Life as a lawyer?

Check this out....

http://anonymouslawyer.blogspot.com

Bryan should especially appreciate this... the most recent post had me laughing out loud in the office. It's a bit sad.... but I can totally see this as a lifestyle for someone who is a Harvard/Yale/Stanford grad and VERY dedicated/motivated/insane.

Enjoy!

ha

what do you all think of josh and my halloween costumes? 

Create Your Own Doctor Octopus Costume

Just in time for Halloween. How to Create Your Own Doc Octopus Costume

Fisher & Phillips SUCKS...

.... because they decided not to give me a job. I don't know why, because I thought it went pretty well. Probably because my grades were so-so first semester and I had an asshole for a legal writing teacher.

So here are my remaining options:

Swift, Currie- Atlanta, GA
Pros: Atlanta (accessable to our Church), good people, very nice, very approachable and fun to be around, seemingly family friendly
Cons: Salary way below Atlanta standard ($77K), tons of Workers Comp (not exactly fun)

Frost, Brown- Nashville, TN
Pros: small office of big firm means good environment with lots of resources, one of the highest paying in Nashville market (88K), casual work environment, diverse practice, familiar city
Cons: something about them just didn't click. The litigation guy in charge was just a little too... intense. I'm not convinced I would fit in there.

McCarter & English- Newark, NJ
Pros: Pay about average for market (105K), familiar with the firm, familier with the city, big bonuses
Cons: Terrible cost of living in NJ, huge firm means long hours, moving further away from TN than desirable

Those are the ones I havne't heard from. I might not get offers from any of them. Then I'll have to start over and look for other opportunities.

yeah i know

OK- my big test was today... so when i got home i didnt have to study... so i took alot of pictures of stuff (my house) and made a little photogallery as to not take up space on here-because there are several pictures... enjoy!

http://copstudents.utmem.edu/2008students/sburka/UTPDC.htm

ACTUALLY- i think you need my name and password to get in...

name: sburka
pass: sb1282

there it is if you need it


EDIT-
i honestly know that nobody cares but i have to say this: I just studied my butt off (and you didnt even hear about it) for the last 2 weeks and took the biggest and most important test of my pharmacy career (cardiology) to date and i just got my grade back and it was an 83!!! i got a 70 on the midterm (50%) of my grade and i needed a 70 average to keep going... so i studied harder than i ever have before and got that 83 for the other 50% of my grade... i am so so so so pumped about that... i know that might not mean too much, but its a really big deal to me... (makes me think i might actually pull out of this thing in one piece)- holla- scott

bryan, is this your doing?!

Catholic Church no longer swears by truth of the Bible

burka band

BURKA BAND?


awesome...?

(How's that, josh-o?)

Overwhelmed and Underappreciated

....not that I'm complaining.


***Sorry guys, I have had to edit this post... will explain later.***

LSAT scores are pending, and I should get an email with score status on 10/22. Can't wait.

Also, I have had a headache for two days that will NOT be calmed by Advil, Tylenol or aspirin. Maybe I have a tumor. Last night at my salon, I ran into an old friend... long story... we lost touch or strange terms.. blah blah. Anyhow, I was on codeine going for a bikini wax, and I think I was rude/unresponsive. I'll apologize and blame it on the drugs. However, getting a bikini wax whilst on hydrocodone was great... I barely felt a thing!

On a lighter note... the wedding pics look wonderful! The scenery looks beautiful and Jesse is NOT wearing too much makeup! :) Nicely done!

i TOLD them my makeup was too dark! argg.

Our wedding pictures are (mostly) up online. yea.
Go to MillersAlbums
and type in "58226whunter" in the code area.

I think she did a great job of capturing the essence of the day, plus 320 or so shots.ha.
...the woman did this for us for free.

so i think i got this picture thing to work... this happened like MONTH ago... this is my house with alot of people- who happen to be drinking... i'm just glad the floor didnt cave in...

see... now you know what other pharmacy students look like! we arnt too weird... most of us anyways... yikes...




http://cu.convio.net/site/PageServer?pagename=Rx_song_download

ALSO chack out that link---
alittle pharmacist humor for ya!
its funny cause its true...

and then?

so here's the story behind that Shining trailer (which is hilarious).

and here's one of West Side Story. it's really funny too.

and you thought i had left you....

Yeah… you can’t get rid of me… I guess I haven't written in awhile… I’m honestly not sure why, I guess I’ve just been doing other things. School has been a blast so far this year… I remember sitting at the hospital last year listening to all the 3^rd and 4^th year students talking about stuff and it just seemed like they were on an ENTIRELY different level than where we were as P-1s… and now we are in the same classes they were in… and its just so awesome… I’ve been around pharmacy for awhile and I’m still just blown away almost weekly about how it feels to really dig into all this new stuff and try to understand it… I had an idea about what it would be like before I got here, and I think my pre-conceived notion about pharmacy/pharmacists involved about 95% drugs and 5% other stuff on the side to make the drugs make sense… but honestly there is just as much epidemiology, pathophysiology, diagnosis, modification of therapy, clinical trial review, physical assessment, and interpretation of data (lab values, EKGs, biological markers…) if not more than the actual learning about drugs part… and I honestly never really expected that at all- and I know I was even probably optimistic about it. We have a funny sign in our front room of the house that says “Use your pharmacist, get more than just drugs”… but its true…
myatt- i'm sure you probably feel the same way? (except about MDs instead)

hey did i mention my leg is screwed up? i've kinda been having pain in my hip, knee, thigh for going on 8 months... i havnt slept through a night in months without waking up in pain every 3-4 hours and having to take something for it... its kinda (really) frustrating as to how it has permiated just about every single aspect of my life... i wouldnt have expected that... i cant run any more, i've put on weight, i cant play sports with my friends, i have a limp and i cant keep up with my friends when i am walking to class.. i usually feel exhausted in class from tossing and turning... i'd be lying if i told you this hasnt been the worst and longest lasting physical problem i've ever had... i got an MRI last week and the doctor is going to check it out and tell me what he thinks on monday... i just wish i hadnt tried to be so tough and get through it on my own before i got help... there is a chance there has been permanent damage... if you believe in praying- i certainly would be receptive if you could do that for my leg... cause i would like to maybe one day get back to leading the life of a normal 23 year old instead of that of a grandparent (not that there is anything wrong with grandparents...) thanks!

Jeff just sent me this link… if you have ever seen the shining you need to check this out… it’s a trailor made up entirely of real movie clips that puts an entirely different spin on the movie… its hilarious!

http://www.ps260.com/molly/SHINING%20FINAL.mov

Holla- scott

Endearing Pet Name Generator

Old name: Joshua William Hunter

Endearing pet name:
Passion Anus

Usage: "Awww, did my little Passion Anus have a rough day at work?"

(you have GOT to try this! haha)

Fisher & Phillips

So I had my first callback interview. It was exhausting. I left Nashville at 6 AM and got to Atlanta at about 11 am. My interviews started at 12, so I relaxed and reviewed my research on the firm and the people I was meeting with. At 12 I met a partner and an associate (older guy, younger girl who just got out of law school last spring). We ate at Ruth's Chris steak house. The food was very good and the conversation was nice. Then I proceeded to 6 more 30 minute interviews. Almost everyone went over in time, so I didn't get out until 5:20. Going over is a good thing though because it shows they are interested in you.

I have a good feeling about the firm. Their culture is very comfortable but hard working. The people are cool and it has a reputation for being very ethical. They rarely work weekends and are relaxed about comings and goings as long as you get your work done. I'd love to work there next summer becuase it will almost guarantee me an offer for a permanant job after law school.

I drove home and got back at about 8:30 central time. Long day, 14.5 hours, but well worth it.

I know it is tactless to brag about money, but these people pay very well. $1,700/WEEK over the summer and new associates start at $90,000. That is moderately low for Atlanta, but I believe it would be well worth the trade for working with people you like and not having to bill 2,200 hours per year. I think it's safe to say it is enough for me and when you throw Oksana's salary into the mix, we'll be comfortable. I am really hoping to pay off everything but our mortgage before we're 30. It's definately do-able, but children (none pending, but in a few years maybe) can easily rip through thousands of dollars.

