Colorado

I am a resident of a new state. I live in Colorado, and it is a lovely place. For one, it isn't humid. I don't have to endure another Iowa August. I can see some lovely mountains and don't see corn fields. I see bikes and active people everywhere. On the down side, my hair is having a hard transition and appears to be dry and wiry. I will have to use more conditioner. Also, I miss Hy-Vee and Fareway. We went to Albertsons yesterday for some staples and left half an hour later in the foulest of moods. I didn't realize how important good grocery stores are to me. In the meantime, I have others to explore and can write off the vile Albertsons.
My apartment is 55% unpacked. It's starting to look like a place I live in as opposed to a vacation home/hotel room.
I start school tomorrow. I have no idea what to expect. I am mostly looking forward to getting into the swing of things, though.

A Hair Cut

Today I cut my hair. I wrote a really long post about it. Then I hit a button and it deleted itself. I am now frustrated and reminded that I should really write these posts in Word and paste them into this lovely box. Oh well. Basically, my friends, Lucy and Allison, came with me for moral support and as photojournalists. My amazing stylist, Tiffany, gave me one last hair cut before I move. I donated 13 1/2 inches of hair to Locks of Love. The severed braid looked like a drowned rat and was sort of gross. I like my new hair. I think it compliments my chubby cheeks more than my long hair did. I am not sad my hair changed, but I am reminded that I am leaving my life as I know it every time I look in the mirror. That's the hard thing right now.

Party

So my amazing friends at work had a going away potluck party for me and my coworker Jess. I had lots of fun talking with people, and there are few things better than a potluck where everyone there loves to cook and eat. Yum!!!! Still, I feel very sad right now. I will really miss my friends who love food and fellowship and share a love of history.

Packing...

commenced today. My mom and sister came to help. I appreciate them. It's rather pathetic that I had to schedule time to pack with people so I would actually pack. I think Jimmy and I are in a good place now as far as this packing thing goes, though are house is a bit of a mess because of the disassembling going on all around us.

It arrived!

This is my favorite non-fiction book ever! Inside you will find the history of health trends in the U.S. from the colonial period through the 1980s. It's humorous, informative, and full of good stories. I really, really love reading about Temperance, Christian Science, Vegetarianism, the rise of cereal eating, homeopathy, chiropractic, etc. Also, ther are some great illustrations and asides. While we're at it, I attribute my deep and abiding interest in medical history and its intersection with religion to this book. I definately recommend it as a good read, though good luck to you all as it is not in print anymore. However, Amazon has it for your reading pleasure for cheap. My copy arrived today--thus the reason for this outpouring of excitement and adoration.

Cooking Date

I have a bi-weekly cooking date with my friend, Allison. She lives alone, and I live with a husband who doesn't really care about the millions of culinary experiences to be had. We both like cooking, eating, and spending time together. (We also enjoy history, sensational Victorian literature, and travelling.) Obviously, our friendship is a match made in heaven.
As my ETD to Colorado looms closer and closer on the horizon, I have felt more and more pressed to spend time with my friends, and at the same time, I've been freaking out that I'm stretched too far and will never get my house packed. I was feeling just this way yesterday up until the moment I arrived at Allison's house, but when I walked through the door, all of that stress fell away. The familiar routine of reading recipes, chopping vegetables, browning meat, catching up on what's been happening in our lives, and sampling the contents of the pot are the best therapy I could ask for. This therapy will be sorely missed.
We spend most of our energy on curries, but recently we've been trying Greek food. Last night we made chicken in a walnut yogurt sauce. It was DELICIOUS, and we'd tried it out of curiosity. It's definately one of the least normal recipes we've tried, and it was by far one of the quickest and easiest! What a find!
I'm both looking forward to and dreading our last cooking date in two weeks. Just thinking about it being our last time to cook together for a while makes me want to burst into tears, and in accordance, the pressure of deciding what we'll eat is almost too much for me. At the same time, it will be one of the best parts of my last week in Iowa. I will be sorely in need of one-on-one Allie time at that point. If only I could take her with me.

Slacker Blogger Takes a Trip

I have been repeatedly chastized by several friends for failing to blog regularly. Most likely, they are correct to scold, as I started this as a place to write more in order to get ready for school. School is now less than a month away. AHH!!!!

My current life is full of saying goodbye. It's not my favorite activity. On the other hand, this summer has also been full of seeing old friends who are coming to..say goodbye. Bleck...except for the part about friends.

This weekend I travelled north and spent time with a certain amazing friend and her new daughter. They are up from Texas. I took several pics, but they aren't currently uploaded. Maybe I'll include a pic of my favorite baby and/or her mom later.
In the meantime, Dear Friend, it was WONDERFUL to see you, spend time with you, relax with you, roll my eyes with you, laugh with you, navigate family politics with you, sit with you, ride with you, hold your daughter (with you), and be with you again. I really wish we could do that more often.