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Wednesday, 21 December 2005
Christmas Letter
Mood:
 a-ok
It’s been another busy year for me, full of “firsts”, numerous weddings, and a few changes:
January:
The year began just as the previous one ended – freezing cold! I took advantage of the extra indoor hours & learned how to do the bipolar electrode implant surgeries on my lab rats – call me a nerd if you want, but, hey, I’m doing brain surgery now!
February:
Eric & I celebrated three wonderful years of being together!
March:
I presented my first first-author poster of my graduate school career at the Comparative Cognition Conference in Melbourne, FL. I then spent my spring break in exotic Albion, IN.
April:
Wedding season begins! Matt & Holly were wed on April 16th – the most beautiful Saturday in April! The ceremony was beautiful & I felt honored to be included as a bridesmaid. Holly has been welcomed with open arms into the family & it’s wonderful to finally have a sister!
May:
I presented my first talk at the Tri-State+ Conference in Windsor, Ontario. I was horribly sick that entire weekend, but somehow managed to pull off a decent talk. Wedding #2 – Libby & Steve(Libby is one of my KD sisters f/ Albion College).
June:
I started my summer job of lifeguarding & teaching swim lessons at a YMCA in Cuyahoga Falls, OH.
Wedding #3 – Julie & Adam (Julie is one of my dear friends from Albion, IN, & I was honored to be included as a bridesmaid).
August:
I moved to Stow, OH in the middle of August. My new address is: 3668 Kent Rd. Apt. E6, Stow, OH 44224. Along with the move, I adopted Millie from a local animal shelter (the black cat in the picture). I started my 2nd year of graduate school at Kent State.
September:
Wedding #4 – Beth & Thomas (Beth is another dear friend from Albion, IN). Wedding #5 – Jayme & Craig (Jayme is another KD sister f/ Albion College). I presented my 1st year project to the entire Experimental Psychology department – talk about nerves! I received several compliments, so I’m taking this as a good sign that I might be into the whole teaching thing (we’ll see after next fall!). I also hosted a housewarming/Pampered Chef party & we all had a great time – it was especially nice to spend the weekend with both my mom & Eric’s mom.
November:
I celebrated my 24th birthday in Washington, D.C. at the Society for Neuroscience Conference – it was “Nerd Utopia” with over 30,000 of us in one place! Thanksgiving was full of traveling and visiting with both my & Eric’s families. I also acquired a new kitten, T.J. (the black & white kitten in the picture), who is keeping Millie on her toes, but she seems to be ok with that.
December:
We were frantically productive in the lab, with abstract deadlines looming on the 15th. I’m now enjoying a much-needed break visiting with family, friends, & Eric. I’ll be back to the lab the 2nd week of January & will start classes again on the 17th.
Have a joyous & blessed holiday season! Best wishes in 2006!
Cheers!
Amber :-)
Posted by amc10albion at 12:00 AM EST
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Updated: Tuesday, 17 January 2006 3:45 PM EST
Wednesday, 14 December 2005
Yet another survey to pass the time
Mood:
 lazy
Now Playing: Criminal Minds (via TiVo)
Name: Amber Maurine Chenoweth
Birthday: 11/14/81
Birthplace: Ft. Wayne, IN
Current Location: Stow, IN
Eye Color: Brown
Hair Color: Blonde
Height: 5'4
Right Handed or Left Handed: Right
Your Heritage: Tossed salad -- little bit of everything, but it's all good :-)
The Shoes You Wore Today: Black dress boots/shoes
Your Weakness: Chocolate & kittens
Your Fears: My parents getting older and passing away, failure
Your Perfect Pizza: Hawaiian made w/ Sweet Baby Ray's Honey BBQ sauce
Goal You Would Like To Achieve This Year: Calendar year -- make it to the New Year w/o going crazy; School year -- write & defend my Masters & pass my prelims
Your Most Overused Phrase On an instant messanger: lol & riiiiight...
Thoughts First Waking Up: my bed feels so warm & comfy -- can't I just stay here all day?
