Marley and Me

I saw a trailer for this movie a while ago and thought it looked like something I would want to see. Something family oriented, sweet and funny. I went with my sister and my folks to see it on Monday, and have to admit, it suprised me.

Not only was it family friendly, it was family focused. Family values all through it, not something you find in many movies these days, even in the good ones. It was funnier than I expected too. Having had dogs, and having seen the previews, I knew some of what to expected, and granted, some of it seemed to be played for gags, but just a bit. Not too much. Mostly it was good, sweet fun and I now have a new movie to add to my favorites list. It was so good I went and bought the book right after we got out of the theater. I think I will start reading it tonight :)

I have to admit though, I didn't think it would make me cry. But it did. In a good, cathartic way. And I still want a dog.

Looking back

2008 has been a pretty good year. All together, I have enjoyed the last 12 months and all the adventure they brought. My cousin sent out a Christmas letter for her family showing the top ten memories from the year, and liked her idea. So, I am gonna copy, kinda. Perhaps not ten, but I figure it is a good way to wrap up the year and count up my favorite blessings :)

Spring break during the last school year, the High School history department took a group of students on a whirlwind tour to New York, and Washington DC (plus some other fun sites). I went along as a chaparone/tourist and had all kinds of fun. We did everything we possibly could in one week, from touring the Smithsonian and the Capitol building to visiting the Statue of Liberty and going to Wicked on Broadway. So much fun!

Right around Mothers day I treated myself to a brand new bicycle. Before that I had been riding a mens' cruiser that was admittedly too tall for me. Although I would ride it almost all over town, I always felt like I was going to fall over if I had to stop and wait at an intersection. But, my new bike is as short as me, so no more falling over (unless the dog trips me up... lol). Plus, like my lawnmower, it is retro, and very cool looking. I think my car misses me...

Just after summer started my stake led a Treck for the youth, camping at Martins Cove and pulling handcarts over Rocky Ridge. I was asked to go along as the interpreter. So, I got to dress up all funny and look just as silly as everyone else, and go along for a good long hike. It was a really good experience, not something I had ever done before, and a great chance to get to know the youth in the area even better.

This year I really got sucked into hiking. I have always been a walker, but mostly I stuck to the roads and just walked around town. This year I started going out on the trails... and sometimes off the trails :) Climbing to odd high places I could see and taking off whenever I got the chance. Hopefully this is something I will keep doing through the years, because there are lots of places I want to hike.

End of summer brought us up to Washington for a family reunion with my dad's side of the family. We had a great week of camping, good food, and good times with family. We spent lots of time playing rook (of course), hiking (yay!) and talking/laughing. You just can't help but laugh with these people, they are fabulous! Luckily we do this every two years, so it won't be too long before we all get together again. I just wish it were yearly!

Scattered throughout the summer were several little home improvement projects meant to keep me busy. While they were nothing as dramatic as my kitchen, they were enough to make me feel better about my trailer. I finished tearing out the carpet (it was orange) in my bedroom and replacing it with tile (peel and stick, but nice quality). I put in a rock border around the outside of the trailer that only needs a little more done before it is totally finished (I want to do my deck first). And I made some pretty good progress on my bathroom. I repaired the subfloor, replaced the flooring (the old stuff was the same as what was in my kitchen, bleh!), installed a new bathtub, and am mostly done with the cabinets - I just need to finish the staining and varnishing... (I had hoped to get some of that done over Christmas break... but alas, 'tis not to be.)

So, maybe it is only significant to me, but I find it amusing that I blog. I thought only smart, funny people wrote blogs, so I was just a phantom reader. Then I wanted to start leaving comments and harrassing my friends, so I got an account, and really, one thing just led to another. Mostly it led to trouble. Obviously. But I love being able to keep up with friends and family, and since I am lousy at personal communication (email, phone calls, actual conversations...), I rely on facebook and this, and do much better at pretending to be a somewhat normal person.

This year the school district I work for has finally decided to offer us something we can actually use. Three months free at the local gym. I have absolutely loved being able to go to the gym every morning before work, it helps me start the day off right. I bought an eliptical several years ago, and was pretty faithful at using it several times a week, but it really doesn't give your body any kind of variety. Now, even though the facilities are not wonderful, some of the machines are really worn out, and it is small, I am able to mix up my workout. Free weights, machines, treadmills, circuts, and classes keep me on my toes and my muscles continually fatigued - ibuprofin is my friend!

