On this Journey We Call Life

New baby pic!

2007-03-22T13:59:00.000-05:00

The breeder just sent us a recent picture of baby Izzy. She's opened her eyes now!!!

We're getting a puppy!!!

2007-03-18T17:36:00.000-05:00

Chris just put a deposit on a new puppy!!! We are getting another Miniature Schnauzer girl! She's going to be salt and pepper (hopefully a lot like Chloe) and we're going to name her Isabel! She was even born on my birthday (march 8th) so she'll be extra special!!! I can't wait for the first week in May when we drive to Oklahoma to pic her up! Here's her puppy pic at a few hours old:

I am a Regional Genius

2007-02-02T13:24:00.000-06:00

http://www.testriffic.com/iq

My score's 137. What's yours?

I'm engaged...and oh yah, home from Europe!

2007-01-15T10:31:00.000-06:00

Last week I got home from possible the best trip ever! Chris, me, Paul, Melissa and Eric went to Europe to celebrate the new year. We first flew into Madrid, which we thought would never happen. We were supposed to leave on the 29th to fly to Atlanta and then on to Madrid, which would put us into Madrid on the 30th. Well, weather turned bad flights were delayed at DFW (news was saying DFW passengers were in the basement b/c there were tornados....silly news people!) So, our flight went from being 1 hour delayed, which we then had to realize we would miss our connection in Atlanta, to being 6 HOURS delayed. Needless to say, we did not leave on the 29th for Madrid, like we had scheduled. We weighed all our possible options, tried a bunch of different airlines, but stupid Delta (who I will never fly again) would not release us to another airline, so we were stuck. We got on the flight to Atlanta and were told we could pick our bags up there. Around midnight we arrive in Atlanta - no bags.....we all shack up in a hotel room to take the morning flight to JFK in NY and then hitch a ride to Madrid. After about 3 hours of sleep, we actually get to ride first class to JFK (ok, so there's one redeeming factor...) So, we arrive in Madrid on the 31st (one day late) and sin baggage. (that's WITHOUT bags)

Madrid was a gorgeous city and we loved walking around the pretty streets and seeing all the famous parks and fountains. We finally got our luggage (after rebuying toiletries, underwear, and wearing the same outfit for 4 days) after it had been routed through VENICE (wha?!?!) and then fighting with the Madrid airport people to give it to us. We were in Madrid for new years and we bought wigs as is tradition. We bought punk hair wigs and formed our own punk band, which we entitled 'Don't check your baggage'. We then took an overnight train to Paris - where Chris and I got engaged! IT was really romantic, late at night, walk around Notre Dame all lit up and with a french guy playing his accordian. Then we overnight trained it to Rome which was also a great city to see - we saw the colosseum and the pantheon and lots of other sites.

Favorite part of the trip? Hands down - getting engaged!

There's no place like Sewanee

2006-11-21T12:16:00.000-06:00

So, the other weekend Chris and I flew to Tennessee for Elizabeth Howard and Tom Jones' wedding and it was a greatly needed weekend getaway. We left Dallas on the 7:15 am flight to Nashville where we rented a car and drove down to Chattanooga for the day. We ate some good barbecue at the downtown Sticky Fingers and walked all around downtown - along the Walnut Street Bridge, to the Bluff View Art District and around the Aquarium. We then went up to the top of Lookout Mountain where we toured Rock City which is pretty cool with winding paths along rocks and a suspended bridge and then the famous Lover's Leap which has an awesome view where you can see 7 states! We also did Ruby Falls which was a tour deep below the earth's surface which ended at a pretty waterfall below ground. There were really cool rock formations in the caverns which almost made me wish I had taken geology at Sewanee. We then headed up to Sewanee where I introduced Chris to the wonder that is Shenanigan's. He aboslutely loved that place and said he would be there every night if he had gone to school there. Saturday was frickin' freezing in Sewanee - the typical weather of fog, mist and really cold weather. Erin, Chris and I braved the weather and hiked to Piney Point, the Sewanee Natural Bridge and went to the Cross. Lizzy's wedding was beautiful and I loved the groom's cake which was the Sewanee gates. Boone surprised Stacey on Saturday morning and proposed to her! Sunday all of us went to Pearl's brunch which was a nice end to the weekend. It was so wonderful to get some Sewanee time in, and to see Stacey, Erin, Jean and Lane because I've been missing them!

You can see pics from my trip at: http://new.photos.yahoo.com/akgerety@swbell.net/albums

Halloween

2006-11-01T23:39:00.000-06:00

My nephew's Halloween costume - isn't it fantastic?! You'd never guess that he's really a sweetheart!

Figuring out how to add photos

2006-11-01T23:27:00.000-06:00

Chris and I recently babysat for my new one month old cousin....Aren't they cute??? Chris is really good with her and her 3 year old sister - and he actually really likes babysitting!!!

November already?!

2006-11-01T23:11:00.000-06:00

Well, I am still alive and have decided I need to get my mind off of neuro and udpate. I know Susan will be proud of me! OT school is going alright. It's a mix of a lot of stress and hard work (assessments, neuro....) but also a mix of easier mind numbing projects. No matter what though, I'm always stressed! I hope I can survive the two years I have left. I survived midterms at least....Got 3 A's (a 100 on my neuro midterm!) and 2 high B's. Guess I can't complain too much. Signed up for my professional project, which is called Play It Safe and is all about promoting safe playing strategies to kids - like bike helmets, not playing in the street...basically doing everything opposite from how we grew up! It is all about promoting health and wellness, which is a growing portion of occupational therapy - that's great and all, but I wanna do hands on therapy! Next semester is pediatrics, which I'm totally stoked about because that's what I want to specialize in. So, for right now, I just take it a week at a time trying to get all my crap done!

I get to go to Sewanee a week from Friday for Elizabeth and Tom's wedding and I SO excited! Chris is coming with me, so I get to introduce him to not only the girls, but also to Sewanee! We fly into Nashville at the ass crack 'o dawn on Friday then we'll drive down to Chattanooga - tool around downtown, probably do Rock City then it's up to Sewanee! Can't wait to take him to the Cross, Green's View, show him the different buildings on campus, and hopefully do a hike to Piney Point, or someplace like that. I definitely need some Sewanee time, ASAP!

