I'm really excited because I just found out that my fic Venus to the Sun has been nominated for the No Rest For the Wicked Awards! I've never been nominated before, so I'm totally psyched! The category is Wishful Thinking, which is apt since it's an RPF with Jared/Jensen/Jeff...definitely a nice picture, right? Anyway, check out the lovely banner from the comm!

So, I know it's been a long time. But I need to get this out.

A lot of things are changing in my life. It looks like I'm moving to Kansas City to accept a post-doc job at the medical center. And I'll tell you, I'm more than a little nervous about that.

But even bigger, I'm engaged. And I'm FREAKING OUT! See, I've always been commitment-phobic. With how my parents' marriage went, I have a hard time trusting men. I thought I'd gotten over that, but apparently not. And I can't really talk to my fiancee about it anymore because every time I do, he gets worried because he thinks I'm going to call off the wedding.

I mean, I love him. But I'm just terrified of marriage. What if, ten years down the road, one of us comes home and realizes: "Wow. I can't stand to be around this person another second. See ya'!"

Just. If any of you are married, how did you know things would work out? Or if you decided not to get married, how did you know you needed to get out?

Please somebody help me out here before I do something drastic or stupid.

Okay.

For the most part, I don't cry out for social reform because I know that my voice is one among billions and therefore doesn't really count for much. I do what I can and just hope for the best.

But I have rarely been so disappointed in my community.

Everyone should be trying to help the environment, right? I mean, that's a common cause that people take up to ease their social conscience. My current community is a prime example: this place claims to be environmentally friendly with lots of recycling centers (though they don't get NEAR the use they should).

But the new bags that Sun Chips has put out that are completely compostable? The bag that environmentally friendly people should be falling over themselves to use? Yeah. BARELY A HANDFUL HAVE BEEN SOLD OVER THE PAST MONTH. I even talked to a representative of a local market and he said that Sun Chips sales have plummeted since the new bag was introduced.

I understand that it's a loud bag. I know, okay and it totally drives me nuts and kinda freaks me out. But it's COMPLETELY COMPOSTABLE. It's the first bag in HISTORY that you can throw away with a completely clear conscience because in a matter of weeks, it will disappear from the landfill. What is a little noise compared to the future of the planet? But instead of encouraging this movement so that new technologies can be developed and eventually (hopefully) a QUIET bag can be produced, we shun Sun Chips. Punishing them for trying to help the planet.

So.

My outcry for social reform.

Even though I NEVER buy chips, I am now going to buy a Sun Chips bag EVERY TIME I SEE ONE. I know that I alone can't do much, but if we all try to help out, we can make a difference. Just buy one bag a week. A month. Every other month. Something. Help out Sun Chips so that they can continue trying to help the planet. Please!

I am disgusted.

A gay couple is sentenced to 14 years in an African prison FOR BEING GAY!

It's very nice to be back on LJ after....*loses count of the months*

...yeah.

Anyway, I've been busy teaching this semester - WHICH I ABSOLUTELY LOVE! It's definite: I want to teach for the rest of my life. It seriously makes me so happy I HAVE NO WORDS!

*clears throat*

So, one of my students friended me on facebook (yet another online networking community that I have grossly ignored this semester) and I'm not sure what to do. I mean, he's a student so would that be weird if I added him back? Or should I wait until he's no longer my student? Or say screw it and friend him back because he's awesome?

HELP!

Oh, btw, I've just agreed to teach this fall too! *bounces* And the department didn't even wait for me to say yes because my students have been reccing me to their friends and apparently I was going to be brought back by popular demand, whether I agreed or not. =)

We have a BLIZZARD WARNING. In Texas! And almost two feet of SNOW!

Can you believe it?!?

So.

I graduated last Friday and it was awesome. My family and friends drove great distances to celebrate with me and I love them very much for that.

My sister was surprisingly nice to everyone (I was worried that she would start shit with my friends)...

...That is, until everyone left.

Sister called Mom, and Mom put her on speakerphone, not realizing the shit that was about to come out of my sister's mouth.

Yeah.

I don't even know what to say. Mom apologized to me because she could tell it upset me, but I tried really hard not to show her.

Anyway.

Congrats to me, right?

I'M A DOCTOR!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Tomorrow is the Big Day!

Keep your fingers crossed for me.

And hopefully, the next time I post I will be a Dr!

I am not dead.

I am simply in purgatory.

I am sorry to everyone who has commented lately and who I have not replied to.

Only 19 more days til I defend, then hopefully I'll be able to catch back up with my lovely flist.

*crosses fingers that that is true*