just fyi…i noticed on our binghamton diploma that the weekend of caitlin and sam’s wedding is exactly 4 years since our graduation. coincedence? i dont think so!! caitlin, under the rough exterior i knew you were always a sentimental mush. i knew you wanted to bring us all together to celebrate the wonderful times of binghamton. i am sure you are going to have a slide show of campus at the reception, right?

So, I wrote a post yesterday, went on today, and it wasn’t there.  I think I messed it up somehow.  So I will write a quick one again :).  I think most of you guys know that Rob and I are living together now.  It’s wonderful.  Our apartment is beautiful and we get along really well.  We’re pretty much at the same level of sloppiness (I may even be a little neater)…now, before you guys start getting worried–I’m much neater since I moved in here.  I pick up after myself and clean regularly.  It’s pretty amazing.  Dawn, you’d be so impressed :).  We’ve been having many informal WII parties as well.  We also have an air mattress and room for overnight guests (hint hint).

Work is going well.  It looks like i’m going to be moving to a new store by November.  They haven’t started building it yet, but they will soon I hope.  It will be a 20 minute drive to work instead of an hour drive to work which is nice.  It’s career wise it’s a good move.

I’m sorry that I can’t join you all in Aruba.  I want everyone to send me their pictures though (jennol230@gmail.com).

ugh..i had written a beautiful posting, but then somehow it magically disappeared. just like all the decent mens have disappeared. i swear they are all stranded on an island waiting to be saved.

life is going good. still teaching them delinquent undergrads. have to do that for another 2 more years. it pays my tuition and a meager bi-weekly paycheck. it boggles my mind how screwed up some of my students are. one girl didnt show up to the exam because she “wasnt ready to take it yet.” another one emails me before the exam asking if she could possibly get a make up later because work is very busy, so she doesnt have the time to study. she also makes sure to include that she is supporting her husband and daughter. cry me a river. do ya want some cheese with that whine?!?!  classes are same old. my original research idea is going well and now starting to develop another one. if only there was 27 hrs in a day?

ooohh…doing the WALK FOR AUTISM on june 3rd, so email me if you are interested in sponsoring me!!

xoxox…frances 🙂

 

Well I finally found out where I will be doing my Peds residency! I am going to be working at Hope Children’s Hospital which is just a little south of downtown Chicago!!! Yippee!! Needless to say I am happy as this was my number one choice and I get to stay in Chicago!! So you all can visit this great city again (or for the first time) in the next three years because I will be here for at least that long!  And we are going to move places and most likely into a 2 bedroom so there will be a room for guests!!

So now that that particular stressor is out of the way I can focus more on the wedding 🙂 We finally found a suit for Sam so that is good. My dress is almost done with alterations which is even more exciting! And we have picked a DJ but let me tell you…his play list is a little weak…i am talking “Hot, Hot, Hot” and Vanilla Ice weak…so please feel free to email me song suggestions because we are allowed to change his playlist..so unless you all feel like going down memory lane circa 1992 send me suggestion!!

Not too much else happening around here…nothing as exciting as what is happening in San Diego and Ms. Dawn and her new engagement! I think we should all but her non-stop until she posts all the details and pictures of her, the boy, and possible the ring!!

Miss you all tons and only two months till the Wedding!!!!

Argh! It seems like I haven’t been near a computer in forever! It was so good to see how everyone was doing. I, like caitlin, had to sort through old email to find my login, but I’m here now, and hopefully I will be able to make time to get here at least once a week.

 Congrats to Shira and Caitlin L for the new jobs! Very exciting! I’m of course wicked proud of Frances for her doctorate work, and Caitlin K, how did the boards go? Any word from Dawn-the-girl and jen lately?

As for me, I’ve been fairly busy. I’ve been working as a special ed paraprofessional and tutoring everyday after school and on saturdays, but it has been getting more and more frustrating that I am a qualified and licensed teacher, and I’m not being treated like one. So I got a new job! Starting on March 12th (the day after my birthday) I will be teaching my very own third grade class! I’m SO excited. And, the school is turning into a Montessori school starting with next years Kindergarteners, which is really cool. Plus I am going to be trained in Montessori teaching, which means I’m getting a FREE second Masters Degree!

