Virtual G.N.O

Tonight, I'm very excited about my Friday night home alone. I've got TV shows to watch, blogs to write, cleaning to do, and digital scrapbooking to create. Oh, and some homework to do as well.

It's gonna be a busy night. :-)



This week's party question: Did you go to dances while you were in Middle School and/or middle school age?

I went to a few school dances that I can remember. They were disastrous! I was very shy and uncomfortable. Definitely was a wallflower.

What about you? Were you a Dancing Queen? Or a Wall Flower? Or something in between?

Pop on over to Ann Again ... and again... to join in the fun.

Happy Valentine's weekend.

Oops!

Tonight I stopped at two stores on my way home. The first stop didn't have what I wanted, so I hustled on to my next stop.

I had quite a scare while driving through one parking lot. I was on the road that runs through the lot, and a van came speeding up toward me. It did not appear to be slowing at all, let alone stopping. I thought for sure I was going to get hit.

I thought, "Come on, white van! Get a clue. It's nighttime. You need to have your lights on!"

And on I went.

As I was crawling through the parking lot of my actual intended store, there was a cop walking out of the store. He motioned to me to turn on my lights. Wait, what? My lights are totally on.

I looked down to my dash, and lo, and behold, my little indictor light was, in fact, not illuminating.

OOPS!!

Flashback Friday: Brr...It's COLD

What's a girl to do on a COLD Friday night at the end of January?

Flashback to a cold, winter night in 1987, of course.

Warming ourselves by the fire.

Hmmm...that doesn't seem to be working...

How about a little wrestling? That's should definitely warm us up.

Now what???

Ok. We look ridiculous!! What were we thinking? Blue thermal top TUCKED into thermal bottoms? Printed socks in the ugliest slippers ever? Red puffy gloves really top it off!

BUT every time I look at these pictures, I LAUGH! Seriously. I've got to publish this post, so I can stop the laughter.

Virtual G.N.O.

I've been a terrible blogger in 2010. In fact, this is my first post of the new year.

I stumbled upon Ann's blog,
 .

This week, I'm totally game!

Her game this week is to discover your inner librarian.

My Librarian's Alter Ego name is: Bubbles Featherbottom

My husband is out at his bi-weekly gaming session, so I'm home all alone. I thought I'd spend the evening...

...Doing some blogging...

...Ripping some music from my old CDs...

...Sorting/organizing my photos from our recent trip to the Caribbean...

Don't forget to visit Ann's blog to join in on the fun!

Here's to the weekend! Whoo hoo!!

Don't Go Chasing Waterfalls...

But I just can't help it!

It's no secret that both Jeff and I LOVE waterfalls, as described here and here.

For me, it's almost even stronger than love. Is that possible? Is anything stronger than love? It is what binds us, after all.

For me, it's almost like a drug. If I'm out for a walk or in a park, and I hear the sound of rushing water, I can't help but go. chase. that. waterfall!! I keep listening and walking...and listening and walking...until I finally find it!

This past summer, I even convinced Jeff to make a pitstop on our road trip to check out the waterfalls in Sioux Falls, SD. You can read about that here.

A few weeks back, I took Sallie for a walk. I heard the unmistakably, wonderful sound of a waterfall, but I couldn't find it. anywhere.

Today, we went out again but this time hiked even closer to the river.

There it was again. An ever-so-slight, but deliciously exhilarating, sound of rushing water. It didn't take me too long to gasp at the beauty as I turned my head.

There it was!! Complete with icicles. Wow.

Now I didn't happen to have my camera with me - just my phone.

If you look real close, in the back center, you can see two streams of water going over the small cliff.

The camera on my phone doesn't have a zoom, so I knew that I needed to get closer.

Down we hiked. Sallie and I.

Closer. But still not good enough to satisfy my need.

Down. Down. Down.

Finally I could get a shot from the front.

This shot was difficult to get because Sallie, does not get my fascination with waterfalls. She was trying her darnedest to get back up the hill. Guess it reminds her too much of getting a bath. Something she does. not. enjoy.

Back at the top of the hill, I tried to capture one last shot of some icicles. Gorgeous!

I realize they are a little difficult to discern (darn no-zooming-camera-phone), but trust me. They are there. Kind of dead center, hanging from the blob of greenery.

We ♥ Tooshies

This is my 1st ever time entering an I ♥ Faces photography challenge. I've seen some friends enter on their blogs in the past but never attempted one myself.

This week's themes, We ♥ Tooshies, was really intriguing to me. I, immediately, thought of this great picture I have of me walking with one of my cousin's daughters. It's SO cute. However, it was taken before digital photography became so prevalent, so it's an actual photo, and not easily uploaded into blogger (as I'd need to find it and then upload it).

Instead, I sifted through my folders upon folders of digital photographs, and found this one.

This is my 13-year-old niece’s first soccer game. ever.

She was awesome, of course.

I love how this photo captures the motion of her run.

Pop on over to I ♥ Faces to find some other fun tooshies.

A New Start

One of the things that I've really enjoyed about being a student again was the flexibility that I have with my sleep. I don't have to set an alarm! I can get up whenever I wake up! I can stay up late and sleep in late!

This past weekend, I came to an epiphany that maybe this isn't the best thing in the world.

I have way too much studying and other things to do in a day that I rarely accomplish all of my goals. This does not lead to positive feelings of self-worth.

So...

This week, I decide to try out something new. My dog, Sallie, generally wakes me up several times throughout the night. I can't give in to her all the time, so I choose to ignore her until after 6am - breakfast time. I used to barely open my eyes, turn on as few lights as possible, quickly put her food in her dish, and crawl back into bed. This week, I decided I'd try staying up after I feed her. Today's my first day; I stayed up WAY too late Sunday night in order to start this new habit Monday morning. :-)

Right now, my eyes are feeling quite heavy, but I'm hopeful of my day. After doing a little blogging, I plan to get my exercising out of the way before Jeff wakes up. That should wake me up and give me the boost to do what I need to do today, right?!

Settling In...

We've moved into our new apartment, and it's slowly becoming our new home. I'll probably post more pictures later as our decorating progresses, but this one showcases my favorite new toy! I've wanted a piano for a very long time. Regular pianos are such a pain to move (and we move a lot), but I've really been enjoying this keyboard. It has weighted keys like a regular piano, plus I can plug in headphones, so my practicing doesn't bother anyone else in our building.