I'm a dork

2006-09-01T15:03:00.000-05:00

So, I just finished my first week of OT school and I am loving it. Ask me about it at the end of the day though and I might give a different answer. It is already getting really stressful and I'm so exhausted at the end of the day, but all in all, I really love the program. There are a lot of fun people in my class and we are all already feeling like each other's family members. There is a lot of support and comraderie within the program that is really cool. Last night we had a luau/cookout at one of the professor's houses that all the student and professors went to. So, I already am behind on work, but it's all good so far!

Oh, and we're not going to Hawaii for New years....but don't feel too badly for me, because we are going to EUROPE!!! We are spending new years in Madrid, gonna take a day trip to Toledo, then overnight train into Paris where we spend a few nights, then overnight train to Rome where we finish up our trip. I am so excited!!! If you have ever been to any of these places and have suggestions for places to see, bars, restaurants, night life, please let me know!

Internships, Graduations and Birthdays...oh my!

2006-08-08T15:27:00.000-05:00

This is thankfully the last week of my incredibly hectic summer schedule. For the past two months, I have been doing a 40 hour/week internship for my current master's and taking night classes for OT prereqs. Last week I finished up my internship at a center-based therapy place for kids. Even though it was a lot of work and I thought I hated it at the time, I really did enjoy it. I got to work with some amazing kids and make some differences. I helped run the classroom/preschool type portion of the program and a lot of the kids I worked with had sensory issues and were on the autistic spectrum. My favorite part of that internship was this one kid who totally opened up to me. He was probably a little over 2 years old and would come into the classroom crying and not wanting to do anything but play with little infant toys. However, by the end of this two month experience, I had this kid wanting to play chase with me and hide and seek and he was constantly laughing through the session instead of crying!!! When I left, my supervisor told me that she wished I was already through OT school so that I could stay and work for them! So, all in all, I am really excited about OT school and now know that I definitely wanna specialize in children who are on the spectrum and have sensory issues.

So, this past weekend I graduated from UTD and got my Master of Science in Human Development and Early Childhood Disorders. The ceremony was long, especially since 75% of the names they called during the graduation where ones I never could have pronounced, and the same went for a lot of the Doctorate candidates' dissertations! My whole family came out for the celebration....my parents, Chris, my brother/sister in law/nephew, grandparents and aunt/uncle/cousins, which meant a lot to me. Since I am continuing onto another Master's degree, I expected this graduation to kind of be anti-climatic. I was wrong though and I was really proud to walk across that stage when they announced that I had received a master's degree. Afterwards, we all went to lunch at Gloria's where we had good platanos, margaritas and flan!

We also celebrated Chris' birthday this weekend. We went out to a comedy club downtown which created some sore cheeks from laughing so much. His birthday was last night, so I treated him and Jonathan (who had come in town from Louisiana to celebrate their birthday) to some yummy PF Chang's for dinner with some good conversation and catching up with Jon.

Oh! And Chris, Paul, Melissa and I are planning on going to Maui for New Year's!!! We still need to finalize our plans, but let me know if you have any suggestions!!

Reasons for Celebration

2006-05-30T14:57:00.000-05:00

My past two weekends have been full of weddings and graduation! Two weekends ago, I went to Kellyn's, one of my high school friends, weddings which was great fun because I got to see some high school friends I hadn't seen in awhile. The ceremony was in this really intimate pretty chapel and the reception was at City Place. Got to introduce some of my friends to Chris which is always great fun. Most of all, I enjoyed dancing with Chris during fast and slow dances! And I almost caught the bouquet! It grazed right through my fingers. I could've fought the girl next to me for it, but I was in a dress after all.

Onto this past weekend. Thursday night got to go to Paul and Melissa's rehearsal and rehearsal dinner and then the wedding was Friday night. It was in a gorgeous Catholic church out in Keller. Chris was a groomsman and looked so handsome in his tux! I was so proud of him standing up at the altar! Yes, I teared up a bit when Melissa walked down the aisle and when she and Paul exchanged vows. Such a perfect couple! The reception was a blast. First reception I've been to with a seated dinner, which I really enjoyed. Chris and I sat at the bride and groom's table and I had an honored seat of sitting right next to Melissa! Chris and I were a hit, as usual, with our dancing. Haha. And to cap off a perfect evening, Chris caught the garter!!!!

Sunday I joined my family at my cousin Jason's graduation from high school from ESD at the Meyerson. It's always a good time when I get to spend it with my family. Still can't believe that Jason has graduated, I remember holding him when I was 6 the day he came home from the hospital. An added bonus is that two of his friends are going to Sewanee!!! Woohoo! I just might have to make a roadtrip with him to visit them!

Check out pics from the weekend at: http://pg.photos.yahoo.com/ph/akgerety@swbell.net/my_photos

A New Car!!!

2006-04-10T11:34:00.000-05:00

This weekend I got a brand new car - the first new car I have ever owned and I am SO EXCITED! I am now the proud owner of a 2006 Honda Civic Hybrid. If any of ya'll ever saw the Hybrid Southpark episode, I'm working on my "Thaaaaaaaaaaaanks!" It is so beautiful! The color is called magnetic pearl and it's like a a deep blue in some light, a graphite in some light and then real sparkly. I'll post pictures in my photo album at http://pg.photos.yahoo.com/ph/akgerety@swbell.net/my_photos . So, this is where ya'll come in... I need help naming my new baby! Tawanda the Honda is no longer with us, but I can't reuse that name! So, send me suggestions!

In other news, Jo, my best friend since I was 3 recently got engaged and Chris and I attended her engagement party Saturday night. Got to show Chris off and introduce him to a bunch of family friends and I have to say he was a hit!

