Faking It

It has been so outrageously cold here the past week. I don't even know where I am, I thought it was El Paso but it snowed yesterday! Actually it started snowing Tuesday night and snowed all day yesterday. UTEP was closed Wednesday and they sent out an announcement saying they would be closed again on Thursday to keep people from driving in the conditions and to conserve energy. There were rolling blackouts throughout the whole city. My power went out twice yesterday before noon, and it was 9 degrees all day! Even in the middle of the day when it's 9 degrees with wind, it gets cold quick! Last night, however, my power went out at quarter after 6. When I went to sleep at quarter to 11 it was still out. I woke up at 1 a.m.-ish and it was back on but that was insane! I went out driving today, I had to go to the post office and get out of my apartment because I was about to go crazy, and there was ice on the roads and snow all over my car...it is bitterly cold here in the southwest....

That strip of pictures was me and Shelby from 2005. We had gone to Tucson to see our friend Monica act in the Vagina Monologues. We've been friends since we were teenagers and I don't think we've really changed as we grew up, we just became more clearly ourselves. My friendships with these girls mean a lot to me. Over Winter break, I flew back to Phoenix to attend my friend Shelby's wedding. Shelby was one of my best friends in high school and I'm so glad we've stayed in touch because I consider her to be one of my dearest friends. And it was very special for me to be at her wedding. Shelby inspires me because she makes herself available to give love and to be loved. She welcomes people into her life and makes you feel like you've always belonged there. As her friend all I can ask for is that she find what she wants in life. And I think she has, and will. She's pursued her own interests and found a guy who shares her passions. And of all the weddings I...

I've been wondering since I got back to El Paso; what makes somewhere home? For the past 6 months I've been living in El Paso. I've learned my way around the city--I actually like the city! I'm counting on El Paso to get me through the most excruciating, awful, painful, life-altering, beautiful, thrilling, add your own adjective from both ends of the spectrum, and exciting time of my life. While I have new goals for myself, my career, my life--getting to this point has been my focus for so long. It's literally a dream realized and I know I made a great choice. But then I went back to Phoenix for Christmas. My family lives there. I love my family. Wherever they are I will always have a home and that makes me lucky because that's more rare than people realize. I saw a lot of my friends while I was there and even though I don't have many friends in El Paso I don't think people make a place home. There are some friends I've had for years and we...

I feel like this year I had a really grown up Christmas. I drove 6 hours to get back to Phoenix--I could have flown but how would I get any of my presents back? Or the coffee maker and microwave my parents let me have for my office? The microwave is a beast too. I could fit it and my suitcase in my trunk and that was about it. A few months ago my friends from high school arranged for us to have a get together while we were all in town for Christmas. So on the 22nd we all went over to Natalie's house with everyone's husbands and kids (I don't have a picture because I didn't get one on my camera and no one's posted one yet-except Kellie but hers is on her phone...) and it was so fun to see everyone again! We've all kept in touch through the years but we only really ever see each other at bridal showers, weddings and baby showers. I haven't seen Stephanie since Rachel and Jordan's wedding and now she's married and has 2 kids! She said it doesn't see...

In celebration of Harry Potter and that I am currently passing my statistics class, I've been doing some holiday baking. I'm better at baking than cooking, but in my itty bitty kitchen with my crappy oven aka apartment living, it's difficult to bake. But I've done it. I love holiday baking more than any other kind and I refuse to let space or suck get in the way of it. So I made Italian Sprinkle Cookies. And because it's the season of giving, and I have nothing else to write about other than how much I LOVE the new Harry Potter movie, I'm going to share the recipe and encourage you to get on it! COOKIES: 6 eggs 5 cups all-purpose flour 2 cups confectioners' sugar 2 tablespoons plus 1-1/2 teaspoons baking powder 1 cup vegetable oil 1 tablespoon almond extract 1-1/2 teaspoons lemon extract GLAZE: 1/2 cup warm milk 1 teaspoon almond extract 1 teaspoon vanilla extract 3-3/4 cups confectioners' sugar Jimmies (colored sprinkles) In a mixing bowl, beat eggs unt...

I had an authentic Mexican breakfast burrito this morning. And by authentic I don't mean El Paso authentic, because frankly any Mexican food that comes out of EP is going to be authentic. This was straight out of Juarez. One of the undergrads in my lab, who speaks English but prefers Spanish, Berenise, stayed the night with her father and brother in Juarez. And bought breakfast burritos on her way to campus this morning. http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20101110/ap_on_re_us/us_drug_war_mexico_americans_killed Read this article please. Ever since I first learned of the situation in Juarez, in 2006 when there wasn't a drug war and the random killings of whoever's in range, but rather the concentrated killings of women and girls, I've been passionate about the situation there. Now I live 2 minutes away I feel even more personally affected. It makes me sick that nothing is being done. An entire city that is going to be devoid of life soon enough right next door. It's desperat...

Claira Ann Barnes was born this week. On Thursday morning. She has a full head of hair and a huge dimple chin. I'm so happy for my friends; I'm glad she's here safely, that there were no complications, that the entire thing is over, and that God has blessed them with a beautiful healthy baby. And I can honestly say, she is the first baby I cannot wait to get my hands on. Also. People are starting to know who I am. Personally and professionally. It's quite nice. I'm different from everyone else here because I'm Jennifer's only grad student. Where people usually come in and work in a lab with returning students, I'm all by myself. I don't mind. But it's been harder to meet people and by harder I mean I really haven't. I talk to people in my classes and I've gone out with people whenever they go out which has been twice. Everyone's really nice, we're all just so busy. Jim, the professor I TA for now, talked to Jennifer and requested ...