Erika&Richard

NEW BLOG!

2010-03-29T18:31:00.000-07:00

I really hate to do this to all of you, BUT I have officially changed my name to Christensen (Richard couldn't be happier) and I can't use my school e-mail anymore! So, I had to create a new blog address. Don't worry, everything is the same, it's just a new name. Add us to your blog rolls!

http://richard-and-erika.blogspot.com/

Thanks!

Thoughts...(warning: LONG)

2010-03-04T21:32:00.000-08:00

My awesome SIL Anna inspired me to write my thoughts. In life we often get too busy to really, truly, deeply think about things that are important in the world, in our lives, and for our sanity. Lately a lot of my thoughts have been revolving around politics. It's what I do and it's kinda my thing. I try very hard to keep politics out of my personal life, oh well. But in all honesty, that's just one part of my life. Another thing my thoughts have been revolving around are my beliefs. A much larger part of my life. Life gets interesting when I start to reconcile one with the other, which is a reason I like to do it. So, lately I've been questioning my political views and if they can reconcilable with my faith. (Which is the right way around, for safety's sake one should not be questioning your faith to see if it reconciles with your political beliefs. Seen too many friends stray away from the gospel.) So if you are not interested at all in politics, history, or my insane rambling, please stop here!

I've been thinking about a lot of things and measuring them up to the truth. There are a lot of things I could say and testify to, but this specific topic has been on my mind. If any of you have a chance check out these clips of a documentary I would recommend everyone to watch: http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/shows/ghosts/video/

I warn, it is not for the faint hearted. It is about the atrocities in Rwanda. A tragedy that had occurred in my lifetime. Hundreds of thousands of Tutsi Rwandans were killed by their neighbors while the world watched and did nothing. The President of the United States expressed no remorse after the fact. The United Nations failed to provide aid and manpower necessary to protect those seeking refuge from the violence.

I know there are many opinions in the world, but one side seems curiously hypocritical. The political left. While many scream for action to help disenfranchised people in the world, many ardently oppose the use of force. Many people will not be shaken from the belief that guns are bad. While, the political right may not be in the right to have a forceful knee-jerk response in all cases, in this case, over half a million lives would have been saved if minimal action had been taken. It is so easy to believe, war is wrong, force is wrong, America should not be involved overseas, but every case must be analyzed independently. Blanket statements are irresponsible.

But when it really comes down to it, the Rwandan genocide is not a political issue. The situation in Rwanda was a moral one, and sadly America failed. America yielded to the pressure of weaker states and took the easy road. The UN sent men in with no guns, while gun wielding radicals rounded them up and killed them along with the genocidal victims. Guns can be good. Guns could have saved the thousands of defenseless men, women, and children that were being hacked to death by crude machetes in the hills of Rwanda. My heart goes out to those that stayed in Rwanda while all others left and withdrew their troops and support for the life saving work they were attending to. I am ashamed at the way in which our President reacted.

In watching this movie, it tears your heart out to think there's nothing you can do. I've watched it multiple times and it still shakes me; just knowing that kind of evil exists in the world. At the end of the day, we can't go back in time and we can't as individuals fix these problems. But we can remember what is important. I've decided that I can't always say that I hate force and coercion while my family sleeps safe every night. I can't say that I hate military policies while I have a roof over my head. I can't say that I hate guns, when guns make it possible for me to live without having to own one.

V-Day Getaway

2010-02-17T09:27:00.001-08:00

"How many girls can say their husband DROVE THEM TO SAN FRANCISCO for Valentines Day?!?" - Richard

Richard is the greatest. He drove all the way there and all through the night back because we were so tired of snow, clouds, and wet. A total of 26 hours!! And it payed off! We got warm, sunshine, and green! Although it may have not been the most romantic getaway ever (cheap motels = not cute), he did try, it's just that all of the good places were already all booked up! Nevertheless, it was just what we needed. And it was awesome. Here is some documentation from our trip.

This is what we left:

Richard was so excited!

Soon we were in Nevada, all alone, and surrounded by nothing.

We saw mountains again and rested in Reno.

We found ourselves in BEAUTIFUL Tahoe!

Then I fell asleep...so no pictures. Until we got to San Francisco!

Then we were too busy having fun...so no pictures. Until we took a drive to the coast!

Goat Rock Beach! One of the DEADLIEST beaches in Cali! We witnessed 20-30 ft. waves and it was AWESOME!

Then we drove ALL night to get home. All in all it was a great success! :) Sorry the pictures are so small. Forgot the camera and had to resort to our phones :(. We also went to the Jelly Belly factory, but they did not allow pictures inside. Lame. I highly recommend it, but don't get your hopes up too high for Oompa-Loompas...you don't get to see any.

Law School Update

2010-01-28T11:10:00.000-08:00

Every week we are hearing back from more Law Schools that want Richard! So far he has been accepted into George Mason University, Pepperdine University, and George Washington University. Yay! I also got accepted into the program I've been interviewing for in the D.C. area, so it is most likely that we'll be East Coasters after all!

Richard hasn't really decided for sure where he will be going because we are still anxiously waiting to hear responses from the other schools he applied to. He's getting into SUCH good schools, he's having a hard time deciding (the better the school, the higher the tuition).

Although we are seriously considering D.C., we haven't set anything in stone quite yet. But who wouldn't love this view??

It's a Rap.

2010-01-25T17:57:00.000-08:00

I try not to mix work and pleasure, but after a cost-benefit analysis, I decided would benefit you all much more than it would cost me to break this rule. Enjoy.

Fear the Boom and Bust

You'll thank me for this later. I guarantee it.

Know The Story:

In Fear the Boom and Bust, John Maynard Keynes and F. A. Hayek, two of the great economists of the 20th century, come back to life to attend an economics conference on the economic crisis. Before the conference begins, and at the insistence of Lord Keynes, they go out for a night on the town and sing about why there's a "boom and bust" cycle in modern economies and good reason to fear it.

Resolutions

2009-12-30T22:55:00.000-08:00

The new year is coming and there is so much I want to do I can hardly contain myself! I could never narrow it down to just a few resolutions, so I will make a list of resolutions and goals for the next year, aka whenever I get around to it.

I will buy new strings for my violin and play for fun.
We will both buy running shoes and go running (once the ice pack melts.)
I will move into an apartment that has closets large enough for my wardrobe.
I will buy some heels and learn how to walk in them.
We will work on genealogy on both sides.
I will buy adorable things for my home from Anthropologie that is not just off the sales rack.
I will write my thesis and graduate with my Masters degree. (It will take a lot to get motivated for this one.)
I will learn how to cook for just two people and not an army.
I will get my passport so we can be ready to travel.
I will relax and enjoy my last semester of classes ever!

Mind you, this is an ever growing list that I will mount on my mirror and read every day and will mount on the refrigerator for Richard to read every day. :)

2010 is gonna be good.

What We've Been Up To

2009-12-05T23:00:00.000-08:00

We haven't posted in a long while, but here's a catch up of what we've been doing the past few months, besides being cooped up and studying.

Since my Dad has been in Japan, we've been taking my little sister, Emmie, from my Mom to give her a little free time (this is just a good excuse for me and a justification for Richard.) Here are a few pictures of what we've done with her.

With her little puffy vest she would go too fast and was so slippery she'd be all tangled up on these slides! Richard was a good sport and went down with her.

Piano time with hat and mittens. Don't ask.