Horses and beer....what a good combination

2006-03-26T23:34:00.000-06:00

Haven't posted in awhile. Spring Break in the Dominican was awesome, but I am going to wait to blog about it until I can post pictures somewhere - they basically tell a story in themselves. This past weekend was really good though. Chris took me to see Cavalia, which is basically a Cirque de Soleil on horses. For those of you who don't know, I am OBSESSED and have a huge passion for horses, so Chris definitely did good getting me these tickets for Valentine's Day. The show was amazing and I even started tearing up at the very beginning when the music started and a horse just ran across the tent. The rest of the show included riders performing tricks on horseback, like this one rider who stood on the horses' backs (each leg on a different horse) while also holding the reins of two more horses (riding standing up controlling four horses) and then also taking them over jumps like that. Other segments had gorgeous horses running around with acrobats on bungees leaping and dancing above them. I can't even describe the show because it was such a spectacle. If you are in Dallas, you should definitely go see this show. Saturday night was also fun. Got a group together at the Gingerman and got to hang out with some of my girls and got to introduce Bufkin, who I hadn't seen in forever, to Chris and he gave me his stamp of approval! Ended up getting a little drunk, which was way over due and the night ended in a late night run to IHOP with the crew. Nothing like pancakes at 3 AM!

I'm gonna be a REAL Texas Woman!

2006-02-21T17:24:00.000-06:00

It's official, I am going to be attending TWU this fall for OT school! I am so excited! What is just as exciting is that I was accepted to all the schools I applied to - that's never happened before! It would have been cool to go to Wash. U or Thomas Jefferson U., which are both top 5 schools, but I decided that TWU would give me just as good of an education as those places (it is still top 10!) plus I wouldn't have to leave Dallas and wouldn't have to go further into debt! I don't even have to drive all the up to Denton for school, because the OT and PT departments are at Presbyterian Hospital. When I went to my interview, I got to meet some faculty members and students (one was actually an old high school friend, crazy!) and they all were really nice, laid back and seemed to have a lot fun while working hard in the program. So, all in all, it's a really good fit. Life isn't gonna be slowing down in the near future. I graduate from my current program in August and start my OT program the same month and will have my MOT in December of 2008. Whew, I'm already burned out. In other news, Chris just moved to a new apartment out in Valley Ranch and we love it! We've been spending the last couple of weekends decorating and his new dining set comes in Friday, which is exciting. Haha, I'm seriously getting old people, I'm excited about a dining room table! I also had the chance to go to the Academy Awards next month as my uncle's date. He's a member of the Academy and so he gets tickets every year. But, I have huge Anatomy midterm that Monday, which I can't miss and then it's my birthday on Wednesday and then Chris and I leave for the Dominican Republic the next day. So much to look forward to!!! :)

Spring break!!!!

2006-01-24T18:23:00.000-06:00

Chris and I are going to Punta Cana in the Dominican Republic for spring break!!! I am SO excited!!!! We'll be there for 7 days/6 nights and I may get to ride a horse on the beach (a life long dream of mine) and swim with dolphins! Spring break, I hope you get here soon!

I got in!

2006-01-18T11:05:00.000-06:00

Well, so much has happend since my last post. Went down to Louisiana to meet Chris' dad and other relatives for new years which was really great. Really glad I finally got to meet his dad and step-mother. I also got to meet all of his grandparents. One of his grandmother's actually just passed away the other week so I feel very lucky to have met her while I had the chance. Saw some hurricane damage. Chris' dad has (well, had) a time share on the east bank of the lake and now that whole area is all ruined. We drove out there on the way home from the airport and buildings are all gone, ponds are full of trash and it's like a ghost town. It was really sad to see but I am actually glad I got to see it. In other news, I got into a REALLY good OT school! It's part of the Washington University Medical School. It's ranked third in the entire country which makes it really cool that I got in and that I got a bit of a merit scholarship. So, trying to figure out where to go, because it's still pretty pricey (and SOMEONE still hasn't paid off her Sewanee loans....oops) So, TWU is still an option since it's so much cheaper. So, if you have any suggestions, comments or money for me, please let me know! :)

Playing Mommy

2005-12-19T20:45:00.000-06:00

Well, for the past 5 days, I have played mommy for my 9 year old nephew while my brother and sister-in-law were in NYC. It seems like I never get to see my nephew and so it was great getting to spend so much time with him. Friday I went up to his school for his Christmas pizza party, where I think I was either roped into the PTA or library volunteer. Well, not really, but I definitely was a member of the carpool line. Chris came out and spent time with us and he and my nephew really enjoyed each other. I was relieved that there was someone to play Xbox with him! We also saw King Kong which was good....really long, but pretty good. So, it was a good weekend and after Chris left, my nephew told me "I can't wait til he might be my uncle! He'd be the best ever!" It was really funny and cute...haha. So glad I don't have a 9 year old boy right now....

Thanksgiving

2005-11-26T17:59:00.000-06:00

This past Thanksgiving was one of the best I have ever had. Chris and I drove out to Lake Tawakoni - home of my grandparents - for a fun two day traditional Thanksgiving. We got there Thursday, watched the Cowboys lose (booooooooooo!) and ate some good home cookin. Sweet potatoes and the stuffing continue to rein as my favorites! Then, after Chris' four pieces of pie (where the hell does he put it?) the fun began. Chris and me stayed up til about 3 am with my brother, cousins, an aunt and an uncle drinking and playing Spoons. Since most of you do not know my family, the game of Spoons is deadly among us. Legendary stories have been told of grandmothers wrestling to the floor or cousins biting to get a spoon. Chris jumped right in like one of us, complete with a full on wrestle with one of my cousins to win the game. He has been initiated into the family and is one of us now! After little sleep, we all woke up to watch Texas beat those damn Aggies then drove out to the Christmas tree farm. We rode the hayride with the family out to the trees and helped the cousins pick out some trees that we then cut down. Chris and I kept picking out our favorite trees, but alas, no where to put one. :( In the end, it was a really fun Thanksgiving and am so excited that Chris had a good time with my family!

