Women Drivers!

So, I pulled off a really stupid trick yesterday. My car was in the shop most of the day, so I was homebound most of the day (Thanks again Greg and Mo for helping me take care of my car). Fortunately, my car was easily fixed (expensive, but quick) and I was able to pick it up around 6:30 yesterday evening.

Since I had been carless until that point, I decided to run a few errands. One of these errands was going to pick up some guitar picks. You have to understand how unworthy I feel going into a music store...I have to convince myself that I'm cool enough to even drive into the parking lot, much less go in to the store itself. But, as Melissa says, I "put on my big girl panties and did it." That part proved to be rather painless and I was doing good...until I got in my car to drive away. I thought that I could just drive forward, through my parking spot, to exit the parking lot. I didn't think that there was one of those yellow, temporary curbs in the spot. The spot next to mine didn't have one, so I thought I was safe...I was wrong. Didn't realize that, until after I had already jumped the temporary curb with my car. Just my front wheels were over it, so I thought I could back up. That didn't work. My only option was to drive forward and try and clear the second temporary curb for the spot in front of mine. This worked, until that curb got stuck under my wheels, I was dragging it with me as I drove. After some maneuvering, I managed to leave that curb a few feet from where it originally was, and now it resides in the middle of the parking spot. Yikes! I felt like such a nerd! I don't think anyone saw me do it, but I'm sure it's on surveillance, being replayed in the store. I'm SO embarrassed!

I Need A Name

So, I went guitar shopping and came home with an Ibanez AEG20E. I couldn't find a picture of it online, so check out the AEG10E, its very similar. It's a small body acoustic/electric that felt the most comfortable of all the ones that I tried. I picked up a bag and a stand, but completly forgot to buy some picks, so I'll have to make a trip out to do that soon.

I like the way it feels and sounds, so I'm happy with my purchase. Now I just need to name it...any suggestions?

Bittersweet

I hope everyone had a wonderful Christmas...Santa was good to me this year. It was great seeing the friends that I never get to see for dinner on the 23rd. I just wish that we all had more time to spend together.

Christmas eve was spent in Ville Platte, at my Uncle Don's house. I was able to catch up with the current lives of some of my cousins and relive some old memories by popping fireworks. My family has always popped fireworks on Christmas Eve to "light the way for Papa Noel" or (if my history teaching Aunt Julia is around) "to spite the Yankees and celebrate the country's independence." Yeah...that one was new this year. I think Aunt Julia's been hitting too many hot toddies.

We kept the fireworks to a minimum this year, going through only a few hundred dollars worth. This is mainly due to the fact that the neighbors across the field weren't out popping, so we couldn't incite a war with them. The cousins had to make due with small battles between one another. No one was hurt (always risky), and we all had a good time.

We spent most of Christmas day at my Grandparent's house. We had a fantastic lunch of shrimp stuffed lamb, smoked turkey, and all the fixins, then headed on to Longview. Ally and Andrew had a lot of fun opening their presents and I had a great time visiting with them.

I headed to Houston, via Dallas, on Tuesday. Justice is now a German miniture poodle...While I am relieved to know that he and Renee' are reunited, I was really sad to see him go. He's such a sweet dog, but I'm not sure he'll ever forgive me for leaving him in such an uncomfortable situation. Atleast he didn't have to go through any sort of quarantine period.

That's about it for me...I'm back at my apartment now. I need to clean up around here, then I'm off to shopping for that guitar!

New Apt, Night 1 (Let's Hope It Gets Better From Here)

So, check the time on this post and you will see that it is rather late (early) on Tuesday (Wednesday). I'm normally asleep at this time of the day (night), but not tonight. No, no, no.

Here I was, all curled up and warm, nestled under the blankets and 500-thread-count sheets (they're new!) in my big, comfy bed...when all of a sudden, there arose such a clatter...(sorry)...this shrieking, piercing, loud noise rips through the apartment. The damn fire alarm is going off! So, I throw on some clothes, make sure that nothing in our apartment is afire, grab my purse, my laptop and Maureen and headed down the stairs to meet up with our neighbors.

As you can tell, because I am now typing this, instead of one that states, "all my possessions burned to ash when my apartment burnt down last night," my apartment was not on fire, nor was the building that houses my apartment. Something set the buildings alarm off...no one's sure of what it was, but the firemen were kind enough to dismantle the buildings alarm system so that we could all go back inside. Aparently, they are even waiting outside until the buildings maintenance can come in and fix it, so that we are not left without fire alarm protection.

All in all, its been a rocky "first" night for me. I hope its uphill from here.

Goodnight.

Erin Fontenot, C.I.A., C.P.A?

I've graduated! YAY!

