Sunday, May 8, 2011

GRADUATION!

Yesterday I was lucky enough to walk the stage and graduate with my Masters in Social Work from UTSA.  I can't believe that I'm already done.  It literally feels like I just started yesterday.  I don't even think it's really hit me yet.  This just feels like a break, but the good news is that the break is for a whole three months.  It seems like a tad of a cop out to keep going to school.  Many of my classmates are getting licensed and looking for jobs, but I'm passing go and heading to law school.  Reviewing my letter from St. Mary's about all the next steps for over the summer makes me feel very productive and not like a bum at all for staying in school.  

Graduation went surprisingly smoothly despite my initial panic attack about having the wrong hood-thing, as the dignified Masters graduates call it.  Luckily the bookstore had boxes of replacements for all the dorks who got the wrong thing.  I had plenty of time with my fellow graduates to congratulate each other, hang out and take some pictures. Like so:
 

I'm smushed back there in the corner, but that gown is really unflattering anyway, so you're not missing anything.  The ceremony went by pretty quickly and I didn't trip, so I declare it a success!

I was so happy that so many people could make it to my graduation party.  It was great to have all my family and friends come together to celebrate my genius.  Kidding!  It was amazing though to see how easily my family and Shea's got together.  Not that I was really that worried because everyone in both of our families is so friendly and welcoming, but it's nice to see everyone chatting and getting along so well.  I'm so thankful for all the great memories and gifts my family gave me yesterday evening.  Even though they might be mad I didn't post the much better picture, I liked the candidness of this one.  My family is really kick ass and I could have never gotten to this point in my life without their love and support.


This is one of my ridiculously delicious cake that I'm glad I didn't take left overs of because I would have had no problem with eating it.  It's a little hard to read, but the cake says "one more to go".  I had said this in passing discussing the party, but I laughed when I saw that my grandma actually put it on the cake. 

 I had so much fun at the party and I'll definitely miss my cohort at UTSA.  Thankfully Facebook enables us to stay up to date on each other's lives pretty easily.  May is full of events, so next up is Shea's 26th birthday on Thursday.  I thought of his present months ago and I can't wait to finally give it to him.  After Shea's birthday, there's bachelorette parties, rehearsal dinners, weddings, and trips to Ohio. Looks like my three months off will be pretty busy after all.

Wednesday, May 4, 2011

Summer Reading Lists

Now that the school's over I can get to some non-required reading and fill these long days.  I'm not doing well handling this much free time.  Two titles I'm pretty excited about are excited about, If You Were Here by Jen Lancaster and Throne of Fire by Rick Riordan.

If You Were Here was written by the fantastically bitter Jen Lancaster, writer of one of my favorite blogs called Jennsylvania.  She's written 4 memoirs about growing up, losing her job, moving to the suburbs, and being a little on the chubby side, but still knowing how to work it.  When I purchased her first memoir, Bitter is the New Black, my manager at work told me to go back to the shelf and pick up her other two titles and I'm thankful for her help.  Either that or she was just using me to make sales.  Oh well, either way, she was right.  I flew through all three books in the span of about a week and was left to wait impatiently for her next release.  She's quick, sassy, witty, and unapologetically observant.  If You Were Here marks Lancaster's entrance into the world of fiction, although from the synopsis it appears that art is imitating life.  The story is about two Chicogans moving to the burbs after growing tired of city life.  This mirrors the tales Lancaster told on her blog about her and her patient and understanding husband, Fletch's search for a non-repulsive suburban home and the subsequent DIY projects they did to renovate.   I look forward to her snappy narration and story telling style in her fiction debut that I've come to love in her memoirs and blog posts.  

The second title is from my other favorite genre, young adult and teen fiction, and is by San Antonio author Rick Riordan.  Riordan is the author of the very popular and very awesome Percy Jackson series, which takes a spin on Greek Gods and their tendency to reproduce with humans.  Running with the success of Greek mythology thing, Riordan ventured over to the Egyptian gods.  The Kane Chronicles tales the story of two siblings coping with the mysterious circumstances surrounding the deaths of their mother and father.  These young adult books read like a Disney Channel Movie adventure and they are life savers on those long car rides, airport layovers, and staying up way too late reading.  You can't have an angry face on while reading teen adventures with quick and funny dialogue from the characters.  

I did stumble upon some suggested "summer before law school" books on the interwebs, but I plan on enjoying some brain candy first.  When I tell people that I'm going to law school, one of the first questions is "How many years is that again?" and I'm forced to say "three years".  Saying it out loud reminds me of the time and GIGANTIC financial investment I'm about to make.  I yo-yo between being crazy excited and having tiny panic attacks about the whole thing.  At the end of the day though, I know it's the right thing to do and all the work and time will be worth it.  Until September though, it's leisure reading and relaxing for me.  Netflix awaits!





Tuesday, May 3, 2011

Here I Go...

Good afternoon! This is my foray into the whole blogging business. I don't know that I have a real purpose or direction for this blog, but I want to share the important things. This could range anywhere from trips, recipes, adorable cat pictures, life events, or foreign policy. To start off, here's a little bit about myself. I am 22 years old and about to graduate with my Masters in Social Work for the University of Texas at San Antonio. I'll be starting law school at St. Mary's in the Fall, so I plan on taking it easy this summer and enjoying myself before the crazy world of law school begins. I'm lucky enough to be dating the best man in the world, Shea and I have been together for 7 months going on 70 years. Our favorite pastimes are hanging around with our cats Professor (short for Professor Catface Meowmers) and Maggie (short for Magistrate), eating at Bee's Mexican Restaurant on Saturdays, and watching/reading/playing anything Harry Potter related. I was born and raised in San Antonio, Texas and am probably the whitest Mexican you know. I just came around to the whole idea of refried beans and guacamole and despite my tan exterior, I don't speak Spanish. Lo siento, buddy. I've been working at the cafe inside Barnes and Noble since I was 16, so I could whip you up a grande, non-fat, no-foam, extra hot, triple, sugar free vanilla, 1/2 splenda latte if you need me to, but would prefer not to. And if you're the person asking for that drink I'm probably going to not-so-discretely roll my eyes at you when I read the cup with this ridiculous order on it. As evidenced by the long term relationship with BN, I'm a reader. Mostly in the memoir, cookbook, and teen sections. Please tell me you've read Hunger Games by now. I love to cook for friends and family, go out for a hike (weather permitting or not boiling, this IS Texas after all), and going to zoos and museums. I invite you to stay tuned and see where this adventure goes!