Thinking Out Loud #75

Happy Thinking Out Loud Thursday! Have you had a cookie lately? If not, I’m going to recommend these snickerdoodles. They’re pretty addictive… and a surefire way to make your Thursday a little brighter.

Anyway, long time no chat. I have two finals down and one to go, so life is still a little bit crazy. But I decided to take advantage of Amanda’s linkup to fill you in on what’s happening in my life and mind. Ready? Okay.

1.) Last Friday, I ventured back to D4 Irish Pub to meet Susie and Ellie for dinner. The sweet potato fries weren’t as perfect as I remembered, but the smoked salmon was freaking fantastic and exactly what I wanted. I probably didn’t need to eat a basked of sweet potato fries the size of my head anyway. 😉

Plus, the company was the BEST. We talked and laughed and it was great. The best study break ever. If I’ve learned anything in the last year or so, it’s that I’ll always value time to destress and/or hang out with excellent people over an extra little bit of study time and the marginal payoff it comes in terms of grades. (Remind me I said that in a week when I have my quarter grades…)

2.) Remember how I didn’t have classes for next quarter last week? While I was at dinner, my mom texted me and told me my schedule looked fixed. And it was – I had three econ classes and Ancient Empires. Yay for being a full-time student!

But here’s the thing… I’m 93% sure taking three econ classes would crush my soul. I mean, yeah, I’m an econ major, but that’s the potential for 25+ hours a week of econ. Nah. So, Monday morning, I repeatedly refreshed the art class pages (I need an art class before I graduate and have had zero luck getting one). I managed to find a slot in an Islamic Art & Architecture from 1100-1500 class that fit my schedule. Sure, why not. Added it in place of my Game Theory class.

And then when I woke up the next morning, I had a reply from the creative writing teacher I emailed asking about getting on the waitlist for his class. People dropped it, and there was room for me if I wanted in. Sweet. As soon as it’s official, I’ll drop Islamic Art & Architecture.

Looong story short: this is the first quarter in at least a year where I’ll have all the classes I wanted. 

3.) What are they?

• Ancient Empires (focus on the Ottomans)
• Intro to International Economics
• Inequality: Origins, Dimension, and Policy
• Reading As a Writer: Crime & Story

More on those later… when I know a little more about them. 🙂

4.) On Sunday, my teacher training class taught our first yoga class together. It was nerve-wracking and fun and made me excited to do it again. Not quite as excited to teach a one-on-one class this coming Sunday as a final teacher training exam… but it’ll be just fine.

 

A photo posted by Ellen (@myuncommoneveryday) on Dec 4, 2016 at 4:54pm PST

Also, we took pictures in front of the giant windows. 

5.) The other thing about Sunday was that my ankle started hurting quite a bit. I have no idea if it is some acute injury or just my body being weird, but by the time I got home that evening, I decided to wrap it for some stability. By the next morning it was swollen. The swelling and pain were pretty much gone by 11am, so I decided to go to the gym and run. I’d like to say it was a bad decision, but I honestly felt on top of the world for 2.5 miles… and then it started to hurt so badly that I didn’t even want to walk much. Perhaps I got a little too cocky, thinking I’d manage to do teacher training and also pick up running again without injury?

We shall see. I have an appointment to get it looked at this morning.

6.) I’ve been swapping my super early gym sessions for early study sessions. I swear I’m smarter in the morning. It also makes me feel more like a normal college kid when I don’t get back from the gym and shower until almost noon… even if I have already put in 3+ hours of studying by then.

7.) After a very blah study session for Financial Accounting on Monday night, I decided to go the grocery store via Uber to pick up ibuprofen for my ankle… and also cauliflower and ice cream. My Uber car got rear-ended on the less-than-10-minute drive there. This did not make my neck very happy. 

My driver was super nice to me and so apologetic, if annoyed at the rear-ender. Also, if your Uber car gets in any sort of accident, they apparently refund you and reach out with an insurance adjuster. 

8.) And that blah study session was very indicative of the exam. I actually went in feeling not hopeless, but two and a half hours later… ugh. Well, it’s over now. No more FA for me.

9.) I can’t wait to bake things for Christmas and go to yoga classes (assuming my ankle is functional) and read blogs and write blogs. I have well over 100 posts I haven’t read and who knows how many comments I haven’t responded to. I look forward to re-engaging with y’all after 11:30am tomorrow, when Intro to Comparative Politics is over and I officially only have three more quarters left at UChicago.

10.) And now I want to leave you with some of my favorite recipes + reads from the week.

• Simple and so freaking perfect. –> Coconut Macaroons Dipped in Dark Chocolate
• These both need to happen ASAP. –> Paleo Double Chocolate Turtle Bars 
• Necessary for all your holiday parties. –> How to Build a Simple Cheese Board
• Stress happens. Here’s how to cope. –> 10 Healthy Ways to Manage Stress
• It’s not about the food. –> How I Finally Overcame My Late Night Snacking Habit

Life lately: friends + foot pain + no more Financial Accounting. #finals #SweatPink Share on X

Your turn:

Would you rather work or work out in the morning?

Anything else I should know?