The only evidence I really have of this is my name being listed in the local paper...Thanks to Katrina, the semester was pushed back a week, but graduation was only pushed back 3 days. Because final grades aren't due until today, none of yesterday's graduates actually received diplomas. They will instead be mailed out a couple of days after Christmas. This, in combination with the fact that I've already sat through one 4-hour graduation ceremony for the E.J. Ourso College of Business, is the reason I skipped graduation. If I had been earning my master's degree, I probably would have gone, but since it is a second undergraduate, I didn't feel the overwhelming need to go.

I did, however, still insist on making my parent's take me out for a nice meal to celebrate. We enjoyed a fancy meal at Mansur's last night.

Now, I just have to focus on studying for the CPA and starting the new job. I recieved an itenerary for my first two weeks of work...its two solid weeks of training, which is nice (not too hard, but will still get my feet wet). Looks like I'll be in Houston for the first week, orientation and regional training will take place there. They are sending me to a national training during the second week...in Austin! Yay! I'll be staying at the Barton Creek Conference Resort from Sunday (1/8) to Friday...maybe I'll stay an extra night, if Carrie and Taylor will let me book a reservation in their spare bedroom? I haven't seen their place yet, so I'd love to do that (not to mention the fact that I haven't seen my other friends in Austin in a while, I'd love to do that too).

I am officially moving to Houston today. My car isn't packed yet, but it will be shortly. Man, I have a lot of crap. Moving's always a pain, but when your moving, in stages, out of both a storage center and a house that you've been accumulating crap in for two and a half years, it seems even more daunting. I'm glad my furniture and stuff is already in the apartment, but I have so much unpacking to do! Yuck.

The Art of Procrastination

I have to say, my skills in this particular area are a little rusty. It's not that I've stopped procrastinating, its just that I don't do it with the same talent I had for my first undergrad degree.

It's finals week and I have one more test to go. It is the most challenging test, but only because I have to get an A on it to keep the A I have in the class. It didn't really matter what I got on my other finals, my grade was pretty set in those classes. My finals were pretty nicely spaced...one on Tuesday, one on Thursday and one this upcoming Saturday. I haven't felt any overwhelming pressure to kill myself studying for them, so I've had a lot of time to procrastinate. Other than making three trips to the store to buy/return kennels for Justice (he's hopefully going on a plane to Germany a couple of days after Christmas), I haven't really done anything but watch a little t.v. I haven't even been participating in the "excessive exam snacking" stage that I usually get into by this point. I have gotten into the holiday spirit and started making sure we had the standard snacks, I'm making a batch of chex party mix now, but I haven't really eaten any of it.

Once finals are over, I have plans to move the rest of my stuff into the apartment in Houston, make a trip back to Baton Rouge to see people as they come in for Christmas, make a trip to Ville Platte for Christmas Eve and Day, then on to Longview to celebrate it with the immediate family. After that I'm supposed to go to Dallas to drop Justice off at the airport for his trip to Germany, then back to Houston. Looks like Paula (my roommate over the summer) and Andy (her fiance') will be coming to visit Houston for New Years. That should be a fun event. A few short days after that, I start the new job (yay! paychecks!). All in all, it should be a very busy vacation.

Anyone is welcome to join Paula, Andy and me for New Years. I'm not sure what we have planned, but I'm sure we'll be going out to a few bars. I'd love for any of ya'll to come.

End of Semester

Yay! All my projects are done! Whooo HOooo!

I've written 3 research papers (5-10pgs in legnth each) in the past week, given 2 presentations and taken 1 test. My week from Hell is over. I'm planning on watching the finale to America's Next Top Model tonight and reading a good book.

I do still have one day of classes, two of which involve presentations, but I've already done mine for each of those classes. The worst class I will have is my Advanced Accounting class, for a couple of reasons...(1) its the last of the day and the prof will keep us until the hour and a half is up and (2) 4 presentations on the very same topic, very same case will be the topic of the class...very boring. We were the only group that presented on Tuesday without a blue background to the powerpoint (ours was dark green and blue striped, very stylish). I'm sure tomorrow will be much of the same.

Now, I just have to look forward to finals...but, I'll wait until after ANTM.

Blow

So, while on a study break (once again studying for an advanced accounting test), I was sitting out in the quad at LSU...it was nice. Weather was cool, but not cold. It was around dusk, so there weren't that many people roaming about...just one group of people talking and laughing over by the Prescott benches, and me....sitting, eating some chips. Until this guy walks by where I was sitting, whistling a Christmas song. I'm always somewhat impressed when people whistle a tune. I say somewhat only because I also feel a slight tinge of annoyance. I guess I shouldn't say "annoyance". It's really more like bitterness. I can't whistle...at least not well. With the exception of being able to release one short burst of whistling greatness to call the dogs in from outside, there really isn't any whistling talent to be found in me.

Anyway, back to the guy who was whistling...I was TOTALLY impressed by him. Not only was he whistling a difficult song, but he was doing it completely in tune. He never changed key. It was amazing. He also has an incredible range. I think he could whistle the national anthem. I'm just awed.