I Love Shawny!!

Yeah!! Shawny won!!

Just for grins and giggles...

You know those motivational posters that businesses thrive on?! My parents have them all over their office...I swear, in the hallways, conference rooms, kitchen, copy room, and even the mouse pads say something "business cheesy." It really is overkill (in my opinion). But you have to realize that my Mom is an optimistic business women through and through!!

But, if you know Nick really well...you would know that he is a pessimist at heart. No matter how hard I try, he remains the same! So Nick found his joy in life...ironically through

http://www.despair.com/

This is Nick's favorite...

"Customer Disservice - Just when you thought Despair couldn't be any less sensitive to our customers' needs, we now have this image available as a Demotivator®. Will the indignity ever end?"

And here is my favorite...
"Not everyone gets to be an astronaut when they grow up."

It is a fun website to peruse...Enjoy!

So have you heard?!

Our plans are changing ever so slightly. Originally, Nick planned to stay at ISU to get a PhD in Economics. When he started the program last year...he LOVED all of his classes. He seriously seemed to have fun...and he rarely complained about them. However, this last semester, he has been hating his classes immensly. They are mostly economic theory and la-la land stuff. You know, the what if this...and what if that...supposing that this...and so on. Basically it is higher learning structured for those who plan on becoming a professor or researcher. Something that Nick is discovering he isn't that interested in doing. And if he planned to continue just for the sake of saying that he has a PhD...he will in essence be pigeon-holeing himself into a career he wouldn't really enjoy or even planned on doing initially.

So the new plan is this: Get his Master's Degree instead. He has already completed all of the course work and needs to now write his thesis (or whatever fancy term ISU calls it). Basically, this means he is done in DECEMBER! I mean DONE. Like, forever DONE! No more school...an actual income...a real job...we can be grown-ups now! YEAH!

Ever since we officially made this decision, we have had many confirmations that this is the best decision for us. For instance...the economy has really taken a toll on the ISU Econ Dept. There have been teacher cuts and class cuts...so basically it is starting to crumble right before us. So maybe this is a good time for us to get out while it still good.

So this new plan means:

We will most likely be leaving Iowa in December/January.

Nick plans on working for a law firm doing water allocation, water rights, and water disputes (ideally aiding the Native Americans).

So, we will most likely be moving to Albuquerque.

I am quite sad that I have to leave bless-ed Ames (seriously I love it here).

Nick will be done with school (hopefully, FOREVER)!

And finally, we will actually be adding income to our bank accounts, not adding debt!!!

So this is a good thing for us. Oh, and if you know of any awesome water law jobs in New Mexico...let us know!

Does This Clutter Make My Butt Look Fat?

That's the title of a Peter Walsh book. For those of you who are out of the loop, he is the guru on organization and stream-lining (on TLC and Oprah). I haven't actually read it...but I am beginning to understand just what he means a little bit more.

So...Does This Clutter Make My Butt Look Fat?...is my motto for the month of May. I am stream-lining everything. I mean everything. I have already sent 5 bags to Goodwill and I am sure that I will easily have 5 more. Oh and I am talking about the monster black trash bags...not sissy walmart bags. Let me tell you...the purge is quite exhilerating!! Almost like a rush. I do feel a little lighter, and I have the sincere desire to lighten up a lot more!

So by the end of May, I hope to:

• have a place for everything
• closets are accessible and organized
• toys are nice and neat
• limited storage
• feel a little stress-reduction in my life

Is it possible?! Oh yes. Just watch! I'll show all you nay-sayers!