happy V day!!

Brian and I have a new obsession: HDTV and the DIY channels (we especially love House Hunters International). The only reason we can come up with is because we're moving eventually (well me soon, him eventually) and get to organize a new place.... not demo it and renovate but you know, decorate and stuff. But we also just like it because there are some dumb-ass people on these shows and we like to make fun of them: "I can totally renovate my kitchen in four days. By myself. Without having any construction experience. Or having any real plan." Let's see how that works out for you, Bro. hahahaha

Anyway. I took the GMAT last week. I didn't do awesome, but I didn't blow it either. I did well enough to get into Thunderbird, which was the main objective. So yay. Now I need to get motivated to write my essays before the 28th.... we'll see how that goes.

In the meantime, I have been working with my recruiter to solidify my employment contract. He came to me on Thursday with a HOT MESS of a contract... probably wasn't his fault, but still... all the crap we talked about wasn't in there. So technically I guess I still am not 100% going to Melbourne....but I am hopeful that Dale and the HR peeps will get their shiz together and get me a contract that I can sign. Everyone keeps asking when I'm going, and the answer is....not sure yet. I am shooting to start work either the 15th or 22nd of March, which means I'll leave like 5 days before that.... but those dates will get pushed back if the contract takes forever.

In the meantime, we are trying to sort stuff into piles: what is getting sold/donated, what is going into storage, what is getting shipped to Melb when Brian leaves, what is going to go in our luggage. It has been kind of a pain in the ass but we are plugging away.

On a side note, I finished some quilts for my bff Kasey! (actually, they're for her kids Sarp and Demet.) I am sending them to her this week... not sure if you tell from these pics, but Sarp's has planets and Demet's has ladybugs. :-) She doesn't know they are getting them, so I hope they like them!



What else? Dave and Linderella (aka my 'rents) are coming to Phoenix on February 25th through March 2nd. We are planning on heading up to Prescott one last time for a while (for me, anyway), and then my mom said she'd help me sort stuff.... the 'rents just wanted to see us one more time before we head off to the eastern hemisphere! They are excited for us....I think my mom has even come around to the whole thing. Since we are on a 3-4 year plan, I think it's less scary to her that we'll be gone forever.

On a last note, my man made me an awesome dinner for V-day....we had broccoli soup for an appetizer, then grass-fed NY strip steak with scallops, asparagus and fennel polenta, and poached pears with vanilla bean ice cream and chocolate sauce for dessert. FANTASTIC. Also, we drank some wine from Portugal and drank some port from Temecula for dessert. All in all it was such a great dinner. It puts my gift of a card with jelly bellys and gummy bears to shame. :-)