We’ve had a fun couple of weeks since my last post. Most notably I have finished my externship and am now working an honest to goodness job, that I’ll actually get paid for! *grins* It’s entertaining how exciting that is, but the thought of my first pay check in over a year is definitely a happy one. Aside from a few burns it’s all going well.

After a change, DmentD and I went for a picnic lunch in the park one Saturday, with a mini adventure all rolled in. We were trying to find the Gus Fruth park.. and failed! We found two entrances to the Barton Creek Greenbelt, which  is more of a trails area, hiking and biking than a sit and read. So we decided to go to Zilker park, which was closed for construction or something. Across the street was a park, some trees for shade, some benches.. but we couldn’t find a car park! We drove around several times, but couldn’t find an entrance that wasn’t Barton Creek (which involved paying for parking) so we ended up parking under the highway and running across the road! We had a nice couple of hours, sat in the shade reading and eating our sausage sandwiches, people playing disc golf nearby and the city skyline in the distance.

We headed home to be taken out to the ice cream festival. A bit of a let down, probably more interesting if you were taking part in one of the competitions, but fun to walk about, and try some ice creams.

We had some of DmentD’s family in town for a couple of days, I had to work but got to join in the fun in the evenings. We took them to the regular tourist eating places (all we know how to do in this town is eat.. don’t ask us for sightseeing tips *grins*) Rudys, Amys, and of course a trip to the Alamo. We went to see Ponyo, the new Miyazaki film. It was cute. I think having made it to be aimed specifically at children it lost out on some of the detail and depth usually associated with his films, but it was definitely fun and cute and worth seeing.

We’ve been to see lots recently. District 9 and Inglorious Basterds as well as Ponyo. District 9 was interesting, the point was made, you came out with the distinct feeling that humans are evil, but it was well done, and entertaining to the end. Inglorious Basterds, was not quite what I was expecting plot wise, but fulfils everything you expect from a Tarantino film. It was fun to watch, and only had one point that made me feel a little squeamish.

This weekend also saw a brief foray into zombie makeup. It was Martin Whitmore’s birthday (if you follow DmentD you’ll have seen him mentioned there). A night of zombieoke was to ensue. Thursday night we shredded some clothes (we went as Christmas zombies as they were the only clothes we had we were willing to destroy so throughly) and splattered them with paint. Friday night the greasepaints came out and with the aid of some liquid latex and some gelatin and food dye, two new zombies were created. It was a good night, once we found the place, though neither DmentD or I sang at all. A video of The Internet Is For Porn will follow, when I figure out how to get it onto the site.

The best part of the weekend, something I’ve been looking forward to for months, was going to see Wicked. And it didn’t disappoint, at all. We were up in the gods once more (the compromise we had to make, since we went to four shows this season), though the seats turned out really good. The upper balcony had an “arm” down either side, and we were on the end of the row.. I was expecting a bit of a gap between the seat and the edge of the balcony, but there was none, I was right against the railings. They were fantastic, as it meant we had nobody on our way at all.. we were just a little dubious about standing up since the railings weren’t even waist high.. there was no standing ovation given, however much I wanted to, a sneeze and my glasses would have gone flying *grins* never to be seen again!

The show was wonderful! A few plot changes made from the book, but they made for an easier tale to get across in a couple of hours. The set was an interesting design, while not strictly mentioned in the show (in passing a couple of times) it was the Dragon clock, with the dragon at the top overlooking it all. The costumes were well designed.. and well, I don’t think I have a bad word to say about it *grins* If you get the chance, go see it

As of yesterday, I am officially done with the TCA and classes. Final grade came out an an A, so a lovely 4.0 GPA (which I don’t really get, but it’s good so I won’t argue).
Graduation ceremony in January, though I believe I get my Diploma before then.