She asked me to take her picture with the mannequins at Old Navy. This is Emmie with "her dog." We have a beagle at home. She insisted on these lovely white socks.

So strange.

She's such a cutie. Richard thinks she's crazy.

We went to Seattle for Thanksgiving. It was such a great time and SO beautiful! It made me miss it and wonder why I live in a desert/tundra. We got these pictures taken with the fam while we were there.

That's Richard "laughing." How attractive.

We decorated for Christmas! We bought some lights (the SWEET old school kind with the huge bulbs!) And unfortunately had to go with a fake tree this year...but we did borrow my Grandma's vintage Christmas ornaments from when I was a kid and it looks great! We love it!

Our favorite ornament, a little Turkish man!

Love it!

Merry Christmas!

Next, we will try to survive finals week. Then we will be home free and celebrate Christmastime with Richard's family! Yay! So excited!

Law School and Normal School!

2009-10-21T11:00:00.000-07:00

While we were enjoying ourselves standing in line for 2 hours for Space Mountain at Disnyeland we found out some news...Richard got a 161 on the LSAT! Yay! That is in the 84th percentile and awesome. Ever since we have been researching Law Schools. Here are some at the top of our list:

1. Temple University (That's in Pennsylvania)
2. Pepperdine (Malibu)
3. Cornell (New York)
4. American University (D.C.)
5. Santa Clara
6. Indiana
7. BYU
8. George Mason (D.C.)

And a few more. We are SO VERY excited :)

As for normal school. My constitutional law midterm (Law, Politics, and War) that I wrote about a while ago got handed back to me yesterday:

This came from the hardest teacher in the department! A positive attitude makes a world of difference!

I love my life.

2009-10-08T14:48:00.000-07:00

Can I just take a minute to tell you all how much I LOVE my life!

School is the hardest its ever been. (Can you say, Constitutional Law!?!) But I love it. A challenge, finally. Sometimes I complain, but really, it is such a blessing to be able to do this! I will ROCK the midterm on Monday (with some faith and luck!)

My best friend was married the same summer as me. I love her dearly and her new husband. It was hard there for a while when I was married and she was single, but now that she has joined our ranks, we are back at it again.

The temple is literally 5 minutes away from our house. Being able to go there and work for my family let's me forget about myself for a while.

Richard is awesome. Sometimes being a girl is just sucky. I'm whiney and my hormones (which I picture as little evil people whispering to my brain) tell me things like, "Be mean to Richard" or "Cry for no reason" or "You hate how you look today." Blah. Richard is just a champ. We laugh ourselves to sleep. Randomly when I'm in the car with him, I think to myself, when did all this happen? We are married? Life is too crazy.

Okay enough of this. :) I am just so happy. It took me a while to realize that the Federalist Papers will not kill me. I will survive and I will love it!

At long last!

2009-09-06T20:24:00.000-07:00

Sorry we are the worst at blogging, but we finally found some time to blog about the most important day of our lives so far...three months later. We LOVE our pictures, but since we can't post them all, if you want to see more visit annarasmussen.com/blog. But if you are in the SoCal region beware, you might be making up reasons to get pictures taken after viewing that blog.

We love each other. Time is a funny thing when it comes to love. I wonder sometimes why it took me so long to fall in love with Richard, while at the same time, wondering when it all happened.

Richard is perfect for me. We are opposites in as many ways we are similar. He loves to surf, I can't tread water. We both love reading. He is tall, I am short (except in this picture, take that!)

I love planning our adventures together. We will never be rich, but rich with experiences we say! From little trips to keep ourselves from suffocating in Logan, to planning our first real big adventure after we both graduate! Woohoo!

There are so many amazing things about Richard I don't even know where to start. I love everything about him. From his glasses to his willingness to let me change his style. (Loose pants just don't look great on boys so skinny.) There are some crazy things too...like his laugh and the way he mutters in Russian under his breath which kind of creeps me out.

I love that our way of life doesn't bother us. Right now we live in an old dingy, one bedroom apartment. We have no T.V., sleep on the floor, and have Quasimodo for a neighbor. (I will include a pic as soon as I deem myself sneaky enough for the task.) We have a simple life as students, but we really couldn't be happier. We don't have space for all of our stuff, so it's piled up all around us. It reminds us of how fortunate we are.

This picture of us pretty much sums it all up. Amidst school and bills and craziness we can't stop laughing. We are two of the most happy people in the world.

Silly Post

2009-08-11T09:45:00.000-07:00

This is a conversation we had earlier today.

9:33 AM Richard: curry for lunch?

9:34 AM me: unless you want something else.

Richard: Hm...

I'm fine with that.

I can also make burritos! That is why I kept the del taco sauce from yesterday.

9:35 AM me: sweet

9:36 AM Richard: yep :)

We can just have curry though.

That is fine.

me: no it's okay.

especially if we're going to eat it again for dinner...

9:41 AM Richard: yeah...

maybe for lunch we can do ramen or burritos

me: yeah that sounds fine

9:42 AM ok i'm going to jump in the shower.

i feel yucky.

if you used up all my conditioner i will kill you.

9:44 AM Richard: I haven't used it at all.

me: thanks :)

I believe I am in the perfect relationship.

Things About Us.

2009-07-28T22:44:00.000-07:00

Hello all. We've been happily married f0r just over a month and it's been awesome! We've learned so much about each other and about making a life together. In the spirit of learning new things about me and Richard, we felt we would share some things YOU might not know about US. :)

1. The first real lesson learned in our marriage is Weinerschnitzel everyday is no good. Just because fast food is cheap (and delicious) does not mean it will make you (or your tummy) happy...
2. Our two new favorite shows are Ghost Adventures (Travel Channel) and Whale Wars (Animal Planet...thanks Stewart). We watch them obsessively.
3. We have the names of our future children picked out already.
3. We've discovered Epic Pet Wars. (iPhone app. Check it out.)
4. Richard is precisely 10 inches taller than Erika.
5. We try to be fashionable, but we can never stop buying dead men's clothes and elementary school mascot shirts at the DI.
6. Erika can never make up her mind. If it weren't for Richard we would have died of starvation long ago.
7. We both drive our dream car (except neither of them are the right color.)
8. In 3 days we each have a 20 page paper due. We are awesome at procrastination.
9. We've made the long journey to Yogurtland and back.
10. Richard is so strong he cracked his Tungsten ring.
11. Richard gets mad because Erika leaves all the cupboards and drawers open. She is getting better.
12. Richard designed Erika's ring all by himself. She didn't even get a chance to peek at it until he proposed.
13. He tells her he loves her a thousand times a day.
14. The first time Richard came over to meet her family, her little brother shot him multiple times with his marshmallow gun.
15. Erika got REALLY excited when she learned about Hogwarts Land.
16. We are excited to move into our teeny apartment in a few weeks.
17. Erika's love for shopping has resurfaced upon moving to Las Vegas. Richard tried so hard to suppress it...
18. After dating for some time we decided we should get married. Then we moved to opposite sides of the world for 4 months.
19. We both miss actually having a summer vacation.
20. We LOVE being so close to family in Vegas. The heat, not so much...
21. We are so lucky to be able to go to the temple; by ourselves and with our friends.
22. Midnight Pomegranate is our favorite.
23. We love Yasuko, our pizza lady.
24. It rained on our wedding day...but we have amazing pictures! (They will be posted. I know I am SO SLOW.)
25. We love the gospel, each other, and our families. We couldn't be more blessed.

