Today is all about...

ALIAS, ALIAS, and more ALIAS!!! Tonight, ABC, 8pm!!! Be there, or be ... a loser that doesn't watch ALIAS :)
I can't wait!!! I'll give you the skinny tomorrow.
Jess

funny

"Be who you are and say what you feel, because those who mind don't matter and those who matter don't mind." - Dr. Seuss

ROK Update

Hey everyone, it is B-rent again. I am doing fine here in Korea. I have been having a pretty good time here lately. We started our flag football season off on Saturday and our team won. We played today (Sunday in Korea) and lost our first game to last year's base champions. We were ahead the whole time, but they tied it up just before the game was over and we lost in overtime. It was a tough loss because the other team talked crap the whole time and did everything they could to cheat the system in order to get the win. For those that don't know, I hate it when people talk smack. I love the look on their faces when they lose. Unfortunately, this didn't happen on this day. However, I will not forget when we meet these busters again in the playoffs. I did my best impression of Champ Bailey from the corner postion and knocked down or intercepted anything that was thrown to my side.

I have been out of school about a week now, but I have to start back next week. Every day is a day closer to finally getting my degree finished. It has been a very long and tough road trying to get this accomplished while in the military, but I can finally see it happening in the near future. It is 11pm Sunday night here and I need to get some rest because I have to run 3 miles in the morning, so I will talk to you all later.

Brent

It's about time...

Pics: Top left - Johnny Cash; Top right - Napoleon; Bottom left - old pic of Onyx and Napoleon in Tucson.

I know - I'm long overdue for a posting. It has just been one of those weeks. A few of you have e-mailed to ask what I'm up to this semester, so I thought I'd fill you in. I'm taking 4 classes (2 statistics, one neuro, and one educational psychology), teaching the undergraduate phonetics course, working on two manuscripts, and attempting to get my own line of research underway. On the side, I'm attempting to train for a triathlon - not a real one, mind you - a mini- or a sprint. I had a personal victory last night - for a while now, I've been able to run an hour on the treadmill (YES, WITHOUT FALLING), but every time I have attempted to do so outside, I have fallen short of the goal. Well, last night, I did it - for 1 hour, 1 minute, and 23 seconds! Yes sir! I was so excited! AND, Cash slept ALL night after that run :)

I'll write more later. Love and God bless,
Jess

Not Cool

Hey woman, you know I am coming home in 98 days, right? You know my policy on damaged goods. I was looking at my Kelley Blue Book and discovered that a 77 model Jessica in poor to fair condition is not cool. I expect a full recovery of all stock equipment before I get home. Anyway, I just wanted to express my concern.

Brent

The treadmill

I never knew a treadmill could be so dangerous. I had my first, and hopefully last, treadmill accident today. First, before you laugh too much, let me explain. I have a routine at the gym - I need to be in and out. Its so automatic - I go in, change, stretch, get on the bike for 45 min or so, stretch, and get on the treadmill for a jog. I completed the first five phases of the routine, ambled over to the treadmills, my eyes alighting on an empty treadmill, and I stepped right up. Much to my dismay, the treadmill was STILL MOVING (at an incredible rate of speed!). Some trick left it on and some other trick (that would be me) just assumed an empty treadmill would not have a moving belt.

I wish someone would have had a videocamera to capture the moment. I'm quite sure it was comical. I'm absolutely positive I could win some money from America's Funniest Home Videos. I stepped on the treadmill and it quickly shot me backwards into the front of the treadmill behind me. I was a human projectile, traveling at the speed of...well, as fast as a pleasantly plump gal like myself can travel. Embarrassed like you wouldn't BELIEVE! I waved to my adoring fans, went to the locker room to gather my belongings, and hobbled out of the gym. I drove home trying to think of a more glamorous (and fabricated of course) way to explain my current condition, but as Mark Twain said, when you tell the truth, you don't have to remember anything, so I give you the truth. I hope you enjoyed it. It sure is funny to me when I imagine that I was an onlooker and replay it in my head. (I can hear Josh in my head saying "and you're going to school for what?")

So, I have a respectable case of treadmill-rash on my elbows, knees, and legs, as well as a swollen ankle, and some nice bruises forming in unmentionable areas. I'm trying to think of an alternative exercise plan. My knee hurts a little too much for the bike, my ankle is too messed up for running, and I have too many cootie-spreading scraped areas for a swim. I think the elliptical is calling my name.

What else to update you on? I had a great week and weekend - visitors at my house (Kobs, Katie, Jonathan), lunch and dinner dates (Jason, Brooke N., Mandy, Ben), web-cam with Brent, and a very productive weekend as far as school is concerned. Brent and I are counting down the days until we see each other, and we are finally in the double digits now - no more "one hundred and ...". VERY exciting.
I think that is all for now. I'll write again soon. - Love, Jess

remember

"I walked a mile with Pleasure,
She chattered all the way;
But left me none the wiser
For all she had to say.

I walked a mile with Sorrow,
And ne'er a word said she;
But, oh the things I learned from her
When sorrow walked with me."

In "Streams in the Desert: 1" by Mrs. C. E. Cowman

O PhD! Wherefore art...thee?

This second-go-around of grad school depends heavily on long-term vision, and I admit, I'm stretched to the limits. How many times, during moments of frustration and bewilderment, can I reassure myself "Just 3 or 4 more years to go - you can do it!", especially when the pressures and incredible workload don't even end there, but continue on through the tenure track and the publication pressures? I need a new self-encouragement phrase, that is for sure!