This isn't a very artistic photo, but it does provide a little glimpse into our new home...music and books. :-)

Walking Log

I don't have any stats for this post, but I certainly did A LOT of walking yesterday.

It was my dad's birthday, and we decided to take our annual pilgrimage to the Great MN Get Together. We are all day fair-goers. We arrived at the fair around 7am and left around 10pm.

It was non-stop walking all. day. long.

There were a few pauses here and there as we ate, decided what to do/where to go next, and there was quite a bit of standing.

What there wasn't much of was sitting.

It was still great fun! I LOVE the fair!!

Walking Log

Ok. So, I haven't been very good about updating my walking log.

Truth be told, I haven't been very going about walking either.

The week after my last walking log entry, my family took a trip to a lake up near Ely, MN. It was great fun! I went canoeing, and hiking, and swimming! There were also quite a few moments of relaxation enjoing the beauty of the outdoors.

Here's a few stats:

August 10th (my 32nd birthday)
I was hoping to go for a hike on my birthday, but the sky looked a little ominous. Jeff and I took out a canoe instead. The battery in my Garmin died a little less than half way, but here is what the canoe trip was like before that.

Canoe Time: 1:10:30
Canoe Distance: 3.06mi
Avg Pace: 23:01/mi
Calories: 416

Well, actually Jeff did most of the work; I'm not the greatest canoeist.

August 11
This was the first hike of the trip. I was accompanied by my sister and 3 nieces. We hiked the Bass Lake trail to the Dry Falls. It was very hilly! A great workout! It was quite a busy trail, and when we got to the end, there were quite a few people playing in the falls and swimming in the lake. Not quite what I was hoping for at the end of our hike. It was still great fun to spend time outside with the girls.

Run Time: 1:27:12
Run Distance: 3.01mi
Avg Pace: 43.26/mi
Calories: 139

August 13
This was the second hike of our trip. It was the same people with the addition of my dad. This time we hiked the trip to Big Moose Lake. It was so much fun! The trail was riddled with wild blueberry plants. There was no one else on the trail, and the lake at the end was absolutely gorgeous! So clear and still. We paused for a while at the lake--eating some snacks and dipping our feet in the lake. It was wonderful.

Run Time: 2:23:15
Run Distance: 4.40mi
Avg Pace: 32:32/mi
Calories: 628

Join me!

Dear Friends: I've started the Drop a Jeans Size challenge on FitnessMagazine.com. Please join me so we can be workout buddies and cheer each other on.

http://www.fitnessmagazine.com/app/ycdi/?esrc=emycdifriend

P.S. Once you join the Drop a Jeans Size challenge, don't forget to add me as a buddy so we can keep track of each other's progress!

Walking Log: Day 9

Oops! Day 9 was back on July 23. I can't remember that long ago, so I can't tell you anything about my walk.

However, I can share my stats. Thank goodness my Garmin has good history record-keeping abilities.

Today's Stats (from 7/23):
Run Time: 35:45
Run Distance: 2.11mi
Avg Pace: 16:55/mi
Calories: 202

Walking Log: Day 8

Today's walk was really great. This time, I walked down to I-35E and walked along the bike path. I only wanted to do 3 miles today, so I turned around about halfway across the river.

I wanted to try to prevent any major shin pain, so I stopped to stretch at each mile.

Today's Stats:
Run Time: 50:15
Run Distance: 3.06mi
Avg Pace: 16:26/mi
Calories: 322

I also did some Wii Fit Yoga and Strength training today.

Walking Log: Day 7

I decided to supplement my walking regiment with some Wii Fit today. I warmed up with some yoga exercises that targeted my lower body. When I returned from my walk, I did a few lower body strength exercises.

Today, I decided to really push myself with my pace and not go as far of a distance. Normally I have the pace alert set on my Garmin at the walk setting, which is 20:00/mi, but today I set it at the speed walk setting, which is 16:00/mi. I could really feel the difference.

I decided I would only go for 2 miles today. It was tough! After the 1st mile, I had terrible shin pain (this is what keeps me from running), PLUS I was so hot and sweaty (and it's not even that hot this morning). I decided to stop and stretch a little before heading back home. This worked immensely. The shin pain was barely noticeable by the time I returned. I did have a little ankle pain, but no big deal!

Today's Stats
Run Time: 29:21
Run Distance: 1.95mi
Avg Pace: 15:01/mi
Calories: 200

Walking Log: Day 6

I tried to keep it a little slow today, to ease myself into the new week. I'm still working on exploring Crosby Farm Park. I believe I read somewhere that there is almost 7 miles of paved trails within this park, so it may take me awhile to fully explore. If I ever feel brave enough, I may explore the unpaved trails as well. There seem to be quite a few.

Today's Stats:
Run Time: 52:15
Run Distance: 3.05mi
Avg Pace: 17:08/mi
Calories: 291

Walking Log: Day 5

I'm still feeling the burn a little from Wednesday's walk, but I really wanted to see what walking through the park would really be like from one end to the other. I had to take yesterday off because I got a temp assignment for the day. Starting work at 8am just doesn't allow me enough time to go for a walk in the morning. Turns out, it was only 1 mile less than when I did the loop. I did it at a much slower pace today, though. Hopefully my rest tomorrow will rejuvenate my body to begin another week of good walking next week.

Today's Stats:
Run Time: 1:08:14
Run Distance: 3.85mi
Avg Pace: 17:45/mi
Best Pace: 11:35/mi
Calories: 391

Week's Stats:
Run Time: 4:45:37
Run Distance: 16.3
Calories: 1304

Walking Log: Day 4

I am so achy and sore from my LONG power walk yesterday. I could have easily justified taking a day off, but I know that would make it twice as difficult to motivate myself to go out tomorrow. Instead, I decided to try to slow down my pace a bit and only go for two miles.

It was still a tough workout for me! I know the benefits will be great in the long run--if I can stick to it. :-)

Today's Stats
Run Time: 34:42
Run Dist: 2.02mi
Avg Pace: 17:10/mi
Best Pace: 10:37/mi
Calories: 197

Walking Log: Day 3

WOW! My walk today did not turn out to be what I'd intended.

I wanted to walk somewhere different than yesterday. We live close to Lake Crosby, and Jeff and I walked to the lake and around the park a little back in April. That walk had ended with us scaling a wall. This time I wanted to walk from one end of the park to the other.

