Earth to Amber?

Hiiiiiii there! Just realized that's it's been some time since I last posted . . . it's been pretty crazy, getting used to classes, and starting research rotations in somebody's lab, and of course just getting a feel for what everyday life is like as a grad student.

It's been enormously difficult at first, thinking that compared to all the other students you were doing things wrong, or that you'd never make new friends. Also that you would be revealed for the idiot you *reallly* are, pretending to be a scientist when your test scores say you should be an english major.

To a certain extent, all that crap has passed. I was genuinely happy this week, as I started to get the hang of classes and research. I even went out with friends to Pedro's, and watched them drink big mugaritas. That's a whole other story, that evening, and it would take too long to retell it. Needless to say, by the end of the night I was hanging out with fun people who would NOT freak out if I swore or admitted to watching porn or something. That's "a good thing."

Dave and I don't have much living room seating, but other than that the apartment is just about all furnished. We're getting the hang of grocery shoppin' (although we always forget to go early enough to still buy beer). TUESDAY WE GET CABLE (Adult Swim! Angel! YAYYYY!!). So it's all coming together. It really is.

Finally, for now--it is the weekend and I'd rather like to spend it doing fun stuff than typing forever--I stole the little survey that Alice stole from somebody else, so I'm gonna fill it out. It's more for my benefit, but if you want to read any of it, why not?

first and last
FIRSTS
First best friend: Probably Ann Marie Tominack, who's mom had been childhood best friends with my mom. We stole boards from some guy's yard and made a shack, complete with rugs made out of towels, and many many spiders as the summer went on.

First real memory of something: I was younger than 4, and I remember riding the bus with Dad in LA. I had a little red Mc'donalds wristband that looked like a watch, but you could pop open the dial and inside I kept coins for the bus.

First date: Homecoming, Age 15, with Chris, who later became a very long-term boyfriend

First real kiss: Age 14, I think. We were playing "Spin the pringle can" (having no bottles), and that's where it happened. I was totally grossed out.

First Break-up: age 17, Chris went off to college, and that whooole long distance thing didn't work. It was all my fault, and I did it horribly over the phone, and for that I am sorry!

First Job: Volunteer at Oglebay Good Zoo

First screen name: Don't know! I used to have an ICQ name. Maybe it was Ambular.

First self purchased album: It was either Young MC, "Bust a Move" OR En Vogue, "Funky Divas"

First funeral: Don't really remember, but I think it was Patty Lou's (my mom's cousin) she was 40 and everyone thought it was sad. Either that or great grandma Kendjora's (she was 99, and died in her sleep during a thunderstorm).

First pets: Freckles the Parakeet and Rex the Wonderlizard.

First piercing/tattoo: my ears, on my 12th(?) birthday. I wasn't allowed to get them pierced until then, and neither was my sister Liz.

First credit card: hah! none yet!

First true love: Ack, that's hard. It seems like I've really loved alot of people, so probably chronologically it's Chris, although now we're simply excellent compatriots.

First enemy: Jeanette. She was always weird and drove me crazy with it, and I teased her and had my friends gang up on her alot. We made her cry. It is something I'm really ashamed of. In highschool we became good friends, ironically.

First big trip: When we moved from California to West Virginia!

First play/musical/performance: I was in many dance recitals from an eearly age, but probably my first memorable performance was being a licorice kid in the Nutcracker. I had to hide under some lady's dress.

First musician you remember hearing in your house: Dad, Dad, and more Dad.

LASTS
Last big car ride: Getting to madison, from Wheeling.

Last kiss: This morning!!!

Last good cry: Oh, it's been probably about a month. although it was more of a seeping cry. . .mom was acting so weird I just couldn't take it anymore.

Last library book checked out: ack! I can't remember. I think it had something to do with the history behind Grimm's fairytales.

Last movie seen: CRUEL INTENTIONS--which is, in my opinion, the best teen movie ever made, ironically because it is so adult. C'mon, Sarah Michelle Gellar and Selma Blair licking eachother's tongues? Joshua Jackson poppin' a boner on screen? Sarah's performance alone was so deliciously evil.

Last beverage drank: coffee made by Dave!!!

Last food consumed: Lay's Kettle cooked Salt & vinegar potato chips (breakfast!)

Last crush: Dave (aw... c'mon!)

Last phone call: a week ago, from mommy.

Last tv show watched: ummmmm. . . probably Law an order something. But it's been a month since I've had TV.

Last time showered: yesterday, although it was actually a bath.

Last shoes worn: worn out brown leather sandals with the soles a'peelin'

Last cd played: Linkin Park, ReAnimated or whatever

Last item bought: a cherry coke!

Last annoyance: Having to work till 6:30 in the lab, on a Friday.

Last disappointment: thinking I was doing awesome in lab and then thinking of three seperate things I had done incorrectly or forgotten to do.

Last soda drank: That cherry coke I bought :)

Last ice cream eaten: Fried Icecream at Pedro's on thursday night.

Last shirt worn: My kelly green "Aloha Grill" shirt that has sparklies on it.

Last website visited: my.wisc.edu