Josh and I are figuring out our wedding plans. Will any of you ladies have time off on June 29th after taking time for Caitlin’s? We have a very yummy menu picked out, and it will be open bar!

My crazy soon-to-be-husband (who dislikes the term fiance) has gotten it into his head that a new job and a wedding are not enough, so we have started house hunting as well. It’s exciting, but I need to keep being reminded that our first house will not be our dream house, and he needs to remember that just because it’s our first house doesn’t mean we have to settle for a money pit!

Boy I’ve been babbling for a while. This is what happens when I have time off for winter break! I should in fact be heading off to the gym, which I have rejoined in the hopes of fitting into my very pretty wedding dress. We’ll keep our fingers crossed.

Hope all is well with you girls, miss you tons!

 ~ Nicole =)

Hey ladies! Sorry its been a while – had to dig through old e-mails cause I forgot my login!  Site looks great Shira!  So just had my red birthday party on Friday – thanks to Frances for representing the Binghamton ladies!  It was fun – served Red Velvet cupcakes and drank Red Stripe, yum.  Job is going okay but my big news is a move back to Rochester – I’ve gotten a job working for my mom as a business developer.  Its a good step for experience and I’ll be able to have my own place!  I’m a little nervous about leaving New York City, which I love, but I’ll be able to have a car and an intellectually stimulating job so that’s good.  I miss everyone and am SO excited for Caitlin’s wedding and hanging out on the beach!!

Well I completly understand Shira’s post about how boring being a housewife can be!! I was one for the whole month of January. At least it gave me time to work on the invites but it got kinda old! Now I am back to work doing another peds rotation. Its not too exciting but at least I am talking to some adults! I have to take another Board Exam this Friday. This test alone cost me $1000!!! It is insane! It is actually a test were they have 15 “standardized patients” which means actors. And I have to exam them and the biggest part of the exam you are graded on is your English proficiency skills! They actually tell some of the actors to be angry and yell at you to see if you will break and either cry or yell back! It is so stupid but I have no chose. So you can just imagine me sometime this Friday with an over-acting (like soap opera bad acting) “patient” who is yelling at me while I try not to laugh. Oh the joys of med school!

Congrats on the new job Shira!! It sounds so perfect for you! And as for the “ball workouts” (that sounds dirty). I have been doing Core Secrets. Keep in mind I have been doing it on and off since the beginning of summer and I don’t have a six pack. I am not sure if I even have a core. But it does make you sore and maybe if I did it more consistently I would see results but I am begginning to think I am resistent to exercise!

Things in Chi-town are good, but freezing! It has been windchills of like 20 below for the past five days! I had my dress fitting this past weekend! I still fit into it so that was a relief! Putting it on definetly made me even more excited about the wedding! I am even more excited that it sounds like you girls can make it to the wedding!! We are working on the menu…any suggestions? Maybe I should hire Shira to make something? Do you girls remember how good her breads and cakes were?!?! (and that was before the CIA!!)  Now if only she (or anyone) could find a way for bread and cakes to be good for you!

Guess that is about it for me. Caitlin and Francis-you will have to let us know how the Red Bday party goes! I wish I could crash this year too!

Miss you all tons!! 

 

I was just reading some of our old entries (and fixing broken picture links) when I stumbled upon the entry in which Caitlin L. admits that she started writing a romance novel.  HELLO?!?!  I think we need excerpts here!!!

 Can we just say I’m practicing housewifery this month. And it blows.  Okay, I can see how some people would think that not having to go to work and being able to stay home and do whatever you want all day would be the best thing in the world.   And to an extent, I am enjoying it.  But on the other hand, I seriously never leave the house, and I feel that’s not exactly a healthy situation.  I’m starting to get rather bored, though I am pursuing some special projects that I’ve been wanting to purse for a long time.  I hate not making money, no question about that.  Mostly, I just feel like I’m wasting my talents–the world NEEDS me!!!  I feel like I’m not a contributing member of society!!  HELP!

