Moving Day!

Thanks again to everyone who followed our adventures in Paris this past year. We had an amazing experience overseas and were happy to be able to share it with so many others. I hope you'll join me on my new blog, which is celebrating its first real entry today:

http://2roustabouts.blogspot.com

Au revoir, mes amies!

Ta-da!!!

I thought I'd end this blog on a happy note...


The bookshelves are FINALLY done! Thank you, Joe and Kate, for letting us take over your garage for far, far too long.

I'll have one last post on this blog to wrap things up and announce the web address for the new site. In the meantime, we are off to South Dakota for a weekend o' reminiscing! (Well, for Colin, anyway...)

Also, I have an update on the Gift of Giving Challenge: the project I originally picked out has been funded, so I had to find a new cause. I think this one is even better, since it helps kids make healthier beverage choices! As of right now, they only need $63 to fund their water cooler. So, if you haven't donated yet, please click on the thermometer to the right. Let's finish this challenge in style!

The Democratic Process Goes Blogging

OK, here they are ... the finalists for the name of my new blog! Please vote to let me know what you think. (A runoff will be held in the event that no clear winner emerges.)

What should Amy's new blog be called?
	The Lost Geographer
	The Musicology Widow
	Roust Abouts
	Trials on Quarterback Court
	French Tigers
	I Left Paris for This?
	The Moveable Rousts
	None of the above
Free polls from Pollhost.com

It's about time to switch forums

Remember back on August 9 when I said that I would use my newfound employment as an indicator that I am really not going back to Paris? Well, here we are, almost a month later and I'm still unemployed. But, I also know that I'm not moving back overseas anytime soon. *sigh* So, I've decided that it is time to officially close one chapter of my life and start a new one.

I'm gettin' me a new blog.

After all, you can't really write for a blog entitled "J'habite à Paris!" if you can't even claim to live in Paris, Missouri. It's just weird.

The real trick, however, is coming up with a new name for my next blog incarnation. I have a few ideas, but nothing has struck a true chord with me yet. Any suggestions out there?? Put your suggestions in the comments section, please.

In job-related news, I applied for three more jobs last week. This was somewhat of a relief because you can't get hired if you aren't even applying for anything! One of the three new ones has since closed, so I'll keep my fingers crossed that I'll get an interview out of it. As for the other job that's still pending ... it's been three weeks since my interview with them. So -- while this is only the second day of classes and it's completely understandable if they have put hiring issues aside until things settle down -- I'm starting to assume that I'm not going to get a second-round interview from them. This is a bummer, but more because I was really interested in the job than anything else. But, they did promise to let me know either way if I was getting a second interview, so all hope is not completely lost. I figure if I haven't heard from them by the middle of next week, I'll give them a call. (Gotta give them a chance to get through the first-week crazies and then get resettled.)

In bookshelf news, I am pleased to report that we're on the last piece. I am less-than-pleased to report that we didn't get any work done on them today, but that's because I was lazy this morning and we spent the afternoon at the gym. With any luck, we'll finally be unpacked by the end of next week.

And on a final note, my mom is loaning me one of her digital cameras until we can replace the one that the French soccer hooligans stole from me. So, coming soon ... pictures, pictures, pictures!

Almost 1/3 of the way there!!

I am thrilled to point out that we are already almost 1/3 of the way to meeting the challenge goal that I set for this blog! Yea! Thanks to everyone who has donated so far. (And yes, in case you're wondering, I chipped in $10, too.) But, we still need $210 to fund the proposal that I picked out. If we can't make it to that goal, I'll have to find a smaller project to fund.

So, if you haven't given yet, take a moment to read this description of what your money will be funding:

"I teach two third grade Social Studies classes in Biloxi, Mississippi. The students are being taught from the "Expanding Horizon" theme. They are learning we are interdependent on one another. In the past, I was only able to discuss how communities all over the United States depend on each other. Last year we learned this lesson by first hand experience. Communities all over the United States sent help to the Mississippi Gulf Coast to aid our community after Hurricane Katrina. Many of my students lost everything. They were grateful for all that was done for them. I wanted to find a way to show them they could also aid others in the community. We decided to make cards, and crafts for patients at our local hospital. The response was amazing. We received a thank you note after each delivery to the hospital. The students were amazed when they saw they had made someone's day a little brighter. They learned even though they were just 8 and 9 year old students, they could do something to help make a difference in our community.


I would like my present classes to experience helping others in the community. We had limited resources last year, so the items we made were very basic. In this grant, I am asking that items be purchased to make cards, and crafts for our "Reaching Out" project.


The cost of arts and craft materials to make cards is $290, including shipping and fulfillment."

To donate to the challenge, click here or on the thermometer to the right of this entry. Thanks again for your generosity!

Wiener Envy

This weekend, Colin and I are dog-sitting for one of Joe and Kate's dogs. Frankie, as pictured to the left, is the 10-year-old weiner dog staying with us for Labor Day. I've actually been looking forward to this all week because Frankie is a very sweet, cuddly little dog. Plus, when she's happy, she grunts. Too cute!

I wasn't the least bit concerned about how Frankie and Didge would interact because they normally just ignore each other. OK, occasionally, Frankie will stick up for Homer (Joe and Kate's other dog, a giant black lab) and snap at Didge when he's been too rough. Clearly, there is no cause for alarm when comparing the size and force of a wiener-dog bite to the ridiculous thickness of Didge's head and neck. (Literally and figuratively.)

As expected, Frankie has largely been a little angel. She cried a little when she first got back to our place, but that's to be understood. Didge, however, has turned into the big green monster. He is insanely jealous of Frankie's presence in the apartment. In fact, just before I started this paragraph, I was leaning down to scratch Frankie's neck when Didge came running into the room. He stopped cold in his tracks with a soap-opera-worthy look of shock and betrayal. "What? My mom? With another dog??" He instantly started chewing me out for daring to show affection toward his rival.

Last night, Didge spent most of the evening pouting and pacing because Frankie was sleeping on the bed with us. It's not like Didge ever sleeps on the bed with us anyway ... it was just the mere idea that another dog would think herself worthy of being there. When Colin got up this morning, Didge jumped up and plastered himself to my legs. By this time, Frankie had already wiggled her way up so that she was nestled into my stomach. When Colin walked back in the room, he just laughed and called me "The Dog Lady."

Just in case you don't think Didge is truly jealous, I should also point out that he blocks Frankie's path whenever she gets near me. So, even if I'm calling her, Didge will wedge himself in between the two of us so that she can't reach me. Instead, I have to look over Didge into Frankie's woeful little eyes, pleading with me to help her overcome the big, furry insurmountable obstacle in her way.

If nothing else, I guess you can call this a good self-esteem day for me! :)

Big brother's bachelorhood is (almost) over!

Well, I wish I had a great picture of the happy couple, but I don't... so, you'll just have to settle with the text announcement that my brother is officially engaged! He proposed to his girlfriend today, and (obviously) she said yes! All I can say is: it's about time, you two.

Oh yeah, and welcome to the family, Mary! (Or should I say the Shields mafia?)