Day 1: T-CAB Road Trip

The time for visiting Rachael and Zack has finally come! And here is the first installment of ya six day series chronicling our adventures in Arlington, VA/ Washington, D.C.!

So this morning we loaded into the cars. Bobby and Ashley had to drive second from Ann Arbor so bobby could leave his car in Cleveland, since he is already from Ohio and this way he can spend less time in a car when we come back Saturday. It was a very adventuresome car ride. Here are some of the things that happened:
-I drove between 60 and 65 mph almost the whole way and rose my gas efficiency by 2.5 mpg, even driving through mountains!
-Bobby promised to move to Texas if Ashley moves to Massachusetts.
-We pretended to be a tour bus for a little bit, driving somewhere near the pentagon.
-We paid a lot of tolls, because Ohio and Pennsylvania are the worst.
-My dad sent gifts for all of ARTBZ, which was very appreciated. Especially the beer.
Upon our arrival in Crystal City (this is where Zachael lives), we took a tour of their fancy apartment. They live here with one roommate and have two bathrooms! They also have a gym and a redbox in the building! They are living the life. Disney should make a show called the Suite Life of Zack and Rachael, because it looks like a hotel here.
After dinner where our waitress hated us, we got provisions for the evening and came back to the apartment for white elephant gift exchange! The gifts were very well done, and we are already using them!
Well now we are playing games, so I should go participate. Bye!

A Zacky in his new habitat

It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas!

It snowed almost non-stop in Detroit this weekend, and since I didn't have to drive anywhere, I loved it! This morning I had to LITERALLY shovel snow off my car, but roads were decent and I made it to work alive so all is good.

I only have 5 (well, 4 and a half really) more days of work before going home for Christmas and then to DC for New Years! I have a countdown on my cubicle wall. Can't wait. Work is zero percent stressful, because I do what I want and am not ever busy, so I'm not really looking forward to this as a break like I usually did during college. Still, I want to see my family and celebrate with them for Christmas. And I want to see all of CARTRZ for the after Christmas fun!!

Here is my countdown! I just took this on my webcam. Don't worry I'm on lunch break.

This week for Catholics is all about joy, because we light the pink candle on our advent wreaths (the rest are purple) and call it Guadete Sunday/week! Guadete means rejoice. We like Latin. We also like joy. Really, who doesn't? And even though I'm not crazy about the color pink and think yellow would have been a much happier choice, I still love this week and how close we are getting to Christmas, another time that I love!
Oh, also I got in to grad school last week! So that is a great reason to be joyful! I still have to figure out money to pay for grad school, but I will worry about that when it is "Worry about money week".

These two are pretty joyful

Yesterday, my housemates and I got super crafty. We've been pretty crafty all month, because we are poor and need to make a lot of our Christmas gifts. Probably if people were to watch us on Sundays this month, they would think we were Martha Stewart clones. I am bad at some crafts that involve drawing or coloring, because I am impatient, but I have my sewing machine in Detroit so I can do fabric related crafts and show off my really limited sewing skillz. I helped Laura make mittens and an earband out of old sweaters while Rachel knit and Denise watched. It was adorable. I am also learning to knit, with Rachel's help, and I really like it. It's a thing I can do while I watch TV so I feel productive. And we all know I love to watch TV.

I can't show you the after picture of this craft because it is a gift

We also had our community outing this weekend on Saturday. We do this once a month and it's usually going out to dinner and/or doing some activity with our board of directors from the parish. We were going to go to a German restaurant but the snow was so crazy we decided to keep it local and just go to our director's house for pizza and games. Also I got to drink wine out of a mug. I might have drank too much, gotta keep warm somehow! It was a lovely weekend all around, and if I was a better photographer I would have taken pictures of how beautiful the snow was.

This is a picture Ashley took of Laura sledding. SNOW.

At work lately I have just been going to doctor's offices to tell the office managers and nurses about NSO (this is the organization I work for). We have mental health services, but not everyone who needs them knows about them, so I am supposed to be responsible for marketing and outreach. I'm not so sure I'm doing it right, but I try. Anyway, I feel like mostly what I do at my job is learn about all of the difficulties that people face in getting all their basic needs met. Families need to call around to so many places and even with a case manager helping them it's hard to find work, housing, food, and to deal with teachers and administrators at schools. It gets me pretty sad sometimes, but other times I feel really helpful because I can help by looking up resources or helping with phone calls because I am less busy than the social workers in my office. Anyway, this is a job for Zacky and Rachael: fix America so life isn't so hard for poor people. Maybe just make it so poor people aren't poor anymore. That sounds easy enough.