Your Best Physical Feature: been having a few good hair days lately...
Your Bedtime: 11:30 or 12:00
Your Most Missed Memory: living in Huntertown, IN, across the road f/ my best friend Emily
Pepsi or Coke: Coke Zero
MacDonalds or Burger King: neither, but BK if I have no other choice
Single or Group Dates: both
Lipton Ice Tea or Nestea: don't like iced tea
Chocolate or Vanilla: Chocolate candy, vanilla ice cream
Cappuccino or Coffee: both
Do you Smoke: Nope -- no desire to
Do you Swear: more than I should some days...
Do you Sing: only if I get enough drinks in me on karaoke nights...
Do you Shower Daily: but of course!
Have you Been in Love: Yes & still am :-)
Do you want to go to College: already been
Do you want to get Married: some day... 2008 at the earliest
Do you believe in yourself: I try
Do you get Motion Sickness: not usually
Do you think you are Attractive: Eric seems to think so, so I'll take his word for it ;-)
Are you a Health Freak: I try, but it's not always easy
Do you get along with your Parents: More w/ my mom than my dad, but that's been getting better since I've moved away f/ home
Do you like Thunderstorms: if I'm safe inside
Do you play an Instrument: used to play the flute
In the past month have you Drank Alcohol: yup -- did tonight, in fact!
In the past month have you Smoked: Nope
In the past month have you been on Drugs: Nope
In the past month have you gone on a Date: I've visited Eric -- does that count?
In the past month have you gone to a Mall: Yup
In the past month have you eaten a box of Oreos: Nope, but I think I did the month before
In the past month have you eaten Sushi: I wish
In the past month have you been on Stage: No
In the past month have you been Dumped: Not that I'm aware of...
In the past month have you gone Skinny Dipping: No
In the past month have you Stolen Anything: No
Ever been Drunk: Yes
Ever been called a Tease: I don't think so
Ever been Beaten up: just by my cats & my rats when they're extra fiesty
Ever Shoplifted: Nope
How do you want to Die: of old age
What do you want to be when you Grow Up: a Psychologist running my own animal lab at a pharmaceutical company
What country would you most like to Visit: Any country in Europe
In a Boy/Girl..
Favourite Eye Color: Hazel
Favourite Hair Color: Blondish-brown
Short or Long Hair: Eric looks good in both
Height: taller than me
Weight: heavier than me :-)
Best Clothing Style: comfortable (but he looks HOT in a suit/tux)
Number of Drugs I have taken: None
Number of CDs I own: I've lost count
Number of Piercings: 2 in each ear
Number of Tattoos: none (yet)
Number of things in my Past I Regret: try not to have any regrets -- just learn from the mistakes & hope not to make them again!
Thursday, 1 December 2005
Take the quiz at dicepool.com
Monday, 28 November 2005
Bleh...
Mood:
 not sure
I had a very enjoyable Thanksgiving break: I drove up to Eric's place in Ann Arbor on Wednesday, then we went to his parents' house to watch the Lions & to bake a couple pies, then we went to his Aunt & Uncle's house for a huge Thanksgiving meal. Then on Friday we had some more of Eric's family over for pizza & chicken wings, then we drove back to Ann Arbor that night. Then Saturday we drove down to Indiana to spend the rest of the weekend with my family. It was so nice to get away & visit with everyone, despite all the driving time.
