Tex-Mex and Pageantry

As of late, Texas is leaving its mark on Seattle...via me. :)

Story 1:

I went to my Education as a Moral Endeavor class (my favorite so far) for the first time on Monday evening and we did introductions. Part of my intro these days includes, "I've been in Seattle for "x" amount of time," to which the person responds, "Oh, where are you from?" To which I say Texas and they ooh and ahh. Or make other less than positive comments (not a lot of Bush fans around these parts).

So I introduce myself in class and my professor latches on to the Texas part. Others have latched on and we've conversed about Texas and other related subjects. My prof decided to latch on by calling me "Texas" for the rest of class. I rather liked it. At least, she didn't call me "Miss Texas"...I am SO not the pageant type. Well, maybe I am like the ones that fall down.

Story 2:

is not really a story, but whatever. Some guys in my class decided to go with Prof and call me "Tex." Even better. Now I'm sounding less Miss America and more Dukes of Hazard.

Story 3:

My fabulous faculty advisor, Jim, secured me an assistantship for this Autumn quarter (yeah, quarter systems...yet another adjustment on the list...they cram 16 weeks worth of work that I always did in a "semester" into just 10 weeks per quarter...it's intense). The assistantship is fabulous in a three-fold way: 1) it pays my (gigantic) out-of-state tuition, 2) I get insurance and benefits through the University, and 3) I get a (not so gigantic, but who's complaining?) stipend.

Anyway, so the assistantship is working with a new program on campus that Jim developed, the Master of Education in Intercollegiate Athletic Leadership. See www.ial.washington.edu for more info. I'm working directly with Sara Lopez, who is truly fabulous and we're already having a great time. We had a staff meeting the other day, and Jim, being the oh-so-laid-back guy that he is, cracked a joke and sent himself reeling...he called me & Sara "Tex-Mex."

Yeah, he did.