The One with 31

Tricky title!!  I don't have any more "things" to write about.  Just a quick update on our February.  Justin had a birthday and things have been crazy so I didn't plan anything big.  And despite all my efforts, Justin is still not a huge birthday person and never wants a big party anyway.  We've been talking about learning how to play racquetball so I bought Justin a couple racquets.  And one of them came with some cool eyewear :)  The best part was probably the wrapping.  How awesome is this bag!!

You may have noticed the name on the card.  It's a joke from one of my favorite Justin stories.  Back in college (aren't we still there?) Justin used to have movie marathons with a group of friends.  This usually involved a day (or entire weekend) of watching the Lord of the Rings trilogy, extended edition, or all 6 Star Wars.  What a nerd!  Hahaha!  I totally would have gone :)  After one of their LOTR parties, Justin thought it would be cool to have a name like the characters in the movie and came up with "Justin, son of Bustin."  This makes me laugh every time!  (If you recall, Justin really likes the LOTR trilogy)  Also, I bought the bag at Smith's during a grocery shopping trip and for some reason there were 3 guys at the checkout stand.  All 3 commented on the bag and when I explained it was actually for my husband and not a 6 year old nephew they thought I was the coolest wife ever :)  This evolved into a conversation on how "edgy" the new Batman movies have been to which I replied that the comics actually were pretty dark, not campy like all the previous movies and the TV show.  Why do I know this?!  I've honestly never read a comic.  That either made me look even cooler or way nerdy.

 
Justin's birthday landed on President's Day this year which is one of those holidays that means the University is closed but we sometimes choose to still go in to work.  We opted for skiing this year :)  It was a little cold so I really bundled up.  Justin laughs at me when I'm "all bundly."

Awesome views on the backside of the mountain.  And Justin's head isn't really that big, he's wearing a helmet under his hood.

I "treated" Justin to dinner at Fleming's Steakhouse that night.  Thank goodness we had a gift card because after tip it was still over $100!!  I think that's the most we've ever spent on a meal but it was so worth it!!!  I would highly recommend eating there at least once in your life (most likely for a special occasion).  And you absolutely have to get the chocolate lava cake.  They really should name it something else because that's a pretty common dessert but no other cake holds a candle to that one.  The waiter said the chefs use some kind of black magic that he can't do to make it and I believe him.  I'm drooling just remembering it.

The One with the Last Thing!

List 10 things you would hope to be remembered for.

Ten is a long list!

1. That I am a good person; a good friend, daughter, sister, wife and mother (to be).
2. That I try to always be there for people when they need me; as a listening ear, shoulder to cry on, volunteer house painter, whatever.
3. That I am a hard worker and do a good job.
4. That I am intelligent.  Not just “smart” or “good at chemistry” but intelligent.
5. That I am wise.  Again, not just "smart," but wise.
6. That I am capable.
7. That I sincerely care about others.
8. That I am funny.
9. That I always win word/trivia games!  (Maybe not always, just pretty often)
10. That I have good taste.

The One with Thing 29

What do you think people misunderstand most about you?

I had to ask Justin for help on this and I think he gave a good answer.  It’s something most people don’t understand about both of us actually and that is- our jobs.  Yes, we are students; no, we don’t take classes; yes, we get paid; and no, we don’t pay tuition (technically we do, the department just pays it for us).  I’ve explained this to so many people and some of them multiple times and it’s hard to separate the typical “college student” idea from what we do.  That’s because we’re science graduate students.  Science and engineering grad students get paid to go to school.  We don’t say that we’re “majoring” in chemistry anymore; we do chemistry research.  We took classes our first year but since then (so for over 3 years now) we have been paid research assistants.  Most other graduate degrees take more courses than what we did but if you think about it, they also typically have a hands-on section at the end of the program.  They just usually call it a “clinical” or “rotation.”  Science/engineering PhD programs are organized to not just train you how to use multiple instruments and follow procedures but to be able to develop those techniques yourself so the hands-on portion is longer and you learn a lot on your own during that time.  My research (plasmonics) is in a fairly new field (it’s really only been recognized as its own field for ~25 years) so there aren’t many textbooks about it.  I read a lot of science articles and see if I can get any ideas about what my own results might be indicating.  That’s what we really do.  Next year you won’t have to worry about it though.  We’ll actually have jobs and I’ll just say “I teach chemistry.”  So much easier to understand!

The One with Thing 28

What is your love language? (See Gary Chapman's 5 Love Languages) 

Apparently my love language is:

Quality Time

In the vernacular of Quality Time, nothing says, “I love you,” like full, undivided attention. Being there for this type of person is critical, but really being there—with the TV off, fork and knife down, and all chores and tasks on standby—makes your significant other feel truly special and loved. Distractions, postponed dates, or the failure to listen can be especially hurtful.

Hahaha!  Love this- “nothing says, “I love you,” like full, undivided attention.”  That’s right!  It’s actually 100% accurate, just ask Justin.  This is how I show other people I love them too.

The One with Things 26 & 27

What popular notion do you think the world has most wrong?

The phrase “It’s my life.”  Hate to tell you but even though it is “your life,” every single decision you make will have an effect on somebody else.  Every single one.  It may be good or bad or not really matter at all but it does affect someone else.  Not to mention it is just plain selfish and I hate selfish people.

What is your favorite part of your body and why?

I’d have to say that while there are definitely things I don’t necessarily love, I am overall pretty happy with my body. Shocking right?  Apparently beauty ads aren’t convincing enough because I’m ok with myself!  My favorite part would probably be my legs because I played volleyball and tennis for so long and now I’m into mountain biking so those suckers are strong!  They’re ridiculously skinny but it’s pure muscle baby!  At my bridal shower we played a game where my bridesmaids had recorded an interview with Justin and asked him what physical feature of mine was his favorite.  He actually really shocked me when he said legs because he had honestly never told me that before!!  I guess he thought it was too saucy to say before we were actually married.

Check out that quad!  Woot!  Hahahaha!!  More like check out the lack of tan!