Christmas Countdown: Christmas Trees

The saga of the Eccles family Christmas tree began every year on Thanksgiving weekend. Armed with a map and a list of cut-your-own Christmas tree farms, we'd meet up with another family, the Elkingtons, and begin the hunt. We were always looking for the perfect tree: a douglas or concolor fir, around 10 feet tall, with beautiful branches and no bare spots. See, my parents have a big living room with a vaulted ceiling and an expansive bay window that looks out over the front yard. We weren't just concerned with how it looked from the inside; it had to be spectactular from the road, too. Given all this criteria (and the fact that the Elkingtons had equally high standards), some Christmas tree hunts were astonishingly quick but most lasted through the afternoon and into the evening.

When we returned from our successful hunt, the bundled tree would be relegated to the garage, trunk submerged in a five-gallon bucket of water. Then, about ten days before Christmas, Dad would haul the tree through the front door, spend a good ten minutes making sure it was perfectly straight in the tree stand, and then meticulously string strands and strands of colored Christmas lights. He'd always invite Bobby or I - who were perched on the couch, anxiously awaiting our turn at decorating - to climb the ladder and place the star on the top of the tree, but for all our efforts, our little arms weren't long enough until we were teenagers. Finally, he'd carefully clip our two ancient strands of bubble lights front and center.

When the "boring" part was done, we would throw the lids off the boxes of ornaments and search for our "special" ornaments. Each year, we'd all get new ornaments for Christmas: Precious Moments for me, trucks for Bobby and Hallmark's special lighthouses for Dad. Mom got the short end of the stick until we were old enough to realize that she didn't have as many to hang, so we started buying them for her. We'd good-naturedly vy for the coveted spots at the front of the tree and hide the embarrassing, homemade ornaments Mom insisted on keeping around the back. We'd climb ladders to reach the highest branches, then shriek when Dad wriggled them. And all the while, Christmas music spilled from the speakers.

The result: a beautiful, eclectic tree that reflected our family personality. Each ornament reflected a gift, a time, a memory. There were no matching colored, generic balls on an Eccles tree: there were ornaments sold as fundraisers, or made in craft classes, or received from a thoughtful friend. Elegant, classic, wacky, tacky, old and new - we loved them all.

It should come as no surprise that Mitch and I carry on this tradition. We go Christmas tree hunting with my family each year and now that we have vaulted ceilings in our apartment, we get the tall trees, too. Mitch likes white lights better than colored ones, so we compromised: we have white lights, a multicolored star and one strand of colored LED lights that meander down the front of our tree. Eclectic is still the name of the game, as I brought all my "special" ornaments and my mom and I are working to catch Mitch up. We also received some wonderful ornaments as wedding gifts, including a set of five wooden ornaments depicting the birth of Christ. And of course, we set aside a whole afternoon for the decorating process!



Another gorgeous DeYoung tree...and in typical Mitch fashion, he's gone above and beyond to make me happy. Knowing how much I love to see our tree twinkling brightly, he has set a timer so the tree is on when I go out for breakfast and when I walk in the door after a long day at work. And Chip loves the tree, too. He snoozes underneath it and drinks from the tree stand. Now if we could just get the sap off his head...

Christmas Countdown: Giving

Christmas is truly the season of giving. I'm not talking about gift-giving for family and friends (though I will certainly over that in a later post). I'm talking about dropping your change in the Salvation Army kettle, picking out a special to for Toys for Tots, adopting families and choosing gifts for Head Start kids.

I take such joy in Christmas that I want to do what I can to help kids have a happy, magical holiday. For the past couple of years, my dad's side of the family has quit drawing names to exchange gifts; instead, we all contribute what we would have spent to a unique program at my grandpa's church. A group of women knit sweaters for Head Start kids in Detroit, and then they distribute them to people who want to buy outfits to go with each one. We usually take three sweaters and buy pants, shirts, socks, underwear, undershirts, hats, gloves, mittens and a toy for each one. It's so much fun! My mom typically does all the shopping, but this year I got stuffed animals and Curious George books for the kids.

This year, our office also decided to sponsor some local families in lieu of getting staff and boss gifts. We have two nice, large families and I had a blast choosing outfits for the little twin boys. We also adopted an additional family through the Administrative Personnel Committee, so I got to select a little girl's outfit, too. Again, I love the thought that something I've done will put a smile on a child's face on Christmas morning, just like I had each year.

Christmas Countdown: Christmas Music

All my favorite Christmas traditions have one thing in common: Christmas music playing in the background. When I put out the first holiday decorations, strains of The Nutcracker Suite fill my ears. I tap my toes to Mannheim Steamroller while we string lights on the gigantic tree and hang our eclectic assortment of ornaments. Nat King Cole croons his way through O Tannenbaum as my family gathers in the living room to open gifts on Christmas morning, and The Carpenters provide the soundtrack for family celebrations.

Selecting Christmas music was an important part of all these festivities when I was growing up. We'd never start decorating the tree without something in the CD player, and everyone noticed when the music ended. On Christmas morning, we'd load up an album before tearing into our stockings. And when guests arrived later in the day, they'd be greeted with their holiday favorites. Thanks to modern technology, though, I don't even have to remember to put in a new CD when Mitch and I decorate, celebrate and host: all 118 of my favorite Christmas songs are on an iPod playlist for our constant listening enjoyment.

Christmas Countdown: Nativity Scenes

There are so many things I love about Christmas, so I thought I'd start using them to count down the next fifteen days 'til Christmas! Please please please share your stories, memories and comments!

Now, nativity scenes:

I collect Precious Moments. I probably could have put that in the "Six Things You Don't Know About Me" post, because it's kind of a girly or old lady-ish hobby, but I love them. I used to receive one each year as either a birthday or Christmas present, and my dad even built me a special shelving unit on which to display them.

As a little girl, I loved all my Precious Moments. But the most special ones, my mom's Precious Moments nativity scene, only came out at Christmas. On the day we decorated our big family Christmas tree, my brother and I would set the manger my dad made on the living room bar and carefully place the three wise men, the shepherds, the sheep, the harp player, Mary, Joseph and finally Jesus in and around the manger. We loved Baby Jesus best and even took turns putting him out each year. Since we knew the three wise men didn't arrive until after Christmas, we put them outside the manger and inched them closer each day. There was ever a tiny pine cone that Bobby called "the dove cooing in the rafters" that we stuck up in the top of the manger.

As a wedding gift, I asked for and received my own Precious Moments nativity scene. My dad made me a manger identical to my mom's, but Bobby has yet to get me my dove. One of my favorite Christmas moments is still laying Baby Jesus tenderly in the center of the manger.







I also have a second nativity scene that I set up in my office. It's made of lovely glazed pottery and its rich tones go well with the deep cherry color of the credenza upon which it sits. I love looking over at it during the day and giving myself a few moments to think about the meaning of Christmas, even in the midst of my lengthy to-do lists and many meetings.

Training Review

Training has been going relatively well in recent weeks. I've done a pretty good job of getting to strength training class 2-3 times each week, but I haven't been so disciplined with the trainer. I want to give some grand statement of commitment here, but it would just be hollow. I'll get on it soon...

Today, I went to the weight room at lunch because we don't have class this week. I found a couple things:

During my upper body series (10 reps/3 sets of lateral raises, bicep curls, shoulder presses and chest flies), I could definitely tell what muscles I haven't been working. Though I previously did this series with 5 lb. weights and 12-15 reps of each exercise, I bumped up to 10 lbs. today because I thought I'd be significantly stronger. Not exactly...in class, I can do 30 standing military presses in a row with 10 lbs. in each hand. But when I went to do full shoulder presses today with the same weight, I got tired much more quickly. Lateral raises with the 10 pounders were also challenging. I think my classes have been more focused on toning than building strength.