I distinctly remember my major prof, when I told him I wanted to pursue a doc with him, asking me if I was crazy. Like, certifiable, a nut job, whack-o. I assured him "yes, yes, at least that is what people tell me". He said that was good, because you have to be crazy to do something like this. I am JUST beginning to understand what he was talking about (and I'm getting crazier by the day :) Not only are the classes demanding, but I am also trying to do research "on the side" (whatever that means - it should be "in every spare moment") and teaching an undergraduate course. I feel like I'm constantly spinning around in circles, pursuing this thankless quest...why? Writing this has helped me to remember, because I must admit, I forget and often. The why is that I want to teach, I want to learn, I want to help, I want to develop better therapeutic methods. So, hence-to-forth (that was for you "Good Will Hunting" fans), I have to pay my dues, so here I am.

ANYWAY - nothing much going on in my world, except for school of course. I have been working out alot lately - my key to sanity - and am completely HOOKED on it (thank you Sarah!). I plan on running a 5K soon (my first trial run of competition) and hope to do a few more before I attempt a sprint or mini- Tri in the spring. I see friends and family when their "let me check my schedule" fits in with my "let me check my schedule". Napoleon and Cash are keeping me company (and driving me crazy at times!), though we all miss Brent terribly. The house is even groaning for him to come back - no wait, that's just the creaking sound it makes because its 100-years-old! My neighbor continues to allow Cash to stay in her beautiful (and fenced-in) back yard while I am at school, making life MUCH easier for me. Despite my aforementioned frustration and my ongoing bewilderment, I realize that I am, and will continue to be, blessed. Well, that's all for now I guess - I'll check in with you later. Love - Jess

laughter really is the best medicine

I just drove home from a family gathering - way too many serious thoughts in my head - drove by a billboard I know I've passed a million or so times but never read - a Bail Bonds company advertisement, and their slogan was "Where its always Springtime!". That's good stuff. Quality. I needed the laugh.

I have a few hours of homework before I retire - I'll write again soon.

This just in from the ROK

Hey everyone, this is B-rent checking in. I just wanted everyone to know that as is well in the ROK (Republic of Korea). I have been very busy with work and also with my online courses, so time is currently going by very quickly. I officially have 104 days until I get to come home for the holidays. I am very excited about seeing everyone, but most importantly, I am very excited that I will get to see my awesome Jessica again. I have missed her very much! We get to talk everyday, but it is not the same. I can't wait! Anyway, this wasn't supposed to be a love letter. The people here are very cool to the people of the military. They enjoy the security that we provide and they love our money very much. Downtown is very Amercanized and the people are extremely friendly. There are some super shopping deals here as well. Anyone that enjoys shopping would have a field day here. There are no set prices, just asking prices. If they ask for $30, just show them $20 and they usually take it. The base itself is very cool. Everything has been upgraded to make everyone feel at home here. We have a great bowling alley, movie theater, 24-hour gym with state-of-the-art equipment, clubs and other forms of entertainment. Almost everyone here is on a remote for at least a year, so these amenities help to pass the time for our military. What else? I have recenlty joined the flag football team. I am a Wide Reciever, Safety and Corner Back. I am temporarily on the DL (disabled list) because we had a practice in our gym, but I was messing around playing basketball before practice and rolled my ankle pretty badly. It looks very nasty, but it doesn't hurt very much. I feel as if I can play, but my brain tells me to rest it so that I do not make things worse. I also was told by Jessica to rest it and go to the doctor to make sure everything is okay. She says, "no pain is not necessarily a good thing". She is smarter than me in the ways of the body and I trust her judgment, so I am scheduling an appointment tomorrow. Oh yeah, I also tried to play golf yesterday and it didn't go very well. It was really hard to produce a swing that has rhythm with a bum ankle. In fact, my swing was downright ugly. I looked like I had my left shoulder up against a brick wall while trying to swing with nothing but my arms. I didn't shoot my normal 85-88, but I did shoot a terrible (for me) 97. One positive thing did come out of the 97 though- I got to see a whole lot of the course- the bunker, the woods, the water, a golf colf cart and even a few dorms along the way. It was fun though. Chuck, you might have been able to take me. Oh snap! Well, I have to get to bed. I will check in later as my time here will probably get more interesting. I will have new stories soon. Until then, Caum samae da. The spelling is way off and it means "Thank you," but that is all I know right now. I will ask a linguist what "later" means for our next blog. Later.

The wait is over

I've had some...interesting guesses re: "SB". No, it is not x-"small bike" or "super babe" or "sandra bullock" or "shoe box", though those were all very...interesting guesses. No, in fact, S B stands for.............. (drumroll please).............. Sydney Bristow. I am one of the rare few who have watched the show (ALIAS) from Day 1 - ask my husband Brent or my friend Mandy, both who lived out in AZ with me when the show first began. Oh, those were the days - you could watch ALIAS on ABC, and then watch it again later that week on ABC Family (though I don't quite believe it is family material :) Though the show has experienced many changes, I am still an avid fan - no, make that FANATIC. I just finished rewatching my Season 1 and 2 DVDs, am beginning on Season 3, and am anxiously awaiting the release of Season 4 on DVD as well as the season premiere later this month. You can never get too much ALIAS.

Good news for friends and fam - Brent (my hub) will be posting on this blog occasionally, to give us updates on his status and way of life while he is in Korea.

Please keep thinking about and praying for those in the Gulf States affected by the hurricane. Yes, I know our pockets are hurting with high gas prices, but we need to turn our focus (inner, media, financial, political, you name it) to those who are actually suffering - who are dead or dying, hungry, thirsty, who have lost EVERYTHING, who have no job, no school, who have lost family members...let's remember them and be thankful that we are still able to get in our cars, drive to the gas station, pay for gas, and go visit our friends and family members.

Love, love, and more love,
Jess