Since it's my last night in New York, I thought I'd do a quick update. I've spent most of my time here at these huge national college fairs. Basically, each school pays a rather large fee for an admissions rep to stand at a booth for two three-hour sessions, silently willing someone, anyone, to come and talk to her. Oh wait, that's just me. No, it's not just me. There are plenty of schools with minimal name recognition at these fairs, but it's frustrating to watch the big state universities talk to tons of kids while I am approached by very few.
So the first fair was in Rochester and the second was in Syracuse. Each fair consists of two days: one is a weekday morning, and local schools bus students in; and the other is a weekend afternoon for students and their families. Tomorrow is the final part of the Syracuse fair, and then I get to come home: just in time to catch the last few hours of Mitch's 27th birthday!
Save for one lazy afternoon, I've kept busy when not at the fairs. Obviously, I had to keep up on my work emails and my homework, but I did some window shopping at a mall and had some pretty good meals. The cable TV programming quickly lost its shine; I haven't turned it on since coming to the Syracuse area. I also went to dinner with one of our Trustees and his family; this time, they spared me the sushi!
Recreation-wise, though, the best part has been the awesome ride I did this afternoon. When I got back from the fair, I set out along the west shore of the lake near my hotel. It was cool and sunny, with only a little wind...but A LOT of hills! Climbing is most definitely not my strong suit, but I found myself kind of enjoying the rhythm of my breathing and pedal stroke as I went up...and up...and up. I rode for 45 minutes, then turned around so I'd be back before sunset. My bike computer is mysterious missing (probably buried under the clothes and jackets all over my bed), but I think I did about 18 miles in just under an hour and a half, with an average speed of 12.5 mph and a max of 30.2 mph.
All right, friends, it's time for me to get this place straightened up so I'm ready to head out bright and early. I hope you all got to get out and enjoy the sunshine!
Sunday, March 15, 2009
Friday, March 13, 2009
Harumph
It was supposed to be almost 40 degrees today, which is just warm enough for me to ride. Instead, it's barely clearing 30 degrees. So, alas, my bike remains in the trunk of my car and it looks like I'll have to go down for a swim or something instead. Perhaps tomorrow?
Friday, March 06, 2009
Back to Reality
Lots to write about today...let's start with Colorado! The skiing was amazing; it was pretty warm the first day, when Adrienne and I skied at Beaver Creek. I've never skied in such few layers, nor regularly removed my mittens on the chairlift. It's amazing how different the snow can be, depending on how high you are on the mountain. At the bottom, it was slushy, kind of like mashed potatoes. Mid-mountain, it was still soft but didn't grab my skis, and at the top it was hard and a bit icy. But this Michigan gal can't complain: the runs were long and fun, and by the end of the day my quads were screaming at me. Of course, I just yelled back, "You like this! You're having fun!" and they grumbled a bit but continued to function.
Me at Beaver Creek. If you look closely, you can see that my pit zips are undone and I'm only wearing a thin long underwear shirt. By the end of the day, my face and neck were sunburned, despite the sunscreen I applied.
One of the views from Beaver Creek. Breathtaking!
We took a day off skiing and did some snowshoeing, which was pure torture for my tired legs and oxygen-starved lungs. It wasn't a particularly nice day and we weren't anywhere spectacular, but it was still nice to get out. Later that night, we hit up the Gore Ridge Brewery for dinner, and I bought a growler of "Biker Stout," their darkest micro-brew, for Mitch.
Skiing at Vail on Wednesday was almost overwhelming. It was significantly colder and much windier, and because they hadn't gotten any new snow for awhile, some of the runs Adrienne wanted to show me were rough and icy. We started out on the front of the mountain, but quickly tired of lift lines and headed toward the back bowls. There are tons of areas to ski at Vail, and I bet you could ski for a few days without doing the same runs more than a time or two each. Anyway, we spent most of our time back in an area called Pete's Bowl, where it was a little more protected from the wind. Our favorite run was really neat because it started out sort of flat, but let you carve around little stands of evergreens. Then it narrowed and got steeper, letting you build up speed and really work for your turns before dumping you out at the lift. The overwhelming part? Back there, were were SEVEN MILES from where we had started the day!
One of the many peaks surrounding Vail.
Me and Adrienne trying not to get blown away by the frigid wind.
Aside from the awesome skiing, my trip really made me appreciate two things: my marriage and my friends. Adrienne and Kyle, though only married since June, seem to have some things to work out. She can be demanding and critical; he, impatient and moody. It was a little awkward to listen to him raise his voice to her and to hear her pester him about inconsequentials while he worked. I am blessed to have Mitch and see that all the work we put into our relationship is priceless.
We spent each evening hanging out with Adrienne's friends from her work, which was fine and fun. But they are horrible gossips, criticizing other friends and constantly running down their student intern. I'm trying hard to recall another topic of conversation, but all I can come up with is a brief exchange about the Wings and the Avs. By the end, I was both weary of it all and uncomfortable with their lack of compassion.
“Great minds discuss ideas; average minds discuss events; small minds discuss people.” -Eleanor Roosevelt
Back in Michigan, I spent a fantastic long weekend with my family. Mitch surprised me by showing up at my parents' on Thursday night, and had even brought my bike so I could go for a ride the following day. I hit the roads at Island Lake and it felt wonderful! Though the rest of the weekend was a bit dreary, we kept ourselves occupied with a trip to On 2 Wheels (got our team jerseys!), a couple games of Scrabble and the six-hour movie Lonesome Dove.
While I would have loved the relaxation to last for longer, reality beckoned. Sunday afternoon brought the start of my third term of grad school; this semester, I have a class called Business and Society, and another one called Operations Management. Both require substantial group work...I hope I don't get stuck with an incompetent slacker like last time...
Which brings me to tonight. After only two days back in the office, I packed up my car and drove to New York (State, not City) to spend five days recruiting new Alma students. The bright side of this trip: weather conducive to biking and new places to ride, and cable TV in the hotels (I'll get my fill of Fox News and CMT). But really, I would rather be home with Mitch.
Well, it's about time to wash off the smell of Red Lobster - my dinner choice for tonight, for those awesome biscuits - and relax for the rest of the evening. I'm sure I'll blog more throughout my trip!
Me at Beaver Creek. If you look closely, you can see that my pit zips are undone and I'm only wearing a thin long underwear shirt. By the end of the day, my face and neck were sunburned, despite the sunscreen I applied.
One of the views from Beaver Creek. Breathtaking!
We took a day off skiing and did some snowshoeing, which was pure torture for my tired legs and oxygen-starved lungs. It wasn't a particularly nice day and we weren't anywhere spectacular, but it was still nice to get out. Later that night, we hit up the Gore Ridge Brewery for dinner, and I bought a growler of "Biker Stout," their darkest micro-brew, for Mitch.
Skiing at Vail on Wednesday was almost overwhelming. It was significantly colder and much windier, and because they hadn't gotten any new snow for awhile, some of the runs Adrienne wanted to show me were rough and icy. We started out on the front of the mountain, but quickly tired of lift lines and headed toward the back bowls. There are tons of areas to ski at Vail, and I bet you could ski for a few days without doing the same runs more than a time or two each. Anyway, we spent most of our time back in an area called Pete's Bowl, where it was a little more protected from the wind. Our favorite run was really neat because it started out sort of flat, but let you carve around little stands of evergreens. Then it narrowed and got steeper, letting you build up speed and really work for your turns before dumping you out at the lift. The overwhelming part? Back there, were were SEVEN MILES from where we had started the day!
One of the many peaks surrounding Vail.
Me and Adrienne trying not to get blown away by the frigid wind.
Aside from the awesome skiing, my trip really made me appreciate two things: my marriage and my friends. Adrienne and Kyle, though only married since June, seem to have some things to work out. She can be demanding and critical; he, impatient and moody. It was a little awkward to listen to him raise his voice to her and to hear her pester him about inconsequentials while he worked. I am blessed to have Mitch and see that all the work we put into our relationship is priceless.
We spent each evening hanging out with Adrienne's friends from her work, which was fine and fun. But they are horrible gossips, criticizing other friends and constantly running down their student intern. I'm trying hard to recall another topic of conversation, but all I can come up with is a brief exchange about the Wings and the Avs. By the end, I was both weary of it all and uncomfortable with their lack of compassion.
“Great minds discuss ideas; average minds discuss events; small minds discuss people.” -Eleanor Roosevelt
Back in Michigan, I spent a fantastic long weekend with my family. Mitch surprised me by showing up at my parents' on Thursday night, and had even brought my bike so I could go for a ride the following day. I hit the roads at Island Lake and it felt wonderful! Though the rest of the weekend was a bit dreary, we kept ourselves occupied with a trip to On 2 Wheels (got our team jerseys!), a couple games of Scrabble and the six-hour movie Lonesome Dove.
While I would have loved the relaxation to last for longer, reality beckoned. Sunday afternoon brought the start of my third term of grad school; this semester, I have a class called Business and Society, and another one called Operations Management. Both require substantial group work...I hope I don't get stuck with an incompetent slacker like last time...
Which brings me to tonight. After only two days back in the office, I packed up my car and drove to New York (State, not City) to spend five days recruiting new Alma students. The bright side of this trip: weather conducive to biking and new places to ride, and cable TV in the hotels (I'll get my fill of Fox News and CMT). But really, I would rather be home with Mitch.
Well, it's about time to wash off the smell of Red Lobster - my dinner choice for tonight, for those awesome biscuits - and relax for the rest of the evening. I'm sure I'll blog more throughout my trip!
Saturday, February 28, 2009
Feels SO good!
As of about five minutes ago, I'm one third of the way done with my MBA program. The term ends in three days, but all my assignments are complete and my course evaluations are turned in. This means a solid WEEK of NO STUDYING!
And what am I going to do with that week? I'm going skiing in Colorado - what else?!?! I've been waiting and saving my pennies for the trip since the fall and I'm SO EXCITED! The funny thing is, I think I'm equally looking forward to the skiing, etc. AND just relaxing without the demands of work and school hanging over my head. When I return, I'll definitely post photos for everyone!
