2011 is flying by...

I can't believe it is March already. How did this happen? I got into the MS in SE program I wasn't so excited about and did not get into the program I was hoping for. I kept looking for another program though and applied to yet another school right before Christmas and I was very excited to learn in January that I was admitted to Southern Methodist University's MS in SE program beginning with the Summer 2011 term. I was very apprehensive to read that it is a conditional acceptance based on my completing a year of calculus by the end of the year. Yikes.



I cannot express how much time I have spent researching calculus programs since receiving that admission letter. Traditional classroom programs were out of the question. My employer also requires the school I apply to to be AACSB or ABET accredited. I haven't taken a math class in years so I am going to have to start with Precalculus. I think I finally narrowed it down to one school. I would love to be at December of this year and see if I'm able to pull off 3 calculus courses and 3 Masters SE courses by then.


The gluten free lifestyle keeps rolling along. It's easy and difficult at the same time. I'm constantly learning about the disease and (painfully) learning what I can and cannot eat. My job is a little volatile at the moment. So much uncertainty. All I can do is keep pushing on and see what life has in store for me around the corner. I'm hoping 2011 turns out better than 2010. What a year.

2011 is already turning into the year of baby. Four of my very good friends are curently pregnant. Can't wait to meet all of them and watch their personalities develop. I wonder how many of my other friends will pop up pregnant this year. It seems to be a popular thing to do at the moment. :)

Another trip around the sun.

My birthday is this week and I can't believe I'm another year older. Yes, I'm struggling with it. I'm really not where I thought I'd be in life, but I guess that's what keeps it interesting. I've expereinced some life changers in the last couple months as well.

It was confirmed last month that I have Celiac Disease and can no longer eat/drink anything containing wheat, barley, oats or rye. It has been quite an adjustment but I have fewer stomach issues. Gluten is in just about everything and I have to read the label of all I consume. I've been surprised by some of the places I've found it (imitation crab, caramel dip, sour cream, soy sauce). "Modified Food Starch" is a wheat derivative. Who knew? They say it can take a year for your intestines to heal once you give up the gluten so I can't wait to see how I'll be feeling a year from now. I think I have been experiencing gluten withdrawal symptoms lately. Sort of feels like the flu but I feel like I'm starting to come out of it. It has been a trial/error effort to figure out what I can and cannot eat.

People try to be encouraging but the most common misconceptions I've been told are: "You're so lucky! There's so many gluten free items now" and "you're going to loose so much weight and get in amazing shape." Um, no. Yes, I am fortunate that I have an array of gf options today. However, those options that are formulated as a gluten free alternative taste awful, spoil quickly and cost twice the price as glutened equivalents. They also seem to have a chemical aftertaste. As to the second misconception, "gluten free" is not carb free. I can still consume sugar, rice and corn and I seem to want more of it now to compensate for the lack of wheat in my life. Not only that, but it seems gluten free manufacturers have replaced gluten with increased fat content. Gee, I'd really like to purchase those crackers, but at 12 grams of fat per serving, I'm going to pass. Undiagnosed Celiac sufferers often lose weight because the digestion system is not working. Now that my digestion system is up and running, I now absorb all the nutrients (and fat..and salt) I wasn't before. B'ahhh. It's just an adjustment. I really am grateful to find out about this now and not after 20 more years of fatigue/stomach issues. Undiagnosed Celiac Disease can also lead to various cancers. It's 100% preventable...just have to avoid consuming gluten for the rest of my life.

I also received and accepted an opportunity on the C5 program last week. As I've felt at the beginning of any new job, I'm excited and apprehensive at the same time. I wish I could fast forward 6 months to that point when you're starting to feel comfortable in your new job. I'm in for a challenge over the next couple months. It has been a wild and crazy 2 years on the program I'm leaving. I hate to leave the program I've been on, but this is a promotion opportunity I had to pursue.

I was able to squeeze in one last trip to Canada for work. I visited Montreal, Ottawa and Vancouver in one week. I will miss my work funded trips to Canada and will always have a place in my heart for the country and the wonderful people I had the opportunity to work with. Because it was Labor Day weekend, I was also able to squeeze in a long over due visit with my family in Oregon on the way back. It was really nice to see everyone. I was also able to spend an evening having dinner with an aunt and cousins I had not seen in 20 years.

Hmmm, what else. I'm in the process of applying to two Masters programs majoring in Systems Engineering. I figure while I'm unattached and LM is willing to pay, might as well torture myself over the next 2 years and earn a technical masters degree. One of the programs I'm optimistic about getting into, the other is a long shot but I'm applying anyway. I hope to receive an answer from both programs within the next month. I'm excited that we're heading into the Fall season and I can't wait for all the holidays.

Life Goes On

I can't believe a year has passed since I posted. Let's see, what has happened over the past year. I still have the same job although I did get a new boss in March. I interviewed for a position in Ft. Worth, TX in January but didn't get it. I was told by management that I was put in for a growth promotion and then 3 weeks later, my corporation decided to cancel growth promotions. I recently interviewed for another position within my company and again, didn't get it. :) Between the housing market and the job market, it kind of feels like someone switched on the slow-mo switch and we're all stuck in the quicksand, just spinning our wheels.

I had a great time on a cruise in October to Cozumel with my good friends Jenn, Jason and Ms. Rachel McGuire. My job has sent me to Canada several times which has been awesome. I met up with my younger sister to spend Christmas in Las Vegas. Jenn and Jason drove over and met up with us and we saw the fantastic new Cirque show called "Viva Elvis." My coworkers and I went on our annual cabin trip in September. We tried the town of Blue Ridge this time instead of Helen.

Hopefully, another year won't go by before I post again.

Life

Le sigh....

...and the waiting is over.

Crisis averted. No major life changes in my immediate future.

...and the waiting begins

You know how sometimes life throws you a curve and it might be a good curve (then the change stress really begins), but then it might not be such a good curve and then the decision is easy, but you might not even have to decide and then you worried all this time for nothing? As a good friend of mine used to say "le sigh."

April Showers

A big storm was supposed to roll through Atlanta today. I happened to be inside during the worst of it. It was one of those ominous days with the stormy dark clouds constantly looming. I managed to talk Faisal, Joe and Jeremy into going to see "To Kill a Mockingbird" tonight. The Strand theater is in the historic Marietta Square. It was an old movie house that opened in the 1930's. After being closed for many years, it was recently remodeled and reopened as a performing arts and special events space. It opened around Christmas time last year. They just recently started showing a few select movies. The theater was pretty cool inside. They really took care to make it nice. It was retro but modern at the same time if that's possible. I'm glad we went. We went to a new BBQ place across the street called something Ephraim's. Everyone's food was just okay. Don't think we'll be heading back to Ephraim's any time soon.