checking back in

aaaannnd i'm back to blogging again.

RECAP
I finished my finals. passed my classes-with amazing grades I might add :)

Packed up my belongings into 3 suitcases, a cat carrier, and a "personal item"

just call me a magician/super packer

Flew to Houston on Christmas eve with kitty-no accidents on the plane (thank goodness!). I drugged her up before flying so she wouldn't freak out while traveling. I was nervous that the sedatives wouldn't do much because the first time I gave them to her to test them out before we flew she didn't act any different. Well let's just say they worked on the plane. She did not move or peep once the entire 7-8 hours of travel it took to get from my house in Madison to our house in Houston. She didn't sleep either. She just sat there.

 Since she hadn't gone to the bathroom since the morning we left I was really nervous she was going to make a mess at some point, but she never did! As soon as we got to our apartment we slid her into the litter box...she must have thought that was her bed or something because she hung out in there just starring out the window of the box for about an hour. Didn't pee or poop. just sat there. kitty was super stoned haha.

 We spent Christmas as our own little family. We went to a lovely Christmas movie, relaxed, unpacked, and went out for Chinese.  Extravagant Christmas dinner...very similar to the one in Christmas Story ;)
I am currently getting settled by unpacking and buying odds and ends that I have no idea how joey has survived without for 4 months...dishes, utensils, cooking equipment, ahem....
Our 4th wedding anniversary was two days after Christmas. We went out for tacos to celebrate. After tacos (which were utterly delicious) I made a fort (for our fourth anniversary...yes I know so clever.) and we watched a Woody Allen documentary. Pretty chill. 

 Here's to our new adventure sweetheart.

Here in Houston we are starting from scratch. When Joey moved he only took what he could fit in his car. I mailed a few things to him from Madison while I was still there, but we got rid of A LOT of stuff.
It was kinda crazy and maybe foolish to get rid of all our things, but we see it as a way to simplify our lives and only have what we really need.
I am currently in the job market which SUCKS. I am applying for jobs like its my job...hehe. hopefully something pops up soon.
Houston is huge...no. Houston is ginormous. Not like NYC big where it is all concentrated in one area. Houston is really spread out and just never ends. Downtown has big buildings etc, but there are like two other areas that seem just as big that are away from downtown...I still have a lot to learn of this place and I can't wait to get it all figured out. There are shops, malls, restaurants, strip malls, and franchises every two feet.  Which is cool, but I think I am going to miss the more personal/locally owned atmosphere of Madison. I will just have to look extra hard for the cute little ma and pa shops wedged in between the slew of Whataburgers and Chase Banks.

now if you excuse me I need to write another cover letter. 

1 week down.

23 more to go.

First week of Joey being gone really hasn't been too much of a change. After this week is over it will be the longest we have been apart :( We are both keeping nice and busy though so I don't think we will notice the separation too much. Joey started school yesterday and has a decent amount of homework to do...He is already hating having homework again haha. Sucker. Welcome to my life! He is able to ride his bike from the apartment to school which will be nice ALL YEAR ROUND woot! He had school pictures taken which by how he posed on our skype date last night they will probably end up looking like this

After his first day of what they call "immersion" he went bowling with his classmates. From Joey's observation it is looking like business school kinda revolves around drinking. The bowling party had buckets and buckets of beer. He said there will be cocktail parties and gatherings at bars a plenty scheduled in these next couple years. Lucky for Joey he will know how to look the part from his experience of watching Madmen.

This weekend I am excited because I get to house sit for someone in my ward and watch their dog. It will be nice to have a canine in my life again because I miss my Gertie! Also their house is absolutely awesome so it will be a nice change of scenery from my sad apartment with only an air mattress and a swivel chair to label as furniture.

Gertie is adjusting to the new place pretty well Joey says. She has a dog walker come during the day while Joey is at school for 12 hrs a day during immersion. Joey has found a couple dog parks, none that are up to par of Madison's dog parks, but they will get the job done. One even has a swimming hole of some sort. Gertie had no interest in that though.

From both Joey and Gertie the verdict is that Houston is H-O-T. Glad I am up north until Houston cools down some!