All right, friends, time to finish packing. Enjoy the sunny day!
And what am I going to do with that week? I'm going skiing in Colorado - what else?!?! I've been waiting and saving my pennies for the trip since the fall and I'm SO EXCITED! The funny thing is, I think I'm equally looking forward to the skiing, etc. AND just relaxing without the demands of work and school hanging over my head. When I return, I'll definitely post photos for everyone!
All right, friends, time to finish packing. Enjoy the sunny day!
Thursday, February 26, 2009
Yet another reason...
...to look forward to the upcoming race season: Mitch and I have been invited to join a small group of mid-Michigan riders on the new race team for On 2 Wheels, a bike shop in Jackson! We loved the camaraderie we developed with other riders during our first season and anticipate it will be even better as members of the team.
I'm definitely a bit apprehensive about my impending move to the sport category, but I think I've been building a good strength base this winter and am committed to more riding as soon as the snow clears. I hope to get my back all healed up within the next few weeks, too, having resigned myself to the idea that I might just need to take a little time off lifting. While I hate the thought of losing even a little of what I've worked so hard to gain, I'm comforted by the fact that this is a convenient time to back off a bit. Between trips for pleasure and work, I won't really be able to stay consistent anyway. But I'm hoping to take my bike on a business trip in a couple weeks and have already identified some places to ride, provided the weather is decent.
I'm definitely a bit apprehensive about my impending move to the sport category, but I think I've been building a good strength base this winter and am committed to more riding as soon as the snow clears. I hope to get my back all healed up within the next few weeks, too, having resigned myself to the idea that I might just need to take a little time off lifting. While I hate the thought of losing even a little of what I've worked so hard to gain, I'm comforted by the fact that this is a convenient time to back off a bit. Between trips for pleasure and work, I won't really be able to stay consistent anyway. But I'm hoping to take my bike on a business trip in a couple weeks and have already identified some places to ride, provided the weather is decent.
Monday, February 23, 2009
Affirmation
This weekend was particularly nice. As usual, I spent a good chunk of Saturday doing homework. My final paper for O.B. is on the organizational culture and structure at Alma College, and my research involves interviewing some of the members of our executive staff. I have a good shell to work with now, based on speaking with my VP, but on Wednesday I'll get even more viewpoints from the Academic and Advancement sectors. Does the fact that I am REALLY looking forward to putting this together make me a super-nerd? Yes, probably...
Aside from homework, I also managed a stint on the trainer and was pleased to see that my average speed for an hour-long mountain bike workout is increasing. I was also surprised at how tired my legs were, even at the beginning. It seems our lunchtime workouts are becoming harder and harder as we push each other to do more. I will need to remember that, on race weeks, my leg work should probably be limited to some easy riding.
I'm not always very confident when I meet new people; in fact, I'm very self-conscious about whether they'll like me, so I don't always have the best, most relaxed time at first. But on Saturday night, we went to Jon's to drink some wine and had a fantastic time with him and two other couples, whom I had never met before (Mitch knew one of the guys). We stayed way later than we were supposed to, but we all agreed that Jon needed to have another get-together so we could all hang out.
And then there was the MMBA Expo on Sunday (which is why we were supposed to get home at a decent hour on Saturday night!). The best part was getting to see all the folks with whom we share our summer weekends and talking about the upcoming season. I think it made everyone anxious for the races to begin! We didn't even spend too much money: Mitch got a great deal on aerobars for his road bike and on a new pair of shoes, and I bought a gift for Adrienne.
Well, my little work break is over. I have lots of projects to catch up on over the next week, so I better get back at it. Thanks for reading!
Aside from homework, I also managed a stint on the trainer and was pleased to see that my average speed for an hour-long mountain bike workout is increasing. I was also surprised at how tired my legs were, even at the beginning. It seems our lunchtime workouts are becoming harder and harder as we push each other to do more. I will need to remember that, on race weeks, my leg work should probably be limited to some easy riding.
I'm not always very confident when I meet new people; in fact, I'm very self-conscious about whether they'll like me, so I don't always have the best, most relaxed time at first. But on Saturday night, we went to Jon's to drink some wine and had a fantastic time with him and two other couples, whom I had never met before (Mitch knew one of the guys). We stayed way later than we were supposed to, but we all agreed that Jon needed to have another get-together so we could all hang out.
And then there was the MMBA Expo on Sunday (which is why we were supposed to get home at a decent hour on Saturday night!). The best part was getting to see all the folks with whom we share our summer weekends and talking about the upcoming season. I think it made everyone anxious for the races to begin! We didn't even spend too much money: Mitch got a great deal on aerobars for his road bike and on a new pair of shoes, and I bought a gift for Adrienne.
Well, my little work break is over. I have lots of projects to catch up on over the next week, so I better get back at it. Thanks for reading!
Thursday, February 19, 2009
A Feel-Good Post
I'm tired, I'm stressed about school, I'm sick of the weather, I need a vacation and my back hurts. BUT, oh dear friends, there is so much that is good in my life. Let's recap:
With as stressed as I am about school and as challenging as I find Applied Quantitative Analysis, I took an exam on Tuesday and only missed one question. And I only missed 4.5 points on the 150 point Organizational Behavior exam I took on Sunday. This term is over in two weeks, and I only have one more test and one more paper. Wahoo!
We were bummed about having to pay in on our taxes this year, but a reexamination (thanks to the fact that I had to file the FAFSA to get more loans for next year) revealed that we get tax credit for my educational expenses so we ARE getting money back this year. Yes!
I may complain about "kids these days" as I work with needy Millennials and their helicopter parents, but I swear to you that we have the nicest students in the world. I am the Ski Team's advisor this year, and as a thank-you for doing the simplest things (like signing reimbursement requests), the team pitched in and bought me a Black Diamond soft-shell jacket with the team name and my name embroidered on it. I get a little teary just thinking about their kindness, and vow to bake them cookies for their races next year.
This weekend, we have the MMBA Expo/Annual Meeting. It's supposed to be just awesome, with lots of cool mountain biking-related vendors, advocacy speakers and just a general good time with other crazy people who love our sport. Mitch is going along for the pre-Expo ride (brrr!) while I help out with vendor check-in, nice and early in the A.M. I just love that we've gotten involved in such a fun activity and met really great people through it. Bring on the race season! (Well, not yet...I need a little more trainer time, though strength training workouts are going strong.)
In just a couple weeks, I'm heading out to Colorado to ski with Adrienne, a good friend from high school. Because I will be between terms for school, I won't have any homework to worry about. Other than calling home, I'm going to be OFF THE GRID and I cannot wait! I know we'll have some memorable adventures...
With as stressed as I am about school and as challenging as I find Applied Quantitative Analysis, I took an exam on Tuesday and only missed one question. And I only missed 4.5 points on the 150 point Organizational Behavior exam I took on Sunday. This term is over in two weeks, and I only have one more test and one more paper. Wahoo!
We were bummed about having to pay in on our taxes this year, but a reexamination (thanks to the fact that I had to file the FAFSA to get more loans for next year) revealed that we get tax credit for my educational expenses so we ARE getting money back this year. Yes!
I may complain about "kids these days" as I work with needy Millennials and their helicopter parents, but I swear to you that we have the nicest students in the world. I am the Ski Team's advisor this year, and as a thank-you for doing the simplest things (like signing reimbursement requests), the team pitched in and bought me a Black Diamond soft-shell jacket with the team name and my name embroidered on it. I get a little teary just thinking about their kindness, and vow to bake them cookies for their races next year.
This weekend, we have the MMBA Expo/Annual Meeting. It's supposed to be just awesome, with lots of cool mountain biking-related vendors, advocacy speakers and just a general good time with other crazy people who love our sport. Mitch is going along for the pre-Expo ride (brrr!) while I help out with vendor check-in, nice and early in the A.M. I just love that we've gotten involved in such a fun activity and met really great people through it. Bring on the race season! (Well, not yet...I need a little more trainer time, though strength training workouts are going strong.)
In just a couple weeks, I'm heading out to Colorado to ski with Adrienne, a good friend from high school. Because I will be between terms for school, I won't have any homework to worry about. Other than calling home, I'm going to be OFF THE GRID and I cannot wait! I know we'll have some memorable adventures...
Tuesday, February 17, 2009
Alma-Ecuador
Since my life is excruciatingly boring right now (at least, it probably appears so from the outside because I'm not gifted like writer Joshilyn Jackson, who has a talent for making the mundane entertaining), let me try to inject a little excitement into this blog by highlighting a new initiative at Alma College:
Alma, Equatorialis Sign Articulation Agreement
This is a HUGE deal that has been in the works for a very long time. Alumni reading this should be very excited and extraordinarily proud of the College for embracing this innovative initiative! In ten years, I truly believe we'll look back on last Friday and consider it an historical event.
Alma, Equatorialis Sign Articulation Agreement
This is a HUGE deal that has been in the works for a very long time. Alumni reading this should be very excited and extraordinarily proud of the College for embracing this innovative initiative! In ten years, I truly believe we'll look back on last Friday and consider it an historical event.
Thursday, February 12, 2009
My Foray into Physical Therapy
After establishing that muscle relaxants and massage were not improving my back, my doctor sent me off to physical therapy. I had my evaluation and first session yesterday; here are the results:
Other than dealing with that, I've been trying to stay on top of my coursework. I've been so bogged down for the past three weeks that, after last weekend's residency, I was ready for a little break. So I coasted for a couple days but now realize I need to get back on the wagon. Over the next two days, I need to learn two chapters from the-class-formerly-referred-to-as-stats-but-now-called-management-science, write a paper for organizational behavior, and do some serious studying for OB. Over the weekend, I have to take tests in both subjects. But after that, I just have one more management science test and one more OB paper, and I'm officially DONE with my second term of graduate school. Two down, four to go!
- I did something to the part of my spine that experiences a lot of rotation. Not sure really what, but now I have exercises to do with a Thera-band.
- E-stim is pretty awesome...like a little mini-massage.
