Me + Panera = A Great Way to Kill Time

Anytime I have some downtime during the day - like when I don't see any students and leave a school early, with at least an hour 'til my next appointment - I go on a mission to find a Panera Bread. Not only is the food good, but the wireless Internet makes it so I can catch up on work email and all my friends' blogs!

So that's what I'm doing right now: I have half an hour left to surf the 'net before heading to my third high school of the day, so I thought I'd update all of you on life in general. The biggest thing, I suppose, is our impending move to St. Johns. Mitch and I were approved for an apartment on the north side of town, so we're going to spend the next couple of weekends packing and move in by mid-November.

Pros of the new place: Our very own washer and dryer, a larger living room, nicer appliances, and a master bathroom (I guess that last one is a pro, though I feel it's sort of a waste of space).

Cons of the new place: First floor rather than second (OK, those helping move us aren't sad about that, but I like second floor apartments, especially because this complex has vaulted ceilings on the second floor!), considerably less storage (we have to get a storage unit for all our stuff!), and a smaller master bedroom. It also costs more, but that was expected given our proximity to Lansing.

What's with the house, though? Well, whatever. Our real estate agent is supposed to let us know when it goes on the market as a foreclosure, but we'll more than likely stay in the apartment and save for a bit longer. I'm fine with that and am really just excited at the prospect of having a home of our own again!

In other news, my brother is moving to Colorado in a few days to start his winter stint on Winter Park's ski race crew. He's living in a duplex with our cousin and another friend from high school. He's really excited, and I'm excited for him, but I'm mostly happy that a new romantic interest insures he'll be back in the spring.

That's it, other than I'm about to realize a childhood dream: in a couple weekends, I'll be a mermaid! The annual Halloween party, while not hosted by us this year, is the weekend after Halloween and my mom and I have been working diligently to sew the most beautiful mermaid tail you've ever seen. Once I've constructed my seashell bra, the ensemble will be complete! I promise to post pictures!

Unwinding

After I graduated from college, I remember having a phone conversation with my dad about how I didn't know what to do with all my time. I would go to work at the hospital from 8:00 am until 4:30 pm, and then I'd have the rest of my night, whereas in college it was 8 am 'til midnight or later, all the time. He told me if I wasn't married and actually liked my job, I'd turn into a work-a-holic.

And as with most things, I'm finding he's right.

Since Mitch doesn't generally come back to Mt. Pleasant with me on Thursdays or Fridays, I find myself at the office much later than normal. For instance, I just finished a campus tour and should be packing up to go home, but I'm unwinding with a blog post and contemplating staying another hour or so to get some less-than-urgent projects accomplished. The only thing keeping work-a-holism at bay is the rumbling in my stomach, telling me that this afternoon's peanut butter sandwich and kiwi-fruit are long gone.

To stay or to go...well, I'll be miserable if I get even more hungry (not that I know what I'm going to make for dinner, anyway) and I can always send emails from my couch while watching back episodes of House. Man, I'm terrible at being single.

Weekend hits

Friday night, Mitch and I went to the Carson City-Crystal Homecoming football game and watched arguably the worst football I've ever seen...it was, however, a great time! While Mitch spent most of the game lamenting the terribly blocking, the poor play selection, and the team's inability to tackle, I was swept up in the strange magic of high school football. Maybe it was the twinge of the cold weather combined with the scent of dewy grass and concession-stand popcorn. Maybe it was the blare of the little marching band or the dull clang of my shoes on the bleachers, or maybe it was the tangible excitement and pride of the players and their student fans when they finally managed their season's first (and likely only) win. Whatever the case, I found myself on my feet, cheering loudly as the fourth quarter drew to an exciting close.

The contrast between the Friday night game and the college spectacle I experienced could not be greater. Thanks to Ray's standing as a U of M dental student, he managed to get tickets for Kristy, Mitch, Matt and me for Saturday's game against Purdue. When I finally stepped into the Big House (after the longest walk ever!), I forgot the pain of my lovely heel blisters and was in absolute awe of the number of people packed in, chanting in unison every time the band played the fight song. The stands reminded me of Sunday Afternoon on the Island La Grande Jatte, a painting by Georges Seurat who used a technique called pointillism on that particular Neo-Impressionistic work: and by that, I mean that each little person could have been part of a whole scene, which tells you the absolute magnitude of Michigan Stadium.

Switching from football mode on Sunday, our little group packed into my new G6 for a trip to Cedar Point. It was my first in almost five years, given my aversion to waiting in long lines. But, on this nice, cool October weekend, we never waited more that 45 minutes for a ride and hit most of the coasters in the park. I was even able to doctor my feet such that I barely felt the big blisters from the day before!

And now it's Monday, and I'm feeling the excitement of the weekend fade into the background as I deal with another week of recruiting. This morning was rocky: I discovered I forgot my black dress shoes and had to borrow a pair from my mom. She has good taste, but her shoes are half a size too big and I had to outfit them with some moleskin from my blister-care supplies. Even that doesn't keep the heel from slipping when I walk, but it's better than nothing. I also experienced a (pleasant?) surprise when the PRESIDENT of the ALMA COLLEGE BOARD OF TRUSTEES showed up at one of my high school visits. He has taken a personal interest in one particular young man and decided to join him for my talk that day. Nothing like a bit of pressure! Plus another student's father was there as well, and the counselor, so I felt like a ping-pong ball, trying to answer everyone's questions and not screw up in front of the most important figure at Alma College. Happy Monday to me.

Mmmm. Must get food for strength during tonight's college fair. Must make sure all is packed so hotel stay for next three days doesn't cause more stress. Must get brain unscrambled (highly unlikely).

House Update

When we last left our intrepid house-hunters, they were planning to reevaluate their housing budget, do some research on a lovely home, and possibly make an offer.

Budget determination: We can definitely afford more than we could a year ago, and felt it was close enough to make an offer, especially in light of the information we found on the home...

Home information: Anyone purchasing a house should always take a trip the the county's Register of Deeds first! I went in there with an address and came out know when the property was purchased, how much was spent, and the amount of the mortgage for the house itself. I also learned the house is in the process of foreclosure, how much the owner needs to get to have it not go to the bank, and when the bank will take it away if he doesn't get said amount of money. Oh yeah, and we also now know the name of the attorney with whom he is working regarding the foreclosure.

Offer outcome: In keeping with our budget, we were only able to offer the owner $20K less than he owes on it. He turned us down because there is no incentive for him to take a loss like that. His credit is already shot and he really has nothing more to lose (other than a sense of pride) by letting the foreclosure proceed. Still, we felt we should give it a shot. Unfortunately for him, with the decreased values in the Michigan housing market (up to 30% decreases in the last year), it's unlikely that he will be able to unload the home for the price he needs.

So what now? Well, because we know the attorney's name and approximately when it will go on the market as a foreclosure, we've put the realtor with whom we've been working on the trail. With all luck, she will be able to let us know as soon as it becomes available through the bank, which should be in December, and if the price is right, we may be homeowners shortly after the New Year. In the meantime, we plan to move to an apartment in St. Johns. I have three, possibly four, places to check out on Thursday on the way back to Alma.

And they're ugly, too!

The Prius is one of those cars that make me cringe when I see them on the road, along with that goofy-looking Honda Element. Other than being particularly hideous, they don't deserve all the environmentally-friendly hype. Read this and watch this, and tell me you're not amused.

Bottom line: if you're committed to driving vehicles that conserve energy and get better gas mileage, don't let me catch you in a Prius. Ride a bike or try biodiesel.

It's been almost five years...

...and I'm still waiting to be "blown away," Governor Granholm.

Thanks.

