Christmas winding down

It's amazing to me that my three days of working last week left me completely drained by Friday. Then one of my co-workers reminded me it was normal to have that reaction after the holidays. I can't even express how happy I was to come home Friday night. I immediately started knitting and watched my brand new DVD of A Muppet Christmas Carol.

Later that evening, Chris and I met some friends at the climbing gym, and I climbed better than I had for several weeks. I am finally getting back to climbing 5.9's, which is where I was at how many months ago. It feels good. I'm also really excited because I starting to do more crack climbing, and I tried out the straight crack. I went up smoothly at first, and then didn't slide my feet far enough in, slipped out, and scraped up my hands a bit, but I'm so excited to try it again! I think the crack climbing has helped my form as well, which is much needed. My biggest challenge at this point is increasing my endurance, which means that I should really start going to a gym on a regular basis again to work on my cardio. Soon....

Yesterday, we played a lot of Wii because Chris borrowed one from a co-worker. I have to say that I kicked Chris's butt in bowling. I had a 212 game - something I could never do in real life :) I am also getting better at tennis. Chris and I played on a team against the computer and were kicking some butt there too. It's a lot of fun, and we'll have to get one someday.

I'm getting close to the end of one of my socks (I'm knitting a pair for myself now). The needles felt so tiny when I first started, but I'm used to them now. I post a picture once they are done. I chose some really neat yarn that is different shades of greens and had black in it that creates stripes. Chris asked me to knit him a pair after I'm done.

I'm happy to report that the apartment is feeling a little bit more like home, still not completely, but a little bit more so. After putting up the tree and taking it down, it's the start of a tradition. What I really want to do is rearrange the "office". I just have to figure out a time when I can force Chris to do it with me, before he starts shooting again! (hint hint Chris)

This afternoon I'm going to use one of my gifts from Chris's parents: a massage. I'm excited, in a very relaxed way of course. I figured I had better post before going there. I'm looking forward to a really relaxing afternoon, full of resting, knitting, and reading.

Did I mention that I am addicted to knitting now? I'm excited to teach myself how to crochet too... The possibilities for projects are endless. I have been picking up books of patterns just about every time we've gone to Half Price Books in the past few months. And I've been finding lots of cute patterns on the Internet too. It's really fun, relaxing, and rewarding.

Till next time...

Best Christmas Ever!

Christmas was absolutely wonderful. Chris and I, after going to my family's Christmas party, drove up north to spend the weekend with my parents and Pokey. We got up Saturday night and stayed until about noon on Christmas Day. Chris drove, which was nice for me, and even though there was some crummy conditions at times, it went pretty well.

Being at home and spending time with my parents and Poke-a-doke was exactly what I wanted. It was great having Chris there to steal my pennies....oh yeah, and it was great to have Chris there in general :) My dad cleared off the skating pond on Sunday and me and Mom went skating in the beautiful sunshine on Christmas Eve morning. Chris was taking a ton of photos (which he has said he will try to get online this week). I realized that I'm glad he doesn't take a ton of pictures of me because he made me pose the same way five times in a row! But it was worth it because he took some funny pictures. I'm looking forward to seeing them all!

I really don't think Christmas could have been any better. Well, maybe if we didn't watch bad movies all weekend - and I'm not talking about A Muppet Christmas Carol, Dad! (That movie is my favorite Christmas show ever!)

I inherited a blanket that my mom started crocheting in the '70s, which I am going to try to put together (it's an intergenerational thing). I'm sure I will write all about my crochet adventures in future posts...

After spending a great weekend with my folks (with lots and lots of great food and teasing), Chris and I headed back to the apartment, unloaded the car, and immediately hit the road again to drive down to Chris's parents' house. I swear we got there as fast as we could Kim - I think she was a little excited to open the mounds of presents there. It was fun to trying to keep Buster from eating the dip and cookies. Dinner interrupted present-opening, and by the end, all of us were tired.

We got back home and went to bed at about 10. I have to admit that the entire day at work today I was thinking about my gifts and was excited to get to play with them! I have restrained myself and have not been driving Chris up the wall with mini piano playing (hee hee).

I will likely post something a little less scatterbrained later in the week. Until then, I hope all of you continue to enjoy the holiday season!

Cookies=1 Me=0

My annual (well mostly annual) Christmas tradition has been to make cookies. Usually I make a few different kinds, but this year, between being sick, getting presents bought and wrapped, making out cards, and life, I decided to just make peanut butter blossoms. My mom gave me her amazing recipe, and any one I give them to asks for them the next year.

I bought all the ingredients this past weekend, but unfortunately did not have the time to make them. No big deal; I decided that tonight would be Cookie Night. I was so ready for the apartment to smell of delicious cookies, and I was ready for that first bite of that first amazing cookie...you can tell what happened already, can't you?

The cookies were a disaster. I mean a complete disaster. I suffered through the first cookie, looked at Chris as he tried one, and we both agreed that they sucked. I later tried another, thinking that maybe the first ones didn't turn out, but later ones did. Nope. I spit that one out. This is the first time I've thrown out an entire batch of cookies minus two.

Unbelievable. My Christmas dreams were shattered. For those of you who really truly know me, my reaction to this disaster is no surprise: I broke down into tears. I sobbed over that horrible batch of cookies. I take great pride in those (almost) annual cookies, and this year, I failed. It wasn't just the wretched taste that made me cry, it was the fact that this was a holiday tradition, my holiday tradition. I cried because I still haven't been able to make my apartment feel like home, and without my other holiday traditions (watching The Muppet Christmas Carol, listening to my holiday cds - which have disappeared, wrapping presents while listening to those lost cds), I feel lost. Those traditions are home to me, and I thought if I could do those in the apartment, it would feel more like home.

But alas, it still does not. I think that all I need is time, and I think that Chris and I need to create our own traditions. We decided that making shit cookies should NOT be one of them. There were two successes out of this experience: (1) I figured out how big the cookies need to be and (2) I remembered one of the reasons I am with Chris. He didn't freak out at all when I started crying. Instead, he held me and tried to convince me that I wasn't crazy and that it was a completely understandable reaction. He knows how I've been feeling, and he made me laugh with his completely inappropriate comments. Classic Chris.

So, after much convincing, I will try another batch tomorrow night with fresh vanilla. Never quit trying, right? Happy holidays everyone.

Weekend of Silliness

So here's what happens when Chris and I spend most of our time at home over a weekend:


We had some our friends over to watch Badder Santa (tator tot hotdish and beer set the mood). Saturday night we went over to our friends' apartment for a pre-Christmas party. The rest of the weekend was for relaxing. I read a lot; just finished The Golden Compass (the one that was just made into a movie and is controversial). It's the first of a trilogy and I really want to read the other two books, but couldn't find them during out latest trip to Half Price Books. So for all of you looking for Christmas gift ideas for me - wink wink. hee hee

Another accomplishment of mine was finishing my first sock! I will put pictures up once I complete them, but I'm not sure if I want to since they are going to be a Christmas present for my mom (she already knows about them). I will likely wait. Turning the heel and creating the gusset was goddamn difficult, and after about four tries and watching knitting-help videos on the Internet, I got it. I have full confidence in myself now though. I think one of the most important things about knitting is finding a good pattern. Each time we've been going to the bookstore, I've been looking through their selection of knitting pattern books. It's kinda hard to find a book with a lot of patterns you like.

Anyway, I'm enjoying knitting more and more. It's challenging and relaxing at the same time. It's neat to have a hobby where you can make a lot of really cool things.