Christmas has also been wonderful this year - my brother came up to visit, and filled the house with beautiful music and just made me happy. I also got a chance to sleep in a bit, playtime, snowshoes, an office, lots of love from my family, and a chance to see old friends again.

Other, random good memories from the year: Adams family reunion, a new prophet, a new president, I got hooked on NPR's science friday, started running, and (miracle of miracles!) went on two dates.

Overall, a good year I think.

Oh the joy!

You are going to think I am very odd and random, after all, this post is about something I finished more than a YEAR ago. Lucky for you, you don't have to read it if you don't want to. But, I finally found a picture of what my kitchen used to look like before I destroyed and rebuilt it. There are few things that I am truly proud of, but the results from this project STILL make me grin like a 1st grader at Christmas time and I wanted to share the joy.

Here it is, in it's full glory. Complete with particle board cabinets that had soaked up 20 years of grease and grime and were unfit to even touch, much less store food and dishes in. I think I stored my gardening supplies and tools in there instead. The counter top had this odd yellow wood like pattern that was chipped all around the edges. Worst of all was the floor. Genuine 80's peel and stick tile that had lost its stick in some places, and had something cemented on it from days of old. Scrub as you might, there was no helping it. I think the thing about this pic that makes me laugh the most is the cereal wall - a remnant from my time in college. I put it up hoping it would help, but it really didn't. And I was just too lazy to take it down. It certainly couldn't make the place any uglier!

Once I decided to remodel, things went remarkably quickly. First to go were the upper cabinets, ripping them out was a JOY. Soon after that, the lower cabinets went, and as soon as I figured out how to shut off the water the sink was out too. I tell ya, demolition can be addicting... the funny part is that I was able to dispose of all waste materials in my garbage can. No trips to the dump for me, just take a hammer to it and smash it to pieces... kinda like my old bathtub... but that is another story. Then came the hard part. Taking out the flooring. I really didn't want to lay anything over top of it, so it had to come up. I tried chiseling it off. I had to give up that idea after blisters formed before I got even one tile finished. Then I tried scoring it with a utility knife, pouring acid on it, and then chiseling it again with gloves on... that was a bit easier. But not much. Made for a VERY good workout. I got almost a quarter of the way done with the floor using that tactic before I wised up enough to do a bit more research. It is amazing what you can learn on the internet. Turns out if you use a heat gun and warm up the tiles, they peel right up with minimal use of the scraper. Well, a blow dryer works just as well as a heat gun, and so even though it was the middle of the summer and I had no AC, I blasted away with it. Finished the rest in one night. Amazing!

After that came the real work. Rebuilding. Luckily my dad did most of the construction, with just a little help from me (moral support and tailing off is really all I am good for there). But once we got everything installed I got to be useful again, and get to work staining, varnishing, and trimming everything. The fumes are strong, but the results are worth it. Don't you think?

Personally, I am rather impressed with our work. All that is left to do is get some paint on the walls and ceiling. I just hope the rest of my projects turn out as well.

Ready to go!

Hooray for fun Christmas presents! Christmas was pretty darn good this year, but I have to say that this is the best part :) I got hooked on hiking this last summer and the only thing I was sad about was that it is kinda hard to go in the snow. In the past I have done cross country skiing, and absolutely loved it. But that hobby has fallen by the wayside lately. Then my aunt told me about the joys of snowshoeing and she piqued my interest. The more I thought about it, the more intriguing the idea became until I decided that somehow, I would try to learn this winter. Now, with all the lovely new snow, and with my brand new snowshoes (aren't they pretty!) I am ready to go and have lots and lots of fun (I hope!) Now I just need to con someone into going with me as I experiment and figure out what I am doing. I did take them out for a test walk, just once around the house, and that was kinda fun, but I am thinking that it might be a good idea not to go too far off the beaten path all by myself... lol :) Knowing me, I would walk right into trouble. But, some way or another though, I have every intention of getting out and having some great fun this next week!

Thanks for the memories!

