diana.

I always took the challenging road and in most cases, quitting is the less rocky of the two - in this case, quitting was the challenge I needed to overcome. Such a negative meaning is attached to this word and it really shouldn't be. Sometimes you just have to give up on things for the better. I thought it may have been the wrong decision - but now I know it was the right one. No person should ever cause you to feel so down about yourself. No one should ever make you feel so tired, both physically and emotionally, that you can't bring yourself to live your life with satisfaction. No one should ever belittle you, disrespect you, or degrade you. I feel so much more free now that I have laid that knife down. I can actually feel. It's odd to me, but I am actually much happier now even though I don't know about my future. I can finally breathe again, and that is so important.

Of course, I will miss those children - children I have invested so much in, that I have watched learn and grow to become such amazing beings. I will miss those people that I have seen almost everyday for the past 2 years. But children will always be coming and passing, and if I really did make true friends there, we will keep in touch.

That school has made a complete 180. It is no longer what it stood for when I first accepted the job. People there are now expected to act like cogs in a machine. People there are expected to just accept the fact that they are being treated poorly.

In the end, strong morals, values, and core beliefs prevailed. I don't know what's in store for the future, but at least I'm not stuck anymore.

My birthday just passed - yay, the big 23. I most definitely do not feel 23. A part of me feels like I am still a little kid, and the other part of me feels a lot older- but maybe that's because I'm surrounded by older peers.

Dave got me an amazingly expensive bag for my birthday: The Fendi Spy Bag. I had been looking at it online to see the specs, thinking I was going to purchase a fake one for myself(I loved it so much and thought I would never get something so nice.) And lo and behold, Dave comes home one night a week before my birthday and hands me this Fendi bag.
I tried to make him return it - I feel so out of place with such a nice item. I'm not used to actually having top-of-the-line designer items. I already think things like Coach or Louis Vuitton are crazy expensive, but this surpasses that. But Dave refused to return it and insisted that I deserved it. I don't know why it's so difficult for me to accept such nice items - I feel like any other person would welcome it with open arms.

And to top it off, half a week later he surprises me with a dinner with a couple of friends I haven't seen in a long while! We were back in Boston, and after a fruitful day of shopping at Copley/Prudential, we headed to the Cheesecake factory for food. As we rolled down the escalator, I see Jamie and I think, "wow, what a coincidence it's so nice to see him again!!"... Dave strolls over to me and says, "oh, the rest are on their way" - I literally took a minute to put it together. I had no idea! I can't believe he surprised me again, I can't believe people actually came out to have a birthday dinner with me. Little things make me so happy :)

Thanks, David - you really make me feel special :)

Also, Happy (belated) 6 year anniversary - it's our first as an engaged couple! :)

...If you've made it this far, you're probably sick to your gut with all of this "couple" story.

I haven't seen my own friends in such a long while, it's dissappointing. It's difficult to make friends in a new place, especially when you're not going to school there. The only friends I really made were co-workers. But that's pretty cool too seeing as how they're only a few to some years older than I am.

Living in NY has been pretty fulfilling. Now, I need to decide between Counseling and Speech Pathology. Which do I want more? I hate making a career choice. Especially when it involves paying years of Graduate tuition. If going to school were for free, I bet everyone would have a much easier time deciding what they wanted to do for the rest of their lives.

...ironically, it happened April 1st (hahah)

This isn't the best picture because it looked so much more breathtaking in person... but we were alone on the rooftop and just as I was admiring the beautiful moonlit scenery, I turn around and there was my David on his knee! craziness! :)

for more Greece Pictures:
http://www.imagestation.com/members/diana711

.... more updates another time :)

I miss Scraps - he's in NY right now while I spend some time at home-- if only the buses allowed me to bring him on with me, I'd travel all over with him...