Busy-ness

After starting officially last week, my days have been flying by. I'm getting oriented in a number of projects and am working on a million little ones. It's kind of nice to have the days go by that quickly. The exciting news is that I'm going to move to a cubicle with a window next week! The reason I'm getting one by the window is that the other new guy doesn't want the slow computer that's in that cubicle, and since I value natural light more than computer speed, I said I would take it. I'm excited!

Other than that, we've been busy getting ready for the holidays and running around doing stuff. Soon I will make my own Christmas cookies, which I'm excited about. I'm going to make the traditional peanut butter blossoms, cookie candies, and Russian teacakes I think. Yummy goodness.

I started making socks for my mom, ones that I said I would make a few months ago already. I've been too intimidated to start them before now. But now that I have a few hats under my belt, I feel more confident in my skills and ability to learn. The first round failed, but I found a website with a video showing how to do the part I was having trouble with, so I think I will get it this time.

Wish me luck!

Crazy Knitter

I just knit three hats in three days. Granted one was the practice run and didn't turn out big enough and actually didn't perfectly follow the pattern (it just barely fits my head), but still! I started out by knitting Chris a hat. He wanted one with the Gophers colors for when he's shooting outdoor sports. I had gotten the yarn a couple of weeks ago and found a great pattern on the Internet, so I tried out the pattern this weekend (a lot of relaxing over Thanksgiving weekend). You know how that one turned out.

I tried it again, only this time I actually did the pattern correctly and added 20 rows to the top so that it actually fit Chris's head. Here is the end result:


Great pose huh? hee hee

Then Kim asked if I wanted to check out the yarn shop with her, and I couldn't resist. Of course I found some alpaca yarn that would go well with my new jacket (the one I bought last year). I had to get it. When I was there, I also found a hat pattern that I really liked. So after we got back to the apartment yesterday, I knit this:


The color in this picture isn't its true color because I left the flash off when I took it (it's easier to see the pattern that way). It's a pumpkin color, and super soft and warm. I think I'm in love :)

It's amazing how much faster smaller projects like these go. When I was making throws for people, each one took about a month. Craziness. And yes Mom, I'm going to start working on your socks today. You might have them by Christmas (hee hee).

Got a Job!!!

It's official: I am going to be a Financial Analyst with the City! I've been working as an intern for the past six months, and my official internship was going to end in a week. They essentially created this position for me (they like me, they really like me!). I interviewed for the job yesterday, and five minutes later, they called me in and offered it to me. Yippee!!!

I will be working on rate models (amounts that departments charge one another). While this may seem pretty uninteresting to most people, it will follow nicely with the project I have already been working on. I will likely start my job on Tuesday (Monday is a busy day).

It's such a relief to have this because I had only applied to two other positions, both of which I haven't heard back from yet. And to be honest, I was holding out to see what happened. I took a chance, and this time it turned out really well.

I think my parents are jazzed about this too because my mom already mentioned how I will now be able to reimburse her for my car insurance (yes, I have been spoiled for a really long time). The offer was a great way to start out a four-day weekend :D

Happy Thanksgiving!

Great Comedy Show

A couple of friends of ours invited us to a a comedy show in Uptown called "Stuck in The Manager with You or Carol On, My Wayward Son" at the Brave New Workshop. It was a lot of fun! The show was a compilation of a number of skits dealing with Christmas.

One of the skits featured mouse launchers. Have no idea what I'm talking about? Think of a bored little girl stuck in a bathroom while her mom is outside wrapping her presents - and she wants "to make stuff". Still can't figure out what the hell I'm talking about? Go see the show - you won't be disappointed.

They also sang two adaptations of the 12 Days of Christmas, one about what Mother said to me and the other what Father said to me. Both of which were pretty damn funny.

So check out their website, get your tickets, and get some good laughs! Thanks James and Autumn :)

Addicted...to a show?

I'm addicted to Grey's Anatomy, a drama about a whole bunch of surgical doctors. I cry at least once every couple of episodes. I always used to laugh at my mom for being all emotional sometimes, but I get emotional over a TV show. I don't know what it is. It's like that scene in Sleepless in Seattle where Meg Ryan and Rosie O'Donnell are watching and crying An Affair to Remember- that is so me.

I kind of feel silly about it, but I love watching so much. I was looking forward to coming home and watching disc 3 as soon as I left for work (maybe that's just because I was at work). Thought some of you might get a kick on how girly I can be.

The winner is...

...A sinus infection!!! I went to the doctor today because of the crazy symptoms I've been having. I'm always paranoid that I have a sinus infection, ear infection, or bronchitis, so I now always want to get in early because the earlier I get in, the sooner I get better. Antibiotics usually clear me up after a couple of days, which I'm really looking forward to. I'm trying to better understand my allergies though because the more I know about what's setting me off, the more I can do to hopefully prevent my allergies from being set off.

I'm thinking about seeing an allergist. My doctor recommended one that has a partnership with the U's health center. Maybe an early Christmas present Mom and Dad? haha I'm thinking that it's a necessary next step to determining exactly what is causing my allergies to go haywire in the first place. I don't want to fall apart at my young age! I'm just a little kid!!!

I started my antibiotics tonight, and have ten days worth of them (I didn't get "the bomb" this time around). And man o man do these medications hurt the pocketbook! Good thing I have a job so that I can pay for all of my allergy treatments!

Speaking of jobs, my boss's boss said that they may be able to post another position in a couple of weeks, so we'll see how things go.... I'm really hoping that I can stick around the City for a while because I enjoy the work that I'm doing and I get to learn new things all the time. We'll see where the wind takes me. For now, I am focusing on getting better! I would love to not have to blow my nose every five minutes and not cough a bizillion times a day! Oh yeah, and I would love not to be tired all of the time - the first time I had a sinus infection, I would come home after working at the bank and go to bed right away. A similar pattern was beginning to emerge this week when one night, I am pretty sure I slept about 12 hours. Eek!

Hope those antibiotics are kicking some behind right now!

Ear infection...again??

So I'm sick - again. First it was allergies, and now it appears to be an ear infection (I'm going to the doctor tomorrow morning). At first I thought it might be a sinus infection because I've had major sinus headaches for the past couple of days. Then I thought I might have bronchitis again because my throat was killing me a couple of days ago and caused my voice to drop an octave yesterday. Now my ears are plugged and I got dizzy at work. Yep, I'm thinking another ear infection is to blame.

I'm so glad I keep having all of these ear, nose, and throat problems (note the sarcasm). But I should just suck it up. I have bad allergies, and I have to deal with that. But I would much rather just bitch about it, at least for a little bit. I have to be on expensive meds to control them because I'm not willing to move to a dry environment (like the mountains in Peru in the winter/dry season). I really like Minnesota, and unfortunately I like living in this allergen-filled environment, which is made worse by the fact that I live directly in the city. I have to just deal.

The bottom line is that if you hear me bitching about my allergies, tell me to shut up. It's my fault for living where I do - it's a choice that I made. But it still sucks :)

The Unpacking Phase

Please don't let the unpacking phase last the rest of the time we're living here!!! While the majority of the boxes have been unpacked, there is still a nice pile in "the office" a.k.a. Chris's old room. The problem is that we are very slowly cleaning small spaces out. Why so slow? Chris has been super duper busy with photography and I can't clean it out because it is his stuff. I must admit that I have really enjoyed not doing any major cleaning over the past couple of weeks. The apartment is looking a lot better though, and hopefully it will start feeling like home to me rather than continuing to feel like Chris's place...

I am looking into buying a gym membership once again in order to get my fat behind up and working out again. It's been about a year-and-a-half since I had a gym membership, and it used to be great. Then my second year of grad school hit and I couldn't justify spending the money or the time. Now I need it desperately, as much for my mind as my body.

