Ramen and Chanukah

So Chanukah (Hanukkah?) has been a thing for the past couple of days, oops. Happy Chanukah, lovely Rita! Someone in my apartment complex must be Jewish because there's a menorah in the lobby. Esthur, I'm so excited you're coming back to Stl! I have no excuse not to see you. So I survived another semester and received a B+ in studio, which of course, is not acceptable in my book but I suppose it's partially my fault. Each time I listen to my silly professors' advice my grade suffers- illogical, I know. But I'm happy with the way my work turned out this time. New semester, new mantra: Do whatever the hell I want. Rita: I've been doing some preliminary research for my smart textiles class on multi-sensory textiles, specifically for children with visual or multi-sensory impairment. Perhaps this path could lead us to become partners someday! Just a random idea. I can't wait to see you two! It's been far too long since we've had quality BFF time. And now for something completely different:

Haha!

So I commented on things but it won't post. Sorry I haven't been on as trying to get life settled is NOt easy!

Thanks les home slice for looking at some apartments. We were just fed up looking on the cells!

We are settled with an apartment but now I am JOB less and need one before I can travel anywhere.....so I hope you guys have an amazing holiday!!!

Love the costume! Love banana slicer lol!

Brian Nd I made it to 6 years!!! Holly cowzers. We went to a Vietnamese restaurant and STUFFEd ourselves....bad idea.
Miss you guys! Hugs and kisses although not a fan of real ones lol unless you are Brian and maybe my grandma.

The amazing banana slicer

I swear I'll provide a more meaningful update at some point in life, but for now, here's a little humor to brighten your day: Read the reviews on the Hutzler 571 Banana Slicer here and smile a bit wider today :)

THANKSGIVING

HEY ALL: We should all be in STL over Thanksgiving break and have a lovely reunion!! I feel like I'm not getting enough azn in my life, and I need my besties to make it better :)  Leslie and I are already planning on it, so Esthur, by the virtues of peer pressure you should be there as well!  That's all I have for now.  Let's hope these reports I'm writing make some sense tomorrow :D

Esthur, I hope you and B-love are enjoying the West coast! Have you guys found an acceptable city to live? I'll update more soon, but RITA- I woke up with a brilliant plan. Pittsburgh is equidistant from both our current locations! I propose that someday we should meet up there. It doesn't have to be this semester, but we should totes meet halfway at some point in life. In the meantime, SURVIVE. Miss you two! XOXOXO

First stop. Kansas to visit his sister. Long boring ride with random listens to SUPER conservative radio which is what it is but mainly we listen to it for the humor.

Here's a link to my picture blog. I love you guys. Can't wait to settle so I can try visiting you.

http://www.tripcolor.com/spots/r/id/69882F38-E963-46DA-B203-720C263F60E5

Sorry I have been MIA. It has been super hectic trying to plan a trip to nowhere....ha. I would love to attempt a run but let's just do one thing at a time. If things cool off and I can train ish then I'm in!!! If you guys are in town, try hamburger Mary's! It's soooo good and just a cool atmosphere in general. Gotta pack now. Check in later! Love and miss you guys muchas!

I think I'm going to print out that picture and tack it onto my bulletin board, it's so cute and awesome! I've also found this song to help (both in terms of school-related nonsense and personal nonsense). Coffee is my choice of poison as well; it's becoming an addiction again. I'm glad you at least have time for fun, self-improvement activities! We're planning on running a half-marathon next September in Fort Wayne, IN, Esthur. You should come join us! We'll make a reunion of it :) I recently joined the University Orchestra and Choir. Well, if you could call it an orchestra- there's only 4 violins, 6 violas, 2 cellos, 1 bass, 5 flutes, a clarinet and a horn player. But it's low-key and relaxing. We're singing a Russian piece by Rachmaninov, and Rita, I think we need your Russian expertise. It's nice to feel a bit more 3-dimensional this semester. Now for something completely different: Enjoy these hilarious photoshopped movie posters featuring Mitt Romney. I MISS YOU GUYS. XOXOXO

Just Keep Swimming

LOL Leslie that's a great animation! I remember the days of the three major/two minor insanity... I feel like you didn't really sleep.  I'm trying to keep afloat over here, but its getting pretty hectic.  It turns out in order to get a phd, you need to have 36-hour days instead of the usual 24.  That's something they should inform you of during the application process!  I think I feel about coffee the same way rock stars feel about heroin.  Esthur, I'm sending you good vibes on the job front!  I'm also saving up some money to visit you all sometime in the next year, provided I'm alive and not just a husk of my former self.  This has helped me so far:

Simply, I love you guys. I miss you guys! I need my girls!

Sorry for not updating sooner, school caught up with me. It's strange that school's been in session for about a month, I have barely any work to show for it, and midterm critiques are in about three weeks. MUST.NOT.PANIC. I'm sorry to hear that the job search isn't really going according to plan. You could find a job with Kumon again...or there's something called "elance." There are jobs for every field, so theoretically, you and B could move out West and then do freelance/contract work for companies while searching for a more permanent job. Or you two could be professional backwoods(wo)men. That's a thing, right? Not much has been happening here. Painting, drawing, thinking. Trying a 7 day cleanse. My beautiful Macbook Pro should be arriving sometime this week :) I did happen to find a short animation I made during my second semester of freshman year. Short background: We had to incorporate the image of a barcode somewhere in our animation. Just a fair warning, I made this during the time I thought I was invincible and could have a billion major and minors while staying sane, so at this point I was disgustingly sleep-deprived and apathetic during the making process. Enjoy it here! Rita, I hope you're still indulging in self-preservation agendas. XOXOXO

Life. Full of unexpected treasures.