Anyway, the meeting went well and I have three more to go. One in Nashville on Monday, one in Atlanta on the 13th, and one in Newark, NJ, on the 19-20th. If Fisher gives me an offer next week, I'll accept it. Then I'll have to do the other interviews knowing I probably won't work for them. My career advisor told me to accept only half a summer at Fisher and then tell them I was "probably" going to accept the other half, but I had to do some more callbacks. That way it's nice and ethical, becuase I still technically could work for the other firms.

costo rico go

hey guys. i just put a link up to some pictures relating to our costa rican trip.

Total Ecipse of the Heart

Have you ever wanted to hear Bonnie Tyler's Total Eclipse of the Heart played by using kitchen appliances as percussion instruments?

Now you can:

Aftermath

All is well in my neck of Houston.... we really dodged a bullet.

Seriously... I feel very lucky! Right when it started to cloud, we went outside and for the first time in my life I saw a DOUBLE RAINBOW. Two rainbows separated slightly, forming one big, bright rainbow. I think it was an omen...

Anyhow, I have escaped the rain, wind, traffic and looters.... and am home with the animals (with water and power!) , rehanging my pictures and unpacking my irreplaceables.

If anyone wants to do a hurricane drill... time yourself to take EVERYTHING of personal value from your place in less than 10 minutes. It'll really put things in perspective of the things you value. I took a lot of pictures, books and a few things people had given me over the years (the massacred MJHS bear that Pap beheaded came with me!). Just things that could never be replaced...

Thanks for all the emails and posts!

ingenious

Busy week

I've had a lot going on this week, but mostly fun stuff. On Monday I took my kitten in for the old snip-snip (neutering in layman's terms) and got a chance to go see Green Day down in Denver. It was a very good show, with lot of pyrotechnics and audience involvement. Plus they did a 2.5 hour long set, so I felt like I got my money's worth. Last night I saw Corpse Bride which was very well done, and aesthetically pleasing, but didn't really impress me much beyond that. Tonight I start my once weekly fencing class, which definitely has me curious. I'm slightly concerned that it will be me and a bunch of 13 year olds. Hopefully tonight we'll just focus on laughing, then jumping off things. This weekend Nina and I will celebrate our 2 year anniversary by going out to the Melting Pot on Saturday and heading up to Rocky Mountain National Park and the city of Estes Park on Sunday. There is a tiny Italian restaurant up there that has the best pasta I've had outside of Italy. In my spare time I've been working on the med school application online, trying to get it done sometime before the end of the month. Next week A History of Violence, comes out which looks awesome and everyone should see. Oh, on a minor side note: I GOT A CELL PHONE. Convenience finally won out over necessity. If you would like to call me on it, my number is (970) 310-8722. It is now my only number, so don't bother with the old one. I need to accomplish something, so I need to be off. I hope everyone is well and that Hayley gets through the hurricane unscathed and without too much property damage. Keep us updated.

new Nintendo

this is pretty interesting

(not for girls, of course)

(simply because girls abhor video games)

here's an informational link.

Hurricane...

Is projected to head for Houston this weekend. Jack and I have evacuation plans... will go to this parent's house in a northern suburb with the animals and wait out the storm.

Sigh.

LSAT: The Sequel - T-12 days

An update... I calls it "Hayley's Modern Life". I even have the annoying dog...

I had a WONDERFUL weekend, spent mostly with Jack and the random animals that comprise my dysfunctional urban family.

Friday night: Got anniversary flowers, went to birthday dinner with Jack's family @ "Taste of Texas" (interesting concept, better than average chow, but the place is run by a crazy uber-conservative righty nutjob... would not have gone if it wasn't paid for by someone else). Fell asleep on the couch, full and happy, watching "Signs" with Jack at around 11pm. We BOTH fell asleep.... but I got to fall asleep while he rubbed my feet. Ha! Got up around 1am, took dog out and went to bed.

Saturday: Got up @ 8am, had coffee and studied by myself until noon, ran birthday/anniversary errands for Jack, GOT MY AWESOME ANNIVERSARY PRESENT, went to Strake casino night and had a few drinks... came back to my place, watched "Tremors" and went to bed by 1am.

Sunday: Got up, went to work @ G**** until noon, met Jack for birthday lunch, scored some REALLY cheap used DVDs @ Movie Exchange with Jack ("Cocktails", "Creepshow" and "Moonstruck" for less than 20 bucks!!) went shopping to spend his birthday gift certificates (Target, Sound Exchange), went grocery shopping.... relaxed for an hour or so, then packed up the pooch and gear for overnight @ Jack's where Chris, Jack and I (along with Roxy dog) watched "Creepshow" and I was (forced more or less to) watch "Firefly" the pilot show, which was admittedly, pretty good.... and funny. I'll have to see the movie now. I fell asleep around 1am (see the pattern), exhausted, but happy with my weekend.

**If you didn't catch "Firefly" the first time around on Fox, check it out (Netflix?) before the movie ("Serenity") debuts next Friday.... or is it this Friday. Anyway, it's a funny sci-fi space pirate sort of thing. I know... I thought it would be crap as well.... but is surprisingly well written and clever. Plus, the captain reminds me vaguely of HG in manner.

This week and next week, I have taken reception duty @ Fulbright. This means that in addition to my hour lunch for study time, I now have another hour each day to review! So, I don't have to review as much at the end of the day when I am exhausted from work (or both jobs, as it may be). This week, and next week... I only have to find about 6 extra hours for two practice tests per week. Then finito on October 1st... I will be forever finished with the LSAT!!

I can NOT freakin' wait. Party @ my place on October 1... you are all invited.

***I saw the Family Guy movie... excellent, per usual. Also, if you get a chance, check out "Born Into Brothels", a documentary on children of prostitues in Indo-China. Was very good, but very serious... and it won an Oscar last year for best documentary film making.

Wish me luck

In the interest in getting SOMETHING going on here, I've decided to post one of those generic updates.

School is kicking my ass. I rather stupidly decided to ignore the advice of several faculty and 3rd year students that I should take a light semester this semester. This is the semester of interviewing. I have been doing a month of interivews (16 in all, 14 down, 2 to go) with firms for my summer job. This is important becuase my summer job next summer has a high probability of becoming my permanant job. On top of that, I decided to take 17 hours. That's the msot they let you take. Plus my boss from last summer is finally sending me work. He usually gives me about 10 days to do about 20 hours of work. That doesn't seem like much, but when you are doing all this other crap, it is hard to do. I have one due on Monday that I haven't started and will probably need to put at least 15 hours into.

The good news is I FINALLY got a callback. This is how interviews work. You have your initial interview here on campus. If they like you, they call you back to come to the office to meet with more people. Getting the callback is the hardest part. After that, you generally have somewhere between a 20-75% chance of getting the job. I got my first callback yesterday, so I'm really excited and hopeful. We've tentatively scheduled my interview on Oct. 7, but I am trying to get it moved up (the ealrier I interview, the more spots are available for me to take).

Hopefully it goes well. other than that, things are good. Oksana is working hard in her new role as a math teacher. It is tough, but she really has a knack for it so I don't worry about her.

I hope everyone else is well.

MIA

Where are Johnna and Leanne?

Have they fallen off the face of the earth? I heard Leanne had gotten into a law school... where is she now?

wedding

we had a good time at the bachelor party- buffalo billiards down on 2nd avenue... we were out till about 2am and i'm sure anyone who was there could tell you some good stories!...

i had a blast at the wedding... i'm so glad i had the privilidge to take a participatory role in the whole process. The wedding in some ways was probably alittle different than what you might have expected (like the music they selected for jesse walking in and for both of them walking out)... but it still had most of the usual kinds of wedding things... the weather was absolutely perfect (or it would have been if it were about 5-10 degrees colder)... they had to stop in the middle at one point because a loud boat drove by- that was funny. Standing up close next to them while they were saying their vows was fun because they both at one point or another put a funny emphasis on their repeated phases... (like "to have and to HOLD"- thats not what they said but thats an example of what i'm talking about) i dont even know if they realized they were doing it.. jesse in particular. thats not a criticism- just a humerous observation. I could only really see jesse's face from where i was standing because josh's back was turned to me- but she seemed understandably filled with joy/emotion/love

it was so great to see everyone there together- (minus hayley and leanne)... it was like a mini-reunion! The reception was on a barn on a hill- (a nice barn)... they had a chandelear and some nice star-like arrangements of white chirstmasy lights on the ceiling. The food was great... i think everyone there was touched by the first dance that josh and jesse had- you could just see all the girls in the room crying (josh and jesse- you might not have noticed that)... but i think it was just special for everyone to see their love for eachother and their happiness and contentment that they had finally made it... i asked josh after it was over if it was scary to get up and dance while 100 of your friends and family memebers stared at you and he said he didnt even notice... i dont know if i'll be able to say that when my day comes because i'm just a nervous wreck when it comes to dancing... but i'm sure it'll be ok...

we TOTALLY got their car... jordan and i stayed up the nigh tbefore and blew up about 250-275 balloons and packed their car during the reception... we also got 5 cans tied to the back and some window chalk with some of the usual "just married" stuff...

it was a bittersweet sight to see them drive off because i was so happy for them (more happy than sad) but on the other hand kinda sad to see two of my closest drive off into the sunset as it were... i know they wont drop out of communication, but i also know it will have to atleast be kinda different... but really though... more happy than sad to see them go.

i just missed 5 minutes of class- but i think i told a somewhat complete story... feel free to fill in the gaps for those of you that were there!

holla

Wedding!