- My activity level is only mildly restricted. I can't do exercises like the plank because of the strain it puts on my spine, and I also need to avoid anything that hyper-extends my back. Other than that, I can do everything else.
Other than dealing with that, I've been trying to stay on top of my coursework. I've been so bogged down for the past three weeks that, after last weekend's residency, I was ready for a little break. So I coasted for a couple days but now realize I need to get back on the wagon. Over the next two days, I need to learn two chapters from the-class-formerly-referred-to-as-stats-but-now-called-management-science, write a paper for organizational behavior, and do some serious studying for OB. Over the weekend, I have to take tests in both subjects. But after that, I just have one more management science test and one more OB paper, and I'm officially DONE with my second term of graduate school. Two down, four to go!
Monday, February 09, 2009
Freaking Awesome Ride
On most days, I would not classify my typical road route as any sort of awesome, much less freaking. But in February, any time I (as one particularly opposed to winter riding due to my inability to manufacture my own body heat) get out on my bike, it is usually freaking awesome. So yesterday's ride, despite the headwind, was FREAKING awesome. And FURTHER, my typical road rides range somewhere from 12-17 miles, but I willingly rode 20 miles! This gives me hope that, when the weather really breaks and the sun stays awake until the late evening, I WILL be able to ride my lovely little Scott home from the office. She is excited already.
Let me share something else riding-related, while I'm on the subject: I had my first real racing dream a few weeks ago. Now, it was pretty weird because there was a climbing wall in the middle of the course. Think about the big starting hill at Pando. Now make it super steep but pretty short. Now add both a climbing wall and a chairlift. In my dream, you dismounted your bike at the chairlift and some nice volunteer took it up the hill for you. In the meantime, you scaled the climbing wall (maybe 25-30 feet with NO ROPE) and topped it out, then got back on your bike and continued the race. In my dream, I was also racing with one of my friends who rides in real life but doesn't race. She broke her bike and our "resuce crew" assumed I would not be finishing the race, either, and dismantled my bike. I was TICKED and made them put it back together, but then I couldn't find my shoes. Thinking I would get reprimanded for not having my shoes, I grabbed my slip-on Teva fli-flops and quickly pedaled away into the darkness (because we had been on the trail FOREVER). Sometime shortly thereafter, Chip's efforts to expel a hairball woke me up.
By the way, can you tell I'm making up for the fact that I haven't really blogged much over the past few weeks? Grad school has been kicking my behind, but I'm now in the home stretch of this term. Just over one more year and I'll have my MBA! And no, depsite his fantasies, I will probably NOT be landing a big, fancy job and providing Mitch with the means to pursue life as a professional mountain bike racer (or even as a bike bum). Sorry, honey. :)
Let me share something else riding-related, while I'm on the subject: I had my first real racing dream a few weeks ago. Now, it was pretty weird because there was a climbing wall in the middle of the course. Think about the big starting hill at Pando. Now make it super steep but pretty short. Now add both a climbing wall and a chairlift. In my dream, you dismounted your bike at the chairlift and some nice volunteer took it up the hill for you. In the meantime, you scaled the climbing wall (maybe 25-30 feet with NO ROPE) and topped it out, then got back on your bike and continued the race. In my dream, I was also racing with one of my friends who rides in real life but doesn't race. She broke her bike and our "resuce crew" assumed I would not be finishing the race, either, and dismantled my bike. I was TICKED and made them put it back together, but then I couldn't find my shoes. Thinking I would get reprimanded for not having my shoes, I grabbed my slip-on Teva fli-flops and quickly pedaled away into the darkness (because we had been on the trail FOREVER). Sometime shortly thereafter, Chip's efforts to expel a hairball woke me up.
By the way, can you tell I'm making up for the fact that I haven't really blogged much over the past few weeks? Grad school has been kicking my behind, but I'm now in the home stretch of this term. Just over one more year and I'll have my MBA! And no, depsite his fantasies, I will probably NOT be landing a big, fancy job and providing Mitch with the means to pursue life as a professional mountain bike racer (or even as a bike bum). Sorry, honey. :)
Hungry
I've been waiting for my church to post this sermon for a week, and it's finally up. We're doing a series on the beatitudes in Matthew 5:1-12, and the one I've really liked so far was on Matthew 5:6:
Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled.
If you want to listen to it and have the time (it's over 40 minutes), here's the link:
Are You Satisfied?
Basically, he talks about how some people see this verse as an admonishment and think they are not hungry enough for a relationship with God because of the things they fail to do. They don't go to church all the time, they don't read their Bibles all the time, they don't pray for hours and hours. They think that doing those things shows hunger for a relationship with God, and if they're not doing them, they're not really hungering and thirsting for God.
Instead, he says, we all have this hunger inside. Somewhere, sometime, we've all felt this aching for something that maybe we couldn't define. We need to be satisfied, so we go searching for satisfaction in life in all sorts of ways. It could be by pursuing a challenging career, having a family, engaging in hobbies, traveling or all sorts of other really positive things. We could also try to fill it with negative things like unhealthy relationships, alcohol, gambling and other destructive behaviors. It stands to reason that these negative things won't ever really satisfy us; they'll fill us up for awhile but still leave us feeling empty, sometimes even more so than before.
But, he says, even the positive things won't really satisfy us permanently. Only a relationship with God will truly satisfy that hunger, will finally fill us up. And when we realize that we need that relationship with God, then we are hungering and thirsting for righteousness. We shouldn't feel as though we need to fulfill certain obligations, to do certain things, to meet the criteria of hungering and thirsting for righteousness; realizing that we need the relationship with God and truly hungering after it is enough. And yes, when you experience that realization, chances are you'll want to spend more time in prayer, to explore his Word and do other things that bring you closer to him. But it's not the actions you take - it's the realization that nothing but a relationship with God will satisfy you that means you are hungering and thirsting for righteousness.
At least, that's what I got out of it. And I do remember times, before I really knew what it meant to be a Christian, when this longing would just hit. I've always had everything going for me: I have an amazing family (including a wonderful husband), my friends are the best, and I generally achieve what I set out to do. There have been bumps and poor decisions along the way, of course - and I know there are more to come - but by mainstream standards, I should have been satisfied a long time ago. But I remember being in high school, driving my trusty Ford Probe, and getting this urge to just go. There's something else there, I'd think. And maybe if I just drive fast enough and long enough, I'll find it. And in college, I made a choice that I thought would make me happy. It was a popular enough choice and I thought it was a fine one, but in the midst of all of it, I found myself knee deep in Lake Michigan, on a cloudy, windy day, with that same urge to just go. There's something out there, I thought. And if I could, I'd swim far enough and long enough to find it.
To sum it all up, I guess, all my advantages and achievements made me happy but not satisfied, not filled. When I finally realized I needed and could have a relationship with God, I felt like I was just brimming over. Like the song I've Always Known You by Ten Shekel Shirt says, "Maybe I've always known You, I just didn't know it."
Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled.
If you want to listen to it and have the time (it's over 40 minutes), here's the link:
Are You Satisfied?
Basically, he talks about how some people see this verse as an admonishment and think they are not hungry enough for a relationship with God because of the things they fail to do. They don't go to church all the time, they don't read their Bibles all the time, they don't pray for hours and hours. They think that doing those things shows hunger for a relationship with God, and if they're not doing them, they're not really hungering and thirsting for God.
Instead, he says, we all have this hunger inside. Somewhere, sometime, we've all felt this aching for something that maybe we couldn't define. We need to be satisfied, so we go searching for satisfaction in life in all sorts of ways. It could be by pursuing a challenging career, having a family, engaging in hobbies, traveling or all sorts of other really positive things. We could also try to fill it with negative things like unhealthy relationships, alcohol, gambling and other destructive behaviors. It stands to reason that these negative things won't ever really satisfy us; they'll fill us up for awhile but still leave us feeling empty, sometimes even more so than before.
But, he says, even the positive things won't really satisfy us permanently. Only a relationship with God will truly satisfy that hunger, will finally fill us up. And when we realize that we need that relationship with God, then we are hungering and thirsting for righteousness. We shouldn't feel as though we need to fulfill certain obligations, to do certain things, to meet the criteria of hungering and thirsting for righteousness; realizing that we need the relationship with God and truly hungering after it is enough. And yes, when you experience that realization, chances are you'll want to spend more time in prayer, to explore his Word and do other things that bring you closer to him. But it's not the actions you take - it's the realization that nothing but a relationship with God will satisfy you that means you are hungering and thirsting for righteousness.
At least, that's what I got out of it. And I do remember times, before I really knew what it meant to be a Christian, when this longing would just hit. I've always had everything going for me: I have an amazing family (including a wonderful husband), my friends are the best, and I generally achieve what I set out to do. There have been bumps and poor decisions along the way, of course - and I know there are more to come - but by mainstream standards, I should have been satisfied a long time ago. But I remember being in high school, driving my trusty Ford Probe, and getting this urge to just go. There's something else there, I'd think. And maybe if I just drive fast enough and long enough, I'll find it. And in college, I made a choice that I thought would make me happy. It was a popular enough choice and I thought it was a fine one, but in the midst of all of it, I found myself knee deep in Lake Michigan, on a cloudy, windy day, with that same urge to just go. There's something out there, I thought. And if I could, I'd swim far enough and long enough to find it.
To sum it all up, I guess, all my advantages and achievements made me happy but not satisfied, not filled. When I finally realized I needed and could have a relationship with God, I felt like I was just brimming over. Like the song I've Always Known You by Ten Shekel Shirt says, "Maybe I've always known You, I just didn't know it."
Saturday, January 31, 2009
I want more days like today.
I slept 'til I felt like getting out of bed. I got up and around, talked to my mom and started doing homework. Mitch went for a ride outside and returned in 45 minutes, exclaiming, "It's cold as BALLS out there!" We ate lunch and I hopped on the trainer for an hour-long climbing session with Chris Carmichael & Co. My legs felt great! While I stretched and messed around on iTunes, Mitch rode the trainer while playing Wii. Yes, he's multi-talented. After a nice hot shower, I put heat on my back and Mitch massaged my healing muscles. I finished up my homework for the day, and then we went to Outback to use our Christmas gift cards. Now we're back at home and as soon as I put my PJs on, we'll curl up on the couch and finish watching Prince Caspien.
