I've noticed that my husband's blogs are much more eloquent than my own. Being that I am clearly the superior being, I cannot allow this atrocity to continue the pleasure of existence any longer. Thus, I have come to the decision that my posts must be brimming with grandiosity. I hope that's a word.
We have finished The Sopranos. Perhaps a number of you are not acquainted with this piece of television brilliance, but it is, in fact, brilliant. However, I cannot seem to comprehend the complexity of the final moments. Tragically, I cannot divulge the details of this sequence, because I am about to commence my commendation of the show to the entirety of my audience. (All four of you...) I plead with each and every one of you to watch this show. It is a thing of beauty, allowing the viewer an inside look into the underworld of organized crime in the form of the mafia, while instilling in all who are willing a love for these seemingly degenerate sociopaths. In fact, I even shed a tear when one of the protagonists met his untimely demise at the hands of a murderer. The Sopranos shows the viewer beauty in the midst of depravity. (Hey, that sentence actually held a little depth...)
Meanwhile, tomorrow marks the commemoration of the birth of my beloved canine companion, Sir Charles Watson the Valiant. He has enjoyed life for the entirety of one year. In order to herald his event, my husband and I intend to make our merry way to the lovely Old Pasadena, where an establishment named Three Dog Bakery resides. Here, furry friends can enjoy frosting, ice cream, and cookies created especially for "man's best friend." Following this, we intend to carry our pal to the dog park, a place where he can run and play and find joy in so doing, after which he will inevitably drift off to slumber, allowing us to complete our studies in peace.
And now, my friends, may you enjoy the rest of your activities in cyberspace. My time here has been completed, and I shall retire to my other tasks. Peace be with you.
(Whew! That was hard work...still. I win.)
Wednesday, April 15, 2009
Thursday, April 9, 2009
You should probably feel bad for my dog.
Feel bad for me!
Poor Charlie's had a bad week.
First, we left him for Jeremy's green card interview in Detroit. He doesn't do well when we leave, and we were told he didn't eat for the 3 days we were gone. We were also told that every time he would be left alone in our apartment, he would howl for at least 15 minutes. (Well, "howl." For being a basset hound, he's not so good at howling. It's more of a really sad sounding bark. Still, I'm sure the neighbors loved it.)
Then, despite getting to play with his two new favorite dogs in the world, Huckleberry and Mona, while we were gone, the stress of being alone followed by the euphoria of being reunited with Jeremy and me set off his panosteitis. (For the non-dog-obsessed, panosteitis is basically really bad growing pains in a young dog's bones, and is really common in male basset hounds under 2 years old.) So, he was limping and whimpering and generally in pain within a short while of us coming home.
And, to add insult to injury, it turns out that Charlie is illergic to bees...well, probably bees. If not bees, some other mystery California bug that lurks in the grass. After taking him outside last night, Charlie's nose suddenly swelled up (Jeremy and I actually saw this in progress...), followed by lots and lots of doggy vomit. We went to the dog version of WebMD and thought it was something food related, especially since we gave him table scraps due to his not eating for 3 days while we were gone. So, we took him to the vet as soon as we could today, and learned that he was stung by a bee (or some other bug, but the vet thought it was a bee), which set off an allergic reaction. So, he got a shot and some pills, and is doing much better...although very groggy.
Poor puppy.
Monday, April 6, 2009
Legal Permanent Resident of the United States of America
We're approved!! The green card interview was surprisingly easy, and we're instantly approved and the actual card will come to us in the mail in 10 days. Such a HUGE relief!
It's finally setting in, I think. Although we're feeling sore and headache-y now that we can relax a little...but it's okay.
Jeremy is a Legal Permanent Resident of the United States of America!
Hooray!!
It's finally setting in, I think. Although we're feeling sore and headache-y now that we can relax a little...but it's okay.
Jeremy is a Legal Permanent Resident of the United States of America!
Hooray!!