I need to know all about it... as well as the bachelor party!

Again, I am sorry about my absence... I missed all of you and was thinking about Josh and Jesse on Sunday.

Fill me in ASAP @ hshelton@fulbright.com

Stuff on my Cat.com

StuffOnMyCat.com

josh's bachelor party

OK- i lost some of your phone numbers (matt) so umm...

the PLAN is to:

1 MEET AT JOSH'S HOUSE AT 7:30 PM FRIDAY (9/2/05)- tomorrow

2 WE WILL THE CARPOOL DOWNTOWN TO A PRE-ORDAINED PLACE

3 WE WILL HANG OUT AT THIS DESIGNATED PLACE UNTIL ALL HAVE HAD THEIR FILL OF....FUN...

4 PEOPLE WHO DONT PARTAKE WILL BE DRIVING BACK THOSE WHO DID

5 YOU GIVE ME 1,000 DOLLARS...

OK well... you dont have to do number 5, but just incase you want to... that would be good! later!

CALL ME WITH QUESTIONS: 615-838-4130

My shoe smells like excrement

So I woke up at 3:30 to the distinct sound of water flowing at moderate pressure into the carpet. That can mean only one thing folkes, the dog is pissing on the carpet. So I got up to yell at him and clean up the mess (which included a suspiciously large amount of feces for a 5.5 pound dog). Somehow, without me ever wearing them, crap got stuck to the bottom of my shoe. After washing it at least 10 times (including at least 3 with soap)... it still smells like shit.. So when I put my left foot on my right knee (after all it would be hard to put my left foot on my left knee), I begin to smell excrement.

Just wanted to let everyone know how my day is going. Any suggestions on decontaminating my shoe? There is no visible sign of waste, just a smell and I have a genetic inclination to a strong sense of smell.

And how's everyone else's day going?

this is a picture of Katrina's eye

pretty incredible.

Bad News for Weekend

Check this out, straight from the Weather Channel. It's amazing how quickly the weather shifts.

Relief

http://www.redcross.org

http://www.houstonredcross.org

Donate to these if you can.... they are moving all the refugees to Houston, and many people are missing loved ones, homes, clothing, medicine. Give if you can and check with your employers to see if they have funds set up; my firm is matching any donations I make.

Jack is missing a few relatives as well... they are all from Southern Louisiana, and are not accounted for.

Sunday, Sept.4th at 6:00pm

That's when the wedding is...I think there might have been a little confusion. Yes, I've been told that having it on a Sunday is strange and sort of a faux pas, but screw that.
Those of you who pray, pray for sunny, dry and breezy for Sunday's forecast. However, if it storms, we still have lots to look forward to--as in packing into my parents' barn like sardines. weee.

Also, if you males haven't talked with Scott yet about Josh's bachelor party, then
(1) Scott's a bad planner
and
(2) meet at 1478 Tate Ln (josh's house) @ 8pm on Friday. (carpooling to follow)
(3) [for HG] a strict "no hoes or dancers" policy will be enforced.

See you all soon!
OH yes, and if anyone needs a place to stay, let me know--615.351.5508

~jesse

p.s. Leave any reception music requests in the comments.
The macarena has already been rejected.

Cats in Sinks

and i thought all the great ideas were taken.

Ooooooh.....

Here I go again....

http://webx.tennessean.com/cgi-bin/WebX?50@159.9d9BauLnthg.2@.1dcdb24b

Unfortunately, they said they couldn't publish it in the paper, since I was out-of-town. So, this will have to do.

kudos to everyone (except leanne, jeff, and myatt)

man the comments are overFLOWING in these recent entries.

i thought i'd make it more convenient and put a link to the 3 most popular ones thus far...

Yeeeessssssssssss.

Yesss...Wait, No. No is what I meant.

Yes Yes Yessssss!

while the blog titles could obviously use a bit of work, the comments are wonderful. i have to agree with matt, "This banter is marvelous!"

"I LOVE IT!!! Yessssssss!"



(that last part was totally matt. everybody knows i dont say "yes")

and what do have for us today, Google?

Google Talk.

Yeeeessssssssssss.

yeeeeeeeeeeeeeeesssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssss!

Yesss...Wait, No. No is what I meant.

I took the MCAT on Saturday. If anyone out there feels like shelling out $200 for one of the longest days of your friggin life, then I enthusiastically recommend it. It ran almost an hour longer than it was supposed to due to their wonderfully inefficient time management. The moral of the story is that it blew, and hopefully I'll never have to take it again. THE END.

where ya been?

Hey guys… Scott here… just wanted to check back in and let you know that I’m still alive… for starters Mandy, my girlfriend of 19 months, and I broke up about 4 weeks ago. It was certainly a situation where we both retained a great deal of respect for each other, and even acknowledged that we worked really well together, but agreed that we were both at different points in our lives and that we both needed different things over the next 5 years or so… and it would be silly of either one of us to deny the other of those experiences that are due to them- from my perspective that would be Mandy actually getting to have a regular college experience… she really deserves that and more… I sincerely hope she gets to have an awesome next few years and gets to go do lots of fun and exciting college things- things that she is 100% entitled to… Mandy is the first and only girl that I have separated from and still wanted to remain friends with… I know its a little weird right now, and that maybe it will be for several months… but I hope one day I can count her as my friend and know she feels the same way about me… and its not like I kind of feel that way, or halfway hope that’s how it is… I mean I REALLY would be upset if I knew I wouldn't be able to keep in contact with her… I don’t know if its odd that I feel that way- but I just know that I do… I know you guys never really got to know her all that well, but she is an amazing girl/woman with so many great qualities. She is going to excel in everything that she does and I have no doubt about that….

I’m back in Memphis now for pharmacy school… I’ve moved up in the house to the 3^rd floor that is very much like a “bonus” room… like an attic that has been painted, carpeted, and air conditioned so its just a really big room with slanted walls… I really love it up here. I have so much space that I just don’t know what to do with it. I feel like I want to put in a pool table or something… but school is good… its almost fun to learn stuff… I’m the ranking house person this weekend so I’ll be more or less in charge of the party here where we are expecting anywhere from 150-220 people (the new expanded p-1 class alone has 181 people.. plus however many of the 100 or so people in the fraternity show up)… yikes… I don’t know where they are all going to fit… I’m kind of nervous about that… its been kind of hectic being the VP… the president lives about 30 minutes away and I live here in the frat house kind of were it all goes down… so about 75% of the time it seems like people are asking me when/where/how for the rush events that we’ve had this week… I’ll be glad when this is all done… let me just say that much. Seeing all the new p-1s reminds me just how big of a year last year was for me. Things seem like they are just a world apart from where I was when I came in. Its hard to explain that… I’m looking forward to josh’s wedding in a few weeks… I’ll be calling most of you guys for josh’s bachelor party which will be that FRIDAY before labor day… so keep that night clear… I’ll fill you in with details!

Well I better get some sleep…In about 22 hours my house will be filled with over 100 (at least) people, a DJ with loud music and a fog machine… and lots of other bad stuff that I don’t even want to think about… I guess it just comes with the turf… I just thought that these people would have got all their partying out of their systems in undergrad BEFORE they came here… just seems more like they try to step it up even more… ugh… I guess if I drank alcohol in any shape or form I might have a better time at these things… seems like everyone else does! But it will still be fun… I’ve met a ton of people and maybe I can solidify some of those friendships… holla!

