Well, it is back to the grind for me. Nothing too exciting. I am already anxiously awaiting the end of the semester so that I can get another job. I do have to say that I am excited about research. I have a really cool project that I am going to work on with a student involving lees and barrels. I have made some good progress today and will meet with the student on Wednesday to begin the outline.

I am just about done with editing the second paper for submission. I haven’t heard from any of my cohorts… I wonder what is going through their heads. I should email them. I wil ltry and take care of that on Wednesday. I just wanted to contact them with the completed documents. No such luck. Perhaps I will get to it tomorrow night. One can hope, huh?

I havent written in what seems like forever. Everything in my life is going very well right now. I should really start writing about it, because Lord only knows how long it is going to last.

1. I am completely in love. This love feels different from the other “loves” I have experienced. It feels real and rational.
2. I have lost weight – which I have been working at. I started eating healthier and exercising more often. The exercising is the hard part. It is hard to find time to get to the gym. It is also hard to be active with my knee. Both things I am working on. I still have thirty more pounds to go over the next several months. But I am on track so far – ten pounds in three weeks.
3. I started cooking – alot. I have come up with some really great recipes and have been using my newly purchased foreman grill – which is fantastic. So far I have only ruined one dish. Not bad for someone who doesnt really like to cook all that much.
4. I have taken a pro-active approach at work these days. Actually taking the initiative to start and complete projects. Hopefully it will not go un-noticed.

I am happy. I thought a few months ago was the limit, but I have never felt this happy before in my life. Everything is coming together.

Last night I started coming down with a pretty aggressive cough. Hopefully I will be able to get it under control before classes start. It will be awfully hard to go for 7 hours straight with this. I made it through a bunch of sick people the last two months… I guess Murphy’s Law knew when to strike.

My parents sent me a birthday video that was seriously the funniest and most thoughtful thing EVAH!

When I watch it I laugh and cry at the same time. Seriously… I don’t know anyone else who has parents that break out their webcam and lip sync a rap tune for their kids.

Today is the day!

Yesterday turned out to be truly wonderful. Winemonkey took me on an easy hike, then to this Puerto Rican restaurant (OUTSTANDING! Recommendations soon to come.). After lunch we took a nap then went to see Pan’s Labyrynth (Wow.) and then to K & L Bistro in Sebastopol (Again, I will tell you all about it later…).

We are going to breakfast with a couple of friends this morning and then Porter is coming over to make scrapbooks and other various things. =)

Well in two short days I will be turning 29. No really, not the perpetual 29, but the honest to god “doorway to 30″ 29. Here is how the birthday plans transpired.

1. My sister was going to come out with her boyfriend to spend time with us.
2. Winemonkey thought about planning a dinenr at a friend’s house, but it turned out that they were already having a dinner party for someone else.
3. We thought about having something at the house.
4. Everyone we were going to invite had other plans that they were will to rearrange so that they could come over for a little while.
5. I felt bad because I never plan anything in advance.
6. Winemonkey decided to forget the party and take me out all day Saturday as a surpise.
7. I figured that I would go out to Sacramento next weekend to celebrate, but it turns out that one of the group of four will be out of town on Saturday.
8. Who knows what is going to happen. All I know is that from now on, I am going to try and not celebrate my birthday anymore. It is just too hard with everyone all over the place.

Oh and I haven’t heard from my aunt. I’m okay with that. I can’t imagine what is going through her mind.