Well I really didn't have a theme for this post, I just wanted to say things to you. I have a really cute picture of my niece in the snow but I can't post it here, so maybe I'll text it to y'all later.

SEE YOU IN TWO WEEKS.

Babies, babies, and more babies!

I FINALLY FIGURED OUT HOW TO LOG ONTO THIS DUMB THING!

Anyway, this is going to be a story about my semester since the rest of you probably don't remember what school is like anymore.  I had my clinical in the NICU (that's the newborn ICU for those of you who are non medically inclined).  It was so. much. fun!  Seriously, I loved it and now it's my new dream job!  The nurses I worked with were super great and when I grow up I want to be like them.  Real personhood is only 142 days away!

Graduation take 2 is on May 3, in case any of you
feel like attending (I went to yours so I really expect
you all to be there with presents...a new car would be ideal)

So back to the NICU.  It's basically my dream come true.  I got to hang out with super teeny adorable babies every day!  The youngest ones I took care of were born at 23 weeks! (normal is 40 weeks).  They were so small, like 1.5lbs, sometimes.  I didn't really get to snuggle those ones because they were in incubators with lots of tubes hooked up.  But I did have to pick them up to assess them and it was like holding nothing.  They were sometimes smaller than the palm of my hand.  It was really cool to watch them grow and require less and less equipment every day.

This is what a 23 week baby looks like

This is a picture of a random child I found who was born
at 23 weeks and this is him at 16 months!

I also got to see those quints that were born in the summer before they went home!  They were all like 3 or 4 pounds which is amazing since there were five of them all sharing their mommy's tummy!

Awwwwwwwwww!  Babiessssss!

There were lots of really sick babies that I took care of, but also there were some that we call "feeder-growers".  These babies are usually born just a little early and so they're just not ready for the world!  They come to the NICU to learn how to eat and get big and strong like me.  These ones are really fun because you can hold them and feed them bottles and they're the perfect little cuddle size :)  On the other side of the spectrum, I saw a GIANT baby who was over 13 lbs when he was born!  He looked like a toddler!  

This is not even how extreme the comparison was between
him and my other babies

I could go on and on with my stories....but I'll save some for when I see you in 29 days!  Anywho, I fell in love with working in the NICU and last weekend I applied for my first real nurse job!!  I can't wait to be a job person like you guys (minus Bobby...but he wins anyways since he's dating me). 

Ok well I would have told you more about my life but I just realized I'm late to hand out MedBuddy tshirts so I'll write again soon!  Love and miss you all xoxo

Scottish Walking, Best Walking

So our friend Ray has mentioned that he's super into bagpiping. And we've heard that come Saint Patrick's Day there will be a big parade. But we didn't have to wait until March to see the bagpiping and got to see the Scottish walk in Alexandria!!

The morning started out with brunch in Old Town Alexandria at a friend of a friend's house. The house and brunch were both SUPER CUTE. I was feeling really sad about how not cute our apartment was while eating the extravagant and delicious Brunch Kate had prepared. Then she mentioned she's 28. So now instead of feeling sad, I feel inspired and will hope to have an apartment that nice in 6 years.

It looked like this, but this isn't a real picture because I didn't want to be that weirdo photographing the food.

After filling up on chorizo quiche (!!) and strawberries and cream and bread pudding and Baileys and hot chocolate, we walked out the parade. I got a balloon! (This will factor in later.) Elizabeth had staked out a prime spot so we were real close to all the things! There were a ton of dogs. Like really, it was like half dogs. But they were cute dogs, so it was okay that there were so many of them. Also, a lot of people in kilts which is to be expected.

Also there was a little girl who asked my friend for her balloon. Like straight up "can I have you balloon?" So she gave it to her because the little girl was four and what do we need with balloons anyway? But then, the little girl started just spiking the balloon into another girl's head repeatedly. Did her mom do anything? Nope. Then, as children are wont to do, she let it float into the air. And instead of learning from her from her mistake, she came after my balloon! BUT mine was tied to my purse so I told her that. Then she demanded that I try to untie it! Absolutely not! So I just gave her candy and she went away. But really though. Keep track of your kids. It's obnoxious.

Picture this, but a girl and more menacing.

Finally at the end of the parade, we saw Ray's group! I think he was at the end of the parade because he's good, but I don't really have any reason to believe that, but it's probably true.  And then there was a bagpipe-off between three bagpipe groups. (Really it was just like a combination band, but a bagpipe off is more dramatic.)  I know everyone gives bagpipes a lot of crap, but when you listen to people that actually know what they're doing, it's pretty cool! I mean, I'm not about to buy a "Best of the Bagpipes CD" but it was a lot of fun and different from the usual bar/football things we normally do on Saturdays!

