Cruisin' For The Holidays

Tomorrow will be the last day for almost 11 days that I will not be able to check Pet Talk :( Andrew and I leave cold Georgia on Saturday morning and head south like the birds :D I won't be back till December 26. That means I will have so much to catch up with (I am overwhelmed already). I am however excited to be going to warmer places (I hate cold weather). On the other hand, I will miss the Draker as well as Pet Talk.

I plan on taking lots of pictures of our cruise and I will post a few (don't think there will be any dogs in them though).

Hope you have a safe and happy holiday (all humans and furkids).

Oh, I forgot to share my other good news. I did great on my final last night and it looks like I am going to get through my first semester of Grad school with a 4.0!

Souraya - Have a ball on the Cruise - I went to the Carib. last year and had a marvelous time. Wish I could afford to go every year cause I would. And Congrats on your final - what an accomplishment :D :D

Congratulation Souraya! 4.0 WOW!!!
Have a great trip and a very happy holiday. We'll still be here when you come back. ;)

Oh My! A cruise for the holidays! WOW! I have always wanted to take a cruise... for now I will just have to live vicariously through your pictures when you get back :D!

Have a wonderful time and happy holidays to you and Andrew. And, CONGRATULATIONS on the 4.0! THAT IS A FANTASTIC THING TO BE PROUD OF! Continued good luck with school!

You got kudos from our former teacher too! Alicia, I am remembering correctly that you used to teach or still do right? Hope so!

Congrats on the 4.0!!! Have a GREAT Time on your cruise. I'm soo jealous! If you think Georgia is cold, you should try NY in December!
Enjoy your trip, be safe and we will talk to you when you return! :)

Congratulations Souraya, on the stellar GPA and the cruise! I've been through the "grad" thing, and I know how hard you worked to get there :) Have a wonderful, warm and safe trip! Merry Christmas!

Have fun! Congrats on the 4.0!

I didn't know Alicia was/is a teacher? What did you teach? My long term goal is to become a professor. It will be a few more years, though :)

Angel, I will bring you back a little something from the cruise ship :D And I promise to post my pictures. This is the 5th cruise for me, and I love it more and more everytime.

Jenni, I was in New York in November and hated it! It was too cold. Maybe I should try it in the summer. I grew up on the Mediterranean and am used to warm climate.

The Mediterranean! WOW! I would love to hear more about what that was like? How in the world did you end up in GA? I'm sure it's a long story and I would have a million questions so we'll talk when you get back! ENJOY!!

Jenni, My father is from Lebanon and I grew up there and spent my summers in Europe. The weather was always warm in Lebanon. Never needed to wear a sweater. It has gotten a bit cooler there in the past couple of years, but it never gets colder than lowere 60s.

How I ended up in Georgia? I wanted to go to school at Gerogia Tech. So, I just moved and attended college here and have been here since then.

Souraya, that is so neat! I've lived my whole life in New York State. I feel so boring and lazy now! :rolleyes: I'm going to assume you speak many languages...Did you meet your husband in college? And your family...Are they still overseas? Forgive me if I get too personal. I love to hear about other's success stories. It gives me hope and inspires me to do something more with my life. I turned 30 this yr however and I'm not exactly making any giant moves!! Duncan is the most responsibility I have and that's fine for now! :D

I met Andrew through a friend. He attended a military college in Georgia. (Now an aviation officer). My mom and dad still live overseas. My broter who is younger than I am goes to Georgia Tech as well. He is studying to be an Electrical Engineer.

Growing up, my parents took us all over the place. We went to a new country every summer. Even if it was for only two weeks. It was fun. I am fluent in English, Arabic (several dialects), and French. Spoken and Written forms.
I am trying to pick up Spanish on my own, but it was alot easier learning languages whenI was a little kid.

That must be nice having your brother close by in GA. But hard having your parents so far away. Especially now, after the events of September 11th. I hope your family is doing well and weren't too affected by those events. Are you planning on staying here in the US forever? Or not sure yet? What are you going to school for? See how I am, I ask WAY too many questions!!!!!

Souraya, I have been on several cruises and they are so much fun, watch out for those midnight buffets LOL. One time I went with my two daughters and they short sheeted my bed and I couldn't figure how to get in it, we had turned the lights out. They were cracking up.
I am so proud of you with a 4.0, I have no doubt that you will be a professor in a very short time.
You and Andrew have a wonderful time and be very careful. Drake will be waiting for your return with open paws.
A very Happy Holiday to both of you and we will be waiting for your pictures and pretend that we were there too. LOL
Jackie

Thanks, Jackie. I hate leaving Drake behind, but Andrew's parents will take good care of him. I know they will.

Jenni, I got my undergrad in Computer Science and a minor in Mathematics. Now I am trying to get my Masters in Computer Science as well. My family is doing fine, Thank God. I was a bit worried about them at first, but they have plans to evacuate the area at a hint of anything bad happening.

Souraya, I'm sure you'll LOVE your cruise! I took a cruise to the Bahamas several years back and it was FABULOUS!! Very hot, but fabulous nonetheless.
You might want to try New York when it's warmer (and be sure to give me a buzz!), but not when it's REALLY hot, like in August. If you go upstate, that's one thing, but here in the city it's muggy and miserable in the dead of summer. I think May or June might be your best bet. (I am the opposite of you-I have low tolerance for the hot weather.)

Have fun on your cruise and congrats on the 4.0!! :D :D

OK last post of the day. I'm going to the park with Duncan. Once again Souraya, enjoy your trip! Relax and enjoy, Drake will be in good hands I'm sure! We could make them post pics everyday and keep an eye on him for you if you want...Just kidding!! Let Andrew spoil you, you deserve it after that 4.0!!

Souraya, I'm really impressed with your grade! I'm sure it took a lot of hard work. You deserve your cruise.

Enjoy!!

Mary

Angel and Souraya:
To answer your questions about my teaching life, yes, I was a university professor at UConn until I retired some years ago and before that at the Art Institute of Chicago. Because I taught graduate courses, I know how great (and difficult) it is to earn a 4.0 at that level. Congratulations again!
I'm a set and costume designer for the theatre. I taught design and history of stage design and published a book on Victorian stage design in 1996.
That's enough of a resume for today ;)

Wow! Pretty impressive resume! My long term goal as I posted before is to become a proffessor. I have another year or so till I fisnish up my Masters and will probably wait a year or so before I start on my PhD. I have heard it is good to have experience before you dive into a Doctorate Program.

What classes did you teach?

First! A BIG CONGRATULATIONS ON YOUR 4.0!
Have a great safe vacation Holiday.

Congratulations on your 4.0!!! You must be really proud, of yourself! :) You defineteley deserve a cruise! ;) Have fun, be safe, and have a Merry Christmas! ;)

Lots of Love,
Sarah & Sadie*