Back to School??

I always swore that once I finished my B.S. I'd never be a student again.

Now 6+ years later, my husband is pursuing his undergraduate work, and I'm going to go back for more.

We're going to be living the "poor, suffering college student" lifestyle, and oddly, I'm really looking forward to it.

There is a lot to figure out financial aid-wise, but we're both very excited about this next adventure in our lives.

Now, we just need to apply...

Oh, I'm intending on getting a 2nd bachelor's degree. This time in French or Romance languages. I know it will be tough, but hopefully the 6 years of French I took in high school and early college will come back to me easily.

My new toy...

It's raining today. I know, I know...I live in Oregon!

Anyway...instead of taking a walk in the rain, I thought I'd blog a bit about my new toy.

To assist me in my running goals, I found a great deal on a Garmin Forerunner 101 on www.ebay.com. These normally run at least $100, and I got mine for $67 (including shipping). I was so excited. It was the first time I'd ever bid for something on eBay, so I was nervous, but I really LOVE my new toy.

The Forerunner 101 is a bit outdated as there are at least 4 newer versions, but it is more than sufficient for my needs.

Basically, what it does is link up with 3 (of the 24) satellites, and tells you how far you've run/walked and how fast you did it! You can set up training intervals. It even comes with a Virtual training partner. I haven't explored this option yet, but I'm pretty excited about it.

There are a lot more functions that I haven't explored yet, but all in due time...

A New Reputation...

I've got a new reputation at work!

At AFP, I was always known to never turn down food--chocolate, donuts, pizza...you name it. If it was offered, I ate it. I would even make special trips to HR, where I knew there was a jar of candy--usually chocolate--just waiting for consumption.

At H&F, I'm now known as the girl trying to be good. It's been kind of good for me. It makes the temptation for snagging a free donut so much easier to resist. :-)

I'm currently in Week 3 of the ChangeOne (R) diet--snacks. Snacking has always been my downfall, but I've been very good this week. Each day so far, I've only had my 2 (100-calorie) snacks.

If you don't know what ChangeOne is, check out this website: www.changeone.com. Basically it's a 12-week program that focuses not only on weight loss, but on making healthier choices. You start off tackling Breakfast, then lunch, then snacks, then dinner. I've never made it past Week 4, so I don't know exactly what the focus is of each of the following weeks. I know there is one on eating out, one on exercise, one on keeping off the weight (I think). I know that so far, I've really learned a lot about how much I should be eating.

I haven't lost any weight yet, but I think it will come in time. Hopefully by the end of the 12-week program...

The 2007 Running Season Is Quickly Approaching

I am getting excited to start a regular schedule of running. I've only been getting in 1-2 runs (if that) each week since February. Last week, I finally got in 3 runs. Yippee!! Soon I'll be able to very comfortably run 3 miles. I've been doing 2.26 miles--with a combination of both running and walking.

I'm still experiencing pain in my shins during my runs, but I'm hoping that as I get more consistent (and lose some weight), the hurt will subside.

I was hoping to run my first race of the season on Saturday, but there are too many conflicts. The biggest, of course, is that Tax Day is quickly approaching, and we still need to get ours done.

My first 5K of the season will hopefully be on April 21st...that is, if I can convince Jeff to come cheer me on in Salem--the armpit of Oregon.

I track all of my training runs (and even my walking) on CoolRunning.com. You can view my running log. Just click the link below.

http://www.coolrunning.com/cgi-bin/log/display.cgi?u=bbberry95;s=tcm2002

To all the runners out there reading my blog...HAPPY RUNNING! Be safe and have fun. :-)

Day Two

I went to bed about three hours earlier last night than Sunday night. I still had some difficulty waking up this morning, but I had a lot more energy throughout the day. I still got a little bit tired, but I was pretty deep into one project that I didn't really notice it too much.

I did go on a short walk today. I have been eating my lunch and then going for a walk, but I think I'll try walking first tomorrow. That way, I'll be sure to get in 20 min. I think that my walk today was only 10 or 15 minutes.

In addition to my lunchtime jaunts, I've also started running again. I'm hoping to go out Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Saturdays. I've penciled in a few races I'd like to do this summer, so I need to get training.

Tomorrow, my computer will be all set up. I'm been using the former HR Coordinator's log-in and e-mail accounts. It will be nice to have my own. I still have access to all her files, so I can find everything that I need. They tell me she was very organized, but there is a lot of information in multiple files. One more project for me to tackle in my spare time. :-)

I had to commute on my own today. :-( It wasn't bad, but I really do enjoy the extra 90 minutes (45 minutes each way) a day with Jeff. Next term, we'll commute together 4 times each week; right now it's only twice a week.