THE BEST SHOW EVER!

2009-07-14T09:15:00.001-07:00

Okay, so Erika and I went to a Sherwood show last night and it was AMAZING! At first we were having our doubts. They were as follows:
1. This venue is small and pretty ghetto.
2. There aren't very many people here, maybe there won't be enough energy to make it a good show.
3. The first opening band was the worst thing I had ever heard...I'm not even joking.
4. When Sherwood was setting up we were the only ones standing in the front....and almost the only ones in the room.

But then! Sherwood started to play! And from the first song until the last it was FREAKING AWESOME!!!! Here is a video of end of For the Longest Time, which was the last song they played.

Richard wrote all this without me, so I decided I needed to put my two cents in too!

It was really something spectacular. Going through times of hardship when they acquired thousands of fans, my years of loyalty paid off with an intimate show, playing a lot of their old stuff, and a personal shout out from Dan. It was AWESOME!

I danced like a crazy person but had the time of my life! It made me realize just how grateful I am for these guys and their amazing music. I've taken for granted how I've grown up with them and how much I love their music.

At Tommy's request, I will now post about the worst band I have ever heard, which, interestingly enough, played before Sherwood. It is always darkest just before the dawn, right?

These were the quintessential garage band that should never, ever leave the garage. One looked like the fat Jack Black in the movie School of Rock and the other one looked like Chris Farley from Tommy Boy. The bass player looked pinched like a heroine addict and we didn't see much of the drummer, thankfully. Their music. Let's just put it this way, they had to skip one of their songs because they couldn't get it together, one included a 5 minute guitar solo that was so bad my ears were bleeding, and their final song was a tribute to 2Pac that lasted an unholy 10 minutes.

I'm pretty sure the only thing that could have redeemed that was the one and only Sherwood.

My homeboys...this is how awesome they are.

Update!

2009-06-03T12:33:00.000-07:00

Hello all!

Just wanted to update kinda what's going on in our lives. This is my second to last week of work (yay!) and Richard is in class all day from 9 to 4 non-stop. The wedding plans are coming, although we are still trying to pull together all of the little things. Who knew that flowers would cause SO much drama!?

Things on my mind lately:

Weather. I keep checking the extended forecast for the month of June (like the weather people are ever accurate anyways) and yesterday is gave us this picture for the 20th:

And today it gave us this picture:

So we'll just keep praying for the best!

We can't wait to move to Las Vegas! I'm not sure exactly what our plans are, but it will be nice to finally have a summer! We are so lonely up here and we are excited to see Zach and Zaira again!

I am really excited for Bridal+Richard pictures this weekend! It will be fun and we just got Richard's suit back from the tailors and it looks great! :)

The real reason I am posting all of this is because my boss is gone, I'm done training my replacement, and I am SO bored!

I also really want a pair of these shoes:

Not only are they eco-friendly, they look awesome. And on top of that, whenever you buy a pair of these shoes, the owner donates a pair to a child in need. Sweet! Not only am I satisfying my need for sweet awesome shoes, I am going to be helping a child with no shoes in a third world country. Blake Mycoskie is my hero and there should be more people like him in the world.

The end.

Wedding Day Dress!

2009-05-31T20:09:00.000-07:00

Ta-da! The dress is finally done! I thought I'd share some pictures with you, since many of you have been waiting in utter anticipation. Wait no longer, the moment has come!

Here it is! Complete with my little shoes. (Ignore the messy room in the background. Those are all of the things we bought/received for out apartment that we never moved into.)

Again, this time with my eyes closed!

The back.

We are both very happy about it, as you can see.

Next up, Richard's suit coming tomorrow! :)

"Sometimes...

2009-05-27T14:41:00.001-07:00

...things just don't work out the way you plan." - Harvey Bushkin, Heavyweights.

This is the story of my life, especially the last week or so. I found out today, the florist can't get a hold of any of the flowers that I wanted. None of them. Sad day. There are a number of things that haven't worked out...perfectly, but alas, there is still hope, for there are people who love me and are doing the best they can to make my day the most perfect day of all the days. :)

Thus, again it is time to count my many blessings.

I love Richard more every single day. Guess what he did for me? He bought me those shoes I couldn't buy myself. Isn't that what the best of friends do for each other? He does what I can't and reminds me that it's okay if I can't do everything by myself. And he thinks I'm pretty all the time.

I pick up my wedding dress on Saturday! The most anticipated of days for any girl.

I get my hair all prettied up tomorrow. I love that feeling, especially since I've let my hair become a curly ratted mess.

I have the best family-to-be and spending time with them this past weekend reminds me that there are other people who are thinking about me and Richard too, and I don't have to do all the stressing...I'm sure Kathryn has her fair share since me and Richard aren't exactly on the ball on many things...

Thanks Danielle for all of my frantic, daily advice seeking. Sometimes Richard just doesn't understand the importance of hair, jewelry, make-up, etc, etc, etc, and I can never decide what I want. She's had my back from day one and has been digging up little nuggets to make our wedding great all around!

I have a Mom who lives and breathes and works every minute of the day for me and my little sibs. It's been pretty stressful for a number of reasons for my family lately, and yet she dedicates time for my wedding every single day in the midst of potty training, cleaning, yard-working, shopping, and all the other "fun" things Mom's get to do. Thanks Mom.

I also have very supportive family. My Grandma is trying so hard to understand me (which is quite a feat for anyone, right?) so she can make the reception just how I've dreamed of.

I have so many things that I need to enjoy everyday that I don't and so many things to look forward to that I discount. Everyday is something to be lived, not simply endured. I love that the hardest times are sometimes when you learn the best things! :)

All is well! I'm getting married in 3 weeks! Yay!

THE SHOES!

2009-05-14T09:54:00.001-07:00

I finally found the perfect shoes. I love them. But the saddest part is I can't bring myself to buy them...

$110.00 can buy a lot of things:

Gas 4 times.
Food for 2 months.
1 car payment.
4 cell phone bills.
110 chicken sandwiches from Wendy's.
1 pair of spectacular wedding shoes. Ouch.

Wedding Plans...

2009-05-01T08:29:00.000-07:00

Okay, so I have begun planning in earnest. Now that I'm committing to all these things, I thought I might need a second opinion. If you see anything on here that is hideous and you are thinking I am out of my mind, please let me know. A combination of birth control pills and general stress has fried my brain. :)

Okay, firstly. The decorations I am really excited about. My grandma has done flowers for a long time and we decided to do the flowers ourselves. I have always wanted a simple theme, this is kinda what I am envisioning.

I love, love, love the jars of random arrangements of flowers!
This is what I want my bouquet to look like...I think.

Maybe this?
I've always been transfixed on two things, and now especially for my wedding: my hair and my shoes! I REALLY wanted to leave my hair down, but since my dress has a high collar, it would be sad if no one could see it. So I've been thinking something like this:

Or this:

But I really wanted something like this:

And the next step plaguing my mind is to veil or not to veil. I've already decided a short one is the best fit, but there are too many options. Maybe I should go without? Sorry about the creepy mannequin heads. Let's see:

This one is my very favorite (minus the feathers, ick) :

Or should I do something completely different?
Or...
And for shoes. These were the ones I was dying to have, but I can't find them ANYWHERE!

And these are pretty sweet:
But I will probably have to settle for something like this: (I know Richard is tall, these heels are for you, Grandma)

For the reception I am really excited about the theme! We are just doing a simple rustic backyard wedding party! I decided to have cupcakes instead of cake (except we will have a little one to appease my mother), and flowers and candles and grass. :) Although it stays light out super late, we are going to string up some lights and have lots of candles. I think it'll be sweet awesome.