Not a good Christmas present idea.

Then we went back to Kate's house, ate more food and waited for Ray to make his way back. There were a lot of fun people there--even a few from Michigan! I had more bread pudding, learned that at the end of the Georgia Tech fight song they say "fight, win, drink, get naked!" but don't actually get naked, and I told a rude joke about tampons (don't worry though, people liked it).

After a while, Ray came back!! We got him to play for us and it was delightful:

So, Go Blue. Go Ray. 

See you guys soon! I'm making orgasm brownies today. And it's the first snow in DC...is it sticking? No. Lame.

Taylor Teaches

Hi everyone! You may remember me from when I was sick with mono. Don't worry, I survived it. I did have a Facebook status from around that time that said, "All I do is sleep," though, so you can tell it was rough.

Anyway, in a surprise change-up, I went from living with Teener to living with Teener's parents! They are really mean to me, and even shut off the vents in my room in an attempt to freeze me to death. Haha, just kidding! They are actually very nice to me, except for occasionally going on vacation to Florida and not inviting me.

My sentiments exactly, Stephanie. 

Anyway, the reason that I'm living with them is because I (temporarily) have a job very near where her parents live! How coincidental! Except not, because the job was long-term subbing for Teener's sister. So essentially, I took Maureen's job AND am living with her parents. It's like I stole her life.

This is the image I found when I Googled "Life-Stealer." Eerie, because this is the exact face I made when some of my juniors thought that personification could be a motif.

The long-term subbing is over, but I am still working at the school until Christmas break as a graduate assistant--which means that I fill in for teachers who are gone, supervise lunch, grade lots of things, help organize events, and tutor kids after school and sometimes during lunch. It's way less fun than teaching, but I'm happy to still be at the school because I love it there. I could literally talk to you all day non-stop about my kids and how much I love them, but I'm pretty sure that non-educators get bored of those stories, so instead I will just tell you my top five most exciting things that happened while I was teaching. Like a highlight reel, if I will. 

Which I will. I'm counting down even though these are in no particular order of excitement.

Ms. Glinski, reuniting families since 2013.

5. I made a mom cry at parent-teacher conferences.

It wasn't full-fledged crying, more like teary eyes, but still. And it also wasn't for bad things! She was crying because I was telling her a sweet story about how her son bought me cheesecake for my birthday. Apparently, she felt that she had been neglecting him recently, and my story reminded her that she really did love him after all.

4. I got to teach history!

American studies, to be exact. This might not sound exciting to some people, but since history was my second certification and I didn't student teach in it, it was a really good experience. I found out that I love it and that I would be willing to teach it as a for real, permanent teacher. My favorite thing was having debates. Being a history teacher also helped me bond with one of the juniors I had for English, since he is crazy about history and especially about America. At first, I was worried this kid was going to be trouble, but then he told me about his passionate love for Herbert Hoover, and now we are besties. (He's still wrong, though. Hoover sucks.)

I also enjoyed encouraging them to laugh at the expense of fat historical figures.

3. I chaperoned a school dance. 

Not school appropriate TBH

It was the Halloween dance. I somehow got roped into promising my juniors that if enough of them bought tickets, I would dress up and they could pick my costume. They decided I would have to be Hamida, a character from the book we were reading at the time. If you've never read Midaq Alley, just know that Hamida runs away to become a prostitute. Luckily, not enough of them bought tickets, so I just got to attend as myself.

2.  I got to welcome in a new class of freshman. 

Answer: Not unless that Egyptian time-traveled here from 3000 BCE.

This was fun because new freshman are hilarious. They are so excited and sweet and it's fantastic. They are also ridiculous. My freshman were probably the ones who were the most dedicated to me, because they had never met Maureen, so the transition was kind of traumatizing for them. One of them told me, "I'm going to tell Ms. Convery you're my favorite teacher so she feels awkward." I think Maureen won her over by promising free writes during journal time, though--freshman allegiance is fairly easy to obtain. Another welcomed Maureen on her first day by saying "I hate the new teacher" while he was unaware she was in the room. (They hasn't actually met yet, so she was more amused than offended.) And, on an unrelated note, one asked me during class if Egyptian people still write in hieroglyphics.
. 

1. I had many, many going-away parties. (Even though I was staying.)
Kids brought cookies, balloons, cupcakes, cards, etc. It was overwhelming and cute and very difficult not to cry. Like I said, these kids were super fantastic and amazing, and I kind of wish I could just freeze us all in time and keep them forever. Now that I'm a grad and I have more free time, that's actually the project I'm working on, when I'm not blogging. Well, either that or I watched like 6 episodes of "The Following" today.