Here is a map of the park. I entered at the end opposite of where the marker is, and I wanted to come out where the A was.

View Larger Map

It seemed to be taking a LONG time, and I was getting a little frustrated. I hadn't intended on walking nearly 5 miles today! BUT, if you're lost in a park, you have no option but to keep on trekking.

When I finally got to what I thought was the end, I asked someone if I was at Shepherd Rd. He confirmed it, but as we talked, I was informed, that I was back at the point where I'd entered the park.

Somehow going straight (or what I'd supposed was straight) had brought me full circle!

I have now found a map online that shows the trails in this park. I'll need to study it before I attempt tackling this park again!

Today's Stats:
Run Time: 1:15:09
Run Dist: 4.88mi
Avg Pace: 15:24/mi
Best Pace: 8:51/mi
Calories: 428

I was surprised at how many wild rhubarb plants I saw in the park. It's out of season now, but do you think they'd mind if I helped myself next year? :-)

Part of the trail was in a marsh, so it wasn't paved but a boardwalk had been constructed. There were snakes everywhere! I tried to find out what kind they were, but it was too creepy for me to look through photos online to find one that looked that the ones in the park. Also, whenever I caught a glimpse of one, I usually averted my eyes as quickly as possible. I never really knew how icky I thought snakes were. At least I was relatively calm and didn't shriek or anything!

Walking Log: Day 2

Perhaps one day this will become a running log.

Yesterday morning, I decided I really needed to become more active. There are some pounds I'd definitely like to shed. Since I can't run (stupid shins!), I decided that I would begin taking Sallie for a nice long walk every morning.

Day 1 was yesterday. I didn't have any batteries for my Garmin, so I don't have any stats for yesterday's walk. I do know that my walk was nearly exactly 60 min.

Today, Day 2, my Garmin was all set. I went the exact same route, so I'd know how far I went yesterday.

Today's Stats:
Run Time: 47:32
Run Distance: 2.75mi
Avg Pace: 17:15/mi
Best Pace: 12:19/mi
Calories: 288

Do I have a LIFE??

I found this on my friend's blog.

Lists are fun, right? So, I thought I'd check to see how many movies on this list I'd seen. Apparently, if you've seen more than 85 (out of the 237 movies), you have no life.

Let's see how I did. I've marked the ones I've seen.

(X) Rocky Horror Picture Show
(X) Grease
(X) Pirates of the Caribbean
(X) Pirates of the Caribbean 2: Dead Man’s Chest
( ) Boondock Saints
(X) Fight Club
(X) Starsky and Hutch
(X) Neverending Story
(X) Blazing Saddles
(X) Airplane

( ) The Princess Bride
(X) Anchorman
(X) Napoleon Dynamite
( ) Labyrinth
( ) Saw
( ) Saw II
( ) White Noise
( ) White Oleander
(X) Anger Management
(X) 50 First Dates

(X) The Princess Diaries
(X) The Princess Diaries 2: Royal Engagement
(X) Scream
( ) Scream 2
( ) Scream 3
(X) Scary Movie
( ) Scary Movie 2
( ) Scary Movie 3
( ) Scary Movie 4
(X) American Pie

( ) American Pie 2
( ) American Wedding
( ) American Pie Band Camp
( ) Harry Potter 1
( ) Harry Potter 2
( ) Harry Potter 3
( ) Harry Potter 4
( ) Resident Evil 1
( ) Resident Evil 2
(X) The Wedding Singer

(X) Little Black Book
( ) The Village
(X) Lilo & Stitch
(X) Finding Nemo
(X) Finding Neverland
(X) Signs
( ) The Grinch
( ) Texas Chainsaw Massacre
( ) Texas Chainsaw Massacre: The Beginning
( ) Butterfly Effect

(X) 13 Going on 30
(X) I, Robot
(X) Robots
(X) Dodgeball: A True Underdog Story
( ) Universal Soldier
(X) Lemony Snicket: A Series Of Unfortunate Events
(X) Along Came Polly
(X) Deep Impact
( ) KingPin
(X) Never Been Kissed

(X) Meet The Parents
(X) Meet the Fockers
( ) Eight Crazy Nights
(X) Joe Dirt
(X) KING KONG
(X) A Cinderella Story
(X) The Terminal
( ) The Lizzie McGuire Movie
( ) Passport to Paris
(X) Dumb & Dumber

( ) Dumber & Dumberer
(X) Final Destination
( ) Final Destination 2
( ) Final Destination 3
( ) Halloween
(X) The Ring
( ) The Ring 2
(X) Surviving X-MAS
(X) Flubber
( ) Harold & Kumar Go To White Castle

(X) Practical Magic
( ) Chicago
( ) Ghost Ship
( ) From Hell
( ) Hellboy
(X) Secret Window
(X) I Am Sam
(X) The Whole Nine Yards
(X) The Whole Ten Yards
(X) The Day After Tomorrow

( ) Child’s Play
( ) Seed of Chucky
( ) Bride of Chucky
(X) Ten Things I Hate About You
(X) Just Married
( ) Gothika
(X) Nightmare on Elm Street
(X) Sixteen Candles
(X) Remember the Titans
(X) Coach Carter

( ) The Grudge
( ) The Grudge 2
(X) The Mask
( ) Son Of The Mask
( ) Bad Boys
( ) Bad Boys 2
( ) Joy Ride
( ) Lucky Number Slevin
(X) Ocean’s Eleven
(X) Ocean’s Twelve

(X) Bourne Identity
(X) Bourne Supremecy
( ) Lone Star
(X) Bedazzled
( ) Predator I
( ) Predator II
( ) The Fog
(X) Ice Age
(X) Ice Age 2: The Meltdown
(X) Curious George

(X) Independence Day
( ) Cujo
( ) A Bronx Tale
( ) Darkness Falls
( ) Christine
(X) ET
( ) Children of the Corn
( ) My Bosses Daughter
(X) Maid in Manhattan
(X) War of the Worlds

(X) Rush Hour
(X) Rush Hour 2
( ) Best Bet
(X) How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days
(X) She’s All That
( ) Calendar Girls
( ) Sideways
( ) Mars Attacks
( ) Event Horizon
(X) Ever After

(X) Wizard of Oz
(X) Forrest Gump
(X) Big Trouble in Little China
(X) The Terminator
( ) TheTerminator 2
( ) The Terminator 3
(X) X-Men
( ) X-2
( ) X-3
(X) Spider-Man

