Monday, February 05, 2007

I'm a Very Bad Blogger and Now I'm Being Punished For It!!!!

I admit it - I'm a very bad blogger. I'm so sorry for not being able to update as often as I should. I've learned my lesson now that I've been de-linked by some bloggers. Yes, I shed some tears, screamed, threw myself on the floor crying out "Whhyyyyy!! Whyyyyyyyyyyy!!", and then sniffled myself to sleep. I'm better now ..... not!!

I have been busy, busy, busy! Let's start with where I left off, shall we? Right after my last post, work grew hectic, my schoolwork became more demanding, and the holidays came full force. I had non-stop quizzes and assignments in Anatomy & Physiology, so a majority of my time was spent studying. In the midst of this, I learned that we were going to have out-of-town guests drive in for Thanksgiving. This meant that I could not spend Thanksgiving at my parents' because there were too many people to fit into one house. So, in the middle of exams, I had to hunt for a new dining table (as the one we had was strictly for newleyweds and not suitable for guests), dishes (serving platters, goblets, new wine glasses to match new plates, etc.), decor, food, etc. The food came out to over $400 - you calculate the rest. I passed out several times, as did my husband. I ended up making a 10-course Thanksgiving dinner all by myself (okay, so the hubby pitched in by cleaning). Needless to say, I did not make for good company come dinnertime. I'm surprised I held my head up that night. I did feel bad and was pretty sure I came off as a bitch as I had to force myself to stay awake and be a good hostess by laughing at appropriate times. It was worth it as they were great company. BTW - my food came out great! Too bad there weren't any left overs, though. As we watched everyone go for thirds, and then come back the next day for more, we suffered while they ate through what was supposed to last us for over a week in place of grocery shopping. It sucks trying to scrape meat off the carcass in the hope that maybe, just maybe, a chunk of white meat will come out. Sigh....

After Thanksgiving, I threw myself right back into studying. I have to say, it was very difficult to get a grasp of both the Urinary and Digestive System. Most people think, hey, one is for caca and one is for piss, right? Nope, there is soooo much more involved than you know. Take care of yourselves, people! EVERYTHING you take in counts! So, in the midst of this manic studying, I had to go over all of our accounts with the accounts manager. Who is in NY. I am in Arizona. We dealt with everything via IM. Get the picture? I gulped down some serious Advil during this time. The most important thing was to get all of our expenses together so that everyone in my office could get a bonus. I frickin' fought hard for our bonuses!! I should get a bonus just for the stress that I was under!!

We finally got our bonuses and then came the mad rush to buy Christmas gifts. BTW - I finished my A&P course right before this and got an A. Go me! Go me! I LOVED that course. My professor rocked. She is such an inspiration. She is a Naturopathic Physician, takes A&P courses just for fun, took a BioChem course just for fun while teaching and working, and homeschooled her kids. I saw her just the other day and she told me that she was in a Clinical Lab Program at ASU to keep busy while she prepared for her boards. Superwoman, I tell ya.

But all of this doesn't excuse why I haven't been blogging. I have been busy, in a tremendous reading slump ( I have literally picked books up and thrown them across the room), and soooooo homesick for NYC. February 16th make two years since I made the big move from NYC to Scottsdale. I feel sick. I miss NYC like crazy! I need to go visit. Soon. I have been seriously depressed over this. I take walks in my head all through the city....up Lexington, down Park Ave, along 5th Ave, down Union Square into the West Village, around midtown.....I miss the food, I miss the culture, I miss the open atmosphere, I miss the ability to be by yourself and yet have a fantastic time, I miss the indie theaters, I miss all of the bookstores, I miss seeing people reading on the train/bus/while walking down the street, I miss the mix of people, I miss me. I think that my homesickness has affected me in more ways than I know...I haven't been able to write, read, nor had any interest in trying to. So I'm hoping that I can get my act together and start blogging again.

To all of my new visitors - WELCOME!!!!!! I will be sure to visit each of your sites and leave a comment. And thank you for leaving comments for me - I love reading them! Seriously - please don't stop!

BTW - great news....I was selected as a May juror for Elle magazine. I'm in the middle of reading three books right now while studying for Micriobiology, so here's hoping my reviews come out good! I believe it was Danielle who had posted the link last year regarding the application - thanks Danielle!!

I hope everyone is well! I can't wait to visit your pages and see what you all are reading, too. Until next time, my fellow readers.....

26 comments:

Anonymous said...

I am glad that I see yuo again for your page!!

I visited your blog and finally you write a new post:))))


I am wating for description your three books.


I finished reading books
Pablo De Sentis " La traduccion".
Now I am starting rading :
Jose Carlos Somoza "Clara y la penumbra".

Kailana said...

Glad you are back around! I know how hectic school can be. Hope you get everything balanced out and can go to NYC soon!

Anonymous said...

Amelia you are back! Sounds like you've had such a hectic time. Hope you can take a trip back to NYC soon and can't wait to hear about these books you are reviewing for Elle! Awesome.

Wendy said...

I'm glad you're back...I love reading your blog because it makes me laugh *smile*

Sharon said...

Welcome back! I understand totally, and have been feeling that way myself :) (Reading slump, not homesick.) It sounds like you have a lot on your plate. Take your time, and I will look forward to your posts when you feel like writing :)

Anonymous said...

Sorry to hear things have been so hectic--but that's the way it goes sometimes. Blogging usually comes in last--especially after studying!! I'd worry about that first!! Have fun reviewing those books--which are you reading?

Travelin'Oma said...