For you out-of-staters, here's what's been happening in our beloved Michigan:

(From an article in the Wall Street Journal's online edition - emphasis added)

Hail to the Taxers
Oct. 2, 2007

Actor Jeff Daniels makes a cool pitchman in those national TV spots inviting business to Michigan, but soon he may have to start pitching inside the state. At about 2 a.m. Monday, a handful of Republicans in the Legislature broke days of gridlock and handed Democratic Governor Jennifer Granholm the $1.48 billion tax increase she has been demanding.

The state's personal income tax will rise to 4.35% from 3.9%, and the rest of the revenue grab will come from a new 6% sales tax on business services. Already 14th in tax burden among the 50 states, according to the Tax Foundation, Michigan is now headed up in the rankings. Congratulations.

The Michigan Chamber of Commerce estimates that two-thirds of the $750 million in new sales tax revenue will apply to business transactions that are tax exempt in most states to avoid a compounding effect that raises costs to final consumers. The tax is especially unfair to small employers that contract out for activities, such as office services, that large businesses provide in-house with no sales tax applied. By the way, last year Michigan introduced a new 4.95% business income tax, which will be applied on top of the sales tax.

Last year, amid the national expansion, Michigan was the only state outside the Gulf Coast to lose jobs and see a decline in economic output. Comerica Bank recently moved its headquarters to Texas, in part because of Michigan's hostile business climate. Michigan's 7.4% jobless rate is the highest of all states and far above the 4.6% national rate.

The state is suffering from the decline of Detroit's car makers, but that's all the more reason to promote policies that attract new businesses -- or at least don't drive current employers to Florida. Ms. Granholm argues that the combination of new taxes to balance the budget, and to finance such new public "investment" as job retraining and education, will reinvigorate Michigan.

She should check her history books. In the past 25 years, the only period when Michigan's growth has exceeded that of the national economy was in the mid-1990s after then-Governor John Engler's tax cutting and welfare reform. For a time, Michigan became the unlikely national leader in job creation. Now the total tax burden is returning to where it was before the Engler years.

Michigan last went on a taxing binge in 1983, and voters were outraged enough to mount a successful recall campaign against two state Senate ringleaders. This time, two of three Michigan voters have told pollsters they want budget cuts, not new taxes. It may be that the only way to get jobs back into Michigan is to make sure the taxing politicians in Lansing lose theirs.

More Adventures in House-Hunting

Or, "The Quest for a (Semi?) Permanent Residence."

Monday's house-hunting brought on sort of an epiphany for Mitch and me: we want new construction.

We checked out a house that is for sale by owner and substantially out of our price range, but since it had been on the market for a long time, we thought he might deal. Of course, we fell in love. The guy built it for himself and his wife, but once he got it framed in she decided it was too small. So he finished it, right down to brand new appliances, and has been trying to unload it for a year. It has three bedrooms, two full bathrooms, a roughed-in basement, a gorgeous kitchen, a fireplace, a nice little deck, a two-car garage, and three acres of land. Wow!

None of the existing homes we visited later that night even held a candle to this place. I've seen many people make beautiful renovations to existing homes with some issues, but we've pretty much decided we would rather not take chances on somewhat of a "fixer-upper" (which is all we've really found) that could end up being more trouble than we bargained for.

So what now?

1. Find out if we can afford to make him a reasonable offer. We had a budgeted amount for a house when we were searching in Mt. Pleasant, but we think we can afford a bit more because of Mitch's new job. We are also prepared to make some lifestyle changes, whereas in Mt. P we didn't really think about that possibility. So we need to get our budget set and find out how much the owner owes on the house. If those figures match up, we'll make an offer. If he wants to get rid of it badly enough, he'll settle for breaking even.

2. If we can't afford to make a reasonable offer, we will officially abandon house-hunting and shift gears to apartment-hunting. Once we're settled, we'll begin actively looking for land, purchase at least an acre when we find something we like, increase the contributions to the house fund, and plan to build our own place in a year or two.

It makes me feel good to have a plan when our situation has been up in the air for so long. If course, I know my plans make God (and everyone else) laugh, but they get me through and I've proven to be flexible with them. I think I just need a place from which I can flex, rather than adopting a "go with the flow" attitude. That type of an outlook is admirable, to be sure, but too stressful for me!

Done in the Yoop

I survived another year of the UP Swing after logging over 1500 miles in just five days. Yikes! Now I'm down at my parents' house, hanging out and preparing for travel in my real territory.

You know, I like being down here with my family, but I really don't like this part of the state. All the traffic, people, buildings, noise, money...I mean, when the mall at which you generally shop puts in an Armani store with a real DJ spinning in the front window, you know the area is rich enough to support such folly. And after checking out some of the "new" (read: recycled 1980s) fashion trends, I think I'm going to be doing my fall clothes shopping at REI.

Mitch has been staying with my parents all week because the commute to Mason is shorter from here than from Mt. Pleasant. Plus, my dad offered up the motorcycle on nice days, so Mitch has been saving a ton of money in gas. He'll continue to stay here until we find a place in St. Johns, which brings me to the next topic: when we'll find a place to live.

We're going to see three, maybe four, houses tomorrow after work. The consensus is that if nothing really grabs us this week, we'll more thoroughly explore the apartment option and make our permanent residence plans more long-range: i.e. look for land and plan to build our dream house (or a practical version of it) in a year or two. I'll keep you posted!

Good question.

Tim asked a good question in his comment on my last post: whether it's difficult to be hands-off at this point in the week, and whether I feel like I don't really have a role in our travels. I thought I'd address it in the ten or so minutes before we go to dinner.

In short, the answer to both is, "Not really." Now that the week is closing out, college fairs only take up about two hours of the day. For those two hours, while I let the new reps man the table on their own, I get that coveted "me" time. I can answer emails from work and take care of my other tasks, or just spend some quiet time browsing the web.

I feel like I've done my job this week. At first, I did most of the talking at the fairs, and would listen to their conversations with families to determine where they needed some assistance. I talked about conversation techniques, questions to ask to keep them at the table longer, ways to connect with them, and demonstrated a number of them. After the first fair, I let them take more of a center stage role, eventually fading into the background and just jumping in when they asked. I feel they have a very good grasp of what to do and say, and now they need time to hone their skills without being self-conscious. And let's face it: this is not rocket science. Most of the time these kids won't remember anything you say in the two minutes you get with them. They will, however, remember a smiling face who expressed genuine interest in them, which is what I hope I've instilled during this training week.

Mah-nah-mah-nah!

(Do-doo-do-do-do)

Muppets, anyone?

Yes, I am in Menominee, hanging out at a college fair and letting one of our new reps man the table solo. It works out nice: we've done three fairs together, and the last one I basically stood in the background and came to the rescue only when needed. Since MHS brings in three distinct groups of students (juniors, sophomores and seniors) at separate times, Matt's on for the juniors, we'll all have fun watching the awkward sophomores, and Megan will take the seniors. That gives me time to blog, especially since I found a wireless connection in the school!

So the UP week has been pretty fun. Last night we went out for a late dinner with the U of M and Adrian reps, and tonight there will probably be a slightly larger crew at one of the only restaurants in Ironwood. I have to admit, my natural tendency to be an introvert is really at odds with the role I'm playing this week. I would like nothing more than to curl up with a book, all alone, and spend a few hours recharging (and resting my voice - it's about gone). Maybe this evening I can have some "me" time.

I was asked to be a medical school reference for my intern, so I think I'll get started on that. I don't know how well I'll be able to answer some of the questions specific to his qualifications, but I can soundly attest to his work ethic and sense of personal responsibility. I'm guessing that's what he's hoping for from me!