(X) Spider-Man 2
(X) Sky High
( ) Jeepers Creepers
( ) Jeepers Creepers 2
(X) Catch Me If You Can
(X) The Little Mermaid
(X) Freaky Friday
(X) Reign of Fire
(X) The Skulls
(X) Cruel Intentions

( ) Cruel Intentions 2
( ) The Hot Chick
(X) Shrek
(X) Shrek 2
( ) Swimfan
( ) Miracle on 34th street
(X) Old School
(X) The Notebook
(X) K-Pax
(X) Krippendorf’s Tribe

(X) A Walk to Remember
( ) Ice Castles
( ) Boogeyman
( ) The 40-year-old Virgin
( ) Lord of the Rings Fellowship of the Ring
( ) Lord of the Rings The Two Towers
( ) Lord of the Rings Return Of the King
(X) Indiana Jones and the Raiders of the Lost Ark
(X) Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom
(X) Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade

( ) Baseketball
( ) Hostel
( ) Waiting for Guffman
( ) House of 1000 Corpses
( ) Devils Rejects
(X) Elf
( ) Highlander
( ) Mothman Prophecies
(X) American History X
( ) Three

( ) The Jacket
( ) Kung Fu Hustle
( ) Shaolin Soccer
( ) Night Watch
(X) Monsters Inc.
(X) Titanic
(X) Monty Python and the Holy Grail
( ) Shaun Of the Dead
( ) Willard
( ) High Tension

( ) Club Dread
( ) Hulk
( ) Dawn Of the Dead
(X) Hook
( ) Chronicles Of Narnia: The Lion the Witch and the Wardrobe
(X) 28 days later
( ) Orgazmo
( ) Phantasm
(X) Waterworld
( ) Kill Bill vol 1

( ) Kill Bill vol 2
( ) Mortal Kombat
( ) Wolf Creek
( ) Kingdom of Heaven
( ) the Hills Have Eyes
( ) I Spit on Your Grave aka the Day of the Woman
( ) The Last House on the Left
( ) Re-Animator
( ) Army of Darkness
(X) Star Wars Ep. I The Phantom Menace

(X) Star Wars Ep. II Attack of the Clones
(X) Star Wars Ep. III Revenge of the Sith
(X) Star Wars Ep. IV A New Hope
(X) Star Wars Ep. V The Empire Strikes Back
(X) Star Wars Ep. VI Return of the Jedi
( ) Ewoks Caravan Of Courage
( ) Ewoks The Battle For Endor
(X) The Matrix
(X) The Matrix Reloaded
( ) The Matrix Revolutions

( ) Animatrix
( ) Evil Dead
( ) Evil Dead 2
( ) Team America: World Police
(X) Red Dragon
(X) Silence of the Lambs
(X) Hannibal

Apparently, I have no life.

Of course with only having seen 116 of these movies, I haven't even seen half the list...

That should say something, right?

Nap Time!

I have always loved taking naps! Now, I have a little dog to curl up with me.

I love that she loves taking naps with me!

In this picture, I laid down for a little nap on the couch, and she jumped right up and snuggled in tight.

Sometimes, she doesn't make it up on the couch with me, but she is asleep nearby!

This was probably the funniest of all! I was lying on the floor, and she just crawled right up on my back! I know she's not sleeping in this shot, but I am, so it still counts.

Thanksgiving Humor

Recently I received a parrot as a gift.

The parrot had a bad attitude and an even worse vocabulary. Every word out of the bird's mouth was rude, obnoxious and laced with profanity.

I tried and tried to change the bird's attitude by consistently saying only polite words, playing soft music and anything else I could think of to "clean up" the bird's vocabulary.

Finally, I was fed up and I yelled at the parrot. The parrot yelled back. I shook the parrot and the parrot got angrier and even ruder.

So, indesperation, I threw up my hands, grabbed the bird and put him in the freezer. For a few minutes the parrot squawked and kicked and screamed.

Then suddenly there was total quiet.

Not a peep was heard for over a minute.

Fearing that I'd hurt the parrot, I quickly opened the door to the freezer. The parrot calmly stepped out onto my outstretched arms and said,

"I believe I may have offended you with my rude language and actions. I'm sincerely remorseful for my inappropriate transgressions and I fully intend to do everything I can to correct my rude and unforgivable behavior."

I was stunned at the change in the bird's attitude.

As I was about to ask the parrot what had made such a dramatic change in his behavior, the bird continued,

"May I ask what the turkey did?"

HAPPY THANKSGIVING!

I received this in an email from my Dad.

Exhilaration

Yesterday, I taught for the first time in a high school.

I was SO nervous!

BUT...

when I stood up and was teaching and interacting with the students, it was exhilarating!

Of course, I still have a lot to learn to become a great teacher, but I could see the beginnings. Plus I had a wonderful dialogue with my St Thomas supervisor. She helped me recognize my strengths. We talked about things I would do differently. It was very, very helpful...and just the confidence builder that I needed.

This experience combined with what I'm learning in my courses is making me even more excited about my future career.

(My lesson was introducing an Urban Geography unit to a class of 9th & 10th graders. I taught my lesson twice.)

Adjusting...

Sallie was welcomed into our home on Saturday, September 13th.

She is 100% adorable, and I love her so much. I have never, ever described myself as a dog person--or even a pet person, but Sallie has captured my heart. She is one-year old, and she does the cutest things.

• When she is excited or begging, she stands on her back legs, with her front legs up close to her chest.
• I love her floppy ears that don't flop in the same way.
• I love her cute little face, and sometimes she puts both paws over her snout.
• I love to watch her sleep--sometimes curled into a ball, sometimes all stretched out.
• I love it when she cuddles up next to me on the couch or the bed. Yes, we've even broken down and let her sleep with us.

It's amazing to me how quickly I came to love this little sweetheart.

• I talk to her all the time. (I used to make fun of my dad for doing this.)
• I try to take her for a walk twice a day.
• I hold her.
• I miss her and feel bad when I have to leave her in her crate for a few hours while Jeff and I are at school.
• I worry about her, and get pretty nervous, when she plays with the big dogs. My parents have a Mountain Ker mix and a Black Lab mix. They adopted the lab the same day we got Sallie, so there are some dominance issues, etc.
• I always want to protect her and keep her safe.