H.Brithboy, HGW

I don't know much about Gladden's life at the present, but I do seem to remember that today is/was the anniversary of his birth. Hope it's been a good one, HG!!

can you say "dream come true"?

the quote at the top of the each page is priceless.

seriously, you cant put a price on that.

Seeing folks

Hey, since I'm dragging my broke ass back to MJ, I want to see everyone as much as humanly possible. Nina and I get in on Friday night, so if anyone wants to get us at the airport and have dinner, you should comment here or call me. I'll be home frantically studying most of the week, so it won't be hard to get a hold of me. If nobody responds in a couple of days, then I'll just get my family to pick us up. Also we have all day Saturday free, and the day on Sunday. Try and keep those days as free as possible, because I don't know when I'll be coming back again, and Nina will be with me. I'm talking to Bryan/Oksana, Scott, and HG especially. Time to go home and study. Adios.

Wedding Photos

http://people.vanderbilt.edu/~c.bryan.cantrell/
Wedding pictues available there. I scanned all the photos, so that's everything.

Wilson County School's Dress Code

There's a nice little editorial in the Tennessean. It pretty much sums up how anal it can be.

!!!!

This hasn't been said in a while.. so I thought I'd do you all the favor.

SCOTT IS GAY.

Thank me later.

look at these crazy jumping cats!

you gotta see these guys.

gas widget

this is pretty sweet. i dont know how many of you (excluding jeff) have ever heard of Widgets before, but they're pretty sweet. they used to just be for Macs, but now they also make them for PC. anyway, they're just little programs that run in the background that tell you constantly updated information. like this one gives you the lowest price on gas in your zip code. so cool. and there are tons more for like everything you could think of (weather, traffic, etc.) (for example, hayley, assuming she's cool enough, might use this one: http://www.widgetgallery.com/view.php?widget=36637) (whereas jeff would use this one: http://www.widgetgallery.com/view.php?widget=36613) they're pretty fun if you sit at a computer all day. gives you something else to look at at least.

huh. gas widget.

OH. and if you haven't seen Kung Fu Hustle, it comes out tuesday (tomorrow). so go get it. it's spectacular.

Your mother.

Life is hectic here in Houston!

I love the new job... many many perks such as; free (and tasty) lunches, reduced parking fees, free 24-hr. travel agent, free tickets to major sporting events, cool people, very interesting work, not to mention the free espresso/cappucino/coffee/soda bar on every floor. When I get tired, I simply phone over to the coffee bar and ask for a skinny cappucino... and they just bring it to me!

Life is hectic... but pretty freakin sweet.

I am still with G****, where I spend roughly 15-20 hours a week still maintaining their billing efforts and accounts. This is typically done after Fulbright work on Tuesdays and Thursdays, and usually one weekend day in addition. I am here now, and will also be tomorrow fixing billing and getting out invoices. The hours are totally flexible, so I just come and and work my butt of when I need some extra cash. Not too shabby.

Roxy, my dog is still giving me problems. She keeps having two or three GOOD weeks with no accidents.. and then she has a day like yesterday which went like this:

I was taking a much-needed nap when I awoke to a weird crunching noise. To my horror, the fucking dog had COMPLETELY chewed up a new pair of 75 dollar sandals I got at a sample sale. I spanked her with the shoe and threw her in her cage for the next 2 hours, placing the shoe directly in front of her to remind her of HOW BAD SHE IS. Later, I let her out, soften up and pet her.. having gotten over my rage. I take her outside, she goes to the bathroom, and I let her jump in the bed with me (Time is now 11pm). I wake up @ 6am to find that she has destroyed a cat toy, peed on the rug Jack got me, and taken a crap in front of the front door. Whoever said dogs aren't smart enough to be vindictive was SO wrong. This dog is a canine replica of me... that is exactly what I would do. Fuck.

Ah well... there is my life to current.

The Return...

It's official. I am coming back for the wedding, but not alone. Somehow it worked out that both Nina and I had the time and money to make the trip, so she's coming with me! You will all get a chance to meet my lovely girlfriend of 2 years, and likely bond with her by making fun of me together. We will be arriving at 6 pm on Friday (9/2), and leaving about 2:30 on Monday (9/5). If any of you has a desire to pick us up at the airport, just let me know. If not my family can probably do it. I want to see all of you as much as possible so try and make time on that Friday night, Saturday, and Sunday (until the wedding obviously). You can post comments here or give me a call with info. See you in a month!

The Pappert Brief

Just thought I'd check in to let everyone know I didn't die. Life goes on pretty much as usual out here in Colorado. I have been pretty poor lately, due to recovering from moving (I had to buy a lot of furniture) and random large fees (like vet bills and taking the MCAT). If you aren't just skimming this half-assedly, you'll notice that in that last sentence I said that I was taking the MCAT. Yep I decided that I want to be a doctor (sorry Scoot). I, of course, decided this on the day before the end of registration for the last MCAT of the year (it's only offered twice), but at least I registered. This gave me a little over a month to study for this huge friggin test that people devote half a year of their lives to passing. So that's what I've been doing. Studying my ass off. If Myatt still frequents this site and has any pointers, I'd be glad to hear them. At this point, I am still very apprehensive and eagerly awaiting the test date so this can all be over. Work has been very busy and frustrating lately, but it is plague season so it is to be expected.

I am really sorry I missed Bryan and Oksana's wedding, but Nina and I were planning for a while to go away that week. Then we both realized that we were financially incapable of going anywhere, so our plans fell through. I really wish I could have been there. I am in a little bit better shape now, so I am hoping to come back for the Hunter/Jesse wedding. It is just a matter of scraping up $300, but I should be able to manage it. I would love to see all of you again, and hopefully most of you will be there for the weekend. I am going to attempt to call some people when I have time over the next month, so expect to hear from me. I need to get some work done, so I need to go. Hope to see you all soon.

I got your freakin' baby food right HERE

My cousin Allison emailed me the latest pictures of her baby, Lilly. This one was too priceless to pass over. In her defense, she's only about 5 months old. But come on. Obscene gestures?

Images from the MJHS Webpage

So I was browsing around MJHS's webpage and saw they have this flash enabled banner that shows images from and around the school. It first starts off as the typical images you'd expect:

After a few classroom scenes it starts to turn...



Who knew Snoop went to MJHS?



That refreshing Aquafina.



Yeah. A vacuum. Nothing says MJHS like a vacuum. You'd think they could come up with something better to put on the front page. I'd imagine some kid with a digital camera going around after school trying to find pictures to put on the school's webpage. And there it was. The vacuum.

MJHS Class of 2000 5 Year Reunion

I ran across this while I was surfing around MJHS's webpage. Thought you'd be interested.

REUNION INFORMATION FOR THE CLASS OF 2000!!!

August 13, 2005

Five year reunion @Jillian's opry mills in the Groove Shack

25.00 dollars per person due in advance by July 25 for buffet, soft drinks, rental fee, and tip

please contact Derri Dalton
septimia2@aol.com
1505 Brookstone Circle
Mt.Juliet,TN37122
615- 758-9943

Personally a 5 year reunion is always a bit premature. I mean what are you gonna talk about? "I'm in school..." That'll be basically the extent of the conversation.

/didn't go to my 10 year reunion.

BEER

the brewer's fest is tomorrow @ 2pm. it's $20. i'm going. jesse's going. who's coming with us?

Some pics

These are some pics my dad took. he didn't have a good line of sight. I'll scan and post the actual photos when I get them.

http://people.vanderbilt.edu/~c.bryan.cantrell/

anybody going to be around this friday?

i'm thinking party over here.

(at my house)

let me know. 865 405 2200

My Small Not-Fat Ukrainian-Greek-Catholic Wedding

It went wonderfully! I'll try to get some pictures up ASAP.

It was an exhausting experience, but we did survive. When we got back to Nashville yesterday (Sunday), we unpacked and and went straight to bed. So I went to sleep at about 7 pm, which is why I am up and writing this at 5 am.

Despite lots of drama (damaged cake, late bride, fallen flower arrangmenents, late night reception preparation, tart sangria, ring too tight, tripod breaking, parents forgetting clothes, best man's boutonniere breaking 2 min before the wedding, priest telling me to take oksana as my "husband"), everything was beautiful and well worth the hard work.