6 months

2005-11-06T23:51:00.000-06:00

This past Saturday, Chris and I celebrated our 6 month-aversary and had such an amazing day and evening!!! The day started off with a picnic in the Arboretum, where we strolled around looking at beautiful flowers and fountains, while enjoying our shared interested photography. We took some great shots and hopefully I can get them posted soon. Then, the surprise dinner date!!! For awhile Chris has had this date planned and kept it a secret and surprise. I was totally clueless, all I knew is that we were going to have a nice dinner somewhere that I didn't think would be possible in Dallas. He drove us out to Las Colinas where we ate a private catered dinner from Trevi's in our private gondola!!! We had our own gonodlier who steered us around the lake and sang to us while we ate our dinner. After dinner we cuddled under a blanket while sailing (does that apply to a gondola?) around the lake, listening the gondolier sing and watching the stars. Towards the end, the gondolier told Chris to look at something in the water. Chris then pulled out this glass bottle, which inside was a rolled up letter he had written me. It was definitely the best date ever, so creative and so romantic! I'm so lucky! :)

Disease Registry

2005-11-03T22:52:00.000-06:00

Ok, found another part of that website: http://www.thesurrealist.co.uk/disease . type in your name and you'll find your disease.

Stay away from this:

You are suffering fromAshleyosis.
Cause: lack of squirty cream
Symptoms: blue blotches, vague anxiety, jaw dislocation
Cure: take one and a half spoons of cough medicine every day before meals

This is what Chris is suffering from:

You are suffering fromChris' Lurgy.
Cause: spread by rats
Symptoms: bowel infrequency, vague tunnel vision, flushing, cockney accent
Cure: psychiatry

HAHAHAHA. and....i'm still a dork.

Camping

2005-10-27T21:12:00.000-05:00

Well, I'm sick in bed right now, so what better time to catch up the ol' blogger. Last weekend Chris and I and some other friends went camping at Possum Kingdom Lake, hence the current state of sickness...Despite my missing lungs (from coughing them up numerous times...mmmm...yummy) I had a lot of fun. Lots of sitting and laughing around the campfire snuggled up in my fleece. We froze our tuckis' (how DO you spell ass?) off in the lake, but I'm just proud of myself for being the first girl in the water! One of the most interesting parts of the trip was lying in my tent at 4am, unable to sleep due to my horriblly sore throat and oh yah, three drunk boys breaking wood around the fire! Needless to say, I can't wait to go camping again.

Symphony

2005-09-29T23:17:00.000-05:00

Tonight Chris took me to the symphony and I absolutely loved it. It was a special benefit concert for Hurricane Katrina. The program was a good variety ranging from intense pieces, to more peaceful ones. At the end, as a special tribute to New Orleans, they played "When the Saints Come Marchin' In" and had purple, green and yellow mardi gras lights shine on the big organ in the background. All in all, it was a great performance.

Child Life

2005-09-27T21:08:00.000-05:00

While reading some articles during practicum today, I found a good quote that describes child life. "Doctors take good care of the child's body, but child life specialists take good care of the child's soul." I just really liked that quote and thought it described child life pretty well. Another article said that the child life specialists' goal is to have children remember their hospital experience in a good light and build confidence for their future. That is all.

Long time, no see

2005-09-25T21:19:00.000-05:00

Ok, ok, fine, i'll update. my weeks are starting to get really long and tiring. my classes this semester are becoming demanding and i started a practicum in child life at scottish rite. i really love it! i get to help with play rooms (which really isn't any different from my job) but i also get to come up with activities for the nursing unit and clinic waiting rooms. i've just been enjoying getting to know the patients - they're all so amazing. last week PAWS, the texas therapy dog group, came and it was so cute to see the dogs. one was even a salt and pepper miniature schnauzer....she couldn't beat my chloe though. let's see what else has been going on....oh yah, chris and i went to chicago for labor day, which was incredible. we stayed in a really cool hotel and walked ALL OVER the city. we went to the top of the sears tower, took an architecture boat cruise down the river, saw the blue man group perform, the aquarium, the heard museum and chris took me out to dinner at the signature room on the top of the hancock building. whew, it was a busy weekend and one of the best trips ever!

last night, chris and i went to a formal that was put on by his company. i wore a formal dress and he wore a tux!!! he was so cute! the formal was at the belo mansion downtown which was so beautiful. we had dinner, played some craps in the casino area and danced til the band stopped! after that, we and about three other couples from chris' work went to the bar at the hotel zaza and hung around there til closing. then we all went to cafe brazil in deep ellum, where we all got some interesting looks, since we were in formals and tuxes. got home around 4am....needless to say, it was a fun night!

Whew, long week

2005-08-26T23:42:00.000-05:00

Well, I finished my 50 hours of observation for OT apps. I really loved it and am so excited about OT school, if I can get in!!! I got to see lots of great stuff at the hospital, like splinting, sensory issues, fine motor activities, massaging and positioning. The therapists up there were so friendly and great and really made the field exciting. I got my supervisor to fill out a rec for me for TWU and I think she wrote a really good one. The next step is filling out apps, getting GRE scores and transcripts. Other than that, classes started last week and half of them appear to be a waste of my time. One of them is for my practicum which means we just get together for an hour and talk about our experiences. I don't even start my practicum until mid september. Another class is a seminar in autism, which has 80 people in it (ok, my largest class in undergrad was like 25 people) and it's co-taught by this weird married couple. The woman goes off on horrible tangents and the guy has a trach so I can't even understand him. This is why I am probably skipping next week so I can pack for my trip to Chicago!!! So, please leave suggestions of where to go/do/eat in Chicago and what book I should take on the plane. I just finished The Red Tent a week or two ago and it was really good.

OT, I think it's for me!

2005-08-16T21:43:00.000-05:00

So, for the past two days I have been following around OT's at the hospital and I absolutely loved it. Yesterday I followed around inpatient and got to see a splinting, an eval., and a reflex stretch. One of my favorite little girls who has been in my playroom before came in for a session, so that made my day. Today was even better. I was out at the outpatient clinic, which I actually like so much better, because there are a lot of PT's and OT's working in the same area, so it was great being around so much activity and being able to see so many things going on at once. Today I saw one ortho eval., a developmental eval. (she actually used one of the tests that I will be learning to administer this semester), and a feeding session. I even got to throw the medicine ball around with one of the patients. This poor mom brought in her two year old daughter for a session. Not only did the daughter have Down Syndrome, but she has two more sons with Downs. Three out of her four children are Downs kids. I don't see how she even makes it through the day. I go back tomorrow for more observational hours, start classes on Thursday, see a Downs workshop and hand clinic on Friday and then I'm hoping to go back next week to complete my required 50 hours. Busy busy times for me!