All that being said, I'm having some serious difficulties adjusting to life with Sallie.

• We kept her in the crate the first few nights, and I would worry about her when she was whimpering. Now that she sleeps with us, she stretches out and kicks me out of my spot. :-)
• We were told that she was not housebroken, so I feel like I constantly need to keep my eyes on her and know where she is and what she is doing at all times--especially since we are not in our own place, but staying temporarily with my parents. It's exhausting being on high alert all the time.
• She wakes up earlier than I'd like to at times, and I need to feed her and take her out to do her business.
• She yelps and whimpers when she plays with the big dogs, and that makes me nervous that she might be getting hurt or that they won't know when to stop.

Of course, all the loves that she gives me makes up for everything! She is definitely a welcome addition to my life!!

Two-Year Olds

I love two-olds!

They are experiencing/learning so many new things! I love listening to the fun things they say as they learn to talk. I think it's definitely one of my favorite ages (coming from an aunt/cousin perspective, I've heard it might not be the same case from a mother's perspective).

Yesterday, I was walking through the skyway with a co-worker. As we were walking, a very cute little girl walked up to me and stuck her hand out, as if I were her mother. It was adorable. I let her take my hand (well my little finger), and she gripped it tight.

We walked for awhile like that.

She didn't have much to say, but she did mumble a little gibberish to herself. She was downtown for lunch with her dad. He said that she had been quite shy at lunch with some of his friends, so it seemed a little odd that she reached out to me.

I have to admit, I enjoyed every moment walking around aimlessly, carelessly, with this little girl.

16/100

The Big Read, an initiative by the National Endowment for the Arts, has estimated that the average adult has only read 6 of the top 100 books they’ve printed.

How did you do?
1) Look at the list and bold those you have read.
2) Italicize those you intend to read.
3) Star the books you LOVE.

1 Pride and Prejudice - Jane Austen
2 The Lord of the Rings - JRR Tolkien
3 Jane Eyre - Charlotte Bronte
4 Harry Potter series - JK Rowling
5 To Kill a Mockingbird - Harper Lee
6 The Bible
7 Wuthering Heights - Emily Bronte
8 Nineteen Eighty Four - George Orwell
9 His Dark Materials - Philip Pullman
10 Great Expectations - Charles Dickens
11 Little Women - Louisa M Alcott
12 Tess of the D’Urbervilles - Thomas Hardy
13 Catch 22 - Joseph Heller
14 Complete Works of Shakespeare
15 Rebecca - Daphne Du Maurier
16 The Hobbit - JRR Tolkien
17 Birdsong - Sebastian Faulks
18 Catcher in the Rye - JD Salinger
19 The Time Traveller’s Wife - Audrey Niffenegger
20 Middlemarch - George Eliot
21 Gone With The Wind - Margaret Mitchell
22 The Great Gatsby - F Scott Fitzgerald
23 Bleak House - Charles Dickens
24 War and Peace - Leo Tolstoy
25 The Hitch Hiker’s Guide to the Galaxy - Douglas Adams
26 Brideshead Revisited - Evelyn Waugh
27 Crime and Punishment - Fyodor Dostoyevsky
28 Grapes of Wrath - John Steinbeck
29 Alice in Wonderland - Lewis Carroll
30 The Wind in the Willows - Kenneth Grahame
31 Anna Karenina - Leo Tolstoy
32 David Copperfield - Charles Dickens
33 Chronicles of Narnia - CS Lewis
34 Emma - Jane Austen
35 Persuasion - Jane Austen
36 The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe - CS Lewis
37 The Kite Runner - Khaled Hosseini
38 Captain Corelli’s Mandolin - Louis De Bernieres
39 Memoirs of a Geisha - Arthur Golden
40 Winnie the Pooh - AA Milne
41 Animal Farm - George Orwell
42 The Da Vinci Code - Dan Brown
43 One Hundred Years of Solitude - Gabriel Garcia Marquez
45 The Woman in White - Wilkie Collins
46 **Anne of Green Gables - LM Montgomery
47 Far From The Madding Crowd - Thomas Hardy
48 The Handmaid’s Tale - Margaret Atwood
49 Lord of the Flies - William Golding
50 Atonement - Ian McEwan
52 Dune - Frank Herbert
53 Cold Comfort Farm - Stella Gibbons
54 Sense and Sensibility - Jane Austen
55 A Suitable Boy - Vikram Seth
56 The Shadow of the Wind - Carlos Ruiz Zafon
57 A Tale Of Two Cities - Charles Dickens
58 Brave New World - Aldous Huxley
59 The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-time - Mark Haddon
60 Love In The Time Of Cholera - Gabriel Garcia Marquez
61 Of Mice and Men - John Steinbeck
62 Lolita - Vladimir Nabokov
63 The Secret History - Donna Tartt
64 The Lovely Bones - Alice Sebold
65 Count of Monte Cristo - Alexandre Dumas
66 On The Road - Jack Kerouac
67 Jude the Obscure - Thomas Hardy
68 Bridget Jones’s Diary - Helen Fielding
69 Midnight’s Children - Salman Rushdie
70 Moby Dick - Herman Melville
71 Oliver Twist - Charles Dickens
72 Dracula - Bram Stoker
73 The Secret Garden - Frances Hodgson Burnett
74 Notes From A Small Island - Bill Bryson
75 Ulysses - James Joyce
76 The Bell Jar - Sylvia Plath
77 Swallows and Amazons - Arthur Ransome
78 Germinal - Emile Zola
79 Vanity Fair - William Makepeace Thackeray
80 Possession - AS Byatt
81 A Christmas Carol - Charles Dickens
82 Cloud Atlas - David Mitchell
83 The Color Purple - Alice Walker
84 The Remains of the Day - Kazuo Ishiguro
85 Madame Bovary - Gustave Flaubert
86 A Fine Balance - Rohinton Mistry
87 Charlotte’s Web - EB White
88 The Five People You Meet In Heaven - Mitch Albom
89 Adventures of Sherlock Holmes - Sir Arthur Conan Doyle
90 The Faraway Tree Collection - Enid Blyton
91 Heart of Darkness - Joseph Conrad
92 The Little Prince- Antoine De Saint-Exupery
93 The Wasp Factory - Iain Banks
94 Watership Down - Richard Adams
95 A Confederacy of Dunces - John Kennedy Toole
96 A Town Like Alice - Nevil Shute
97 The Three Musketeers - Alexandre Dumas
98 Hamlet - William Shakespeare
99 Charlie and the Chocolate Factory - Roald Dahl
100 Les Miserables - Victor Hugo

How about you? (I got this off my friend's blog. She said, "The Big Read is legit, but who knows if the list is, but it was still fun to see what books I'd read on "someone's" list!" I agree!)

