4.12.2004
Enjoyed a terrific weekend with my friend and her husband who came from the Bay Area for a visit. It was pleasant to wake up in the morning and think OH! My friend is just across the hall! We went to a great Mexican place down the street, watched Goodbye Lenin, and took in a museum exhibit and a stroll along the beach. Though I don't normally distinguish between 'my' friends and UB's, it was nice to entertain someone I feel so close to and with whom I have so much in common. We completed our MA together, took many of the same classes, and keep in touch with the same people from the University. And she was my matron of honor at my wedding. Our conversations never seem to have empty spaces. There are many things that I miss from the Bay Area, but she is one of the people I miss most. It was hard to see them go, knowing that our contacts will again be limited to emails and phone calls. It's never the same as sharing a dinner together or meeting up at a café and savoring a latte along with the latest news.
UB's classes are going well. He's decided to continue with a beginning Spanish class, though it meets 5 times a week and thus requires him to be on campus every day. Normally, MBA classs run Monday-Thursday, making it more convenient to balance school life with home life and allowing students more time to complete homework assignments. But UB is becoming increasingly active, participating in a wide range of classes and events. In addition to his 5 classes, he's now enrolled in a 6th course, too, which is something of a symposium dedicated to discussing M&A. Then there's volleyball, soccer, and now racketball. And let's not forget the Finance Club and a few others I can't even remember. The sheer quantity of activities makes my head spin; I'm not sure how he's able to balance so much and still focus on coursework. Having an internship already set up for summer relieves a bit of the stress, I guess.
Speaking of the summer internship, UB has arranged for housing and is happy with the results. There's an organization in NYC that rents out furnished rooms and studios to students studying and interning in the city. UB will be staying in Midtown, fairly close to JP Morgan's building. No worries now about how to sublet or how to arrange for furniture for a 10-week stay. Everything is provided, just as in a hotel room, except for sheets and personal items. There's a communal kitchen, a laundry facility, a cafe and a workout room on the premises. I still haven't decided if I'll be visiting him during his stay. Money is tight these days and I'm not sure it's worth it to spend several hundred dollars on a trip to NYC when I'd rather have it available for our later sojourn to UB's home country.
I do know that my mom will be visiting for a few days this summer once UB leaves. I bought her a ticket for her birthday, which caused much happiness and excitement. There's a lot here that I'd like to show her, but I'm somewhat apprehensive about the visit. My mother has a tendency to complain constantly, smoke like a chimney and ask enfuriating questions. None of these are qualities that I can put up with for an extended period. This is where Benjamin Franklin's quote is so appropriate: "Fish and visitors smell in three days." My mom will be here for 5, so the apartment will definitely need a good airing-out afterwards.
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UB's classes are going well. He's decided to continue with a beginning Spanish class, though it meets 5 times a week and thus requires him to be on campus every day. Normally, MBA classs run Monday-Thursday, making it more convenient to balance school life with home life and allowing students more time to complete homework assignments. But UB is becoming increasingly active, participating in a wide range of classes and events. In addition to his 5 classes, he's now enrolled in a 6th course, too, which is something of a symposium dedicated to discussing M&A. Then there's volleyball, soccer, and now racketball. And let's not forget the Finance Club and a few others I can't even remember. The sheer quantity of activities makes my head spin; I'm not sure how he's able to balance so much and still focus on coursework. Having an internship already set up for summer relieves a bit of the stress, I guess.
Speaking of the summer internship, UB has arranged for housing and is happy with the results. There's an organization in NYC that rents out furnished rooms and studios to students studying and interning in the city. UB will be staying in Midtown, fairly close to JP Morgan's building. No worries now about how to sublet or how to arrange for furniture for a 10-week stay. Everything is provided, just as in a hotel room, except for sheets and personal items. There's a communal kitchen, a laundry facility, a cafe and a workout room on the premises. I still haven't decided if I'll be visiting him during his stay. Money is tight these days and I'm not sure it's worth it to spend several hundred dollars on a trip to NYC when I'd rather have it available for our later sojourn to UB's home country.