Saturday, April 4, 2009
Hooray!
I beat Olga! I was informed last night that I got the babysitting job. So, starting for sure by the end of the month (maybe sooner), I'll be working two full days a week with great hours and great pay. SUCH an answer to prayer, and a very encouraging way for us to leave sunny Southern California for 35-degree-and-snowy Detroit, MI. We're very excited about the good news and relieved to know that at least some income is coming our way. :)
Hooray!
In other news, we bought a paper shredder. This whole social security number fiasco has us very paranoid, so we're now shredding everything that has any hint of personal information on it before we recycle it. So if you want my identity, too bad for you. It's shredded.
And today we're spending the day getting ready for the big meeting. I'm very nervous and jittery and have to keep doing things or I'll go absolutely nuts. But, we keep thinking of things we need to do before we leave, like buy airplane-friendly toiletries, make sure we have all our paperwork in order, rearrange the apartment so Charlie can't leave the kitchen, get Jeremy some clothes for the interview, etc. etc. etc. And, sadly, we're missing a hiking excursion in order to do so. (Thanks for asking, though, Peter!)
And now Charlie is begging to go outside, so I better take him before we have a mess on the floor. Hopefully next time I post on here, I'll be married to a Legal Permanent Resident of the United States of America! :) (Please, Lord? Please?)
Hooray!
In other news, we bought a paper shredder. This whole social security number fiasco has us very paranoid, so we're now shredding everything that has any hint of personal information on it before we recycle it. So if you want my identity, too bad for you. It's shredded.
And today we're spending the day getting ready for the big meeting. I'm very nervous and jittery and have to keep doing things or I'll go absolutely nuts. But, we keep thinking of things we need to do before we leave, like buy airplane-friendly toiletries, make sure we have all our paperwork in order, rearrange the apartment so Charlie can't leave the kitchen, get Jeremy some clothes for the interview, etc. etc. etc. And, sadly, we're missing a hiking excursion in order to do so. (Thanks for asking, though, Peter!)
And now Charlie is begging to go outside, so I better take him before we have a mess on the floor. Hopefully next time I post on here, I'll be married to a Legal Permanent Resident of the United States of America! :) (Please, Lord? Please?)
Thursday, April 2, 2009
Feel like praying?
It feels like a lot of important stuff is happening in a very short span of time. Take a deep breath...here we go:
1. Jeremy's green card interview is Monday morning in Detroit. We're both exciting and terrified for our 11:30 appointment! We've been told that the interview is always less scary then it seems; basically, we need to prove to the Department of Homeland Security that we really are married and we really do love each other and this isn't all just to let Jeremy stay in the country. Which, I would hope, shouldn't be hard. But, as some of you remember, the whole process has been stressful and longer than we anticipated, so we're looking forward to this being done. Assuming everything goes well in the interview, our lawyer tells us we should have the card in our hands within 3 weeks. We're expecting a little longer, mostly because that's how this process seems to go AND so that if it does come in 3 weeks, we'll be pleasantly surprised! Regardless of when it comes, though, when we have it, we're throwing a party. Guinness floats will abound.
2. We found out yesterday that someone may have stolen my social security number. We tried to open a new bank account, and they couldn't let us because someone in Chicago opened an account, overdrew it, and then left it without paying any off the fees that were piling up - all using my social security number. The good news is, though, that my credit score is still fine and it doesn't look like she's made any huge purchases, so there's a chance it might have been a clerical error in the bank. But, still, I have to go through the whole process of reporting (which, by the way, doesn't seem to be very efficient - I have to wait for a week for things to come in the mail before I can even know the whole process of reporting things. Safer, I guess, but a lot can happen in a week...). Still, if she's trying to get some cold hard money, I think she maybe went for the wrong identity. I'm sure this woman will be very impressed with all the money I have to my name. She'll have a great time at the dollar spot at Target. :)
3. In more exciting news, I'm waiting to hear - probably today - if I got a job babysitting 2 great little boys 2 days a week. This has been a month-long process; the family is looking to replace someone they've had with them for 10 years, doing different tasks, so for them it's like replacing a family member. So I've had three or four "trial runs" with these boys, most of which have ended with a "Mommy, that was so fun!" and a big hug from the boys, so I think I've got a good shot. I am, however, up against someone named Olga, which could work to my advantage or disadvantage. :) But, it would be fun and they're a great family, so hopefully I get some good news.
