A White Christmas

At first we were so confused by a white Christmas in Texas that we got lost in the blizzard...


...but then we made our way to this idyllic setting (note that we lost some clothing-coast, gloves, and shoes-during the blizzard).

Duck, Duck, Goose...Goose, Goose, Goose, Goose, Goose

Every fall Lubbock is invaded by thousands of geese flying south for the winter. The pictures below were taken at a pond a few blocks from our apartment. Hundreds of geese were resting in the playa lake, incessantly honking. Every two or three minutes 40 of 50 birds would take flight at once and resume their journey.





Geese are not inherently beautiful birds. It is amazing, however, to see them in such large numbers. I enjoy hearing their muted honk as they fly high above me, onward to a warmer place.

Crazy Weather Day

This morning the roads were covered in ice. The sun came out and melted the ice, but soon the sun was gone. Next came rain, hail, and sleet, followed by brief sun and a double rainbow. Not to be outdone, the wind kicked up and soon a full blown wind and dust storm was upon us. The hazy, reddish-brown sky caused water dripping from the rooftops to look like mud. It was a crazy weather day!

Funny Dream

Two nights ago I had a very funny dream about teaching Sabbath school at church. One of the kids in the Sabbath school class did something very funny. Then the dream began to fade as I woke up. But the dream was so funny that I woke up in the middle of the night laughing. I thought to myself, that was a very funny dream. I will have to blog about that. And so here I am, blogging about my very funny dream, only I can't remember what was so very funny.

Black Friday

This year I participated in Black Friday for the first time. I was awake and driving to Kohl's before the sun came up. I then stood in line for 30 minutes so that I could spend $12.98. This was exhausting and required an unhealthy breakfast from McDonald's. According to the old man I met at McDonald's, the breakfast crowd was larger than usual. He then showed my shopping buddies and I pictures of his new horse trailer. I have no idea how to judge a trailer, especially when displayed on a small cell phone screen, but I tried to act genuinely impressed. Upon leaving McDonald's, my friend Ryan made a comment Chris often makes about how I talk to random people.

Next stop: the mall. I tried on a white sweater at Gap only to find that it left a million little pieces of white lint on my black shirt. As we were leaving Gap, an annoying kiosk salesman approached us. I quickly asked for a lint brush. Surprisingly, he led me to a kiosk drawer that contained nothing but two lint brushes. I used his lint brush but then had to endure his lengthy and irritating sales pitch, even though I told him I was only using him for his lint brush. He asked for my name. I replied, "Marsha." After refusing to pay $80 for his cuticle cream and buffer, we moved on, lint free.

After flying through the mall, we headed to Best Buy. I do not like Best Buy on a normal day. I really do not like Best Buy on Black Friday.

Finally, we get to DSW. Oh shoe heaven, I would have enjoyed you more if Mike wasn't calling me. To make a long story short, "Mike" found a friend's "lost" cell phone at K-Mart, changed the ringer, and then turned it off. Later on, once he was at the mall, he decided the cell phone owner might want the phone back. That's when Mike called me and I became the negotiator for the return of a cell phone that was either lost or was stolen by someone with a conscience.

I left DSW at noon and retired from Black Friday, at least for the day and possibly for life.

Toilet Trouble

First, please do not conjure up images of a bowl overflowing with tainted water. Quite the contrary: our toilet is functioning on a perfectly acceptable level. The problem is that our toilet has been attracting objects that do not belong in the toilet. The occasional make-up brush, hair band, or hand mirror may accidentally fall in the toilet without causing many problems. Chris' wedding ring, however, was a bit scarier. But when my hair dryer, which was plugged into the wall, fell into the toilet bowl and made an array of sizzling sounds, I could barely move. I instantly squealed, tensed my shoulders, and elevated my heels, as if to prepare myself for the ensuing shock. I could only envision the large tag routinely affixed to bathroom appliances containing the crossed-out picture of children playing with an appliance in the bath tub. I later learned that the appliance and the person must be in the water together to cause a truly dangerous situation. I guess it's a good thing I wasn't standing the toilet when the hair dryer fell. Otherwise, our toilet trouble would be of a whole different nature.

Based on a prior incident involving the hose of a running vaccuum cleaner and a tiolet, I suspected that my hair dryer may still work despite the unsanitary baptism. After four days of "drying," the hair dryer is working perfectly again. (Chris heroically tested it for me, although I insisted that he wear a rubber glove for added protection).

I think we need to start closing the lid...

Butler & Mistress

Sometimes Chris and I dream about life after law school. I dream of traveling. Chris dreams of stuff. Specifically, Chris wants a townhouse with a three car garage and a butler. The butler is not a passing whim, mind you, as his (of course the butler is male) potential usefulness comes up often.

More recently, In response to the rumor that Tiger Woods has been involved in an extramarital affair, Chris sarcastically stated that "a man can't even have a mistress anymore." I couldn't help but respond to his statement in an equally sarcastic and accusatory manner. "So," I said, "You want a townhouse with a three car garage, a butler, and a mistress?"

Geography Lesson

Q: What's the difference between England, Britain, and the United Kingdom?