Swingin' in the Yoop

Well, travel season has officially begun, and I'm writing from a lovely hotel in Iron Mountain, Mich. This week, I am traveling around the Upper Peninsula with Alma's two newest admissions reps, taking part in the "UP Swing," a series of six college fairs. It's a lot of fun, because you get to know reps from other schools and hang out after the fairs, but of course, travel is my least favorite job function so I'm kind of bummed that this means I have to start all of that again.

See, I really hate being away from home for so long. Mostly I miss Mitch, but I also miss the physical space I call home. This year is even more challenging, because we're trying to find a new place to live, too. Don't ask me how that's going...I don't really know. Mitch is going to look at a couple of houses this week, and he'll also check out apartments. I kind of want someone else to make the decisions and tell me what to do. It's overwhelming to think of it now.

And yes, Mitch begins his new job tomorrow. I'm confident he'll enjoy the new challenges it presents and I hope he's as fulfilled by it as we anticipate.

Now I have about 45 minutes until it's time to get some dinner before our first fair, so I'm going to curl up on my comfy bed and read for a bit. More updates should come throughout the week!

Rained Out

This seems to be the summer of aborted vacations. Last week, I took Thursday and Friday off and we packed up for a hiking trip at Pictured Rocks. We knew it would be rainy, but we thought we'd give it a try anyway. Here we are at the trailhead, bound for Mosquito Falls:



One hundred yards later, we donned garbage bags over our packs and kept moving, only to discover - a mile later - that we'd left our pass in the car. So Mitch went back to the car (he says running is for suckers, but he jogged anyway) and then we continued on to Mosquito Falls, where we posed for photos despite the rain.





We made it out to Lake Superior, had lunch, and paused quickly for the only shot of the cliffs we could manage, given the swarms of mosquitos that descended every time we stopped moving. And yes, we had bug spray, but it didn't help much because the rain kept washing it off.



After a couple of miles of hiking along the shoreline, we gave up. It was getting miserable and it was very likely that nothing would dry out even if the rain stopped. So we turned around and trudged back to the car. We thought we might still be able to salvage a night of camping elsewhere, but about half a mile from the car, the sky opened up with a soaker. The trails became little rivers, gushing around our boots, and the wind whipped sheets of rain right through us, it seemed. Looking like a couple of drowned rats, we threw our packs in the trunk and headed for the nearest (cheapest) motel we could find. We tried to maintain a bit of our budget, though, by cooking Raman in the parking lot and eating dinner out of our backpacking cookware:



Here's what our room looked like when we spread all our wet things around:







After a night of relative luxury, we awoke to still-wet boots (and almost everything else). Though the sun was shining, rain was in the forecast for the evening, so rather than try to navigate the trails in our sandals, we packed up the car and headed home, stopping along Lake Michigan to play.



So, while it wasn't the trip we planned, it was still fun and we still enjoyed the time we spent together. This will be Mitch's last vacation until after Christmas, because with his new job, he doesn't get any time off until after the first of the year. And speaking of his job, he starts next Monday (Sept. 17) and is really looking forward to it. I am, too, but I've kind of gotten used to having my "house husband" do all the cooking and cleaning!

One more thing unrelated to hiking or new jobs: Mitch and I just got the new Caedmon's Call CD, Overdressed, and really like it! I'm still going through my usual pattern of listening to it over and over until I start to identify my favorite songs, but so far I'm very pleased. Everyone reading this should go check it out!

Ew!

So we went to see the house last night and, with the help of our parents, discovered some major problems with the kitchen floor (rotting underneath) and the septic system (standing sewage). Gross! Obviously that means we won't be buying this one. Luckily, we have some time to look because it doesn't make a ton of sense to force a move before travel season is over for me, which for all intents and purposes is the end of October.

She takes a deep breath...

...and revels in the relative calm of the day. Last week was a busy, stressful week but the long, wonderful weekend with my family made everything better. That and Preterm is over, so my obligations to the Orientation Committee are significantly scaled back.

Last Week's Stresses:

• The OCs: Oh my goodness. In addition to just having to supervise them and help them plan three off-campus trips, we had two major communication breakdowns that resulted in program changes and cancellations. I literally took two whole mornings to straighten things out. The lesson: as much as they may chafe against it, I'm going to be shortening the leash even more this year and requiring formal reports from them at the end of each day. Ugh...
• Publications: They're pretty much done now, but last week was a flurry of hasty revisions and "I-need-this-now" projects. Whew.
• Travel planning: I probably have half my appointments for this fall confirmed, but it's always challenging to juggle appointments around when things don't work out according to my plan!

Great Things About Labor Day Weekend:

• We stayed at my aunt and uncle's cottage in Boyne City and had a great time at the festivities surrounding the Red Fox Regatta on Lake Charlevoix.
• The wind was crazy on Sunday, so we went to Petoskey State Park to play in the huge waves. I even tried surfing and was semi-successful!
• Mitch and I had rode two good mountain biking trails: Hanson Hills in Grayling (actually, I rode that one on my own because Mitch bent his rim a mile and a half in and had to walk out while I finished) and Aspen Park in Gaylord. We tried Hartwick Pines in Grayling on the way home, but it wasn't a good trail so we turned around.

Things I'm Looking Forward To:

• Tonight Mitch and I are taking both sets of parents to look at a house in St Johns that we really like. I'll take lots of pictures and will try to post them. Unless something is seriously wrong with this place (and we don't think there is, because we've already been to see it once), we'll probably start the process of putting in an offer later this week!
• I requested some vacation time at the end of this week, and Mitch and I are hoping to take a trip up North for some hiking. Rain is in the forecast, but we're still planning to go and then make adjustments as needed.
• It's apple season in Michigan, and the U-Pick orchards are gearing up. Right before I start fall travel, Mitch and I always go pick a nice big bag of apples; I know it's a funny thing to look forward to, but I always love those afternoons!

OK, I need to prep for arts and crafts time - a.k.a. our rep work meeting, where today we're putting together our display boards!

Praise the Lord!

Mitch got his job offer from Dart Container today! We're so thankful for this blessing, and for all the support of our family and friends. His tentative start date in September 10.

Praise God!

So anxious

No word yet. I don't do well with the unknown, even though all signs point to an eventual offer from Dart. They don't tell you to call them if you get an offer from another company before hearing back from them if they don't want you; they don't review benefits with you if they don't want you - but if they want Mitch, they should just call him!

I'm struggling so hard to be patient. Sometimes I want to break down and just rage with frustration that things are taking so long. Then I hear that little voice that says, Trust, and the urge recedes...until the next time I think about it and get anxious all over again. I seem to pray equally hard for progress and patience.

Changing the subject: Saturday was move-in for all the freshmen! For the first time, Admissions was a formal part of the check-in process, providing students with a decal for their cars and a card with some pertinent information (like where their first advisor meeting was taking place). And there was one priceless moment: standing in Newberry lobby and hearing the first strains of Tenacious D's "F*** Her Gently" blare from the iPod. I hopped over and skipped past that one very quickly!

I also went waterskiing this weekend for the first time all summer. Yes, pathetic, given the amount of time I've spent at the lake, but the water has never been nice enough for my spoiled tastes. I lucked out this time, though: after dinner, when the lake was clear and flat, my dad took me for a pull behind his Chris-Craft, an old wooden boat he reconstructed. I think it was really cool for him to drive the boat he resurrected from a rotting pile of wood, pulling the daughter he taught to ski so long ago. At least, that's how I interpreted the huge grin he was sporting each time he turned around!

