Roaming Horned Frog

May 26, 2009.

Few words:
Limited internet access.
Safe trip to Indiana.
Love IU's campus!
Thunderstorms...
Met a lot of great people...
Still coughing...
Super excited about this summer.

Read about my first day. Click on the "Cleda's Summer at IU" link on top!

<3,

Cleds

May 20, 2009

I'm getting ready for a full day with my Godmother....

*Having some good Thai Curry Chicken
*Visiting 'Uncle Bud' (Godfather) at the Cemetary
*Going to the Ranch and seeing my pony, Thunder!
*Dinner (Thai Satay!)

Thursday is going to be sooo busy:

7:30 AM: Dentist
11AM: Lunch w. Toby!!!!
3PM: Optometrist
7PM: Dinner w/Sisters (Alumni) - we're discussing Incorporation and a National Board!!!

Friday:
Taking Grandparents to the Botanical Gardens and Kimbell Art Museum
Coffee/Gelatto w. Karen!!!
Dinner w. familia at Jumbo in Arlington

Saturday:
Piranha's Sushi in Downtown Fort Worth for Lunch
Movie w. Mike and Thuy?
Packing for Indiana!


Wow.....busy, busy bee!

May 17, 2009

I'm home in Texas! Wooooot! The drive wasn't as bad as I thought. It was about 1,000 miles. I only stopped three time total to pee/put gas in the car. hehe. I DO have a bladder of steel! Anyways, I just wanted to let you all know that I'm safe and at home.

Missouri was such a beautiful state to drive through. Oh my goodness it was beautiiifulll!

Stopped in Tulsa overnight on Thursday...then drove to McKinney, Texas to spend time with Frank. Poor thing -- he had stayed up for 48 hours working. He slept for about 20 hours straight! We watched a movie and a couple of shows on TV, had really good flatbread pizza, and he showed me his new toy:

Dodge Challenger SRT 80. It's a beauty.....!

I love his dogs...Rocco and Spencer - Chocolate Labs!

Anyways, I stopped by Allen Premium Outlets (3 exits away from his home) and got a new Coach bag, passport holder, and wallet. I'm Coach'd out for the year!

Got home at around 6PM or so....stopped at Dad's store and saw him and my brother. It was the first time in my life that I can remember him opening his arms for a hug. He was soo happy to see me. My dad is not the emotional type. For a grown Asian, traditional-minded man -- it was a sight to see!

Then went to see mom at her store....the newest on Hulen. She was quite happy to see me as well.

Finally, went to the original store near Ridgemar to see my Aunt and Cousin. :) I decided to give my newly purchased Coach wristlet to Yvette. :) She loved it. We then proceeded to go shopping at Rosss!!!!! (Ross doesn't exist in Michigan!) I got a new summer dress and 4 pint glasses that have the "Cowboys" and their star emblem on them. :)

This morning -- with the help of my brother and grandmother -- we took everything out of the car. Wow. I DO have a lot of things with me. I'm not sure how i'll be able to take everything to Indiana, but I have to. LOL.

Anyways....such a long and random post....

I love Texas...and I'm so glad I'm back -- even if it is for a week!

I leave for Indiana next Sunday! ahhhh!!

<3

Cleds

P.S. I hope everyone who went on the South Africa trip is safe! (Ashleigh, Dani, Jessica, Chris R., Matt and Mrs. W -- oh and the Ph.D. students. :) )

May 12, 2009

Let me tell you: I'm very indecisive about clothes and I'm pretty much taking all of my clothes to Indiana. Anything that is not winter and late fall is going with me.

I really don't enjoy packing. I have to pack several things separately: clothes for Texas, everything else for Indiana. Plus, I have to figure out storage. I'm going to be an Assistant Hall Director and am moving out of my apartment. I need to figure out what stuff is staying in East Lansing.

PLUS, there's a spider in my roooommmm!!!! I hate spiders! They have 8 legsssss!!! Oh my goodness, I can't get to my cabinet's/closet because it is in the way. Ughhh. This is going to delay my packing time. :(

Anyways, less than 2 weeks until Indiana!!! Only a couple of days away from Texas. It's going to be a long drive!

<3

Cleda

May 6, 2009

V8
Banana
Jello (Strawberry)
Apple Sauce (Strawberry)

Hooray for soft foods.

Ughh...GAP presentation--I'm not worried about. I'm just worried about this last paper that I have to do and it's due tomorrow. Woot.

So...plan for today: write, write, write, laundry, laundry, laundry, LOST, organize/pack.

Wow. One more week and I'll be on the road home to Texas!

<3,

Cleds

May 5, 2009

Happy Cinco de Mayo! and Happy Childrens Day!!!

Going on a liquid diet for a couple of days...not doing so well....Colon, Gall bladder, liver? Not sure yet. My blood tests haven't come back. We'll see what's going on.

Need to get ready for my GAP presentation, write a paper, and pack --- but can't really do that while i'm in bed. FML.