4. Also on the job-hunting front, Jeremy and I are finally getting to use our CRC/Calvin College connections. :) To make a long story short, we got hooked up with a recruiter for the CRC in Southern California who met my parents, and she told us of a church about 35 min. away from our apartment that is looking for worship leaders. After mentioning this to my parents, we learned that the pastor went to seminary with my dad, and they were RDs in the dorms when my parents were, too, at the beginning for their marriage. So, the recruiter gave the church our resumes, and we went to visit the church on Sunday, and it was incredible. We were greeted so well by both people who knew who we were and why we were there and by people who just saw new faces. People were giving us hugs and hooked us up with other people our age - some of whom went to Calvin - and we ended up going out for lunch with the pastor's wife and another person our age. Someone even invited us over for Easter! And the worship was so genuine; it really reminded me a lot of the church I grew up in - down to the same chairs, stage set-up, and pulpit! I think we'd fit in well there...I've never been so well received at a church before... The pastor himself was gone to Grand Rapids, believe it or not, but we talked with another woman who'd been reviewing our resumes and she was SO excited about both me and Jeremy. So, apparently the pastor was coming back on Monday, then was swamped with meetings Tues. and Wed., and then hopefully by the end of the week we could set up a time to meet with him. It's SO exciting to think of having an actual, fulfilling job, rather than some of the other places we've applied. Jeremy and I both love leading worship, and it's a big part of what we were preparing ourselves for in college, so it's VERY exciting to think we'd get to do that AND keep studying... But, assuming we'd split that and I'd get the babysitting job, we feel like we'd be pretty well set money-wise, which is also a nice feeling. We just have to get there first. :)
5. We've finally started at Fuller! Monday was our first day of classes. We only have classes on Mondays and Wednesdays, which is great, especially as we're looking down the barrel at some job opportunities. Jeremy and I are taking two classes together, which will save us some book money - American Church History and Old Testament writings - and then we each have a night class. Jeremy's taking Christian Ethics and I'm in Culture and Transformation. We're both excited about all three of our classes, and the first week went well. Hooray! :)
So, if anyone's been wondering if we need prayer...yes, please. :) We'd really appreciate staying in your thoughts and prayers as we go into these next few days and weeks. If you made it all the way down, thanks for reading...and, of course, I have to leave you with a picture! So...here's one from hiking with two of our neighbors about a week ago:
1. Jeremy's green card interview is Monday morning in Detroit. We're both exciting and terrified for our 11:30 appointment! We've been told that the interview is always less scary then it seems; basically, we need to prove to the Department of Homeland Security that we really are married and we really do love each other and this isn't all just to let Jeremy stay in the country. Which, I would hope, shouldn't be hard. But, as some of you remember, the whole process has been stressful and longer than we anticipated, so we're looking forward to this being done. Assuming everything goes well in the interview, our lawyer tells us we should have the card in our hands within 3 weeks. We're expecting a little longer, mostly because that's how this process seems to go AND so that if it does come in 3 weeks, we'll be pleasantly surprised! Regardless of when it comes, though, when we have it, we're throwing a party. Guinness floats will abound.