I decided to alternate core and legs, and found that both of those muscles groups were much stronger, regardless of the specific exercises. I did 3 set of squats, (20 full squats, 20 pulses), rolling a fit ball up and down the wall as I went. Then I did 25 sit-ups on the fit ball, followed by 30 seconds of regular plank and 30 seconds of each side plank. Back on my feet, I did 3 sets of sumo squats with a 10 lb. weight (20 full squats, 20 pulses), alternated with 3 sets of a back exercises I like to call "Superman." I finished off with 3 sets of lunges with a 7 lb. ball alternated with 3 sets of 25 sit-ups on the fit ball. My legs were a little shaky by the end of the lunges, but my core was in great shape.

Lastly, I tossed a few calf raises in the mix. At class, we just do them on the flat ground but I like to do them up on a step so I can get a more full extension. What used to really make my calves ache was pretty much cake today. I finished up with a more thorough stretching session than I've done in quite awhile, which felt great.

I think I need to mix it up a bit. I need to keep doing the classes, for sure. They help me look good and feel good, but there are areas where I need some good, hard-core strength work. So I think I'll try to do 2 sessions of class plus one session in the weight room each week. And I'll get on the trainer at home...really, I will...

Caedmon's Call, "A Thousand Miles to Go"

1. Put your iTunes (or iPod or iPhone or iAnything) on shuffle.
2. For each question, press the next button to get your answer.
3. YOU MUST WRITE THAT SONG NAME DOWN NO MATTER HOW SILLY IT SOUNDS!
4. Tag 10 friends who might enjoy doing the meme as well as the person you got the meme from.
5. Add a pic that you think represents you at this moment in time.

OK, I'm going to do this, but here's the catch: My iPod Shuffle here at work has only songs I deemed appropriate for lunchtime training. So this might be even weirder than otherwise...

IF SOMEONE SAYS "IS THIS OKAY" YOU SAY?
Sublime, What I Got
Hmmm...

WHAT WOULD BEST DESCRIBE YOUR PERSONALITY?
Shaking Tree, Revisiting
Again, not a clue...

WHAT DO YOU LIKE IN A GUY/GIRL?
Caedmon's Call, Share the Well
Generosity, maybe?

HOW DO YOU FEEL TODAY?
Third Day, Other Side
Not really...I'm very content right now.

WHAT IS YOUR MOTTO?
Red Hot Chili Peppers, Dani California
Oh boy...

WHAT DO YOUR FRIENDS THINK OF YOU?
Big and Rich, Save a Horse, Ride a Cowboy
Well...

WHAT DO YOU THINK ABOUT VERY OFTEN?
Garth Brooks, Papa Loved Mama
Not really...I'm pretty secure in my marriage!

WHAT DO YOU THINK OF YOUR BEST FRIEND?
Dierks Bentley, What Was I Thinking?
Depends on which "best friend." I question some of their actions!

WHAT DO YOU THINK OF THE PERSON YOU LIKE?
Chris Daughtrey, but I don't know the title. Thanks, Shuffle, for not displaying anything. But listening to the song, it seems pretty sad. Not accurate.

WHAT IS YOUR LIFE STORY?
Jars of Clay, Carry Me (Dead Man)
Oh gosh, I hope not!

WHAT DO YOU WANT TO BE WHEN YOU GROW UP?
Jim Croche, Don't Mess Around With Jim
A pool hustler?!?!

WHAT DO YOU THINK WHEN YOU SEE THE PERSON YOU LIKE?
Some punk band, Girl All the Bad Guys Want
Since Mitch is neither bad nor a girl, this one doesn't work, either.

WHAT WILL YOU DANCE TO AT YOUR WEDDING?
Counting Crows, Hangin' Around
That would have been interesting...

WHAT WILL THEY PLAY AT YOUR FUNERAL?
Guns n' Roses, Welcome to the Jungle
I heard that song at every home football game in high school, and I was a cheerleader for awhile, but I'm not so dedicated to SLHS that I'd necessarily want it at my funeral...

WHAT IS YOUR HOBBY/INTEREST?
Third Day, 'Til the Day I Die
Couldn't this be a biking song or something?

WHAT IS YOUR BIGGEST SECRET?
Offspring, Self-Esteem
I don't hate myself, if that's what you think!

WHAT DO YOU THINK OF YOUR FRIENDS?
Some other punk band, Girl at the Rock Show
I do a little drinking with my best friends...

WHAT'S THE WORST THING THAT COULD HAPPEN?
Third Day, Slow Down
I don't think slowing down is always that bad - I don't want to rush through life.

WHAT IS THE ONE THING YOU REGRET?
Gin Blossoms, Allison Road
Nada...

WHAT MAKES YOU LAUGH?
Caedmon's Call, Coming Home
I have some memories tied to Caedmon's that make me laugh.

WHAT MAKES YOU CRY?
Garth Brooks, Standing Outside the Fire
This video features Special Olympics athletes...I get a little sentimentally teary there.

WILL YOU EVER GET MARRIED?
Aerosmith, Falling in Love is Hard on the Knees
If you could all the bumps, bruises and scrapes I've gotten since marrying Mitch and getting into crazy stuff like climbing and biking, this could work!

WHAT SCARES YOU THE MOST?
Jimmy Eat World, The Middle
Mitch rewrote this song to describe grilling and eating an elephant!

DOES ANYONE LIKE YOU?
Gin Blossoms, Follow You Down
What's that supposed to mean?!?!

IF YOU COULD GO BACK IN TIME, WHAT WOULD YOU CHANGE?
Foo Fighters, Everlong
???

WHAT HURTS RIGHT NOW?
Shaking Tree, Memory of Me
I'm not remembering anyone or thing that hurts!

WHAT WILL YOU POST THIS AS?
Caedmon's Call, A Thousand Miles to Go
What do you know!?!? It's the title of my entire blog!

I'm not tagging anyone...this was just my reward for wading through all my emails this morning. If you want to do it, have fun!

For Andrea and Jake...

...who both tagged me to share six things others may not know about me.

1. I get super nostalgic over old toys. Just typing that gives me the overwhelming urge to dig my old toys out my parents' basement and attic. I'd go right for the My Little Ponies, followed closely by Rainbow Brite. I had a lot of Barbies, but they don't hit me the same.

2. Mitch and I have a very full bed. In addition to the two of us, we share space with my favorite stuffed animal, Teeny the money; a stuffed bear; and our cat, Chip. Why the two stuffed animals? Well, I can't shake the childish idea that animals have feelings. Teeny, as worn as he is, would be devastated to be relegated to a bookshelf (think The Velveteen Rabbit). Mitch made the mistake of joking about Bear's feelings one day, and now we have another bed companion. And Chip just does whatever he wants, but I like the feeling of him curled up next to me.

3. I took dance lessons from age three through my freshman year of college. I have all my dance recital costumes, including my first pair of pointe shoes. I was in Brighton City Ballet's production of The Nutcracker three times, but loved the recitals at my studio best. Recently, my two favorite dance instructors found me on Facebook and I was thrilled.

4. In high school, I thought my best friend and I should move to British Columbia and work at Whistler for a few years. Ski all day, party all night...now she works as a physical therapist at Beaver Creek and Vail during the winter, but she's married so I don't think she does the kind of partying we imagined! I can't wait to visit her.

5. I am often beautifully naive by choice. And I like it that way.

6. I didn't like country music growing up. We listened to classic rock a lot at home, then did the typical "whatever's cool" thing in high school. When Mitch and I moved to Cadillac, we got hooked on The Bear, an awesome classic rock station, and completely shunned "Top Forty" stuff. When we moved to Mt. Pleasant, the lack of classic rock and our distaste for pop led us to the country radio stations. Now I'm hooked!

So, tags: Charlotte, Ryan, Marc and Robin should do this. Tim should just give us a blog entry, period. How long's it been...June?!?! :)

Thanksgiving Weekend in Review

Some of my favorite things about this glorious four-day weekend:

Flowers on our anniversary! Last Wednesday marked four wonderful years of marriage, and Mitch treated me to a pretty bouquet featuring gerbera daisies from a "real flower show." They're still perched in a vase on our kitchen table, vibrant in all their red, yellow and purple glory

Spending an entire day with Mitch's family. My sister-in-law, Mariah, had it right in her most recent email to me when she said it was nice to have a whole day without having to rush around. We ate a leisurely meal (two turkeys - one from the deep fryer - plus tons of side dishes and desserts), cleaned up together, shared gift ideas for our husbands, played with our youngest nephew and engaged in a marathon game of Apples-to-Apples.

