Our bounty

Time for a few pics!

D & I attended the Food City Food Show, which I'm convinced is the best gig in town. Pay $6 to get in, stuff yourself silly with samples of goodies, and leave with overflowing bags of treats. Jars of salsa! Rock Star drinks! Bags of carrots! 5 boxes of mac and cheese! Check out our loot from this year:

We've also enjoyed taking advantage of the grocery savings offered by Angel Food Ministries. Angel Food originated as a practical outreach for churches to minister to families by providing quality food at a lower cost. Each month, a different box of food is offered for $30, and it's supposed to feed a family of four for a week. We've purchased three boxes so far, and it's all true: our grocery bills have dropped dramatically, and the food is really good! I've been especially impressed with the meat... it's definitely not second rate. Here's what I picked up on Saturday (including about 10 lbs of meat):

Finally, my precious husband and I celebrated our fourth anniversary last week! He blesses my life beyond words. What a joy it is to share every day with a man who seeks Christ wholeheartedly and more amazing yet, loves me unconditionally.

As is customary for the occasion, we headed out of town to spend uninterrupted time together, prompting us to our first visit to beautiful Fall Creek Falls park:

A fish out of water

My new job is full of surprises. Crossing the stage to receive my college diploma eight years ago, I never imagined that I'd be doing anything besides Alzheimer's support and geriatric social services, and I certainly never envisioned myself in my current work environment. Every day, I encounter something new to me, something a bit quirky, something to make me ponder...

Such as:
- Tough-looking guys with guns who verify my identity before allowing me to drive in

- The mail robot. He drives himself down the hall, turns corners on his own, and beeps his way throughout the building as he delivers mail. He's supposed to stop when he sees something in his way, but he's not so good at that!

- Amazing diversity of people! I'm not sure that caucasians are in the majority.

- Normal-looking ice machines in the hallway with big signs: "Not for human consumption".

- The vault. I can go in, but foreign nationals can't.

- Wearing a dosimeter everyday to measure my exposure to radiation.

- If I get pregnant, I have to tell my boss right away. They'll send a swat team to move around all of the furniture in my office to test for radiation hotspots to ensure my baby won't be born with three eyes.

- The three new electric cars that some old guys in our building are working with. The cars appear to be a cross between an Amish buggy and a souped-up golf cart. The old guys are really proud of them and call those ugly cars their "chick magnets" .

- The trash cans in the cafeteria audibly thank me when I use them.

1 month down...20 to go...

I just finished writing my first paper in over 8 years, woo-hoo. Amazing how much I thought I remembered UNTIL I tried to extract it from the far recesses of my brain!

Trying to balance school, work, friends, etc. has been quite a stretch, but I think I'm doing all right. Finding motivation to study has not been difficult since I am altogether grateful for the opportunity I've been given. I do love being a student again and I feel right at home at UT!

I do have some more good news... I received my dream position in a research library. I say "dream" because the work is interesting, the people are fun, the pay's terrific, the hours are flexible, and due to the mission of this particular organization, it's a foot in the door for practically anywhere else I may want to work after graduation. The only downside is that it's a long commute, but I'm only having to drive there twice a week so it isn't too bad.

Eventually I will post something more interesting, but this is the best I can do for now.