2. We found out yesterday that someone may have stolen my social security number. We tried to open a new bank account, and they couldn't let us because someone in Chicago opened an account, overdrew it, and then left it without paying any off the fees that were piling up - all using my social security number. The good news is, though, that my credit score is still fine and it doesn't look like she's made any huge purchases, so there's a chance it might have been a clerical error in the bank. But, still, I have to go through the whole process of reporting (which, by the way, doesn't seem to be very efficient - I have to wait for a week for things to come in the mail before I can even know the whole process of reporting things. Safer, I guess, but a lot can happen in a week...). Still, if she's trying to get some cold hard money, I think she maybe went for the wrong identity. I'm sure this woman will be very impressed with all the money I have to my name. She'll have a great time at the dollar spot at Target. :)
3. In more exciting news, I'm waiting to hear - probably today - if I got a job babysitting 2 great little boys 2 days a week. This has been a month-long process; the family is looking to replace someone they've had with them for 10 years, doing different tasks, so for them it's like replacing a family member. So I've had three or four "trial runs" with these boys, most of which have ended with a "Mommy, that was so fun!" and a big hug from the boys, so I think I've got a good shot. I am, however, up against someone named Olga, which could work to my advantage or disadvantage. :) But, it would be fun and they're a great family, so hopefully I get some good news.
4. Also on the job-hunting front, Jeremy and I are finally getting to use our CRC/Calvin College connections. :) To make a long story short, we got hooked up with a recruiter for the CRC in Southern California who met my parents, and she told us of a church about 35 min. away from our apartment that is looking for worship leaders. After mentioning this to my parents, we learned that the pastor went to seminary with my dad, and they were RDs in the dorms when my parents were, too, at the beginning for their marriage. So, the recruiter gave the church our resumes, and we went to visit the church on Sunday, and it was incredible. We were greeted so well by both people who knew who we were and why we were there and by people who just saw new faces. People were giving us hugs and hooked us up with other people our age - some of whom went to Calvin - and we ended up going out for lunch with the pastor's wife and another person our age. Someone even invited us over for Easter! And the worship was so genuine; it really reminded me a lot of the church I grew up in - down to the same chairs, stage set-up, and pulpit! I think we'd fit in well there...I've never been so well received at a church before... The pastor himself was gone to Grand Rapids, believe it or not, but we talked with another woman who'd been reviewing our resumes and she was SO excited about both me and Jeremy. So, apparently the pastor was coming back on Monday, then was swamped with meetings Tues. and Wed., and then hopefully by the end of the week we could set up a time to meet with him. It's SO exciting to think of having an actual, fulfilling job, rather than some of the other places we've applied. Jeremy and I both love leading worship, and it's a big part of what we were preparing ourselves for in college, so it's VERY exciting to think we'd get to do that AND keep studying... But, assuming we'd split that and I'd get the babysitting job, we feel like we'd be pretty well set money-wise, which is also a nice feeling. We just have to get there first. :)
5. We've finally started at Fuller! Monday was our first day of classes. We only have classes on Mondays and Wednesdays, which is great, especially as we're looking down the barrel at some job opportunities. Jeremy and I are taking two classes together, which will save us some book money - American Church History and Old Testament writings - and then we each have a night class. Jeremy's taking Christian Ethics and I'm in Culture and Transformation. We're both excited about all three of our classes, and the first week went well. Hooray! :)
So, if anyone's been wondering if we need prayer...yes, please. :) We'd really appreciate staying in your thoughts and prayers as we go into these next few days and weeks. If you made it all the way down, thanks for reading...and, of course, I have to leave you with a picture! So...here's one from hiking with two of our neighbors about a week ago:
Sunday, March 29, 2009
Monday, March 23, 2009
Mom and Dad's Visit
Over the weekend, we got to show my parents around Pasadena. My dad had some meetings in Long Beach, so my mom came with him and came to visit us over the weekend. We had a great time! Jeremy and I really enjoyed playing tour guide, and it was great to be able to show my parents where we are and what we'll be doing. They even came to Happy Hour Fridays! ) It was a great weekend. And, of course, my camera was with me all the way. Here are some highlights:
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