Milestones

 Tomorrow, I will have been married to this man for three years.  Three years is not a lot of time, but somehow it feels like maybe it's been longer than three years. The newness has worn off.  Usually this phrase carries negative connotations, I know.  But let me tell you how happy I am that it has.
"Newness" meant that it was weird to call Mr. Wonderful "husband."  It meant that I had a new last name, and contrary to movies and books and all things girlie, I didn't spend much time fantasizing about being Mrs. "Mr. Wonderful" before we got married.  I was not particularly excited to get a new last name.  I was okay with my old one.  I had mixed feelings about giving it up.  So I didn't totally give it up, though it's not my last name anymore.
And while we're on the subject, I NEVER EVER EVER want(ed) to be a Mrs.  I don't mean I didn't want to get married.  I mean I didn't want to be called Mrs. or Mrs. Wonderful.  I don't like the sound of it.  I didn't (and still don't) feel like "Mrs." is a part of who I am.  (I recognize that this is a social and legal reality.  I am a "Mrs." I'm just denying the label's claim over how I think of myself.)  I could continue on this rant, but that's not why I am writing, so back to the topic at hand.
Today I was thinking about all of this, and I realized that I am totally okay with my current last name.  I am used to it.  I think of myself as Clarissa Wonderful now.  (I know.  I know.  I should have thought of a better alias for Mr. Wonderful back when that became his name on this blog, but well, I couldn't have foreseen writing this post back then.  I will just go with telling you all that I realize just how conceited Clarissa "Wonderful" sounds.)  Somewhere in the last three years I also became okay with calling Mr. Wonderful "husband" instead of "boyfriend."
This makes me smile.  No more feeling strange.  Instead, I'm happy that I have a husband who loves me and who I love in return.
I'm still NOT okay with Mrs.

I miss every single one of you in this picture (except Mr. Wonderful, of course).  I wish we could have some sort of reunion.

P. S.  Randomly, somewhere in the last three years my signature became a glorious mess of hurried scribbles instead of the fabulousness it used to be.  I blame it on the new last name.  It's just not as easy to make look good as my last one was.

"Teaching"

I gave my first official lecture of the semester on Wednesday.  On technicalities I am leaving out all the other weekly "discussion" sessions in which I inform all of my students of the content of the articles and books they failed to read.  The lecture went well.  I like to lecture.  A captive audience?  Yes please!  Of course, lecturing at 11 AM is brutal because by 11:30 everyone has tuned out no matter what you do.  They are HUNGRY!  Oh well.  It's good that my former experiences with public speaking have helped me to stop taking sleeping in class personally, or being a college prof would be a BAD career choice.  On a side note, why come to class if you're not going to pay attention?  Stay in bed my tired, partying (or overworked) students.
I also get to lecture tomorrow.  I have yet to start writing said lecture, but whatever.  I needed a reason to stay up until 3 AM this morning.  I can't have myself getting adequate sleep.  It's just not my style.  ;)  After this it's discussion sessions and no more lecturing from here on out, which is good, because I just don't have time to write these every week and go to class and work.  If we took one of the other activities out, I would totally be up for more, but until then, I'm going to opt out for a semester.
I hope all of you are enjoying your sleepless lives as well.  And if you are getting sleep, good for you!  Your brain and metabolism thank you, I'm sure.  

Still alive

I'm still here.  I just have very little to say--hard to believe, I know.  Perhaps there will be inspiration soon.  We'll see.

The Fall of a Father

 This is my dad.

He is standing on a train.  Pretty cool, hunh?  I took this picture when he and my mom and youngest brother came to visit a month ago.  

Exhibit B: Proof that my dad and I were actually together.  :)  We are in Rocky Mountain National Park because my dad came to see me to get peaches and see mountains.  This satisfies demand number two obviously.

Yesterday my dad fell off a ladder.  He broke his wrist.  Guess how I found out.  My brother's facebook page.  Not cool.  So I called home IMMEDIATELY to make sure Dad was okay.  He said he was.  I am super-glad that he is because I love him.  I wonder when they would have told me if Isaac hadn't posted this to facebook.  I'm guessing in a month or so--or maybe Christmas time, at which point everyone would be surprised that I didn't know.  (Sort of like Cookie and Tiesha.)  That's how we roll in the Janssen household.  :)

The Paper Lady

The location:  King Soopers
The situation:  On the way to pick up some groceries I head towards the veggie section.  A woman who is about 40 years older than me says, "Would you like a free paper?"  Um yes, I do, so I say, "Yes."  Then I notice the clip board.  Oh no....  Yep, I see the paper is the local paper, not a state or national paper.  Of course, she then proceeds to try to sell me the paper--a 23 cent/day deal.  I say I'm really not interested.  I already get a paper.  With disapprovingly pursed lips, she asks which one.  I tell her the Post.  She raises one eyebrow in obvious disdain and says, "That's a state  paper.  Don't you live in L?  This is a local paper.  We have national news, too."  Unconvinced, I tell her it's not in my budget, but that I will "think about it."  And then she gives me a glare that says, "I can't believe your obvious lack of community spirit.  It's rude to take free things and not give anything in return.  Kids these days."  (Well, that's how I interpreted it.)  I thought about giving the paper back.  I kept it.  I also decided that I did not appreciate the condescending way she tried to sell me.   I'm an adult.  Her body language said she didn't believe I was capable of making intelligent decisions.  Really?  I disagree.  And I don't want the local paper.

Last Roll of Film

 I finally took the last pictures on my roll of film.  The roll was begun in 2006 or 2007.  I got around to taking the last pictures this summer.  I developed them two weeks ago.  I'm never on the ball about these sorts of things.  Anyway, here's a sampling.

A night out with Jenny and Sarah...

моя сестра, Vanessa.

Honeymoon.  We took four pics total.  Three were at the beach.  I am not one for documenting special occasions.  I always forget to bring or use my camera--thus the reason for the 3-4 year tenure of this roll of film.

Stairs all the way to the top of this hike in Boulder's Flat Irons--a birthday hike with a friend.  Pretty, but wow did it hurt!  

It's amazing to look back on these pictures and see what's changed, and what's the same.

Ode to the Greeks

This week is rush week at Bah Ram U.  I really dislike it--mostly because it is cramping my style.
I am not into the 'Greek' thing to begin with.  We didn't have Greek life at my college.  Also, can any of you picture me in a sorority?  Yeah, that's what I thought. 
I don't have  problem with other people participating.  After all, it's good networking.  If you're a business major, it's probably in your best interests to connect yourself.  Also, if you came to college to drink and party, it's a good way to get alcohol, get drunk, and get hooked up.  And maybe if you're into the sorority/fraternity's service project, then you can find a way to be involved, which is cool. 
Still, there are thousands of freshman walking lackadaisically by booths where boys are handing our frisbees and pretty girls are advertising with silly gimmicks, and everyone is clogging up every route between every building in the center of campus.  It's hard to get anywhere.  I want to be like Fezzik from "The Princess Bride" and yell, "Hey everybody, MOVE!!!"  Only that is not going to work for me because I'm little, and this isn't a movie. 
Basically, I will be very happy when the Greeks are done recruiting.  Hopefully other campus organizations will not jump into their spots on the commons. 
I need to get to class, people. 
I hope all of you can get to the places you need to go in a timely fashion today.