My life since my last post can best be expressed in the form of a list...

1. I played my first game of Risk last night with some fellow students.

It was the Lord of the Rings edition, which is pretty cool. I kicked butt, too! I pretty much owned the entire board by the end of the game. I wasn't sure I'd like the game, since I don't consider myself very good at strategery. :) But as we played, I found myself devising some pretty sneaky maneuvers to take unsuspecting enemies by surprise. Maybe I should've joined the military...

2. Christmas break was wonderful!

It was just so nice to be back home and have 2 whole weeks to hang out with friends and family. Moose and I spent the holiday at his parents' house in Iberia. Then the next weekend, Moose, his parents, and I all drove down to MY parents' house in Holiday Island. It was nice to have both sets of parents together.

We spent a lot of time talking about wedding plans, and our mothers went camera-crazy and took like 100 photos of Moose and I in front of the fireplace, Moose and I on the stairs, Moose and I on the deck, Moose and I kissing, Moose and I holding hands, Moose and I with HIS parents, Moose and I with MY parents...we were blind by the end.


3. I got to eat at Hong Kong Inn over break

It's my favorite chinese place in Springfield. Yes, that is a big enough event that it gets it's own spot on the list. The only Chinese restaurant I've seen in Connecticut is this tiny little place called "Chinese Restaurant to Take Out". Yes, that is exactly what is printed on the sign. I have yet to get up the courage to eat there.


4. We finished our wedding Registry

Moose and I took on the fun and slightly overwhelming task of completing our wedding registry at Bed, Bath, & Beyond (notice how I slipped in that advertisement...if you're wanting to get us something...I mean, you don't HAVE to, but we're registered there...if you want to get us a gift...that's where we're registered...). It took two evenings, but we managed to make it through the whole store, looking at every single item and saying 'Do we want that?'.

I have to admit, it was an amazing feeling to point the little scanner at $60 frying pans, $100 sheet sets, and $500 vacuums, knowing that we don't have to pay for any of it! Even little $10 towels are free for us! We also registered at Target (write that down), but we did all of that online from the comfort of the couch.


5. We got the dresses!

I got Monique to try on two bridesmaid's dresses, one of which she and Kim agreed would work for the wedding. It is strapless, which I never thought I would get her to wear. Thanks for being such a good friend. I hope you don't resent me after this...



6. Moose and I had our second pre-marital counseling session with Dave.

He had us each fill out a survey about communication prior to the session, and then we compared answers. As expected, we had some differing answers, and with Dave's help, we discussed our views. It was insightful, and I enjoyed learning some things about Moose that I really didn't know before. I think as we have more counseling sessions, we'll continue to discover things about each other, and I'm looking forward to it!


7. I turned 24!

I am officially no longer in my early twenties (which is 20-23), but am now a mid-twenties woman. It's strange how when you're a kid, you think "When I'm 24, I'll be a real grown-up! I'll watch the news every night, be an expert cook, understand the stock market..."

But what do I choose to watch at the same time as the 5:00 news? The Simpsons.

And when I cook, do I make chicken Marsala or beef tips in gravy? No. Try Hamburger Helper.

And what do the words "The Nasdaq is up 6 points" mean to me? Absolutely nothing. Is 6 points good? Is up good? I don't know!

So now that I'm 24, I'm thinking "When I'm 30, I'll be a real grown-up..."


8. I had an interview with a residency site in Kansas City.

Students don't find out where we're being placed until late February. Kansas City is a coveted site because of Children's Mercy Hospital, a renowned children's hospital. I would start in August, just a week after returning from my honeymoon, and do a 1-year residency before taking my boards and becoming certified to practice! I really want this particular site, but I'm trying not to dwell on it too much. It's out of my hands now. Wherever God wants Moose and I to be for our first year of marriage, well, that's where I want to be too, whether that is KC or not.


9. My car is ghetto!

Upon returning to Connecticut from Christmas break, I discovered a 2-inch deep puddle of water on the floor of my back seat. So I took the car to the shop, and they discovered that the sunroof drain was completely disconnected, so every time it rained, the water would drain into the back seat. Great.

Then they explained to me that so much water has collected underneath the floorboards that I'll never be able to get it all out. When warm weather hits, it will be 'mold city' in my back seat, and the only way to get the smell out would be to replace the entire floorboard and carpet. Fantastic.

Well, last week, winter hit, and it didn't get above freezing for days. Which meant that all that water under my floorboard froze into a nice solid chunk. That can't be good. The release switch to open my gas tank door is on the floor under the driver's seat. Since the entire floor of the car was an ice block, the release lever was frozen solid. So I couldn't open my gas tank to fill up, and I was on 'E'. Wonderful.

Luckily, yesterday was unseasonably warm (38 degrees), and the ice pond in my car melted enough that I was able to get the gas tank open. Whew! I was scared that I wouldn't be able to get to work or class, and I'd have to take a taxi or something. Thank God for 38 degrees!

So basically, my car is ghetto, and this summer is going to create a mold fest in my floorboard. And wouldn't you know it, I'm allergic to mold. So, I can either spend $1200 to replace the floorboard and carpet, or I can put that money towards a new car. I'm going to try and get by on this car until I move back to Missouri (which will be in May), and then I'll be in the market for a new one.


10. There is no #10.

I think 9 is a nice, unusual number for a list. Everyone would expect a list of 10. Like I said in #1, I'm good at taking unsuspecting people by surprise. So, surprise, the list stops at 9!