Time to get ready for bed! Good-night. :-)

Day One

Whew! It will definitely take some time for my body to get used to my new work schedule...BUT it will be worth it.

My first day was great--besides being a little tiring. There are so many functions and processes and projects. I'm excited to be busy, and I know that I am going to learn so much in my new position.

To help my body adjust, I've decided I need to go to bed earlier, eat healthier and EXERCISE. I'm going to try to get in a 10-20 min walk each day during lunch. Today I went for about 10 min. It's all I could take because my shoes began tearing a little tiny hole in each of my ankles. Tomorrow, I need to remember to bring some good walking shoes.

If I learn nothing else (which is quite doubtful), at least I hope to develop some good personal habits.

I am so grateful for this wonderful opportunity!

Human Resources Coordinator/Office Support Manager

What's that you might ask?? It's my brand-spanking new job title.

Yesterday around 4:30 p.m. I accepted a position with Hartmann & Forbes. They are a high-end window coverings manufacturer and one of the top 500 fastest growing companies in the country.

Check out our website: www.hfshades.com

I am very excited about this new opportunity! I will be doing a lot of HR functions plus helping out in the office where needed. It is a very small company--about 50 employees only. 30 of which work on the production floor. I know this will be a challenging yet very rewarding position.

Most likely, I will begin work on Monday, March 5th. Wish me luck!! :-)

How Many of Me??

Clarinda Dodson

HowManyOfMe.com

There are: 0 people with my name in the U.S.A. How many have your name?

Clarinda Wilson (This was surprising to me.)

HowManyOfMe.com

There are: 5 people with my name in the U.S.A. How many have your name?

There are 1,500 people in the U.S. with the first name Clarinda.
There are 50,995 people in the U.S. with the last name Dodson.
There are 1,016,894 people in the U.S. with the last name Wilson.

I honestly was surprised at how many Clarindas there were. I've never met another one (besides my Great-grandma) and most people I meet have never heard the name before.

Of course there is that small town in Iowa...

Book Review: Things Not Seen

Things Not Seen by Andrew Clements

If you're looking for an easy read with lots of twists, this is a great book to add to your list.

One of the classes that I've been helping out in when I sub at Duniway Middle School is a 7th grade Language Arts class. They are reading this title for class, and the teacher recommended it to me. She lent me one of her copies, and I read it all in just a few shorts days. I think I started reading it on Thursday and finished it on Saturday.

This story is quite unique. It's about a 15-year old boy who wakes up one morning and finds himself invisible. The rest of the book is about him and his family trying to make sense of all this--and trying to make it right. He certainly doesn't want to live out the rest of his life like this!! At first this might not seem like a very intriguing book, but Clements add enough surprise elements that it is really a joy to read.

**Side note: If your dreams at night have a tendency to incorporate things you've read or watched, I don't recommend reading this before bedtime. I did, and I had a tough time convincing myself that I had not woken up the next morning invisible. As I laid in bed struggling to come to grips with the fact that it was morning and time to get up, I had to keep looking at my arm to ensure myself that it was, in fact, still visible. :-)

Winter in Oregon

Winter in Oregon is unlike winter anywhere else (at least in my experiences).

Growing up in Minnesota (and living in Missouri and New York), I am used to cold weather, snow, and underneath the snow...dead grass.

Here the winter is the beginning of the rainy season, so the grass is a very vibrant green! It is so beautiful! Sometimes I just can't get over it, and I stare out the window at the rich colors of winter. The green grass is complemented by all the evergreen trees. It is truly a sight to see. I should really take some pictures.

Of course it does get cold here and it does snow as well.

I think it has snowed twice this winter so far. It is kind of funny, because it might snow over night and a little in the morning--possibly accumulating 1-inch (tops), and the schools will shut down. By the afternoon, almost all of the snow will have melted, and we'll be left with the brilliant grass peaking through. Gorgeous!!

This is usually accompanied by a cold spell where the temperatures might dip down to the teens--usually just the 20s.

All is all the cold and snow don't seem to last very long (knock on wood as I type, and hopefully as you read, this), which is perfect for me because I only like the cold and snow in small doses.

I have to admit...so far this winter has been quite enjoyable--with the brilliant colors (rainbows, grass, trees, etc) and relatively mild temperatures (remember I'm a MN girl).