I have been looking into a couple of options: there is a gym literally on the same block as our apartment, but it doesn't have any cardio-kickboxing classes (which I LOVE), but it does have yoga (which I also LOVE). The other, probably better option is LifeTime in Highland Park (about 3 miles from the apartment). The LifeTime would be cheaper, have more classes, and have longer hours than the other, but it would mean I would have to drive and I'm getting really used to not having to drive.

I have a free week trail at the closer gym, so I'll try it out and see what I think. I have a sneaking suspicion that I will be joining LifeTime again because of my love for kickboxing, longer hours, and cheap prices (subsidized by my health insurance company). I will definitely give the closer one a chance though. I'm really excited to get back into the workout routine! More importantly, I can't wait to get back into shape again.

Still kicking

The move has been fairly smooth - except for all of the dust that we've been kicking up. My body has not been happy with me; my allergies have been killing me. But I'm going back on Zyrtec even though it's so expensive. The crummy thing is is that it's worth it. The cool thing is that the apartment is coming together, bit by bit.

There may be a position opening at the place where I work, but it's uncertain how soon it will open up. I would be working with some new people along with my current coworkers, which I would enjoy. I have been applying to some other places, but I haven't heard back from them yet.

Other than that, things have been pretty quiet. I'm still working on Collapse, and I hope to finish it over the weekend so that I can start reading some other books. My shelf of books to read is overflowing once again.

Michelle's To-do List: Move - check!

The week of crazy cleaning is close to being over - we're getting more settled in now. For those who don't know what the hell I'm talking about, I moved into Chris's apartment last weekend, and we've been cleaning and I've been unpacking all week long. That's why not many people have heard from me. Each day it is feeling more and more like home, especially as I've been unpacking my stuff.

Some have asked if this is a big step for us, and I have to admit that it's really not because I've practically been living here for the past year anyway, it's just that all of my stuff was at my aunt and uncle's except for a bag of clothes. And I have to say how much I LOVE not living out of a bag :)

I think the apartment is looking a lot better (can't wait for you to see it now Mom!). We have a new-to-us couch that is very comfortable and in great condition, and that does a lot to making the whole living room look a lot better. We moved into the bigger bedroom right away, and Chris is in the process of cleaning out his old bedroom between shooting sports. Eventually the old bedroom will be an office/guest bedroom (exciting!).

Morning ride

In the spirit of last weekend, Chris and I went on another long bike ride, but only half as long as last weekend. He took me through a lot of neat bike trails through area parks, the majority of them following the Mississippi. The great thing is is that I think it will take me a long time to see all of the trails in the Twin Cities area. It's always interesting and exciting to ride on a new trail :)

Exciting news: Chris and I are going to have our own space soon! For those who didn't know, Chris's roommate bought a house and is moving out next Sunday. I am so excited!!!! I can't wait to have my own space again, and both me and Chris are excited about having all of our stuff in one place. There will be a lot of work to be done to fix the place up, and it will be difficult, but rewarding. I'm really jazzed about having my stuff in one place.

Crazy busy week last week at work since we were finishing up the budget book. I got in a few overtime hours (which I'm getting paid for - woohoo!!!). My internship lasts through the end of November, so I'm starting up the job search (which I hate). There are some interesting leads, but nothing to talk about yet.

41-Miler

This morning Chris and I did the Minneapolis Bike Tour and rode the 41-mile route. It took us around four hours to do, and I only felt like I was going to die once (there was one part where we went up two what I thought were significant hills in quick succession, and my asthma kicked in hardcore). That is the longest bike ride I've ever done, and all in all I feel pretty good about it.

Here's a map of the route so you can see where we rode (I'm terrible at explaining those kinds of things):
Chris said that I didn't look happy the entire ride, but the truth is I like doing those kinds of activities, but I really have to focus on breathing. Today was more of a mental challenge than a physical one because whenever my asthma kicks in, which is often, I have to calm myself down and focus on slowing my breathing down. I get frustrated whenever this happens, but have not found a way to prevent it except for not doing activities like riding, which I'm not willing to do. I have found that I can train my lungs to withstand a great deal of cardio without freaking out, but it takes a long time to build up that kind of endurance. I had it a couple of years ago, but my time was consumed my second year of grad school and I didn't dedicate the time or money to keep myself in that great of shape.

Now I'm trying to slowly get myself back into shape. I'm thinking that I might bike into work more frequently because this cooler weather is incredible to bike in and it would save me money on bus passes. I also am going to try to get myself in a routine of going on walks during the week so I can enjoy this weather while it lasts. We'll see if I'm actually committed to it. If not, I will continue to enjoy the bike riding that I do now and only complain about my breathing to myself and Chris (sorry Chris!).

Wedding Time

My cousin's wedding was last Saturday, and Chris and I got all gussied up for it. Here's proof of just how cute we were:Wait a minute....that's not the right one.....
That's better!

I have to admit that even though it's a pain in the ass to get all dressed up like that (all the finger-and toenail painting is hard work!), it was fun to swish my skirt.

It was fun to see my cousin get married, the helpless romantic he is. His new wife Ann looked amazingly elegant and beautiful. It was neat to see my aunt and uncle (his dad and stepmom) get all emotional - big day for them too. Oh, and it was really great to see my dad in his outfit (hahaha - gotcha Dad!).

Close to Fall!

I am super excited for the fall weather: sweaters, pretty leaves, crisp mornings. And it's just around the corner. I went for a bike ride this morning down to Minnehaha Falls Park, and the crispness in the air was delightful. I can breathe so much easier and fall means my allergies get better. Woohoo!

We're off to my cousin's wedding this afternoon, which should be fun because it's going to be huge, but that also means that I have to look cute. So I should probably be painting my fingernails right now (that hasn't happened in a loooonnnnggggg time). Hopefully we'll get some good pictures (better get some good ones because it's rare for me and Chris to get all dressed up like this!). I don't know that people will even recognize me (hahaha).

Nearly Free

I've been house-sitting for the past six weeks, and tonight I move out. Even though it was pretty nice to have a house all to myself (minus the dog and lizard), I am glad to be moving out. This goes to show that I am not at all ready or willing to have a house of my own. For my lifestyle, it's just too much work.

To be honest, I don't feel that I got a chance to fully enjoy having a house either because I've been running around so much. I am really excited to go up to my parents' place Labor Day weekend. There's a porch and a puppy calling my name...

New Hampshire Trip

We flew in Saturday afternoon, just long enough for me to see the Atlantic (and the pictures look just as dorky as when I saw the Pacific). Chris drove us up to Ipswich, where we went to a really nice beach. I have to say that I can't believe how many Dunkin' Donuts there are on the East Coast. Holy crap - it seemed like there was one every half mile!

We then drove to Gilford where we met Chris's parents for dinner. We were up bright and early at 4:45am (some earlier than others) to get ready and drive to the start of Kim's Timberman Half Ironman. We by chance found her before the swim to wish her luck and for Chris to take some pre-craziness pictures.

We cheered her on at the start and grabbed some spots to watch her come in. Then she transitioned lightening fast to the bike, which took the crazy and incredible woman just over three hours to do. Apparently the terrain is a little hilly out there (haha). To pass the time, we cheered on other racers coming in. Someone was silly enough to hand me a small cowbell, which I think was an inspiration to all the racers.

Then it was off to the run. Kim had to do two loops, and was incredible. She and her friend helped each other through the last part of the race. Side by side, they finished together. It was amazing to be able to cheer her on during this event after seeing how hard she trained and how dedicated she has become.

Later that day after Kim took an ice bath (eek!), we headed to Friendly's, an ice cream shop with something called a Jim Dandy, which is essentially a double banana split (Chris and I split one). After sending me into a sugar comatose, we headed into Newton (near Boston) to stay with one of Chris's friends. It was fun hanging out with them and we got to sleep in an incredibly comfortable bed. I was tempted to steal it.