Whew! Talk about perfect timing! One winter storm ended Christmas Day, and we got hit with another storm that started up last night, leaving a small window of time for me to run down to Utah and spend the afternoon/evening visiting with some friends in Utah.
It has been ages and ages since I have last seen some of my old college roommates, but last night I was blessed with the opportunity to get together again with some of them and share some dinner (Elizabeth brought her Chicken Enchilada's, Angela provided the salad, and I brought some of Amy's Chocolate Chip Cookies for dessert). We spent a good four hours just sitting and chatting, and laughing more than I have laughed in a long time, and in general just having a good time. It was really nice to catch up with everything that has been going on. Angela had a baby about two weeks ago, and since Elizabeth was in town for the holidays we all decided we should get together and celebrate.
Even though the roads were somewhat scary getting down and back, it was more than worth it to be able to hang out again, (not to mention getting some quality baby snuggling time!) I had a wonderful evening, and hope we can do something similar sooner rather than later. I would rather not wait four more years before we all meet up again!

Let it snow, let it snow, let it snow!

Seems like everyone is getting pounded with winter storms the last little while, and we were no exception! The last week has brought more snow than seems possible, and blessed us with a traditional White Christmas. Idaho is not famous for the amount of precipitation it gets (unless it is for the lack of it...) but the last little while has felt more like Washington, only with snow instead of rain. Crazy! My car has been snowed in at my parents house for a week now, and the only vehicle that reliably makes it up the driveway is my dad's truck. We even thought there was enough snow to try and build a snowman Christmas day. Operative word being try. Mostly we piled up some snow, and threw the rest at each other. Many messes were made, and much fun was had. Most of the time, I love snow. I had to laugh yesterday when I realized that I only love the snow so long as it doesn't interfere with my plans. I really don't care if it messes up everyone else's plans, but when my plans are on the line... watch out! Oh well, if we spend all year praying for rain, moisture, snow, etc., then it really isn't fair to complain when our prayers are answered. So with that in mind, and the realization that I don't really have any plans for another week, all I can say is "let it snow, let it snow, let it snow!"

(My sister in the middle of the snowbank on the parents deck - before we really messed it up)

'Tis the season!

Sunday night was our annual caroling night with my Mum's family - mostly it is a chance to get together, eat good food and spread the Christmas Cheer. It also means that I got to spend all of Saturday making our share of treats to put on the treat plates - in our case, Chocolate Mice, (Amy's) Peanut Butter Balls, and fancy Golden Grahm Smores. Took a lot of work, and we went through a LOT of chocolate, but it sure smelled good. Hopefully it tasted good, because I didn't get much of a chance to eat the treats :( sad life. I will just have to take advantage of the super long break from school, and make another batch of the favorites, just for us to snack on :). Should be good!

Just a few of the mice that I made to infest the treat plates. I think they are cute :) Even if some of them are a bit cross-eyed, ;)

Makes me laugh!!

http://despair.com/

This is my most recent find (I am sure you have all known about it forever, but it takes me a while...). I managed to waste a good bit of time after finding it, and I find much joy in learning that I have wasted other peoples time after introducing them to it. It is good for at least a couple of laughs :)

No one mourns the Wicked...

Except me. And a bunch of other people who didn't get tickets either I guess. But definitely me. I knew it was popular, and I knew it would sell out, but I didn't think it would sell out quite so fast. In only one short day, well, less actually, every ticket to dear old shiz was snatched away.

I was feeling so wonderful knowing that Wicked was coming to SLC, and made big plans to get tickets and give them to my family as Christmas presents. I did lots of research and found out when exactly tickets would be available, marked it on my calender, got all the phone numbers ready, and said "thank goodness" I have a cell phone so I can call during my lunch hour at work.

Friday the 12th came around, and I got everything packed up and headed off to work. My eyes were on the clock as soon as it hit ten o'clock, but I kept working till lunch came around. I hurried up to my office and pulled out my cell phone and realized something bad was going on, no reception on my cell! What is this feeling?? Total frustration! With no other way to order tickets at work, I forced myself to be patient and get back to work instead of running home and ordering tickets from my computer and coming back late from lunch. Well, as they say, no good deed goes unpunished. As fast as I ran home you might have thought I was defying gravity, but it was to no avail. Some people out there got tickets for their families, but I'm not that girl.  Call me a sentimental (wo)man, but I nearly cried when I realized those tickets are sold out for good. 