Thanksgiving with the Kesslers!

So, since Zack has spent the last three Thanksgivings at my house, I figured it was time we do a CT Thanksgiving. But, I thought it would be sad for my parents and Reba if I didn't come back to Michigan for the holiday, so we alllllll went to CT! Woooooo!

Our trip started out a little less than ideal because we were delayed for about an hour and our dinner was underwhelming. We were delayed because the plane came from Columbus, which is known to be an incompetent and horrible place, so really, we shouldn't have been surprised. Also, the actual plane ride was super bumpy! Like, the worst I've ever taken in my life! Good thing Zack and I aren't the kind of people that are afraid of flying or it woulda been really scary.  Thankfully, Dylan came to the airport and picked us up at midnight and we went straight to bed--in the same bed, which is a first chez Zacky.

In the morning we went to the Landmark Cafe in Manchester. We walked by a burnt down building, had good food and took cute pictures:

After that we went to the Hartford Science Museum. It's a pretty cool place if you ever get the chance to go. My favorite thing there is the "mindball" game. You have to put on these headbands with electrodes and try to move a ball with your mind. I liked it because the first time we went like two years ago I beat Zack.  I beat him once this time too, but then we switched headbands and he won, so maybe the game is rigged. Or, maybe, I just have a stronger mind.

Reba really couldn't handle the human body exhibit and practically ran through it. It was a little funny to see, but I think overall, she liked it. Also, the museum's global warming exhibit inspired me to buy house plants. I feel like it's an adult thing to do, we have a lot of unused space in our apartment, and it helps the environment, so why not?

Mmm potatoes

Later that day we went to Zack's house and had pizza with his dad's step family.  Apparently the pizza place we went to was on Man vs Food and the challenge was to eat 10 lbs of stuffed pizza! We're not gross people, so we didn't attempt that. But, it was good pizza! And Zack's dad made latkes and we lit Hanukkah candles. I like latkes; they're carbs. Also, Camryn is not eating carbs, which is apparently a great diet, but sounds like a sad era. More potatoes for meeeeeee.

The next day we (me, Zacky daddy, Zacky, and Reba) had to run the Manchester Road Race. Camryn went and walked with a friend at the last minute too, but she didn't go with us and I didn't see her there. It's one of the oldest road races in America and SUPER hilly! It was only 4.78 miles, which you'd think after running a half marathon would be nothing, but, turns out I don't really like running that much and kinda totally stopped after I ran the half marathon, so it was a little bit of a struggle. Also it was super freaking cold! Like 19 degrees and feels like 13 or something. But, we finished. Zack's dad finished first, Becca finished second, and Zack and I ran together. And, I definitely used it as an excuse to eat a lootttt of food. 

Ham that my parents sent and that Bodie got into

Thanksgiving was really nice! Definitely the biggest Thanksgiving I've ever experienced!! Zack's cousins came over so I think in totally there were like 18 of us in total, so a lot more than the 5 of us we usually have.  Also, this was like the least involved I've ever been in food preparation. Dr. Kessler totally has food preparation on lock and needed like 0 help. It was pretty impressive! And the lions won! So that was good.

Friday we had brunch with my parents and then went out to Stoors where UCONN is and saw Zack's cousin. Then we all went to see Catching Fire! I was super pumped to see it and Reba was supposed to wait to see it with me, but she had already seen it TWICE--super rude. So I made her buy me Reese's Pieces. So between the Reese's Pieces and liking the movie a lot more than the first one, I had a good afternoon!

Wedding dress inspiration?

Then we got Italian food with my family and I made Reba go spend the night with my parents so they could go see the Mark Twain House in the morning. As Taylor will recall, we have been recently. I guess it was Mark Twain's birthday and the tour was entirely Christmas themed though, so I guess the tour was probably a little different than the one we saw. Anyway, since Reba wasn't there we smoked hookah--apparently that's Dylan's thing these days. It was cold, and I don't really love hookah, but I hadn't done it in a while so that was nice.

I like pie.

Saturday we watched the football game. Sad era, but not as sad as I expected. We ate Chinese food. We watched more football and I ate pie. Even though we're supposed to be Alabama fans because my grandfather was a visiting scholar there, it was kinda funny to see them lose.

Then we went to bed crazy early, woke up at 3:40 and flew back to DC. Flying into Dulles sucks, just FYI. We had to wait like an hour to get on the bus back. Then we took a nap from 10:00 to noon and now we don't know what time it is like at all. But, whatever--had a good break! And you guys will be here soon!