My Last Week in Iowa

++ I met my mom in Grinnell for Pagalai's Pizza! She just got done with a big trial and we, understandably, wanted to see each other before I left for Concord. Not only was it a much-needed talk, but we got some of my favorite pizza of all time!

++ I've been taking J to class in the morning and finding a coffee shop in downtown Iowa City to hang out in until he's done. It was an odd transition for me since I wasn't used to so much down time, but it gave me the chance to work on my blog more (which rocked).

++ J and I went to Oyama Sushi for the last time before my big move! As always, it was impecable.  Mmmm... Afterwards, we headed down the street to Great Clips so J could get a quick hair cut. They had a bit of a wait, so we hung out in Petland for a bit while we waited. Cuddling with this little Basset Hound was a MUST. I could never get a pet from a pet store because they're all from puppy mills, but I can still look at them... right?

++ James was absolutely terrible at the vet. I wanted him to get a check up and get the shots he needed before we left, so I made an appointment during the week. He's never been great at the vet... Last time he hissed at her and tried to attack her leg, but let her examine him. This time, James was impossible. He tried to attack her the minute she walked into the room and every time she got close to him. I had to hold him tight to me so she could examine him, and even then, she couldn't touch him. We eventually had to put a towel over his head so she could feel his tummy and give him two shots (which the vet assistant had to do while the vet and I held him down)... Let's just say, it was a rough visit, but James is in good health and has since calmed down.

++ My bestie Hannah was in town this week, so she and I hung out in downtown Iowa City. We did hipster-y things, like losing my phone, thrift shopping, buying dresses/nightgowns with cats on them and drinking coffee out of mason jars. I miss her and my other roomies from Simpson so much, and it sucks that we all live so far away from each other! It was really, really great to hang out with her and I miss her so bad since. She makes my heart happy.

I also got to see Kelsey and Lisa that evening, which was much-needed. :) We introduced Kelsey to "New Girl" and I introduced them both to "Wilfred." Backrubs happened. I love them.

++ I bought a few books this week, just as a present to myself! I got "The 5 Love Languages," some Oscar Wilde plays and three moleskin notebooks that I plan on using for budgeting and gratitude notebooks! I starting reading "The 5 Love Languages" while I was getting my oil changed in preparation for the trip. It's pretty good so far, but I haven't gotten to the good stuff yet. Hopefully I'll get a chance to once my apartment stops looking like a privileged war zone.

++ This week mostly consisted of packing... In between everything I did above, I was packing. I was organizing. Friday afternoon, before my dad got into town to load everything in the UHaul trailer, J's mom and stepdad helped me carry all of my boxes and furniture to the big garage so it would be ready for loading! Workouts for days. After this week (and unloading/unpacking, wowza) I'm pretty sure I've gained 5 lbs of straight muscle.

++ I think James has moved with me enough times to understand that one of us was moving. Leif was really confused about the whole thing. I still can't tell if James misses Leif - I think he misses the company, because he meows at the door if J or I aren't in the room with him.

++ After/During the trailer-loading process, 20/20 was on, featuring... MY MOM!!! 20/20 did a special on "beauty," including a section on the Missy Nelson case (the case of the "irresistible" dental assistant). My mom did a great job - she came off as super professional (which she is) and totally foxy (which she also is). I was so proud of her!

J's mom also made pizza, which was much-appreciated after carring ~30 boxes to and fro all night!


Phew! Sorry that I haven't blogged in the last few days. I hardly ever blog on weekends, but there really hasn't been a chance to sit down and get everything organized for regular blog posts until now. I'll update everyone more in the next few days. For now:

• I love my apartment;
• I love my sarcastic roommates;
• I love Concord;
• I love my family and J;
• I love my baby kitty here and the baby kitty I left at J's house;
• I love the Thai restaurant in town;
• I love Magners and Strongbow;
• I'm excited for law school; and
• I am absolutely overwhelmed by the support and love I've been getting! This has been an emotional and scary process, and I couldn't have done it without all this love. :)