Prepping for a Road Trip

Okay, maybe I'm jumping the gun, but I'm trying to plan our driving route for the big move. I think we'll be sticking to Interstates. Looking for veg-friendly pit stops along our route. Here's a highly recommended joint in Springfield, MO called the Wellspring Cafe that looks promising. Here's one for Tulsa. Of course, it may prove more of a challenge to find a friendly place driving through Texas, but we might swing in to Eat-Rite. It's more than I was expecting to find! God knows, maybe this will be a matter of packing a cooler with our own goodies!

I can't wait. I really can't.

By the way...

I've bought a tape gun. The offer letter came, was signed, and faxed back. I already think of salsa as a breakfast food.

I'm looking forward to seeing what sushi with green chiles tastes like!

You Know You're From Las Cruces When..

Excerpts:

-You know not to go to Mesilla on Sundays.
-Your Christmas decorations include a ton of sand and paper bags.
-Most restaurants you go to begin with "El" or "Los".
-You're pissed off whenever you go to a store outside Cruces and they don't sell Roberto's brand tortillas.
-You can't control your car on wet pavement.
-You always get kinda excited for the "Southern New Mexico State Fair"
-You've used the term "The LC".
-You think salsa is a breakfast food.
-You are immune to heartburn.
-You thought about giving up green chile for lent but realized you could never make it.

What Not

Doing research on our upcoming move, I am excited for potential day trips from our new abode (or should I say adobe?). There's a Turquoise Trail (National Scenic Byway) that runs through parts of New Mexico, off of the interstate, that is peppered with historical sites, little rustic shops, and artist colonies.

We just have to get through this week of classes, and grade. I also have to write my dissertation prospectus and defend it. I met with my delightful committee chair today, and she told me that on the day they turned in their grade for my prelim exam, the members of my committee each asked her when the prospectus defense would be. She said that everyone is really looking forward to reading my project! This is, of course, amazing for me to hear, but also incredibly daunting!

Zipper and the others are looking forward to class being out. She gives me the most extraordinary guilt trip each morning when I get ready to leave for class. She starts rubbing up against my shins, pouncing on her brother and sister, performing extreme acts of cuteness that in general are intended to keep me at home with her. Believe me, after this week, I'll start posting more photos again.

What's Next?

So I officially passed my prelims. Okay, so I "High Passed" my prelims, really. I'm excited. I have a High Pass. I have a research grant. I've only got two weeks left of class. I'm on autopilot, enduring student presentations. And I'm exhausted. Indiana winter has bled into April. It's supposed to be up to 70 today, and I'm wearing a scarf because I simply do not believe. It's also very confusing to decide what to wear when the clock radio tells you "Today's high is in the upper 60's. The current temperature is 28."

Anyway. I have a lot of hopes and dreams that are s-l-o-w-l-y taking shape. We're waiting and praying and hoping and WAITING for a letter of a job offer that will allow us to relocate someplace sunny all year round. I'm just itching to buy a tape gun and sneak into the cardboard recycling bins of retail stores to get boxes to pack everything up in. But we're just waiting to get that actual paper document. sigh.

In any case, one of the things I hope to do in the near future is this neato Rice Bag Tote Bag project (go ahead. have it open in the background. she's got great taste in streaming music.) I've also figured out a pattern for a snappy laptop cozy. I'll have to post photos. I was inspired by queenbee creations' new jet packlaptop bag that makes me drool! Since I don't have $85 to spend on a laptop bag I COVET, I made one. It turns out, I like mine better!! I just need to find something I can use for a shoulder strap. I should go cut the seat belts out of some cars at a junkyard or something! Like I said in a recent university questionaire, my academic goals are to open up an etsy shop!