Now it's Monday and I'm back at work (sore from biking and skiing) but less stressed than last week. Well, there seems to be less work-related stress, anyway. Here's some background and then an explanation of what has been waking me up in the middle of the night:

This year, we started planning our Admissions publications very early. We always seem to run behind on them and then scramble at the last minute, and we were committed to not letting that happen this year. Because we wanted to revamp everything, we decided to hire a copywriter to give our pieces a new voice: something a little spunky that would appeal to our students while still accurately getting the important information across. I was pretty pumped about this, because I wrote the copy for our viewbook last year (in 24 hours!) and I didn't really want to get roped into it again, especially as the deadline approached and I was neck-deep in other projects. So we got this guy from Massachusetts, and he made some phone calls to interview people, and he sent over some copy...and it was terrible. Literally awful. And the clock was ticking. And we were fed up. So the project ended up on my desk, and though I really want to be modest about it, I think I turned out some of the best copy we've had in a long time. (I think it could have been even better, though, if I had more than a couple of days in which to do it.) The piece on which I worked is the one all us reps will be taking on the road with us and handing out at college fairs and high school visits. Now we've moved on to our viewbook, and because the copywriter really just took a lot of our old text (written by me last year) and tweaked it, I only had a couple sections to rewrite. Actually, I'm supposed to be working on that right now. Shoot. I'm currently fresh out of inspiration.

The interview is done...

...and now Mitch is just waiting for a call. It was more intense than he thought it would be, but he left feeling even more confident than he did after his second interview there. He did tell them he was expecting a call from American General later this week, so hopefully that makes them move quickly.

Thanks for all the prayers and support. I'm working hard at having patience and faith!

The waiting game

Tim, you're about a week ahead of yourself: Mitch's third interview is next Wednesday (Aug. 22). Don't worry, I'll post details as soon as we know. He's really antsy, but has been keeping himself occupied with a lot of guitar playing and biking. His goal is to log 100 miles this week, which he will have no problem accomplishing. The wind has been fierce here, so he's getting a heck of a workout every time he goes out.

Since we think a move south is impending, we started looking at houses and actually went to see a few on Wednesday. One was awful, two were pretty bad, and one was great! So great, in fact, that if/when the job offer does come through, we will be making a return trip with all the 'rents to see it. Unless someone else buys it first or there is something major wrong with it that we don't see, we may have found "the one."

Digression: There's a part of my personality that I've only recently accepted and stopped fighting: I have this tendency to get very excited about things and start making plans in my head, and then when they don't work out, I get really disappointed. This happened at least three times with the house hunt in Mt. Pleasant and I've figured out that while the disappointment can be pretty piercing, it doesn't last long and actually provides me with an emotional outlet. While I used to try to avoid this, fearing the let down of having things not work out, I've now realized it's just something I do that's not necessarily bad, given my faith and the ability to move quickly past the disappointment.

Back on track: Work has been nonstop busy with tons of different things. We're interviewing candidates for two rep positions, and I'm preparing to take whoever we hire to the UP for training in mid-September. My OCs move back on campus this Sunday, so I'm getting everything ready for them and helping the co-chairs with their roles. I'm planning my own travel season in the Oakland-Livingston-Washtenaw-Lenawee-Monroe area, making web updates, editing new publications and of course, still trying to get all my new freshman ready to walk in the door in a week! Yesterday I went to a workshop in Chicago with some folks from advancement and PR on market segmentation and using the web. Very cool stuff! The bad part: 5 hours in the car each way, and no stopping for dinner!

Oh, and here's my plug: Everyone should read Robin's blog and listen to Grant's sermon!

Praise God!

That's the only appropriate title for this entry. You all know Mitch has been increasingly unhappy in his current role and has been seriously job searching for a few months now. Yesterday he had two interviews: one with American General, a lending institution in Mt. Pleasant, and a second interview with Dart Container in Mason. Both went well; the Dart one lasted two hours and he succeeded in making all four interviewers laugh when they asked him if he knew why manhole covers were round. When he gave the actual reason, they were amazed that he knew it and he confessed to being a "bank of useless information." Yes, that was his exact response, and he had them cracking up. They also asked him where else he was interviewing, so he told them about his interview later that afternoon. That must have given them a sense of urgency, because later that day...

...they called him back in for his third interview! This one involves "business casual" dress, a tour of the plant, and lunch with his "peers," all of which says to me: "Job offer!" He will undertake this adventure in a week and a half.

Onto the American General interview: that one also went well, and he left there with the sense that a job offer is also impending there. Maybe it was the fact that his interviewer said she had to run a background check but would call him next week. They don't do background checks until they're basically ready to offer you the position...yessssss!

So, should both job offers come through as anticipated, which one would he prefer? Obviously he would be thrilled with either, but it's the Dart job that really grabs him. It's a marketing and financial analyst position, which would allow him to do that geeky analysis stuff he likes so much without having to deal directly with angry customers who can't balance their checkbooks and want to know why you can't reverse their fees. We'll see how it all plays out - I'm breaking my rule here by posting about what I think is going to happen before it actually does, but I'm so excited for him that I can't contain myself. For all he's put up with, he deserves this.

Thanks are in order for everyone who has been praying for us. I know prayer works, just as I know God will open and close doors as he sees fit. Faith is a glorious thing, and even though there are times when you have grip it tighter to keep it from drifting away, the effort is well worth the deeper relationship with God that results. I'm thankful for his blessings, even though they sometimes don't seem like blessings at the time.

"So keep 'em coming, these lines on the road,
And keep me responsible, be it a light or heavy load,
And keep me guessing with these blessings in disguise,
And I'll walk with grace my feet and faith my eyes..."

Abort, ABORT!

Our weekend started out on a very promising note: Mitch interviewed with National City in the morning and since I was able to get the afternoon off, we were north-bound by 3 pm with bikes in tow. Our car was packed with camping gear and even an accident-induced traffic jam on 127 North couldn't dampen our spirits.

After a couple hours, we arrived in Grayling and fought our way through town (I guess there was some big canoeing event) to Hanson Hills Ski Area: the first stop on our weekend-long tour of trails in the Grayling-Gaylord areas. The plan was to ride HH, stop for a swim at the Otsego Lake State Park, and then head up to the Pigeon River State Forest Campground just north of Gaylord. From there, we planned to ride Shingle Mill Pathway in the Pigeon River State Forest and Aspen Park in Gaylord, and then hit Hartwick Pines State Park in Grayling on our way back on Sunday. Plans plan plans...

Anyway, the ride at HH was great! Since we hadn't had dinner yet, Mitch made me eat one of those nasty Clif bars, and as we climbed hill after hill in the first few miles, it sat at the bottom of my stomach like a brick. My legs ached, my lungs burned, and I barely had the energy to appreciate my beautiful surroundings. Eventually, though, my legs and lungs remembered how to work and I began to enjoy the thrill of the fast downhills. As for the uphills, well, I got a song stuck in my head that helped motivate me as I continued to grind them out:

I use what I got, take what I get,
Give 'til I ain't got nothin' left
Then I give it some more,
Keep on climbin' up that mountain.
Keep truckin' along, work up a sweat,
Past every no after no after no 'til I get a yes,
I don't worry 'bout what I'm not,
I use what I got.

Apart from the awful grammar, country artist Jason Aldean pretty much summed up the determination I need to ride these tough trails!

Eight or so miles later, we were back at the trailhead, packing up the car and trying to dry our sweaty, stinky gloves. We took a nice dip at the Otsego Lake State Park in lieu of a bath, but by the time we got gas and drove back to the park so I could retrieve my forgotten sunglasses, it was raining. As we were not too keen on setting up camp in the rain, we stopped at La Senorita in Gaylord for a disappointing dinner, then continued our drive up to Pigeon River. Our worries about not finding a campsite there were unfounded (no reservations at state forest campgrounds); the place was deserted. We lit the lantern, paid our fee, set up camp...and now I digress for a confession:

I've seen too many horror movies, watched too many episodes of Unsolved Mysteries, and am generally a 'fraidy cat when it comes to dark, unfamiliar places in the middle of nowhere. I kept telling myself to knock it off as I constantly scanned the woods with my headlamp, but by the time we crawled into our tent, I couldn't help mentioning to Mitch that it was a little creepy being the only people here. Had he reassured me, I would've spent a restless night in our tent with my fears to myself, but he agreed that yes, it was a bit uncomfortable...