Once life settles down, I'll be around more than you care for. I know I have been bad at being around and honestly there's no excuse. Something is always happening and I'm just trying to catch up to life.

I am super jealous that tata's dad is/was in France. I wish I was there. I miss being not in the USA. I still have a whole bunch of postcards I kept buying while I was there...don't be surprised if you get a card showcasing France postmarked St. Louis or Boise. Muahaha!

I hope I can find a job out there...no luck yet. Ack!

I love the timeline of pictures! Good times. I do age, I just hide it or have lack of different styles in hair and clothes that show it. Haha. I don't have any pictures to post really. Here's this just because...It's cute.

PUJ got into our bathroom cabinet and shredded a bag of cotton balls. He wa getting yelled at by Brian but Leila thought she did something an jut sat there concerned. Hehe.

There are days when I miss St. Louis too! But mainly certain people who are still there (*Esthur*). The arch still looks pretty with clouds overhead. Mama Nogin has a couple of awesome kids, her birthday surprise looked fun and sweet :) And your dad's so lucky to be in France! This article is a bit dated, but if it's true, the French have really figured out the system. I want to contribute to society and still have time for a life. When I studied abroad there it seemed like they rarely worked- Saturdays, Sundays, and Wednesdays were their days off and Mondays were a half day- sounds perfect to me! So a good friend of mine won a competition last year that was held at school and the sweater she made is finally being sold by Urban Outfitters. It looks so warm and comfy; I know where part of my next pay check is going...though, I may be getting a Macbook Pro soon. Current laptop dying + old and dated Adobe Suite + huge project aspirations + thesis next semester = Updated technology! I've already come to terms with the fact that I'll be eating carrots and frozen peas for the remainder of the semester. Poverty is an interesting diet. I'm sorry to hear that school is already beating you to the ground. But seriously, you're awesome Ritata! Not many people can say they've survived college with a triple major and a minor while doing well in school + a member of an honors fraternity, then straight to grad school for a Masters, then straight to grad school again for a degree in TWO concentrations while maintaining a social life, a long distance relationship, and long distance friendships. You're one of the most brilliant people I know so don't let school get you down. Dapper chicken baby completely agrees:

Whilst sifting through the collection of photos on my computer I noticed that the most recent photo of the three of us was from Esthur's graduation. Four years ago (?) I think we should remedy this horrific problem asap. I think Rita and I look a bit older now (oh, the wears and tears of grad school), but Esthur, girlfriend, you're like a freaking time lord. You haven't aged a day!

Recently, I sold my first listing on ebay and amazon! Welcome to the 20th century, I know.  Have a great Labor Day weekend! XOXOXO

Dude Leslie, you're a better neuropsychologist than I am... I'm impressed and jealous.  All I seem to want to read is shitty fiction right now.  Btw Game of Thrones is a crappy book.  Also, Les I'm sorry you got hacked!!  I hope you get your account back in order soon.  Esthur, I'm soooo excited for you and Brian and your move!  But I'm going to miss you being in St. Louis...  I need to start saving up money to visit you all.  Also, as soon as you get a new address, I have to send you a "Miss you/Housewarming" package :D

In other news, my dad has been in France for the past 2 weeks for work, so me and Simon threw my mom a surprise birthday adventure complete with going to the Arch and the Mississippi, as well as the Festival of Nations (Romanian food om nom nom).  It was totally awesome.  I miss St. Louis/being in a real city.  Also my dad has been sending some pretty awesome pictures of France (Mont St. Michel).  France is pretty.  I wanna go.

And here is the Arch on a cloudy day:

 And the Festival of Nations.  It was PACKED.  And we talked to some Tibetan Buddhist monks.  Very cool.

My semester is getting pretty packed.  I have cases in our clinic, as well as cases in the elementary school.  As well as a full class load.  I swear they want us all to quit.

Anyway,
Love you guys!!!

Aww, such a cute photo! My little Esthur helping people financially, you Dao of consulting, you :) Will you be back for Thanksgiving? I also have yet to send your package. A lovely person stole my debit card number and spent a considerable amount of money, and my financial aid has yet to be deposited. (I also have a survival kit to send to you, Rita). So I've started reading a fascinating book called Connectome: How the Brain's Wiring Makes Us Who We Are. Rita, I think you'd find it especially interesting as well- it's right up your alley. I'm currently on a chapter where the author is discussing how it may be possible to find the pattern of neurons responsible for certain mental disorders (like Autism) and by changing these patterns there may be a cure for these illnesses. Miss you two!

Try Again

I tried this probably a million times. Both logging in AND posting. Hopefully it works this time.

I will not be around St. Louis until December as we plan to leave mid October. :( I will be back though we have too many family and friends to see!

Great ideas, this mobile app might make it easy to update and stuff.

In the meantime, this is my latest development at work. Caption contest.

Ready. Set. GO!

Thanks for setting this up, Rita! Maybe we'll be more organized and apt to update more often this way. Esthur, I hope you stay in St. Louis until the end of this year, otherwise I may not see you for a very long time and that is just not acceptable. First week of classes are done; my paint brushes (and brain) are ready to work!

Hey so Leslie and I dreamed up this idea randomly as a way to keep in touch better, especially since we will strewn all over the country quite soon!  I hope this works a little better than the emails, and you can add pictures and stuff!  Such as this random one of me and Simon at Disney World haha :)