I do know that my mom will be visiting for a few days this summer once UB leaves. I bought her a ticket for her birthday, which caused much happiness and excitement. There's a lot here that I'd like to show her, but I'm somewhat apprehensive about the visit. My mother has a tendency to complain constantly, smoke like a chimney and ask enfuriating questions. None of these are qualities that I can put up with for an extended period. This is where Benjamin Franklin's quote is so appropriate: "Fish and visitors smell in three days." My mom will be here for 5, so the apartment will definitely need a good airing-out afterwards.
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4.05.2004
Yikes, almost a month gone by without a post. Things got rather hectic as UB's final exams approached as well as my conferences. And the past few weekends were unusually busy, with lots of friends dropping by. Oh, and there's that procrastination tendency, too...
The most exciting thing to have happened in the past few weeks is the week-long trip UB & I took with a friend to Havasu Falls in Arizona. It's an amazing campground located on the Havasupai Reservation south of the Grand Canyon. You have to hike in 10 miles to get to the village & campground; no access by road. Though my legs weren't entirely happy, the views once we got there were amazing: tremendous waterfalls, unique rock formations, beautiful campgrounds. Here are pictures that someone else was kind enough to put up on the web.
We returned Friday, exhausted but happy. And well-fed, too, since we stopped at Las Vegas for a night on our way back and took in two huge buffets (one at the Rio for dinner and one at the Palms for breakfast).
Today begins the third and final quarter of the year for UB. Not only will this quarter be the most challenging in terms of classes (he's taking 5 rather demanding courses in hopes of eventually graduating a quarter early), but once he's done, there's no break: he'll have to leave immediately for NY to begin his internship with JP Morgan. In fact, he has to take his exams early, since the term doesn't officially end until mid-June while JPM's internship starts June 7. So I relished our time together on the Havasu trip, knowing that it will be a long while before we can truly relax together again.
On a happy note, though, we've decided to go to UB's home country following his internship. This is really thrilling, considering the fact that we've been together for over 10 years, and this is the first time I'll be seeing the place where he grew up. A little scary, too, since I know I'll have to meet all of his relatives yet can't speak the language beyond an elementary level. Guess what I'll be doing in my spare time over the next few weeks?? When UB announced our travel plans to his parents by phone, they were so enthusiastic. His mom even suggested that I stay an extra month in order to partake in the country's biggest celebration. It would be nice, I think, but inconvenient, since I'll be applying for university positions at that time.
So many things to think about, plan, and accomplish in the next few months. This is such an exciting, interesting time.
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The most exciting thing to have happened in the past few weeks is the week-long trip UB & I took with a friend to Havasu Falls in Arizona. It's an amazing campground located on the Havasupai Reservation south of the Grand Canyon. You have to hike in 10 miles to get to the village & campground; no access by road. Though my legs weren't entirely happy, the views once we got there were amazing: tremendous waterfalls, unique rock formations, beautiful campgrounds. Here are pictures that someone else was kind enough to put up on the web.
We returned Friday, exhausted but happy. And well-fed, too, since we stopped at Las Vegas for a night on our way back and took in two huge buffets (one at the Rio for dinner and one at the Palms for breakfast).
Today begins the third and final quarter of the year for UB. Not only will this quarter be the most challenging in terms of classes (he's taking 5 rather demanding courses in hopes of eventually graduating a quarter early), but once he's done, there's no break: he'll have to leave immediately for NY to begin his internship with JP Morgan. In fact, he has to take his exams early, since the term doesn't officially end until mid-June while JPM's internship starts June 7. So I relished our time together on the Havasu trip, knowing that it will be a long while before we can truly relax together again.
On a happy note, though, we've decided to go to UB's home country following his internship. This is really thrilling, considering the fact that we've been together for over 10 years, and this is the first time I'll be seeing the place where he grew up. A little scary, too, since I know I'll have to meet all of his relatives yet can't speak the language beyond an elementary level. Guess what I'll be doing in my spare time over the next few weeks?? When UB announced our travel plans to his parents by phone, they were so enthusiastic. His mom even suggested that I stay an extra month in order to partake in the country's biggest celebration. It would be nice, I think, but inconvenient, since I'll be applying for university positions at that time.