And now Chip is on my lap, purring contentedly. Life truly does not get any better than this.
And now Chip is on my lap, purring contentedly. Life truly does not get any better than this.
Thursday, January 29, 2009
Back Pain
While I think the strength training routine I adopted back in October has a lot of benefits, it also came with a side of back pain. For the past few months, I've had nagging muscle soreness is my mid- to upper-back, and it finally started curtailing my activity a bit. I can't, for example, do "supermans" without big-time pain (they used to feel good), not can I do "V-ups" and similar exercises that require me to lift my shoulders and legs at the same time.
At the suggestion of a friend who is a physical therapist, I went to the doctor on Tuesday and was disappointed that her solution was a prescription for muscle relaxants. I asked her about alternative therapies but she insisted I take two of these per day for the next two weeks, then see her again.
So now I've added something new to my days: Laurie-brand back rehab. One muscle relaxant, followed by a series of yoga-like stretches; a hot, wet towel on the back; and a focused massage, all right before bed time. That way, I don't really feel any drowsiness that could go along with the medicine and I'm not relying on drugs to fix what I don't really think they can fix.
At the suggestion of a friend who is a physical therapist, I went to the doctor on Tuesday and was disappointed that her solution was a prescription for muscle relaxants. I asked her about alternative therapies but she insisted I take two of these per day for the next two weeks, then see her again.
So now I've added something new to my days: Laurie-brand back rehab. One muscle relaxant, followed by a series of yoga-like stretches; a hot, wet towel on the back; and a focused massage, all right before bed time. That way, I don't really feel any drowsiness that could go along with the medicine and I'm not relying on drugs to fix what I don't really think they can fix.
Tuesday, January 27, 2009
Worst Cyclist Ever
At least, that's what I've been for the past two weeks. It started so strong around Christmas, with better dedication to the trainer...but for the past two weeks, I've been buried in grad school work. I still get down to the rec for strength training three days a week and we're pushing ourselves harder, but I haven't done a good trainer workout in way too long.
I want to have a successful race season, and I think I can. But I realize that the priority has to be my degree - for which I'm paying $760 per credit hour - so some weeks, I'm just not going to be able to work as hard as I'd like. It's frustrating, though! When the weather turns, I'll probably cut down on the strength workouts and ride at lunch...that should help.
And speaking of bikes, there's a cop outside my office window trying to load a bike into the trunk of his police car, without success. Should I go out and offer to give him a hand? Dressed in high heels and a suit, that could be pretty funny! He's still sitting there, puzzled...
I want to have a successful race season, and I think I can. But I realize that the priority has to be my degree - for which I'm paying $760 per credit hour - so some weeks, I'm just not going to be able to work as hard as I'd like. It's frustrating, though! When the weather turns, I'll probably cut down on the strength workouts and ride at lunch...that should help.
And speaking of bikes, there's a cop outside my office window trying to load a bike into the trunk of his police car, without success. Should I go out and offer to give him a hand? Dressed in high heels and a suit, that could be pretty funny! He's still sitting there, puzzled...
Sunday, January 25, 2009
Photos from Searchmont
Here's the gang getting ready to hit the slopes. It was so cold in the morning that this was the only photo I took before lunch!
Like last time, we brought all our own food so we didn't have to pay ridiculous resort prices for lunch. Here's Jon and his enormous sandwich.
I think I might have the weirdest husband in the world...
Me and Kristy are not messing around as we venture back out into the cold. We will stay warm!
The girls are ready to go!
Jon is cool, even though he's on a snowboard. Since he can keep up, we'll forgive him this transgression.
Matt had some spectacular crashes in the morning, but fared much better in the afternoon. The man loves to ski and never gives up!
And who is this sexy snowbunny? That would be Ray...make the pic big and look at the bottoms of his skis, and tell me what you see!
Back in the woods, we visited out favorite little cliff. Jon landed in a puff of powder.
The most essential part of the night: drinks in the hot tub!
Friday, January 23, 2009
Yummy, Yummy Treat
I've recently gotten into the habit of eating frozen dark chocolate. I buy a Hershey's bar, break it up and put it in a plastic sandwich bag, then toss it in the freezer. When I need a little something sweet, I grab one and bite into its frozen semi-sweet goodness. It makes a delightful, dull little crunch and doesn't even have time to melt. Mmm mmm mmm. Frozen Andes mints are extra good, too!
Wednesday, January 21, 2009
What I'm Reading
I'm not quite sure why I decided to list the book I'm currently reading on my blog, but I supposed if they're going to be up there, I should make a practice on commenting on them once I've finished. So, let's play catch-up:
The Invisible Wall by Harry Bernstein was a pretty good read. It's a memoir told supposedly from the view of a 4-8 year old boy, but it definitely didn't have the voice of a young child. While reading a narrative that mimics the thought process of a kid can take some getting used to, I think using that tool and then showing development as the character ages makes a book more authentic. Aside from that, I found the relationships between the Jews and the Christians in this World War I-era book fascinating. Most of the time, you think about prejudice going only one way; but in this book, the Jewish families (especially the adults) held just as many negative stereotypes about Christians as the Christians held about Jews. Almost everyone was equally unyielding in their beliefs that the two groups should not mix, up until the end of the book.
I also finished The Hour I First Believed by Wally Lamb last week, and loved the first half of the book. It dealt with the challenges faced by a fictional survivor of the Columbine shootings, but did so from her husband's point of view. Unfortunately, the character development stalled about halfway through and the author introduced all these crazy, distracting plot lines. I've heard that his other books were amazing, so I'd be willing to give them a shot sometime.
Now I'm rereading The Pillars of the Earth by Ken Follett, because I received his newest book for my birthday and I understand that, while it's not a sequel, the two are related. I do reread books multiple times; I can't even tell you how many times I've poured over Gone with the Wind or some of my other favorites, but even when I don't like a book, I usually give it another chance. Maybe it will mean something different to me at a later time, or maybe I just wasn't ready to understand what the author intended.
Someday, when I have a house, I will have a room designated as the library. There will be no TV and no computer - just expansive bookcases, comfortable chairs and soft lighting. And it will be my home sanctuary.
The Invisible Wall by Harry Bernstein was a pretty good read. It's a memoir told supposedly from the view of a 4-8 year old boy, but it definitely didn't have the voice of a young child. While reading a narrative that mimics the thought process of a kid can take some getting used to, I think using that tool and then showing development as the character ages makes a book more authentic. Aside from that, I found the relationships between the Jews and the Christians in this World War I-era book fascinating. Most of the time, you think about prejudice going only one way; but in this book, the Jewish families (especially the adults) held just as many negative stereotypes about Christians as the Christians held about Jews. Almost everyone was equally unyielding in their beliefs that the two groups should not mix, up until the end of the book.
I also finished The Hour I First Believed by Wally Lamb last week, and loved the first half of the book. It dealt with the challenges faced by a fictional survivor of the Columbine shootings, but did so from her husband's point of view. Unfortunately, the character development stalled about halfway through and the author introduced all these crazy, distracting plot lines. I've heard that his other books were amazing, so I'd be willing to give them a shot sometime.
Now I'm rereading The Pillars of the Earth by Ken Follett, because I received his newest book for my birthday and I understand that, while it's not a sequel, the two are related. I do reread books multiple times; I can't even tell you how many times I've poured over Gone with the Wind or some of my other favorites, but even when I don't like a book, I usually give it another chance. Maybe it will mean something different to me at a later time, or maybe I just wasn't ready to understand what the author intended.
Someday, when I have a house, I will have a room designated as the library. There will be no TV and no computer - just expansive bookcases, comfortable chairs and soft lighting. And it will be my home sanctuary.
Monday, January 19, 2009
Mad Dash
That's what last week felt like: a mad dash to the weekend. On Sunday, I smacked myself upside the head and finally realized that I had a ton of homework to do and not nearly enough time in which to do it. After lounging away my Saturday and a good deal of Sunday, I had until 7 pm on Friday to learn two chapters for stats and turn in a set of corresponding homework problems; find, read and summarize about fifteen journal articles on job training; and outline the group paper on job training. This doesn't sound like all that much, but with work all day and two celebratory dinners inducting me into my late twenties, I was pretty strapped for time. So I took the day off work on Wednesday and spent it camped out at the kitchen table. I slogged through confidence intervals, hypothesis testing and analysis of variance (we'll see how well I've mastered the material when I take my exam tonight) and learned all about behavior modeling training, the impact of age on the effectiveness of training and that there is something known as Pygmalion management. By the time Friday afternoon rolled around, I was able to shove all that out of my mind and focus instead on my long-anticipated weekend plans: skiing in Searchmont!
As always, we had a grand time. Six of us stayed in a cottage about half an hour from the resort and skied all day on Saturday. It was cold, but the snow was great. I'll post some photos when I have them uploaded! We learned a very important lesson, though:
The best place to buy alcohol in Canada is Michigan.
Suffice to say, we ran out of booze at 8:30 pm on Saturday night. So we went to bed at 11:00 pm. So much for an all-night party!
And unfortunately, all of the above is another way of saying that I did not get on the trainer all week. I did strength training (excessive lunges before a day of skiing is not advised) but it's hard to do power intervals when your nose is stuck in a book! This week will be better...
As always, we had a grand time. Six of us stayed in a cottage about half an hour from the resort and skied all day on Saturday. It was cold, but the snow was great. I'll post some photos when I have them uploaded! We learned a very important lesson, though:
The best place to buy alcohol in Canada is Michigan.
Suffice to say, we ran out of booze at 8:30 pm on Saturday night. So we went to bed at 11:00 pm. So much for an all-night party!
And unfortunately, all of the above is another way of saying that I did not get on the trainer all week. I did strength training (excessive lunges before a day of skiing is not advised) but it's hard to do power intervals when your nose is stuck in a book! This week will be better...