...so we promptly packed up and left. Just like that. We thought we could just get a cheap hotel for the night and try our luck at some of the other campgrounds the next day. Little did we know that every hotel in Gaylord was booked for some Little League tournament, and Grayling was packed for the canoe event! So, by midnight on Friday, we were on the road back to Mt. Pleasant. I was disappointed that our weekend hadn't worked out, and for better or for worse, I'm now convinced that reservations must be made, and that one should be a bit familiar with a specific state forest campground before assuming that a walk-in in the middle of the night is a good idea.

Maybe God puts you where you need to be, though, rather than where you want to be. When we stopped in Houghton Lake to get drinks for the drive home, we saw a clearly intoxicated man get into an SUV and prepare to drive away. We called 911 and gave them a description of the car and its license plate number. Maybe we got a drunk driver off the road, and if so, it was worth not having the weekend we planned.

And all was not lost, biking-wise. We explored the Midland City Forest on Saturday and rode Burchfield in Lansing on Sunday. We also got through large chunks of our respective Harry Potter books and spent some time with Bruce and his girlfriend, Lizzie. We do hope to resurrect this trip again in the fall, though we'll be making other arrangements for camping next time.

Notre Dame Weekend

Visiting Miriam this past weekend at Notre Dame was awesome! We had a great time mountain biking, relaxing at the lake, shopping and just hanging out. The mountain bike trail we rode on Saturday morning, Rum Village, was really cool. It had a short beginner loop, an intermediate loop, and an advanced loop. It took us awhile to find the advanced loop, and we didn't ride the whole thing, but it was tons of fun. I fell off a small bridge but luckily did no damage to my body or - more importantly - to my bike!

In other biking-related news, we are planning a weekend of Northern Michigan biking. We're thinking about going up to Gaylord and camping at Pigeon River to ride Shingle Mill and Aspen Park. While we're there, we'll also probably go down to Grayling and ride Hanson Hills and maybe one other place. Another option is to head south to the Kalamazoo area and hit up Fort Custer and some other small places. We're still working out the details, but biking is definitely going to be the focus of our weekend!

And there is progress on the job front for Mitch! He has two interviews: one this week with National City in Haslett and another next week with Dart Container Corporation in Mason. I'm so thankful that he's at least getting interviews...obviously we want one of these to pan out for him, but I'm taking it one step at a time. That's hard for me, because I want to be able to start figuring out where we will be living this fall: Mt. Pleasant, St. Johns, house, apartment...will the big change fall before, during or after travel season...if it's during travel, how is that going to work out with me in Southeastern Michigan all fall...obviously this is a source of stress for me, but I think I'm handling it well by trying not to think about it too much and relying on God to set the timing for us.

And by the way, two weekends ago we had to cancel out hiking trip with Matt and Becky because Matt got stuck in Philly longer than expected. Boo! But we're hoping to do a fall trip when the colors are at their best.

OK, back to work for me. Sometimes it's so hard to get going on Monday...

Excitement at Alma College

Yes, we're bringing in the LARGEST CLASS EVER at 450 incoming students and counting (and yes, we do have room to house them). You probably already knew that. But I thought I'd take a moment to update you on some other changes to Alma's campus:

1. The Admissions staff has grown so much that we need more space, so we're taking over the entire Reid-Knox Building! Jerry Scoby and President Tracy's offices will remain here, but the Business Office is moving out in a couple of weeks so a construction crew can come in a reconfigure most of the building to accommodate additional office space and another small conference room. Along with this, we're getting all new matching furniture for our brand new offices! Construction has already begun: they're renovating our bathrooms and that means I'm displaced from my office so they can knock out one of my walls to expand the women's restroom. Therefore, I'm moving to the basement of the library until my new office space is ready, which will probably be in October.

So where is the Business Office going?

2. The Business Office, Registrar's Office, and Financial Aid Office are all moving to the basement of Saga and taking over the space previously used by the Center for Student Development. Crews gutted the area last month and are renovating it as I write. This makes it a "one-stop-shop" kind of thing down there.

So where is the Center going?

3. The Center is downsizing it's operations to include only personal counseling, and they will be moving to the Med Shed. On a related note, the Med Shed is now being run by the local hospital, Gratiot Medical, in hopes of improving service and streamlining services provided by the hospital.

So what about all that other stuff the Center did, like career placement, tutoring and learning disabilities?

4. Well, we all know the Center never did a fabulous job on things like career placement, but that's slated to improve with the addition of a new office called the Transitions Office. Headed by a woman very active in the Alma community (Ginna Holmes, if any of you worked with her through the Alma After-School Program or the Alma Community Center) and staffed with two other administrators yet-to-be-hired, the Transitions Office will improve career placement services and take over tutoring and learning disabilities services. This office will live in the basement of the library, where the International/Off-Campus Studies Office currently resides. Actually, the functions of that office will be absorbed by the Transitions Office to put some more structure and support around study abroad and internship programs.

There must be more!

5. Eventually, IT will move from first floor SAC to the basement of the library, in the places vacated by the Registrar and Financial Aid. That's not in the immediate plans; everything else is scheduled to be completed by the time school begins in the fall. Now, whether that will happen or not is anyone's guess, but I'm excited that it's actually beginning!

Refreshed

I was way burned out going into the weekend, but after doing pretty much nothing at the Silver Lake Sand Dunes but riding around in the Blazer and getting burned on the beach, plus getting a good, full night's sleep in my own bed, I think I'm all recharged. The knowledge that we're not leaving the Mt. Pleasant/Alma area until Saturday helps, too.

There are few updates on our two biggest projects: Mitch's job search and our grad school search. Mitch has many applications out but no interviews yet. I have had one good conversation with a rep from Northwood regarding their MBA program, and I plan to visit within the month. I've started my app and personal statement, but I don't think we'll be in a position to make a decision about grad school until Mitch gets a new job and our location is determined.

Other than that, nothing much is new. This weekend's adventure: hiking with Matt and Becky! I hope to have some photos to post after that.

Need a nap...

We've been caught in a whirlwind of activity lately! Let's see, to catch up, we spent June 22-24 camping in the Leelanau State Park with Adrienne, a friend from high school, and her boyfriend Kyle. It was fun and good to spend time with her, but he's kind of weird and I definitely like trips with my college friends better.

Now for the Fourth of July fun:

Saturday: After Mitch finished work, we went down to Lansing to hang out with Bruce. We biked Burchfield and went out to dinner at Mitchell's Fish Market, then ended up staying the night there.

Sunday: Drove home from Lansing, repacked the car and headed out to Lake Mecosta for the Ribitch family party. The boys (which means every young person but Kristy and me) made heavy contributions to the completion of almost two kegs of beer, but the sad thing is that they were all in bed before all the parents! We all set up tents so we could just stay the night and hang out the next day.

Monday: Took the day off work so we could recover. Started with a refreshing early-morning swim, then went golfing. Actually, I didn't golf: I just rode in the cart and watched everyone else play the back nine at Meceola Country Club, where Ray and his brother, Scott, work. Went swimming again after lunch, and then headed home.

Tuesday: Work. Blah.

Wednesday: Drove up to Lake City for the tail end of The Greatest Fourth in the North. Bruce and his new girlfriend, Lizzie, came with us and we had a great day! We showed some youngsters (read: college students) how Ultimate Frisbee should really be played, but when I say "we" I mean Mitch, Bruce and Jon. They were unstoppable! And of course, we stayed for the fireworks, which is why I am so ridiculously tired as I sit here at work.