So many things to think about, plan, and accomplish in the next few months. This is such an exciting, interesting time.
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3.09.2004
Lots of messed-up things going on. At work, the woman I share an office with listens to heavy-metal music (yes, at work...) and has brought a pair of binoculars with which to spy on the construction workers next door. The CEO, who was absent during my first week on the job and who emailed me a welcome (after his return...) with an invitation to lunch, has entered my office every day since then (3+ weeks now) yet hasn't said another word about it.
At home, our water has started to smell. It has something of a chemical odor, mixed with something rotten. Very disagreeable. Thankfully, we use bottled water for drinking, but showering is pretty unpleasant. Even while doing the dishes the smell annoys me. Nothing on the news provided an explanation for this, so I called the Water Dep't today. No explanation other than: sometimes if the water stays in a pipe too long, it smells. Great, thanks. Then they gave me a long-distance number to call if I wanted to talk to an 'expert.' Thanks, but... shouldn't someone be calling ME?
Then, one of my new friends here in the city (the woman I met with the other day) wrote saying that she and her boyfriend have broken up and that she's moving to Florida. This totally sucks. Of all my friends (even those I've had for a LONG time), this is the one person that I felt totally comfortable telling anything to. We're like twin souls, so this is very depressing news.
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At home, our water has started to smell. It has something of a chemical odor, mixed with something rotten. Very disagreeable. Thankfully, we use bottled water for drinking, but showering is pretty unpleasant. Even while doing the dishes the smell annoys me. Nothing on the news provided an explanation for this, so I called the Water Dep't today. No explanation other than: sometimes if the water stays in a pipe too long, it smells. Great, thanks. Then they gave me a long-distance number to call if I wanted to talk to an 'expert.' Thanks, but... shouldn't someone be calling ME?
Then, one of my new friends here in the city (the woman I met with the other day) wrote saying that she and her boyfriend have broken up and that she's moving to Florida. This totally sucks. Of all my friends (even those I've had for a LONG time), this is the one person that I felt totally comfortable telling anything to. We're like twin souls, so this is very depressing news.
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3.08.2004
Let me preface this entry by saying that I have too many books. WAY too many books. So many, that they don't all fit in our apartment. There are at least 5 boxes of books stored in our garage. Thus, with a possible move to New York looming in the not-so-distant future, I decided that something must be done. I listed over 70 of them on half.com, and by this morning I had already sold 3! One was a book by Margaret Atwood, The Handmaid's Tale, that I had bought several years ago. Never read it. Someone bought it. Seller's guilt set in: what if it's a really good book? what if it's such a good book, that I'd consider it a 'keeper'? So I read it. I'm sure I should have spent the time on my dissertation, but 4 hours to read a 400-page book isn't bad, and it was definitely worth it. Because now I know: Good book, but not a keeper.
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3.06.2004
Yoga again today. By the end, the tightness I've been feeling in my lower back had completely disappeared. I only wish that I was motivated enough to do an hour-long session every morning. On my walk home, I called UB to meet me outside the apartment so we could take a stroll around the block. As we were walking, I thought that it would be nice to stop at our local IHOP and grab some breakfast. My two reasons: 1) I was tired of cooking the eggs/meat and 2) the kitchen was still slightly messy from last night's dinner. (We had a couple of friends over for a going-away meal, and by the time they left, I was in no mood to clean pots and pans.) At first, UB said no, but after I protested for a bit, he gave in. We ended up with a nice, quick breakfast (UB: steak and eggs, me: eggs & bacon w/ stuffed french toast) and headed home to do work.
Despite the fact that one of my abstracts was approved for an up-coming conference, I haven't yet produced anything substantial. From now until 6, I'm going to strap myself to the computer until I write something. : )
Then we're off to a birthday party for our neighbor's son (UB's MBA colleague), who turns 1 today.
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Despite the fact that one of my abstracts was approved for an up-coming conference, I haven't yet produced anything substantial. From now until 6, I'm going to strap myself to the computer until I write something. : )
Then we're off to a birthday party for our neighbor's son (UB's MBA colleague), who turns 1 today.
