Good Hell!!!!

Remember that 7 lbs I lost during the first two weeks of school because I was sick? Well,  I found them. 

There is only one right way to make coffee. A french press. Full stop.

San Antonio with Kristalle and Nick

Kristalle Herda invited me to spend the day and evening with her and Nick in San Antonio last weekend.  We had so much fun!!! We took the boat ride in the river a the riverwalk in downtown San Antonio, saw the Alamo, had lunch at Chart House in a structure much like the Stratosphere in Vegas. The we had Bohanan's for dinner which is in the top 3 steakhouses in Texas. So yummy. Nick and I shared a steak that was better than kobi, not even kidding. I had a mouth-gasm. Here are some pictures of the weekend. Check out the rocks on Kristalle's hand - yep my dollbaby is getting married!  Exciting. I wanna pick out dresses, but she told me to slow the F$#@! down - there will be a long engagement - at least a year. They want to finish school first. She's so pragmatic. 

August E's

Lindsey Hollin and Matt Fawkes, transplanted Kerrvillians, wisked me off to August E's in Fredericksburg (30 minutes away). We had so much fun, and so much wine (Justin's Isosceles-unfiltered) and so much dessert. These guys know how to dine! They'd give Peter a run for his money, to be sure.  Matt ordered every desert they offer for the table: cheesecake, espresso creme brulee, creme brulee, flourless chocolate cake, and lavender ice-cream. I had escolar, caprese, and asperagus for dinner. Oh my! Escolar is amazing!!!!!! If you like fish and never tried it - try it!!!! Anyway - Lindsey & Matt rock. Matt is so smart and calm and Lindsey has a huge personality and super funny - and it was so nice of them to treat me because I was accepted to grad school - so everyone who loves me and is happy for my getting in and would love to take me to a congratulatory dinner, send your love through the universe to Matt and Lindsey. Cuz they rock!

I wish. . .I hope. . . I long.

How is it. . .

that a starving student like me has roast duck with champagne apricot sauce, beet and potato napoleon, and asparagus for dinner? Charity.

What I'm working on. . .

Unconditional love. Forgiveness. Increasing self trust.Toning body, mind, and soul. (Sigh. .  . I'm exhausted just thinking about it.)

I was accepted into the University of Colorado, at Denver

Masters Degree Program in Counseling Psychology, Children, Marriage and Family Track.  This program was my first choice because of its emphasis on multi-cultural awareness and training. This program is also situated in a beautiful city that I have always wanted to spend some time in - not to mention the fact that I will be close to a beloved friend, Kami, that I miss like crazy. I am so excited to move there. I'm trunky!  Some of you may remember that phrase meaning "ready to go home" from the mission? I can't even begin to explain my emotional state upon reading my acceptance email. I was nervous, elated, relieved, scared, grateful, anxious, joyful -  and I laughed and cried for nearly 1/2 hour. Consider with me for a moment. . .  someone like me, both parents addicted, zero supervision in my childhood, zero self-esteem in adolescence, but lucky enough to have a generous extended family, and smart enough to glean some coping skills from them and others - and having achieved such a goal and so close to fulfilling my dream. I mean, the math doesn't bear that out. I have been watched over!! I know I could not have gotten to this point without the support of family and friends -- and family that are friends and friends that are family - so grateful.

If you shorten your shower by 1-2 minutes, you can save up to 150 gallons of water in one month.

My responsive essay sent to UCD with my application.

Supplemental Essay on Equal Rights

I identify myself culturally with other Christian thirty-something, white American females. I value hard work and honesty. One could argue these are American values. I value goodness, integrity, and leaving the world better than I found it, perhaps this value is a product of my 15 years of religious education, or perhaps a product my personal experiences. I have always assumed that my values resulted from a synthesis of culture, family influences, and what my conscience tells me as I make choices and take actions.

It is natural for me to feel connected with other human beings, regardless of race, gender, sexual orientation, or class, provided the person demonstrates a quality of character. I have several friends from many different cultures, countries, races, ethnicities, and sexual orientations. These friends offer my life a diversity of views and opinions. Since I don’t require that others see things my way, we are free to discuss a wide range of issues and subjects with respect and admiration.

My long time friend is half-black, half-white and a homosexual. In high school, while we were driving in my car, four white men in a pick-up truck screamed terrible obscenities in our direction for several minutes.  When we stopped at a light, these men jumped from their truck and pounded on my windows with baseball bats and tire irons, smashing one of the windows before the light turned green and I could drive away. I don’t recall ever being so afraid, yet I know for him, it was much more terrifying. Ever since that day, I have a slightly better understanding of some of the hardships minorities and homosexuals experience. I don’t flatter myself by believing that I could ever truly comprehend the prejudice and cruelty experienced by people that don’t have the rights and privileges that I have.

For the next five months I will reside in a small Texas town, where prejudice remains omnipresent. It is disheartening. Admittedly, progress has been made. The CFO of Schreiner University in Kerrville, Texas is black. This same man was among the first to integrate into Kerrville High School in 1964. This blatant prejudice is very difficult for me to imagine, yet less than one hundred years ago, in some parts of the country, white people went to church on Sunday morning, and strung up a black person in the afternoon for talking to a white girl or some other infraction, never seeing the sardonic connection between Christ on the cross and a man hanging from a tree.

Notwithstanding the anti-segregation laws passed in the 1960’s, the practice continued until approximately 1979. Some may argue that segregation still continues in our day. The Equal Rights Amendment was not passed until 1982. The first mixed race black man was elected President of the United States in 2009. I contributed to his campaign with money, ardent support and time. In my view, the struggle toward racial equality has been embarrassingly sluggish in this Country, and I don’t feel we have arrived yet. When we can discuss a person in terms of character and qualities other than race and color; when racial differences are no longer relevant, and racial profiling is no longer in the news, then we can proclaim that we have arrived at racial equality. Further, we can say we have arrived when women and minorities are represented adequately in the legislature and in other leadership roles. We can say we have arrived when birth control is covered by insurance, same as Viagra. We can say we have arrived when all school aged students are offered the same quality of education. 

Personally, I have never considered myself entitled more than any other person based on race, gender, or class. I believe that I should have as much chance as any other person based on my own merit, for that job, promotion, or scholarship. However, I am certain that I have been privileged in my life because of my race, perhaps being chosen for a job over a person from another race. How often this occurred, I will never know.

I am also aware that as an attractive woman, I am afforded some privileges.  On more than one occasion I was issued a warning for a minor traffic infraction, instead of a ticket. Conversely, I have no doubt that I have been offered jobs in the past based too much upon my appearance.

I would feel privileged to work in a capacity that advocates for minorities to create a more equal society, or educates others about racial inequality, and gender inequality. I am committed to equal rights as is evidenced by an essay I posted two months ago to my blog concerning marriage equality. The essay can be accessed at catchingupwithshawn.blogspot.com.

If we are to evolve as a people, the inclusion of all citizens, not a division between those that are entitled and those that are not, must prevail and as such, total and explicit equality must be the next step in our evolution as Americans and as human beings.