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Tonight I’m taking a break from genetics to catch up around here!  I know that blogging isn’t real work in the I-get-paid-for-it sense, but I always feel a tingle of accomplishment when I catch up on the just-for-fun writing that I do.

Paradoxically, we are settling into daily life in Austin as our schedule is about to become much busier with work.  I did well with my exercise last week, getting outside for some movement six days out of seven.  On Monday, we took the bus to downtown Austin, theoretically to buy me some study/tutoring materials for chemistry.  We checked out Book People, where they keep the college study references in just the right place: next to the incense!

 

They didn’t have any chemistry references for me, so I settled for a votive candle and Paul bought a new journal.  (We’re big on journaling in our house!)  From there, we headed over to Whole Foods to buy a few groceries, then we caught the bus home.  Note for the record that we did NOT go into Anthropologie because I’m saving it for a special treat: when I hit 100 tutoring hours on WyzAnt, I’m giving myself permission to buy something from Anthro if I want.  It’s a store that is, I think, generally out of my price range (and I don’t have the patience/desire to stalk sales the way other people do), but I’m happy to use it as a reward now that there is a store near me.

On Sunday morning, we headed out on the riverside bike trail for a LONG bike ride in the sunshine.  (The photos at the top are from our ride.)  This time, we didn’t get any flat tires, so we were able to enjoy our bikes all the way back home, where the uphill was so steep that I had to hop off my bike and walk it.  My legs were trashed by the end, but it was a deliciously tired feeling.

And that brings this blog officially UP TO DATE!  Hurray!

Work Hard, Play Hard

At home, working…

…and out on the road.

Another week over and another week closer to the start of the fall semester!  The week of August 11th was a good “work hard, play hard” week.  I made good progress on my tutoring work, and oh, Paul and I had our interview that week!  More on that soon if we get hired.  On Thursday, we headed north to Dallas to see friends and so Paul could go to a concert with another friend of ours.  I love the Dallas skyline and wish I could better capture it with my camera.  Alas, that third photo down (a rather mediocre shot) will have to do for now.  The fourth photo down is a photo of the sunrise as we made an early-morning drive to College Station to finish up some work there.

I did well with my exercise before we went to Dallas, but I didn’t keep up with it while we were on our mini-vacation.  I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again: August is such a punishing month in Texas.  I miss being outside more often and can’t wait until we start seeing cooler temperatures again.

But hey, how cute is my work-out summary this week?!

The First Week in Austin

Out and about…

…and at home in Austin.

Hello, hello!  I’m so ready to get back into weekly updates on this blog.  We’ve been settling into Austin quite nicely, though I’ll confess that much of my time here thus far has been spent at my desk.  It’s a good busy, a happy busy, as Paul and I get ready for the upcoming semester and try to get our names out there so that students can find us.  When I work at home, Lucy sprawls out behind me or she sneaks into the closet and sleeps on my slippers.  It’s pretty adorable.

When we sneak away from our desks, it’s often on bike.  On Saturday, we headed down to the bike trail by the river and enjoyed the sites, like the one in the second photo from the top.  Unfortunately, Paul got a flat tire on the trail, and we had to walk our bikes all the way home.  Since then, he’s done a bunch of work on his bike and on mine, which is fantastic.  I love dating someone who is so handy and caring.

If I head out of the house without Paul, I usually do so on foot.  I’ll tell you more about my future running plans in my next post, but suffice to say that I’m taking advantage of the newfound stability in my life to start training again.  I got two short runs in last week and I went out tonight for a longer run.  To illustrate, I present the following:

Paul and I bought digitizer tablets for tutoring!  They’re like electronic notebooks that you can use for sketching, drawing, or, in our case, lots of problem solving with students.  I’m still getting used to the tablet, but I’ve decided to do my weekly work-out log on the tablet.  I like its hand-drawn quality!

How is your week going, dear reader?

July by iPhone

Tonight I write to you from Austin, TX.  We finally finished our move from College Station to Austin after a very long week and several trips back and forth between the two cities.  We’re still not fully unpacked, but we’ve bought groceries twice and cooked several meals in our new kitchen.  The feeling that “this is home” is startling to settle into my heart.  Truly, the next chapter begins.

In keeping with my monthly recaps on this blog, I’m going to skip lightly over June (because I barely remember it, to be honest) and jump into something more exciting: July by iPhone!  I am now the proud user of a refurbished iPhone.  Paul was able to fix an old phone from his sister, and we finally activated it this summer.  (I can’t even tell you how long it sat in my desk…let’s just say it’s been a while.)

July was a crazy, intense month.  We enjoyed the pants off of it, until the end when the move to Austin completely dominated our lives.  But before that, we had…

…an evening joy ride in our new car.  I took a terrible selfie to mark the event.  It’s an awful photo, but it marks a huge turning point for Paul and me: co-ownership of a vehicle.  I think it’s safe to say we love each other more than we love the new car.  (But we do love the new car!)

…Connect Four while waiting for our table at Hullabaloo Diner.  Hullabaloo is legendary in College Station, and I had wanted to eat there at least once before we left CS.  Lucky for me, the guys decided to go to Hullabaloo to celebrate our friend Matt’s birthday, so we drove out there for delicious breakfast-for-dinner entrees and a huge platter of green chili cheese fries.  I wish we'd had room for pie, but we were so stuffed that common sense got the better of us and we rolled outta there without dessert.  Next time! 

Before our table was ready, we sat outside and played some games.  Paul is a champion Connect Four player, and he whomped me thoroughly in several rounds.  But I think I got at least one win in there!

…an important reminder.  On July 1st, Paul and I moved our roommate Courtney into our new house.  She took down her inspiration wall, but I snapped this photo before the wall came down.  Everything about what we’re doing is experimental, our living arrangement and career changes being the biggest experiments.  Of course I’m rooting for success and happiness, but it’s good to be reminded that failing at something does not make you unworthy of love…or trying again.

…a furry companion at my feet.  While we were still living in the old apartment, adorable Lucy started using my work bag as her resting spot whenever I worked at home.  She’s so sweet and beautiful.

…a new journal for a new chapter of life.  I finished up my old journal when I started working on May Cause Miracles, so when Paul and I were in Houston, I bought a new one at Half-Price Books.  They have the most gorgeous selection of journals.  I love that store.

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Tonight I was able to go for a walk for pleasure for the first time in a week.  Very near our apartment we had spotted a walking path; it turns out that it’s a wildflower preserve!  I strolled through it and a feeling of utter peace and contentment settled over me.  I have a really good feeling about this Austin experiment of ours.  Austin is a place we can explore, enjoy, maybe even stay for a while.  It’s a good thing I bought a new journal because I think there is going to be a lot to write about.