Boy and a Girl in a Little Canoe

Anyone remember this song?

Just a boy and a girl in a little canoe
With the moon shining all around
And they paddled and they paddled so
You couldn't even hear a sound
And they talked and they talked till the moon grew dim
He said you better kiss me or get out and swim
So whatcha gonna do in a little canoe
With the moon shining all around

Just a boy and a girl in a little canoe
With the moon shining all around
And they paddled and they paddled so
You couldn't even hear a sound
And they talked and they talked till the moon grew dim
He said you better kiss me or get out and swim
So whatcha gonna do in a little canoe
With the moon shining all a-
Boys swimming all a-
Girls paddlings all a-round

Get out and swim!

I have no idea why, but this old song from Girls' Camp years ago popped into my head a few days ago--only I couldn't remember all the words. I googled them and found a variety of versions, but this is the one most similar to what I remember.

I asked my niece, who just returned from Girls' Camp, if she'd learned the song at camp. She said no, and I was so disappointed. :-( It's a fun song with fun hand motions to go with it.

Maybe next year...
Or maybe I'll just teach her it myself...

Final Grades

I just looked up my final grades.

4.0, baby!! Whoo Hoo!!

TEGR501 Circ of Adv-Compet Assmt I S
TEGR510 Educ's Place in Society A
TEGR511 Field Exp I : Exploration S
TEGR512 Human Rel & Multicul Educ A

I was really nervous about TEGR512, but it looks like I pulled out an A in the end. It was a tough semester getting back into the swing of doing homework and studying and writing papers, but I pulled it off!

Now, let's hope that I'll be able to maintain a 4.0 for the next 3 semesters.

Wants/Needs

I was bored at work, so I Googled my name followed by wants and needs to see what I found.

What Clarinda wants...

...the 1.9 millions as per immediate.
...to be.
...to build the Mangrove Village.
...to buy a note book.
...to provide the best customer service in every way possible.
...to tap into a known market.

What Clarinda needs...

...to focus on recruiting.

...to focus on attracting businesses.

...to be included in the current IDOT 5-year program.

...no more than to belong to you.

...a way to advertise their community.

...to own forty percent.

Of course, there is a town in IA called Clarinda, and it's not that popular of a name, so the results are a little skewed toward what a town might want/need.

Still a fun exercise and way to kill time...

Penny for a Poem

Yesterday, on my morning walk from the train to work, I saw a man on Nicollet Mall with this sign. Usually in this spot, there is a man just sitting with a sign saying he was homeless and asking for help.

 

Oddly, it made me miss NYC.

 

Folks asking for money in NYC were mostly doing something--drumming, singing, stunts, etc. It was often fascinating to watch. I rarely gave anything, but I would be more inclined to do so since I was being entertained.

 

Of course those who weren't entertaining, were a lot more in-your-face about asking for money. I remember one couple, who could often be seen walking back and forth on one of the train lines that we frequented, sharing their story with anyone (or no one) who would listen. Although annoying, this was still mildly entertaining.

 

Someday we'll be back in NYC!

Gas Prices

I received these in an email from my dad. I thought they were hilarious!

You Decide...

The only thing we have absolute control over is ourselves. Things will happen that are out of our control, and it is up to us to decide how we react. We can allow those things to drag us down and make us grumpy or we can choose to see the bright side.

 

This morning, I awoke to several inches of snow on the ground. It's been a tough winter! So cold! Now...two days into Spring, we get a good downfall! At least it's not bitter cold. And freshly fallen snow is so BEAUTIFUL! I love to watch it gracefully fall. So...even if it's supposed to be Spring with flowers blooming and sun shining, I love to see the snow fall!

 

I don't think the snow had anything to do with it, but my commute to work this morning was interesting...to say the least. I missed my train by about 2 minutes. Turns out, it didn't make any difference because that train broke down before it even entirely left the station. Everyone on it had to get off. Then we had to wait. After 5 or so minutes we were told that we would have to board the Northbound train on the Southbound tracks. We had to wait another 5 minutes or so on that platform.

 

By the time the train finally came and I was on my way, it was already the time I was supposed to be at work. Oh well. Of course, since we were travelling the wrong way on the train tracks, we had to go at a much slower pace that usual. Turns out, it probably would've been better to wait for the next train because I think the broken train and then 2 Northbound trains passed us while were were crawling along the Southbound tracks.

 

At least the conductor was in good spirits about it. He apologized over and over. He was sure to tell us that it was nothing he did, which got a pretty big laugh from the passengers. When we finally switched to the Northbound tracks, he told us that he hoped we would have a better day going forward. Another laugh. When we were exiting the train, he told us to enjoy the 2nd day of Spring (another laugh) and to have a Happy Easter! I think he really helped with the situation.

 

Still...to many, I'm certain this was a terribly frustrating way to begin the day! They may have a terrible day as a result.

 

I'm choosing to move on and not dwell on it.

 

The snow is still beautiful! It's still Friday!! We are having some friends over tonight!!! Easter is on Sunday!!!!

 

It's going to be a GOOD day...despite its rocky beginnings.

Goals

One of my goals this year is to be healthier and get into shape. Part of that includes losing weight. I have gained quite a few pounds since I've been married, and I really want to shed some of that--get back into a "healthy" range.

I joined myfitnesspal to help me. This is a really neat FREE site that helps you track your daily activities and nutrition. There are a few sites out that that help you with this, but I really like this one because it is FREE (of course), but also because you can customize your own foods and activities.

Another site I tried, MyCalorieCounter, only lets you customize if you upgrade to a paid membership. Also, to get your food totals, you need to upgrade as well. This, I found wasn't very helpful. The other site I used to use was FitDay, and it doesn't let you customize your activities, and it doesn't have elliptical trainer in its database. That's what I use more frequently, so I found the site wasn't meeting my needs.

I just discovered myfitnesspal yesterday, and so far I love it! It is very easy to use! It even makes counting calories kinda fun. Hee hee...