Plans for this weekend: Silver Lake Sand Dunes! That's right, it's time for another Redneck Weekend, and if I weren't so sleepy, I would be pretty excited. As it stands right now, the only thing exciting is the thought of lunch at noon and the possibility of taking a little nap at the park on my break...

Marc and Sarah's Wedding

Last weekend was very busy, but the highlight was definitely Marc Hong and Sarah DeYoung's wedding at Alma:


Here's the bride, all smiles and sass before the ceremony.


Anna and I couldn't resist a photo with the groom.


The bridal party with the newlyweds - aren't their dresses pretty?


The wedding cake had three different flavors! I don't have cake-cutting pictures because there were too many people up there, but they both had cake on their faces by the time they were done!


Sarah and Marc are all smiles as the reception winds down. They've had a whirlwind weekend!


The bride and groom with the old Alma alums.

Our other weekend event, besides getting pregnancy updates from Anna, was Father's Day down with my dad. Though we were there for only ten hours, we managed to ride at Island Lake, get stuck in the pontoon boat because the impeller broke, spend time with Grandpa, go wakesurfing and wakeboarding, and eat a huge dinner. Needless to say, we were exhausted by the time we got back to Mt. Pleasant, but it was worth it.

To keep the momentum of our summer up, this weekend we're going camping at Leelanau State Park with Adrienne (a high school friend), her boyfriend Kyle, Bruce and my parents. Plans include biking at Vasa, wine-tasting, and going to the beach. Wahoo! All this will come after the second freshman orientation on Friday, during which we will strive to entertain almost 200 new Alma students and their parents. Talk about a draining day! I guess that's what happens when you recruit a RECORD CLASS!

Go Scots!

This should be of interest to all your AC alums! (Is there even anyone who didn't go to Alma who reads this?!?)

End of the week

It's Friday, and another gorgeous week comes to a close. Work has been busy...we did a two-day planning retreat in Mt. Pleasant on Tuesday and Wednesday, and while at times it was really frustrating (a group that large seems great for brainstorming but terrible for making decisions!), it was generally helpful. We took the Myers-Briggs personality test as a staff to learn more about each other and identify some of the dynamics in the office. I'm an ISTJ, for anyone who's familiar with this assessment. :)

Other than work, we had our third week of beach volleyball and lost both our games. This league is more advanced than the one we were in last year, but I think it's where we need to be. I subbed in the intermediate league and it's kind of full of a bunch of yahoos who don't like to follow the rules and are more concerned with drinking beer than playing volleyball. So, while it's frustrating to lose, at least we are losing to superior teams who call their own net violations.

Our church is preparing for next week's Vacation Bible School and while we haven't been able to help out a ton, we did go over and blow up balloons for over an hour last night. I have a blister on one of my fingers from tying them all together to help with the balloon arches! The theme is "The Greatest Show on Earth" and you should see how they've transformed the whole place into a big circus arena! If I have a chance, I'll go over and take some pictures today.

And the best news of all - tomorrow, Marc Hong and Sarah DeYoung are getting married at Alma, and Tim and Anna arrived late last night from North Carolina for the wedding! They're obviously staying with us, and we'd have made some plans for them to get together with more people but they have to leave early on Sunday morning to go home. I'm working this morning while they catch up on their sleep but I'm heading back at lunchtime so we can spend some time together. It's crazy to think that next time I see them, they'll be parents! Wow!

Well, I need to prepare for a meeting. I'm coordinating the Orientation Committee again this year, and I need to meet with my co-advisor (though he seems to have that role in name only most times) to plan some off-campus excursions for Labor Day weekend. Time to get organized!

Mitch's Skydiving Adventure

Last weekend, Mitch did something I'd never do: he went skydiving! Here are some of the photos from his adventure:


Thumbs up...he's ready to go!


Oh my goodness, this would freak me out!


Free-falling above the Frankenmuth area


Gliding back down to solid ground


Thanks Mike - what a ride!

It wasn't even my birthday...

...but it kind of felt like it! Yesterday I joined Megan and two of her friends to celebrate her 22nd birthday, and we were royally pampered by her husband! He bought all four of us pedicures (I do still have my callouses), movie tickets to see Mr. Brooks, popcorn and pop at the movies, and dinner at Gengi's, a Japanese steakhouse in Midland. He also took Mitch and I out for drinks at The Cabin at the end of the night, though I'm not sure Mitch exactly appreciated the celebratory shot!

Since we had to skip volleyball last night, I'm pleased to report that I'll be subbing for another player in tonight's league. Of course, I will look very funny wearing socks to protect my pretty toes! On another note, Mitch and my mom are going skydiving this weekend! There's no way you would get me to jump out of a perfectly good airplane, but he will have a good time. I'll try to post pics or something...scary!

Good morning!

Though it's usually a struggle to get out of bed in the morning, today felt like a great day. Not only did I have a blast this weekend (hanging out with Bruce, swimming and Frisbee at the gravel pits, Pirates 3), we were also very productive. When I woke up this morning, the apartment was vacuumed; Chip had a clean litterbox; all our fruit for the week was cut up or washed; the laundry was done, folded, and put away; all my dress pants were ironed (thanks to Mitch, who did that while I edited his cover letter); the bathroom was cleaned, including freshly washed rugs and towels; and because of the rain, my balcony garden looks healthy and amazing. Top that off with all the new clothes hanging in my closet (spent too much money at Express - Mom's fault - but now my summer work wardrobe actually exists) and you have a recipe for the most fantastic Monday possible.

What am I looking forward to this week? New clothes to wear, for one! Also, it's Megan's birthday tomorrow and Chris has a full afternoon planned for her and her friends, including me. Pedicure, anyone? (To anyone who's ever had one: can I request that they not file off my callouses? I like and need them!)

And I guess I would be remiss if I didn't post my opinion of the new Pirates movie. I thought it was definitely too long, and it almost seemed like nothing really happened until the very end. I kept thinking, What is happening here? and felt that too many subplots were introduced and not really resolved. All the betraying and scheming is complicated enough without trying to figure out how crazy crab lady and freaky fish man were in love if she was never human in the first place...anyway, I still maintain they could have stopped at the first movie, because that one was GREAT.

Well, at least it's over.

We're both done with the GMAT. Mitch did well, but I didn't perform quite as I had hoped. With all the studying and the good scores on the practice exams, I anticipated a much better score, but the math section was ridiculously hard - much harder than anything on the practice exams. Still, I'm thankful for all your thoughts and prayers, everyone!

Also disappointing was our first beach volleyball game on Tuesday. Mitch, Ray, Kristy, Gabe and I are in the advanced league because Kristy's schedule conflicted with the intermediate league, and we lost both our first games: one to a team of two. Yes, two girls beat us, though they were CMU volleyball players. Many of the folks we met at open gym this winter are on teams, and by the looks of it all those teams are going to school us royally. So, Tim and Courtney, you're not missing much over in these parts!

On a brighter note, I spruced up our balcony with some potted plants: yellow zinneas, pink morning glories, blue heliotrope, basil, a tomato plant, and a hanging basket full of multicolored impatiens. When they start to bloom (or bear fruit) I'll post some pictures...I don't really have a green thumb, but last year's plants were a success and I anticipate the same this summer.

And finally, we have "a weekend full of nothing to do at all...yeehaw!" The forecasted rain means that we're tanking our tentative plans to camp in Grayling and do a mountain bike race at Hanson Hills and hanging out in Mt. P instead. It will be a good opportunity for Mitch to buckle down on his job search, so he can get out of the increasingly difficult situation at the bank. Not to be greedy, but prayers that an opportunity will present itself would be greatly appreciated!