(Let's talk about Apples-to-Apples for a second: if the word was "odd" and someone played a card that said "The Pentagon," wouldn't you get it? No one got it! A building with five sides...an odd number...come on!)

Another favorite thing: spending two lovely days in Traverse City with Mitch. A couple months ago, we wanted to go on a getaway for the two of us, but we were really burned out after all the weddings, races and other events this summer. We decided to take an anniversary trip to a place where we could book a hotel, show up and have a great time: no researching, very little planning. For us, Traverse was the perfect choice. Mitch made reservations for Friday night at a nice B&B in Sutton's Bay, and we spent Friday and Saturday touring local wineries and shopping for Christmas gifts. Some of the best things: Enerdyne, a nature/science/toy store in Sutton's Bay; tasty cheese purchased at Blackstar; passion fruit margaritas at the Red Mesa; and Forty-Five North, a new winery on the Leelanau Peninsula.

You might think this one is weird: cleaning the apartment. I am a neat freak, but ever since I started graduate school in September, big housework things like dusting just don't seem to get done as regularly as I'd like. After church on Sunday, I spent most of the day cleaning, reorganizing and completing my Christmas decorating. Our apartment looks, smells and feels just perfect!

I just hinted at this one: the beginning of the Christmas season. For me, Christmastime begins right after Thanksgiving. I love my nativity scenes (yes, I have two: a Precious Moments one for home and another one for my office), my snowmen, my Santa Bears. Most of all, I love our gorgeous tree, but I have to wait for that beauty. We're cutting it this weekend and putting it up the following weekend. You can bet I will post photos!

Speaking of Christmas, I am pleased to report I am almost done with my Christmas shopping. I still need to buy for a few family members and the twin boys from one of the families our office adopted, but that's it. My favorite gifts so far: probably the cool Built lunch bags I bought a couple friends. Mitch's gifts should be pretty sweet, too...but no, baby, I'm not going to post those on here! :)

And finally, the snow. We got quite a bit by mid-Michigan standards last night. It's pretty thick and heavy, so all the trees are coated and campus looks like a winter wonderland. Maybe we can build a snowman this evening, if Mitch doesn't get to go downstate to pick up his new mountain bike. Or maybe I'll just curl up under my favorite flannel quilt with hot cocoa, Christmas music and a good book (I'm currently rereading Little Women, which I've surprisingly read less often than Gone With the Wind), and admire the snow outside.

'Tis the season!

Ready to go!

For the past week or so, I've been kind of in a productivity funk. I just felt like I wasn't accomplishing much, on any front. Maybe I just needed the weekend to rest or maybe my brain just needed to rest itself, but yesterday was a great day and today promises to be the same.

Thanksgiving is just around the corner, and I have so much for which to be thankful. I have a wonderful marriage and a strong relationship with God; I have an amazing family and awesome friends; my work is fulfilling, my body is healthy and my mind is helping me overcome the challenges of grad school. At this moment, I'm so content. Joyful, even.

And now my calendar has reminded me to make my way to Student Life to interview a couple potential Orientation Committee candidates. Time to change out of my heels and into the practical shoes that will get me there safely!

Alma Jersey Photos

Yeah, Go Scots! Look at us training in our brand new Alma College jerseys! Yes, we are monster nerds. No, we're not on an Alma College "team"or anything...such a group does not exist. But we, and about fourteen other people, will now proudly promote our alma mater as we're flying down the road or through the woods.







By the way, it appears I will have an extra jersey to sell. It's a medium, classic fit (40-42" chest, 34-36" waist) and costs $55 (including shipping). Let me know if you or anyone you know might be interested!

I'm picky.

I'm not what you would call high maintenance. I'd rather eat at home than go out to a nice dinner; I'd rather tromp around in the woods than spend a weekend shopping in the big city. My jewelry is limited to my lovely, traditional wedding ring and some simple, sentimental pieces.

But gosh, I'm picky.

When I get it into my head that I want something, it's usually a very specific something. I might have a hard time describing it but I can picture it perfectly in my head. Once it was a brown sweater, but it had to be a particular kind of brown sweater. Not bulky. Not too thick, not too thin. Not light brown, but a nice, dark brown. Not dressy, not a cardigan. Maybe with a hood or pockets. I looked all over and eventually found it - a year after I started searching.

I waited months for the perfect glass shelves. I scoured scores of stores for the perfect black fleece mittens (found in Macy's, by the way - I should have bought a few pairs). And, just today, I found the perfect Christmas decoration to accent my Precious Moments nativity scene and the manger my dad made to house the Jesus, Mary, Joseph, the shepherds and the lambs. I'm still looking for the right wall hanging for our dining room.

This is why, I think, I'm a terrible bargain hunter. I don't go shopping; I go buying. Because I'm so gosh-darn picky, I buy things when I see the right ones and generally give the price tag no more than a cursory glance. Yes, I try to make use of coupons and I do have my limits...we do not carry credit card debt so I always know I have the cash to pay for what I purchase. But I will drop some big bucks on that perfect sweater, even if it means that's the only one I buy all winter.

Opening Day Success

It looks like the hunting beard Mitch grew worked after all: at 8 am on opening day, he got an eight-point buck! He and his brother are processing it this week, so we'll have lots of venison soon.

For my part, I was not as productive as I would have liked to be over the weekend. I was still getting over my cold, and since strength training class didn't go so well on Friday afternoon, I didn't even attempt to get on the trainer. I did, however, bake a pie (homemade; apple raspoberry) and four dozen cookies (frozen dough; mint chocolate chip). I also completed what I think will be my last finance exam and got started on my final paper for communication. My first term of graduate school is almost done: only five more to go!

Goals for this week: strength training Monday and Friday; trainer Tuesday and Thursday. Wednesday is a play-it-by-ear day, as I took the day off work. I plan to complete most of my paper, do some housework and take a quick shopping trip to start getting ready for the holidays.

UPDATE: My day got even better around 9:30 am when our Alma College cycling jerseys arrived. They look awesome - I'll probably post a photo later!

It's Just a Cold!

What I wish I could say to every coworker who has suggested I go home/take a day off:

It's just a cold. I'm not going to die. I'm drinking fluids (the Nalgene next to me is almost empty) and getting sleep. Yup, I'm tired and I don't feel all that great, but I don't stay home for colds. Taking sick days only when absolutely necessary is part of my work ethic, so you're just going to have to deal with me. I'll shut my door so you stop feeling obligated to say "Bless you" every time I sneeze.

Thanks. Now I need to blow my nose.

Ahead of Schedule

Those awesome Alma College jerseys were shipped out of Washington State yesterday and should be here next week! AW YEAH!

AND I got the dates for the 2009 CPS races. The appropriate weekends have been booked (excluding Pando, I think)...now if we can just get Mitch an Iceman entry, we'll be all set. And I have to conquer my newly-acquired cold so I actually feel like working out again!

Pretty Good Column

Some Positive Reactions from the Right

My favorite paragraph:

"The treatment of President George W. Bush by liberals has been despicable, undeserved and unprecedented. We who oppose Barack Obama's policies will, hopefully, act in accordance with conservative values of decency. Hence my simple announcement on the day after the election: I did not vote for him. I did not want him to be president. But as of January 20, 2009, Barack Obama will be my president. "

I find it terribly disrespectful for people to refer to President Bush as Mr. Bush. Whether you agree with him or not, he earned the office of President of the United States and deserves to be addressed respectfully. Therefore, when Barack Obama is President of the United States, I will not disrespect him by referring to him as "Mr." For the next four years, he will be my president and I will refer to him appropriately, whether I support or disagree with his decisions.