Wish me luck on my goal. I'd like to accomplish this by summer, but if it takes longer, I don't mind--as long as the pounds are shed in 2008!

MyFitnessPal - Free Calorie Counter

Well, I'm officially official...

Today, I received my PIN to be able to log into the online Registration system.

I am now registered for 4 classes:

• Circle of Advocates--meets two Saturdays, 2/2 & 4/5
• Education's Place in Society--every Thursday from 4:45 to 7
• Field Experience I--Exploration--not sure how this works, but I need to do 30 hours in a classroom sometime during the semester
• Human Relations & Multicultural Education--every Tuesday from 4:45 to 7

I even went to the bookstore and forked over $292 for the books for these courses!

Ouch!! Thank goodness for student loans! :-)

So I'm all set...now I just need to make it through the weekend, curbing my enthusiasm.

Classes start on Tuesday!!

Wish me well.

Jeff's the One For Me!

Okay, I've been tagged by my friend Lara! I figure it should be pretty interesting to read all about our better halves...so anyone who wants to give it a try. Just leave me a comment on my blog when you've done it so I can come take a look!

 

What's his name? Jeff
How long have you been together? We've been married for 3 years.
How long did you date? Let's see...dated 5 weeks, broke up for a few days, got engaged the following week, and were married 6 weeks after that...guess that would be 11 weeks give or take a couple of days
How old is he? 29
Who eats more? I'm afraid I do.
Who said I love you first? Honestly, I'm not sure.
Who is taller? Definitely, Jeff—by a few inches.
Who is smarter? I think Jeff is smarter about "things," but I think I may be more "book-smart."
Who does laundry? Mostly I do, but every once in a while he'll start a load. I definitely have to fold, though.
Who does the dishes? I do the dishes. Well, sometimes Jeff will empty the dishwasher.
Who sleeps on the right side of the bed? I do.
Who pays the bills? I keep track, but we both contribute the finances.
Who mows the lawn? We don't have a lawn!! J
Who cooks dinner? Generally, I do; however, sometimes he will make some Spanish rice and tamales.
Who drives when you are together? Jeff drives, which suits me just fine!
Who is more stubborn? Hmmm....probably me...
Who kissed who first? Again, I'm not sure. It was probably a mutual thing.
Who asked out who first? Jeff asked me over to teach him how to make Hamburger Helper. J
Who proposed? We don't have a good proposal story. I think it was more of a mutual thing. We just decided that we should get married. Although, I do remember one time we were at my parent's home and he leaned over and whispered in my ear, "Do you want to get an apartment downtown with me?" Marriage was implied.
Who has more siblings? Definitely me! I have 11 siblings (mixture of full, half, and step); Jeff only has 1 sister, and 2 brother.
Who wears the pants in the family? Pants?! Who wears pants?! I guess I'm probably bossier than Jeff.

The wait is OVER!!

Last Friday, I received my acceptance letter to the University of St Thomas School of Education! Yeah!

 

My acceptance was conditional. To gain full acceptance, I needed to take the Praxis I test. I just took it this afternoon. The minimums for passing in MN are 173 for Reading, 171 for Math, and 172 for Writing; the highest possible score for any section is 190. I believe that my scores were 182 in Reading and 187 in Math. I am really pleased with how I did. My score for the Writing section will come later, as it included an essay that cannot be scored by a computer. :-)

 

I was kind of stressed about the test, but now I can sigh a HUGE sigh of relief.

 

Now I just need to turn some paperwork and register for classes. Classes start next week already, so tomorrow I'll be turning in that paperwork. Hopefully, it won't take too long for me to be able to register.

 

It will be a little weird to be back in school, but still, I find myself terribly excited about it. Wish me luck!

 

 

Waiting

I've never really been all that great about waiting for things. I know patience is a virtue, but when I know something is coming that is very exciting, it's so difficult to wait!

Yesterday, the final piece of my graduate school application was submitted.

Now comes the waiting...

It should be too long of a wait, though. They keep assuring me that once everything is submitted, it doesn't take long for a decision to be made. I hope that's true because the semester starts in less than 2 weeks!

This is a big deal! Grad school! I never thought I would make the decision to return to school, but after much gentle prodding from my husband coupled with lots of prayerful consideration, I made the decision to return.

I've applied to the University of St Thomas School of Education. It will take a great deal of studying and hard work, but I hope to be a licensed teacher 2 years from now. My licensure will be in Communication Arts & Literature, which is perfect since my undergraduate work was in Communication Studies. My goal is to teach High School English.

I'm so excited to begin this next chapter in my life!

But for now...

I need to wait...

Baby, it's COLD outside!

When I was getting ready for work this morning, the radio kept saying it was 5-degrees outside. Brrrrrr...

So I got all bundled up--winter coat, hat, gloves, scarf, warm clothes underneath--for my 1 block walk to the train. 5-degrees is cold, any way you look at it. My cheeks tingled, and my eyes burned. I don't think it was that windy, just cold, bitter, bitter cold. It's gonna be a fun winter.

Of course, the best part is when I get downtown. I'm all bundled up, remember? Well, I have a 5+ block walk to work. Minneapolis has this incredible skyway system,

so I have the option of walking that 5+ blocks inside. Yeah!

Except....I'm all bundled up for the walk to the train. By the time I get to work, I've generally worked up a pretty good sweat. Today was no exception!

Here's to winter!

Freedom Writers

Jeff and I just watched one of the most powerful movies I've seen in a long time. If you haven't seen Freedom Writers, I highly recommend it.

This movie explores racism in today's society and how everyone has their own battles to fight. It shows the power and influence a good teacher can have in the lives of teenagers.

This movie made me cry, but mostly it made me think. It spurred discussion about public schools and the holocaust and parenthood.

Seriously this movie is a definite must-see!

Fall Leaves at Minnehaha Falls

Living so close to Minnehaha Park, I couldn't resist going on a little photo shoot one Saturday evening.

Here are my 5 favorites:






If you'd like to see more, you can visit my entire album on Picasa: Minnehaha Falls

Where I've Been

A friend of mine put up a map of all the places she'd visited. I thought I'd do the same. Mine isn't nearly as impressive as hers, but here it is...

I only included states that I have actually done something in (not just driven through).



create your own visited states map

Outside of the U.S., I've only been to Canada and the Bahamas, so my world map is even less impressive. I'm not even going to bother posting something like that.