Monday was a hurried day with Chris and I heading back to Minneapolis. Or so we thought. We ended up getting stuck overnight at Midway due to the weather conditions in Minneapolis. Who knew the southeastern part of the state was going to flood over the weekend, and that those storms were moving towards Chicago? We were one of the few lucky ones that were able to get onto the 6:15am flight out the next morning. Staying overnight at the airport wasn't that bad for me because I had a terrible migraine, so all I wanted to do was sleep anyway.

We got back home around nine the next morning, and tried to get ourselves together. We both smelled less than wonderful and were tired of traveling. Yes, I was still tired the whole morning after sleeping how many hours. I'm really glad that we were able to go support Kim. I'm proud of you K-Rex!

Here are some pictures:

My feet going in the Atlantic.

Crane Beach - perfect soft sand.

Lake Winnipesaukee, where Kim began her Timberman 70.3.

I don't know how she concentrated on the swim with scenes like this.

Kim and her friend Laura close to the finish line - way to go Kim!

NH, here we come!

Chris and I are going to New Hampshire this weekend to cheer on Kimmi during her half-Ironman (crazy girl - hope we don't embarrass you too much!). We leave Saturday morning, fly into Boston, then drive to Laconia. To be honest, I'm not sure where we are driving to, but it will be around there. We're going to be staying at a hotel with the fam and go cheer on Kimmi Sunday! We're going to visit one of Chris's friends on Monday, hopefully with the very tired and sore triathloner. haha.

I'm such a nerd because I'm really excited to take the lightrail to the Minneapolis airport - I haven't had a reason to take lightrail yet. And I'm super excited to hear some more of that Boston accent when we land. Hee hee! And I'm excited to see the Atlantic coast and see some of Massachusetts and New Hampshire. And I can't wait to take of and land! Maybe it's easier for me to just say that I'm excited for this, and to ask all of you to send Kimmi some good karma. She is gonna rock!

Finished my throw!

I finished the throw that matches the quilt on my bed! Woohoo! I think I started a few months ago, and I really enjoyed the pattern once I got the hang of it. Pulling it apart in the beginning was a pain in the ass, but by the end, it became second nature. Here are some photos of my handiwork:


I like how it looks wavy. I think I would like to make another one because I'm not sick of the pattern yet, and because I'm kind of nervous to try something completely new. I told my mom that I want to knit her a pair of socks, and unknowingly I've placed some pressure on myself by doing so because with each of my past knitting projects, if it didn't turn out, it was ok because they have been for me. But now I want to start making stuff for other people, jeez. But I know that Mom will be understanding (right Mom?)

Thunderstorms!!!

Last night we had some crazy thunderstorms. I had been out at a moving-out party for Mary and her roommate and ended up getting home around 2:30 or so. When I was driving home, there was crazy lightning, but it was still a ways away. Within 20 minutes, after I had climbed into bed and was trying to fall asleep, it started.

It was loud, bright, and windy. Shep, the dog I'm taking care of, was terrified. He actually came upstairs into the bedroom, which he has never done. He needed to be by me, to make sure that we weren't going to die. He's not a fan of loud noises to begin with. I got up again and was checking around the house to make sure that it wasn't going to blow away, when the power went out. It flickered a couple of times, and caplooey. It was out until around 10:30 this morning. It's so annoying having to reset all the digital clocks.

We survived the storm (obviously). When Shep and I went out for a walk this morning, we saw some significant branches strewn across the sidewalks that were ripped off in the wind. I was surprised there weren't more. And luckily (thankfully) no damage here.

This morning was kind of nice not having power because I had it in my mind that I would have to start cleaning right away (vacuuming, laundry, etc.) but, alas, I couldn't do it. So I pouted on the deck, with a book. Damn.

Biking to work

Yesterday I biked to work. It was awesome! It was casual Friday, so I wasn't as concerned about looking presentable. And I figured that since it was Friday, and around 7:30, there likely wouldn't be as much traffic, which there wasn't. The trick was to find the bike lanes. Apparently the City of Minneapolis enjoys creating bike maps for downtown without specifying which direction the lanes are, making it a little tricky to plan out a path. Chris offered to ride with me to work though, which I appreciated very much :)

We took the U transitway to Dinkytown, then went across 94 to the Stone Arch bridge, then into downtown. The morning ride was quite nice, and since I'm not in bike shape, I ended up sweating a bunch even though it was cool temperature-wise. The ride home was a lot hotter. I think it was around 93 degrees when I was riding back, which isn't so bad I found out. I'm still not a fan of the heat, but there was a good wind which helped. On the way home, I swung by the place where Chris works, and we biked back home together.

I didn't think that I would get used to living in the city, but the longer I am here, the more I am liking it. One of the major things I love is the fact that I can take a bus or bike to and from work. It's a really cool thing, and I'm likely giving my mother a heart attack right now. Depending on the weather, I think I'm going to make the biking into work a habit on Fridays.

Life in general

As the date quickly approaches for the Mayor's budget speech (August 15), we in the budget office are working hard to get the budget document ready. I put in some overtime already this past week and will almost positively have to put in some more next week. The days go by really quickly though because we are so busy.

Chris and I made our way to the climbing gym a few times last week though, and we've been doing quite well. I almost completed the crack climb, which is awesome for me. My hands are a little rough from that, but I'm hoping that I can build up some calluses. Chris has been pushing me to boulder more too, and we have decided that we should boulder more frequently. Bouldering means it is a much shorter route meaning there are no ropes, and the moves are much more dynamic and you have to do them perfectly. It's a great way to develop perfect form, which will really help when we rock climb. Of course one of the keys things that you need when you boulder is core strength, which is something I apparently don't really have anymore, so it's something I have to work on.

And I just finished Stephen King's Lisey's Story and I liked it a lot. I haven't read any of his books for a long time, so I forgot how much I like his writing. I basically read most of it on the bus to and from work. Great place to read. I'm starting Christopher Moore's Bloodsucking Fiends: A Love Story. He's pretty damn funny. Last night when we went to the bookstore, I found Mitch Albom's One More Day, which I am looking forward to reading. I have really enjoyed his other two books, and so I am confident I will likely cry a little during this one too. I'll keep you posted :)

Reaction to the I35W bridge collapse

As most everyone around the country knows (and around the world for that matter), the I35W bridge collapsed, and terrified many people. I got calls minutes after the news broke out from concerned family members, checking to make sure I was ok. I also received text messages from friends outside the Twin Cities just to see if I was still kicking. Personally, I don't know that I had ever used that bridge, and if I had, it would likely have only been once. For me, it doesn't really scare me that something like this happened because these events are so rare, although given this country's failure to properly invest in infrastructure, it may become less rare, and then again it may not. For those who drove over the bridge every day, it might have been a more traumatic experience.

I hate to say it, but this could have been a lot worse. Had repairs not been going on, and had those other four lanes been open, many more people could have died because of (1) more cars on the road and (2) higher speeds because if more lanes were open, traffic likely would have been moving more quickly. Since I didn't know anyone involved in the collapse, I have can say that I hope that our engineers can learn a great deal from this and use that knowledge in the reconstruction.

Humidity is gone :)

The past week has been horrid for anyone who lives in Minnesota. And it made me grateful that I was staying at a house with air conditioning. I don't think I would have survived without it (dramatization of course). In any case, I would have been tired and cranky all of the time rather than just some of the time - and anyone who has ever been around me when I'm tired and cranky knows how bitchy I can be. Eek!

To celebrate that the humidity is gone, I am going to take Shep out for a long walk in a little bit and read outside some more. Having breakfast on the deck is absolutely wonderful.

