current task....800 page assembly...

Today I'm assembling all the surveys and *hopefully* getting them in the mail. I wish I could take a picture of the daunting pile of papers I have to sort. 800 pages. I don't mind too much though, cause that means they'll be in the mail soon and off my mind. This has been such a huge amount of thought and effort, I can't believe I'm actually going to move into another stage, interpreting and writing about the responses! So excited. Man, I'm quite a nerd sometimes. ;]

So, I'm going to clean Ana's room, get some good music on, maybe make some tea (I'm a little nervous about spilling it though...over 66 bucks worth of copies) and start labeling envelopes, sorting the surveys, and stamping them.

And, I'm feeling much better. Nasty congestion crap is causing me some sorrow, but nothing compared to paralyzing-Monday-fever. yuck

Cheers!

Bell County Small Farmers Perceptions of Texas Water Policy

Here's a summary of my thesis plan. I'm pretty excited, the survey's should go out this week since I finally got a list of farmers and IRB approval from UT. Wooohoo!

Research Proposal

Water scarcity in Texas is quickly becoming a priority for academic study, public policy and citizen interest. A combination of increasing water needs due to larger urban populations along with the shifting environmental climate and droughts have pushed this issue to the fore front of many fields. There are some disagreements over the hydrological aspects of the scarcity, but most of the heated debates have been over public policy. Water users in Texas potentially face a cut back in their allotted water share, through government restriction, and for commercial consumers such as agriculture this can mean huge monetary losses.

The objective of my study is to survey small farmers in the Bell County area to find out how they perceive policy surrounding the water scarcity problem. I would like to know whose interests these farmers feel are being best represented by current legislation and general water rights. I will use a list of small farmers in Bell County provided by Texas Farmers Bureau from which to select a sample which will receive my survey. The survey will include a mix of multiple choice questions and open ended questions in which recipients will be able to elaborate on their answers.

Sia

One of those people I really liked listening to and then forgot about. She's so lovely!



And I'm feeling so much better! All that echinacea, H2O, and sleeping paid off!

extreme self pity ahead...practical, cold hearted people use caution

This is the brakes. Possible H1N1 and starting my period, seriously, I wish the U.N. would regulate whoever is running the cosmos cause this is definitely a violation of human rights. Sanction that jackass.

Anyway, I'm sitting in Ana's room for comfort. I can't believe she won't be back until Sunday, I'm sick and miserable and I want my sister...and my mama. heh. I've thought about them so much, Vipassana really changed my perspective on the world and gave me a huge sense of peace. I want to hear about the benefits they've gotten from it!

I thought I would watch a movie down here, but her movie player is busted so I'm doing this instead. I haven't done a lick of homework all day. Well, thats not true, I read three pages of Physical Anthropology before I realized I wasn't understanding or retaining any of it.

I'd really like some of my Nana's chicken and dumplings right now. My southernness exposes it self from time to time.

Ok, I think I'll go start my data analysis paper on mortality. Very uplifting.

blind date

this movie looks really good...

http://www.apple.com/trailers/independent/blinddate/

Lake house!

Just got back from the lake house with Bekah, Hannah, Melissa, and her little baby Abby. It was a good, slow paced weekend. I had a great time! I didn't feel any pressure to "make the most" of everything and question what the best thing to do at any given should be. Sometimes when I'm really looking forward to a vacation I get worried that I don't spend it the right way once I'm there. So, I was glad I avoided that this time. :)

It was so, so nice to get to spend time with Bekah! I feel like we've gotten to talk more lately, and of course I feel closer to her when we're updated on whats going on in our lives. I love her so much, she has a husband, a daughter and a house to take care of (so different from my responsibilities!) but she's still the pragmatic, humorous, sometimes clueless, Bekah that I've known since I was nine. *sigh*

Anyway, I've been trying to motivate myself to do homework, but it just seems like all the things I have to do are really small tasks! So...why not do them later? hehe such a bad attitude, I think I'll start back on them when I get done here.

I'm really looking forward to seeing Christy's band perform this weekend, and ANA AND MAMA ARE GETTING HOME FROM VIPASSANA! omg, I've missed them so much, I started crying thinking about them last night. I just wonder what they're experiencing, if it was anything like what I experienced. I can't believe they're doing it! Ten days of silent meditation. awesome...