Here is kinda what I am envisioning:

Obviously there are a thousand other things that I need advice on, but this would never get done. Expect a Part II. :)

Finals....

2009-04-26T19:36:00.000-07:00

are lame.

My Little Piglet.

2009-04-09T14:57:00.000-07:00

This is all I want to do these days...

Isn't she adorable? And I'm her favorite - no really I am. This is her in her Christmas pajamas. They have reindeers and "hohoho's" on them.

She loves Richard too. Except she says his name more like "Wijart." Sometimes when she's sad or gets hurt she says, "My Wijart! My Wijart!."

I know this is a really creepy picture, but we tell her to "do the look" and she does this. She looks possessed. These are her "piggie" pajamas.

She loves me the most, but most of the time she thinks me and Richard are constantly with each other. When I wake her up in the morning, she instantly asks for Richard. When we get home from school she yells, "Erika-Richard" like we're the same person. She's funny and she makes me happy.

My Life

2009-03-04T08:24:00.000-08:00

A fun little post about what my life is right now:

Blessed Capstone Course

Thesis

History...

The Blasted GRE...

Work.

Extra curricular activities I have no time for. And last but not least:

Wedding planning.......

The End.

I died!! and bled on my head!!!

2009-02-17T21:13:00.000-08:00

So, I was sleeping the other night, then I woke up and I was bleeding...OUT OF MY HEAD!! Before I knew it I was a ginger named Wendy! Red hair=lame face. Been there, done that. Old news, don't drink booze. I like rhymes, they ring in the ears like chimes.

Attitude of Gratitude

2009-02-04T08:00:00.001-08:00

I've been exasperatingly stressed out lately, so I've decided to give myself a day off work every week. They still schedule me, so every week I have to hunt out someone that would want to work on Saturdays, which is easier said than done. This week, no one could do it and I really need Saturdays to get ahead (more like catch up) on my school work. So I went into work last night and came to this sad conclusion, and right when I had no hope, Richard said that he would take my shift for me, so he would be working a double that day. Although he partially did this because he needs an income of some sort, I think he also did this because he loves me and is awesome in general. On my way home that night I forgot about my stresses for a minute and counted all my blessings. I have a ton to be thankful for and I had lost sight of that because of my burdens at school and life in general (wedding planning is the gulf of misery and endless woe), so I thought that I would get all my thank you's out at once to all those people that make my life more than just school and work.

I came home that night to the smell of baking cinnamon rolls, and honestly, there is nothing better than that in the world. My Mom is the greatest. I am hardly ever home, but the times I do come home (mostly during meals and to sleep) there is always dinner waiting for me and a load of laundry done so I have something to wear the next day! My Mom is amazing. And of course my Dad. Thanks to him I would not be where I am today. He is a genius and if it weren't for him I would not be doing what I love, studying political science and history. He instilled in me a love for learning when I was very little, and it has gotten me to places I never thought I'd be.

Richard is the greatest thing ever. We are both very busy with school and both stressed out, but he is always the one that makes me feel better. He always comes and visits me at work between classes and understands when I'm crabby. He gives me perspective when I need it.

I am so grateful for all the friends I have that I never really counted on before. If I ever had a problem I have friends in Logan, to Salt Lake, to California, to Washington D.C., that would talk me through anything. Lindsey saved me from a nervous breakdown, and even though we correspond mainly through gchat, she is my life counselor. :)

It is amazing how your problems are no longer your focus when you stop and consider all of the things that make life worth it.

Back Into the Real World...

2009-01-08T09:15:00.000-08:00

Unfortunately, our prolonged vacation has come to and end. 3 weeks without an income has started to take a toll and the semester started Monday...so here's what's going down.

Richard is taking a full load with some pretty tough classes. Some political theory courses: an Intro to political theory and a American constitutional theory class, a political science class on Politics and War, and a Business Russian class. He's pretty stressed already, but once we get into the semester, he'll get into the swing of things. I'm only taking 12 credits this semester, I'm taking 2 history classes, a Women in History class and a American Revolution class, the same Politics and War class with Richard, and my Senior seminar class. And...I graduate this semester! Which really doesn't mean anything except I have to start studying harder for the GRE...

Besides school and work, not much has been happening. My family took my brother to the MTC yesterday, which was both hard and amazing! He's so prepared and will make an excellent missionary. It is funny how the people there are always making corny jokes to make people stop crying, but the most hilarious part to me was the outdated "MTC Life" video they show. Straight out of the 70's. Departing with my closest sibling was definitely a hard thing to do, but he is so excited to be heading out and excited to serve the Lord. My brother is freakin' awesome and a genius (in everything, but mostly in Constitutional Law), for those of you who don't know him.

Other than that, Richard and I both start work. I am back to the old Firehouse, and since Richard hates job hunting, I hooked him up with a job at Firehouse too. I also start a real job (!) on Monday in the Institute of Political Economy as the director's assistant. Yay for me!

We'll keep you updated as the semester progresses...oh, and for those of you who didn't know, we're engaged now. Which is kinda crazy, but we're crazy so does it really surprise you?! As soon as we find out about this State Department craziness we'll try to set a date. We'll keep ya posted!

-Erika

Merry Christmas

2008-12-25T12:28:00.000-08:00

Happy Christmas everyone.

From-

Richard and Erika

Christmas is good. We love Christmas and giving and getting. And our families. We got some sweet stuff. We got an Office board game, Richard got some sweet argyle socks and an argyle sweater and a great book and a lot of other stuff. Erika got some sweet socks, floss, and...student fees. We gave Emmie a freakin sweet apron we made ourselves, Elina a movie and some stuff that smells good, and my parents a gift card to Hamiltons, (yes, THE Hamiltons, but don't think we're rich because we're not.) Merry Christmas to all and to all a good night. God bless us, every one. I wanted a red ryder BB gun with a compass in the stock and a thing that tells time.

P.S. We are SO SO excited to see all of the rest of you at New Years. We have presents for the rest of you to distribute at that time. :) Be excited.

Pictures will come later! -Richard and Erika

Beijing

2008-12-11T17:25:00.000-08:00

Hey there everybody! Sorry this took me soo long to post but better late than never, right!? Here are just a couple pictures from my trip to Beijing! Enjoy!

Here is where we spanked the entire world in swimming...and by we I mean Michael Phelps.

Asian picture!

I'm climbing over the Great Wall. It really wasn't that hard.
Here I am on the Great Wall! Yay! Sorry, it has taken me a while to get these few photos up, but this was my trip to Beijing!
My left hand is pointing to Erika. My right hand is pointing to me. Literally opposite sides of the world.
Check out the SWEEEET reflection in my sunglasses!
I'm a commi too!
The Forbidden City!? Forbid this!!!

That's all! Hope you enjoyed it, later, R. Vronick

Just a quick Note

2008-11-29T08:43:00.000-08:00

Okay, just a quick update from Richard! I'm in Beijing right now! This is a sweet city and has been my favorite vacation so far! There is just sooo much history. It's really interesting. And that is about it. In other news...15 days. That's about all that is going on :) Teaching is going great, it's been fun and a great experience! :) I have pictures, but I can't put them up until I get back to Guilin, so wait and I'll have them! :) Well that is it! Later! R. Vronick

Odds and Ends...aka the longest blog EVER

2008-11-26T18:18:00.000-08:00

So here are some pictures that no one has laid eyes on as of yet. There are some of me and Richard, and some other random people. Enjoy!