A: As far as I can tell...

Great Britain: The Island comprised of Wales, England and Scotland.
United Kingdom: Northern Ireland and the island of Great Britain.

If You Have Gas, Don't Come to Class

Yep, that pretty much sums up my evidence class this week. To my silent but deadly neighbor, please stop...please?

Pumpkin Carving

Gina had never carved a pumpkin. She is trying to figure out how to clean out the pumpkin without getting dirty.

I wasn't afraid of getting dirty.

Amber likes pumpkins so much that she eats them.

The finished products.

Posing with our pumpkins.

Thirty-Six Hours, Three Thousand Miles

It's 10:00 p.m. on Sunday night. Exactly one week ago, at this very time, I had just checked into a hotel room in Washington D.C. Less than 24 hours later, I was back on a plane headed home. Given obvious time restraints, my sight seeing was limited to a view of Arlington National Cemetery from the highway, a view of the capitol building from a high-rise in Virginia, and a trip to the Smithsonian store in the airport.

Needless to say, one week ago I was experiencing an agonizing temptation, for I was sitting in a hotel room three miles from 1600 Pennsylvania Ave., knowing this was my only opportunity to hop on a train headed downtown and catch a glimpse of something, anything. But my mature, responsible, adult side prevailed. As I got ready for bed instead, I was a little bit heart-broken and a little bit proud.

Michael and I Were Tight

This summer I went to the Experience the Music Project in Seattle. I stumbled upon an impromptu memorial to Michael Jackson, who had died only a couple of weeks earlier. It inspired me to add my own impromptu moment to this video.

Brought to You by MacBook Pro

My laptop died a couple of weeks into the semester. For the next month I used a loaner from the law library, an oversized, bulky Dell. Then, two weeks ago I came home and found a beautiful surprise from Chris quietly sitting on the table.



(Insert lots of excited exclamations here!!!!!)

The box opened to reveal a computer nestled in a perfectly designed package, with clean compartments and tabs for the few extras included. Inside the box I discovered one sexy piece of technology. The slim body opens and closes like a glove, the solid casing is made from one piece of aluminum, the key board is backlit, and the power cord is pure genius. Most importantly, the computer operates as well as it looks. Aside from the geeky specifications that make the machine run smoothly, I love that it powers up and powers down in a matter of seconds. And the battery life is awesome.

Given my disdain for the loaner laptop I was using, one may wonder why I hadn't already purchased a replacement. After my HP Pavillion DV2000 died, I was shocked to discover that there was absolutely no laptop on the market that would fulfill two of my laptop requirements. I wanted a laptop with a 14 inch screen size and no shiny or matte black casing. The MacBook Pro, coming in at 13 inches, was the closest thing I could find, but I was deterred by the price. I was not deterred by the price, however, when accepting it as a gift from my husband, thus ignoring all concepts of community property learned in law school.

Not only is my MacBook Pro sexy, sturdy, and functional, but it also makes me look sexier. Here are a couple of pictures I took using Photo Booth.





Well, the last one isn't so sexy, but it is ferocious.

What else can I say except that my husband is the best, and this blog proves it.

Just a Few Balloons

Chris and I went to the Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta earlier this month.


The balloons come in all shapes, sizes, and colors.


Just a few balloons and a few spectators...


Stand clear of the flame shooter.


I was excited to see the Target balloon calling me home.


Chris was excited to see this balloon, perhaps calling him home too.


Thanks to my aunt, uncle, and cousins who shared their home with us over the weekend. We enjoyed being your guests.

It's Not Disgusting If It's Yours

One morning Chris and I were leaving the apartment for the day. As we were coming down the stairs we saw a pair of underwear lying on the landing below us. One of us made a remark about how we do not like to see disgusting underwear lying around in our apartment complex. As we got closer, however, we realized that it was Chris' underwear. Apparently it had fallen out of the laundry basket the night before while we were doing laundry. It fell out on the way back to the apartment from the laundry room, meaning it was clean and not really disgusting at all. We are not the type of people who leave disgusting underwear lying around.

What's In a Name?

Sias is a name that no one can spell or pronounce correctly. As a Sullivan, I never had problems. As a Sias, I've learned that when giving my name over the phone, I should say, "First name is ..., last name is spelled S-I-A-S," with a snake-like emphasis on the S's so as to distinguish them from F's. When sitting in class, I know what common mispronunciations to listen for.

People often comment that they have never heard the last name Sias before meeting me. So, for those of you who mistakenly believe that Sias is an uncommon name, I present to you the following:

First, Sias is not just a hispanic name. According to the Sias Family Genealogy Forum, we are brown, black, and white.

Sias' are known academics. Excluding the obvious example (the author of this blog), Sias International University is the first solely American owned University in Central China. And don't forget SIAS Summer Institutes, designed to support the development of scholarly networks and collaborative projects among young scholars from the United States and Europe.

But we're not just geeky; we're also very athletic. Haven't you heard of the Ed Sias Invitational, a cross country running event?