Short update

I am starting a new job @ the Fulbright and Jaworski firm here in Houston on the 25th. It's a huge international litigation firm, and I will be a project assistant in the healthcare litigation department. Should be very interesting, though I am sad to leave the lax rules and great people at G****. At Fulbright, I will be working on trial prep, and I report directly to the head attorney instead of a paralegal... plus, the salary is a huge hike from G****, and the benefits are better.

I loved seeing everyone (that I got the chance to see!) and I'll probably be back to Nashville around Christmas!

greatest Google product ever

you guys need to see this new program, Google Earth (if you havent already)


(jeff i'm talking to you.)

also! who's going to the high school reunion? what is it, Aug 13th or something?

Friday night!

My house (tenatively!) 8pm, FRIDAY NIGHT.... BYO and we'll order take-out of some sort. See you then!

hey i got my blog working again!

okay so i got it working. sadly, it was incredibly easy. i dont know why it didnt work before!

anywho, here's the link (because it's imperative that you update your links!):

http://joshhunter.blogspot.com/


glad to be back.

Speak now

I am going to be ordering food soon and thus need to know who is coming to the wedding on July 16 in Atlanta.

So far, nobody has confirmed except Josh and Jesse (maybe). Everyone else is either silent or said they cannot come. Silence will be interpreted as an expression that you cannot come.

It is really important that you let me know ASAP so that I get enough food.

Thanks

shortest months ever.

so i usually don't post on this site. i'm leaving for florida tomorrow afternoon. i haven't packed at all yet and it's 1:20 in the morning. no one ever comments when i write, not that i take that personally (necessarily), but i'm just saying this is the last thing i should be doing. the ole "put it off til you just can't any longer." what can i say--i miss school.

so josh and i got engaged and i'm learning that parts of that rule (the ring, the being on birth control) and other parts are really terrible (side effects from birth control, wedding planning, family members "helping" with wedding planning).

the Hunters are paying for our pre-marital counseling and that's pretty fun. the planning, however stressful and gruesomely enlightening, is going okay--the major decision have been made and now it's just details. After you figure out who's paying for all the over-priced goods and services of the event, it gets way easier (if it ends up not being you, that is). No, we don't know where we'll honeymoon--at this point, ANYwhere outside the US is looking just divine. It's been soo long since I've travelled. Do you ever feel like you just HAVE to leave and go somewhere besides here? Our superfluous packaging and rates of petrol consumption are grounds enough. whew.

Josh has been a real engineer (or EIT-engineer in training) at his job in Nashville for 2 whole weeks now, and seems to like it. We went to a Sounds game last Monday and I got to meet the office and the associated females. Two things to note: Josh hates the traffic and so, we're looking to rent and buy (short and longer term) in the downtown/West End area. The other is that everyone in his office works at least 50 hours a week, although they are required to work only 40. Supposedly, it pays off in bonuses, but we're waiting to see if it's worth it.

I'm not working anywhere, but i AM spending full-time hours trying to get our adult acts together(say it counts, dammit!). My plan so far is to start a Phlebotomy training program in Nashville in January. It's something I've always wanted to do...and will make me somewhat marketable until I'm able to go back to school for the Anthro stuff. It lasts six months and I'm pretty excited.

For sure, you're all wondering how Dudley is faring around the Hunter farm! He's loving life. We expect some degree of depression to result when we move him back into a small apartment.

In other news (i just thought of it! sowwy, Scott), Mandy explained to us the other night that her body simply DOES NOT PRODUCE FECES OR GAS. so that's...

Good night, everybody ~
Happy Fourth, and if i don't have your current addresses, send them to my email(jet513@hotmail.com).

Hayley-can't wait to meet Jack and good luck/skill in that rat race!
Ryan-I liked Batman. we saw it on the Imax. still can't believe that whole Katie-Tom thing, though. weird.
Bryan-josh and i will see what our "affordability" is after i return from FL. here's hoping we don't get our hopes dashed. how's kroger? we should hang out more.
Johnna-what's the best way to reach you nowadays? Seems like Josh didn't know(?).

Dinner in MJ?

I am going to be in town July 7th-11th and I am bringing JACK! Do we want to try to do a dinner? A big MJ dinner... or at least get everyone together for a movie, drinks... something? Let me know. Who is in chagre of these things now? The un-official party planner so to speak...?

Heating up in Houston

The heat index here is consistently over 100 degrees, and I can't turn my air conditioner down lower than 78 without feeling the wrath of the electic company... big time. As you may recall, I hate three things: zombies, mayo, getting jabbed in the eyes, and now I have added a fourth... being HOT all the friggin time. My cat and dog fight over the nice cool lineoleum space in the kitchen to lay on. Sometimes I feel like chasing them off and planting my face on it. Sigh.

Things are good here... though I am beginning to have serious anxiety about how my life is going. Don't get me wrong.... it's good. Jack is wonderful, friends are great.... but my series of temp. jobs is irritating. I would really like one decently-paying job instead of coordinating three (that's right.... THREE, PT sales manager @ Victoria's Secret, PT as a personal assistant/admin assistant with a non-profit law firm, and PT bartending a few nights a week) part time jobs to make ends meet adequately. I either need to get into law school, or find ONE job. This proves harder than you may think... because in spite of my credentials, people are slow to hire someone who can only spend a year with them before going to an undisclosed law school. Bullshit. I am trying my hardest to secure a clerking job with a law firm... and have landed a preliminary interview. Maybe this will come through for me, and I can quit the other jobs. Cross your fingers for me.

Another frivolous movie post

Hey everyone. As you all should know, I like movies. So I like to post about movies, especially ones I get to see before the rest of you suckers. HA! I saw Mr. and Mrs. Smith last weekend and it was really entertaining. It's a great summer movie if you just want to go and watch pretty people try and hurt each other, and make babies. Pretty funny, too. Last night I saw Batman Begins and it was the best adaptation of the comic I've ever seen. It is a very realistic approach, and it very thoroughly explains Batman's origins. It also does a nice job of showing the logistics of how all his equipment works. Everything is explained and makes sense, with very little campiness. Also there are no nipples on the batsuit. I highly recommend it. Summer's just getting started too. Next week is Land of the Dead (the next film after Day of the Dead, by George Romero which Hayley should definitely see), then War of the Worlds, then Craptastic 4, and finally Charlie and the Chocolate Factory. Well that's all I have. I'll be sure to post again if anything ever happens that is worth writing about.

Because I can

Quick Update

I spent my holiday weekend moving into/setting up my new apartment, which was great fun. The rest of the week I get to clean the house I was living in, which is kind of a crap-hole right now. Also, I am beginning to realize how much I am going to miss summer vacation. This whole 9 to 5 thing blows. Anyway, the main reason I posted was to give all of you my new phone number. Give me a call sometime.

(970) 484-2163

Here is a picture of the new kitten I got. His name is Fry and he's about 8 weeks old now. 

so what's everyone doing this weekend?

also, who is even in town to do something?

we need to do this people!

865 405 2200

movie time

anyome in Middle Tennessee-

we are seeing star wars tonight at 9pm...
as far as i know, the only people going right now are me, josh, and jesse...
i cant get a hold of HG (who i think is the only person worse at returning calls than jesse herself) or dobbs, scholes is in knoxville... hayley is in texas... bryan- you up for this? i dont remember if you were available... but anyways... i am going to go BUY TICKETS early today at the theater for josh, jesse, and myself, so you've all got about 2 hours to call me and let me know if you want in or not... otherwise you just run the risk of it being sold out- which i think it might be since its being toted as one of if not the best star wars movie ever... i'm excited!!

Break-in and a new addition

What a weekend!

So, this past Thursday night, someone tried to get in my apartment when I was actually in it. By this, I mean that they tried to get me to open the door (presumably to force entry), and covered the peep hole, so I couldn't see who it was. The knocking had gone on for a while... six separate incidences over the last four weeks. Since typically, they knocked only once, chalked it up to drunken friends of neighbors, or other confused persons. However, the knocking continued Thursday night, and I called the police. They came, shined their flashlights in the bushes, gave me some helpful self-preservation hints, and left. Sigh... but not before pointing out that people always knock after my boyfriend leaves, insinuating that I am being watched and the person(s) waits until Jack leaves, thinking I would be more likely to open the door. Fat chance.

