are growing up too quickly.

It was a great trip though. I know my mom was thrilled to see her sister and family, and it was great to be able to come into town for it. We stayed they night and then spent 3.5 hours playing mexican train. 3.5!! It was a crazy long game, but I believe I will be looking to get that game in the near future.

After getting back to Indy, I spent the day with my dad on Monday and saw the movie Gamers. Actually was really good. All action, not terribly gory at all, definitely violent though. Unique concept and minimal plot holes. Way to go! Was fun at the very least.

Monday night ate pizza and watched ANOTHER movie Sunshine Cleaning with my mom, brother, and his girlfriend Vanessa. Absolutely great. Funny, sad, family, small love interest, and a happy ending. What more can you ask for?

Then got to spend a couple hours with my good friends Keith and Laura who are leaving for the Peace Corps in Ukraine at the end of the month. I'm so excited for them but at the same time can't believe I won't see them for two and a half years. They will do needed work though.

Winding down a busy but fruitful weekend, back to the grind tomorrow!

Moving...in more than one way

So I have officially moved into my new apartment. Now, officially does not mean I have finished unpacking, but it is on it's way. My dad and brother came out to help with the move last Wednesday and stayed till Sunday. Along with Erin's boyfriend Brian and another friend Haseeb, we were able to move three girls' worth of stuff. (Erin was in California for a wedding; Laura in Oxford, England for a summer program) The place is even more than I expected it would be. So many closets, I'm sad I'll only be here for a year! Soon as I have pictures, I'll post them.

Also! I officially have a new advisor. As some of you know, my previous year was spent working in a laboratory, but it was not fruitful in the thesis track. So I went outside the department to develop a new thesis in a completely new area. WOOT WOOT. Of course, I still had to have an advisor at school, so I met with a couple different ones recently. Finally, Dr. Haaga has agreed to take me on!! That's another woot woot! Timeline will be interesting....one year thesis here we gooooo.

Also will be putting out a publication on verbal fluency in the near future and the one on urban adolescent girls as well. TWO!! It's exciting, I'm excited, life is good!

Update to come soon with pictures, no worries...

Summer...wheewwww

So I know, as always, I've been missing for a while. But, I have good reasons, I promise!

In June I went back to Indy for my best friend Samara's wedding. It was absolutely beautiful and I'm so lucky to have been a part of it. I love them as a couple, they are perfect for each other; you can see the love in the following pics. It's just splendid to say the least.





When I came back I had an interview set-up for a potential new advisor for my thesis. It hasn't been working how I'd like it to in that department, so I decided to take it into my own hands. Now I'll be working on a somewhat secretive project (at least until she publishes the first paper she wants to). But it's with kids!! So I'm thrilled. Now all I have to do is find an "administrative" senior advisor at school. The new person I'm working with has had bad experiences with my current advisor...so I need to find a new one. Send good vibes in that direction please!

And finally...I'm moving...again.

Yup, my old roommate and I....as well as an addition of my friend Erin will be moving into an apartment complex directly over the Bethesda Metro station! This is exciting for my commute and basic functionality. It's thrilling!

The only bad part is packing all the current apartment stuff and the actual moving. On top of that both Erin and Laura will not be here for the move. Erin is in California for a wedding of her best friend and Laura is in England for the summer for school. So I have recruited my brother, dad, Erin's boyfriend, and a friend of mine Haseeb. It will be fun next Wednesday!

OH oh oh...and Laura got engaged...in England!!! Woot Woot. She and Brandon have been dating for over 6 years so this is huge (at least in the minds of her closest friends) We were all wondering when Brandon would decide to pop the question.

hmmm more news more news......

*still thinking*

OH! I'm now dating a guy named Doug....haha...news I suppose for some of you. I met him at Samara's wedding...we hit it off....so we're having a go at it. Unfortunately I live here in DC...and he lives in Texas. But we're working at it..maybe long-distance isn't so bad if it starts off that way? We'll see, I'm sure you'll here more as it progresses. Slightly unfair. He has met my mom and brother....yet, I haven't met any of his family. He even had martini's with my mom! I think he's skipping necessary steps, but whatever, my mom loves him. That's all that matters on that front....lol

Okay...info on Mr. Doug....he's a Med student at Texas A&M.....he's a year older than I am....he's definitely smart....and good looking....witty too....sarcastic (which I like)....and basically amazing....something else you want to know...just ask....

And the job search continues....

Unfortunately I lost the job to someone with years of experience....blast! Onward with the job search. Just applied for a position at the Ivymount School -- working with children with Autism, we'll see how that goes. Job searching is so frustrating!

Interview

Had an interview with the Cancer Survivorship Lab at the Uniformed Services University yesterday....hopefully the news I hear in under a week will be good!

Grades In.... (mostly for my mom)

Update on the finals:

Neuropsychology :: "A" (woot)
Psychotherapy :: "A" (double woot)
Sex Similarities and Differences :: "A" (triple woot)

These are a pleasant ending to the semester-of-craziness

I'm Back!! errrrr.....here....at least

So I know it's been months, things have just been crazy (as they usually are) around here. I'm about to finish the semester and my first year in grad school. I can't believe I'm signing on for at least 4 more years of this. This post is my procrastination technique for today. I have two papers, an exam, and two finals I should actually be doing work for, but you just have to take a break to stay sane.The paper I'm currently working on is supposed to be my credo as a psychotherapist. Issues with this:
1. It has been at least 8 or 9 years since I wrote a paper for a class in which "I", "mine", "my", and "opinion" were allowed and encouraged for placement in a paper.
2. I keep wanting to cite my beliefs..... (Robertson, 2009) perhaps?
3. While I can talk for hours about my values, goals, and beliefs -- I cannot seem to write more than 4 pages about them for this class
4. It's 90 degrees outside!! I am inside with my diet coke and computer....typing away

Last test in Neuropsychology is tomorrow, woot! Then it's just the final and I'm done!!! I love Neuropsych but this class has gone very slowly this semester. Plus I'm in the laboratory for human neuropsychology sooooo, double duty!!

Currently three different projects going right now. Erin and I are running analysis for the HOPE study on depression in adolescent girls currently with the hope that we will be submitting it for publication in the next month or so. Also in my lab I have taken over the mood and memory study on depression and the hippocampus using a simulation of a rat maze and rat water maze on the computers for humans. Yes, it's odd.(that's all the info you get on that till it's completed)
I am researching researching researching ideas for my thesis -- current theme is something on perception of heinousness in child murder cases (child as perpetrator). That's been pleasant (sarcasm)

Job front....I've applied to a total of 31 and ten more tonight is the goal, pleaseeeee allow me to get something soon, this is beginning to be ridiculous.

Happy fun stuff:

I've been on eharmony for a bit now (mostly because it's the easiest getting to know you site, I'm not a huge fan of meeting guys at bars) and am talking to a couple guys on there. Date updates soon to come -- paddle boating the Potomac anyone?

My mom and brother came to visit recently. We did a meditation seminar thing run by my mom! It was a blast. Unfortunately she got a cold the day after she got there, but we still had fun watching movies and hanging out.

Once I finisht this paper I'll update some more!

OH...here's some pics I never uploaded....from ice skating and whatever else I could find.

From Left: Brian (Erin's boyfriend), Erin, Vera, Amy, me, and Haseeb

My friend Sam came up from Virginia while he was stationed there for a while (he's in the army) to visit. We were great friends in high school so it was wonderful to reconnect and show him around town. Now he's back down in Texas hopefully getting his lasik eye surgery and then passing his exams to be a helicoptor pilot.