Friday, January 16, 2009
Learning from the Girls
Amanda is a perky, put-together gal who loves to cook and wants to look great on the beaches of Mexico this spring. Melissa is a slim, pretty bride-to-be who wants to look her best on her summer wedding day. Dena is a no-nonsense, efficient mom trying to get fit and healthy.
These girls are my team. The four of us work out together three days a week in the Rec Center's multi-purpose room. We grab weights, steps, fit balls and mats, blast some music and take turns concocting exercises for the various muscle groups. It's not focused. It's not systematic. But we work our butts off for almost an hour, offering encouraging words and commiserating when someone brings a particularly torturous exercise to our workouts.
I never would have chosen this team, and I've never worked out like this. As a high school and college athlete, my workouts were not about feeling good or looking good: they were about performance, and everyone doing the rills or running the ladders was intense. We were focused, determined and not in need of encouragingpats on the back. The reward was the place, the medal, the personal best, the trip to States. I did any outside-of-practice training with either guys or other intensely competitive girls.
So I was a loner in the weight room last year, when I started getting ready for my first season of mountain bike racing. I'd ask coworkers if they wanted to come down to the Rec with me, but if anyone had taken me up on it, I'd do my thing and they'd do theirs. My training didn't carry the gravity it did in high school but I was still focused. Needing both internal and external motivation, however, my best intentions didn't always pan out. Then I started going to a strength training class in the Rec with Amanda and Melissa. I'll admit, I did it more to build friendships than get a good workout, but it turned out to be a really good class that often made just the process of getting out of bed a bit tricky.
The class ended right before Christmas, but the three of us felt we could keep going on our own. Dena joined after the New Year and, even with the varying levels of athleticism, coordination, fitness and strength, we're all seeing some tangible benefits. We're even signing up for a team-based weight-loss competition; only two girls have real weight-loss goals, but part of the battle is motivation and, as a team, we can provide a healthy dose of that!
Because of these girls, I've learned that I don't have to be so intense to get results; that you can train effectively even when everyone's out there for different reasons; and that challenge and competition isn't the only way to interact in training. Maybe it's more realistic, at this stage in my life and athletic career, to find this kind of camaraderie rather than the "push it" mentality of my former teammates and friends.
These girls are my team. I might not of picked them but I sure wouldn't trade them. They'll never ride with me - except maybe on the rail trail - but their friendship and support motivates me. We usually attribute parts of our success to effective coaches or strong teammates who are striving for the same goals as we pursue. As for me, I'll give a good deal of credit for any success I have on the trail to an aspiring chef, a former cheerleader and a Wii Fit devotee.
These girls are my team. The four of us work out together three days a week in the Rec Center's multi-purpose room. We grab weights, steps, fit balls and mats, blast some music and take turns concocting exercises for the various muscle groups. It's not focused. It's not systematic. But we work our butts off for almost an hour, offering encouraging words and commiserating when someone brings a particularly torturous exercise to our workouts.
I never would have chosen this team, and I've never worked out like this. As a high school and college athlete, my workouts were not about feeling good or looking good: they were about performance, and everyone doing the rills or running the ladders was intense. We were focused, determined and not in need of encouragingpats on the back. The reward was the place, the medal, the personal best, the trip to States. I did any outside-of-practice training with either guys or other intensely competitive girls.
So I was a loner in the weight room last year, when I started getting ready for my first season of mountain bike racing. I'd ask coworkers if they wanted to come down to the Rec with me, but if anyone had taken me up on it, I'd do my thing and they'd do theirs. My training didn't carry the gravity it did in high school but I was still focused. Needing both internal and external motivation, however, my best intentions didn't always pan out. Then I started going to a strength training class in the Rec with Amanda and Melissa. I'll admit, I did it more to build friendships than get a good workout, but it turned out to be a really good class that often made just the process of getting out of bed a bit tricky.
The class ended right before Christmas, but the three of us felt we could keep going on our own. Dena joined after the New Year and, even with the varying levels of athleticism, coordination, fitness and strength, we're all seeing some tangible benefits. We're even signing up for a team-based weight-loss competition; only two girls have real weight-loss goals, but part of the battle is motivation and, as a team, we can provide a healthy dose of that!
Because of these girls, I've learned that I don't have to be so intense to get results; that you can train effectively even when everyone's out there for different reasons; and that challenge and competition isn't the only way to interact in training. Maybe it's more realistic, at this stage in my life and athletic career, to find this kind of camaraderie rather than the "push it" mentality of my former teammates and friends.
These girls are my team. I might not of picked them but I sure wouldn't trade them. They'll never ride with me - except maybe on the rail trail - but their friendship and support motivates me. We usually attribute parts of our success to effective coaches or strong teammates who are striving for the same goals as we pursue. As for me, I'll give a good deal of credit for any success I have on the trail to an aspiring chef, a former cheerleader and a Wii Fit devotee.
Sunday, January 11, 2009
Three Fun Things I Did This Weekend
1. Spent quite a few lazy hours reading in my parents' living room, with a roaring fire and my favorite man.
2. Went on a short, snowy hike at Island Lake with Mitch, Mom, Dad, Bobby and Roxi the Amazing Trail Dog.
3. Stuffed myself with potato pancakes - a childhood favorite - for my almost-birthday dinner.
2. Went on a short, snowy hike at Island Lake with Mitch, Mom, Dad, Bobby and Roxi the Amazing Trail Dog.
3. Stuffed myself with potato pancakes - a childhood favorite - for my almost-birthday dinner.
Thursday, January 08, 2009
Lazy Cat
Get on the trainer. Start spinning. See cat on the couch. Think how nice it is to have company, even the passive type.
Keep spinning. Increase intensity and cadence. Realize all those lunges and squats did tire the legs, after all. Recover. It's only the warm-up.
Grind through power intervals. Glance jealously at cat sleeping on the couch. Say his name to wake him up. Take that, lazy cat. Oh, now you're sleeping again.
Keep doing power intervals. Finish water bottle before cool down. Throw empty bottle into kitchen. Cat doesn't move. Wish he could get more water. Will him to grow opposable thumbs and some motivation. Fail. Swear to exact vengeance on cat species later.
Keep spinning. Increase intensity and cadence. Realize all those lunges and squats did tire the legs, after all. Recover. It's only the warm-up.
Grind through power intervals. Glance jealously at cat sleeping on the couch. Say his name to wake him up. Take that, lazy cat. Oh, now you're sleeping again.
Keep doing power intervals. Finish water bottle before cool down. Throw empty bottle into kitchen. Cat doesn't move. Wish he could get more water. Will him to grow opposable thumbs and some motivation. Fail. Swear to exact vengeance on cat species later.
Detroit
My dad grew up in downtown Detroit. When he was a kid, he and his friends rode their bikes through their neighborhood with an abandon not present in even today's most safe communities. Fast forward a generation: my dad's childhood home is a crack house, smoldering on the evening news after a fire destroys it.
I definitely grew up in the suburbs but I've got some great memories of Detroit. We'd attend church with my grandparents; hit up a Wings game; go to Cobo Hall for the boat show; stuff ourselves with goat cheese in Greek Town; get dressed up for a performance at the Fox Theatre; pack a picnic and spend hours in Hart Plaza, waiting for the fireworks to blaze over the Detroit River. Every time we went, my dad navigated the streets like he belonged there, just as he once had.
So I think you should read The Courage of Detroit by Mitch Albom. The column romanticizes a lot of things and parts of it grate on me politically because the very citizens of Detroit who love the city so much have a hand in its downfall. But it also conjured up some memories and, dare I say, feelings of pride?
I definitely grew up in the suburbs but I've got some great memories of Detroit. We'd attend church with my grandparents; hit up a Wings game; go to Cobo Hall for the boat show; stuff ourselves with goat cheese in Greek Town; get dressed up for a performance at the Fox Theatre; pack a picnic and spend hours in Hart Plaza, waiting for the fireworks to blaze over the Detroit River. Every time we went, my dad navigated the streets like he belonged there, just as he once had.
So I think you should read The Courage of Detroit by Mitch Albom. The column romanticizes a lot of things and parts of it grate on me politically because the very citizens of Detroit who love the city so much have a hand in its downfall. But it also conjured up some memories and, dare I say, feelings of pride?
Monday, January 05, 2009
Returning to Reality
Having such a nice break for the holidays sure was nice, but it's strangely nice to get back to work and have some more routine. I learned that, if I were to ever work from home, I would have to be very disciplined and stick to schedules. I thought I'd be much more productive between Christmas and New Year's, but I really just finished some good books. OK, that's not strictly true: I did a bit of homework, housework, reorganizing and training. Two workouts on the trainer, to be exact. It's nothing like Andrea's level of commitment (You rock!) but it's better than last year at this time.
Now that I'm back to work, life looks like this: no lunch break, just training (MWF) or studying (TTh); after work, more studying and at least two trainer rides a week (three, ideally); some time for Bible study (the goal is to not have to cram the day before small group anymore!); and regular efforts to keep the apartment neat and tidy. Oh, and Mitch is starting a class at LCC this term! He wants to earn an engineering degree (this is a long-term goal) but has to start with some math and science basics, since he did business at Alma. I'm helping him navigate requirements and processes, since it's kinda what I do all day, anyway. As I told a friend, this means we will be even more boring than before!
And with that, it's time to go home. Stats test tonight...wish me luck!
Now that I'm back to work, life looks like this: no lunch break, just training (MWF) or studying (TTh); after work, more studying and at least two trainer rides a week (three, ideally); some time for Bible study (the goal is to not have to cram the day before small group anymore!); and regular efforts to keep the apartment neat and tidy. Oh, and Mitch is starting a class at LCC this term! He wants to earn an engineering degree (this is a long-term goal) but has to start with some math and science basics, since he did business at Alma. I'm helping him navigate requirements and processes, since it's kinda what I do all day, anyway. As I told a friend, this means we will be even more boring than before!
And with that, it's time to go home. Stats test tonight...wish me luck!
