Boys of Summer

When will this winter end...

It begins

This week was the start of school again. Very cold outside, too. And we're having a really snowy winter. I even had one class canceled.

But this is my last semester, so hopefully things will be heading in wonderful new directions by the summer. As a bad omen, I did get a rejection from McKinsey, but since they are the top of the line, I'm guessing they get snooty about what school you went you went to. I shouldn't be too deflated.

Think warm thoughts, and before we know it, spring will be here (and all those awful projects will be coming due)!

Snow away

We are already well over the average total snowfall for the season, and it's not over yet!

Luckily we are booked to go to Vegas, though by March the snow should be less of an issue already.

Away

We booked a trip this week to go to Vegas during my Spring Break (March 14). And then we got hit by a blizzard. It is so nice not having a car, or anywhere to go, during a blizzard. No longer is snow automatically tied to an "ahhhh shit" feeling.

While in Vegas we have tickets to see Cirque's O, and the Brazilians are heading off to see Celine Dion. Nauber asked what we will do the other night we are there and I suggested hitting the 1/2 price booth that day to find something. I don't Lenny Kravitz will be performing, or that we'd go, but maybe we'll hit up one of the male strip shows?

Not Much

(oops - I posted a pic here that had already been posted. sorry for the error, and here's a fresh one)

Happy Holidays

Was at my parents' in New Mexico for Christmas again this year. Always disrupts the posting schedule...

Yay!

Fall 2010 semester is over. I did pretty well. Grades have not posted yet, but I know I have to "A" and the other two are at LEAST an "A-" maybe, maybe, maybe even "A"!

And my TSA paperwork finally went through. (Started the application 5/14/2010, we'll see if anything comes of this before I get a 'real' job!)

School

Some of the hard stuff is over. One little paper and a group project due on Monday. Quick, easy presentation on Tuesday. Then a final on Thursday, but with two whole days to study with nothing else going on, it should be good!
And then school is over for the semester! A week later I head home for Christmas, and have off until around the 23rd of January.

Ronaldo

Not much newsy stuff to talk about today, so here's Cristiano Ronaldo in his underwear.

Thanks

Yesterday was Thanksgiving. I hosted again. Shaun came with Ian and her sister LaTiegrie plus baby Tora. Phil came - slightly hobbled by an appendectomy. Lance was there. Mykael came late, and Ronny was also a late arrival because he went to a TG at his ex's boss's house (and *surprise* bumped into the ex) first.
I made turkey with giblet stuffing which turned out very good, and gravy. Made cran sauce again, but forgot it in the fridge, so nobody ate any. Crescent rolls. Peas and carrots with crumbs, roasted garlic mashed potatoes, beets, and salpicao (brazilian chicken salad). I also did sangria, tiramisu, and apple-pie (the family recipe version that's more like hostess fruitpies).
Nauber got a headache and was not very participative. Lance got into a strange agrument over logic with Ian (the compu-sci PhD student). We played a little Catan.
Today Nauber and I met Shaun et al at the aquarium, but Tora started getting fussy right about then, so we saw them for all of 3 minutes. But Nauber got to see his penguins again. And then I got to follow him around shopping. By 4pm the stores aren't as insane.
Should be playing D&D tomorrow at Phil's with Brad and Rick.
So, let us give thanks. Here's one more thing to give thanks for:

Cozy

Nauber has been sleeping in my room consistently for a couple weeks now. This is unusual, especially in that I have not been asking. Writing it will probably jinx it, but oh well!

Cake

Nauber's birthday was nice. Even vegetarian Mykael enjoyed the churrascaria meat buffet. He did not have meat, of course, but there were plenty of tasty other options - he particularly liked the kale, beets, and fried bananas. Then we came back to the house for cake. The cake was a gift from the Brazilian lady in Worc who makes all our party food for us all the time. Nauber's request was "fruit" and other than that she had complete freedom to be creative. The cake was very good, and I rather liked the extra dense (incorrectly leavened?) layer on the bottom, but it was not very fruity. Some coconut sprinkled on top, and a creamy layer in the middle that may have had some passionfruit in it, but zero chunks of chopped up fruit. Which is especially odd because they normally throw chopped strawberry in all their cakes just for fun. Cris had two cakes, a white cake with strawberries, and a chocolate cake that also had some strawberries in it. We were also an hour and half late doing the cake for Nauber because we had to wait for Ronny. He said it was Mykael's fault, though Maykael said it was Masam's fault. Who knows...

So, here's a (probably Brazilian) birthday suit!

Brazilian Birthday Month

November is here. That means birthday parties this weekend. Saturday is Cris's in Worcester. Sunday is Nauber's at the Cafe Belo churrascaria.

Grumbles

Drama at home again. Every now and then I seem to get exasperated with Nauber's cold indifference. I wish he paid more attention to my desires.

Pizza Pizza

Went to a 'new' churrascaria for lunch on Columbus Day, and there was a sign for $8 pizza buffet. We asked when the pizza was, and the waitress said after 7pm. So, last night (yes, last night was Friday, sorry I'm late), we headed there in anticipation of stuffing ourselves silly with pizza, but there was none. They told us the pizza buffet is only on Mondays. So, when we asked on Columbus Day (a Monday), they didn't bother pointing out that Monday is the ONLY day. So, we stuffed ourselves silly on meat (Garlic Beef!!) and will have to go BACK sometime. Damn...

Whistle

Monday was a holiday. Tried a new churrascaria that also does pizza buffet (not while we were there). Then it turned into a busy busy week at school. Tomorrow I have to spend all day in another project team meeting. The reason I always hesitated going back to school while I was working was because of the spill-over. Work is over when you leave, but school has homework...

Yum

Just this

Throat

Nauber's antibiotics were causing diarrhea so he stopped taking them. We will see if his throat was far enough along to have healed, or if there is a relapse.

School is getting busy. I actually met with my GA prof and have a task to complete. He wants me to write a business plan for an idea he had. Not sure if it is official GA work or not, but whatever. I am in an entrepreneur class this semester, so it is possible I could have project partners help me with it!

Lack of Severity

It was tonsillitis again, as it was in January, but not nearly as advanced. Last time, he got antibiotics orally, intravenously, and injected, plus a trip to the ear-nose-and-throat guy. This trip only required the IV. (Take home prescription both times, too.) I am not sure if it the fear of death that happened in January but not this time, but he is much more resistant to taking the antibiotics this time around. Ronny says I should stop babying him and let him skip the pills if he wants. Since I am the one that will have to spend another entire day stuck watching him get treated at the ER, I'd rather get it cleared up. I am assuming that if he had insurance, their first words would be tonsillectomy. The doctor back home in Brazil apparently told him once that the tonsil is "catching" the bacteria and viruses before they can get into his lungs, so he would get sicker, more often, if they were removed. So, here we sit...