Transitions

While the sun was shining and the balmy temperatures coaxed me outside, autumn was sneaking out. I didn't notice her departure, didn't see the breeze stripping the trees of their browning leaves. In the shortening days, I was mesmerized by the warmth and the sunshine, unaware of the inevitable but unfortunate transition from glorious autumn to a limbo of waiting.

When the transition was all but complete, rain stole in on the back of cold wind. The clouds blocked the sun and cast into sharp relief the skeleton trees. Now the damp chill permeates and rather than reveling in the beauty of autumn, I'm waiting. He teased me yesterday with a few fleeting flakes, but I'm waiting for him to arrive in full. Winter. Waiting.

Positive Pants

At work, we tease one of my coworkers about his somewhat negative attitude, encouraging him to put on his "positive pants." I want to write a post about grad school with my positive pants on, so I'll choke back my complaints. For what it's worth, I'm posting during class. That should tell you something about how valuable I perceive this session to be.

This morning was good, though. (Aside from getting a flat tire on my way into Flint and being an hour late.) In financial management, we did group presentations on assigned chapters and I think I learned quite a bit. I especially like it when my classmates illustrate their points with specific examples from their workplaces. Everyone has such a variety of experiences; it makes for a rich atmosphere.

And out comes the super-nerd: in communication, my group is doing a paper on communication breakdowns in crisis situations. We've chosen, at my encouragement, the Exxon Valdez oil spill. Time to revisit Spring Term 2002 - thanks, Dr. Payerhin!

Back to Biking

The lovely weather has made it easy to reach my workout goals for the week. Yesterday, I brought my bike to work and rode at lunch time. It was awesome! The robust crosswind didn't even bother me much, so happy was I to be cruising along. I returned to the office after an hour, sporting red cheeks and a helmet line on my forehead.

I think I did around 10 miles, but I'm not sure because I forgot my computer at home. I plan to ride the same route tomorrow so I can figure it out. I love the fall's cold weather but I will admit, this week's temperatures were a pleasant surprise!

Finally proud?

I understand if you're proud to be an American today. If you support Barack Obama, you should be proud.

I understand if you're especially proud to be an American today. If you don't like the direction in which America has been heading and believe Barack Obama will take this country in a better direction, should should be especially proud.

I understand if you're once again proud to be an American. The American people and her leaders have undoubtedly made decisions of which we were not proud at one point or another. If you see this as a positive, defining moment for a currently struggling nation, you should be once again proud.

But if you're finally proud to be an American, I pity you.

If you're finally proud, it means you have been blind to the good things about America. We are not an ignorant, arrogant, selfish nation. We are a generous nation, a nation where people from all walks of life come together in support of each other. Think of the outpouring of American support during disasters like the tsunami a couple years ago. Think of the masses of volunteers who helped (and continue to help) in the areas devastated by Hurricane Katrina. Think of the organizations we support in our communities. Think of the many, many American nonprofit groups dedicated to service in third world countries. Think of the soldiers who put their lives on the line for others. Think of your ancestors who scrimped and saved and sacrificed to get you to this land of opportunity.

Today, you can be proud. Be especially proud. Be once again proud. But don't insult the people of this country by being finally proud.

Get out and vote!

I prayed at the polls this morning. Not for a victory by any one candidate, but a prayer of thanks for the privilege of living in a democracy like the United States of America. My friend Bruce, who did two tours in Iraq with the Marines, once told me how people there ventured bravely to the polls even though their lives were threatened by doing so. We are so blessed to live here, friends. Let us not take the blessing for granted.

Sunday at the Toledo Zoo

My mom loves going to the zoo, so we took her down to the Toledo Zoo on Sunday to celebrate her birthday. It was a grand surprise: we packed a cooler with sandwiches and snacks, then six of us piled into Bobby's truck without telling her where we were going. She only guessed about 20 minutes before we actually arrived!

The Toledo Zoo is probably a bit smaller than the Detroit Zoo. Things are less spread out and I think the exhibits aren't quite as large, but I don't remember ever seeing more activity. The big cats were lazy (did you know lions sleep up to 20 hours per day?) but there was a young elephant playing with boxes, tires and five-gallon pails. The monkeys were chasing each other, and a baby monkey seemed to be learning how to be a bit independent. The seals swam all over in their aquarium and the orangutans (especially a father and baby) were really active with each other. I won't say I love the zoo like my mom or Mitch, but I enjoyed myself.

***

I can feel it: this is the week to hit all my goals. Riding the trainer will be torture, though, since the weather is so nice. I wonder if it may be worth it to ride at lunch on Tuesday and Thursday rather than doing homework...I can make up that study time at home in the evening, right? OK, let's add changing my tires and packing up my gear to the to-do list tonight!

Time to Brag

It's Friday at midnight. I'm not barhopping in a bumblebee costume with my friends. Foregoing the festivities, I just finished my most recent communication paper. I've also already taken my finance test for the week, so I'm ready for a weekend of quality time with my family rather than spending long afternoons glued to my computer. Yes! (And goodnight.)

Why I'm Voting for John McCain

Being a pretty staunch conservative, there is generally little doubt that I will vote Republican. I still do my homework, because I think it's irresponsible to just vote blindly down party lines, but 99 times out of 100 a Republican candidate is going to fall more in line with my political preferences. I've been trying to keep my blog nonpolitical lately because we all get enough debate everywhere else these days, but I really want to articulate why I'll be casting my vote for Senator McCain.

Let's get one thing out in the open, though: he was not my choice for the Republican nominee. I'd be much more enthusiastic if Mitt Romney were on the ticket (preferably as the presidential candidate, but he would have been an asset in the VP spot). Therefore, because it's hard for me to get truly passionate about the McCain campaign, one of the main reasons I'm voting for him is that I don't like the alternatives presented by Senator Obama.

One more thing I think is important: my personal faith does not dictate my vote. I want a president with a strong moral code and I happen to believe that Christianity holds people to a very high moral standard, but as long as I and others have the freedom to practice our faiths without prejudice or persecution, a candidate's religious preference is of little concern to me.

While our next president will have many issues facing him, I think the biggest one is the economy. I'm solidly ensconced in the "middle class" and I'm told that, regardless of who gets elected, I won't see my taxes increase. But if corporations and small businesses see the kinds of tax increases proposed by Senator Obama, it won't matter that my pay stub looks the same. Business don't pay taxes: they will do everything they can to keep their profits consistent, so they'll cut jobs or raise prices to cover increased tax burdens. Then I'll pay more for that home I want to build someday, or the clothes I need for my job, or the car I'll be picking up when I eventually leave my position at Alma. Other implications of raising taxes are better stated here.

That's the practical; here's the principle: I believe that if you want something, you have to earn it. And if you earn it, you should get to keep it. Yes, we all need to pay taxes to support infastructure like roads and other services Americans use every day. But for economy to flourish in stable, successful and creative ways, the government has to try to keep as much cash as possible in the hands of the individuals who have not only a personal stake in the success of the free enterprise system, but also the drive and desire to step out on a limb and make success happen. It's not selfish to want to reap the rewards of your hard work and then decide for yourself where your money goes.

While you or I might not agree with lavish lifestyles of the super-rich, most of them have made sacrifices to earn that wealth. When they choose to use their money to help those less fortunate (which is important, but the key word here is "they choose," instead of "they are mandated"), I would prefer they donate to organizations with a track record of success. Who did a better job after Hurricane Katrina: FEMA or the Red Cross and other organizations whose tangible relief efforts continue to this day? I don't think the government is nearly as successful with programs like welfare as local nonprofit organizations are with their various assistance programs, because local organizations are better able to gauge the specific needs of their community members and give them a hand up in effective, appropriate manners. If individual taxes rise, there's a good chance fundraising for these local nonprofits will be increasingly difficult. "The government is already spreading my wealth around to take care of those behind me; why do I need to give locally?" For some families, it may not even be a choice: they may simply be unable to give as freely if more of their money is going to the government.