Saturday, January 03, 2009
Grad School Status
I definitely neglected to update about this because I was so caught up in the loveliness of Christmas, but I am now in the second term of my MBA program. Final grades were good last term, so I'd like to keep the streak alive. However, this term I have Applied Quantitative Analysis (stats) and Organizational Behavior. O.B. is similar to my communication class last term: read chapters, participate in discussion board and write papers. The biggest differences are that the emphasis is more on the papers (including some interesting self-assessments) than on the discussion board; and my instructor is not a complete twit, as was the case in communication. Suffice to say, this class is not all that hard.
Stats is another story. Like last term's finance class, I have to teach myself "numbers stuff," which is challenging. But I only have to take exams every few weeks instead of every week, which means remembering more material for each exam. In fact, if you've seen my Facebook status over the past few days, you've probably noticed that most of my life is currently revolving around my stats book. An exam is imminent!
Oh, the dryer is done! Must get duvet cover out quickly and iron it before it wrinkles terribly! Darn you and your persnickity fabric, Calvin Klein!
Stats is another story. Like last term's finance class, I have to teach myself "numbers stuff," which is challenging. But I only have to take exams every few weeks instead of every week, which means remembering more material for each exam. In fact, if you've seen my Facebook status over the past few days, you've probably noticed that most of my life is currently revolving around my stats book. An exam is imminent!
Oh, the dryer is done! Must get duvet cover out quickly and iron it before it wrinkles terribly! Darn you and your persnickity fabric, Calvin Klein!
Friday, January 02, 2009
2009 Race Schedule
Once again, Mitch and I plan to focus on CPS races for 2009. As a natural sprinter, endurance racing holds no appeal for me; and Mitch says he doesn't really have the time to train for them, either. So here's the schedule for the DeYoungs:
April 19: Yankee Springs TT
May 3: Fort Custer XC
June 7: Hanson Hills XC
July 11: Boyne Marathon XC (Mitch only; I'll be there as a supportive spectator)
July 26: Stoney Creek TT
August 22: Maybury XC
September 13: Addison Oaks XC
September 27: Pando XC (probably Mitch only...I hated that race last season!)
Looks like good times, eh?
April 19: Yankee Springs TT
May 3: Fort Custer XC
June 7: Hanson Hills XC
July 11: Boyne Marathon XC (Mitch only; I'll be there as a supportive spectator)
July 26: Stoney Creek TT
August 22: Maybury XC
September 13: Addison Oaks XC
September 27: Pando XC (probably Mitch only...I hated that race last season!)
Looks like good times, eh?
Thursday, January 01, 2009
Happy New Year!
We had a great night in Lansing with our awesome Alma friends, ringing in the New Year (thankfully sans Mim's version of Auld Lang Syne from last year) at Jon's. One of the best parts of the night, though, was figuring out that we'll actually be able to get a good group together for a weekend of skiing in Searchmont this month. Last time, only Jon could go and I had bronchitis. It was still awesome, but a bigger group will be even more fun.
No 2009 resolutions for me; I think the professional, educational, spiritual and physical goals toward which I've been striving should keep me busy enough. I'm happy to report that training has been going rather well. I did trainer workout on Monday morning and Wednesday afternoon, and both went well. I have a few questions, though, if anyone would care to weigh in. They have to do with insensity and cadence.
I've found that there's a really fine line (like, one gear) between low, medium and high intensity for me. When my intervals are shorter (for example, 30 seconds in the first half of the Train Right mountain bike workout), I can usually hit the proper cadence in my high intensity gear. When the intervals get longer (2 minutes in the mountain bike workout), however, I can't maintain the proper cadence in my high intensity gear and have to drop down to my medium intensity gear to keep my cadence up. So, here's my question: should my high intensity gear be my high intensity gear no matter how it affects my cadence? Or should I drop down to an easier gear when necessary to keep my candence up?
I also struggle with keeping my cadence up during recovery periods, even though I get to drop down to a low intensity gear. It's getting better, but I can totally tell I am a sprinter. Fast twitch muscles, baby! In high school and college, I never ran a race over 200 m! Training for greater endurance is a new experience for me.
No 2009 resolutions for me; I think the professional, educational, spiritual and physical goals toward which I've been striving should keep me busy enough. I'm happy to report that training has been going rather well. I did trainer workout on Monday morning and Wednesday afternoon, and both went well. I have a few questions, though, if anyone would care to weigh in. They have to do with insensity and cadence.
I've found that there's a really fine line (like, one gear) between low, medium and high intensity for me. When my intervals are shorter (for example, 30 seconds in the first half of the Train Right mountain bike workout), I can usually hit the proper cadence in my high intensity gear. When the intervals get longer (2 minutes in the mountain bike workout), however, I can't maintain the proper cadence in my high intensity gear and have to drop down to my medium intensity gear to keep my cadence up. So, here's my question: should my high intensity gear be my high intensity gear no matter how it affects my cadence? Or should I drop down to an easier gear when necessary to keep my candence up?
I also struggle with keeping my cadence up during recovery periods, even though I get to drop down to a low intensity gear. It's getting better, but I can totally tell I am a sprinter. Fast twitch muscles, baby! In high school and college, I never ran a race over 200 m! Training for greater endurance is a new experience for me.
Wednesday, December 31, 2008
Chip Goes to the Vet
HISSSSSSSSSS!
RAYYYWWWRRRR!
GRRRRRRR!
Chip expresses his displeasure before the vet and his assistant even get the top off his cozy cat carrier. He has, in fact, been growling since we entered the veterinarian's office. His eyes are glassy but his reflexes are undiminished as heavily gloved hands try to lift him from the carrier onto the scale. He hisses, spits, snaps, and the assistant retreats to fetch a towel: the key ingredient for a kitty burrito.
An hour earlier, I had my good, sweet kitty perched on the forbidden kitchen table. He wrestled against me as I tried once, twice, three times to slip the tiny pink sedative pill into his mouth. In the end, I sat on him and used a stream of water to force it down. The chunky string of pink drool on the kitchen floor mocked me, and I could only hope he'd ingested enough of it to mellow him out a little bit. He sat in the kitchen and watched me finish making my cake, then ambled into the living room, stumbling slightly. Feeling at once triumphant and guilty, I cleaned the kitchen then scooped him onto my lap so we could cuddle until the dreaded car ride to the terrible place where they'd do awful things to my poor little cat.
The assistant drapes the raspberry-hued towel over the snarling mass that is my supposedly-sedated Chipper. Alas, he's too agitated to succumb to swaddling - so out comes the cat claw. This giant set of netted tongs completely encompasses Chip and effectively neutralizes him. The assistant lifts him from his carrier, gently shakes him further into the claw and good-naturedly teases him as he gnaws on the thick green net that is stretched taut over the metal frame. He's squashed helplessly on his side, then flipped over like a fried egg and subjected to his two overdue vaccine injections. He growls more as the vet listens to his hammering heart and is too angry to express any gratefulness when the hated claw dumps him into his carrier.
I'm sure he'll hate me when we get home. I drugged him; took him to his version of hell; and let strangers trap then stick him. To my great surprise, he staggers out of his carrier, looks up to me and seems to say, in his stupor, "Pet me, Mom." He follows me to the bathroom as I get ready to go out to dinner and, when I get home, climbs into bed with me and, still a little woozy, stays close all night long.
RAYYYWWWRRRR!
GRRRRRRR!
Chip expresses his displeasure before the vet and his assistant even get the top off his cozy cat carrier. He has, in fact, been growling since we entered the veterinarian's office. His eyes are glassy but his reflexes are undiminished as heavily gloved hands try to lift him from the carrier onto the scale. He hisses, spits, snaps, and the assistant retreats to fetch a towel: the key ingredient for a kitty burrito.
An hour earlier, I had my good, sweet kitty perched on the forbidden kitchen table. He wrestled against me as I tried once, twice, three times to slip the tiny pink sedative pill into his mouth. In the end, I sat on him and used a stream of water to force it down. The chunky string of pink drool on the kitchen floor mocked me, and I could only hope he'd ingested enough of it to mellow him out a little bit. He sat in the kitchen and watched me finish making my cake, then ambled into the living room, stumbling slightly. Feeling at once triumphant and guilty, I cleaned the kitchen then scooped him onto my lap so we could cuddle until the dreaded car ride to the terrible place where they'd do awful things to my poor little cat.
The assistant drapes the raspberry-hued towel over the snarling mass that is my supposedly-sedated Chipper. Alas, he's too agitated to succumb to swaddling - so out comes the cat claw. This giant set of netted tongs completely encompasses Chip and effectively neutralizes him. The assistant lifts him from his carrier, gently shakes him further into the claw and good-naturedly teases him as he gnaws on the thick green net that is stretched taut over the metal frame. He's squashed helplessly on his side, then flipped over like a fried egg and subjected to his two overdue vaccine injections. He growls more as the vet listens to his hammering heart and is too angry to express any gratefulness when the hated claw dumps him into his carrier.
I'm sure he'll hate me when we get home. I drugged him; took him to his version of hell; and let strangers trap then stick him. To my great surprise, he staggers out of his carrier, looks up to me and seems to say, in his stupor, "Pet me, Mom." He follows me to the bathroom as I get ready to go out to dinner and, when I get home, climbs into bed with me and, still a little woozy, stays close all night long.
Friday, December 26, 2008
A Merry Christmas Indeed
Another wonderful Christmas; a white Christmas, even! It may have been a little nasty on Christmas Eve, but yesterday was nice and today, though icy and gray, isn't too bad. As much as I'm not looking forward to the forecasted 50 degree weather tomorrow, I might take the opportunity to wash my bike, which is still a little dirty.
So Christmas: we spent both Christmas Eve and Christmas Day with my family. The food was great and everyone loved their gifts. Best memories from this year include: getting my cousin's son (my second cousin?) Steven to fall asleep in my arms; singing Silent Night by candlelight at the Christmas Eve service; watching my parents enjoy the DVD I made of their trip out West; and cheering on my husband, father, brother, uncle, aunt, cousin and grandpa while they did round after round of Irish car bombs!