Possibly on hiatus for a while,

Cleds

The Way I Am

Written by Ingrid Michaelson

May 4, 2009

When I think of Michigan, I think of several things:
1) Too much snow
2) Good Oberon.
3) Bad Roads
4) Pretty sunsets.
5) The most delicious apples - much better than Washington.
6) Quiet capitol.
7) Home of the world's oldest Jazz Club (Detroit)
8) Home of Motown
9) Too much snow.
10) Weird weather patters.

5 Good, 5 Bad -- pretty even.

I'm sure all states have positives and negatives. I'm sure I can point out the flaws of Texas.

What can I say? You've been in Michigan for 27 years and I've only been here for 9 months. (This is far-fetched, but 9 months is the same as a pregnancy term and maybe at the end of 9 months, I'll love Michigan.) I know I'll miss it during the summer, for sure.

Oh...and I was comparing Michigan to places like Cancun, Jamaica, and Hawaii -- "tropical paradises" -- places people would go on their honeymoon or what not.

Thanks for sharing the greatness of Michigan, Terry.

P.S. Maybe it's because I'm a city girl that lives somewhat in the country. I'm just used to a booming metropolitan and things to do with great weather (with exception to some terrible tornadoes and 100F + in the summer). When I saw this comparison (Lansing vs. Dallas/Fort Worth Metroplex), I got homesick:


Cleds.

P.S.S. I've scheduled an appt. with Olin Health Center. My body heats up at night, I'm fatigued, i have a cough, in the morning my stomach doesn't hold anything. Imagine cramping x 10. =( We'll see what happens. No worries -- I'm pretty sure I don't have H1N1 Flu!

May 4, 2009

So I've decided to share two of my favorite websites with you all.

www.postsecret.com
I discovered this waaay before the books came out. People send in secrets to Frank in Germantown, MD and he posts some on his blog. It's a way for people to let out their "secrets." Some are heartening and others are disturbing. I wake up every Sunday and the first thing I do is read new secrets.

www.woot.com
I also found this before it became very public and popular. Every day, Woot! posts an item for sale. It only sells one item each day until it is sold out. Then you have to wait until Midnight for the next item. The crazy thing is that shipping is only $5. You can buy a plasma TV that costs $999 and only pay $5 for shipping! Sometimes they have Woot!-Offs -- this is when they sell more than one item for about 24-36 hours. The catch, they don't display the other items unless the previous one gets sold out. You'll know when it's a Woot!-Off when they have the blinking orange lights. Lots of items for good prices and some refurbished items. Another catch -- there's a limit of 3 per item. LOL.


Enjoy,

Cleds

May 3, 2009

Updated as of this morning and in no particular order:

Frank (<3)
Thuytrinh! (Lunch + Movie + Mike)
Mike L. (Angels & Demons)
Phi (Lunch)
Toby (Lunch)
Yvette (shopping)
Katy (Lunch)
TCU: Natasha, Margot, Natalie, Darron

Let me know if you want to meet up when I'm in town, May 16-May 23, 2009.

Other news: Mavericks lost first game to the Nuggets in Round 2 of the Playoffs. Sad day.

Okay, back to paper writing.

Much love,

Cleds

Leaders should aim to be transformational; they should empower their members in order to move the team forward.

Leaders should not be transactional - barking orders A, B, C, D,..etc.

It's hard describing leadership -- everyone leads differently.

I'm having a lot of 1 hour+ conversations about leadership with my sorors.

I'm trying to get us incorporated and get insurance in order to expand.

BUT, we can't expand unless we have a solid foundation for Alpha chapter...

Disaster
Rage
Anxiety
Madness
Anger

These are the emotions/things I am sensing right now.

Some of this stuff is necessary.

Think of a Phoenix.

Picturing it?

Good.

According to Wikipedia: " It has a 500 to 1,000 year life-cycle, near the end of which it builds itself a nest of myrrh twigs that then ignites; both nest and bird burn fiercely and are reduced to ashes, from which a new, young phoenix or phoenix egg arises, reborn anew to live again. The new phoenix is destined to live as long as its old self. In some stories, the new phoenix embalms the ashes of its old self in an egg made of myrrh and deposits it in the Egyptian city of Heliopolis (sun city in Greek). The bird was also said to regenerate when hurt or wounded by a foe, thus being almost immortal and invincible — it is also said that it can heal a person with a tear from its eyes and make them temporarily immune to death."

I believe the sorority is like a Phoenix -- we are able to regenerate when we are hurt. Sometimes a fire is needed to bring out the best of us.

"Absence is to love what the wind is to fire. When it's a small fire? The wind kills it. But when it's a real fire? It intensifies it. So that absence should do that."- Diane Von Furstenberg

This really describes how I feel. My absence at TCU with the sorority is intensifying my love for it. I really want to see us grow and develop into a great organization in the next 10-20 years!

Lots of work to do....

Much Love,

Cleds