I am blessed to have incredibly intelligent friends who are probably dying to point out holes in my arguments. That's fine: we'll agree to disagree on some of them. I don't pretend to have all the answers, but I know raising taxes isn't the way to solve our nation's problems. Increasing taxes has far-reaching implications, none of which are likely to improve the communities in which we live.

(I hate posting things like this. But I'll draw strength from a wise friend who quoted Martin Luther on his blog: "To disobey one's conscious is neither wise nor just." In a post that I know was challenging for him to write, Marc made some good points but didn't change my mind. I don't expect my post will change anyone's mind, either; but, like Marc's post did for me, I hope it gives those who read it some things to think about as they cast their vote.)

Back in the Saddle

What a bittersweet night: I got back on my bike but instead of cruising along the cornfields or twisting through the woods, I was perched atop the trainer. Watching Chris Carmichael push a room full of sweating bikers through an interval workout was not nearly as fun as riding trails or even the road, but trying to keep up was effective. I did half of his Mountain Biking DVD, which included five-four-three-two minute intervals of 30 seconds of high intensity and 30 seconds of medium intensity, with a minute and a half recovery between each interval. I was supposed to keep a cadence of 90 throughout the whole thing, but I only managed to achieve close to that during the high intensity sessions. During medium intensity, I had to drop down to 75 to keep my legs from falling off.

A lot of things are going to be competing for my attention this winter: mainly, grad school work. I need to make a conscious effort to schedule training into my days, though it won't be as much as I probably need. So the goal is three strength training workouts and two sessions on the trainer each week. I can take strength training class at lunch on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays, and then I can hit the trainer on Tuesday and Thursday evenings. Weekends are always hit or miss, so I'll just work stuff in there when possible.

I also want to put more time and energy into my faith. We're starting a small group this Sunday with some other young couples from our church (I say "our church," but we haven't been to service since May) and I hope, with fewer out-of-town weekends planned over the next few months, that we can attend service more regularly.

Intellectual development, physical development and spiritual development...sounds like enough to keep my busy for awhile!

Halloween Party

On Saturday, Ray and Kristy hosted an awesome Halloween party! I think they were trying to knock me flat with their potent jungle juice, but I got some photos before it got too crazy. Enjoy!



I knew you'd want to see Mitch in his spandex American Gladiator costume! That Nerf gun was a mistake, though: he shot people with it all night long.



Andi and I are a bit easier on the eyes, don't you think?



Ray dressed up as a fighter pilot (a big improvement over last year!) and Kristy was a gypsy.



We've missed seeing Gabe and Andrea and were happy they made it to the party!



Poor bear...Little Red Riding Hood has stumbled upon something most disturbing!



I don't think this photo of the guys could have been any better!



And here's the whole group...the counter upon which the camera is sitting messed with the flash, but it's still decent. Happy Halloween!

Glad for a New Week

I don't know what it was (OK, I know what it was...) but I could not shake my foul mood last week! I stopped short of calling for blood but heatedly complained about Charter Communications to everyone I could find. I got snotty with a coworker, gave a few more a very noticeable "evil eye," and was almost unable to let the negative political rhetoric just roll off my back when they got rolling. Poor Mitch had to deal with my negativity the whole time, and I'm thankful he can be a saint of a husband. (I'm not just saying that because I know you're reading, baby!)

But a weekend with friends and family, particularly one that involves roller coasters, helped get me over the hump. We had an amazing time at Cedar Point, though I'm feeling the effects of our poor dietary choices even after my lunchtime workout. Pretzels, pizza, McDonald's, pop...it was a train wreck!

Main goal for this week: complete Mitch's Halloween costume. He's going to be an old-school American Gladiator, so we got a wrestling singlet and have to paint it up for the party this Saturday. I know you're all excited to see him in spandex (again), so I'll be sure to post some photos! I'm reprising my role as a mermaid. :)

And of course, there's always homework and housework. I'll get to strength training three times...will I make it out on the bike? Who knows...but I'm placing an order for custom Alma College jerseys tomorrow! Mitch and I will be representin' at next year's races - GO SCOTS!

Autumn Riding

I love cruising down singletrack so obscured by leaves that I have to pick my line by a combination of instinct and memory. I love the sound those leaves make under my tires, or when they get caught in my wheels and hum along with me. I love when the arc of a curve is just right and a leaf flies up, pressing itself to my shin and hitching a ride until another turn throws it off. I love the scent of autumn, the sweet sharpness, and the cool air drying my face.

(I do not love realizing Mitch's efforts to give me better components resulted in a bit of ghost-shifting on climbs...but I love that he wants to give me the best bike possible.)

A Pretty Perfect Day

An apple-raspberry pie and an apple upside-down cake are cooling on the stove.

The weather is warm enough for me let some fresh air in the apartment.

Next week's menu is made, the groceries are bought and laundry is going.

I'll tackle some finance homework then head out to the woods for the evening and enjoy a campfire.

Life is wonderful.

Random Thoughts from the Road

I'm just hanging out in my hotel room after a day of driving around, trying to find ways to avoid my finance book. This is probably my last out before tacking the chapter on risk and return...so here's what's on my mind, in no particular order:

The batteries on both my laptop and the office GPS unit are crap and can't hold a charge.

"Three Cups of Tea" is an awesome book to listen to while driving.

People are so amazingly friendly sometimes. Today, a lady at a local bookstore offered to email me some information I asked about; an elderly woman at an apple orchard gave me four apples for free when I asked if I could buy just a few rather than a whole bag; and another woman at a winery gave me a free tasting rather than making me pay, because she was so enthusiastic about a new wine that wasn't even out in local restaurants yet.

Central New York is gorgeous, and the colors are about a week ahead of those in Michigan. I wish Mitch were here to enjoy them with me.

It's hard for me to get in the swing of the "sales" part of my job; today, I essentially made cold calls to high schools and the first one was tough. But once I find my groove, I'm OK. Today, I feel it was much more worth Alma's money to send me out here than it was yesterday.

John McCain didn't completely disappoint me in the debate last night. And while we're on the subject of politics, I love this open letter to college students.

Tonight, I'm trying sushi for the first time with an Alma Trustee. Please, for the love of all that's holy, let me not hate it. Or at least let me be able to feign not hating it. And please let there be a McDonald's nearby in case I need it when this is all over.

Can you pray for safe travels as my college friend, Nate, comes home from Iraq on leave? Every time I want to complain about missing Mitch on my recruiting trips, I think about all the servicemen and women on deployment with wives and husbands at home, like Nate. God, I'm so blessed.

I'm hungry now...yes, another diversion! Finance, you'll have to wait until I quell the rumbling in my tummy!

New Yorkin' It

Yup, I'm on one of my few recruiting trips, now that I've been relieved of a major territory. It's been fine so far: met with a few students, got treated to dinner at Delmonico's by a very nice family and fly back home in a few days. I miss Mitch and I miss my bike but I was motivated enough to do an abbreviated strength training workout in my hotel room. I am also working up the motivation to finish outlining my current Communication reading assignment...Finance will wait until another day.

Tomorrow night, I'll be plopped down on a hotel bed, watching the debate. I have to do a paper on the candidates' communication styles, but I'd be watching even if I didn't have a grade resting on it. But I'll tell ya' I want to see some passion. Cut the B.S., boys: why are you right and why is he wrong? Call each other out, and you get extra points from me if you use the word "lunacy," especially if one of you brings up having bankruptcy courts reduce mortgage principals for homeowners in foreclosure. Admit that the federal government probably can't do crap for the economy right now and then cut our taxes so we can all get this country running again. (OK, I know it's not that simple, but guess what? I'd buy a house and do my part to help the housing market if I could put more cash in my savings account!)

Hey-yo McCain: break out some data on medical malpractice suits and give us an estimate of how much health care costs would decrease if you capped them! Palin, I like you, but quit telling me you can relate to me and just say things that show that. And for heaven's sake, WHY did you give up on Michigan? We've been run by a Democrat and we've been in trouble longer than the rest of the country: can't you do something with that? Many folks here support you (though we'd rather have had Romney) and we're going to vote for you, but you haven't given this conservative much to believe in.

