I'm all for free food!

So, I went on campus today to get some “free food” (bbq pulled pork, coleslaw, chips, cake, ice cream & cokes). The thing started at 11:30, but I didn’t get there until a few minutes after 12:00. By 12:20 I was at the serving table…only to find that they were out of buns, coleslaw, and chips. And, they were down to the last 2 pans of meat. So, I was given a very small serving of meat, a spoonful of bbq sauce (oh, they had plenty of that), and sent on my way. Then I overheard someone say that they were out of ice cream. (Oh, that’s just terrific.) So, I grabbed a sprite and made my way to the line for cake *fingers crossed* (Please, let them still have cake). A few minutes later, I made it to the front of the line, and this is what I saw:




Sure, they had plenty of cake!

To Do:

Okay, so obviously, I don't have anything interesting to share...so I'll list all the things I have to do this week:

2/27
10:00 : Biochemistry Quiz
11:00 : in class
12:00-2:50 : Try to "learn" statistics
12:00-2:50 : Post something on the blog
3:00 : Statistics Exam
before end of day: Get as close to "finished" as possible on presentation (powerpoint)
2/28
9:00 : Finish counting & input data for water samples
11:00 : Show Grant my presentation (take critical review, make changes)
11:30 : Free bbq, ice cream, & t-shirts on campus (Happy Birthday, MSU!)
before end of day: Make suggested changes to presentation
before end of day: Pay 1st of month bills
3/1
10:00-12:00 : in class
12:00 : Show major prof. presentation (hopefully not too much critical review)
after 12:00 : Make changes to presentation
before end of day: clean house in preparation for my absence this weekend
3/2
9:00 : PRAY that it doesn't rain (this would give me work to do in the lab)
before end of day: FINISH presentation (get a final review)
3/3
??? : Meet somewhere for the carpool to conference in Louisiana (I guess these details--time & place--should be figured out SOON!)

So this is Spring?

The daffodils are blooming, and finally recovering from the biting cold that swept through the area this week. I think these are some of the cutest flowers Ever! Every spring I visit campus late in the evening and pick at least a dozen of them to arrange around the house! Maybe that's what I'll do tonight?


Oh, and, I felt like I needed a little change, and since my house is too small to rearrange in any other way, I gave my little space on the web (aka my blog) a Whole New Look. Whaddya think? Is the background too "busy?" Maybe it is, but the monochromatic thing was just getting old and boring.
Eh, maybe it'll stay this way for a while, unless, of course, y'all don't like it. Or if I get sick of it!
This week has gone by too fast--I really DO have MANY Other Things I should be working on. But, I decided that I deserve a quick break. *Phew* Okay, now it's time to get Back On Track...at least until 5:00!

My DNA Test

DNA Test Results
Really, it's like a personality test...but interesting points...and an interesting format for "test questions."

**I don't know what happened to the link, but it was a cool little test thingy!

Birthday Party and a Broken Truck

So, we made it down to Gulfport this weekend. It was AJ's birthday last week, and I had been planning this party for her. Well between the truck's issues with an exhaust leak (2 weeks ago) and going to New Mexico for Grampa's funeral (the week before that)...I really didn't think I'd be able to go. But, R, My Hero, fixed the truck, and my parents helped pay for my plane ticket to New Mexico...and AJ even offered to rent a car for me--if that's what it would take for me to go...so I Made It!
However, as soon as I got in the truck to meet AJ to go shopping for the party, the truck Gave Up on me! R told me to "go on ahead" with her & he would figure out what's wrong. The Sweet, Wonderful Man, he ended up spending the Whole Weekend working on the truck! He couldn't even make it to the party! But, everything turned out okay--and we managed to make it home safely! And, the truck is making it around town.

But Anyways:
























Happy Birthday AJ!!

What's This? Snow in Mississippi?

Does it really snow in Mississippi? Well, let's see...

Yes, that's me in front of my house this past Saturday. And, no that isn't dandruff, ashfall, or glare on the camera. That's snow. Real-life "White Stuff" sent down from the heavens.