The winning combination of brains and brawn make the typical Sias a very resourceful and innovative person. Take for example Sias, a leading developer and supplier of innovative multi-tipped robotic XYZ liquid handling systems and robot friendly functional modules for Laboratory Automation. That's right, we make things that the average reader can't even comprehend.

With all the great things that Sias's do, why doesn't anyone recognize our name?

Labor Day Weekend

Relaxing


Cousins


Cousins


Sias Family

Just a Quick Trip

Thursday Morning: I have to be on a plane in an hour, but I am frantically trying to retieve a document from my deceased computer's hard drive. I give up with 45 minutes until departure. I make it to the terminal in time for boarding.

I flew from Lubbock to Austin, via Dallas. Once in Austin, the plan was to take a taxi to the capitol building, but a friend on the same flight offered to let me ride downtown with him and his dad. Once in the parking garage, my friend's dad revealed that his 13 year-old daughter was very ill, quite possibly with swine flu. He confirms that he could be a carrier. On the upside, I didn't have to pay for a taxi ride downtown. On the downside, I may have been exposed to the swine flu.

Four hours later I was back on an airplane, this time headed to El Paso. On the upside, it was a direct flight. On the downside, the 89 year-old man sitting next me was the inspiration for the saying "say it, don't spray it." He was actually a very interesting man - thumb was sewed backed-on after cutting it off with a laso, spent a night wondering the wilderness on his 85th birthday, broke his hip sky-diving at 86.

Once in El Paso, I rent a car. The guy behind the counter scares me into buying extra insurance for hail damage based on bad weather the night before. Does it storm while I have the car? Yes. Does it hail? Of course not.

I stop at Wal-Mart before heading for my resting place for the night. I realized that although I have a B.A., and will soon have a J.D., I couldn't get a job at the Wal-Mart in El Paso because I don't speak Spanish fluently. A few years ago I went to America in Mexico (Cancun); now I've been to Mexico in America.

Fast forward to 9 p.m. I'm asleep on Grandma Cuca's couch, exhausted from my day of traveling and re-learning Spanish. It's raining cats and dogs, but the rain is not what wakes me up. Instead, I wake up to a lady banging on the screen door. Due to my groggy state, I was unable to comprehend the Spanish explanations for why a car was parked in the front yard or why a man with a plastic sack on his foot was escorted to the back room of the house. I decided to go to bed and accept this string of events as normal.

Friday monring: The lady who was banging on the screen door last night slept on the couch. I offer to give her a ride to the hospital, only neither of us knows the way. Like me, she is only visiting El Paso. Unlike me, she is from Chihuahua and does not speak any English. I sucessfully ask her for the address for the hospital and put into my Garmin. The next 15 minutes are a combination of akward silence and me forcing myself to strike up converstaion in Spanish. I discover that her name is Pilar and she is the primo-hermano (cousin-brother) of Chris, whatever that means.

The day goes by quickly and before I know, it's time to head home. Grandma Cuca feeds me a late lunch and tells me that if I ate her food everyday, I would get fat. I thank her for the fattening food, say my good-bye's, and head back to lubbock, via a connecting flight in Dallas.

Three interviews, five flights, possible exposure to swine flu, showered by an old man's spittle, and a refresher course in Spanish: Way too much for just two days.

Subleasing

During my ten-week stay in Seattle, I subleased an apartment that was basically 400 square feet of nothing. Well, I shouldn't say nothing. There was a lot of pink toule, a collection of cheap horror movies, a skull shaped candle, and dinnerware made by cavemen. My "landlord" was an opera singer, and judging by her apartment, she was a starving artist: No TV, no microwave, no real bed, no real couch, no real anything for that matter. A pile of charred remains lived in the oven, as if something spilled and then fused to the bottom. The basement smelled like the dumpters that lined the hall. The maintenance man needed a lot of maintenance himself. My neighbors were covered in tatoos, visible only because they wore very little clothing. Parking was a nightmare.

I had a great time in Seattle, and I even felt at home in my apartment after I hid all the creepy objects in a cubbard, rearranged the "furniture," and made-up the bed (my landlord slept on a nap mat in the closet). I loved that I could walk to work and downtown shopping (Macy's, Sephora, Loft, Anthropologie).

Do I miss Seattle? Yes. Do I miss my apartment in Seattle? Not so much.

Oh Motherboard

The saga surrounding my HP dv2000 notebook continues, or maybe I should say it's coming to an end. Today, during what I thought would be another routine day at the law library, my laptop refused to power on. I swiflty carried my computer to the tech support office, where I received nothing but grim looks and sad news. A few quick tests produced an initial diagnosis: the mother board needs to replaced. The mother board is the brain of the computer, and brains are not cheap. To make matters worse, preliminary research has revealed that my particular model number is excluded from an extended warranty program created to respond to the overwhelming number of defective mother boards in HP laptops.

I casually asked the tech support personnel if another laptop surgery was a viable option, explaining how my husband had brillantly replaced the screen only months earlier. They advised that replacing a mother board is much more difficult and knowledge intensive.

Tomorrow tech support will "slave" my hard drive, which is geek for save what's stored on my hard drive but currently unaccessible.

Oh, HP, why do you do this to me?