Race Photos

Our race photos for the entire season are now up on Picasa Web - check them out!

One of my favorites:

impending autumn

the maturing fields of corn with proud stalks still standing tall, their only concession to the impending harvest a slight yellow curling of their edges

the lone scarlet leaf blazing on the emerald lawn, its sweet scent barely imagined beneath that of the freshly cut grass

the sun, snapping to attention after its lazy summer journeys across the sky, suddenly impatient to reach the western horizon

the mellow breeze, unhindered by oppressive humidity, still warm yet somehow sharper, refreshing, a promise

Final Race Results

Yesterday was the last mountain bike race the the MMBA Championship Points Series. It was at Pando, a little ski area in Rockford, and I won! There was only one other competitor in my age/skill level, but she and I had a very competitive race. We switched places about half a dozen times over the eight-mile course, and I only beat her by about 30 seconds. Mitch is trying to let his leg heal, so he didn't race.

Though official series results aren't officially posted yet, we know that I got first overall, as I was the only woman in my class who signed up for the whole series. Mitch ended up second overall; his perpetual competitor, Rick, won first. It was a good, close season up until Mitch's injury, and they'll continue to push each other next year when they both move up to the sport class.

I should have some cool photos to post in a couple of weeks, as Mitch was using his dad's good camera to take some pictures of my race. He says there's a series of me passing someone on a climb, though he promises you can't see the misery on my face.

Thanks for reading!

Back to School Musings

I've explained my grad program on here a couple times, but let me go through it briefly again: most of my coursework is done online. For this term, my Interpersonal Communication work involves reading chapters, posting responses to discussion questions on Blackboard discussion boards and writing a couple papers (some individual, some group). My Financial Management work involves teaching myself a chapter of finance per week then taking a test on that chapter, again via Blackboard. We also have one group project, which includes a case report and a presentation.

During each 12-week term, we have two residencies. A residency is a two-day on-campus experience where we spend eight hours per day in class. This term, Finance is in the morning and Comm is in the afternoon.

So, since I have a bit of time between my classes and my brain needs a break from all the Finance lecturing, here are some observations:

1. Prof. Lemmon was awesome. Our Finance prof is a nice guy with a neat, Mauritian accent, but he's nowhere near the teacher I had at Alma. Had I known this, I would have audited a finance class at Alma prior to this term. The material probably would have made more sense.

2. I know why I wrote so many notes to my friends during high school: I have to work harder to absorb information from a lecture than from simply reading, taking notes and attempting to answer problems or questions on my own. So why strain my brain on both? (No, I did not write love letters to Mitch during Finance...I just wanted to.)

3. Even though I may zone in and out during lecture, I'd never spend the entire four hours on eBay. Thank goodness that woman is not in my group!

Thanks for reading - see you next time!

Race Update

With grad school now cluttering up my schedule, and the deep muscle bruise on Mitch's quad that's hindering him a bit, neither one of us has spent much time in the saddle. Until this weekend, I hadn't been on the trail since the Maybury race three weeks ago. So, while we were registered for the Addison Oaks cross-country race last Sunday, we weren't even sure we'd race until Saturday afternoon.

Why did we decide to race? Mitch bought a new bike on Saturday afternoon and his leg felt relatively strong, so he couldn't resist the idea of showing off his Trek Fuel 98, which is one badass bike. It has an all-carbon frame, full suspension, amazing components...Mitch says it almost pedals itself!

But bad news: he had to give it back to the friend from whom he purchased it because it had a crack in the frame. It's fully waranteed and is currently getting fixed, but he had to ride the Haro instead. I had a good race - finishing second - but Mitch's leg wasn't up to the 14 miles and he got fourth. We're anxious to see whether that has impacted his series standings, but it doesn't matter at this point: he's in no shape to ride the final race this Sunday, so we'll just have to see where everything falls. I haven't decided whether I will race the last one or not...

Anyway, here are a couple of photos from the race. Thanks for reading!

Another Record Year!

The official count is in: 458 new Alma College students! That's six more than last year, resulting in a new first-year enrollment record.

Go Scots!

SNL Skit

To borrow a line from Larry the Cable Guy...

"I don't care who you are, that's funny!"

Testing

So, remember college? Or the latest standardized test you took? You're sitting there, methodically working through the exam questions, feeling pretty decent about your progress, when BAM! You hit a brick wall. You attack a problem from every possible angle, wracking your brain for reasons why you continuously get the wrong answer. You may grimace. You may sigh impatiently. You may gnaw the eraser off your pencil. But you do all this subtly, because you're crammed in a room with a host of other students who don't want to hear you do what you really want to do. Which is scream. Throw things. Maybe cry, just a little bit, out of sheer frustration.

Behold, the glory of online exams:

Today I took my first finance exam, which will be a weekly trial. On three separate questions, I was SURE I was doing everything right. I mean, this stuff is open book. The formulas are right there. My calculator does all the work. But my answers would NOT match up with any of the choices. So yes, I screamed. I almost threw things. I most definitely cried. Then I guessed, because there was nothing else to do.

By sheer luck, I got all three guesses correct and aced the exam. And then I cried again, out of relief.

Imagine those reactions in a real classroom. I'm sold on this online learning stuff!

Quickest Update Ever

Work: Busy as heck. New class is probably roughly the same size as last year's record-breaker. Final count will be official next week. Coworkers still annoy me but the actual work is fulfilling.

School: Grad school online classes started this week. Financial Management is no good. Interpersonal Communication feels like busy work and forced, unstructured forum conversations. Glad to be doing it, but hope it improves!

Fitness: Alma has free fitness classes at lunch. Kickboxing and strength training are my favorites. May try step aerobics. My body hurts. Still have two mountain bike races to go, but training efforts have been weak.

Faith: Went to church with a friend and realized I really like Northpointe. Looking forward to being home on the weekends and starting a small group. Trying to be a better Christian.

Music: Please tell me you've checked out Third Day's new album, Revelation. Love it. Want to marry Mitch for a second time and dance to Born Again for our first dance.

House: Offer rejected. Didn't dampen my spirits. The right one is out there. Don't have time to pack up the apartment right now, anyway.

Politics: Is the election over yet? Campaign ads are annoying. McCain/Palin 2008.

I love: Fall. My new sweaters from J. Crew. My strangely affectionate cat. Marching bands. Alma's new student section, the Cole Mine (it's named for Coach Cole). Fresh apples. Erwin's doughnuts. Hot apple cider. Cold nights. Cuddling with that guy I married. :)

Girls Day with New Friends

I am really looking forward to Saturday. Yeah, I have to work and attend part of the Alumni Board meeting, but after that I am getting together with some super-fun girls for an afternoon of shopping, an evening of dinner and a night of movies and drinks!

As an introvert masquerading as an extrovert, making friends - good friends - always feels more challenging to me. This year, however, I was blessed to make the acquaintance of Amanda, a fellow Alma employee. She is so friendly, outgoing and welcoming that she's made it easy for a friendship to grow and, in the process, I've met other women she's charmed and drawn together. So, while Mitch heads down to Matt's for a guys' day, we've planned our own girls day. I'll join Amanda, her twin sister and two other colleagues from Alma, and we'll shop for fall clothes, chow down at P.F. Chang's and eventually head back to my apartment to relax for the rest of the night. Doesn't that sound like fun?

Mitch just asked if I was writing about him and was disappointed when I said no. So now I'm writing about him. Today, he made me burrito casserole for dinner and then used the fajita shells to give himself giant elephant ears. He even made elephant sounds. Then he took me to the library but said I took too long picking out my books. I love the library, though; why would anyone want to rush through such a wonderful place? He says I don't need to write about him anymore, so I guess that means he wants to rub my feet now. :)

Welcome Back to the 21st Century!

After almost a year of watching no more than four fuzzy channels thought the rabbit ears, we finally have cable TV. And wahoo, we got it just in time for the season premiere of Bones!