Life has been a little crazy since I got back yesterday. Over the weekend I acquired a new little kitten, TJ. He belonged to a friend of a friend who is going through a divorce & needed to find a home. Well, my friend thought that maybe my parents would have room for him on the farm, but unfortunately their current cat, Toes, is WAY too territorial & would have none of it (it's a bit ironic as TJ looks nearly identical to Toes, hence his name -- Toes Junior). So, I talked to my property manager & she said that it was ok to have 2 cats, so I brought him home with me yesterday. He is the sweetest most lovey cat ever... unfortunately, Millie seems to think otherwise. TJ just got declawed, so he can't use a regular litterbox for about a week, so I need to keep him closed off from the litterbox that Millie's using. So, this means that my bedroom door was closed all night, which Millie was not particularly pleased with (she doesn't really sleep on the bed with me at all, but she does like to visit every now & then throughout the night). So, yeah, I didn't get much sleep last night 'cuz Millie kept meowing & waking me up. I thought that if I put him in the bathroom & let her into the bedroom, then she might get over it. On the contrary, she sat outside the bathroom door & hissed. I'm hoping that after a few more days she'll get used to the little guy & at least tolerate him (or at least stop hissing). Wish us luck!
Sunday, 20 November 2005
Mood:
 chillin'
Your Power Color Is Red-Orange
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At Your Highest:
You are warm, sensitive, and focused on your personal growth.
At Your Lowest:
You become defensive and critical if you feel attacked.
In Love:
You are loyal - but you demand the respect you deserve.
How You're Attractive:
You are very affectionate and inspire trust.
Your Eternal Question:
"Am I Respected?"
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Thursday, 17 November 2005
A few days late, but interesting nonetheless...
Mood:
 cheeky
Free Sample Personal Astrology Profile for: Amber
Birth Data for Amber:
Birth Date and Time..... November 14, 1981 5:30 PM
Birth Location............. Fort Wayne, Indiana
Sun Sign.................... Scorpio
Section 1: How You Approach Life and How You Appear To Others
You have a sensible and realistic outlook on life and your two feet are always planted firmly on the ground (though you may, on occasion, have your head in the clouds). Others often see you as a rock of strength, solid, reliable, dependable, and constant. You are, in fact, amazingly consistent for you possess great powers of endurance and do not like to make changes or adjustments in your regular routine. You do things deliberately and methodically and do not easily accommodate the unexpected. Though you have a gentle, even soft, appearance, you are enormously strong-willed and stubborn. You go at your own pace and refuse to be rushed or pushed into anything before you feel sure about it. You can be coaxed and persuaded by charm, beauty, love, or affection - but never forced. You won't fight either, but simply stubbornly resist any attempt to coerce you to do something you do not want to do.
Section 2: The Inner You: Your Real Motivation
Quiet, deep, emotionally complex and intensely private, you are not a person who is easy to get to know and understand. You are extremely sensitive but disinclined to show it, and you allow only a special few into your inner world. Like a wary animal, you are cautious and mistrustful of those you do not know until you "sniff them out". You are very, very instinctive and intuitive. You usually have a strong, immediate gut reaction to people, even though you may be unable to clearly articulate why you feel as you do. Your feelings and perceptions go deeper than words.
Thursday, 10 November 2005
Mood:
chillin'
Now Playing: The Daily Show
5 years ago I was...
1. a freshman at Albion College
2. learning how to be independent
3. getting ready to turn 19 in a matter of days
4. finishing my first season in the British Eighth
5. realizing that college is WAY better than high school
1 year ago I was...
1. beginning my 1st year of graduate school
2. conducting my 1st study of my graduate career
3. getting ready to turn 23 in a matter of days
4. missing my Albion friends/sisters
5. realizing that I might just make it in graduate school after all
Yesterday I was...
1. working in the lab until 6pm
2. less exhausted & cranky than I was on Monday/Tuesday
3. cleaning my apartment
4. playing with Millie while she was in one of her fiesty/playful moods
5. talking to my friend Matty in Australia
5 snacks/foods I enjoy...
1. Oreos
2. Take 5
3. popcorn
4. pizza
5. anything chocolate
5 songs I know the words to are...
1. "I Will Hold On" Moxy Fruvous
2. "Jack & Diane" John Mellencamp
3. "Collide" Howie Day
4. "The Rose" Bette Midler
5. and all the Kappa Delta recruitment/ritual songs
5 things I would do with one million dollars are...
1. pay off all my debts/loans
2. get a Mustang GT
3. buy a house & stop renting
4. invest in a plane/flying lessons so Eric & my family would only be a short flight away instead of a long drive
5. new wardrobe
5 places I would run away to...
