It feels like all that hard work may be finally paying off.  I found out yesterday evening that I've won an Outstanding Research Award.  It's an award I applied for with the Society for Personality & Social Psyc's graduate student committee, and am one of 4 winners.  I will be presenting my research in a symposium at our conference in February.

My first chapter in a book is out, I had a manuscript accepted for publication (needs revisions first), have a job, etc.  Can I just tell you how good it feels?  To feel like all my hard work is finally paying off? I know it won't always be this way, but right now I'm basking in these things, and feeling truly blessed by God.  And to top it all off, I have a wonderful boyfriend, and I am moving only 90 miles away from all the wonderful people of H-town.

It's weird though... that Puddlegum or Eyeore instinct in me wonders, how long can this keep up?  The law of averages. I hung out with Ashley yesterday and she ran into a friend of hers and as they were talking, Ashley was telling her how she was always positive, never negative.  I wish I could be that way more automatically, like that was my very nature.

I'm also copying Tim, it's fun!

1) Go to http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:Random The title of the page will be the name of your band

2) Go to http://www.quotationspage.com/random.php3 The last four words of the last sentence of the page will be the name of your album

3) Got to http://www.flickr.com/explore/interesting/7days/ The third pic, it doesn't matter what it is, will be the cover pic

I couldn't resist doing two, the 2nd is better in my opinion:

Praise the Lord, my soul;

            All my inmost being, praise his holy name.

Praise the Lord, my soul,

            And forget not all his benefits –

Who forgives all your sins

And heals all your diseases,

Who redeems your life from the pit

            And crowns you with love and compassion,

Who satisfies your desires with good things

            So that your youth in renewed like the eagle’s

The Lord works righteousness

            And justice for all the oppressed.

He made known his ways to Moses,

            His deeds to the people of Israel:

The Lord is compassionate and gracious,

            Slow to anger, abounding in love.

He will not always accuse,

            Nor will he harbor his anger forever;

He does not treat us as our sins deserve

            Or repay us according to our iniquities.

For as high as the heaves are above the earth,

            So great is his love for those who fear him;

As far as the east is from the west,

            So far has he removed our transgressions from us.

As a father has compassion on his children,

            So the Lord has compassion on those who fear him;

For he knows how we are formed,

            He remembers that we are dust.

As for mortals, their days are like grass,

            They flourish like a flower of the field;

The wind blows over it and it is gone,

            And its place remembers it no more.

But from everlasting to everlasting

            The Lord’s love is with those who fear him,

            And his righteousness with their children’s children –

With those who keep his covenant

            And remember to obey his precepts.

The Lord has established his throne in heaven,

            And his kingdom rules over all.

Praise the Lord, you his angels,

            You mighty ones who do his bidding, who obey his word

Praise the Lord, all his heavenly hosts,

            You his servants who do his will.

Praise the Lord, all his works

            Everywhere in his dominion.

Praise the Lord, my soul.

It's official... I have Mono (in addition to the ear infection and cough). 

And I can't blame it on Jude.