This weekend DmentD and I went shopping for my belated birthday present, a bike. I’ve been cycling since Christmas for exercise (aside from when it started hitting the hundreds!), but on his bike, big, heavy, cumbersome and too tall for me. Only by a couple of inches, but enough of a difference to mean that I had to stop by kerbs *grins*

We rang round a couple of places in town to see if they had anything within our price range, I didn’t need something sporty, fancy or extravagant, just something to get me from A to B comfortably with no difficulties. We ended up at University Cyclery, which had been recommended to us, and I would recommend on to anyone else looking for a not too expensive bike.

The assistant talked us through a couple of the styles they had that fitted our criteria, got a couple down and let me try them out in the car park. It was actually the first bike I tried that I went for, the other felt too bulky. And they give a good service, a discount off all accessories for a year, along with two free tune ups over the next year (we figure I’ll do one in 6 months, and one just before the year is up), they also gave me the serial number, so I don’t have to remember to go looking for it.

We got them to put a kickstand, bottle holder and lights on it there, and we were able to get it home by taking the front wheel off (it has a cam level to take them on and off rather than needing a wrench). While we were shopping we picked up a lock, pump and saddlebag which DmentD fitted when we got home. He also got to readjust his bike back to his height, and put his saddle back on it.

As you can see, we also got some much needed rain yesterday, it didn’t last long, but it was enough to mean we didn’t have to water the lawn *grins* It’s very exciting, our peppers have some flowers coming up now, as do the pumpkins, though they haven’t bloomed yet.

Saturday night we were round at a friend’s house, I got introduced to the game Mall of Terror which was fun. I think I’d need to play it a time or two more to fully grasp the strategy rather than running about randomly, but it was a good game. We also played a card game Grave Robbers From Outer Space, campy horror B-movie fun! I’m not sure you’d want to play it regularly since the cards are the most source of fun, but it was entertaining, and DmentD and I are contemplating getting it, or one of the others in the series.

The weekend ended with me making an absolutely delicious (even if I do say so myself) chicken and mushroom risotto. We didn’t have any onions and we forgot to pick some up, but it was still good, and my hands still smell of garlic this morning! The HEB actually had the arborio rice for not too expensive so we were able to pick up a couple of bags to have on hand, and since it was just regular chicken and mushroom (though I do love a risotto with wild mushrooms) it worked out surprisingly decent for cost. We have some for dinner tonight which I am looking forward too, DmentD has lunch for tomorrow and then we even have some stashed away in the freezer! I’m liking keeping the freezer stocked with home cooked meals.

In other news, about the only other news I have, I have a job!! *happybouncywonderful*

I was asked if I wanted to go into my externship on Friday, to decorate a couple of cakes. This wasn’t something they had let me do a whole lot of so I jumped at the opportunity. I got in and my task for the day was to carve and decorate a cow and a horse for a farmyard birthday party. The cakes were stacked ready so I had to carve, crumb coat, cover and then add the details. It took me, probably longer than it should have, but not all day *grins*

I had a really good day, I enjoyed doing the cakes, and while I did the carving and covering in the main kitchen I got to set up in the tasting room to do the detail work, out of the heat, without getting jostled and bumped about, and left to my own devices, just getting checked on occasionally, it was a good day. And while the finished products aren’t perfect, I know what I could do differently so I learnt from it, they turned out good, and the customer was happy with them.

As I was leaving, I got asked if I had a few minutes to spare. And I got offered a job there. Of course I took it *grins* it’ll be five days a week, Monday through Friday, no more early Saturdays (for now at any rate)! Working 10 til closing so not bad hours. I’ll be doing what I’m doing there now, plus stacking and filling all the cakes will become my responsibility, then they’re going to train me up as their cake decorator. The starting pay isn’t great, but it’ll get better with time.

This is the last week of my externship, so I’ll be starting next week, and this week we get to sort out the paperwork. Tonight DmentD and I get to play about with maths and figure out how I’ll be filling taxes, oh joy!

Actually, I haven’t been all that busy, but shhh! I’ve just been being lazy.

