Weekend Trip

Casey suggested going to a bed & breakfast this weekend, so we decided to go stay a night at one in Ft. Worth. It was a fun little trip.

Friday, we went to Fred's Cafe downtown. Lots of antlers and other masculine design elements. Excellent beer.
I'm not saying what that is that's Casey's eating. It's not for the faint of heart.

Afterward, we walked around the giant Barnes and Noble downstairs. I learned that my dog Charlotte, is 1/2 Welsh Cardigan Corgi, and absolutely couldn't be a show-down. On top on not being pure-breed, she has multiple unshowable characteristics...like white on her coat and a blue eye. We recently shaved her and she looks more like a submarine than ever. (Sorry...no idea why blogger turned this picture!)
We also went to the Kimball Museum. We both really liked...the old stuff. Seriously, that was our assessment. We're so cultured! ;-) (Well...their ancient statues were really nice.)So, we enjoyed our B&B experience. Homey, comfortable. We went for a short run along the Trinity River trail...while the Texas sun beat down on us!
It was so hot, that Casey had to sit down take a siesta with the lawn ornament in the B&B's garden. I think they became friends. :-)

May!

Yesterday I took my final exam over Medieval Comic Literature, so now I have five comprehensive exams and one two week class left....then graduation! I opted to take my tests sooner, in June, and then I get to graduate in August. I'll be glad to get it done. But now, how to make myself study in May?!? It's so beautiful outside...running out at the lake...biking at the lake...Casey and I can't get enough.

Also, in other news, we'll probably be moving in the next year. My parents decided to move to that huge house in Oak Cliff after all. And it's starting to seem like home for them. It's an eclectic neighborhood...and that's my parents totally. Plus, it's surrounded by huge parks, like Kiest Park, so Dad loves it. Anyway, since my parents moved out of their house in the Park Cities, they offered to essentially give it to us (sell our current house and pay them that...a very reasonable price), but anyway, we're going to build a new house on that lot. The house currently on the lot is the one I grew up in, but it's in really poor shape and not at all what Casey and I want, so we've talked to a builder, and they're currently drawing up plans.

We looked through a ton of plans, and here's what we sent them for the facade:And this is the first floor, but there are some changes...no porch or fireplace. The right side would slide back for a flat front, and we'll have a pocket door connecting the master bath to the hall by the front bedroom. We're thinking that will eventually be the nursery. Upstairs will be all bedrooms and a game room, I guess.
Casey and I still don't feel like it's really going to happen. It seems too much a fantasy to build our own home in the Park Cities...so it won't seem real until I seem them building it, but wow!

We actually went to Lowe's yesterday and looked at flooring, blinds, sinks, counters and cabinets. SO many choices. If you have any suggestions...things you love or hate...we'd really appreciate your input.

Grad School Quandry

I'm on the last page of the 12 page paper I'm writing on Medieval literature when I get an email from my graduate adviser:

I now have the choice of taking my comprehensive exams, scheduled for the 1st week in July, three weeks earlier and so will be able to actually graduate in August, rather than waiting for Decemeber to graduate. The reason I'd have to wait that long with taking my exams in July is that they take their sweet time grading them (not until August) and then by that time it's too late to submit everything to graduate in the same month. Apparently, now they'll grade them in time.

So, it would be great to graduate earlier, but that's three fewer weeks I have to study for these 5 three hour long tests...in French...over classes I've taken in the past two years. Between now and then I'll have the grand total of one week that I won't be working to study. If I wait, I'll have two weeks without work or school to study.

So, delay and have more time to study, or rush and get to graduate earlier, that's my choice.

Any advice, suggestions, my friends?