So now I am suddenly faced with figuring out what on earth to do for Christmas this year. I have spent the last few months dancing through life planning this gift, not giving a thought to any other ideas. The wizard and I were gonna have some great fun... sad life!

Happiness is a key to my... Office!

I know this will seem like a rather silly reason to be so happy to some of you, but after four and a half years working for the school district, I have finally pestered my way into an office. No longer will I have to impose on other teachers for computer time or wait in the teachers lounge till classes start. Now I have a place to hang my coat instead of carrying it around with me all day, and a place where I can store my reference books so I can do my prep work during my down time on the job, instead of doing it all at home. 

The High School, as nice a place as it can be to work in, is not always very good at providing for non-traditional employees, they just seem to assume we can take care of ourselves or something. (I guess that is partly my fault, I try to be as self sufficient as possible and I hate to complain...) But honestly, even the students get lockers! This is my third year here, and it is the first year I have even had a mail box, (that took a lot of 'pestering' too). 

It is nice to finally feel like I kind of belong at work, that I have a place in the whole scheme of things instead of hanging on the outskirts or skimming the surface. Even though I will only be here for another year and a half, it is nice not to feel quite so transient. It is amazing how much more professional I feel now that I am being treated somewhat like a professional instead of like a temporary intrusion. Incredible what a little self-advocacy can do! 

It seems that happiness really is in the simple things. That little key in my hand has put a smile on my face ever since I got it a few days ago, and it will probably stay for quite a while!

Whoa!

I must have been pretty sound asleep Friday night, because when I woke up Saturday morning... something was different! 

You can't see it very well in the picture, but apparently a bolt slipped on my headboard sometime during the night, and sent half my mattress plunging to the ground. Didn't even wake me up.  I must have found it rather cozy squished between the wall and the mattress, because I slept really well... lol. 

"Hell is empty and all the devils are here"

I think Shakespeare had the right of it because one of those devils lives under my hot water heater! 

I have had trouble with my hot water heater ever since I moved into this old trailer. At the most random times I find that my pilot light has gone out, and usually I don't find out until I am half way through a shower and things get really COLD! 

After five years of this, I finally figured it out - after finding hell too hot to handle a little devil moved under my hot water heater, and any time he finds himself getting too hot, he just blows out the pilot light. I think he sits under there and plots about how best to get me, like when I have been gone for the weekend or am coming home freezing cold, and it is REALLY late at night. 

Cunning little thing. A few years ago he even threw a 'wrench' into the works and left me without hot water for three months before I could get it fixed. I think he must get bored sometimes too, either that or he is very sensitive to the extra heat, because when I cook something in the oven, he comes into the kitchen and blows out the pilot lights to my burners. Luckily, I think the previous owner must have blessed the furnace with holy water, because so far, that one has never blown out (knock on wood!).

I guess one of the benefits of having a resident demon is that I am now very good at lighting the pilot lights. The first time I tried it took me half an hour and I burned all the hair off my arm... not a good thing to do the day before you start a new job ;) Now however, I am quite skilled, and can have it relit in just a few minutes.  To give the devil his due, he is good at his job.

Yes... I like the power tools.

Um, so I went up to visit my folks again this weekend. These days, that seems to be the extent of my socialization. But, even though I just saw everyone last weekend, it was good to see the family again.

Tomorrow the sister missionaries move into my parents half finished basement, and as a result, my parents are in crisis-mode trying to get the everything ready for new tenants. They thought a ceiling might be appreciated... and they also decided that the sisters ought to have the bedroom that actually has a window so they can escape in the event of an emergency. So Saturday was spent finishing the window-less bedroom for my sister to move into (mostly just painting, lots and lots of painting!), and putting up large amounts of sheetrock for the ceiling in the rest of the basement. 

Thank heavens for the help of friends and family, because we could not have finished so much all by ourselves. Granted there is a lot left to be done... but things are MUCH better now. And with another night of sleep, I should be good as new again. Luckily I was interpreting in church today, otherwise... I probably would have slept through all three hours... oh dear. 

On a fun note, when I drove home this morning, I managed to bring a houseguest to keep me company and go on walks with me till Thanksgiving. So far he mopes around acting homesick and missing his mum and dad, but I think as soon as I give him some yummy food he will change his mind ;)

"I don't want to survive, I want to live!"