Ok, back to homework for Surveillance and Social Control. Reading for that class always makes me want to go on a walk...or something...avoid the social control...surveillance...eehhhh

To productivity
- n

Sniffing, Tracking, Separating, Creating...

Sometimes I really love working on my thesis. It's just exciting to feel like you can accomplish something that might actually be useful to someone else! I don't know, its really the little things that get me going, like calling some official and getting the information that you really needed. It's so satisfying and I feel so grown up! I'm sure I sound like a little kid calling about a school paper to them, but who cares cause I feel great!

Pretty cold and drizzly outside today. I love it, but I'd really love it if I could be by a fire reading something that is not related to something I'll have to take a test on. (I hate reading things that I know I"ll be tested on! Takes a lot of pleasure out of it...)



Hehe, this song makes me feel cozy and sexy. Like being naked in a big fluffy down comforter.

Anyway, I'm going home tonight and I'll get to hang out with Christy! I can't wait, I always feel like we're two peas in a pod, everything we do together is so much fun. No matter what it is.

I'm still feeling a lot of confusion about all these romantic relationships swirling around me. How are people supposed to feel? How are they supposed to act? I just keep thinking its going to be clear to me what the "healthiest" way is. Maybe I do know what it is, I just don't want to do it...I want to depend on people for my happiness and control them to keep them near me. I've got to let go of that and just be happy when people come in and out of my life, none of them are going to stay forever...I'm not going to stay forever either. It's so easy to confuse love and possessiveness and so hard to untangle them once they've gotten twisted up together in your mind.

I'm so glad that I have people in my life to love though! Its a great feeling.

I have a good vibe about today...:)

Top O the Morning to Ya

I love this song, so soothing.

Said goodmorning to the crabs and gave them a bath, they're cute critters!

Off to work I go!

Work goes on....

Good progress is being made on my second paper of the week, ugh and it's only Monday? Oh well, the rest of the week should slow down after this.

Heh, I get a check tomorrow from work. I know its quite sad to live check to check, but it doesn't really feel that sad to me, I'm happy thinking about my nice paycheck waiting for me!




I'm going to miss Ana so much! But I'm so so excited to hear how her Vipassana course goes. I can't believe her and Mama are really goin!

<3

Hmmm...post party thoughts...

Last night was so much fun, I definitely enjoyed myself. I think I figured out a good balance between being sociable and retreating to my room when things got overwhelming. I danced to some groovy beats downstairs then snuck off when I needed to recharge. I had a lot of odd emotions going on. I want to just appreciate people and be excited for them that they are doing well in some area or another, but man I get so jealous! I don't think I really like to think of myself as being a jealous person, but sometimes I really am. I guess I just don't want to face my insecurities, I want to keep them all cozy in my self denial cocoon even though they make me miserable!

I know I won't really be able to love until I love myself, but there's so many parts of me that I just don't want love! I'm going to look like such an idiot, I want to be sensible and reliable....but its so hard to live in a box when you can see everyone else running and playing and having a good time. I know I don't have to, but changing is so scary, I don't want to fail....

On another note, I had a lovely time at Quacks, the local Austin bakery, with Ana. :) I love being with her, she's so beautiful and smart! We're going to watch "He's just not that into you" tonight ehehe such a funny film

<3

Sitting in Ana's room

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UCmUhYSr-e4

Otis Redding is such a pick me up! I wish I had that much soul power in my music. ;)

Started the day pretty hectic, library at 8 a.m. - test at 9 - class at 10 - test at 11:30 - labs til 1...yikes! I felt sick and drained when I finally crashed in my bed for half an hour. I woke up grumpy and down, my main complaint being a heightened awareness of lack of boyfriend due to recent good fortune of best friends in dating arena. Also a small cold.

But then I got up, got dressed, styled my cropped 'do and slapped on some makeup. Wow, that really works sometimes! Ana and I then went to super trendy Spider House and got coffee. I'm feeling the friday feeling pretty strong now! Hopefully dear Hannah will be down for smoking hookah later so the good times can keep rolling. ;)

And one more...



let it shine on me <3

Rainy day for sleeping and studying...

Well it's another day of overcast weather, but I'm not complaining cause its nice and cool. :)

I didn't mean to sleep all afternoon, I have so much studying to do! Oh, well, there's coffee a'brewin now and I have determination to get a lot done tonight.