G!-Double O!-D!-J!-O!-B! Good job! Good job!

A job, a job! PTL! I've been offered to stay on for my assistantship for the next academic year!! Thank you, Lord, for blessing me with this.  Thank you for giving me the energy to stay up and grade papers, thank you for supporting me emotionally when I dealt(/continue to deal) with students that tested(/continue to test) my patience with their antics (students are crazy).  Thank you for the ways in which my patience has increased and allowed me to become a better instructor/explain-er.  Thanks for the the break from the pages of reading and gifting me with some math. I hope that the rest of the semester brings more learning moments for me and for my students.  I hope we both learn about critical analysis and thinking processes and we learn more about the beauties of math and the people we are becoming.

In other good news, I don't think Bloomington will get any more snow this spring. FINALLY! Now, just waiting for the warmth :)

Looking for logic,
MJ

P.S. - My northern adventure (Michigan!) is this weekend, stayed tuned for pictures of the winter wonderland/All-American state

And, something for you to check out. I would blog about it, but Colbert's wit is much better than mine would be :) Go to ilovemountains.org for more!

The Colbert Report	Mon - Thurs 11:30pm / 10:30c
Coal Comfort - Margaret Palmer
www.colbertnation.com
Colbert Report Full Episodes Political Humor Skate Expectations

Amused, Bemused, Mused

The sun! The sun was completely out yesterday and it's sort of out today!  It's been so long since I've seen the sun's smiling face! I believe we've had 7 days of some sun in February, just 7.  Not all of those days were sunny, but they all had some sun.  I've been encouraged recently, they tell me spring can't be too far away!

Anyway, I added a google translation thingy to mon bloggee.  I don't imagine that I have international readers (i.e. mi familia), but just in case they're ever interested, I decided I'd give google translation a shot.  Here's what's funny though:

Google translating from any language into English? Pretty decent, rather good at interpreting meaning, converting grammar, etc. etc. I've used it for research before...

Google translating from English into any language? Absolutely dismal! and I can only speak for the romance language translations (Spanish, and okay amounts of Portuguese and Italian), but they are terrible.  If you know both languages though, it's really sort of funny! At least I think so, but then I am a nerd and in graduate school, most things in life are funnier than what I spend all day doing.

So perhaps, if you are fluent enough to see the hilarity of the translation, check it out! At first it will bemuse you, then you'll be amused, and then you'll muse over writing a blog about it or translate your own blog.

Hitting the books today,

emm.jay.

Coffee

I feel like I should discuss coffee more.  Cause I drink it a lot... two cups already today.  Addicted much?

 

That's my life.  My computer, a book, coffee, and a treat to make me feel better (and fatter).  Anyway, that is why I'm trying out this new template.  Thoughts? (Edit: I didn't like the new template...changed it back :)

I also have a relationship with my phone, but I needed it for the picture.  It feels left out.  I've named my phone, his name is Carlo.  I feel like it fits.

Trying out kickboxing today,

MJ

Snowlympics

Snow is an active thing.  It means you have to leap over puddles, shuffle through slick spots, stomp around to get all the snow off your shoes, and march over the mountains of shoveled snow.  It much more active walking, but its a better work out I guess. So it's not terribly bad.

Anyway, I take phone pictures of the snow, and since it's been a while since mon last blog. I just thought I'd share some IU in 12 inches of accumulated snow pictures :)

Realizing I blog a lot about snow and waiting for spring,

MJ

Narnia?

Not quite, but perhaps similar?  This is after about, eh 30 something odd hours since the last snow

Chilling at IU,
MJ

Happy My Parents Day!

So I've never been one to just gush over Valentine's day.  Not because of any Valen-pain or anything like that, it's just that it's sort of a cheesy holiday.  And I don't always like overly cheesed things.  The metaphorical kind of cheesy.  Not the real kind, cheese is gooooouda!

Anyway, since this will be my first V-Day as a blogger, I didn't want to just ignore the holiday, so this year I've decided to celebrate it in honor of other people...

 

Los ENAMORADOS!!

Yes, those are my parents at Beihai Park in Beijing last spring.  This picture is no exception to the rule of their life, they are always lovey-cup and gushy and asking me to take pictures of them.  So, what better way to spread the Valencheer than to celebrate my mom and dad through all the pictures they've (my mom) asked me to take of them...

 ENAMORADOS MONTAGE!!

Guadalajara for Immigrant Thanksgiving

 

In Estado Sucre, Vzla for Beach Day #2 (note the Hawaiian shirt)

Snuggly type for Easter 09!

Also, must sing loud for all to hear the Valencheer, sooo....Mariachi love song!

Si nos dejan

Nos vamos a querer toda la vida

That's all. I love my parents.  Mmm, good Valentine's Day. :)

Thinking Texas snow is probably better than Indiana snow,

emjay

Coldly Physical

Does that sound sketch? Perhaps... Anyway, weather.com insists on describing the winter storms in the Midwest and Mid-Atlantic in terms of physical abuse.  The latest news from the cold front:

Winter storm will be a WALLOP...

Snow POUNDS...

HISTORIC Snowstorm...

Two-pronged ATTACK...

Thinking weather.com engages in hyperbole,
MJ

Winter was showing off for you

 

Guess who brought a winter storm with him??

In this picture there's probably about 2 inches of snow, it fell in like 2 hours, which is quite fast, for snow.

The next morning, we had about 4-5 inches total.  It wasn't so bad because it had completely stopped by sunrise, so the roads were pretty clear and Russell's plane took off on time!  Winter put on a show for Lawry this weekend :)

Rusty came to town on a spur of the moment visit! And we took this picture just off of RUSSELL ROAD! Rusty got a full-time position at Reynolds and Reynolds so he decided to the take the rest of the week off from his part time job before he starts full-time on Monday! Praise the Lord! Russell's really been hoping this full time job would go through so he could get some good work experience and work on his computering skills.  I'm hoping his job sends him up to Indianapolis on occasion :) Also, this is super fantastic because I'm 90% sure I'll be in the ATX this summer, so we'll be in the same state and only 2 hours away! Which is still far, but when you compare it with the 14 hours and a time difference we currently have, it's much much better!

Lawry and I ate at A LOT of places!  I think my favorite was the Israeli place, but we had good food all around! We visited Upland Brewery, Stonecutter's Coffee, which is a coffeehouse turned tapas bar on Friday evenings, Bloomington Bagel, Falafels, Mother Bear's, and the Bakehouse for some studying!

On the way to Indy...

Waiting for March,
MJ

Life to a T. Swift and K. West soundtrack...

 

Undergrad Party 2010!! HOLLA!

This is me in my tights, boots and oversized sweater before heading to the undergrad party!  All this undergradie-ness got me reminiscing on the good times before I became a semi-adult.

When I think "college," there are a few songs playing in the background of my mind.  I think "SexyBack" and "Gold digger." "Crazyboutya" and "Brown Eyes" are also staples of my undergraduate existence.  Finally, "Our Song" and "Womanizer" and "Single Ladies" have a strong hold on my fonder memories of college.  What can I say?  I like to dance.

Also, I think of dorm rooms.  The cramped lifestyle, the living on-campus, the freshman year experience! Tagging along with that, the apartment I lived in my junior year, and the BONSAI my senior year.  Man, I loved college.

I loved the time Hurricane Ike blew through College Station and Blake, Blair and I went outside to jump in the SQUALLS! Ashley was out helping refugee type people because she is such a nice and less self-centered person than me.  I bet she doesn't blog.

Missing undergrad a little bit,

MJ