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3.05.2004
Yesterday I had to tutor after working at my part-time job, so it was late (8ish) by the time I reached home. When I arrived, UB still hadn't come. Thirty minutes later, he calls, asking me to join him at a local pub. Since I was tired, I declined. When he came home, he told me that he had been cajoled into going by a group of his MBA colleagues, who had complained that he wasn't doing enough "schmoozing." This is MBA-ese for drinking, apparently. In total, they had stayed at the bar for over 5 hours. Though UB's borrachera was probably reward enough, I still let him know that I wasn't exactly pleased. I simply feel that we should both hold each other to equal standards and act in accordance to the other's expectations; I know that UB would have been angry if I had stayed at a bar for such a long time, so it both hurts and angers me when he does so.
The length of his explanations and justifications was the only admittance of wrong-doing that I could expect to get.
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The length of his explanations and justifications was the only admittance of wrong-doing that I could expect to get.
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3.04.2004
Ugh. I had such a frustrating morning today, and I hate to begin on a sour note. First, there was no morning walk since UB said he had to do work. He's getting the Wall Street Journal now, so I suspect that work really meant reading the paper. When he realized that it was nearly 9am, he jumped into the shower, and a few minutes later shouted for breakfast. While I definitely don't mind preparing meals, lately I feel like this is being demanded of me more than being my activity of choice. I have never NOT made a meal, so why does he all of a sudden feel the need to remind me?? After he left, I prepared to go to the store to pick up a few things, but just as I was leaving, my mother calls. I suspected it was her when the phone rang, but against my better judgment I picked it up anyway. For 20 minutes, she bitched about her work, and repeatedly described the situation that's going on there. Our conversations typically go like this:
Me: Hello?
Mom: GUESS WHAT????
Me: What?
Mom: Such-and-such is happening at work. It's terrible. Everyone is complaining. I talked to so-and-so, and she feels the same way I do. It's terrible. Did I tell you that I talked to so-and-so? Anyway, I talked to her, and she thinks we should all quit. That would teach the manager a lesson. Don't you think? So I was talking to so-and-so, and when she said that we should quit, I agreed. Our manager is just terrible. Everyone complains about her.
Me: (at different intervals...) uh-huh. uh-huh. yeah. uh-huh.
Notice the sudden launch-into-bitching at the beginning of the conversation. It's always the same. No "hi, how are you and UB?" No "are you busy?" No "what's new." This does sometimes make an appearance in the conversation, but only at the end, when I am already seething and ready to start screaming.
Anyway, after about the fifth time through her work situation, I did start scolding her. I don't necessarily mind listening to her complaints, but when she is obviously doing NOTHING to solve the situation (ie: talk to her manager directly) and is only making her work environment WORSE, there is a problem. And so I told her. And she just continued to bitch.... Arrrrgggg.
When I finally was able to get off the phone and go shopping, I ended up buying way too many chocolately-sugary things to give myself something to look forward to. Thank God I'm not on a diet.
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Me: Hello?
Mom: GUESS WHAT????
Me: What?
Mom: Such-and-such is happening at work. It's terrible. Everyone is complaining. I talked to so-and-so, and she feels the same way I do. It's terrible. Did I tell you that I talked to so-and-so? Anyway, I talked to her, and she thinks we should all quit. That would teach the manager a lesson. Don't you think? So I was talking to so-and-so, and when she said that we should quit, I agreed. Our manager is just terrible. Everyone complains about her.
Me: (at different intervals...) uh-huh. uh-huh. yeah. uh-huh.
Notice the sudden launch-into-bitching at the beginning of the conversation. It's always the same. No "hi, how are you and UB?" No "are you busy?" No "what's new." This does sometimes make an appearance in the conversation, but only at the end, when I am already seething and ready to start screaming.
Anyway, after about the fifth time through her work situation, I did start scolding her. I don't necessarily mind listening to her complaints, but when she is obviously doing NOTHING to solve the situation (ie: talk to her manager directly) and is only making her work environment WORSE, there is a problem. And so I told her. And she just continued to bitch.... Arrrrgggg.
When I finally was able to get off the phone and go shopping, I ended up buying way too many chocolately-sugary things to give myself something to look forward to. Thank God I'm not on a diet.
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