Now, don't get me wrong, I've been in the snow before. In fact, I LOVE the snow. But, in the nearly 15 years I've lived in Mississippi, I've only seen it snow here twice. Once, when I was in 10th grade, we had one inch accumulate, and school let out early. And, once, my freshman year at State, I went home for the weekend and missed out on all the fun. Up here, it had snowed about 6 inches, and everyone had a Field Day! By the time I came back on Sunday, all that was left were a bunch of mud puddles, and a HUGE ice/snowball in the middle of the drill field (I think it was about 4 feet in diameter when they first "rolled" it)!
So, you'd think we could still act like rational adults when it snows, but NO. See what we did? Torture the cats! Here's Reina freezing her paws off on the cold metal of my truck. Unfortunately, there wasn't enough "White Stuff" to last. Within an hour, nearly all of it had melted. So Sad :(

Like a Herd of Cows

So, like I've mentioned before, there is a LOT of construction (and deconstruction) going on around campus. Unfortunately, one MAJOR road has been demolished, along with a MAJOR pedestrian sidewalk that ran parallel (direct route between sorority/fraternity rows & the Center of Campus). But, I didn't think it would be an issue for me...until I realized that it's also my Direct Route between my 2 classes (and it takes exactly 10 minutes--the time I have in between).
Well, since the beginning of the semester, some ingeneous students decided to forge a new path through the bushes, across the mud, and over a wall. So far, we haven't had enough rain to make it entirely treacherous, but I guess SomeBody decided that they didn't want us tramping through the bushes like a herd of cows.
So, Look What They Did while I was gone last weekend:

How cool is that?! Of course, we have to travel single-file to maintain the two-way traffic that flows through, but isn't that just terrific!

Sunrises, Airplane, and a Best Friend

So, I'm home again. And, slowly trying to catch up and get things back to normal. Yeah, good luck with that, I have 2 homework assignments due, a makeup quiz, and an exam on Monday! Nevermind all the things that fell behind in the lab (at work).
Well, true to my form, I have a few photots to share. This was my view at 6:00 Friday morning, as I was leaving Starkville. It was really foggy, and I can't remember the last time I was awake to watch a sunrise. I had to drive 4 hours down to Gulfport, to catch my plane at 12:00. And, up until 11:00 the night before, I still thought I'd be able to ride down with R.


This was around 8:00, Saturday morning. My sisters decided to join me for my morning walk/run, and this was the view we shared. Those are the Sandia Mountains (east of Albuquerque, NM).
Friday night I gave the eulogy for Grampa after the rosary (they are Catholic). I felt so honored to be the one to get up and tell a little about him. Saturday, we mostly hung out around my parent's house and Gramma's house. We had a lot of out-of-town family members visiting, and it was really nice to see everyone (even under the circumstances). Sunday, we picked up my brother and went to Gramma's house again (she had lots of food). Then, the funeral Mass (another rosary), and the burial were Monday morning. That afternoon we had the "reception" at Gramma's and I took lots of pictures, ate tons of awsome Mexican food, and talked to a lot of "aunts," "uncles," and "cousins" (I put those in "" because if you can't remember somebody's name, you just ask for "auntie" or "uncle")!
I flew out Tuesday morning, and arrived back in Gulfport around 3:00. I took this pic on the plane. I couldn't help but laugh at the attempt to separate "First Class" from "Coach." I mean come on! If I really wanted to sit in "First Class," do they really think the mesh curtains and velvet rope would keep me out? Or maybe those are just to keep our "Low Class" germs from entering their "Upper Class" realm?


Finally, this morning, I came into work and had a message that there was a "package" for me at the receptionist desk. Well, I was pretty busy, and didn't make it over there until after noon. When I finally picked it up, this is what I found. A small and beautiful flower bouquet from my Best Friend! She said that she wished she could've sent them sooner (when I was in New Mexico), but she wanted me to know that she loves me and has been thinking about and praying for my family! Isn't she the sweetest!