Memorial Day Lessons

Here's to the most eventful Memorial Day weekend in memory! Of course, every weekend at Jon's is full of great experiences and stories...but here's what I learned this time around:

#1: I must be a hippie pot smoker in denial, because all climbers, mountain bikers and wakeboarders smoke the reefer.

#2: Breakfast at Jon's is always excessive: think pancakes or French toast, hash browns, bacon, sausage and scrambled eggs, every single morning. And a word to the wise: adding chocolate chips to whole grain pancakes doesn't really make them taste much better.

#3: Sometimes you just need three nights in a row of excessive drinking. You'll be crowned That Girl by the end, but maybe it's worth it because you realize you have friends that will take care of you 'til sunrise. (And no, this was not me - I couldn't handle that much craziness!)

#4: Vasa is the coolest mountain biking trail, and what I lack in endurance can be compensated for with a bit of technical skill and a lot of pushing it to the edge. And at the end of the ride, there's nothing like a passion fruit margarita to rehydrate!

#5: SPF 4 just doesn't do the trick.

Mitch takes the GMAT today, and mine is scheduled for tomorrow. Wahoo...I'm mostly just ready to not do math problems each night, and to have it over. Tonight is also our first sand volleyball game, followed by the season finale of House. I really should take another practice test instead of gorging on homemade popcorn with Ray and Kristy, but maybe I can get out of work early and do one before the game.

Superman wears Jack Bauer pajamas.

If you love the TV show "24" like Mitch and I do, you really need to read this.

Yeah Jack Bauer.

ZOO-DE-MACKINAC

What a weekend! The pictures can tell the story:


On the damp, slightly chilly Saturday morning, the guys departed from Boyne Highlands to ride approximately 27 miles along the Lake Michigan shore, through the scenic Tunnel of Trees, and into Cross Village...


...where they met up with Miriam and me. We joined the riders for the final 24 miles of the trip: a much flatter, gentler, if slightly less pretty ride. An hour and a half later...


...we arrived in Mackinaw City, thankful for our matching Adidas sweatbands yet not quite as exhausted as we anticipated. I still had energy for...


...Oatmeal Cookie shots on Mackinac Island with Adrienne and her friend Amber, who also participated in the ride. While we optimistically planned to party the night away until the last ferry back to the mainland at 2 am...


...we ended up leaving the Mustang Lounge - the greatest bar on the Island - at 9:30 pm to catch the 10 pm ferry back. It was a great day, and I look forward to next year when I will tackle all 51 miles!

Update: You can see more pictures at http://photos.yahoo.com/skibunny11282!

Mother's Day

Mitch and I had a lovely Mother's Day with his parents. They joined us for church, where they got to meet our friends Chris andMegan, and Mason, our soon-to-be godson. Then we enjoyed a killer brunch: crepes with homemade custard and berries, quiche, fresh strawberries, and bacon prepared with our patented grill technique. (Yes, preparing this required cooking for quite a few hours on Saturday morning.) With full stomachs, we traveled to Dow Gardens to experience spring in all its glory. Just the scent of the flowers and the sun on my face made it perfect, not to mention all the colors! Here are some photos from our afternoon:


Mitch and his mom





In addition to Sunday's festivities, we had an awesome Saturday, starting with a mountain bike outing in Lansing. Despite the effects of the previous night, Bruce joined us at Burchfield for a sweet ride. That trail is way different than Island Lake or Brighton Rec, my two usual trails. This one is really twisty-turny, with lots of log piles to ride over and some other obstacles that I usually avoid (especially after witnessing Bruce's endo!). I only hit one tree, but had many other close calls. After the ride, we went back to Bruce's place, made dinner, and watched a movie before heading back to Mt. P.

One more item before I actually start working for the day: I took a practice GMAT last night and rocked the verbal section! Overall, my score was pretty decent but I need a ton of work in the math if I want to up it. My new strategy is to make flashcards (yes, flashcards) with some basic algebra concepts so I don't have to guess as much when it comes to exponents, functions, ratios and probability.

Courtney-style :)

Work: I've been remiss in posting the great news here - on Monday we hit 400 net deposits, and they keep rolling in! It looks like we should have a phenomenal incoming class thanks to all the hard work across campus. To celebrate, my coworkers and I hit the Braveheart on Monday evening and had a grand time.

Weekends: We're trying to bike as much as we can to get ready for the Zoo-de-Mackinac in a week and a half. Last weekend we rode at Island Lake, but Mitch broke his seatpost so he only did 9 miles while Bobby and I did about 13. I felt great, and I hope we can ride again on Saturday, possibly at Lansing's Burchfield.

GMAT: This lovely exam is scheduled for May 30, and I am completely overwhelmed by the amount of studying needed for the math section! Luckily, The GMAT for Dummies has given me some good ratio and probability tricks (I was never particularly good at those types of problems, anyway) and the geometry review rekindled a bit of knowledge. By the way, does anyone know what a units digit is?

And that's what's occupying my mind - later!

This sure rings true!

In addition to lunch breaks that could be case studies in sexual harrassment, working in Admissions does have its funny moments. This article sounds like most of my students!

The Magic Number

Today we hit the magic number: 400 gross commitment deposits to Alma College by May 1! Wahoo! Net is about 370, which is still roughly 20 more than we had at the beginning of the 06-07 academic year. We are well on our way to enrolling the magic 400 for the 07-08 school year. Keep in mind that Alma College only had 400 students in an incoming class five times in the college's entire history (my class included), and all those times were accompanied by large financial aid expenditures. This year is different...financial aid is good, but not over-the-top. Mostly, we are succeeding because everyone on campus has been contributing to the effort. What a great campus culture we're developing!

I still need 20 students to meet my territory goal, though. Oakland County is about the most competitive county in the state, with very demanding families. Here's hoping I can pull it off!

It is mostly official.

This is probably not The Year of the House for the DeYoungs. We got a new bid from the builder in Mt. Pleasant and while it did not include any finish work, it was still too high. I'm strangely content about the whole thing...we're planning to contact him today and tell him the project is not fiscally feasible right now, but that we hope to be in a better position next spring.

The plan (and yes, I always have a plan) is to keep our eyes open for property and if we happen to find the perfect parcel, we'll probably buy it and sit on it 'til it's time to build. We will also remain open to the prospect of purchasing an existing home, but only until mid-June, at which time we will sign another year-long lease at our lovely apartment complex.

I know there is a reason (or many reasons) that none of the things we so strongly desired worked out, and since I have faith in that, I'm actually glad of it. Did that make sense? Second try: I'm glad God is watching out for us and not letting us make mistakes that we don't even realize would be mistakes. Better? Sounds better to me.

Plus, we're going to have an awesome summer without the pressures of new home ownership. Strolls to The Cabin for pizza and Long Islands, bike rides to beach volleyball games, Ultimate Frisbee on the huge lawn at our apartment complex, dips in the pool, plus free time on weekends for trips to the lake, the Dunes, up North, and anywhere else we want to go. Why did we want to build a home now in the first place, especially since it's the last summer hurrah before Ray and Kristy leave Mt. P for dental school and clinicals, respectively?

I love how...

...I asked Mitch to pick me up some medicine at the drug store, and he came back with my favorite candy, too.

...God sends peace and acceptance in the wake of inner turmoil and a good cry.

...friendships are both easy and challenging, but always fulfilling.

Fantastic weekend!

The weather could not have been better this weekend, and we took full advantage of it! Mitch had to work on Saturday morning, so once he got out we packed up the bikes and headed down to my parents' and hit the trails. Both of us had rough rides at Island Lake on Saturday afternoon, but Sunday morning's ride at Brighton Rec felt great! Though I shouldn't be so proud of keeping up with a guy more than twice my age, I was pleased to ride with my dad the whole time. Usually he's way ahead of me: I chalk my success up to my amazing bike and being in slightly better shape than last season.