Bahahaha! This is us in Provo some random weekend at David's apartment. We were eating starbursts (Tyler ended eating all of them, surprise...) Richard was annoying me again so I put two wrappers behind his glasses so he wouldn't look at me anymore.

Three of my favorite boys in the history of the universe. Too bad you can't see the actual pictures moving. They like to shake their face fat. I threw up a little bit in my mouth.

THIS is how much I love Richard. I scare him sometimes. I took this so you all could see straight up my nose.

Isn't he cute when he actually smiles? Richard Christensen is a California Dream Boat.

Here's Richard, keeping me safe as we cross the street in SLC.

Richard driving my car.

Me not driving my car. :)

The freaking GIGANTIC grasshopper in Antietam! It made me scared to take this next picture. (the boys have great footage of me screaming and freaking out. I'll locate it for your viewing enjoyment)

Me proving to the big boys I wasn't a wimp. Take that, uh! What, suckas!

Sideways picture of me in a church in Antietam. I was declared a witch by Pastor David Haupt.

My office. And a random guys head. We were here to watch the inaugural nail driving ceremony. Yes, those exist. I have a nail to prove I was there!

Here I am claiming my Japanese heritage in a classic Japanese tourist photo.

Us interns at the baseball game. Go Nats!

Me, smiling for the camera.

I know many people think this is disgusting, but it was the most delicious 10 dollar hot dog I have EVER eaten. Bratwursts rock, I don't care how many pounds I gained that night. (This brat was followed by a soda, french fries, and funnel cake)

Here I go!

Here we are being goofy. I don't know why but I think I jump faster than the average human being.

Yes, I went to the zoo by myself. I felt like a creeper seeing everyone there with their kids. Luckily Richard stayed on the phone with me the ENTIRE time! In this exhibit they let the monkeys run wild! WILD! Poop was raining from the ceilings! Poop! (okay maybe I stole that from a popular television show.)

Great story. On the day of my infamous WEST WING TOUR, it was flooding outside. Literally. I was wet up to my knees but they still let me in the White House. Here is the cutest little kid ever. His name was Adam he was five, and knew EVERY state capitol.

Me in the press room of the White House. My lack of make up and my very curly hair can attest to the hurricane outside.

Beautiful Annapolis! I love it so much I just might live here some day. Seriously I got giddy at the prospect of seeing the ocean! The ocean!

Annapolis revisited. Here are all the constitutional delegates from Maryland. My cheesy pose fits right in.

All of us privileged people ant the Republican National Convention's Election night party. It was a sad, sad day.

Last of all, this is where I want to be! Three weeks into the future in Utah, with Richard and the fam. Only three weeks away!

Okay, okay you get the gist. I have TONS more of DC but none of them are that fun to look at, so another day.

18 days Richard. 18 days.

VENT! A little of this and a little of that...insight into my life.

2008-11-19T09:51:00.000-08:00

I am incredibly BORED at work, so I did what Lindsey says cures all boredom. BLOG! I am even boycotting blogs, but this is a new low. I am all Facebooked out and there's no one to email or chat with. So, here I am. First things first, update on my life:

I am officially stuck in DC with no where to go and nothing to do because an overwhelmingly large majority of people are LAME. Congress is in session now (for those of you who don't follow politics) which means I get to work long hours...with nothing to do... We get out of here at 6 o'clock, but by that time it is pitch dark and attackers are lurking behind every corner. Going home from work is relatively safe, but venturing out of my jail cell of an apartment after 7 (the time I get home after work...I want my car back!) is a no go. Here are some interesting things that have happened to me lately:

I had lunch with the Senator and his wife. It was rather entertaining actually. He's really laid back and casual guy, so it was like talking to your Grandpa or Great Uncle or something of that nature. Some tidbits about the Senator: He likes salad, coffee flavored ice cream, questioning the status quo, and his height makes him bump into things a lot.

My cousin had her baby. It seemed only weeks ago that we were playing Barbies on her bed (the convertible we had was SWEET!) and choreographing dances to our favorite Spice Girls Hits. Oh, I long for the days of Boy Meets World and roller blading. Oh the joys of growing up in the 90s!

The love of my life up until about, say 9 months ago, Andrew McMahon is here. In this city. Tomorrow. 8 metro stops away. I waited to buy tickets until I knew my bestie in DC would be coming home, but much to my dismay, she will not be returning in time. So now the show is sold out. I know I can still buy tickets on eBay, BUT everyone here is lame. Interns, staffers, my so called "friends," everyone. They have no taste and will not accompany me. Richard says I cannot go because I might be accosted on my own. Is there any mercy or justice in the world for me?

The same thing happened earlier this week. The Aquabats were here. A night of splendid skanking awaited me, but once again. Let down by the lameness of society. So I got in the shower and turned on Super Rad so loud it shook the window panes. That'll show 'em!

I came close to becoming a martyr for the Republican party last week. I was on the metro heading over to Eastern Market, when BAM! About 50 Georgetown Students boarded to train, on their way to the Prop. 8 rally on the Capitol steps. #1 - it already passed people! Get over it! #2 - California is on the OTHER side of the country. Are we lost?! After much chanting ("Don't hate, integrate" and "1 2 3 4, we won't take it anymore" etc.) The beligerant leader, (clad in Rainbow socks and Mardi Gras beads) yelled, "Are there any Republicans on this car!?" I saw my life flash before my eyes. I was going to get clubbed to death with multi colored pickets because I'm Republican, I can only imagine what they will do to me if they found out I was a Mormon from Utah! Luckily, I just ducked my head down and another round of chanting began. That was close.

Now, for some venting:

I got to D.C. because I worked my BUTT off in college!!! I am not related to any Congressman or I did not sleep with any one to get here!!! Why are there so many stupid people working on the Hill?!? Aren't these people supposed to be the BEST and the BRIGHTEST! I have lost hope.

Where is MCKELL!? I am DYING! No one here wants to do anything except eat and watch lame shows. She is my soul mate and it was happenstance we roomed together in DC, but fate had to tear us apart. Leaving her sick and afflicted on a couch in Utah and me here, bored, tired, and alone in Washington D.C. We will now both miss our beloved Andrew and must cope with the loneliness of being utterly separated from those with an IQ higher than 3. I miss you McKell, all they want to do is watch Sex and the City and go tanning. I can't afford to lose any more brain cells!

3 weeks and 4 days Richard!!!!

Yeah, I'm a little dramatic.

Lindsey: Breaker of Blog Boycotts

2008-11-18T11:15:00.000-08:00

Me and Richard were on a Blog Boycott of sorts. We think they suck. But Lindsey "tagged" me and I could not turn away from it. It was a matter of honor. Here it goes:

That's so great about the number 8 anyways..