Today, despite its lazy start, has been pretty productive. I did a little bit of homework while Mitch rode to Island Lake and did some of the trails, then I rode the trainer while he and Bobby played our new Wii. My parents got it for us as a Christmas gift, but let's not kid ourselves here: it's Mitch's toy! I never really thought we'd own one, but it seems pretty fun and it will give Mitch something else to do while I study.
I was proud of myself for doing the whole mountain bike workout on the trainer from memory. It's not super entertaining to ride without someone telling you what to do, but I managed just fine. I'm trying to be really motivated because I don't want to completely fail in sport next season. I'm way excited though: at our last MMBA chapter meeting, they were talking about the possibility of a team sponsored by a local brewery. Mitch and I did not join the chapter team last season, and I'm kind of glad we went though our first race season like we went through college: GDI. But now that we have a season under our belts and are comfortable (not to mention committed), I think it would be pretty cool to be part of a team. And of course, it would be nice if a sponsor could help defray a few costs since we have to travel quite a way for every race.
Well, Mom is home from the grocery store so I'm going to help her put stuff away and maybe make a trip to REI. Mitch needs something (can't remember what) and I need to exchange some underwear!
So Christmas: we spent both Christmas Eve and Christmas Day with my family. The food was great and everyone loved their gifts. Best memories from this year include: getting my cousin's son (my second cousin?) Steven to fall asleep in my arms; singing Silent Night by candlelight at the Christmas Eve service; watching my parents enjoy the DVD I made of their trip out West; and cheering on my husband, father, brother, uncle, aunt, cousin and grandpa while they did round after round of Irish car bombs!
Today, despite its lazy start, has been pretty productive. I did a little bit of homework while Mitch rode to Island Lake and did some of the trails, then I rode the trainer while he and Bobby played our new Wii. My parents got it for us as a Christmas gift, but let's not kid ourselves here: it's Mitch's toy! I never really thought we'd own one, but it seems pretty fun and it will give Mitch something else to do while I study.
I was proud of myself for doing the whole mountain bike workout on the trainer from memory. It's not super entertaining to ride without someone telling you what to do, but I managed just fine. I'm trying to be really motivated because I don't want to completely fail in sport next season. I'm way excited though: at our last MMBA chapter meeting, they were talking about the possibility of a team sponsored by a local brewery. Mitch and I did not join the chapter team last season, and I'm kind of glad we went though our first race season like we went through college: GDI. But now that we have a season under our belts and are comfortable (not to mention committed), I think it would be pretty cool to be part of a team. And of course, it would be nice if a sponsor could help defray a few costs since we have to travel quite a way for every race.
Well, Mom is home from the grocery store so I'm going to help her put stuff away and maybe make a trip to REI. Mitch needs something (can't remember what) and I need to exchange some underwear!
Wednesday, December 24, 2008
Christmas Countdown: True Meaning
Everything else about which I've written is great and all, but it's superficial. They're surface things, traditions that bring me joy. But they are nothing compared to the true meaning of Christmas: the birth of Jesus Christ, our Lord and Savior. Amidst all the cookie baking, gift wrapping and family moments, He is there.
In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was with God in the beginning.
Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made. In him was life, and that life was the light of men. The light shines in the darkness, but the darkness has not understood it.
...
He was in the world, and though the world was made through him, the world did not recognize him. He came to that which was his own, but his own did not receive him. Yet to all who received him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God—children born not of natural descent, nor of human decision or a husband's will, but born of God.
The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the One and Only, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth.
John 1:5, 10-14
In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was with God in the beginning.
Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made. In him was life, and that life was the light of men. The light shines in the darkness, but the darkness has not understood it.
...
He was in the world, and though the world was made through him, the world did not recognize him. He came to that which was his own, but his own did not receive him. Yet to all who received him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God—children born not of natural descent, nor of human decision or a husband's will, but born of God.
The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the One and Only, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth.
John 1:5, 10-14
Tuesday, December 23, 2008
Christmas Countdown: A Few More
The snow is falling and my last work day before the holidays is winding down. I have a few gifts left to get, some wrapping to do and our bags to pack, but then I'll get to celebrate Christmas with some of the people I love best.
I've tried to share some of the things that make the Christmas season so special for me. I'll write about the most important one tomorrow, but there are a few more little things that put a smile on my face:
Christmas carols. Not the ones I listen to, but the ones I sang in Christmas concerts as a kid. My favorites: Away in a Manger, O Holy Night and Hark, the Herald Angels Sing. I think I could go to a Christmas Eve service and simply sing these and others the entire time, then walk away happy.
Christmas gifts. Like everyone else, I get excited to open gifties. But you all know how awesome it is to pick out the perfect gift and be able to watch someone open it. This year, I'm particularly anticipating giving my parents a DVD I made of their trip to the Grand Canyon. And of course, I can't wait for Mitch to open his gifts!
Wrapping gifts. I'm no Martha Stewart, but I love the look of all those brightly colored, beribboned packages underneath the tree. I choose my wrapping paper almost as carefully as I choose my Christmas cards (Hallmark, always) and curl enough ribbon to bury myself. When I was a kid, I used to make all the bows for my mom's gifts because, while my dad is good at the actual wrapping, he's not so keen on bow-making. We'd sit in the basement at a card table together, warning my mom repeatedly not to come down!
Family celebrations. Thanks to the gift of marriage, I have three different Christmases to celebrate each year: DeYoung, Eccles and McGrath. DeYoung Christmas is usually on a date other than Christmas, based on the schedules of Mitch and his siblings. It's a pretty laid-back affair, with tons of food and great reminiscing. Eccles Christmas is either on Christmas Eve or Christmas Day, depending on the year. This is a formal affair: ties on the boys, heels on the girls, Christmas music playing softly inthe background, drinks always full, china on the table, coffee with dessert. My dad just has one sibling, so it's a quiet crowd compared to the McGraths, who number well over 30. Like good Catholics, my grandparents had six children; all but one have families; and there are even a few great-grandkids running around. We still dress up and eat off china, but the whole day is a bit rambunctious, especially when it comes time to open presents!
Santa. My mom told me there was no Santa when I was eight or so, because my dad told her I already knew. I burst into tears, because I still believed with all my little heart. Even after my brother figured it out, we still played the game. Mom and Dad would wait for us to go to bed, then put the presents under the tree and sometimes, in the middle of the night, I'd sneak out to see what Santa left. One year, my dad heard me and came out himself, claiming surprise at the pile of presents and snooping along with me. Even though I'm married, we've still managed to wake up at my parents' every Christmas - and we still do the same things: put on Christmas music, make coffee, get out a plate of Christmas cookies, open stockings and pass out all our presents. AND we still make my parents wait 'til we've gone to bed to stack gifts under the tree!
Christmas movies. Rupolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer, Frosty the Snowman and The Grinch that Stole Christmas...need I say more?
Well, that about does it. Safe travels to all who are visiting family and friends this Christmas!
I've tried to share some of the things that make the Christmas season so special for me. I'll write about the most important one tomorrow, but there are a few more little things that put a smile on my face:
Christmas carols. Not the ones I listen to, but the ones I sang in Christmas concerts as a kid. My favorites: Away in a Manger, O Holy Night and Hark, the Herald Angels Sing. I think I could go to a Christmas Eve service and simply sing these and others the entire time, then walk away happy.
Christmas gifts. Like everyone else, I get excited to open gifties. But you all know how awesome it is to pick out the perfect gift and be able to watch someone open it. This year, I'm particularly anticipating giving my parents a DVD I made of their trip to the Grand Canyon. And of course, I can't wait for Mitch to open his gifts!
Wrapping gifts. I'm no Martha Stewart, but I love the look of all those brightly colored, beribboned packages underneath the tree. I choose my wrapping paper almost as carefully as I choose my Christmas cards (Hallmark, always) and curl enough ribbon to bury myself. When I was a kid, I used to make all the bows for my mom's gifts because, while my dad is good at the actual wrapping, he's not so keen on bow-making. We'd sit in the basement at a card table together, warning my mom repeatedly not to come down!
Family celebrations. Thanks to the gift of marriage, I have three different Christmases to celebrate each year: DeYoung, Eccles and McGrath. DeYoung Christmas is usually on a date other than Christmas, based on the schedules of Mitch and his siblings. It's a pretty laid-back affair, with tons of food and great reminiscing. Eccles Christmas is either on Christmas Eve or Christmas Day, depending on the year. This is a formal affair: ties on the boys, heels on the girls, Christmas music playing softly inthe background, drinks always full, china on the table, coffee with dessert. My dad just has one sibling, so it's a quiet crowd compared to the McGraths, who number well over 30. Like good Catholics, my grandparents had six children; all but one have families; and there are even a few great-grandkids running around. We still dress up and eat off china, but the whole day is a bit rambunctious, especially when it comes time to open presents!
Santa. My mom told me there was no Santa when I was eight or so, because my dad told her I already knew. I burst into tears, because I still believed with all my little heart. Even after my brother figured it out, we still played the game. Mom and Dad would wait for us to go to bed, then put the presents under the tree and sometimes, in the middle of the night, I'd sneak out to see what Santa left. One year, my dad heard me and came out himself, claiming surprise at the pile of presents and snooping along with me. Even though I'm married, we've still managed to wake up at my parents' every Christmas - and we still do the same things: put on Christmas music, make coffee, get out a plate of Christmas cookies, open stockings and pass out all our presents. AND we still make my parents wait 'til we've gone to bed to stack gifts under the tree!
Christmas movies. Rupolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer, Frosty the Snowman and The Grinch that Stole Christmas...need I say more?
Well, that about does it. Safe travels to all who are visiting family and friends this Christmas!
Monday, December 22, 2008
Christmas Countdown: Santa Bears
Does anyone else remember the Santa Bears made by Hudson's (now Macy's)? I wouldn't say I collected them, but I did have quite a few and loved getting them as gifts. I even had a boyfriend in middle school who made his mom drive him all over Southeastern Michigan so he could buy me one! I think I have five all together, but here are my favorite three:
I also have two Santa Bear Christmas ornaments, purchased as "our" ornaments in 2005 and 2006. I had hoped they would be yearly additions to our tree, but Macy's stopped making Santa Bears last year. All the more reason to hold on to these little guys!