Chocolate before bed = BAD

2005-08-12T01:40:00.000-05:00

So, after dinner I begin craving the yummy goodness of chocolate ice cream. I think I have been around Chris too much because my sweet tooth has become way too powerful. Needless to say, I have just finished my book and it's almost 2Am and I'm still wide awake. Come on Benadryl, do your damn job! The book I just finished is The Red Tent and it is soooooooooo good. I highly recommend it. It's a quick read - finished it in 3 days. Today I also called up Children's and spoke to their OT department. I am getting in 27 hours of observation next week for my OT school application. I'm really excited about seeing OT's in action. Next Friday I get to watch a workshop with Down's patients and a hand clinic. So excited about learning more about OT, since this is what I really wanna do. At the same time, I'm really nervous about getting in a program!

Home of 'ol Smokey

2005-08-10T22:25:00.000-05:00

So, I'm wondering why every movie that takes place in Texas has to portray it as an ass-backwards place full of redneck cowboys. I was watching Serving Sara tonight (there was nothing else on people) and part of it takes place/was filmed in Dallas. In it was a billboard with the picture of an electric chair on it and it said "Home of 'ol Smokey....361 Satisfied customers" which honestly, I got a good laugh out of. But other than that, everyone had horrible hick accents, wore cowboy hats, hung out at cowboy bars and went to monster truck shows. Now does that sound like me, a native Texan, or what?

Another humorous tidbit today was when my mom and I went to pick up my dad from getting a steroid injection (the big juicer....but actually it was for a bulging disk in his neck). This lady in the waiting room was talking to this guy waiting for his appointment. No, that's not bad, but this 45 year old lady (keep in mind, not a senile old fart) went on and on about how if she was gonna get pregnant she'd have to have invetro, how her boyfriend is 22 years older than she is, and then she talked about her family and how her only nephew was in jail in Huntsville. Boundaries, people! My mom and I had to hold up our magazines to hide behind for we were laughing so hard and secretly praying this lady wouldn't turn to us as her next prey.

I've taken the first step today towards my better, healthier self! Not only did I start a diet, but I also did a mile on the treadmill (which is a lot for me) and I went and signed up for an adult advanced tap class. This new studio opened up in the exact location as my old dance studio. It was such a trip down memory lane walking in that studio for the first time in 15 years and I'm so excited to start classes on Monday!

A festive weekend

2005-08-08T17:26:00.000-05:00

Friday night I went with Chris to celebrate Nadia's birthday at Gloria's. They have the best fried plantains.....'nough said. Saturday I had to work but that night we celebrated Chris' birthday! A big group, about 23, of us went to the Pocket Sandwich Theater by Mockingbird Station. We saw a comedy about Jekyl and Hyde, but the best part was all the popcorn wars. After the play we all went back to Chris' apartment for an after party. Chris, Sean, Josh and I made a midnight run to Whataburger, which turned into a comedy in itself. I hadn't laughed that hard in forever, complete with sore abs and watering eyes. There are some pictures in the Summer 2005 album on http://pg.photos.yahoo.com/ph/akgerety@swbell.net/my_photos. Then Sunday was Chris' actual birthday. He and I went to the Nasher Sculpture Museum which was amazing. So many cool sculptures. Half are inside the museum and half are outside in the garden. Luckily, Chris liked his presents that I gave him - a wooden box full of wine bottle tools (his mom gave him a wine cooler) and a tripod. His mom came over that evening and we tried to order some dinner for delivery, but our order got lost. We finally ate some good takeout pizza around 10 pm. I'm so glad I got to spend Chris' birthday with him!

"I'm Batman, but you can call me Bob"

2005-08-05T01:07:00.000-05:00

Just got home from one of the best concerts ever. Anne, Chris and I went to see Bob Schneider at Poor David's Pub tonight. We got to the door and who walks in behind us...none other than Bob himself. So, naturally, I asked him if he had $16 so I could get in the door. No takers, but I had a laugh. He also asked Anne if she was gonna have some pizza....crazy kid. Bob played solo and acoustic, which was awesome. Just him sitting on a stool singing and playing his guitar. So so so good. I am even more obsessed now. Hehe.

In other news, Tuesday morning I interviewed for a Child Life practicum placement at Texas Scottish Rite Hospital for Children. I thought it was going really well and wasn't nervous at all until the interviewer told me they only accept two practicum students each semester and she would let me know one way or the other next week. Well, about an hour later, I get a phone call from her saying I got a placement! Yay!!! SOOOOOOO excited. I'll get to work two days a week at the hospital in the playroom, in childrens' rooms and waiting rooms. What's also exciting about this place is that once a week therapy dogs come to visit the kids. How cool. Oh! AND I got A's in both of my summer classes. Hip hip hooray!

Ok, now what?

2005-07-29T00:18:00.000-05:00

So, I have finished reading the most recent Harry Potter, and like so many other people out there, I'm wondering what I should read now. Really, all I wanna read is the next book, but of course, that's not an option! This book was so much better than the fifth one. Harry was such a wuss in that one. I won't divulge any details here in case there are slow pokes out there who still haven't read it. However, if you have any desire to discuss, please let me know! So, I am currently taking any suggestions for my next read. Should I read The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe to continue my escapist trend, or should I turn serious and read something like The Life of Pi, The Bell Jar, or The Kite Runner? So, vote now, and you too can have an impact on my literary life.

In other news, I thought some of you who know me would be entertained by the fact that I have learned how to knit and am currently knitting a scarf. Feel free to laugh. I guess I have to now relinquish the right to make fun of my friend Erin who needle pointed in our dorm room Junior year.