Here he is playing the piano (because he's so musically inclined like that):

Here he is pretending he's a cat laying next to the windowsill (he LOVES this):

Here he is with his Blue polo on and passed out on Dave's lap :)

Here he is pretending he's shy:

Here he is all sleepy-face:

These are all older pictures... I should really get to uploading the ones on Dave's camera... :)

My Jack-Russell Beagle mix - perfect.

check out my puppers: http://www.imagestation.com/members/diana711

also... Doggy facebook! leave him some bones!! :) http://www.dogster.com/?357975

he had his first day in the city today(boston)... his tail was down the whole time aside from when he was chasing pigeons... all the people, cars, trucks, sights, and sounds were so new to him :)

he's difficult to housebreak -- I'm trying to get him to ring a bell to go outside, but he's scared of the sound... any suggestions?

Along the way, we stopped at a Dunkin' Donuts to get some coffee for a pick-me-up. Dave went in to get the coffee as I waited in the car. 30 seconds passed and I remembered I had to go to the restroom, so I get out of the car and walk into Dunkin' Donuts.

The shop is pretty empty aside from a group of men. As I go in, I pass by the restroom looking for Dave... and as I'm passing by, I see this group of about 5 or 6 older(mid 40's / 50's) rotund men sitting with a boy of about 8ish. I see them, and I also see them looking at Dave who is standing by the counter. I pay closer attention, and they're all chuckling as a group of two of them are "speaking" fake Chinese, "making noises" at Dave (who doesn't hear them because he was ordering). All but one of the two making the noises sees me walking toward them (as I had to in order to get to Dave), and they all immediately stop chuckling as I give them a quick glare. They glance over at me and then at their friend who is still making those insulting noises. As I walk by, that man finally notices me(as I was walking from behind him) and also stops. I reach Dave, we finish the order, and we walk past them again.

It really astounds me how incredibly racist some people still are. It's not like they don't think they're doing anything wrong either, as evidenced by their discontinuing their conduct as soon as they saw me. What bothers me most is how open they were about it in doing this in front of one of their kids. I saw the way the boy was looking at me and then that sorry excuse of a man - I could tell that he knew it was wrong, I just hope he isn't influenced any further by those things who are raising him.

and moving on... Dave and I found a Corgi-mix puppy and concluded she was going to grow too big for an apartment, so no dog yet. We also went to Ikea and we have most of our kitchen-things set (we got plates, bowls, utensils, a pan, cups, mugs), and we have a kitchen table picked out. :)

His family is selling their house in Randolph and will be having a Yard Sale on Saturday August 5th, 9am - 1pm on Old Farm Rd. in Randolph, the weekend after next. Things range from Couches, Dressers, Beds, Bedroom sets, Fine China, Display cases, Entertainment/Media stands, Coffee/End tables, Desks, Electronics, and whatever else you could possibly imagine. They will have many things for free(namely a lot of practically new furniture and knick-knacks), and the things that are not for free are priced VERY low - and as a person who is a crazy bargain hunter, my saying the things are cheap means they actually are. Please try to come take a gander at things!! :)

Graduation day was really pouring rain, and I got soaked, as did everyone else. So much for looking presentable on such a significant day.

Dave is taking me to Puerto Rico from June 3-6 as a graduation gift. We will be staying at the Ritz because he is excessively extravagant with me. And since he's already set/booked everything, he refuses to change the plans to satisfy my money-saving-bargain-hunting personality. At least he gets a little discount with his Lehman account. [Thank you so much mr.Jar :)]

I'm back home- no more brookline apartment for me :( The lease was signed over to these 4 wealthy Indian girls who are oddly unintelligent. They really don't know the prices of anything, and will pay us an absurdly overpriced amount for junk that we got for free or for a few bucks... and they refuse to pay a few dollars more for furniture that would ordinarily cost a few hundred more. Also, the "leader of the pack" sat on my roommates bed and said, "I think I'm too tall for this bed, can I lay down on it to see?" Now, keep in mind that this is a just a regulation full size bed -- doesn't everyone know that they're all the same length?

I'm kind of unsure of what to do for the remainder of the year. Not sure if I should get NY state certified to be a TA, or just try to get a job for a year? I guess I should try to do both. But I just got a job offer to be a Speech Pathologist Assistant for a month and a half in the summer (it's really difficult to find SLPassistant jobs, since there are practically none needed, so I am excited). I will be working with kids who have Autism, so that should be a good experience and resume builder. Plus it gives me more time to plan out the rest of my year.