I also have two Santa Bear Christmas ornaments, purchased as "our" ornaments in 2005 and 2006. I had hoped they would be yearly additions to our tree, but Macy's stopped making Santa Bears last year. All the more reason to hold on to these little guys!
Christmas Countdown: The Nutcracker
Many of you know this, but I used to dance. From age three, I devoted a good number of hours each week to class: first, ballet and jazz, with modern and pointe eventually added. Our studio, the Dance Centre, did yearly recitals and mini productions of The Nutcracker at the Christmas party. But for three years, I auditioned for a received parts in the Brighton City Ballet's Nutcracker, a full-blown production. First I was a mouse, battling the Nutcracker Prince's soldiers and dejectedly carrying my own slain Mouse King off the stage. Then I was part of the snow scene as frost, which is not generally done. But I guess the BCB wanted to give some younger dancers then chance to perform in one of the most beautiful scenes. Finally, I was a snowflake and can still remember the feeling of my torso tightly encased in the white, shimmery costume, restricting my breath to tiny gasps while fake snow stuck to my sweaty skin in the most uncomfortable places.
(I found an amazing video of the snow scene if you'd like to watch. It's obviously performed by professional dancers, but we used similar choreography - not en pointe - even though I was only in middle school. And, interestingly, I've now discovered that the Brighton City Ballet has become the Fountain Dance Ministry, a Christian-focused dance school and company.)
I even have a couple Nutcrackers of my own:
(I found an amazing video of the snow scene if you'd like to watch. It's obviously performed by professional dancers, but we used similar choreography - not en pointe - even though I was only in middle school. And, interestingly, I've now discovered that the Brighton City Ballet has become the Fountain Dance Ministry, a Christian-focused dance school and company.)
I even have a couple Nutcrackers of my own:
Sunday, December 21, 2008
Christmas Countdown: Snow!
No great childhood stories about this one...I just had to add it because of the massive amounts of snow we've gotten over the past few days! I was supposed to go to class in Flint on Friday, but they closed U of M so - because I already had taken a vacation day from work - I spent the day at home working on a Christmas gift for my parents and shoveling various cars out of our parking lot. Then today, we got even more snow and some wicked wind to go with it. We will surely have a white Christmas this year!
Thursday, December 18, 2008
An Ode to My Flannel Quilts
You lie draped across the back of the couch,
one a brightly colored patchwork,
the other a subdued tribute to winter.
Both handmade, soft and oh-so-warm,
you beckon me the moment I sink into the cushions.
Together, we combat the chill,
(heaven forbid we turn the heat up!)
maybe with the cat contributing his furry warmth to our efforts.
And sometimes,
sometimes,
we snooze together
(but I try to drool on the pillows, not you).
(OK, so I may be in a weird mood tonight. I just finished a self-assessment for class, so cut me a little slack. We now return to your regularly scheduled program.)
(But first let me tell you: my Christmas tree drinks water like it's going out of style! And Caedmon's Call is awesome...I've been listening to them exclusively all night. Yes, I have enough Caedmon's music to last that long.)
(I hope we have hot water tonight. If not, we have to either fix the hot water heater ourselves or deal with it until January, because we can't call maintenance: we're not allowed to have a real tree in our apartment, but we do, and I'm not taking this glorious evergreen down!)
one a brightly colored patchwork,
the other a subdued tribute to winter.
Both handmade, soft and oh-so-warm,
you beckon me the moment I sink into the cushions.
Together, we combat the chill,
(heaven forbid we turn the heat up!)
maybe with the cat contributing his furry warmth to our efforts.
And sometimes,
sometimes,
we snooze together
(but I try to drool on the pillows, not you).
(OK, so I may be in a weird mood tonight. I just finished a self-assessment for class, so cut me a little slack. We now return to your regularly scheduled program.)
(But first let me tell you: my Christmas tree drinks water like it's going out of style! And Caedmon's Call is awesome...I've been listening to them exclusively all night. Yes, I have enough Caedmon's music to last that long.)
(I hope we have hot water tonight. If not, we have to either fix the hot water heater ourselves or deal with it until January, because we can't call maintenance: we're not allowed to have a real tree in our apartment, but we do, and I'm not taking this glorious evergreen down!)
Christmas Countdown: Christmas Cookies
As a kid, I always helped my mom bake Christmas cookies. We didn't do the decorative kind (though I think I always wanted to be able to frost and sprinkle to my little heart's content); no, I was put to work painting egg yolk around the edge of the jam pocket dough. See, we had two kinds of cookies that always - and only - made their appearance at Christmastime: jam pockets and black forest cookies. Jam pockets are little pastries with raspberry preserves inside, and black forest cookies are cake-like with dark chocolate and black cherries. The black forest cookies are pretty easy but the jam pockets are time-intensive, so I pretty much remember standing on a chair at the counter assembling the little treats.
We never gave the cookies as gifts. If we were going to give edible gifts, we made something else, because those cookies were our cookies. Dad even used to make a big deal about putting our too many jam pockets for Santa, because he wanted them instead. And on Christmas morning, a new plate of cookies (not Santa's...those were gone...) would appear on the coffee table before we even started opening presents. Nothing like cookies for pre-breakfast!
In an uncharacteristic break with tradition, I made a completely different set of Christmas cookies the first year Mitch and I were married. I guess I wanted to try to put my own twist on the ritual, but my coconut macaroons flopped, my mocha cookies were less than spectacular, and everyone thought my orange creamsicle cookies were just a little too weird. So I went back to the tried-and-true, adding M&M cookies to satisfy Mitch's request for chocolate chip.
For the past two years, I've taken an entire day off work to bake with friends. It's such fun! Let's just say it's a good thing I'm making a special trip to the Rec Center at lunchtime!
We never gave the cookies as gifts. If we were going to give edible gifts, we made something else, because those cookies were our cookies. Dad even used to make a big deal about putting our too many jam pockets for Santa, because he wanted them instead. And on Christmas morning, a new plate of cookies (not Santa's...those were gone...) would appear on the coffee table before we even started opening presents. Nothing like cookies for pre-breakfast!
In an uncharacteristic break with tradition, I made a completely different set of Christmas cookies the first year Mitch and I were married. I guess I wanted to try to put my own twist on the ritual, but my coconut macaroons flopped, my mocha cookies were less than spectacular, and everyone thought my orange creamsicle cookies were just a little too weird. So I went back to the tried-and-true, adding M&M cookies to satisfy Mitch's request for chocolate chip.
For the past two years, I've taken an entire day off work to bake with friends. It's such fun! Let's just say it's a good thing I'm making a special trip to the Rec Center at lunchtime!
Tuesday, December 16, 2008
Interruption: Trainer Ride
Just got off the trainer. Did the full mountain bike workout (about an hour). Averaged 10.8 mph. Legs ache. Body feels great. Rocked out hardcore to "Want You Bad" by Offspring and the like as motivation. Gonna keep it up and kick some serious butt during race season.
Christmas Countdown: Christmas Cards
When I let slip how much I spend on Christmas cards each year, Mitch was not particularly pleased. I give you now, as I gave him, an account of my love affair with Christmas cards.
Like most traditions to which I cling, this one started when I was a kid. My parents always made a big deal about the arrival of Christmas cards, dropping them on the counter with a flourish and asking who wanted to open them. We'd split them up equally, slit the envelopes and announce the senders. The best cards came with creative letters updating us on the lives of our far-flung family and friends.
My mom always seemed to pick out the prettiest cards to send: a habit that, to the distress of my husband, I've acquired. Unlike my mom, though, I'm rarely able to decide on one design, so I get multiple styles. When it's time to send them, I get out the special pen set my uncle gave me at my college graduation, settle in at the kitchen table or the couch, and entertain myself for the next few nights by wishing my family and friends a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year. And we even did one of those Christmas update letters this year! But, with a small concession to frugality, I do try to limit my mailing to those who also participate in the Christmas card ritual.
I still love receiving cards, too. Yesterday, four lovely envelopes spilled out of the mailbox, putting a big smile on my face! I especially love the cards with letters and photos - after all, I just cleared some of my old photos off the fridge and need some new ones to spice it up. As this was the year of new babies, there are all sorts of fat-cheeked balls of Christmastime adorable-ness grinning at me when I'm working in the kitchen. I keep the non-photo cards in a basket and will go through them at least two or three times before bringing them back to the College for a service project.
Like most traditions to which I cling, this one started when I was a kid. My parents always made a big deal about the arrival of Christmas cards, dropping them on the counter with a flourish and asking who wanted to open them. We'd split them up equally, slit the envelopes and announce the senders. The best cards came with creative letters updating us on the lives of our far-flung family and friends.
My mom always seemed to pick out the prettiest cards to send: a habit that, to the distress of my husband, I've acquired. Unlike my mom, though, I'm rarely able to decide on one design, so I get multiple styles. When it's time to send them, I get out the special pen set my uncle gave me at my college graduation, settle in at the kitchen table or the couch, and entertain myself for the next few nights by wishing my family and friends a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year. And we even did one of those Christmas update letters this year! But, with a small concession to frugality, I do try to limit my mailing to those who also participate in the Christmas card ritual.
I still love receiving cards, too. Yesterday, four lovely envelopes spilled out of the mailbox, putting a big smile on my face! I especially love the cards with letters and photos - after all, I just cleared some of my old photos off the fridge and need some new ones to spice it up. As this was the year of new babies, there are all sorts of fat-cheeked balls of Christmastime adorable-ness grinning at me when I'm working in the kitchen. I keep the non-photo cards in a basket and will go through them at least two or three times before bringing them back to the College for a service project.
Monday, December 15, 2008
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...
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...
Friday, December 12, 2008
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.
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.
Thursday, December 11, 2008
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.
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.
Wednesday, December 10, 2008
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.
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.
Monday, December 08, 2008
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...
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!
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!
Thursday, December 04, 2008
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?!?! :)
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?!?! :)
Monday, December 01, 2008
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!
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!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)