Long Time No See

2005-07-27T22:46:00.000-05:00

Well, it has been way too long since I last updated. I'm trying to remember what all has happened since then, besides a tiny diminishing of brain cells. Chris passed with flying colors on his first of five certification tests - I'm so proud of him! School is finally out for the summer semester. Woohoo!!! I hopefully have roped in two more A's for the good ol GPA, which is definitely needed if I hope to go to OT school in a year. For all you lay people, that's occupational therapy, and no, I wouldn't be counseling people on their careers. ;) What I really wanna do with it is work at Children's and focus on sensory integration dysfunction, if that's possible. This past weekend, Chris and I went to study at UT Southestern Med School's library and I think I officially became a dork on that day. Being in a med school library excited me and really made me wanna go to OT school even more! Haha. Please refrain from all dork jokes, for they are all too true. Saturday night Chris went with me to a friend's going away party at the Drama Room. It was a lot of fun and he got to meet even more of my Ursuline girls, which obviously is very important to me! They all have liked each other, so go me for having kick ass friends and a kick ass boyfriend. Last night, Chris and I joined some people at Chaucer's for sushi happy hour (gotta love a volcano roll) then went to see the Wedding Crashers. It was hilarious....Tullier and Gerety give it two thumbs up!

"LaLaLaLa..... ARRRRRRRRRRRRRRRGH!"

2005-07-18T00:44:00.000-05:00

It's such a wonderful feeling when on a Sunday night, you can look back over the weekend and say "wow, that was a great weekend!" I had to work this weekend, but Chris was sweet enough to meet me up at the hospital and eat lunch with me in the cafeteria. That was such a treat! He got to meet some of the people I work with, see my office and take a tour of the hospital. I showed him my playrooms and of course, the train lobby! Then Saturday night, we went to celebrate a birthday with some of my Ursuline girls. I haven't seen them in forever, so it was so much fun to catch up, laugh and be with my girls! We had some yummy sushi at Blue Fish then went to the Bob Schneider concert at the Granada. Chris is a huge fan, but I admit I had never listened to Bob before. It was cute to watch Chris just smile about seeing Bob Schneider live, like some little kid finally seeing Disney World. I have to say, I LOVE Bob Schneider now. This concert was one of the most fun ones I have ever been to. (www.bobschneidermusic.com) Anne, Angie and I really got into the pirate song (hence, the title of this entry). After the concert, Chris and I actually got to meet Bob and take a picture with him. I have no idea how to post pictures on this thing, so please visit my yahoo photos to see pics, under my Summer 2005 album. (http://pg.photos.yahoo.com/ph/akgerety@swbell.net/my_photos) Supposedly he dated Sandra Bullock....I wonder which one of us looks better with him. ;) I had to work again today, which was fun because we had super heroes visit us in the playroom! A group of about 10 adults make a yearly trip to the hospital dressed up as Wolverine, Batman, Supergirl, Wonder Woman, etc. and the kids loved it. It was so cute to watch the kids' just stare in total awe of these "heroes."

Nephews = FUN

2005-07-15T22:36:00.000-05:00

Today my mom and I went to pick up my nephew to come spend the night tonight. We had a good lunch at El Fenix (of course) and then went bowling. Up until the last two sets (I'm not a bowler, I don't know what they're called) I was being beaten by an 8 year old!!! And believe me, he made it known EVERY time he bowled something better than I did, which was often. But oh oh, I came back in the end for some whopping spares and I beat his little 8 year old hiney! You play with fire, and you're gonna get burned! Don't worry people, I really am a good aunt, I promise. On the way back to our house, my nephew was talking about what he wanted for his birthday. The conversation went something like this:
Nephew: "I want a PSP for my birthday."
Mom: "Isn't that some sort of street drug?"
Me: "No, mom. That's PCP."
At least I don't have to worry about my mom getting into drugs....or do I? After the bowling, Adam and I went swimming and he had great fun splashing water on Chloe and making her bark. Then tonight we went to Chili's for dinner, but alas, the monsoon that came through cut off power to that intersection, so we settled on Chuck's. Then we went to see War of the Worlds. My dad and nephew liked it (MEN!) but I guess it wasn't that bad. It just seemed like Independence Day Part Deux. Plus, I'm on Tom Cruise overload - when will he ever go away? Other than that, it was good. Gotta get up early in the morning for work (which I'm oddly enough excited about) and then Chris and I are off to eat sushi and go to see Bob Schneider to celebrate one of my UA girls' bday. Should be a good day all around! :)

First weekend back

2005-07-10T23:52:00.000-05:00

This weekend was the first weekend with Chris back in town. So, that in itself made it a good weekend! Friday night we went out to Bucca di Beppo for dinner to celebrate one of his friends' birthday. It was so much food and Chris fell asleep at 9:30 that night. hahaha. Another wilde and crazy Friday night. ;) Saturday we went to lunch with my extended family which was great. I'm really glad they got to meet Chris and that he got to meet them. Then that night we went and ate Thai food with some friends, which was also so yummy. Met up with Ginger and some other people and did the lower Greenville thing. Then made a short appearance at the Lizard Lounge. It was a lot of fun to go "out on the town," cuz I hadn't done that in awhile. Then today we had lunch with his mom and then headed over to Keller to swim and barbecue with Paul and Melissa, two of Chris' friends who are engaged. Had a very fun and chill evening swimming and drinking wine by the pool. Melissa and I had great fun watching our boys get tipsy!

So much to say, so much to say

2005-07-07T00:25:00.000-05:00

Chris is back in town!!!! I picked him up yesterday morning and we were able to spend all yesterday together. The poor guy was tuckered out! He had an amazing time and took some breath taking photos. He was also sweet enough to bring me back some presents - some woven bracelets that match the ones he got himself, a beautiful turquoise Incan cross pendant, and the softest teddy bear made from alpaca fur, which we named Al (short for alpaca). So he done good! It's so wonderful to have him back in town!