Brilliant Rainbows

Yesterday, driving home from the grocery store, I got to behold one of the most brilliant rainbows! After several days of one downpour after another, there was a break in the rains yesterday afternoon. It was so beautiful, I longed to have a camera as part of my phone--or a camera of some sort. Of course a digital pic probably wouldn't have done it the justice it deserved.

Since moved out to the rainy Pacific Northwest, I have seen several rainbows. I guess that is one of the perks of living in an area that rains 8 months out of the year! Growing up in MN, its not like I've never seen a rainbow before, but they're different out here. I can pick out every single color in the ROY G BIV spectrum. They are big and brilliant--and frequent!

Unfortunately, I usually see them while I'm driving. This could cause a problem because I am so drawn to them that I'm not paying as close attention to the road. :-(

Halloweens past

I got a little carried away when looking for old Halloween photos. These are the ones I found--spanning my entire life (practically).

2 yrs old (1979) Raggedy Ann

I don't have any kids yet, so I'm forced to show off pics of me as a little girl.

6th grade (1988) Gypsy

At one point in our lives, my mom, my older sister and I all wore this outfit.
8th Grade (1990) Banshee

I went trick or treating this year, and nearly lost an eye to a tree branch because I refused to wear my glasses (it would've ruined the effect of the make-up). I was only a few inches from the branch before it came into focus.

1999 Trinity (from the Matrix)
This is probably my favorite Halloween costume, so I put up a few pics from that year.


2000 Vampire

Costco

I went to Costco the other day all by myself. It really made me feel like an adult. I've been to Sam's lots of times with my parents, but something about buying in bulk made me feel like I'd ventured into a new realm of adulthood. :-)

I was really surprised at how that store can suck you in. I was only going to make a quick stop to check it out--see what was available. The 15 min trip ended up lasting 45 and costing me $100. Guess I'll be needing to limit my stops there. Thankfully, it's over 30 min away, so the temptation won't be too strong to swing on by.

Rule Breaker??

Nope. Not this chica.

In fact, it's so bad that I don't even break unwritten, unexpressed rules.

Have you ever been in a school (or any building, but I've only ever seen it in a school) where they have tape down the middle of the hallways and stairwells? I imagine this is to help facilitate the flow of traffic by suggesting that you stay to the right of the tape marks.

Well, I've had a couple of sub jobs in one such school in McMinnville, OR (Duniway Middle School), and without anyone suggesting to me this "rule," I inherently obeyed--even when no one else was around. Nearly everyone else that I passed was not following this rule, and yet I felt some bizarre need to stay to the right.

Guess that says something about me, huh?

The Lake House

Starring Sandra Bullock and Keanu Reeves
2006

I saw the end of this movie before I saw the beginning. Jeff watched it while I was doing something in the kitchen...I can't remember exactly what. Anyway, I finished up in the kitchen with about 15-20 minutes left of the movie. Even without seeing the beginning first, I still welled up a bit at the end.

This afternoon, I finally had the opportunity (after making and canning applesauce) to sit down and watch the movie from the beginning. I'd heard others say how good it was and Jeff enjoyed it, but still I was really surprised at how impressed I was with this movie. The storyline was quite intriguing! If it hadn't been done quite so well, it could've been quite confusing. Thankfully, the script was very well written and film was shot beautifully.

When I sat down to watch this movie, I did not really intend on writing a blog entry on it. This is unfortunate, because I can't remember any particular scene that impressed me the most. I'll need to start watching movies with a pad and pen nearby--just in case. :-)

Let's just suffice it to say...if you haven't seen this movie yet--Push it to the top of your list. I don't think you'll be disappointed. Take note of the beautiful shots; relish in the chemistry of two people who haven't even met.

Enjoy!!

New running partner

I have been diligently running 3x every week since we arrived in Dayton, OR. I even have a cute, little running partner. It's actually kind of fun to run with little Skipper--except when he jets out in front of me to bark at another dog. He's nearly brought me down a few times!

This is a picture of us after one of our runs.

Usually we run in the mornings when it is still cool out; however, one time I didn't have a chance to run until around 1 p.m. It had gotten quite warm, and it really wore Skipper out. He just laid on the dining room floor and panted and panted and panted some more!!

We have been easing into our running. Next week will be our first week running more than 2 miles without any walking. I think it will be tough for both of us.