The cops suggested I get a gun. No way... I am not comfortable with a gun in my apartment, and they don't provide the protection people think they do, especially since they average moron with a gun has little to no training, or experience in defensive gun tactics. The average homebody with a gun is ten times more likely to hurt themselves or someone else they know with the gun than an intruder. Plus, there is the chance that someone will get in the house and find the gun before you can get to it, or take it from you. Then you've given them a gun to use on you. Wonderful idea. So, I bought a heavy-duty MagLite with a serrated edge... standard SWAT Houston police issue, and the thing weighs 6 pounds. If I hit someone with it, even a glancing blow, it'll break bones.

I also did the next best thing to a gun. I got a dog. She is a mix of Sheltland Sheepdog and Welsh Corgi (she has a Corgi grandparent, so she is 75% Sheltie), and we named her Roxy. She is just under 30 pounds, but barks like a German Shepherd, and has already developed loyalty, and therefore protectiveness, to me. She is recovering from a recent spaying, getting used to me, the apartment and the cat. While the Humane Society claims she was housetrained, I quickly found that that was complete shit. Literally.... she took a crap on my remote control this morning at 5:30am, immediately after I had taken her outside for over 30 minutes. She kept me up all night, chewed through her crate and chewed a hole in my screen porch door. So, I punished the skin off of her, got a METAL INDESTRUCTIBLE crate, and am altering her eating/drinking habits as well to aid in the housetraining. Jack is coming over tonight.... and he is taking over doggie duty for the night, since this morning I was so sleep-deprived and pissed off that I was threatening to give her back to the Humane Society. I would have too.... before I took her to the dog park and saw how cute she was. I guess she just needs time to adjust to everything, Meanwhile, I should be on tranquilizers to deal with her. The friends I have called to get advice from ARE NOT CALLING ME BACK, and I am quickly tiring of the dog's antics, no matter how cute she is.

Also, the dog business has taken me away from consistant LSAT study. I haven't looked at anything since Thursday afternoon. Crap. This afternoon, I am reviewing basic concepts to take another LSAT full-length tomorrow afternoon (post-dog walk and shower!). Hopefully I will get some sleep tonight!

NEWSFLASH!!! Archer Avenue (Jack's band) is the house band for Whitney's wedding next June. By then, there is a good chance they will be signed to a major label (they are part of a small indie label called "Bordertown Records" now), and possibly have a single out on radio rotation. She is thrilled at the prospect of having professional musicians play for her wedding (cheaply as a favor to me!), and the band is thrilled to have an excuse to come to Nashville and schedule more gigs downtown. They have never played Nashville, and would kill for the exposure here.

Check 'em out @ http://www.archeravenuemusic.com

EPISODE III IS AWESOME!!!

Hello everyone. If you are reading this, then that means I have seen the latest Star Wars film and loved it. If you saw the previous 2 films in the prequel trilogy, then you may have some reservations about this one. In my opinion, Episode III is better than both the first 2 movies combined and then some. There are still a couple of cheesy moments/lines, but it is a Star Wars movie and there aren't that many. There are 4 or 5 major fights/lightsaber duels (depending on your definition of "major") and a nifty space battle as well. It is very dark and damn entertaining. I saw Unleashed last week, and really liked that too. Inventive, brutal fight scenes and a good story.
In unrelated news, Nina and I ended up getting a kitten this weekend. He's an orange tabby and he's 6 weeks old. We're thinking of naming him Fry (like from Futurama), but we're still undecided. Back to work.

WHAT THE F?!?!

Yeah, so, she USED TO be attractive. I never EVER understood why some women go for the Sigourney Weaver look. It is just ass ugly. She looks like a dyke.

The miracles of modern pet grooming. Jet before his grooming...

Jet after grooming. He's tiny again

let me reiterate

okay so i think i may have scared off some of you with the word "hardcore" in my last entry. so let me be more specific: i'm not looking to throw a "get trashed" party (hg). i just thought it would be a lot of fun to sit around with everyone have some drinks (how many drinks is your business)(my house would probably be open all night though, so no need to worry about that). so in conclusion (scott), i'm not looking to ruin my day after the party, but i do think it would be a lot of fun (and safe) to get everyone together and make whatever drinks your hearts desire (or whatever).

the reason this came to mind is because i dont know if i've ever drank with any of you (i guess not counting hg or bryan (although, bryan, i'd hardly like to repeat our brouhaha). who likes sangria? because i do and i havent made it in forever. (that recipe isnt the exact one i use, it's merely for illustrative purposes.)

we can do this. together.

Fleas, LSATs and Fire

All: a lot of this is on my own blog http://thelasttea.blogspot.com, but I have added more for you all. Enjoy.

Ok... my life has been EXTREMELY busy lately, so I'll give a brief, but detailed update:

-I am no longer working at JVC:South. This is a long story, but the short of it is; my boss and I didn't really get along, I'm not Catholic and she really wanted a temp. to catch the office up, and not a full-time worker... and didn't tell me this upon hiring. I felt strung-out and lied to... and I wrote the board a letter saying just that. The silver lining is, I really think I dodged a bullet here.... the organization is going downhill fast, and will probably be defunct thanks to the Director's stellar leadership, in less than three years. Sucks for her.

-Currently, I am job searching and working at Victoria's Secret to pay the bills. Hahaha....yes, I know the irony of the situation. The pay is terrible, but it will pay the rent and bills (barely... seriously), until I can find something else more lucrative and/or promising. Plus, I get a merchandise discount, and ANYONE who has seen my lingerie closet knows this is good.

-I discovered Penelope had fleas... I freaked out an IMMEDIATELY Frontlined her furry little ass. And sterilized my apartment. Ew.

-Yesterday my hairdryer caught on fire, and shot flames that ignited both my bathroom rug.... and Penelope's tail. Her tail was smoking, and she was trying to run away from it.... tearing around the house. Sigh... I grabbed her mid-leap and rubbed her against the carpet until it stopped. Poor thing... and poor me... I had to get a new blowdryer! :) Kidding.

-LSAT LSAT LSAT! I am studying on average 20 hours a week for this exam, and my average practice tests score is 156... only because I had a fluke 147 yesterday after taking the test in a LOUD bookstore who was playing Billy Idol. Don't get me wrong, I love me some Mr. Idol, however, I don't think "Rock the Cradle of Love" is condusive to taking a three-hour test! At least now I know that I can take the test in ANY type of environment. Today, I got a practice score of 163, and this alleviated my depression over the 147... and raised my average to a 158.

-Jack and I are doing great, but both are having anxiety over being apart over the summer and not getting to spend nearly as much time together as we had hoped.... especially if I get another serious job. Also, he learned tonight that his grandmother had a heart attack last night, and requires a QUINTUPLE bypass surgery tomorrow. His grandfather just passed away in October, and he is still upset about that (they were really close, and he couldn't be there when he died). I'm trying to cheer him up best I can... but I can tell it's really getting to him. We sat together tonight and narrowed down my list of law schools... since he said he would move with me.

I hope this finds everyone well.... I'm going to try to get to Nashville this summer around Bryan's wedding!

Spyware

Time for my second post. Many of you might have spyware on your computer and not even know it. Here is a good free program from Microsoft which should get rid of a bunch of junk on your computer. Makes it run faster without the nasty pop up ads and junk. Your mileage may vary.

calling all of age

so when is everyone going to be back in MJ? because we need to have a big alcohol social. like, hardcore. and it needs to be early or else it will never happen.

i get back on the 15th. when do YOU get back?

gimmie the points

0 exams down... 5 to go... i know we will all be really happy once this week is over!
I'm really happy for all of the UTK grads this semester, i'm sure you guys are feeling great about life (and some of you for more reasons than just graduation). I am so sorry i can't be there to see you guys walk the line... i really am, and i would totally want to be there. My cousin sam is graduating too and i wont even get to see that... but i wish you guys the best and we can have ANOTHER celebration for that when i get home. I dont understand why the stupid pharmacy faculty thinks that our schedules are somehow more important than the rest of the college world... i mean why shouldnt we line up our exams and semester length so that it works out that we get out at the same time the rest of the known college world gets out?? i think its just stupid... i mean... if you want to have a SLIGHTLY longer semester, they should just start us a week earlier than we already start (august 15th)... i mean... i think that would be worth it... i dont know... i guess i wouldnt care so much if i didnt have to miss graduation...
does anyone want to live in memphis this summer?! i'll give you a really good deal on my apartment, i promise! i cant find ANYONE to come sublease it for the the summer... i think i can get the fraternity to cut the utilities, and some of the basic rent, so it might only be 200 a month for me, but i wont be living there this summer so its kinda like 200 down the drain... but then again, with this inernship thing that wont be too much of a shot in the foot i suppose, but i guess its just the idea of dumping 200 dollars a month into something i wont be using...
ok... study break's over- back to organic medicinal chemistry... (shudder)...
its only 9 more days.... its only 9 more days.... its only 9 more days....

hollaaaaaa

kitten war

the guy at the top is the best.

there was a josh who had a fiancée...

