Long Time

I know it's been awhile, but I thought I'd update my blog just in case anyone is still reading.

Things have been relatively uneventful these past few months, well, if you consider changing jobs and moving to Houston uneventful. Most everyone knew I was pretty unhappy at my previous job. So after moaning and groaning about it for awhile, I decided it was time to take a chance and see what else I could do.

I considered going back to school for awhile, but my disdain for debt and financial insecurity (and a gentle prod from a fellow coworker who was also quitting) led me to consider searching for something more appealing in Houston. About the same time I was contacted by a recruiter in Houston, so I took advantage of his services and was within weeks interviewing for a position in Houston. I contacted a view other people, but I knew what I was looking for and when it was offered right away, I took it. Of course, by right away I mean 2 weeks after I interviewed while I was on vacation in Dallas - which means I was SUPER chipper to return to work the following Monday and announce my 2 weeks. Best come back from a vacation, ever.

Then, after much chaos that included identifying references, doing a lot of paperwork, and getting a drug test (which I feared I would fail - not because I do drugs, but because I was in the vicinity of a pot smoker for approximately 2 seconds at All Con the previous weekend and because I'm paranoid) I found myself suddenly in Houston. I left Austin on a Friday and was in Houston sleeping on a mat on the floor the following Monday. Hindsight it was almost too quick, but because Bob and I had a scheduled vacation in May - I thought I'd give them a full month prior to taking off.

That was April, and now we're approaching the end of May. That is obviously our biggest news.

In other news, Bob was able to maintain a 4.0 for a second semester. With all the coursework he's completed already this year, and credits that should transfer from A&M after he's completed all the 2nd year coursework (only 1 more left) he'll soon have 50 credit hours towards his PhD. That means he has at least 2 more years till he's done. We'll know for sure how much time he has left after he's taken his qualifier and presented his research topic to his committee. I can hardly wait, being away from each other is always difficult.

Then there was our vacation. While we've had short trips for weekend camping, trips to see family, and such, this was our first real vacation in years. Naturally, we went to Disney World, the location where we planned to go on our honeymoon had we not been sick and had the time and money after we got married. Surprisingly, a lot had changed since Bob proposed to me there in 2000. There are a lot of new rides, a lot of new shows, and even more ways a parent could spend money on their children. We were there for a week, the weather was really nice, and for the majority of the trip the park was pretty quiet for Disney World. Perhaps even more surprising was the infrequency of fussy, whiny kids. Having worked in the parks in 1999, I knew there was a high frequency of fussy children and parents in Disney World, but this was the first time I'd been where the majority of the parents AND kids were pleasant and adorable to watch. Picture little princesses gleefully gliding through the parks, kids skipping and singing, and still more passed out in their strollers as their parents wheeled them back to their beds - so cute. Of course, perhaps the difference was really us because as we age we get more and more interested in having our own, so we look at other kids a bit differently.

Well, that's where we are now.

My Disney Vacation

It took 4 and 1/2 years but Bob and I finally took our long awaited honeymoon in Walt Disney World. Our flight out of Dallas last Sunday was uneventful and we were lounging pool side in Orlando by early afternoon as we waited for a visit from Bob's sister and brother in law.

After a brief monsoon that soaked our guests, we ventured into Magic Kingdom to enjoy our vacation and soak our guests a second time on my favorite ride, Splash Mountain. We rode all our favorites and then headed back to the hotel to get some shut eye (and because Bob's sister and brother in law needed to get home because they had to work the next day).

During our trip we managed to make it to all the major parks and Disney Interactive Quest. We didn't make it to any of the water parks nor the Disney Sports areas, but overall I felt the trip was relaxing and we had a great time watching the excited little kids prance around the park.

Surprisingly a lot had changed since our last trip to Disney World 7 years ago when Bob proposed. There are a lot of new rides in all the parks, some of our old favorites were modified, and they have a new make over to turn little girls into Princesses and little boys into Pirates. We saw little Princesses all dolled up all over the parks, and they looked so cute and were so happy that they brought a smile to our faces. Not to mention the little kids that still had energy to run around the parks in the middle of the night (picture a little girl, maybe 3 or 4, running through Epcot just as happy as could be .... in the middle of the night - so very cute).

Overall it was a great trip and I was super sad to leave - not just because I would be leaving the happiest place on earth (and one of my favorite places) but because it meant I was going to have to come back to Houston by myself. Can't even begin to explain how much I miss Bob and how much I wish we had a couple more weeks in Disney World .... maybe next year. :)