Blogging as a form of procrastination

Now that I'm all learned and everything, you'd think that I'd have plenty of time to blog, but it turns out I'm not as motivated to check in on my blog when I don't have other, less desirable things to do. Hopefully this will change, but I'm not holding my breath. I've been look for jobs and there aren't as many as I thought there would be and I wasn't hopeful when I graduated. I've finally decided on a course of action so when people ask me what I'm going to do with my life now that I've graduated I can do more than have a funny look on my face as I tell them I have no clue what I want to do. I'm going to work for a few years and then apply to graduate schools in a health field (most likely public health or nutrition but I still really haven't let the PT dream die yet). But my plan requires me to actually be gainfully employed, so that is my mission as soon as I finish my project in the lab

Yes! I know what you're thinking! But Teri, you're not going to school anymore. Why are you still working (for free I might add) in that lab? That's a good question. I think I'm a glutton for punishment. Part of me really enjoys the seeing-the-results part of lab work, but everything that leads up to it (pipetting, calculating, labeling etc) is incredibly dull and tedious to me. But, apparently I'm an anomaly in the lab world. My sort-of-supervisor was introducing me to a few other coworkers and was explaining to them that she was pleasantly surprised that there are still people who have a strong work ethic (which is a term I would never apply to myself. I have great ambition accompanied by a dismal lack of follow-through) because even though I have nothing really forcing me to be in the lab, I returned to finish the project I was working on. They were mostly surprised that I wasn't getting paid and still came back. Any way, I (hopefully) finished my last assay on Friday and all I will have to do is come in and analyze the data. And then I will be done. Woo!

In other exciting news, my niece Eleanor is the most beautiful baby ever. I'm sure your nieces/nephews/kids have great personalities, but my niece Ella is the most beautiful ever. Period.

Da Beach

We're at the beach for the next week. I'm so happy! I never got to the beach at all this summer and let me tell ya, I'm so grateful to have Matt home for two whole weeks!!

My parents, for Christmas/Graduation/Megan's new baby rented a house near Myrtle Beach for a week. I'm really looking forward to relaxing and walking on the beach, drinking in the healing air rolling in with the waves. I don't know what it is about beach air, but it cures whatever ails you. Too bad they can't bottle the stuff.

All is relatively quiet since Eleanor has gone to bed and I can hear the waves rolling in right outside the door. I think I'm going to snuggle down with one of my new Christmas presents and get lost in the world of Ms. Catherine Morland.

It was legen, wait for it....

...DARY!!!

As of December 19th, 2009, I am officially an alumna of North Carolina State University (Go Wolfpack!). I can't believe that I made it. I thought the day would never come, but it did!! The ceremony was awesome. It was the most low key graduation I've ever been to (and mostly likely will ever attend). There were less than 20 graduates from the entire Food Science, Bioprocessing and Nutrition Science department and some of them weren't even there. We didn't have to line up and walk in. We just sat in the seat with our names on them. And when we got our diploma (covers), we walked up, they shook our hand, handed us the mic and asked us to say something. The speaking part took us all by surprise. I don't think they've ever done that before, but since there were only about 15 of us, I think they were trying to draw it out (but I can't figure out why they would want to do that). Any way, after that, we adjourned to the cafeteria at St. Mary's (which is surprisingly nice and well decorated) for Holwing Cow ice cream. And that was it. We mingled for a few minutes and then went to Village Deli for lunch.

I was glad to have my family there, but it was so stinkin' cold that we didn't want to take a family picture outside. Actually, that picture is one of the 12 pictures taken the whole day. I don't have any of just me or me with my family. Craziness.

Any way, I'm glad to be done. So, Happy Christmas everyone!

P.S. - If anyone hears of any nutrition related jobs, let me know! Thanks!

Update: Fair, Friends, Fun, & Family

So, I have been a bad, bad blogger. However, in my defense, I am finishing my final semester of my degree. I have a lot to do!! So, in the spirit of saving time, here's an update on everything that's been going on lately!!

• Fair: I went. I ate. I won!! :) I only went twice this year (kind of a bummer), but we had fun! I went with Megan and Greg and then again with Matt. In exciting news, I entered a candle into the state fair craft competition (in the rubber stamping, miscellaneous division) and I won second place!! I was really excited!
• Friends & Fun: We've had a plethora of house guests in the past month! We had our Charlotte friends come and visit for Halloween. We had such a great time! And one of our friends used her costume to tell us that she was preggo! Congrats Scarlett!! Last weekend we had our Virginia friends come visit and in the process we made new South Carolina friends! It's been so wonderful to have the space to have everybody over and even more wonderful to have the company! (And looking over this past paragraph, I have realized that I'm an exclamation point junkie. Sorry. No more exclamation points for the rest of this post. I promise.)
  
• Family: I'm an aunt again! (I'm sorry but I couldn't not use an exclamation point) My sister had her beautiful baby girl yesterday. Eleanor Ruth Wheatley was born 8 lbs 6 oz. I went up to see them yesterday and had a wonderful time seeing their family grow.

I don't have access to all the pictures yet, but as soon as I do, I will upload them. It's been a crazy month and I know it will only get worse until the end of exams, but I will make it. I am really excited to graduate in a month and two days. Wish me luck!!