8 favorite tv shows (in no particular order):
1. The Office
2. 30 Rock
3. Jeopardy (Freak yes!)
4. Newshour with Jim Lehrer
5. BBC World News?
6. Scrubs
7. So You Think You Can Dance (I know, I know…)
8. Project Runway…

8 favorite restaurants:
1. Costa Vida
2. Mehak (a little hole in the wall India place in Chinatown)
3. Mekala’s (my Uncle’s Thai restaurant)
4. Firehouse Pizzeria (Shout out to my homies!)
5. P.F. Changs
6. Olive Garden
7. The Cheesecake Factory
8. ColdStone (Yes, it is a restaurant, yes it is a meal)

8 things that happened yesterday:
1. Work…
2. Had lunch with the Senator
3. Chatted with Richard
4. Called my Mom
5. Ate pancakes
6. Listened to the Aquabats
7. Read my new novel (I forgot how much I loved reading without deadlines!)
8. Fell asleep to Richard on the phone

8 things i'm looking forward to:
1. Getting done with this internship!
2. Moving back to DC with Richard someday
3. Starting my Masters
4. I think they call it a wedding?
5. Christmas & New Years!
6. Richard!
7. Emmie!
8. My family in general. (Including the newest addition!)

8 things on my wish list:
1. Having money again (interns get paid crap)
2. All A’s my last semester and graduating with Honors
3. Having Richard back
4. The State Department Internship (ha, yeah right, but a girl can dream)
5. That scholarship…
6. That assistanceship…
7. Koch Foundation Scholar
8. A Honda Element

8 people i tag:
1. I don’t care….anyone else?…
2. Cyn?
3. May?
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.

You Can't Handle the Truth!

2008-10-16T15:04:00.000-07:00

So I was riding the metro after work today next to an old lady reading a romance novel and thought to myself, "Wow. I wonder if her children and close friends knows about her obvious addiction to sketchy romance fantasies..." and I realized, there are a lot of people who read all these things I write and don't exactly know me. I mean, don't get me wrong, I do not read books like that or have any confessions of that nature, but really. Maybe many of you have asked yourselves, "Who is that girl? Really?" and here I am, ready to answer the questions that have haunted your minds for oh so long. But, take this as a precaution, you are entering a place few have ventured and returned with a happy tale. This place is the deep recess of the mind of Erika Morris.

First things first, I hate public mass transit. It is riddled with many assortments of diseases and vermin.
My guilty pleasure: Andrew McMahon (who was, in fact serenading me via iPod on my train ride.) I heart you forever Andrew.
I want to be a rockstar when I grow up. Seriously not joking. (P.S. I miss jammin' with you Chase and all my rocker home boys in L-Town)
I wish I had time to read more.
Sometimes I think I went through COLLEGE too fast. I honestly hold fast to the belief that you can never learn too much.
If I could I would spend the lost Inca gold everyone is looking for on books. Piles and piles of them. Oh, and concert tickets.
Sometimes I wonder how these people get into college, let alone graduate.
I can't wait to get back to school, full time jobs suck.
This morning I didn't eat breakfast and I saw three homeless people.
One thing I've been craving is a good dance party. Complete with Paramore and the Aquabats.
One thing I will never depart with are my Chucks. Broken, torn, and worn literally into pieces, these guys have stuck it out with me for 5 years and counting.
I'm tired of wearing my business clothes and just want my skinny jeans back.
One deep dark secret: I secretly wish I could dye my hair Fire Engine Red. Or maybe just parts of it. Unfortunately my hair is (for all intents and purposes) black.
I feel most alive rocking my face off at a good show. I feel most myself sleeping in the field behind my house in Washington.
Sometimes I feel like I'm living two lives. Like I'm a secret agent. Business grown up Erika that goes to work early and fulfills my responsibilities as an adult. Crazy irrepressible Erika that sings on the Subway and never holds back. I have two wardrobes. Pointy toe shoes and Vans. Eye shadow in Champagne and Neon Pink. A lady briefcase purse and my button clad pin stripe bag. Late nights studying like a mad man and late nights partying like a rock star.
I miss Kaysha and our chex treat making, Aquabats music video creating, documentary filming, DDR playing, Karaoke singing selves. Where art thou BFF of mine?
One of favorite memories is working outside in my farm boots, riding in the bucket of the tractor, picking blackberries and making cobbler, and swinging on the old tire swing out back.
Some of my favorite shows include, but are not limited to:

Sherwood (my very first and one of the best!)
Jack's Mannequin (BOTH times)
Saosin (I couldn't move my neck for a week and a half! Not joking!)
Paramore (She is my personal hero)
The Aquabats (Freak yes!)
Taking Back Sunday
Mae
And too many more to name!

I love EFY
I miss orchestra, symphony, and 2:00 weekly appointments with Dr. Emile.
I believe that you can find soul mates at any stage in life. Kaysha!!! And McKell!!!
I love my family and my friends.
I love Richard Vronick Christensen.

*Thanks to my cool friends that made this blog possible...and made it look so cool.

Courts, Clothes, and the Civil War

2008-10-15T10:52:00.001-07:00

So...apparently my life has been too busy to blog. Between work, vacationing, site seeing, studying, and late night chats with Richard, my schedule is starting to wear on me. I love my job though and I love Washington DC! What they say is really true, once you're here, you'll find your way back again someday, and I plan on it. Writing letters, watching votes, watching hearings, and simply taking in all of the history here has definitely been the fulfillment of a childhood dream. (Which is sad because most kids dream of like, becoming an astronaut or a princess or something. I'm just a nerd, daughter of a history professor.)

So I finally had some time to practice yesterday and my fingers hurt like crazy! I need to get new strings since I'm playing on cheap ones I stole off my old violin. Once I can afford a new pair of shoes, I will definitely look into buying some new strings. (Note: my priorities are straight.) My friend's family was supposed to drive some of my belongings out here, but unfortunately that fell through. I've been living off of 4 pairs of shoes, no jacket, and 3 sets of Sunday clothes for almost 2 months now. Don't ask me how I survive, because I honestly do not know. Oh well, good excuse to go shopping I say! Unfortunately, my meager intern salary doesn't give me much leeway, mostly due to the fact that I eat as much as a mid-size manatee.

My hair is getting long again. I really need to get it cut, but I am very wary of trusting anyone with my hair. I got so desperate that I cut my own bangs. Yeah, anyone who knows me should understand how dire this situation really was. But it's actually even past the awkward mid-length stage now so it's not looking too bad. But for a while there...wow.

Nothing really super exciting has been happening as of late. I went to Annapolis (which is a really fun place, another place I wouldn't mind living when I'm older and rich.) And chuck full of attractive sailors, due to the Naval Academy there. Just giving a heads up to any of the single ladies I know. ;) I've been to Gettysburg and Anteitam and plan to see Fredricksburg and Clarksburg this next weekend maybe. I know they aren't places people know. That's because me and Mike are history enthusiasts and have an odd fascination with the Civil War.

If any of you feel the urge (Lindsey!) feel free to come visit me out here. I have 2 couches and an extra bed! I need some excitement in my life.

Other than that, just the usual things taking place. Eating, sleeping, and missing Richard are what take up all my time outside of work, but I really am trying to get out and see things. If I could get over my addiction to Richard, maybe I will take advantage of Washington D.C.

Arachnidologist-One who studies spiders

2008-10-11T07:43:00.000-07:00

Well, with all these spiders around me I'm finding that I'm quite interested in these fascinating creatures! Maybe I'll become an arachnidologist! Here is the another spider picture, definitely the coolest one yet. For one because it's alive and for two because it is simply the coolest one yet! :) It is called a Golden Orb Weaver. Other names include Banana Spider and Giant Wood Spider. Although, these are all common names given to many species of the genus Nephila. There are a reported 27 species of this genus. The one I have here seems to be a Nephila Clavata. But, who knows, I'm just judging by the picture. This species is known to be in Japan, Taiwan, Korea, and China. Anyways, I hope you enjoy this B-E-A-UTIFUL picture! The Creator surely is an artist :)

More Pics, Better Method

2008-10-07T07:02:00.001-07:00

So, here are more pictures from all my travels, the most recent ones in the album China 2. Enjoy!
-China
-China 2

-R. Vronick

The Joy of One...and the Pain of none.