We had the joint birthday party for the four July birthdays, DmentD and I make the cake(s), mine was the super chocolate cake *grins* we also got to try out some new recipes with a pina colada flavour, and a pumpkin and spice cake.

The party was fun, dancing, karaoke (though I didn’t partake), games and music. A small group of us played Zombies!!! Not a bad game, maybe a little long. It was a good night.

Monday’s we’ve been swimming round at a friend’s apartment, certainly nice in this hot weather, and it’s a little bit more exercise, and it’s good to see people.

Last week a friend had tickets to go see an advance screening of Julie and Julia, she invited me along and the start of the film was really good, I was enjoying it, it was entertaining (and I wasn’t drooling over the food.. honest!).. and then it suddenly started playing upside down and back to front. The audience is laughing, it stops and we wait a few minutes. They come out and tell us it’s going to take half an hour to fix. We wait and about twenty minutes into that we’re told it’s going to be another twenty minutes. At that point they’re offering free tickets to anyone who wants to leave. But we decide to stick it out and our patience is rewarded, at the end of that 20 minutes the lights go down, they tell us to turn our phones of because it’s ready to start. We sit… and wait… and the film isn’t starting, it’s still not fixed, it’s going to be another half an hour.. We grit our teeth but we’re determined to see this through. Until at the end of that half hour they say it’s going to be another half hour, we get our free tickets and leave. I would like to still see the rest of the film, it seemed promising.

We used the free tickets to go and see Half Blood Prince Friday night.. I have mixed views on it, as a film on it’s own, it’s not bad, but it’s definitely not great, it was a fun evening at the very least. As a film in the Harry Potter series, it leaves a lot to be desired, and is probably the worst of the bunch in my opinion.. As a film recreation of the book, don’t even bother *grins* I had a fun time watching it, I wouldn’t rave about it though. And is it just me, or did I dream all the interviews where Rupert Grint and Emma Watson were talking about filming the kiss scene, because I failed to see it.. or maybe it’s in Deathly Hallows.. they’re filming that now aren’t they?

Friday I spent a fun day on the phone to the USCIS. Since my visa has all of six weeks left on it I was trying to find out how long I had to be gone for. Miracle of miracles, I made it through to a person, twice! The first time the person really wasn’t much help, she decided I either needed to extend my M1 visa ($300, and not really possible when I have no legitimate reason to since the course is finishing) and then decided to answer all other questions with “speak to your school official.” My school official was not answering the phone or email until Saturday morning, so I went onto a couple of the immigration forums/wikis I’ve browsed for information in the past and finally joined to ask if anyone there had any idea. A couple of people mentioned that they thought since I was classed as an AOS applicant (adjustment of status) I didn’t have to leave, as leaving and returning would mean getting a new I-94 (the bit of paper in my passport telling me how long I can stay, they give it to you on the aeroplane), when they have my current I-94 on record. So I searched the internet a little more, and finally rang them back up again getting the second person who was a whole lot more helpful and was able to tell me this was true! A definite weight off my mind.

Turns out it was all irrelevant as Saturday my interview appointment arrived in the mail! *dances*

Saturday after work we went to Whole Foods for a cheese thing they had going on, it wasn’t all that great, but there were some nice samples, and a woman pulling mozzarella, warm and gooey and so good.

I’m driving more, actually made it on to the highway this weekend.. At half six in the morning on the way to work on Saturday, so nobody was about! We’ll build up to it some more until I’m comfortable on there when it’s busy. I’m a lot better off the highway, much more comfortable. I still get a little nervous in heavy traffic, but my moments of ‘what side of the road should I be on’ are few and far between, and mostly limited to car parks with no lines on the road and no cars to guide me *grins*

I’ll give a thorough update soon, probably Monday, but I just had to pass on the news that my Green Card Interview has been scheduled.

September 11th in San Antonio!

WooHoo!