Not much else has been going on. Work is work, and over the next week or two, I'm am likely going to have to put in some overtime in order to prepare the Mayor's Recommended Budget. All of our section drafts are due August 6, and we haven't been able to start on them yet. Of course, I am responsible for all of the really major departments, the ones that are likely going to have tons of changes, so I might get a little frustrated. But that's all part of the gig, and I'm enjoying the job thus far.

Tonight, Chris and I are driving down to Rochester for his ten-year class reunion (man he's old! or I'm just really young). It will be fun to meet his friends. And I'm really excited that I get to sleep on the way back home (hee hee). We have to come back tonight because of the dog, which is fine because some of our friends are going to be racing in the Chisago Ironman on Sunday. Crazy stuff! So wish them luck!

Ok, enough of this - I'm going outside. Have a great weekend!

What's going to happen to Harry?

If you didn't know already, I'm in love with the Harry Potter series. To highlight this fact, I pre-ordered the final book as soon as I able to do so. It just arrived yesterday, and I just happened to be at my aunt and uncle's when it did (that part I hadn't planned). So after picking up a few more things I would need, I went back home (Home #4 or something - I've lost track) and quick unpacked and plopped down on the deck to begin the adventure.

At this point, I'm about 175 pages into the 759-page book, and regret that I have other chores to do. All I really want to do is sit and read to find out what happens next. There are plenty of theories out there too, but I'm trying not to pay too much attention because this isn't a soap opera.
Hope everyone is having a good weekend, and now that I'm partially settled, I hope to post more frequently (I got several comments from a certain someone about not posting for five days or so, so I'll try to keep up). Bye :)

Housesitting

I started my house-sitting gig for one of the professors at Humphrey - and no, there will be no crazy house parties ;) It's just a couple of blocks from the St. Paul campus in a really nice neighborhood. I'm taking care of their dog Shep and their lizard Rizzo. Shep is slowly getting used to me after being really skiddish the first night. But he's a very well-behaved dog and is now sleeping at my feet while Chris and I watch Little Miss Sunshine. I love this movie :)

I'm starting to get into the routine of having a house to myself, and I'm loving it! This weekend I'm going to do some more cleaning and get some more stuff from my aunt and uncle's, and I'm looking forward to being able to sit out on the deck. I have to joy of cutting the grass with a push mower too, which should be an interesting experience for me.

Work is going well. Right now I'm in the middle of revising narratives for the budget and am amazed at how no one can follow a template or directions. The best way to describe it is being in a group project where there is a long paper due and one person is a slacker, and I'm not the slacker. Incredible that nothing ever changes: we're all just a bunch of kids with bigger vocabularies. On the plus side I've been given the nickname the format nazi. Exactly what I want to be called. ha ha Anyway, time for some ice cream :)

First Outdoor Climb!

A group of us (me, Chris, Kim, Issac, and the very entertaining Klinkers) went down to Red Wing for some outdoor climbing this morning. I was a little nervous just because it was my first outdoor climb (guess you could have figured that one out given the title of the post). I loved climbing outdoors and am really excited to try out some different sites, and hopefully start getting back in shape. I lost a lot during the month that Chris was gone because I just didn't go to the gym much if at all.

I successfully completed three routes, and I have to say that learning some about how to crack climb at the gym was a major help. I felt really comfortable and strong after the first warm-up route and even though there were a couple of times when I needed some help, for the most part I did fine finding ledges and smearing. Until we plan the next trip, we are likely going to continue practicing in the gym a couple times a week. Soon I will hopefully have some pictures of the trip to post once Chris has a chance to look through them.

The other biggish piece of news is that I am going to start housesitting in St. Paul for a professor at the Humphrey. I will be taking care of their dog and lizard (woohoo!) for six weeks. I'm really excited to have a small backyard and a deck.

And the reason that I haven't been posting must is because I've been enjoying the summer.
Chris and I have gone on a couple of bike rides. One of them was all around St. Paul cheering on Kim and Rachel during the Lifetime Triathlon. They both came in under three hours (they rocked!). It was really fun being there to cheer them on :) Chris got some good pictures of them - one of Kim is on his blog.

I'm finally posting again :)

After a week-long hiatus, I decided it was time that I write something. Needless to say, I have been enjoying the fact that Chris is home :) We just got back from a weekend at home home which was awesome. We pulled out the bows and arrows and I throughly embarrassed myself by missing the target more than hitting it, but it was fun all the same. We also went shooting with the .22s and playing with some handguns (hee hee). Chris and I were pretending we were sharpshooters. I think I might have done better with the guns - who knew!

I got a ton of knitting done on the car rides up and down, and no, I wasn't driving! It's coming along nicely with two skeins into it. I really hope I get it done before fall (I'm pretty confident I will). Well, that's all for now. Hope everyone has a good evening!

He's home!!!!

Chris got back last night, and as Kim can attest to, I acted like a total idiot at the airport. It's good to have him home though :)

Morning swim

This morning, my aunt and uncle and I went on a bike ride to the Coon Rapids dam. It was a quiet morning with fewer people on the trail than I would have imagined. When we first left, it was actually a little tiny bit chilly (surprising!). By the time we got to the dam, the temperature had risen quite a bit and the water was looking pretty good.

The last time we had ridden to the dam, I had been seriously considering taking a dip in the water. There is a public access and a dock and the water was warm, but I had decided not to because just dipping my legs in was good enough, and I decided to save myself the strange looks I would have gotten from the people that were sitting near the water's edge. This time, there was no one there. I went in and it was great :) I didn't swim for very long because I didn't want my aunt and uncle to have to wait for me. It was just enough to feel good and sopping wet.

We rode a little bit past the dam on another trail that turned out to not be exciting since it went through a neighborhood and onto a major road after winding along the river. So we went back, and the temperature had risen even higher causing me to shed some layers despite my midsection being unbelievably white. It was a nice ride.

I just finished the Rory Stewart book, and I'm sad that it's over. I'm definitely going to have to find his other book.

The exciting news is that Chris is on his way home :D I am a little bit excited (hee hee). I'm really looking forward to see pictures and hearing stories. Hope everyone has a great rest of the weekend :)

Swish swish

I cut my hair!!! And I couldn't resist the before and after pictures.
Before:

After:

Granted the lighting is quite a bit different, but you get the idea :) I LOVE it! And I can't stop touching my hair - it's so light!

It's nice outside!

So why am I inside blogging? haha For the first night in what seems like forever it actually felt cool enough for me to go for a bike ride and it was beautiful weather. After my ride, I sat outside for quite a while reading The Places in Between by Rory Stewart. I just started it last night, and I am liking it a lot. It is Stewart's account of his walk across Afghanistan in 2002. He has a way of writing that feels very natural to me; it's difficult to explain. Let's just keep it simple and say that I like the way he writes.

I had first read about Steward in a National Geographic Adventure magazine when me and Chris were on our way to Iowa, and it made me go out and track down one of his books as soon as I could. I like the feeling that I get when I'm reading about his journey, but of course I can't explain it. But maybe that's a good thing.

Besides finally venturing outside, I have been working on my knitting project. The throw is coming along nicely, although I had to fix my mistake of adding a stitch. I should have known not to attempt to knit when I was tired! But it worked out well because that way I won't forget the easier way of undoing my work.

Here's the big news though: I'm cutting my hair tomorrow night. After toying around with the idea for the past couple of weeks and consulting my mom and friends, I have decided to cut it. This is a kind-of-but-not-really big deal because I have basically keep my hair long because I like it. But I've decided that I just don't want to have to spend as much time blowing drying it and curling it for work every morning. I long for the days when I used to be able to spray gel in my hair and forget about it.