Actually, it never really mattered whether we had TV or not. We still don't have any fun channels, like Discovery or History, but we got what we needed: a real Internet connection. Since grad school officially begins on Saturday, this was a must-have. Now we can return to buying songs on iTunes, too!

In other news, we put an offer in on a house last week. Yeah, I know I should have written about it earlier but the chance of us actually getting it is slim to none. It's a beautiful, amazingly priced home but our offer is most likely too low (as our realtor has felt the need to tell us multiple times). Still, we tossed it out there and expect to hear within a few days. I'll be sure to post if, by some miracle, the news is good.

The logistics of the house thing and my duties with the Orientation Committee took most of my attention last week. Yes, Preterm is over and the entire student body has returned. How are things looking? Well, we have virtually the same size incoming class as last year, which, if you remember, was a record-breaking event. The College is handling the numbers quite well - one of these days, I'll post about Dr. Tracy's vision for 2012...it's interesting.

OK, now I'm just typing for the sake of typing. I'll spare you any more rambling - good night!

Tech Toys and Tight Turns

Let's begin with the latter: last weekend's race at Maybury State Park was a smashing success! Well, there wasn't really that much smashing - just one crash when I was a bit heavy on my front brake and toppled sideways over my right handle. The damage was limited to a pretty, late-forming bruise on my lower leg and a chunk out of my new grips.

I got third place, but the big achievement of the day goes to Mitch who got first place by three seconds. Here he is with Rick...both got medals and cash prizes for having the two fastest times in the whole beginning class:



Rick started thirty seconds ahead of Mitch, per the time trial format. They each had only on respective thought for the entire eight and a half-mile course:

Summary of Rick's race: He's catching me!

Summary of Mitch's race: He's pulling away!

Now onto the "tech toys" part of the post: in preparation for all the online work I'll be doing for grad school, we bought a MacBook on Friday night! It's a very cool computer, and we've already managed to transfer all our iTunes songs over...PLUS sync up our TWO NEW iPods. That's right, we now own a ridiculous number of mp3 players (though our sleeping bag count is still higher). We got a free iPod Touch with the computer purchase - what an awesome back to school incentive - and I bought a Shuffle for working out, so I don't kill the good one. Plus we got a free photo printer.

Man, can that Touch do some sweet things! I know I haven't even scratched the surface of its capabilities, but I'm still amazed.

OK, work time. Then a quick lunch. Then a trip to the rec to try out my pretty blue Shuffle. Wheeee!

Concert and Orientation

The past 24 hours have been a whirlwind! Actually, the past week has been super busy, but the highlights really began last night around 9:00 pm when Third Day took the stage, and we were there to rock along with them!

We'd never seen Third Day in concert before, so we couldn't pass up the chance. Along with some friends from work, Mitch and I took half of Thursday off and drive out to DTE Energy Music Theatre for the show. Jars of Clay opened, and I'm sad to say it was a disappointing performance. I guess I'll give them a pass, though, since their other shows have always been awesome. Then this guy named Robert Randolph gets up and is completely awesome on the slide guitar. It was bluesy-gospel and I really liked it. After their set, Switchfoot performed, and while I never really thought I liked them all that much, they put on an amazing show. I was impressed.

Third Day was 100% the best part of the night, though. Wow. Period. If you don't have their new album, Revelation, I highly recommend it. On their website, there's a nice video with some of the songs and a discussion of the project.

I fell asleep in the car on the way home, but didn't get to snuggle into my bed until 12:30 am, which is way too late to stay up when one has grad school orientation in the morning. After my hour-long drive to lovely Flint, I was having trouble keeping my eyes open. But I got my ID, parking pass, books and all sorts of gifts - flash drive, calculator, fancy bag - so I guess I'm officially ready to get moving on my MBA. Wahoo!

Now I'm just waiting for Mitch to arrive at my parents' house so we can eat some dinner, ride the trails for a little bit and rest up in preparation for tomorrow's mountain bike race. The rest of the weekend will consist of a trip to the Mac store (it's new laptop time!) and lots of floating on the potoon boat. Ah, I will miss parts of the summer...

Ray and Kristy's Wedding!

The event we've been anticipating all summer was just as fun and exciting as we had built it up to be! Kristy was a beautiful bride, Ray was a handsome groom, and my own date wasn't too bad, either.

The photos really tell the story, but I'm too swamped right now to post the highlights directly on here. So, you can see them all at:

http://picasaweb.google.com/skibunny112882/RayAndKristySWedding

(Sorry, no ceremony photos. Both Mitch and I were standing up and, due to the downpour that resulted in the bridal party's late arrival, I didn't have time to pass off my camera to another attendee.)

Kristy's Bachelorette Party

This week's been so busy that I haven't had time to post about Kristy's bachelorette party 'til now! Well, it was a great time. She loved the decorations in her apartment, the champagne glasses with homemade stem charms, the gifts from all the girls (including the photo album I made her) and all our evening escapades:



Here's the blushing bride opening her gifts at the restaurant. She was initially reluctant to hold them up in front of everyone, but eventually complied.



All the girls at the bachelorette party, full and wine-happy from dinner.



Obligatory bridesmaid show - we can't wait for her wedding!



After our go-kart race; Kristy was bitter that some little girl bumped her and made her get stuck in a corner...



Member of the A.C. softball team get ready to show us how it's done at the batting cages.



Mim and Kristy sang "Friends in Low Places" at the bar...we laughed pretty hard!



The lady running the karaoke got us all to sing "I Touch Myself" for Kristy - again, hilarious!



And here's the whole group, one more time, right before we left the bar. More photos are up at http://picasaweb.google.com/skibunny112882/KristySBacheloretteParty.

Overdue, but still cool

I took this video of Mitch during his second lap at the Boyne Marathon race. He's already done over 20 miles at this point, so I didn't even get a smile as a cheered him on. The guy who was 30 seconds ahead of him is his main rival for first place in the overall standings. Shortly after this road crossing, he caught the guy and, after stopping to help him out of his pedals (Rick's calves were so cramped up that he was lying there, stuck in his clipless pedals), Mitch crossed the finish line several minutes ahead of him. (At Stony Creek, he beat Mitch by 50 seconds. They're good-natured competitors, chatting before and after the races and pushing each other hard on the trail.)

Completely Random

A family friend sent me this video as a suggestion for our next hiking trip. Can we say, insane?



Yes, Robin, this does look beautiful...but I am pretty terrified of heights and some of that would leave me quaking in my boots!

Can't find the words

Earlier this summer, I was a bridesmaid for my best friend from high school. I had mixed feelings about being in the wedding: she and I had definitely drifted apart during college and I even felt, often, that she and I didn't really know each other any more. Everything between us felt so automatic, from the semi-regular phone calls to the obligatory visits in our hometown. She's never the first person I think of spending time with when vacation or a free weekend rolls around; in fact, some of the time we'd spent together prior to the wedding left me feeling melancholy and misunderstood.

A few days before her bachelorette party, I sat down to wrap the gift I would cart to Chicago. Maybe this shouldn't come as a surprise, because writing has always played a role in our friendship - we published a newspaper together in elementary school, wrote poetry together and have presented each other with various writings at important times in our lives - but I had no trouble writing something really meaningful for her. I tied it into her gift, alluded to some marital advice and tried to make her think about the kind of marriage she wanted to have. I was rewarded with a hug and a few tears, and the uncanny feeling that maybe she and I still knew each other better than I thought.

Now I'm getting ready for a college friend's wedding and once again, I have the honor of being a bridesmaid. I've played a much more active role in this one, planning the bachelorette party and helping out the maid of honor with wedding day plans, as she is currently out of the country for school. Truthfully, I've been looking forward to this wedding more than the last one: after all, she's one of my favorite people to spend time with. We had some great memories in college and have become even closer since graduation. Her husband-to-be has become a good friend and we all do some of the most fun, crazy things together.