Christopherson Clan

These pics were really fun to come across. I had totally forgotten about this pit stop!



When Brian and family moved out to Boston, they made a pit stop for a couple of hours in Minneapolis. Treva and Trevor couldn't join us because of work, but Tony and Ana brought out all the kids. I think everyone had a lot of fun meeting their cousins and playing by the lake.

At the time, I lived in Minneapolis only a couple of blocks from Lake Calhoun, so we walked down to the lake and played around until Brian and Nancy and clan had to
continue on their journey.

Denise, Treva, Jen & Me

I can't remember exactly the occasion of these photos, but Treva and I met Denise & Jennifer at a Famous Dave's. I do remember getting a birthday gift, so maybe that was the occasion.

Treva & Denise Jennifer & Me
The Girls

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Mingle² - Dating Site

Today I AM 30!

Well, my big day is finally here! I've been counting down for well over a month.

I have high hopes for this day, but I have no concrete plans as of yet...

As I walked from the train station to work this morning, I couldn't help but walking tall. Today IS special.

I love birthdays! But my 30th...well, that's something to celebrate!

Check out this fun, delicious looking cake! I found it doing a Google Image search. I probably won't get a cake this fancy-schmancy, but a girl can dream. :-)

I cut my bangs!

I cut my bangs yesterday morning!

It wasn't exactly the look I was going for, but I do think they turned out pretty cute. Of course, now I need to get the rest of my hair cut. I think the bangs make the rest of my hair look (and feel) heavy! I'm thinking something kinda short and complementary of the bangs.

Now I'm just debating as to whether I should try cutting it myself or going to a professional.

Thoughts?

Book Review: My Dog Skip

I was inspired to read this book after watching the movie, My Dog Skip. The movie was a sad story about a boy and his dog. Willie was a lonely boys with no friends, so his Mom bought him a puppy for his 9th birthday, in the hopes that he would become his best friend. It worked, of course, and Willie and Skip became inseparable!

The book, however, tells quite a different story! The book, by the way, is a true story while the movie is merely based on the book.

In actuality, the Willie in the book, was quite a popular kid. True, Skip became his best friend, but certainly not his only friend.

Once you get past the completely different portrayal of Willie Morris, this book was actually quite good.

It primarily takes place in a small town in Mississippi during WWII. The description of the adventures that Willie and Skip embarked on is quite vivid. I really felt that I was a part of this quiet little town.

It also was very interesting to read about this particular period of time. A time before video games and the Internet. A time when boys and dogs were free to roam around town. A time when everyone knew everyone in town. It was a very reminiscent account of a time that I am so removed from and that I will never experience.

Working in the IDS Center

I've spent the past few weeks working on the 39th floor of the IDS Center in Minneapolis. Some of you may not know this, but IDS is the tallest building in Minneapolis. The view out of the conference center is spectacular! You can see for miles! You can see 394 and Lake Calhoun and lots of downtown buildings. Gorgeous!

Today there is a storm brewing. It's incredible to watch the storm slowly making its way into downtown. Less than 5 minutes ago, we could clearly see Lake Calhoun off in the distance. Now it is completely gone...lost in the rain...

The rain hasn't hit downtown yet, but it will very, very soon...

I've never watched a storm come in from up so high.

Torchlight 5K--July 18, 2007

This is one of my favorite races of all time! It is always the first Wednesday evening of the Minneapolis Aquatennial--the 10 Best Days of Summer--and kicks off the Torchlight Parade.

This is the third time I've run this race, and it has always been a different route. I really enjoyed the route this year.

It always starts at the Basilica in downtown Minneapolis. The first year, it ended on Boom Island; the second year, it ended at Loring Park; this year, it ended on Nicollet Island.

The race started off bit a rocky.

• I hadn't been able to get a hold of Marla all day, and we were supposed to run this together.
• Around 4:30 or so, the sky opened up and the rains came pouring down. The rain was much, much worse out in Eagan, so Jeff and I decided that he didn't need to come down and cheer me on. He would just pick me up at the train station when I was finished.
• After loafing around the library until a little before 6, I changed into my running clothes. It was then that I realized how much I needed Jeff--to hold my purse and my bag. I certainly didn't want to run a 5K carrying all of that.
• I remember that Jeff mentioned Dave was going to be running the race, so I gave him a call.
• I finally got a hold of Marla! She had just arrived from Denver and was driving into downtown.
• The rains started to fall once again!!
• I registered, got my t-shirt, and finally met up with Dave, John, and Lindsay Christianson.
• Yeah! I got to put all my stuff in their car.
• We met up with Emily Kucera!!
• Brian Hogan and Andy Howard (I think) joined our pre-race crowd.
• Marla finally found the Basilica, parking, and joined our group! Yeah!

As we made our way to the starting line, I set my Garmin to run the 5K in 32:00. Marla and I paced together pretty well...we only missed my goal by 39 seconds!! Also the race turned out to be 3.2 miles (.1 miles longer than a 5K).
I had to stop a walk twice during the race--once during the water stop and once a little further on in the race.
My shins hurt a little during the race, but it was okay. Marla was concerned that I didn't push myself too much.
But you just can't help yourself but to run a little faster and harder during a race!
The race was exhilarating!
The post-race party was fun, too! There was a cheese scupture of Mt Rushmore. Cheez-It(R) was one of the sponsors. Plus, there was a lot of fun food. I had to convince Dave to walk through the food tent, but one he saw the free food, I think it was worth it to him.
I also won tickets for two to the Acme Comedy Club, so I'm excited for Jeff and I to go to a comedy show.

Valleyfair for Emillio's birthday

It is a tradition with my family for us to go to Valleyfair for my nephew's birthday. It used to be the entire family, but as the years have gone by, it has dwindled to only those who truly enjoy going on all the rides.

This year it was Treva, Emillio, AJ, Selena, and I who went. Dan and Jessica came out for a little while as well. It was so much fun! We went on all the scary rides!

The new ride this year was Renegade: Outlaw Coaster. It was phenomenal! It was exhilarating! We rode it twice. We went on a Saturday, so the lines were really long. Renegade was the only ride we were able to go on twice. :-(

While standing in line for Steel Venom, I played around with my camera phone. I discovered some really cool features. My favorite was the sketch feature.

Watch the slideshow below for a few shots from our day at Valleyfair--including some that I took as sketches.