I'll post a picture when I get it done so that people can gasp "Oh my God!" and then tell me how good it looks (even if they're lying). Maybe I should do the funny before and after shots. I'm planning on having it cut to about my collarbone and layered up from there. It will likely still be considered long by a lot of people, but for me, that will be short. And it is completely ridiculous that I have written this much about it, so I'm going to stop now. Have a good night!

Weekend at Home Home

I just got back from spending another weekend at Home Home. It is so wonderful, and I felt like I had just gotten there when I had to pack up and come back. I drove up Friday night and got home just in time to snack on some of my parents' dinner (they were apparently starving waiting for me). Saturday was mostly cloudy, so we spent the bulk of the day on the porch talking, reading, walking around the yard looking at Mom's gardens, the apple trees, etc. Our lunch ritual is playing cards, and we have started to play penny poker. Each of us has our own container for pennies, clearly labeled with our names on both the side and the lids (as a joke, me and my Dad switched one of our containers with my mom's, who by far has the greatest amount of pennies because she had a ton of them to start with; after that, she labeled both the lid and container itself).

In the afternoon, we headed over to one of my uncle's birthday party and had crawfish and seafood on top of all the other foods that were brought. I had never tasted crawfish before, and my only real experience with them is having one as a pet for a while (I think it had to do with school...). It was really good meat - very rich and bite-size. When we got home again, Pokey was very excited (we had abandoned her to go to the party).

This morning, we took the boat down to Three Island before it really started to get hot. My parents both fished, and let's just say that the big fish weren't really biting. I was quite content taking pictures and starting a new book. I just started Dave Barry's Big Trouble since I finished One for the Money by Janet Evanovich Saturday night. I really liked reading Stephanie Plum's "adventure." Good pick Kimmi! As for Big Trouble, I have already seen the movie with Chris, which was really funny. But books tend to be better than movies, so I'm already enjoying this one a lot. My favorite character thus far is Roger, the dog, who loves all people because they might give him food - reminds me of a dog I know...

Here are a couple of my favorite pictures from this weekend:

Light Summer Rain and Kicking Row 7's Butt

Have I mentioned how much I love being out of school? As I'm sure you've gathered by now, I am devouring books. My latest read is Christopher Moore's Coyote Blue. Imagine me trying to read this on the bus without laughing out loud. Needless to say I am grinning ear to ear the entire time, which may freak out the passengers around me. Works better than string! (inside joke, but if you ask real nice I might tell you about it).

This evening the sky has gone from extremely sunny to cloudy to partly sunny and on and on... During one of the sunny parts, I decided to go for a short ride. It was beautiful. I was listening to my music, cruising along at a nice pace, when I felt a drop on my thigh. I thought it was odd that I would be sweating so much that it would drop to my thigh. Then I felt another, and another. Have you guessed yet? hee hee It was raining! That was so awesome! Sunny and raining! I love those moments anyway, but to be able to ride in it was quite a treat. A guy walking on the trail ahead of me a ways had his arms reached up to the heavens soaking it all in. Glorious.

And yes, I just kicked Row 7's butt. I am getting through the entire pattern without messing up, mainly because I am very deliberately counting either to myself or out loud and checking my work frequently. Call me paranoid, but it's working and my future throw is taking shape. Granted I only have a few inches at this point, but it's enough to get excited over :)

Row 7 Fiasco

I started a new knitting project yesterday; I will knit a throw with a fuschia-colored yarn I got which matches perfectly with the quilt on my bed. With the help of Gina, who graciously supplied me with a pattern, I began this endeavor. Following a pattern should be easy right? Just follow directions. Well, after a couple of slip-ups early on, like casting on two too many stitches, I was finally getting the hang of it.

Or so I thought. I had gotten through the first four rows of the eight-row pattern and decided to call it a day. Gina and I parted ways, but apparently any good knitting vibes left me when I left Gina's watchful eye. I knitted the next two rows when I got home which were extremely easy because it was a straight knit. Then came Row 7.

Let me tell you about Row 7. It shouldn't be that difficult. The repeating pattern called for you to knit five stitches, wrap the yarn around the needle, knit a stitch, wrap it around, knit a stitch, wrap it around, and repeat. I should have been left with two stitches that didn't fit in the pattern. First attempt: I was left with four. Shit.

So I found my problem: miraculously I had been knitting 144 stitches instead of the 143. Apparently when I knitted those two rows of straight knitting, I accidentally added one stitch. I fixed the problem after undoing the row (don't ask me why I did that, but I did; actually just don't ask me because I forgot why I had to do that!).

I went back at it, following the pattern described above. I thought I was doing good until I came to the end: this time I had three stitches. SHIT! This time the problem was that I decided halfway through the row that I would mess up the pattern by wrapping the yarn around the needle and knitting a stitch an extra time. I had to undo half of the row again. The one good thing about this is that I'm actually able to find my problem and am quickly becoming an expert at neatly undoing my work.

The third time was the charm. I finished the row, only messing up the last two stitches in it because I forgot to wrap the yarn around before knitting the last two, which meant I only had to undo those two. That was such a great feeling. I successfully got through row 8 with no problems though, which I think is a good sign.

I think the funniest thing about this project is how foul-mouthed I became when I figured out that I messed up the row, and how the swearing got worse and louder each time. It's knitting for goodness sake! All I can picture when I think about knitting is a little old grandma sitting on the porch in a rocker with the needles flying. I'm not surprised at my response however because that's how I react to pretty much anything meaningless like that.

I have begun the second set of this eight-row pattern, so wish me luck! And to Row 7 the II: you better watch out 'cause I'm comin' for you.

Bike Trails Galore

The park reserve back behind my aunt and uncle's house is awesome. There are many miles of trails all connected throughout it, and I'm having a lot of fun exploring and figuring out how to get around. Tonight, after it cooled down a bit, I decided to go for a bike ride (I was itching to do something active). Since my bike is still in the shop, I borrowed my uncle's and headed out.

I have gotten down a really good hour-long ride, but I decided to go the opposite direction since I had no idea where it ended up. It turned out to be a perfect ride because it was flatter and mostly shaded the first half, and the temperatures had dropped enough by the time I got to the second and more hilly half. If anyone wants to head up here sometime to check it out, let me know.

In other news, I am reading Guns, Germs, and Steel (finally). I started it while I was still in school and had to abandon it soon after. I'm glad I'm reading it now so that I can actually enjoy it. I just got through the part where the author is discussing the movement towards domestic agriculture and why some areas moved to farming while others remained hunter-gatherers. Interesting stuff.

And another thing: I'm not a big fan of the heat. Luckily I work in an air-conditioned building and ride air-conditioned buses (I'm so spoiled). The air definitely is not working at home though - last night we all suffered through a night of horrid heat with the windows closed while thinking the air would come on. It never did, and it was miserable. Yes we turned it on!

So back to reading I go!

Michelle the Knitter

I've done it! I completed my first project! A lovely scarf, that's wider on one end (my knitting styles changed throughout the course of the project - I started knitting much looser with the second skein). Nevertheless, I find it to be a work of art! And yes, I knitted the whole thing without any neat patterns. I figured I can get away with it since it's my first scarf. Here's a picture:



And here's me modeling it - keep in mind that I'm braving 90+ degree weather to bring you this picture:

So thanks Gina for teaching me how to knit, and thanks to Kimmi for letting me borrow her knitting book. I have to say that I have become an expert at ripping these apart and redoing them. I made tons of mistakes, and yet it ended up ok.