I've put a lot of time and energy into creative decorations for her party and thoughtful preparations for her wedding day. Ray's apartment will be covered with photos of him and the other gorgeous men whose hearts broke when Kristy announced her engagement. (Who knew Brad Pitt only hooked up with Angie because he couldn't have Kristy?) On her wedding night, she and Ray will return to their apartment to find it a romantic paradise, and when they open the big group wedding present I organized, they'll be blown away. (Seven of us went in on a tent, sleeping bags, sleeping pads and cookware - it's the best gift ever!)

For her bachelorette party gift, I collected photos from the other ladies attending the bachelorette party to make a scrapbook of all Kristy's best times with "the girls." So tonight, as I neared the end of the album, I decided to take a break from the sticky gluestick and messy black stamp pad to write the accompaniment to this gift. I expected the perfect words to flow off my pen, just as they had for Adrienne...but nothing came. I started and stopped, stared off into space and puked out something that sounded like a trite explanation of her gift.

So what's the deal? Why is it that I had an easier time writing something heartfelt for the friend I, honestly, like less? Why is it so much harder for me to even come up with a concrete message for the woman I now consider to be my best friend? I've posed the question on here before, but what really makes a best friend? Is it the person I'd rather spend time with or the person who's weathered the most with me? Is it the person I most readily laugh with or the person I've often cried with (and sometimes about)?

Maybe it's just that I've been so wrapped up in the logistics of this wedding that I haven't sat down to really think about what I want to tell Kristy before she gets married. Maybe this one will be harder because I'm not practiced at writing for her, as I've written for Adrienne for over sixteen years. Maybe it has nothing to do with the depth of our friendship and more to do with its length. Maybe I'll wake up tomorrow feeling inspired...

Another weekend, another race.

This weekend, we headed to Stony Creek Metropark in Rochester for a time trial. In a TT, everyone starts at separate times (or in this case, in pairs) and you're truly racing the clock, versus starting in a pack in a cross country race and battling the other racers for position. Anyway, we did a preride on Saturday and were not impressed by the fact that 2/3 of the course consisted of gravelly two-track. Both of us do our best on more technical single-track...plus, riding down a gravel road is BORING!

The race went well, despite all the two-track. We both got second place in our classes and while Mitch still had some gas in him at the end, I was completely dead. Laying in bed that night, my legs just ached! I guess that means I need to do a bit more conditioning before the next one. Thankfully, I'm pretty sure that one is mostly "real" mountain biking.

Not much else is going on. I didn't post last week because I was not having a good time in the office, and I suppose it's not fun for y'all to read constant complaints about my slacker co-workers. This week promises to be better, as I have adjusted my attitude. AND I have no appointments on my calendar, so I can be super-productive!

Chicago Accomplishments

While I'm in the Windy City for the Annapolis Institute (a conference for higher education professionals trying to develop/improve alumni, parent and student recruitment efforts), I'm stepping outside my comfort zone and doing some "big girl" things!

*I rode a taxi from the train station to the hotel all by myself. (I did, however, get scammed into paying someone $5 to hail one for me...dumb, but a lesson learned.)

*I rode the train back from one of the northern neighborhoods and found my way from the stop to the hotel all by myself.

*I found a good place for breakfast and joined the throngs of Chicago locals walking purposefully down the sidewalks in the morning.

It's neat to be in Chicago and I can understand how the amount of excitement and energy can draw people here. But for me, even the urban beauty of the city lights doesn't pull me in as much as do the fireflies that dot the yard outside our apartment complex. I head home tomorrow and couldn't be happier about it!

Boyne XC Marathon

Bike races are interesting events. You have a whole spectrum of riders there: there are recreational cyclists, on good-but-not-great bikes, with most of the basic gear but with a look of uncertainty on their faces, and friends of those recreational cyclists, encouraged by their buddies to participate but unsure of what they're getting themselves into and looking a bit awkward with athletic shoes, platform pedals sometimes even cotton t-shirts. There are more serious riders who have been around the circuit but are still a little rough around the edges and independent, having not yet established themselves as part of any specific corps of riders; the cycling teams, sporting matching jerseys and pedaling around in disciplined, deliberate lines as they warm up for the race; and the elite racers whose sponsors adorn their busy jerseys and shorts, intense and quick off the starting line with unparalleled confidence in their riding abilities.

Almost everyone wears spandex and bright colors. Men unashamedly reach down the front of their shorts to adjust equipment or apply ointment to ease the chafing. Women forget to obsess about the size of their rears and are comfortable in thighs built up by hill climbs. No one seems self-conscious about their physical flaws, making no apologies for the small pooch of a belly or the hint of a love-handle. Riders of all shapes and sizes squeeze into busy, loud jerseys proclaiming their team affiliations, their love for a brand of beer or their preferance for a gear manufacturer. Their shoes can be just as attention-getting, often clashing with the rest of the ensemble while the clickity-clack of metal cleats on the parking lot provides a soft, crunching rhythm.

The racers shoot from the starting line, jostling for position and streaking into the woods. The more experienced riders are aggressive enough to end up in front while those new to the sport hang back to see what happens. There will be passing and repassing throughout the course, though sometimes riders will be spread out enough to feel alone on the trail. There will be crashes and cursing, "pleases" and "thank yous" from passing riders, frustration because they can't get around an unfortunate topple and concern when a real injury necessitates stopping with a fellow rider. While everyone is striving to cross the finish line first, no one places the well-being of a competitor below the cheap plaques awarded after the race.

And when all is said and done, they sit in their dirty clothes, whose bright colors are streaked with dirt and sweat. They trade their bike shoes and soaking socks for sandals, letting the wind and the sun dry their sticky bodies while recapping the moments on the trail. They wait for results and compare pre-ride, ride and recovery strategies, some downing more electrolyte-laden formulas while other crack open cans of beer. Sometimes they bother to wash their mud-spotted faces, legs and arms or tend to bloody, oozing scapes; most times, they wear these badges of honor proudly, spinning tales of downhill spills and uphill battles. If they place, they pick up their awards to a smattering of applause, shake some hands with their competitors and head home to think about training for the next one.

(Mitch rode over 20 miles at Boyne Mountain and placed second in his third race of the season. We both look forward to the Stoney Creek XC race in two weeks.)

Life in St. Johns

I've been writing a lot about our weekend activities and kind of neglecting the day-to-day. So this morning, I'll write about living in St. Johns. First, it's a pretty small town, possibly the smallest in which we've yet lived. But it's safe and clean; we like our apartment complex and the neighborhood. There's an elementary school right behind our building and sometimes we go out on the playground and fly our kite. There's a tree line between us and the school, so we can sit on our balcony in relative privacy, while still hearing the excitement of Little League baseball games.

We live on the north edge of town, so it's easy to get to the back roads for bike and motorcycle rides. I'm learning to appreciate Mid-Michigan's own special beauty: the growing fields of corn, green and "knee-high by the Fourth of July," the fields of wheat waving in the wind, the old red barns leaning on the edge of the pastures. Granted, we sometimes long for the hills and forests of Cadillac, but this feels more like home than that ever did.

St. Johns is a bedroom community for us: we grocery shop, rent movies, get haircuts and go to church in DeWitt, the next town south. But we've made some friends and have been enjoying an actual social life. Amanda, the web content writer at Alma, and her husband, David, have been hanging out with us since early spring. They're tons of fun and Amanda is a talented cook, making dinner at their place a delight. And John Kruse, an old friend from college, just started working in my office and lives not five minutes from our place. Amanda, John and I carpool to Alma each morning and we all make a point to get together regularly outside of work. Mitch and John hang out quite a bit, too: watching sports, playing Guitar Hero and sampling scotch. In addition to eating and drinking, we've played mini-golf and gone line dancing! Oh, how wonderful to have local friends! Tonight is dinner at Johns: grilled salmon, rice pilaf and wine.

So that's life in St. Johns for a transplant. And now, because I can't resist, here are some photos from our Fourth of July weekend with Ray and Kristy:



We watched fireworks on the lake on Friday night - they were amazing! And it was just a person doing them, not a town or anything.





Who knew tubing behind a pontoon boat could be so brutal!





Launching waterballoons off the porch is a great time! SPLASH!