In other news, today my mom and I met my aunt and cousins at the Galleria and we had lunch and did some shopping. It was really good to hang out with them and catch up. But I think the best part of today was my home visit this morning. I met my little boy up at Callier to work with him while his brother was in speech therapy. However, his mom had to run the girl they carpool with home b/c she had gotten sick. So, after working with my kid for an hour outside on the playground (and it was HOT!), his mom still wasn't back and we waited for her in the lobby. It sounds odd, but I was so excited that he was crying for his mom. He was saying "mama" and using the word to actually refer to his mom! The poor little kid was getting upset and missing his mom, so I held him in my arms and patted his back and he drifted off to sleep. There's nothing like having a baby or toddler fall asleep in your arms!!!

4th of July

2005-07-04T23:27:00.000-05:00

Today was a fun and relaxing 4th. Got to catch up on my sleep, which I greatly lacked this weekend and then this afternoon I went over to Thomas' to grill out and swim with him, Carp and Rachel. Then Wen and Trisha met up with us and we hung out and ended up at Ozona's on lower Greenville for $1 margaritas where we enjoyed lots of laughs. Didn't get to see any fireworks this year (actually, did catch one on the drive down to Ozona's) but I did get to hear them at Ozona's. I'm picking up Chris at the airport tomorrow morning and I'm so excited I could pee my pants. I don't think I could go one more day without seeing him!

Sunday, Bloody Sunday

2005-07-03T22:44:00.000-05:00

I swear, there had to have been a full moon looming over the hospital today. Another assistant had a Haz Mat spill in her playroom today and if that wasn't enough, one of the specialists, who is my supervisor, broke down in the office today. There were five patients in the ICU who were passing, and she was having to support all the families. I felt so badly for her and so helpless. It definitely makes me rethink my short term job of working as a Child Life Specialist for a year or two. I totally love my job and the environment and working with the kids, but there's no way I could deal with kids dying. The specialists have to be totally there for the the families without breaking down themselves. Michele (my supervisor) said that you have to just realize you have to do your job and be there for the families, and then you can deal with it yourself later, after you leave work. I know dealing with situations like that wouldn't be a daily thing, thank goodness, but I still don't know if I could handle even just one incident. Hopefully, I can gain the strength to do that, but I really don't know. Definitely makes me feel more comfortable and happy with the decision of eventually going into OT, where I could still work at Children's. So, all in all, I was pretty bummed and not feeling like doing anything when I got home from work. I just felt exhausted and emotionally drained. I ended up cancelling on Kaboomtown in Addison with my parents and family friends and turned down an offer to go to the Londoner in Addison with Thomas and Co. I think I needed the quiet and down time to myself. So, instead of watching fireworks, I played lazy in the recliner with a sleeping Chloe on my lap and watched The Others. Such an awesome movie and after seeing it so many times, it still makes me jump! Still trying to figure out the father's role in the overall theme of the movie - if you have any ideas, let me know.

The Good, the Bad and the Ugly

2005-07-02T21:06:00.000-05:00

The Good: Tonight my parents and I went out to dinner for my mom's birthday at one of our favorite restaurants called Watel's. It's this little intimate French restaurant in an old house near Allen and Thomas in Uptown. I had the crab and vegetable lasagna and we all split a creme brulee. It was delicious! Ironically enough, the couple at the table next to us was talking about the time they spent in Peru and Cuzco. I just can't escape it! I get it, I'm supposed to be there right now! ;)

The Bad: Work today was definitely tiring. My playroom was so busy and hectic and all the nurses and doctors seemed to be in a bad mood. Kids IV's were beeping all over the place and nurses seemed to be very inpatient and rude when I called the station to let them know. I was just doing my job, people, now do yours!

The Ugly: Well, I got another e-mail from Wes in Ecuador. It was absolutely sickening and depressing. Turns out that matters have gotten much, much worse. The cruel lawyers have somehow managed to get "statements" from the boys and Wes found out that he had 24 hours before a block would be placed on his leaving the country. Fifteen minutes after finding this out, Wes was out the door with clothes, medicines and quick goodbyes from the boys that still remained in the house. He fled Ecuador and has flown back to the states. To rely on a cliche, I really don't understand how bad things can happen to good people. Wes gave up his home, his career, his money, his whole life and moved to Ecuador to build a home from scratch for disadvantaged boys and here the Ecuadorian government has charged him with hellacious and rediculously fraudulant charges. He will most likely never get to return to the home he built in Ecuador, nor see the boys every again. Part of me is relieved that Brenda (his deceased wife) did not live to see this dream fall apart, but I also feel incredily bad for Wes to have to suffer this alone. I guess "El Dulce Refugio" no longer means "The Sweet Refuge." I have lost my faith in the beauty of Ecuador.

"This isn't for old people, who have backaches, heartburn and scratch their butts all day."

2005-07-01T22:36:00.000-05:00

As you may have guessed, I love quotes. This particular one wins quote of the day and was said by my 8 year old nephew. Haha. He's a hoot. Today we went to the Rainforest Cafe (all you DFW people need to check it out - it's in Grapevine Mills) and it was so much fun. This place is amazing. Throughout the restaurant there are HUGE aquariums and all the walls and the ceiling are covered in fake trees and jungle brush. They also have mechanical leopards, gorillas and an elephant that all move and make noise. We sat by the waterfall, which was complete with running water and a rainbow! After lunch, we went to see Madagascar, which was really cute. It's no Finding Nemo, but it's definitely up there. It even had references for adults, which always adds some fun. My favorite part was that there were lemurs in it!!! (Plus, they said "Oy Vey!") For those of you who don't know, my senior year at Sewanee I studied lemurs on St. Catherine's Island off of Georgia for a few days. Therefore, they hold a special animal place in my heart. Haha. And what would you know, Chris even has a tshirt with a lemur on it - is that perfect or what? Tonight, I was supposed to go hit some golf balls with Thomas and some friends but I have to get up early for work tomorrow, so I decided I'd regret the golf and beer in the morning. I'm actually looking forward to a weekend of work. I desperately need the money, plus it'll keep me busy and hopefully make the weekend go by quickly!