2008-10-03T02:28:00.000-07:00

So! Things are going good. Right now I'm (this is Richard, Erika never writes posts because of the lack of Internet in her apartment) in a city called Sanya! It is nice, it's like Hawaii...only in China so kinda a lot more dirty :) I think I'm going to have a chance to go surfing tomorrow! I'm keeping my fingers crossed! (and I'm sure Erika is keeping hers crossed that I can't go :) She thinks a shark is going to eat me every time I even talk about surfing)

One thing that I've discovered/rediscovered about myself. I love to be alone. Now, I want to explain because now-a-days it's not so much that I want to be alone as much as I want to be with those that know me best. I don't like people not understanding my actions. Bri and Ty are great, don't get me wrong. We are great friends but, they just don't know why I do certain things and why I act certain ways. Like when I ask if I can stay behind or if I can go walk around the ferry by myself, they worry. I'm like, "You guys, I'm a loner, that's what I do! I go to restaurants and movies by myself...when Erika can't come." Now, of course I've always known this about myself and this isn't what I am claiming to discover/rediscover. I'm talking about how much I hate(!) doing touristy stuff that costs an arm and a leg! I would MUCH rather just buy a map of the city and walk around and see the people and ask directions to the nearest bookstore, street market, or restaurant. That is fun! That is why I go to new places and new cities, to see them and the people in them. NOT in order to do stuff that I can do some other time in America, like fishing or going scuba diving. Or even stuff that I can't do in America, like going to a monkey island. Ya, it's cool and I would eventually do it, but I want to get to know the city first. It's much more interesting to me.

Now, the pain of none. A seeking suspicion that I have is that I miss Erika. Ya, I know! You would have never guessed that with me saying in every post but, it's true. It's October though. So, counting down the days (literally). Things are going great. I love her more every day, and hence miss her more every day. But, with the increase in love also comes an increase in commitment and faith about us and our future. I know that everything will work out despite the many obstacles that stand in our way. We can do it together (and I enjoy being with her WAY more than being by myself, every time) Well that's it for me, have a good day cyberworld!
-R. Vronick

Pictures for the non-Facebookers

2008-09-23T03:19:00.001-07:00

Okay, so my sister in-law Shana was like freaking out (!) because I haven't put pictures on mine and Erika's blog. So, here are some pictures of me in China. This first one is a HUGE centipede that was in Ty and Bri's room.

Here we have the Shanghai skyline at night, beautiful eh?
Me, being awesome in Shanghai. That is the pearl tower in the background.
Ty and I are confused about where we are going next.
This is the hostel that we stayed in while we were in Shanghai. It looks like "It's a Small World" and they play that song 24/7 in there!! jk

There you go Shana, and everyone else. Enjoy. I have more photos and I'll put more up later.
-R. Vronick

Nine to Five...Actually Six.

2008-09-12T16:26:00.000-07:00

So my second week at the job is proving just how tiresome this whole gig is. Well, that is probably my own fault though...staying up until 2 in the morning talking to Richard messes up your sleep pattern. I hate getting only 5 hours of sleep! My brain is kinda fried right now. Everyone asks me what I'm doing, to be honest I do a lot of things. I am the go-to guy (gal?) for the deputy chiefs of staff, errand girl for the Senator's assistant, constituent correspondent, and press assistant. And today, I was a ticket counter for the Presidential Inauguration. You'd think that it was boring, but Sammie, the head guy man, is HILARIOUS!!! I loved it.
Things are really going well and I know what I'm doing now, mainly doing a lot of research for the Senator. Oh, awkward Senator/Intern moment. All of us interns were waiting for the elevator and the Senator comes walking down the hall and we were like, Oh my goodness, that's him! That's the senator! We didn't know what to do, so as he walked by I kinda was just like, Hey we're your interns. Kinda really fast and quiet. I didn't think he'd hear me, but he turned around. He just kinda looked at us. Then introduced him and shook our hands. Looked at us again, and turned around and walked away. Awkward.
Other than that, I've put up with annoying neighbors, drunk interns, and boys trying to break into my room.
I've never been so tired before in my life. That is all.

Shotty work there Sparky

2008-09-04T06:05:00.000-07:00

Okay, so let me vent a little here on this blog. I'm doing fine in China. Missing Erika like crazy, but what else is new. We talk soo much, it's awesome! I love her. But, it seems that the Chinese want to tear us apart. I'm convinced that they are the ones that plot the power outages right when I told Erika that I would call her.

Okay okay, it is mostly my fault. Last night I was supposed to call Erika at 7:30 pm, but I fell asleep and then woke up and called her at 8:20, which was too late. Tonight I was all set to call her at 7:30, and wouldn't you know it? The power goes out! Ty and I went out in the night to fix it. Get this, we are messing with the breaker and hearing sparking!! I swear, could the Chinese be any less efficient? Everyone talks about how they are the new America and how they are soo progressive. Well let me tell you, I've been here for 2 weeks and I already see some fundamental flaws in their society that I just don't see working unless they change.

So, you want to hear how we fixed the electric problem? I punched the power box as hard as I could! "Bruum" it roared away and the lights (and internet) came back on. Although, if you know anything about modems and routers, sometimes when the power has been off they need to be rebooted. So, I did that and got the internet fixed. (I'm like Mr. FixIt here) Let's just hope that the power holds out. My fist still hurts from the first repair, I need a little time to recover :)

Well that is about it. The teaching is going good...except for when the kid tried to choke himself with his token bag on Monday. No worries, I stopped him promtly. Later,
-R. Vronick

All Alone in the Big City...and it Rocks!

2008-08-27T14:18:00.001-07:00

So I went out for the first time alone today and it was absolutely amazing. I don't have my camera just yet, so I just took a short little walking tour. I saw a few things...like the freaking Supreme Court! Heck yes! And the Library of Congress and the Capitol Building!!! It is amazing here. I will live here someday. In one of those cute little townhouses in the Historic District on the Hill or out by Georgetown.
Afterwards, I took in Richard's computer to get it looked at. I was pretty scared, but it turned out that all those tears and stress was unnecessary. They cleaned it out and it worked just fine. Way to freak out Erika. That's just great. But things are looking up now! I've been trying to hijack internet into my apartment for the last few hours without any success, so I think I'll just have to pay. I think they're trying to starve us. Between the metro fares, outrageous cost of food, and having to pay for every service imaginable, it's a miracle kids here don't go into debt. I'm scraping the bottom of the barrel and I'm at the highest paying internship here!!!
More to come. I'm sure I'll have another adventure tomorrow!