...and jesse was her name-o.

j-e-s-s-o, j-e-s-s-o, j-e-s-s-o, and jesso* was her name-o.


seriously though. that happened.



*for song and ryhming purposes, "jesse" was changed to "jesso".

The "plan"

Ok, so here's the plan. The wedding plan.

When: Saturday, July 16, 2005 2 p.m EASTERN time. It took me and Oksana about 4.5 hours with one short stop to make it. I suggest leaving Nashville at around 7 or 7:30 (don't' forget you lose an hour going into eastern time). That gives you time to get caught in traffic, take a couple potty breaks, maybe change clothes when you get here. Those of you who have a propensity to tardiness.. be warned... the priest says 2pm is the latest we can start.

Lodging is available for reasonable cost to anyone willing to pay (we stayed at a La Quinta 3 mi away for $50. It was as nice as any hotel I've ever stayed in)

Where: Mary Mother of God Ukrainian Catholic Church in Conyers, GA (25 miles east of Atlanta.... I-20 East from Atlana to exit 82, turn left, 3 miles down on the left)

Who's invited: Anyone who wants to come

Important details: We already had a reception. That means we're not having another one. There are plans in the works for some sort of mingling with very light refreshments perhaps afterwards and/or a (pay-your-own-way) dinner. I know it sounds cheap, but I don't have money and my parents already paid for a big reception. Gifts? No, thanks. Unless you have special plans (J&J) or really have a hankering to spend money, we are NOT expecting gifts because, again, we already did that. I know we put the cart before the horse, but it is what it is.

Please be advised that this is a no obligation invitation. We will not be insulted by anyone's absence. That means if this will be a big imposition, don't worry about it. It is ok. There is no "party" to come to. There is no gift to buy. There is just a church wedding and maybe an unfunded informal gathering (if we do the very limited refreshments option, we can cover... but if we're talking dinner, no-can-do). The wedding will be mostly in ENGLISH with some Ukrainian. There will be a cantor (song-leader), so don't worry about learning Ukrainian over the next 10 weeks.

Please make sure you let me know if you are coming so that we can accomodate everyone. I'll post more details about any kind of gathering as soon as I get them.

I don't just comment

I figured I should actually do a post since I haven't in a long long time.

Exam mode engaged. Two down two to go. Without going into detail, they're pretty tough. I think I'm doing better this semester.

Good news everyone, I'm getting married. No, seriously. Oksana and I were deprived of our church wedding because of immigration. We finally decided to do our church wedding in Atlanta (Conyers, GA, actually) this summer. I'll let you know when we get a date nailed down.

I am torn right now by the possibility of getting a high paying job in NJ for the summer. The problem is Oksana can't come to NJ. I might make 1200-2000 per week working at my old firm. It would be nice too since I don't have a legal job lined up in Nashville. Except I have to be away from Oksana for so long. It sucks. I haven't been offered the job yet, so we'll see whether it is even possible. In the mean time, let me know if you think it is worth it. It'll probably be 10-12 weeks (which means I could make 10-24,000 just this summer). With that kind of money, I could afford to fly Oksana in every few weeks. Is it worth it? The alternative is working two jobs here (one temp job and Kroger).

Hooray for Colorado!

Hey hey hey. Well it's snowing here. Yep it has been lightly snowing on and off for the past two days. And it's almost May. A perfect example of Colorado weather. Life pretty much goes on as usual. I am moving out of the house I am living in currently and into an apartment over Memorial Day weekend, since I'll have 3 days to do so. Thank you U.S. government. My apartment is pretty nice, is 2 stories, and has a pool/BBQ area close by. I may get another cat, but that remains to be seen. I saw Closer the other day. Very good, but depressing. I'll probably see Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy tonight. I'm really looking forward to Family Guy on Sunday. Don't forget to watch!

josh goes to the movies

i went and saw Kung Fu Hustle today (thanks billy) and it was so awesome! i highly HIGHLY recommend it. it was just so much fun to watch and the action/fight scenes were really great. if you dont believe me, rottentomatoes gave it an 88%! thats HUGE.

and then right after i finished that i watched Aliens of the Deep... in 3D! i dont even remember the last time i saw a 3D movie, much less and IMAX 3D movie (i dont think i've ever seen an IMAX 3D movie). it was spectacular. but you better catch it soon, cause it's about to be gone from opry mills.

awesome day.

Q and A time with Scoot Jerka

Scott: MY official title here at JVC:South is Development/Former Volunteer Coodinator. Mostly, this means that I am in charge of the finances before they go to the office manager for deposit and dispersion. I enter the donations into our huge client database and keep up with the financial breakdowns and percentages per group after each appeal (appeal=letter asking for money seven times yearly). I write, proof and customize the appeals, as well as figure which groups would be most effectively targeted... and therefore, would feel inclined to give more $$... for each appeal.

I work directly under the Executive Director, and I am also in charge of coordinating grant work with her, and keeping in touch/maintaining records/updating information for all of our 1005 former volunteers. Because I wanted to work directly with a non-profit (not a school), I am doing the job of two people for less than 30k/year. Two weeks after I accepted this job, I was offered another similar development job with Rice University for 4k more. But, this place more than make up for the financial difference with the super-flexible hours, very casual dress and overabundance of vacation, retreat and sick time. An decent place to gain experience before graduate school...

hollaatchaboy

Alright… its go time… and by go time I mean its time for me to write in this blog.

I gots NO CLASS tomorrow!! That is so amazing… sniff sniff… I’m getting kind of emotional over here…it really makes me happy in a kind of warm and tingly/squishy way…

hey Bryan, what kind of finals do you have? Is it kind of like papers, or long essay-type tests? Is law school just like it is in legally blonde? Do you show up in pink bunny costumes to parties? Do you OBJECT to these questions?

Hayley- what do you do at your job? I mean… I think I know WHERE you work, and what type of profit (non) the company is for, but what do you really do? I want to know like what a typical busy day is for you… do you think its something that you feel you can use your creativity with? Is the “Real World” as exciting and not exciting as it is fabled to be?

My good pharmacy friend Ryan Moss just got engaged last weekend. It’s a really great story how he did it and I plan on consulting him one day when I need to do some proposing because he certainly had a way with things… I mean… I think its great to have plans and stuff, and they did, but I think some element of surprise is a must for the big question… she didn’t even know he was in town, and had this big elaborate night planned out with roses, and a scavenger hunt, and a scrapbook he made… the hunt eventually led her to the church they are going to get married at and he was down front in a suit with the rock… I say kudos to that… I think Mandy got a little choked up when I told her the full story and she doesn’t normally get that way about that kind of thing…

HG, hows that face going, man? If you don’t mind me asking, what drugs are they giving you (and no I wont say or discuss anything about them online, I’m really just curious)? And did they say that the trauma to that nerve was due to an infection, or like physical trauma/pressure on that nerve? Just curious…

I got a call from the district manager of Kmart Pharmacies for middle and east Tennessee and he told me about an intern position that he would want me for this summer in Nashville and it sounds really exciting… I’ll actually have a regular work schedule (4 10-hour days a week) and he is taking care of the raise that I get for completing my first year… I’m actually a little scared because in the intern position they make you wear the white coat and dress shirt + tie every day to work and the white coat is just like a question magnet, I mean… people assume that since you have a white coat on you know the meaning of life… so far at the pharmacy here in Memphis I’ve got all kinds of crazy questions and most I can answer, but there are still so many where I have to just say “sorry but I’m just a student… let me get the pharmacist for you”… its just kind of scary to me because I like to kind of stay cool and under the radar so to speak… I guess I’ll have to get over that.