Stoned Chloe

2005-06-30T21:41:00.000-05:00

Today Chloe had to go to the internal vet specialist for an endoscopy. Luckily, the vet saw nothing wrong beyond a little inflamed small intestine. Turns out she most likely has IBS (like mother, like daughter I guess!) but we'll get the formal results from the biopsies and blood tests next week. She looked so pitiful when I picked her up this afternoon. She had a bandage wrapped around one leg (like a polo wrap on a horse) over where she had her IV. Tonight I unwrapped her leg and they had shaved it!!! Now my poor pretty girl has a shaved leg - like someone started giving her a poodle cut and then gave up. Hopefully it'll grow back quickly, because she does look pretty funny. She was still kinda drugged from the procedure and has been acting really funny. She's just very hypotonic, falls over in my lap and falls asleep. And of course, she's playing it for all it's worth.

I have to say physically I'm doing better than Chloe. After my hip hop class on Monday night, I felt like a 95 year old who needed a hip replacement, but I think I'm getting back to normal. Hopefully the pain means it's working! Haven't heard from Chris, so I take it he's feeling better and made it to the Inca hike to Macchu Piccu. Have I mentioned I miss him?

"Ready, set....Go!"

2005-06-28T22:19:00.000-05:00

Besides today being mom's birthday and having a great bday lunch with her, (in which my grandmother threatened to "smack the crap" out of my dad if he didn't let her pay - she's awesome) I'd have to say that the best part of today was definitely my home visit with the 17 month old kiddo I've been working with for about a month. This poor little boy has a speech delay (which, considering all that I've studied, could be a lot worse) and therefore does not have many words to his vocab, really does not babble at all and rarely imitates the voices and sounds he hears. All in all, he has the current speech development of an 8-12 month old. So, today was an amazing session. I engaged him in some "ready, set...go!" play and he actually began using "mo" for "more" and more amazingly, he started imitating the intonation and rhythm of my "ready, set, go!" vocalizations. It was probably one of the cutest things I've ever heard. This is such a break through, for I've never heard him verbalize or imitate so much. It may not seem much to some of ya'll, but my line of work can be so discouraging, since every child is different and it takes so much work and time to notice a change. So every little bit of improvement is a huge step. After last week's session, I was feeling very discouraged because my kiddo was very cranky and just fussed the entire time without making any verbalizations, which resulted in having to end the session early because he had become over stimulated. So today was definitely a break through and makes me feel so good and excited about my work.

After class tonight I swam some laps. Chloe was in the backyard with me and ran back and forth along the side of the pool while barking as I swam laps. It was possibly one of the funniest things I've ever seen. She's such a hoot. Not quite sure if she was scared for me, or just didn't recognize me in the water. In other news, according to Chris' blog, he's sick in Peru (poor guy, must've drunk the water b/c that happened to me in Ecuador). I feel so badly for him, because that's gotta suck, but he wrote "Being sick makes me miss Ashley even more," which selfishly makes me smile. :)

"Everyday holds the opportunity for beauty."

2005-06-28T01:03:00.000-05:00

I named this post after a quote I heard in a movie this weekend and I thought it was fantastic and uplifting. My happiness today would definitely have to be the fact that I began taking a dance class today!! This is very important to me because I have been dancing all my life (definitely a part of who I am) and haven't had the opportunity since I graduated from Sewanee two years ago. It's an adult hip hop class and is so much fun. It felt so good to work up a sweat and feel worn out. A work out that's actually fun, imagine that! Boo running! So my friend Jo and I are gonna go to this dance class at least once a week. I can't wait to get back in shape and get my dancer's body back. Oh, and the guy who teaches the class has a DVD coming out Friday, how cool is that?

On a more serious note, I got an e-mail from Wes, who is this amazing old guy who, with his now deceased wife, left his home in the US to "following his calling" and move to Ecuador to build an orphanage. When I went to Ecuador in college, we helped build this orphanage (www.eldulcerefugio.com). Anyway, this e-mail said that recently one of the boy's parents came back for their son and later rediculously accused Wes of child abuse. Why the authorities chose to believe these flaky parents over Wes is beyond me, but probably has to do with the fact that he is a "gringo". So, Wes is very unsure of the future of the home, but knows that the older boys are being transferred to a juvenile detention center (when they have never been accused of any misdemeanors before) and the younger boys are being taken out of Wes' custody for now. So, please pray, send good thoughts, do a lucky dance for Wes. I'm sure I'll update when I get more news.

And It Begins...

2005-06-26T03:27:00.000-05:00

So, I have decided it is time to create a blog, because I know everyone wants to live precariously through me. This blog may not contain journeys throughout Peru, but is still worth the read. Critics, please be kind. Today turned out to be a fantastic day. One of my good friends, Erin, who also was one of my junior year roomies at Sewanee, was in town for an optometry conference. After braving the parking lot that is 635 for an hour, I picked her up out at the Gaylord (which is pretty amazing, people) and we went to lunch at Mi Cocina in Las Colinas. I figured since she was in Texas, I needed to prove to her that our Tex-Mex is much better than the Tenn-Mex she has become acustomed to in Tennessee. We chatted about the goings on in our lives and it was great to catch up with her, since I hadn't seen her since a friend's wedding last July. Our group of Sewanee friends is trying to get together in October for Homecoming, but I guess it'll depend on if there are any cheap airfares, especially since Chris and I are planning a trip to Chicago for Labor Day. (Die, Wright Amendment, Die!) After lunch and dropping Erin off at her hotel, I went to the Rascal Flatt's concert out at Smirnoff at Fair Park with Ginger, Amanda and another friend Melanie. We enjoyed beer, laughs, and good music. I think they are one of my new favorite bands, coupled with Bright Eyes (thank you, Chris). I was just excited that they played "Bless the Broken Road" (lyrics go "God bless the broken road that led me straight to you) because that is one of my new favorite songs and holds special meaning to me. They also played some good covers like "Friends in Low Places", "Pour Some Sugar on Me", "Born in the USA" and "Let It Be" (or "Letter C" as we liked to sing). I think the funniest part of the night was this biatch who laid a blanket in front of ours and would squirt water at anyone who stepped on her blessed blanket. So, the quote of the night would definitely have to be "Don't step on the blanket!" to all passerby's. So, in this parting, I dare all of ya'll to go out and step on some blankets.