Going into this profession, I've always had a nervous... (fear?)... about having to work with kids with Autism. It's just that I like to see the roller coaster emotions of kids who get excited after being sad for half a second. And when they understand something they haven't been able to, it's really fulfilling to see them be so happy. It's also fun to just converse with them, because they'll say the most outrageous things. With the kids with Autism, since I've never really worked with them, it's a little nerve-wracking to think that they may never be able to display their emotions so freely.

...moving on
Dave still has yet to find an apartment. I went to look at one with him, and we thought that was it- he was going to place a bid and everything... but it turns out the financials of the building were really bad, so no go. Hopefully this next apartment he'll be looking at will be the one - though it's a studio with alcove, it can be converted to a 1 bedroom. It's funny because his criteria is even more narrowed because he doesn't want to consider apartments that MY mom will think is bad. Oh Dave, when will you learn.. I don't think you'll ever be able to appease her :P

and... HAPPY 23rd BIRTHDAY babe :)

Saturday: early wake up for work, dimsum with the Jar's, cambridgeside galleria, dinner at Ciao Bella, March of the Penguins

Sunday: early wake up for lessons, lunch at Kashmir, moseying around Copley, Starbucks break, more moseying in the sunny weather

:)

and.... he said i was way too stressed and i never take a break... so... he's "surprising" me with a trip to London next weekend!!!... i eeked it out of him :P ... my boyfriend spoils me like crazy.

Every time I think of you
I feel shot right through with a bolt of blue
It's no Problem of mine but it's a problem I find
Living a life that I can't leave behind

There's no sense in telling me
The wisdom of a fool won't set you free
But that's the way that it goes
And it's what nobody knows
While every day my confusion grows

Every time I see you falling
I get down on my knees and pray
I'm waiting for that final moment
You'll say the words that I can't say

I feel fine and I feel good
I'm feeling like I never should
Whenever I get this way I just don't know what to say
Why can't we be ourselves like we were yesterday

I'm not sure what this could mean
I don't think you're what you seem
I do admit to myself
That if I hurt someone else
Then I'll never see just what we're meant to be

Every time I see you falling
I get down on my knees and pray
I'm waiting for that final moment
You'll say the words that I can't say

i love this song! haha... i have this strong urge to re-read Wuthering Heights now... I wonder how dave would feel if I suggested this as a song to play at our wedding?.. HAHA :)

ANYWAYS...

So this weekend I was in NY again... and Dave took me to Angelo Maxie's again b/c last time I went, I only had a way overpriced salad b/c I felt too sick for meat....
SO THIS TIME, I made up for what I lost :)!!... He had a 26oz. steak, while I had my Teriyaki Filet Mignon- and we both shared a gigantic plate of hashed brown... and then to top everything off, we ordered this "oreo ice cream sandwich" which was really more like 5 big scoops of towering ice cream between 2 flat/rounded dense brownies; all on a plate of chocolate fudge sprinkled with powdered sugar, and crystals of other sugars!!...

... and by the end of that night, I really ate so much that I felt like puking; as in, my mouth started uncontrollably watering, and I had to cover my mouth and control my breathing, and Dave had to put a bucket next to me... !!!!

... but it was one of the yummiest meals ever, and that desert made everything worth it!

... next steak plan: Rodizio :)

My mom doesn't like me going to NY... she always makes her passive agressive comments... "going to ny AGAIN to do god knows what..."... -it sounds worse in Chinese, plus her added intonations of guilt-tripping and annoyance

So leaving the restaurant, we saw this "homeless" girl... I quote, because she didn't look homeless; she had on nice clothes, a nice purse, but she had a huge cardboard sign saying something about needing 3200 for rent??... and she was crying and freaking out and saying how cold it was... Dave gave her change in her little cup thing... but what can cause a girl like that to not have a place to stay for a night??... surely, friends/acquaintances would rather her stay with them for a night than on the street?... or she could have gone to a convenience store and just loitered for a while to stay warm?... a bunch of other options, but it's just so perplexing...

This was a great past weekend :)... with the exception that Pommes Frites was closed for renovation on exactly the day we had our craving... but there will always be a next time!