I have a running log online. You're welcome to check out my progress. Here is a link:
http://www.coolrunning.com/cgi-bin/log/display.cgi?u=bbberry95;s=tcm2002
I update this log after each run. It's a great tool for me.

Book Review: Lick Creek

Very enjoyable book! Lick Creek by Brad Kessler takes place is the small coal mining community of (surprise, surprise) Lick Creek, WV, during the late 1920s.

It tells the story of young girl (teenage), Emily Jenkins, who lives on a family farm. Her father, brother, and first love die is a coal mine explosion. Her mother goes into severe depression dealing with such a loss and at times doesn't even bother to get dressed. Emily is forced to become quite resourceful in order to provide for her and her mother. She takes to gathering berries, mushrooms and making goat cheese, and then traveling to the city of White Sulfur to sell these items to the fancy hotel.

During this time period, electricity is booming. Many electric lines are being installed--some right near Lick Creek. One of the lineman falls from a pole during a thunderstorm, and his crew brings him to the Jenkins home. Having this injured man in the house, breathes life back into Ada Jenkins, Emily's mother. She nurses him back to health. During his time at the Jenkins, he develops a strong relationship with Emily.

One of the things that really intrigued me about this book was how different things were back then. Would any of us know what to do if a man came to our homes with a dislocated shoulder, a broken leg, a gash to the head and a concussion? There were no phones (or at least the Jenkins didn't have one), and the nearest doctor was far enough away that he wouldn't be able to come until at least the next day. I was impressed that Ada knew just what to do! First aid was just second nature to her.

Just a warning...there are a few bad words in this book. Also, Emily does fall in love a few times, so there are a few scenes that are descriptive of this. I'd say it was nothing too explicit and it is very tastefully written, but just a warning that it is there.

Book Review: Neighbors

The next book I read was Neighbors by Thomas Berger. If you can avoid this book, I definitely would not read it again! Maybe the cover should've been a clue to me. The entire time I was reading this book, I kept thinking that the ending would redeem it for me...make it worth my time.

Unfortunately, this was not the case.

The story is about a family who lives on a dead end street. New neighbors move into the only other house on the street, and all sorts of trouble ensues. The husband and wife want to have the new couple over for dinner, but before they can even extend the invitation, the new couple, Harry and Ramona, stops by and sort of invites themselves. The entire book chronicles the rest of the evening and the next day. It is full of misunderstandings and complete and total misbehavior on the part of the new neighbors.

I felt that I didn't really understand the motivation of any of the characters. The situations that the characters got into were difficult for me to read--not because they were crude or inappropriate, but simply because they made me uncomfortable.

I kept thinking (hoping) that it would end with the main character, Earl, awaking from a dream. These situations were just too absurd for me to believe that they would be a reality. Instead the book ends (here's the spoiler), with Earl having a heart attack and dying. It turns out that it was all real and that the stress of the entire situation kills him.

It was such a disappointment!

Book Review: Devil in the White City

I've decided that I need to read more. I thought it would be fun to write up reviews of books that I read. I have a goal to read at least 1 book each week. Check back often to read reviews of the recent books I've read.


The first book is Devil in the White City by Erik Larson. I really enjoyed this book and would definitely recommend it! Click on the title's link to find it on Amazon, where you can search the book plus read excerpts and reviews

This is not my usual choice of a book, but it was recommended by a friend. It is a non-fiction book. I usually only stick to fiction; however, this book really reads like fiction. Maybe that is why I enjoyed it so much.

This book takes place in the late-1890s during the planning and construction of Chicago's World's Fair. The story revolves around two men--an architect and a serial killer. These two men most likely never met, but their stories are both linked to the World's fair.

I thought that this was very cleverly written. Larson, chapter by chapter, describes the events surrounding both of these men alternating one with the other. This helps to create a lot of suspense and desire to continue reading. You will be very intrigued by the happenings of one man, and then suddenly, you will begin a new chapter about the other man, become very intrigued only to be shifted back to the first again. At times this was a little frustrating, but I thought it really did add to the enjoyment of the book.

I also enjoyed this book, because I never really knew just how influential the World's Fair in Chicago was. Many of the products and appliances that we rely on today find their roots at this fair. It is fascinating. Like I mentioned earlier, this is a work of non-fiction. There are pages and pages of notes in the back of the book. Most of Larson's sources were from newspapers of the day. It amazes me just how much research he must have put into this book. I can't help but wonder just how long the research took him.

If you're looking for something to read this summer, I'd definitely recommend adding this book to your list.