I will be in NYC in March and I love cool bookstores. I have been to Books of Wonder, Rizzoli, The Strand, and Mysterious Bookshop. Do you have other insider suggestions?

Low Flying Angel said...

Welcome back :) I enjoy reading your blog though I don't comment. I should really so now I am :)

Kirsten said...

Hi Amelia - Glad to see you are back! I am a May Juror for Elle also :) I was a January one too and they actually printed some of my comments! Hope you are enjoying the books :)

Joy said...

Hooray! :) In the long run, your perseverance will make you smile. You'll be smiling at your accomplishments and the life that you build, but remember to enjoy it as you go along. The path you have chosen is a tough one, but good for you for working hard and doing your best. Keep up the great work and don't forget to take some time for yourself...breathe in and breathe out. :)

purplefugue said...

Glad to see you back online. I was wondering what happened to you. Good luck with your classes.

I hope you do make it back to visit NYC this year. In the meantime, hope this site helps... life in the NYC trains... www.travisruse.com

SFP said...

Welcome back, Amelia!

Anonymous said...

Thanks for the update!

Congrats on that A.

Rebecca H. said...

So sorry about your homesickness! Glad you're back ...

Anonymous said...

Wow, sounds like you've had a crazy couple of months! I hope the homesickness passes soon - I live somewhere different from where I grew up, too and sometimes it can be very hard.

Joy said...

Amelia ~ FYI: I responded to you on the "teacher book" post. :)

Anonymous said...

I glad to see you on my blog!

I want to ask you : do you know a little language polish?
Because your text on my page was
mysteriously:)



Now I start reading Donna Leon:
"
WILFUL BEHAVIOUR".

ML said...

Yeah, you're back! I'm so happy! I thought maybe you decided to quite the blogging world.

Les said...

I'm so glad you're posting again! I completely understand how you feel about missing NYC. I felt the same way about little ol' Lincoln, Nebraska when we had to move to Fort Worth. You'd think it'd be the other way around, but home is home and it's hard to love a new city when you really loved the one you had to leave. I hope you get out of your reading slump! Oh, and I'd be a royal bitch on Thanksgiving if I had to do all you did. As it was, I wasn't very hospitable to those who joined us either. I think it's very stressful to put on a huge meal like that and then be carefree and happy. Anyhow, it's great to see you here again!

Anonymous said...

Amelia, glad to see you blogging again! You've been so busy, no wonder you haven't had time for blogging. Don't feel badly for it, please. It's a pastime, and it's fun, sure, but it should always take a backseat to things like family life.

Looking forward to renewed chatting!

Cipriano said...

Great to have you back in the land of the blogful!
I too, have been rather busy and unbloggish, as of late!
Congrats on the Elle jurorship.
You will make one "Elle" of a juror, I'm sure!
Cheers!
-- Cip

Amelia said...

Judytta - Thanks! Also, the comment I wrote on your blog was in English but I'm assuming it was translated in the process of posting. Pretty cool!

Kailana, Iliana, Sheri and Ex Libris - Thanks! I'm glad to be back.

Wendy - Thanks for your comments! I clicked on your name to follow the link, but it does not lead me to your blog. I do hope that you stop by again so that I can visit and leave my thanks again! :)

Janice - Welcome! Thanks for leaving a comment

Marty - I'm going to post my suggestions on your blog.

Kirsten - Thanks! And congratulations on having your comments posted in Elle - that is really cool :) I hope you get posted again for the May issue. I was selected as a June juror, so I'm pretty excited about that ;)

Amelia said...

Joy - Thanks for your comment. You are forever sweet...

Indigo - Thanks! I do hope that you make it out to NYC - I'm pretty sure that you will enjoy it! And thanks so much for the link - I really appreciate it:)

Susan, Nancy, Dorothy & ML - Thanks! I'm glad to be back :)

Lesley & Les - It definitely is difficult to settle down in a new environment. Some people adapt well. However, when you're so used to living a certain lifestyle, change can be difficult. Thanks for the understanding!

Bluestalking Reader - Thanks! I anxiously await Tippy the Turtle's growth! ;)

Cipriano - Thanks for the laugh! Cheers to you!

Judytta & Danielle - The three books that I read for Elle are: The Best Place to Be by Lesley Dorman (I really enjoyed this one and chose it as the book of the month. It is a series of short stories revolving around a character named Grace. Each story involves a poignant experience in her life that provides insight into the woman that she became);

Angelica by Arthur Phillips (Another good read. This one involves a very disturbed family and their individual takes on creepy events involving a supernatural entity. Chilling!);

and Black & White by Dani Shapiro (The novel delves into the mother-daughter relationship and what happens when the mother oversteps her boundaries. The mother is a photographer, and when she chooses to take some very disturbing pictures of her daughter, we learn how it has affected said daughter and her relationship with her family. Despite this premise, I did not enjoy this book).

Anonymous said...

hey Amelia if you go to the Ned Vizzini ( its kind of a funny story) website, he'll send you a free book and if not for yourself at least do it for your little sister =). There is one already being sent to me so i cant get another but there is always you *wink wink* and plus you have enough of your own books anyway!!!


Luv Anais

Wendy said...

My main blog is here: caribousmom.blogharbor.com

I now also share a blog on blogspot with a group of great people who are all striving to read books from the NYT Most Notable Fiction list. You can find that one my clicking on my name here :)

Bookfool said...

Shoot, I couldn't have blogged and handled school *and* cooked a turkey dinner at any point in my life. Welcome back to blogging (a little late). Looks like I don't have a link to your blog; I thought I did at one point but I missed some when I changed my format, sorry).