The District of Columbia

2008-08-25T21:00:00.000-07:00

So my first day in DC is just a huge blur. I arrived at my apartments at around 2 in the morning. After our flight was delayed due to technical difficulties, a medical emergency, and the metro was under construction. Yeah. I didn't want to wake any of my roommates, so I crashed on the couch. I still woke up early enough to talk to Richard though. Afterward, what did I do? Be responsible and go grocery shopping and clean the kitchen my roommates destroyed? No. I went sightseeing. We walked all around the Mall, went to the National Botanical Gardens, made new friends, and found out where I will be spending most of my time (Senate Dirksen Building Room 436.) It was pretty awesome. After that I did what every normal girl would do in this situation. Shop! And let me tell you, the shopping on the east coast is phenomenal! But I exercised self control and only bought two things from H&M. Yay Erika!
We went home after that and I was just pooped. Out. But, alas, something else had to come up. The internet card in Richard's computer wasn't working, so I opened it up and re-inserted it (just like the guy at Best Buy did before!) and I go back to turn it on...and nothing happens. I panicked. I tried again, opened it again, nothing. I hyperventilate and start crying. Then I call my Dad. No help. Then I remember, oh yeah, Richard's brother does computers!!! So after a wild goose chase (using the ultimate stalking tool Facebook, I found Tyler's number, who I texted to get Lindsey's number, who called me and gave me Danielle's number so I could talk to Tommy.) Tommy and Danielle assured me that I couldn't have ruined it, and to take it in to the Apple Store. So I am heading over there first thing in the morning. If I can get up that early. But I will because this is Richard's computer and if it's ruined he will kill me. I have faith and trust Tommy though, I'm sure it's fine.

What a day, huh! I'm tired, I'm dirty, I'm stressed, and I'm mising Richard. It's been SO long but I have to wait up for at least an hour more before I can go to bed...Richard might get online.

I'll keep you posted on my adventures in the big city!

-Erika

Hong Kong and a Headache!!!

2008-08-22T07:32:00.001-07:00

:)Hello from China!! I'm in Hong Kong right now and will be here for the next two days. Then we hop on a train for some 30 hours to get to Guilin! 30 hours!!?? That is what the head teacher tells me but that seem a little ridiculous! Of course, I'm in China!, what do I expect :) Well, I miss Erika like Tyler misses food (he's fat) but I'm sure it will get easier. It's mostly due to the fact that the internet isn't consistent here in Hong Kong. We are staying in a YMCA hotel and I have to pay for the internet. So, we have time constraints that normally wouldn't be there. Oh! Let me speak from personal experience, an 8 typhoon is nothing to worry about :) That is apparently what is going on outside RIGHT NOW! But, it looks like a weak rainstorm in Vegas to me :)

The converter I bought doesn't work with my computer!? Everything else works fine with it but I just can't get power through it to my computer! So, I'm using my roommates right now, I'll buy one that fits my computer tomorrow. Then I won't feel bad about using his to charge my computer when he needs it to charge his too. Well, that is it for now! I'll let you know how the train ride went when I get to Guilin...although I don't expect to be suprised, I rarely am :) YOurS TruLey, R. Vronick

I Feel Violated

2008-08-20T10:40:00.000-07:00

My personal blogging space has been hijacked! You know, just when you think you can trust someone...

So, I'm supposed to be packing again, but I'm really tired and this is the last time in a while I get to talk to Richard on the phone, so I'm putting that on hold. I can't believe he is leaving today! He is literally going to exactly the other side of the world (exactly 12 hours away!) What are the odds? I'm kinda nervous because I don't know what's going to happen, but he assures me that everything will be fine.

I'm really not quite sure what to do with myself. I have a LOT to do, but that can wait until Richard is gone. It's hard to concentrate on things that have to be done when you're on the phone every waking minute (even sometimes when I'm falling asleep!)

Richard thinks that my computer runs too slow, so he's sending me his old one to take with me to DC. Only one problem, it's a Mac. He insists that they are better, but I am reluctant to let go of my beloved PC.

Okay, so to add fuel to fire my cell phone broke today. My little sister (she's like 1 1/2 feet tall) dropped it at a funny angle and cracked the screen. It's supposedly under "warranty" still, but this falls under the "insurance" part of the plan. Lame. Like I don't have enough stress, right? It's okay. I have a tendency to make mountains out of mole hills.

Enough rambling! I'll be sure to write again when there's something worth writing about!

- Erika

Subtle Takeover...

2008-08-20T09:28:00.000-07:00

Well I don't know if you saw this coming, but this is going to be my blog too!! Why create another one when I can simply take this one over with sweet ninja skills and subterfuge? I know what your saying, "Why would you want to takeover your girlfriends blog?" Well that is simple! I want to take over the world and I have to start somewhere!! So, I'm off to China later today, 8:10pm Vegas time to be exact. Crazy! I have a 4 hour layover in Los Angeles, which isn't cool, but what can I do? Nothing, until I rule the air! I fly from there to Taipei and from Taipei to Hong Kong! I land in Hong Kong at 9:10am local time...on the 22nd!! That seems like a lot of air time but it won't actually be that bad.

So, some time has passed and now I'm getting nervous... I have traveled enough to now that once I get going the jitters will pass. But, just the prospect of leaving Erika and traveling to a place that is as far away from D.C. as you can get before you start coming back is a little daunting. I know that everything is going to be fine... but you know how it is! :) CHINA!! It's going to be quite the experience. For the entire time that I have been planning to go I have though that 4 months will be a long time; but who am I kidding? I was on a mission for 2 years!! That is 24 months! I realized this because I was packing and trying to slim down to just one checked bag (I did it!), and I was like, "Wait a second! Four months!!? That is nothing! That is less than half the time I spent in L'viv! I could live out of one backpack in that time, easy!" So, I took out a couple more articles of clothing. I'm still pretty close to the weight limit and if they say I'm over I'll just lose a couple more things! No big deal :)

Anyways... I'm all done now, so I'm just sitting and thinking...and that is never a good thing for me if you are aware of how my brain works :) That is about it for me. Expect more random mutinous efforts from yours truly, R. Vronick.

The first day of my blog life.

2008-08-18T09:48:00.000-07:00

Okay. I thought my life was falling apart, but I'm good. I mean, I cried so hard I made my nose bleed, but you know, fully recovered. :) So...after convincing by both Lindsey and Danielle, I finally gave in. I created a blog and I'm officially a cyberspace internet junkie. I think it's a good move up in the world for me, this way I don't have to write a thousand e-mails updating everyone and I can release some of the emotional build-up that is increasing as of late.
My life: Richard is leaving for China Wednesday. That's really all that's on my mind. I don't think it's really sunk in yet, but he's in Las Vegas right now, so baby steps. Definitely good for me. I am leaving for Washington D.C. on Sunday. I haven't even packed yet. My bedroom is a disaster. I think that "tropical storm Fay" struck. In my bedroom. I didn't really realize how bad it was until Richard went in there and was stuck. Literally. There was no room to walk around! Not to mention many "girl items" strewn willy-nilly around the place. It's okay, Richard doesn't pick up on those things. But I am making progress! I moved my large suitcase (I can fit inside it) and have started packing while watching Juno. Well, I'm writing this so I'm not making much progress now.
This morning I woke up to a call from Richard (that's the best way to start your day, not breakfast.) After we were done talking, I rushed to work to make sure I wasn't scheduled. I wasn't thank goodness. I was going to call in and tell them I threw up last night anyways, which wouldn't be a total lie. I felt sick at least! But I have to go in tonight. I came home and Emmie was like, "Richard?" I told her he was gone. I don't think she understood. She still carries around a picture of them all over the house! It always finds itself back above her changing table though.
So my pants are too long. My parents dropped $400 dollars at Anne Taylor buying pant-suits for me when I start my internship and surprise, surprise! the pants were too long. I'm getting them tailored tomorrow. Okay, Emmie is throwing everything out of my suitcase. I need to intervene.