What's my next project you ask? While I was getting the second skein for this scarf, I happened to find four skeins of a fuschia that perfectly matches the colors in my quilt. You know what's on my mind: a blanket! I know that it will take FOREVER, and I'm not even sure how big it will end up being, but it will look gorgeous no matter what and it will give me something to do :)

The Working World

I am still really happy that I'm done with school. It's a great feeling to put in eight hours a day and be able to leave everything behind at my desk. I feel like I have so much free time, and at the same time it feels like I don't; I don't think one can ever be fully satisfied. I love how much reading I've been able to do. Right now I'm reading a book that Chris gave me: Buddhism: Plain & Simple. It's all about how we all have many worries in our lives, and it's about seeing these worries for what they are and realize that we can never be rid of worry; that's our reality. It's all about truly seeing reality and truth. And for some of my truth: I thought The Poisonwood Bible was an excellent book and highly recommend it.

Tonight I spent time with Kimmi before her trip to Maui! She is going to be in a triathlon on Sunday, so please send her some good vibes! We made dinner and watched It Happened One Night, a 1934 movie starring Clark Gable and Caludette Colbert. I had watched it in one of my undergrad classes and loved it. It's a comedic love story - good stuff.

I also brought my bike in to get some new tires and after testing them out, I've decided that more work has to be done on it. I think I'll call the bike shop tomorrow to see what it will cost. I'm having some trouble with the gears and the brakes since the brakes more or less just slow me down some rather than bringing me to a stop. Hee hee - I'm thinking that could be a problem down the road...But I'm being safe (don't worry Mom).

Wonderful Weekend at Home Home

I spent the weekend at my parents' house in Longville over the past weekend and it was wonderful (I wasn't kidding!). Since it was mainly rainy weather, I sat on the porch and ended up almost finishing reading The Poisonwood Bible and for anyone who hasn't read it, they definitely should. Even Oprah agrees (hahaha). The book is about a Baptist family that goes on a mission to the Congo in 1959. The story is uniquely told by the mother and four daughters, and tells everything that happens. The story includes the country's independence from Belgium and the unraveling of the family. I don't want to say much more than that because it feels like such a personal book, one that each person will take something different away from it. It really made me think of my time in Peru last summer as well in the sense that to any outsider, the ways of the world in Peru seemed chaotic, but to anyone inside, everything was part of a system.

Back to my weekend: it was soooooo nice to see my parents again; it's been a really long time since I've been home. It felt so much better too now that I don't have schoolwork to do, so I don't have to make them feel guilty about not letting me work (I was always looking for them to distract me anyway).

I discovered that I actually have a good bike, thanks to my parents who wanted it out of their shed and wanted me to actually use it since it is nearly new. I got the mountain bike when we were still living in Elk River, but we moved shortly thereafter I believe, and since there was no good place to ride my bike without supervision, it ended up sitting in the shed for the past how many years. But it has been rediscovered, and I am excited! It's a 15 speed, and is in dire need of new tires. Just for my own curiosity I want to see how long the tires would last, but I think that I would be quite annoyed to have to walk it all the way back home. Steve suggests that I circle the block so that I don't have to walk very far, and I'm thinking that might not be such a bad idea. So I have to take it in soon to get new tires and to see if they can straighten up the back tire frame because it's a little warped. But other than that, it appears to be in excellent shape! And it's a beautiful emerald color, which is a far cry from what I remember it being. I could have sworn that it was only a 5 speed and was speckled green, black, and pink. Don't ask me where I got that, but maybe that shows how sharp my memories are. Scary stuff.

Pokey is good after all of her encounters with various creatures. She has a mild stench which smells like skunk. It didn't help that she was wet from the rain for the majority of the weekend. She couldn't be more proud. She has also been trying to become part of the herd too. The cows are back in the field and Pokey sees all of her potential playmates:



Now all she has to do is get them acclimated to her presence, and soon she'll be resting with them under the trees like she's been doing every summer.

I resisted the urge to take a million-and-a-half pictures of her. Instead I found some new subjects: the flowers in my mom's gardens and the hummingbirds.



I miss sitting on the porch already. It is so relaxing sitting there, looking out on the field, with book at hand, or carrying on a conversation. I'm going to try to focus on that while at work tomorrow morning :)

Gone to Africa

Chris has begun his very long trip to Tanzania - I just dropped him off at the airport. I didn't know how I would react because he'll be gone for a month, and I already miss him, corny as it may sound. After the nervousness of simply getting there, I'm sure that he'll have an amazing experience, and will hopefully come back the the States in one piece.

As for me, I'll keep myself occupied with exploring the trails in Elm Creek Park Reserve, reading a ton of books (the stack of books to read continues to grow), spending some time with friends, and hopefully climbing at V.E. It will definitely be a big change in routine for me since I've spent so much time with Chris over the past how many months.

I am excited for this coming weekend though since I will finally be going home to see my parents and Pokey. It will be good to spend time with them without having to worry about studies. I'm sure I'll miss school someday, but I don't expect myself to begin glorifying the experience for at least a few years.

Iowa Track & Field

In order to start off the already three-day weekend right, I took Friday off work and headed down to Des Moines with Chris to help him photograph the Big Ten Regional Track Meet at Drake University. Although I was primarily along for the ride, I was put straight to work (after I offered of course). I ended up running errands for Chris, but also attempting to take a lot of pictures. It was a chance for me to see Chris in action as well as figure out some more about how to take good pictures. He ended up using a couple of my pictures, one of which is this:


The main reason that I skipped out on work is because we wanted to spend some time together before Chris left for Tanzania for a month. His plane takes off tomorrow morning, and then it's a great long flight for him...you can read more about it on his blog.

The U set us up in a suite (super nice!) with a king-size bed, which we lost each other in. It was as if we were on opposite ends of the world - very comfortable. We drove back Saturday night after two days of shooting in both sun and clouds/drizzle. It was a good experience and tiring. I have an even greater respect for the work Chris does.

Christopher Moore, Comedic Genius

In an effort to keep some sanity over the last part of the week, I was reading Christopher Moore's first book Practical Demonkeeping. If you are unfamiliar with the author as I was when I read his Christmas classic The Stupidest Angel, all you have to know is that he is crazy hilarious. His twisted novels are the kind of books you read when you feel particularly silly or have had a really bad day, or any kind of day in between.

I really hesitate to provide a synopsis because it's one of those books that you just have to read for yourself. If you have even the slightest twisted sense of humor, you will find the books funny. Ok, I know you're dying to at least get a glimpse, and here is one of my favorite parts:

The demon had been wired since he had eaten the hitchhiker the night before. The guy must have been on cocaine or speed. Why did drugs affect the demon when poisons did not phase him? It was a mystery.

The demon tapped Travis on the shoulder with a long reptilian claw. "I want to ride on the hood," he said. His voice was like rusty rails rattling in a can.

"Enjoy," Travis said, waving across the dashboard.

The demon climbed out the window and across the front, where he perched like a hood ornament from hell, his forked tongue flying in the wind like a storm-swept pennon, spattering the windshield with saliva. Travis turned on the wipers and was grateful to find that the Chevy was equipped with an interval delay feature.

Ha ha ha...I enjoyed the book a lot, and have several of his other books to read, including Lamb: The Gospel According to Biff, Christ's Childhood Pal. I am excited :)

The Myths of War

I just finished reading War Is a Force That Gives Us Meaning by Chris Hedges in which he delves into our fascination and intoxication with war. As a war correspondent, he describes his addiction to bloody conflicts in depressing detail. He describes some of the scenes and tells some of the stories he has heard. The book is an eye-opening look into the myths we use to justify the killing of millions of people.

The author's brutal honesty provides the proper basis to examine war's appeal and that no one is safe from it's destructive power. The true power of the book can only be experienced by reading it yourself - it may be difficult to get through but it is a good read and highly relevant because it sheds light on the blindfold that national leaders and citizens themselves have used throughout history to justify and often cover up the atrocities that occur.

