Ketchup

Hi everyone, I need to do some serious catch up here including the end of last semester, Christmas holiday in California, Dee on a plane, and recent return to school.  While I write a catch up post I will add a few fun pictures here for your enjoyment!

Stuff Speech Pathology Majors Never Say

In case you were wondering what getting a Masters in Speech-Language Pathology is all about just look at this video - its the exact opposite.

Fall In New England

Last weekend Ross, Dee and I went to Wachusett Mountain for a little leaf peeping.  Fall here has been gorgeous, particularly compared to last year.  There were only a few leaves left to turn colors after Hurricane Irene last August and a freak snowstorm on Halloween.  I'm so happy that the trees are so beautiful right now, especially since my Momma is coming on Thursday! I'm so excited to see her and show her our new digs.  In the meantime, photos will have to do.

Oh, and it's time for midterms.  Am I a little stressed out?  No, not me.  I'm a LOT stressed out.  Behold:

A Summer In Review

Wow, I've been MIA for way too long.  You should know that it has been for all the right reasons though.  I have been living life too fully to blog about it.  Lots of exciting things have happened since I returned from Italy in mid-June.  First of all, I moved in with this handsome devil:

Ross and I have a lovely condo and I'm really enjoying getting it all put together.  We are pretty happy, and so is Dee.  We have a guest room so please feel free to come visit!

I went to California in August to visit my parents which was really nice.  While I was there this little guy was found and adopted by my parents (and Arrow).  His name is Sarge and he and Arrow are besties.

I also had my 28th birthday when I was in Cali.  I have a hard time believing I'm that old, but I will just look at it as another good year to come.  Thing 1 and Thing 2 were there to help me celebrate which was sweet too.

Classes start on Tuesday which has me a bit stressed out, as you can imagine.  The new condo is about an hour from school and work which seems far but the rent is so much better and the area so beautiful.  Hopefully I will be able to share a few photos of the interior of the condo soon, once I have it all decked out.  

Oh yeah, and on Monday I dropped a kitchen knife into my foot while working on Martha's Vineyard. Two stitches later and I'm still pretty sore and bruised.  

Other than all of that excitement I'm just enjoying lots of time with my love and the German Shepherd.  I hope I am better about blogging but am not making any promises.  Thanks for hanging in there. 

A Few Thoughts From Tuscany

I've been in Italy for about 3 weeks now. I'm staying and working for the family I nanny for in a villa near Lucca. I haven't been able to post anything here (Italian wifi) so I thought I would do a rambling post of my thoughts. Here it goes:

Not only have I driven a bunch here in Italy, but I've been driving a stick shift. I am more proud of myself than I have any right to be.

I can get used to three hours of daily housekeeping. Fast.

The walls of giant Tuscan villas are about 3 feet thick.

A guy with a weed eater is cleaning up the olive grove outside my bedroom. At 9pm. He does this several times a week.

I can confirm that the Leaning Tower of Pisa does, indeed, lean. Walking up it is dizzying.

Tuscan sunsets are unlike any other.

A four leaf clover in Italian is "Il Quadrifoglio". It's my new favorite word.

Gelato is like crack.

Today is The Boyfriend's birthday. I miss him so much and wish I could celebrate with him.

I will be sure to post pics once I'm back in the US in about a week. Arrivederci for now.

Post Finals, Beginning Of Summer Ramblings

Sorry again for the absence, but I've been busy with a couple of things.  I will be sure to write a full post soon.  Thanks for your patience and enjoy The Boyfriend, The German Shepard, and me IN SCUBA GEAR!

Get It Together

I know, I seem to start every post lately with "I'm such a bad blogger for not writing in so long".  This last gap was particularly long and I'm sorry.  I had midterms followed by Spring Break in California followed by a not so fun knee injury.  Let's start with midterms- they are over.  End of story.  Spring Break was awesome.  I spent ten days with my parents in Cali and got to enjoy some fantastic weather.  I left the cold snowy Northeast and arrived in the Napa Valley to sun and 70 degree weather.  Finally, a couple of weeks ago I dislocated my left knee cap.  Yeah, it sounds worse than it is.  It hurts like a bitch but I had an MRI and there is nothing torn in there so I don't have to have surgery on it again.  (I had surgery on that knee in the 8th grade after a track and field injury).  I have to wear a brace for a while which prompts people to ask me what happened.  I wish I had a better story.  All that I did was kneel down for too long and when I stood up the knee popped out.  It has dislocated before so I knew immediately what had happened.  The cause of the repeated dislocation is actually something that I have called Benign Joint Hypermobility Syndrome.  It makes me very, well, bendy.  So there you have it, one of my many freaky qualities.

Sorry this post is such a random mashup of information but my brain is a bit tired.  Here's a little treat though: A family portrait I took when I was in California using my awesome tripod.