A Moment of Silence, Please

Late yesterday afternoon, I got the call. My grandfather has passed away. Grampa was 67 on January 9th. My Grampa, Antonio Rivera, has been on the downhill slope of Alzheimer's over the past several years (mostly in the past 2 years). But, that's not what I remember about when I think about Grampa.
I remember that he loved fishing, and could spend hours shuffling poles, bait, and tossing the "smalls." He always carried his harmonica, and would play silly and beautiful songs on long drives. He was a very friendly guy, and I'm sure he's in Heaven, still telling jokes (but hopefully not the dirty ones). I remember when I was little, he'd say "Hita, grab the cookies, ice cream, and two bowls." It didn't matter if it was breakfast time, before dinner, or the middle of the night! Grampa was also a craftsman. He had a God-given gift to create things from scrap wood. I remember him chopping wood in the back yard, stacking it in the living room, and waking up at all hours of the night to "refuel" the furnace. We'd sit around the table and play 10,000 (dice game) and Rummy. He collected Sacagawea dollars, pens, and loved watching western movies.
When I was born, Grampa was the first person to hold me. He was so young and handsome that the doctor assumed he was "the father." When mom explained that he was her dad, they quickly took me away from him. But, he never let Gramma forget that he was the first!
I love my Grampa, and I know he's now At Peace. I just pray that my other family members can feel the same peace that I do. Now I can talk to Grampa whenever I want, and I know he'll always be there to listen to and guide me. Thank You, Grampa! I love you!
Now, if you'll please excuse me. I have to find a plane ticket. By tomorrow night I will be in the beautiful state of New Mexico.

Memories in Music

do you like the Eagles?

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100 Things, Let's Start With 50

I can't belive it! This is my 100th post. I've been just waiting to do one of these, so let's see if I can really come up with...
100 THINGS:
1. I was born in Santa Fe, NM.
2. I grew up a "military brat."
3. Number of years I lived in Hawaii.
4. My mom was in the Marines.
5. I also lived in California.
6. And Maryland.
7. But, I've lived in Missippi the longest (4 elementary + 4 high school + 7.5 college = 15.5 Total)
8. I married my "high school sweetheart."
9. I have a Bachelor's degree.
10. In Microbiology.
11. It took me 5.5 years to finish.
12. I'm working on my Master's degree.
13. In Forest Products.
14. I never competed in a Science Fair.
15. But, I was in the "gifted" program in elementary & high school.
16. I love to read.
17. Dean Koontz is my favorite author.
18. Favorite book: House of Thunder (READ IT!)
19. I first read it when I was in 7th grade.
20. I am a "Cat Person."
21. But, I do like dogs.
22. I'm an "ethnic minority." (I'm hispanic.)
23. How old I was when I got married. (He was, too)
24. May 24th is when I celebate my birthday.
25. How old I will be on my next birthday.
26. March 26th is when R celebrates his birthday.
27. Stairway to Heaven is my favorite song.
28. Number of teeth I have. (Only missing the 4 "wisdom" molars.)
29. I love my mother-in-law!
30. Probably about the number of times I have seen "Life" and "Legends of the Fall." (My favorite movies.)
31. This is tougher than I thought it would be.
32. I love using Sharpies.
33. I recently discovered the joy of scrapbooking.
34. Canada is the only "other" country I've been to.
35. But, I have been to 35 states. (Only 15 left to see.)
36. I collect "smushed" pennies (you know, when you pay $.50 to "smush" a picture on a penny--like at touristy places).
37. I also collect stickers.
38. I can drive "stick".
39. I'd love to drive a motorcycle.
40. But, no leather.
41. I don't have any tattoos.
42. My only peircings are two holes in each ear.
43. The age of my Dream Man (Brad Pitt).
44. He's old enough to (technically) be my dad, but I'd still marry him!
45. The age my mom will be on her next birthday.
46. My favorite color is blue.
47. And Maroon. (Go Dawgs!)
48. I love the Walnut Blondie (dessert) from Applebee's.
49. I go to WalMart Way.Too.Much.
50. My name is Celina, and I'm addicted to Chapstick.