After finishing, I couldn't help crying because of the images and the stories Hedges brought forward. It made me think of all of the people in my life that have fought in the military and how the experience changed them. I highly recommend this book to anyone who is searching to understand a little bit more about our, as in human civilization's, bloody past and present.

Graduation Pics

Chris put up a really great picture of us from yesterday on his blog.

Graduation - check!

Yesterday was our graduation ceremony, and it was busy and tiring but an overall great ceremony. It lasted about two hours with two great speakers: the student speaker, a former English teacher (correction: former tenured English professor), brought some wonderful insights from literature to discuss the different ways of viewing the world and that we have to decide for ourselves the path we want to go down, at least that is what I took away from the speech. Our commencement speaker was Norman Ornstein of the American Enterprise Institute. He opened up his speech with quite a bit of comedy - made me laugh - and then got into a discussion of policy initiatives that need to be worked on. Good speech, but unfortunately I was really warm in the gown and hood which caused me to get a little sleepy. Perhaps if you want to know more about what was said, you should ask someone who was a little more awake.

Afterwards there was a reception where I got to see some of my friends and professors, and get a ton of pictures taken of me. Chris's sister took a lot of really fun pictures which I will pass on as soon as I get them. For now, here is a pic that Mom took:



After everything quieted down a little, my family and Chris's family went out to eat at Khan's, a really good and really neat restaurant in Roseville, which was basically a stir-fry that you put together with whatever ingredients you want and then you give it to the cooks to fry it up. The goofiest part in my opinion was me ordering hot tea when I was boiling all afternoon. In my defense, the tea was excellent.

So now I'm going to take this week to rest before I start my internship next Monday. I'm hopefully going to be doing a lot of reading, biking, crafty stuff, and good 'ole relaxing.

Done with classes!

Woohoo! I just finished my last final, meaning that I'm done with all of my classes! Woohoo! I still have to give a presentation of my professional paper, which I have scheduled for next Friday (the only time both of my committee members could meet). So I'll be completely done with everything after that happens. It will be great! I'm still nervous about the presentation, but it's good because I care.

I have next week off, which will be great because I'm going to relax and read stuff that I want to, and all I have to work on is my presentation. It will be fantastic! I'm planning on doing some more biking - the trails behind my aunt and uncle's house are really nice and it's possible to do some really great loops. Thus far I've seen three wild turkeys and a turtle - cool stuff. I sounded just like a little kid then...hahaha. My mind is already beginning to revert back after having to think so much.

Graduation is tomorrow! Luckily this ceremony will be shorter than any other graduation I think or at least I hope so. We have funny hoods now, but I really don't understand why they call them hoods because they are really like shawls, but whatever. The whole outfit looks goofy if you ask me, which I'm guessing you weren't.

Time for me to space out....

A little nervous

Oh boy. I just sent my committee member the final draft of my paper after getting the 'good enough' stamp from my paper adviser. I can't even describe how nervous I am right now, the reason being that hopefully next week, I will be presenting the defense of my paper. I am terrified. I have to convince myself that the fact that my paper adviser said it was good enough means that it is fine and that pending my presentation performance, I will get my diploma. I'm just worried that they are going to ask me really tough questions or that my committee member will completely disagree with my assessment or something else that will prevent me from tasting the sweetness of freedom.

This is me right now:


Or maybe I'm being a complete worry-wart for no apparent reason other than to freak myself out and making my stomach turn. I'm hoping for the latter.

Life at a slower pace

These past few days have been much more of a breeze. I still have one paper left, two finals, and my professional paper stuff (I'm still waiting to hear back once again). And then I'm done!

The past couple of days I've been taking things at a much slower pace. I finished the Woodward book State of Denial which deals with the Bush administration during the war (very depressing to know how little planning was involved - as if it wasn't already obvious).

A bunch of us just went to a Minnesota Thunder soccer game in St. Paul. It was ok, but the Thunder lost. And besides that, I've been reading In Retrospect by McNamara for research for the other paper I have to write. It's amazing how arrogant the man was/is.

Chris and I finally went climbing again after two weeks or more. Too long! I'm already out of shape and have to work my way back up. We're thinking about climbing outside soon (!).

Other than that, we've been relaxing a lot more, which is a huge switch from what it was!

I had my last day at OTC on Friday (the student job that I've had for a while). The office was really sweet and threw me a little party with cake and punch, and they got me flowers and a gift card to Circuit City. The staff were great and it was good working for them. They made me bring the rest of the cake back home with me, which all of us have been working on over the past couple of days. Mmm mmm.

So Close to Being Done!

My last week-and-a-half is shaping up, but I am lacking serious motivation. I was doing so good when I was writing the bulk of my professional paper, but now that steam is gone. The only thing that really keeps me going is the fact that I will be graduated in just a week-and-a-half.

I have turned in the second draft of my professional paper and still hope to be able to schedule the presentation before graduation. I don't know if I will be able to though because one of my committee members is extremely busy right now.

I do have some really exciting news: I got that foot-in-the-door internship! I am excited that I have a job for the summer. Money will look so nice in my bank account before it leaves a split second later :)

And to top it all off, I have started exercising again by stealing my aunt's bike and taking it for a ride through the park reserve. I haven't ridden a bike for a year, and so I still feel kind of wobbly, so I bought a helmet from the U (deeply discounted, which was great). I look like a total dork, and Connie has a picture to prove it. Why do we have to look so retarded to prevent ourselves from taking a fall and ending up retarded? (I borrowed that from Christopher btw). My lungs hate me since I haven't worked-out seriously for a really long time. But it will get better....I hope...

Approaching the final stretch

I can't wait to be done with grad school! Just two more weeks! But that's assuming that the first official draft of my professional paper that I sent my adviser on Wednesday is acceptable and that I can schedule a date for my presentation of it within the next two weeks...I'm a little worried about it just because I need something to worry about I guess.

I have two more papers to write and then two finals - not too bad. The great thing is that I have a lot of reading to do, which is something I can do outside in this beautiful weather :) Soon though I will have to be inside writing - boo.

No job offers yet - another thing to kind of worry about. I am waiting to hear back from someone I interviewed with this week though, and it's something I hope I get. A foot-in-the-door kind of internship...we'll see.

Other than that, I'm trying to enjoy the weather and trying to decide which book I'm going to read first (for fun!) when I'm done...there's so many sitting on my shelf, waiting to be read!

Coconut Orchestra

This has got to be the coolest thing I've heard this year: Coconutters! Monty Python orchestra breaks world record

5,567 people gathered in London's Trafalgar Square led by Terry Jones and Terry Gilliam and the cast of the Monty Python musical Spamalot to play the coconuts to Always Look on the Bright Side of Life. They broke the world record for largest coconut orchestra.

How I would have loved to be there!!!

Jackie Chan may have competition for my love

Kim, Chris, and I watched a completely awesome movie last night: The Protector. Made in 2006 (or 2005, I'm not sure because it was brought to the U.S. by Quentin Tarantino), it stars Tony Jaa, a Thai martial arts expert who is relatively new on the scene, but, as Chris said, "combines Bruce Lee's kick assness with Jackie Chan's choreography." Read his post about it here.

We were all blown away by how amazing his moves were and how unique the cinematography was. And the story wasn't bad either :)

I have honestly never seen such amazing martial arts in a movie, and I've seen some incredible stuff. Jaa is beyond incredible, using no wires or camera tricks, and I am highly recommending it (put it in your NexFlix).

Here's a chuckle

After accomplishing some stuff today, I needed a break, so I decided to look through the Photo of the Day section on the National Geographic website, and came across this picture:



Hee hee....