Since the MadMen party recap, I went to New Orleans, LA for about a week for the annual national speech-pathology conference. I don't think I need to regale you with those adventures, lets just say I saw a lot of the french quarter, not so much of the conference. These events are always such a great way to catch up with other SLP friends. In general, speech-paths are not my favorite people, but there are a few gems out there I just adore, some of which have become very good friends and conferences are a great time to reconnect. and to have dance parties til 4am. :-)
My advisor won a big award- here is a shot of me with a few of the lab-mates past and present:
I came home from the conference and immediately felt the consequences of my burning the candle at both ends. I had the flu the week before the conference (swine? piglet?) and it came back in the form of bronchitis by the time I got home. In one week I was given an inhaler, and a prescription for reading glasses! Apparently reading via computer screen for 8 hours a day is straining on the eyes. I wonder if I can apply for disability?? So, I was quickly forced to realize every 3rd graders worst nightmare.....
me in the lab with new readers:
He SAYS he missed me, but while I was in NOLA, Reg was having his own adventures. He competed in the 3rd annual Turkey Bowl- Sunday morning football at its best! His team lost both games (despite having a former NFL wide receiver on their team...wha????) and Reg had a decent swollen nose from a head-on collision, but I think it was a day well spent for him.
Also while in NOLA, Reg played an extra in a Russel Crowe movie being shot in Pittsburgh. Not only was he an extra- he played a police lieutenant!!! Complete with COSTUME! (i know...I KNOW!!!).
The following week was Thanksgiving! Arguably this is my favorite holiday. Food, Family and Football- who could ask for anything more??? My best friend Lauren came into town to spend the holiday with us which was just wonderful. The entire immediate Gillespie family was in attendance. My step-sister and brother in law have a beautiful, giggly 1-year old and it was so great spending time with them.
On the heels of Thanksgiving came my 10 year high school reunion! Oh My! QVHS class of 1999 10 years later was very interesting. We had a swanky little get together at a spot in Pittsburgh. Overgeneralizations? sure! the men, for the most part, got heavier and are losing their hair. The women either look better than in high school, or like they've weathered one too many college frat party. yikes! I was surprised by how strange some people were- just odd conversationalists. Reggie was hands down the best spouse. He worked the crowd better than I did! Here's a shot of Lauren and I- not too shabby if I do say so myself!
Speaking of my husband- we celebrated our 2 year anniversary on Tuesday, December 1. I am constantly, daily, impressed by him as a man, a friend, a husband. Every day that I know him, I feel like I uncover another piece of him. He is not the man I first fell in love with- and this is a good thing! Neither of us are. We have both come into our own in the last 6.5 years that we have been together, and we have been lucky enough to love eachother more through all of it. In light of the scandals currently monopolizing the nightly news (superstar Tiger Woods cheating on his supermodel wife with multiple women for multiple years!) I dont think our relationship is superior, I think we just communicate differently. I don't think 10 years or 50 years will be easy, but I think we are on a good path with strong values between us, and similar views on what it means to be a family in the community these days.
And finally!
Tonight we wound up the Bing Crosby, dragged the decorations out of the basement, poured the pinot, and proceded to bring on the Christmas cheer! For 3 hours we danced and sang and turned our little urbansuburban on Callowhill Street into a Christmas wonderland! This house was just made for Christmas! The colors, the layout, it was just waiting to be sparkled!
Our little artificial Charlie Brown tree is weighted down by our personal ornaments. Our dear friend Julie got us 12 beautiful personalized ornaments as a wedding gift and I love reminiscing as we put each one on the tree. We try to purchase an ornament when we travel, so from a paper mache Mexican angel to a dred-loc'd jamaican snowman, our tree tells a story! I hold the ceramic nativity my grandfather made for me before he passed as one of my dearest possessions and I love displaying the figurines on our mantle. And of course, the stockings are hung by the chimney with care....
Happy holidays!
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