1. Australia
2. Europe
3. tropical island
4. Alaska
5. anywhere in the world with Eric :-)
5 favorite (American) TV shows are...
1. Desperate Housewives
2. Grey's Anatomy
3. The Daily Show
4. Criminal Minds
5. CSI
5 fictional characters I would date....
1. the new Brawny man ;-)
2. Ian Miller from "My Big Fat Greek Wedding"
3. Zach Braff's character in "Garden State"
4. Bruce Wayne from "Batman Begins"
5. Austin Powers
Tuesday, 8 November 2005
Exhausted & Cranky
Mood:
 irritated
Now Playing: Mythbusters
This has been such a miserable & exhausting week so far, which really sucks because I had such a nice weekend with Eric. I came home on Monday & that good feeling lasted all of 20 minutes. That's when I read an email from my undergrad who was supposed to run the rats on Sunday saying "I've been here for 3+ hours & there's still no data. I had to leave, so I stopped running them." Fuming, I got in my car, flew to the lab & spent the next 8 hours fixing this mess of a study.
Hoping that today would be a better day, I get into the lab expecting that same undergrad to be running rats & what to I find? Absolutely nothing. Fuming, I sent him a message saying "WHERE ARE YOU?!", only to get a reply saying "on my way, I'm running a little late today"... half an hour later, he finally decides to show up. I'm so happy he could fit his LAB TIME THAT HE'S GETTING CLASS CREDIT FOR into his schedule... (*insert sarcasm here*). Seven hours later, I'm finally home...
I swear, if he so much as shows up a minute late tomorrow, I'm gonna kick his ass. He's had WAY too many chances to show me that he can be reliable... so far I've been extremely disappointed this semester... which is another thing I don't get -- he was awesome last spring & all summer, but this semester he's really let me down. It's to the point where he either needs to get his act together, or get the hell out of my lab because I'm sick of dealing with this rediculous crap he's pulling!!!
*deep breath*... ok, end rant...
Sunday, 30 October 2005
Happiness is...
Mood:
a-ok
Now Playing: Saturday Night Live
...having a cat not throw up in your car when you drive her 4.5 hours to Indiana -- yay! I'm planning on bringing Millie to my parents' house during Christmas, since I'll be away from my apartment in Ohio for a couple weeks, so I brought her home with me this weekend just to see how'd she do with the trip & how she would take to the new surroundings. So far, so good! The first half hour or so of the trip, she wasn't much of a fan, but then she settled down & seemed to do OK the rest of the trip. She's loving all the extra space to explore here, too. She hasn't met Toes or Colt, yet, so we'll see how long she likes this new place. :-)
It's been a rather relaxing weekend so far. Tonight Mom & I went out to dinner & a movie with Holly, my new sister-in-law. Dinner was great, but the movie was a bit of a downer (we saw "The Weather Man"), though it was good to finally go out & be able to see a movie, so we didn't care too much. Hopefully we can find a more light-hearted movie to see during Christmas time. :-)
Well, it's getting late & I need to help Dad do some stuff with my car in the morning (oil change, oxygen sensor replaced, etc.). Till next time...
Tuesday, 18 October 2005
Millie discovered yarn today...
Mood:
chillin'
Just wait till you see the pictures!
In other news, I got to spend a really nice weekend with Eric. His fall break was at the beginning of this week, so he got to come down to Ohio to visit me (yay!). It looks like it'll be at least another 3 weeks before I get to see him again, unfortunately, but at least we try to make the most of the time we do get to spend together. Some day we won't have to worry about distance anymore... some day... *sigh*
Lab stuff is going ok... Steve talked me into turning my atropine study into my Masters thesis, so I'm glad that I don't have to worry about designing another study for that & all I have to do is start doing some massive amounts of writing. If all goes well, I should be able to defend this spring, which will hopefully keep me on track to finish the grad school stuff in 4 years.
Well, I need to get back to work.
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