Warning: juvenile humor ahead!

So one of our favorite car games to play involves thinking of every kind of car we can, then adding the word "anal" to the name. For some reason, my "top five" (in no particular order) never seem to get old:

1. Anal Wrangler
2. Anal Prowler
3. Anal Ram
4. Anal Gremlin
5. Anal Fusion

I know not everyone will find this humorous...but I couldn't help but share in hopes of making someone giggle just a bit! :)

The Battle Continues

I suppose I owe a house update, after my earlier frustration. Here's the shortest account I can give:

We went to a builder in Mt. Pleasant, got house plans, picked out a lot owned by the builder, got the estimate, and choked on the price. Told the builder we'd have to do some trimming; he's seeing what he can do from his end and we're pricing out finish-type things (appliances, cabinets, flooring, etc.) on our own so we can be more educated.

Once receiving the estimate, I sent the drawings to my aunt and uncle, who own a construction company in South Lyon. During our phone conversation, she said the price was a bit high, but that the cost of materials is going down. She's going to look at things with my uncle and ballpark us, and we're also going to look at some plans they already have if we go down there for some biking this weekend.

Working two angles at a time is mind-boggling to me: I'm definitely more of a single-track planner. In some ways, the builder up here would be easier because the land is already there. In every other way, though, I'd rather have my aunt and uncle heading up this project. That would mean, however, going back to the drawing board for land...luckily, I have an incredibly supportive family who is willing to spend many summer weekends helping us!

At this point, I would be remiss if I didn't acknowledge thoughts about being young and free, not tied to a mortgage or a single mid-Michigan location. Try as I might, I've never been able to make myself comfortable with the idea of living a number of different places before settling down. It's like I have this instinct to put down roots and start making the kind of life my parents had. I try to fight it, fantasizing about grand adventures around the world, but the truth is that I can't really picture myself being happy doing that. I think of silly things, like what I would do with my cat, how I would miss holidays with my family and summer weekends at the lake, and what it would be like to have to make new friends everywhere I went. I guess I'm a homebody, but the world needs homebodies...that doesn't mean, though, that long roadtrips and journeys to see my more adventurous friends and family are out of the question! Quite to the contrary; I admire all of you and have loved the chances I've had (and the future ones I will have) to visit you!

I'm OK with that.

I get the impression that many of my coworkers think I'm naive because I've stopped participating in their complain-a-thons. They seem to think I must not know what's going on because I refuse to be in a constant state of agitation. The truth? There are so many positive things taking place around campus, both tangible and intangible, that while there are still areas for improvement, I'm OK focusing on the progress we are making. I'm also trying to be reasonable in my expectations: if something isn't going to happen now, or can't happen the way I envision it, I'm not going to sit around and squawk about it. Finally, I'm just too busy. Period. I feel like enough of my time is wasted in formal meetings, without adding additional time for these informal whine-fests.

Photos from North Carolina

I know I was supposed to put these up a long time ago, but better late than never, right? Actually, it's good to do them now and remember the fun times and great weather, as I look out my window and see the results of the April snowstorm...

Here are Mitch and Tim trying to put new brake pads on Tim's car. They took the wheel off at least three times and were never able to overcome some weird problem. (Tim, please tell me it's fixed now!)



And now we have me and the boys getting ready for our second mountain bike ride of the week:



Of course, there were many rounds of Frisbee golf...



...and some amazing meals, including this one featuring authentic food from El Salvador.



Really, you can't beat spending time with friends. Since I'm in this photo-posting mood, how about a slap some more up here from Bruce's "Welcome Back" party in Lansing?

This is Jon holding up Miriam in the "Statue of Liberty" while Bruce jumps up to give her a high-five in celebration of a strike:



And of course, the requisite shots of the "the girls" and "the guys."





All right, now I am starving and it's time for lunch!

Frustrated

I just want to scrap this whole stupid house thing. For the second time, we've been ready to purchase something, ready to move quickly, and it has fallen through. The first was a house and the second, and even more disappointing, was a piece of land in the perfect location. I want to be angry with our realtor about the land, because it wasn't included in the set of properties he sent us a month ago, but I know it was an honest mistake. Still, if we had seen it earlier, maybe we would have been able to make an offer before the current potential buyer got in there....

I'm so tired of getting my hopes up about this. I don't even want to deal with this anymore. I want to say that unless it falls into my lap, I'm completely done, but that's a lie and a poor attitude. I'm just feeling sorry for myself at this point, but I need to vent so I don't cry frustrated tears (too much, anyway).

If I were reading this blog, I would leave a comment that God has his plans and will carry them out in time; that we should just keep on looking and what's meant to be will be. Yeah yeah yeah, I know all that, it's just hard to focus on that right now.

Easter Weekend

I sort of feel like last weekend began on Thursday, and I've never had an Easter weekend like this one! Bruce came up on Thursday evening and we went bowling with him, Matt, Gabe, Ray and Kristy. He stayed the night and I only worked a half a day on Good Friday, so we hung out for the afternoon, driving around Mt. P in search of lunch, books and doughnuts. Bruce stayed again Friday night, and Matt, Becky, Gabe, Andrea, Kristy and Ray all came over for an evening of fun. Nothing like an impromptu party at our apartment! On Saturday, Mitch worked while I did chores around the house and then we went shopping in Lansing; Mitch needed new dress pants and I've never seen a man take so long to find clothes! No, the case is actually that his thighs are too big for his waist, so pants that fit in the waist are too tight across the front ("They look weird around your crotch," I kept saying outside the dressing room.) When we finally got home, we popped in "The Pursuit of Happyness," which was kind of disappointing but a decent movie anyway. And of course, Sunday was Easter and we spent the morning at church and the afternoon at the in-laws'.

A cool idea: the Student Ministry Coordinators at Alma organized a prayer vigil that lasted from 7 am on Good Friday 'til 7 am on Easter Sunday. The goal was to have someone from Alma praying at all times, possibly in the Chapel but not necessarily. I participated on Saturday morning and found it powerful to spend the first half-hour of my day reading the Bible, meditating on the meaning of the Resurrection and praying.

Hint taken!

I got the hint, Court! :) I'll even copy your entry style:

WORK: Same old, same old. It's busy and high-pressure but also fun. I've put in a lot of extra hours lately but I'm hoping to tone it down a bit this week.

HOUSE-HUNTING: Oh, the drama! About a week ago we set our hearts on the very first house at which we looked and planned to make an offer, but then the family took it off the market. The property search for building our own house hasn't produced much, so while we're still planning to meet with a builder on Wednesday, we are also going out to look at a few more existing homes this evening. I'm tired of trying to make things happen and am trying to be content just letting them work themselves out. God has this thing under control.

WEEKEND: As of last Friday, Bruce is back in Michigan and done with the Marines. To celebrate, Mitch and I went down to Jon's on Saturday (where Bruce is living) for all sorts of fun. It was a pretty low-key night: BBQ, ping-pong, bowling, movies, shopping and of course, a nice big breakfast. We pretty much have the best friends in the world.

EASTER PLANS: For the first time since we missed Easter entirely to climb in Kentucky many years ago, I'm not spending Easter with my family. Mitch and I want to go to service at our church and see his family, so we're skipping the annual pancake breakfast downtown and doing our thing up in Mt. Pleasant/Carson City. I'm really looking forward to it, though I will miss seeing my grandparents.

ON THE HORIZON: I really have to suck it up and start riding my bike on the roads more, because we're signing up for a 50-mile ride from Boyne City to Mackinaw. Actually, Miriam and I (and possibly Bruce) are only going to do the second half of the ride so we have the energy to play at Mackinac Island once we get done. Mitch, Bobby, Dad and Jon are planning to ride the whole thing. It's really cool...go here to see what we're in for!