(for those of you who were asked questions, feel free to respond in a separate post instead of a comment… I don’t necessarily just want the 5-second cliff notes- but its up to you)

For the love of Jeff....

It is not necessary to delete your post. I was just giving you a hard time.

How much is that doggie in the window?

Here! 


Ok, Jack and I are adopting a puppy. He is an affenpinscher (a very rare and expensive breed... puppies go for $1000-1500, but we get him for 50 bucks!). We are getting him from a woman who does puppy mill rescues, and he, along with three other brothers and sisters we rescued over the weekend from a mill bust. Name suggestions are welcome!
We should get him next week....

Wisdom Teeth and Charity Auctions

I am totally cheating and adding this post to my own blog as well...

I survived the wisdom teeth experience, though it hurt like HELL. I think I have a relatively high pain tolerance (especially when given dozens of Vicodin!), so the pain wasn't as bad as everyone's horror stories predicted. I was a bit afraid of my face being swollen.... we all remember what happened to CBryan after his. I experienced no puffiness, but was on a very limited diet. That's right... DIET. Soup, yogurt and pudding. I had an M&M, but I had to let it melt on my tongue first, which was TORTURE! I hope I never have to do that again.... I would have killed a man in front of his own mother for real food.

Saturday night I attended a black-tie charity auction for Jack's high school. I was really nice to get dressed up, sip champagne and schmooze with other people. We were some of the youngest people there.... and there was an open bar, three-course dinner and a live auction that carried on throughout dinner. Sadly, I was outbid during the silent auction for a turquoise necklace. Damn.

Everyone got completely wasted, spent THOUSANDS of dollars on donated vacations, cars and sports packages.... one week in Aruba went for 40K. I am not kidding. Forty thousand dollars.

By the end of the evening these events had transpired:

1. I was told I looked like a "more curvy" Audrey Hepburn... I was wearing a replica of her black "Breakfast @ Tiffany's dress".
2. Jack's mother told me I "better be" her daughter-in-law.
3. I was given the sliding-hand-over-the-butt-in-passing by the Principal of Jack's school.
4. Jack's mother told me that Jack and I "better be quiet", since our hotel room was right next to theirs.
5. To this, Jack's father replied... "Barbara, we're going to be louder than them... Jack and Hayley will hear all KINDS of noises coming from our room!" Eeek.

I had a blast... was groped, flattered and mortified on more than one occasion.

I would say I had a great time... though the next day I felt like I had been hit by a truck. A really big one.

Johnna... I am going to see Wilco this coming weekend. Should be awesome!

8's too much

so i took my EIT exam today. it took 8 hrs and was ...rather challenging.

i'm pretty sure that 8 hrs is too long of a period to take a test over. but then again, hindsight is 20/20. i studied more for this than i did my whole college career i think. and lucky for me, it only takes them 4-6 weeks to run the scantron through, so i'll have less than instant reassurance of my performance.

that's it, i guess. none of you know anything about engineering, so to write anymore would just bore you.

wankers.

Where is everyone?

Where the F is everyone?

Quick update

Ok..

L.A. was great! It was wonderful to hang out with Jack, meet his producers/engineers for the record. Archer Avenue is set to record in late June, and I will fly back to L.A. for the weekend to see him and get a peek at the recording.

My wisdom teeth... specifically one tooth.... is KILLING me. Also, because of this, my ears are throbbing. Apparently, your ears adn wisdom teeth are on the same nerve. I've been chewing tylenol for days, and I have an appt. on Thursday for a cleaning/check up. Hopefully I can get a referral to an oral surgeon then, but I don't want my face to be all bruised. Eek.

Work is good... flowing well, and busy. I am planning on taking some time off in June, July and September for various vacations, and I will be in Nashville from July 1st-5th. We need to plan something over the weekend (lunch?) and I will have Jack with me... you all can meet him.

This weekend, I am going to see Sin City, re-watch Closer and lay around in the sun (it's 82 here today and beautiful!). Have good weekends!

PH

---the following paragraph is about pharmacy. Read on only if you are interrested---

SO i've got this patient at Babtist Memorial this week... her initials are PH. This whole process of getting a patient and writing up a report of their (huge) chart for my class tomorrow has been alittle scary. PH has about every problem you could think of, and on top of that a pretty severe case of sepsis/septic shock (aka- she has a bacterial infection circulating through her blood... ). The doctors have written in her chart that her prognosis is not good but they are going to continue with agressive therapy. She has already both her legs removed right above the knees, and has lots of vascular problems due to her diabetes. I get to go talk to her tomorrow before i present her to my class of 3P-1s, 5 p-3s, 2 p-4s, and one PharmD. preceptor. They will ask me questions that pertain mostly to the MOAs, side effects, contraindications, and interactions with her meds which unfortunately happen to be very numerous....... no pressure... time for bed- wish me luck! if you are interrested, here is a link to my presentation notes for tomorrow- its in word format- web.utk.edu/~sburka/patient1


ALSO- I figured out how to rig up my IPOD to my car speaker system. I had before used the FM transmitter, but i found that hard to use and the quality not always 100%- plus there were volume issues and long drives dictated a need to alter the FM station to a less crouded one. When my CD player fell out the other day (but remained connected) i thought of a way to hook up my Ipod digitally with some audio cables- and that didnt work, but in trying the first idea i saw a second way which DID work at the expense of not being able to play any CDs.... so now i have every single piece of digital music i own (plus all my CDs are on my Ipod) at my fingertips when i get in my car and let me tell you- it has revolutionized the way i listen to music when driving. No more fumbling around for CDs... no more wishing i had made a CD of some of the newer songs on my computer to listen to in my car- its all there baby... i love technology.

Funtastic Weekend

Sorry, that title was a blatant lie. My weekend sucked. I was driving with Nina and 2 other friends to see the baby mentioned in my previous post on Friday night, when my car died at 60 mph. So I pulled over, called AAA, and proceeded to wait an hour in a semi-remote location for the tow truck. By the time I got towed, it was too late to see my friends and their baby. Luckily, my car was fixed the next day. Unluckily, it cost $380. I have a lot of money now, because they paid me for the next 2 months (government bureaucracy thing, don't ask). That also means I don't get paid again until early June, so I'd better not run out. Hooray!

Also my lease is almost up and my roommates all agreed that we want to stay and renew our lease for another year. So I talked to our landlady, and she said it was good. I told this to my roommates, and I guess 2 of them are moving out. I'm glad I asked them because I don't know when they were planning on telling me. So I have to move in early June, which means I have to start looking at apartments, and clean our house soon. Also I need to buy furniture since all I have is some dressers, a bed, and a TV. None of this is a very big deal when put in perspective, I just wanted to bitch a little.

sin city

sin city was insane. i know i've seen more graphic movies, but i dont think any that were that graphic throughout the whole film. the movie was just insane. i thought it was rather incredible, but just ...intense. i dont even know what emotions i felt during it. that's how bizarrely intense it was. however, the colors and lighting in the movie were quite beautiful, i thought.

go see it.

elijah wood is really creepy.


oh! i also finished bringing out the dead today. i dont know how much jess liked it, but i really thought it was good. very unique movie. i really liked the subject. i just remember everyone saying how bad it was when it came out. i guess i dont get it.

great lighting. really liked that.


p.s.-dont go to sincity.com. NOT the same sin city.

Too Old For This Shit...

Hey all. Thought I'd chime in with a quick update. This week was kind of weird because a couple of my friends out here had a baby (last night in fact). Very strange considering I am older than both of them. Just really weird. And another one of my good friends is married and has a kid on the way too. AAAAAAGH!!! When did we get so friggin' old? And yet I don't personally feel old, since I spent most of my week stabbing terrorists in the new Splinter Cell game. Lousy enemies of democracy.

I had a chance to see Sin City last night, which was really cool. If you can get into the whole stylized graphic novel-noir-turned-movie feel of it, then I highly recommend it. Word of warning, it is extremely graphic. You have countless limb severings, decapitations, gun-toting hookers, people getting shot, and many other gruesome things I'll leave as a surprise to those that see the film. Although, if you saw Passion of the Christ, it might not seem as graphic. If any of you happen to see it, let me know what you think. Everyone have a good weekend, and try not to have any kids.