*Deep breath* I have an interview tomorrow morning with the president/principal (I’m not exactly sure which because in Italian I think they sort of mean the same thing…) of some kind of a school.  Vague, right?  I think it’s a sort of professional/technical school that also helps people find jobs…or something like that.  I’ve been to this “school” several times already, but it just doesn’t feel like a school to me, I guess that’s why this is sort of confusing.

 Anyways, the president/principal is apparently organizing some sort of project in which American chefs come to Italy for 6 months (for the next three years) and Italian chefs go to America for six months.  And they might need someone to help organize the program who speaks English and knows about the kitchen. 

I think it’s obvious to the whole world that they need ME.  Hopefully I can convince this Prez. of the same thing tomorrow morning, in Italian. 

Yeah, thanks for the good luck cards.  Eeeeeeeeeeeee.

Actually, I’ve gotten to the point where I’m not even that scared to go on these interviews anymore.  My language skills are what they are, and there’s no point belabouring the point, right?

The other project I’m pursuing is sort of a wine education/marketing/import/export thing.  It’s insane.  Basically, two guys (in their 30s) who have doctorates in enology have been working as wine consultants for the past two years.  (They go to winemakers who need help making better wines and guide them, showing them new techniques and practices, machinery, etc. that will help them make better wines).  They’ve decided that the winemakers they are consulting for need help marketing and selling their wines, in Italy, Europe, Asia and the US.  So, I’m sort of half-helping them start this new branch of their “business”.  But, it’s not what I really want to be doing, especially not in the illegal and backhanded way they’re going about it.

 I bought Luca and I one of those big excercise balls for Christmas.  Fun!  Does anyone know a good ball workout video?

We went to Luca’s house by the sea this weekend and it was a lot of fun.  (Good to get out of the house!)  The weather was beautiful–we hit the open market on Saturday morning, had fresh pineapple and ham sandwhiches for lunch, went for a long walk on the boardwalk, and then Luca made a great pasta sauce with sundried tomatoes and Ligurian basil for dinner.  Yummerz.  On Sunday his cousin and her boyfriend came up for the day and we gourged ourselves with fried fish (well, I mostly ate the french fries b/c I’m not a big fan of fish lately).

This morning I walked down the street to our little grocery store to get some breakfast supplies.  There were three choices of cereal: Cocoa-Puffs, Chocolate Rice Krispies, and an extremely shady brand of corn flakes.  I got chocolate rice krispies, but realize that I may have to go out to the real grocery store soon.  I feel so isolated here!  Like, what is my problem, am I not capable of making the 5 minute drive to a real grocery store?!  I have my own car (which is now sporting new rear brakes-augh).

So, anyways, I guess things are pretty alright.  I’m looking forward to Caitlin’s wedding and catching up with you all!! 

just wanted to drop a line to say hello to my favorite ladies. can you guys believe it has been 3.5 years since we graduated?!!? whoa! nothing too interesting going on over here. i am currently on vacation between my 2 semesters. 6 weeks!! Such a long vacation can be good and bad. It takes forever to get back into the hang of classes when the semester starts. I have got officially 3 more semesters of classes to go and then my 2nd board exam, an internship, and my dissertation. Give or take I should be done by the time I am 80!! 🙂 No news on the male front. I did get asked out by one of my students, after I had put all their grades in. Unfortunately this was NOT the student I have been drooling over all semester, but it was very nice to the ego! Glad to hear everyone is doing well. Wishing everyone a Happy and Healthy 2007! XOXOX ~Frances

I’m heading back to Europe on Saturday after a wonderful relaxing month at home.  I went to get a facial yesterday in celebration of my twenty-sixth birthday, which was the ninth, and it was highly enjoyable!  (Thanks Mom, Dad & Phoebe)  I’m really looking forward to making some money again, so will be hitting the job search trail hard.  I’m taking an Online course to get certified in teaching English as a second language–so, I’m hoping that might help me land something.  I miss you all lots and hope that everyone is well!!! oxoxox