Came up to visit my folks last night and we all went out to the cheap movies to see WALL-E (I had never seen it before). I have to admit, WALL-E is one of my new favorites. The first time I saw the trailer though, I was rather skeptical. I was afraid this would be another Cars (not my favorite Pixar show). Some people, like my mum, can't stand talking animals in movies - I can't stand talking machines. Luckily, these characters weren't people that look like machines - they were machines with some people-like attributes. Somehow Pixar pulled it off. Plus, they don't really talk that much :)
WALL-E was charming! And just plain funny too. I laughed a lot more than I thought I would, and loved all the little jokes thrown in. I also loved that they used Hello Dolly as their reminder of the good ol' days - how many kids out there will truly appreciate listening to "Put on your Sunday clothes" or "It only takes a moment?" It just makes me laugh.
Of course, it didn't hurt that one of the underlying messages of the movie was about our need to take care of the earth. I would have liked the movie anyways, but that earned the movie some extra-credit points.

Oh, and for some added fun, the traditional pre-movie Pixar cartoon had me laughing so hard I was snorting. It was just plain funny!

Life is pretty darn good!

I got back from my trip to Salt Lake last night, and have to say that overall, I had a really good time with my sister. We left Friday night and drove down to Provo to stay with my sister's old missionary companion. We didn't get in till very late due to a huge traffic accident that clogged the freeway, but it was still fun to meet her friends and hang out for an hour or so before we crashed on the couch.

Saturday morning I woke up early feeling kinda bleh - Friday night's hamburger did NOT agree with me. So I took a walk around Provo, in areas I used to walk all the time. Kinda nice to see the place again, and it felt good to move a bit after sitting in the car so long the night before. Once I got back, my sis and I took off for Salt Lake, and arrived right on time for our entrance into the Body Worlds exhibit.

I mentioned before that I had been a bit apprehensive about going, but I was very impressed with the way that things were presented. It was truly awe inspiring to see how our bodies are really put together. I have to admit though, it was rather difficult at first to appreciate everything that I was seeing.  I have decided that it is a very good thing I never decided to go into the field of medicine. I would have made a TERRIBLE nurse. The combination of my tendency to get shock-y in such situations and the previous nights bad hamburger were not good. They had a blood pressure machine available in part of the exhibit, and just for fun, I decided to check mine after I started feeling better - surprise surprise, mine was rather low - ~90/50, I don't remember exactly.

Luckily, after I started feeling better, I was able to really enjoy everything I was seeing. I had never before appreciated how compact and small everything really is - especially all the different blood vessels - I used to wonder why the phlebotomists had such a hard time jabbing my veins when I would donate blood. Now I am impressed that they can find them at all! It really is amazing that we can do SO much. It was crowded, but everyone was so quiet and respectful, that I hardly noticed after a while. Everything I saw made me so grateful that I have changed my lifestyle so much. Seeing all that really makes you want to take care of yourself.

Three hours after we went into The Leonardo, we came back out with a deeper respect for what we are, and a renewed commitment to take care of ourselves, and with that in mind, had some salads for lunch, and decided to do a bit of shopping at the Salt Lake Running store and the local REI. Much fun!

By the time we finished spending our money it was time for the best part of the whole trip - stopping in to visit my Great Grandma Lloyd. We had a great visit with her, and it was so nice to see her again. We visited for about an hour and a half before we had to leave, and wished we could have stayed longer. Gotta say, I love that lady!

Anyhow, that is the basics of our weekend adventures - it made for a couple of days full of education and family togetherness, pretty good combination if you ask me!

I'm It!

Auburn tagged me so now it is my turn to give it a shot :)

8 Shows I Love to Watch: M*A*S*H, The Cosby Show, Mythbusters, X-Files, Loony Tunes, Jeopardy, Planet Earth, and most stuff on the Science Channel.

8 Favorite Restaurants: Harbor Monsoon (best Chinese food ever), Senior Iguana's, Pizza Hut, Olive Garden, Kamin (good Thai food), Top of the Mar (Mongolian grill in Guam), Kings BBQ in North Carolina, and my parents kitchen ;)

8 Things that Happened Yesterday: Went for an early morning walk down memory lane in Provo, went to the Body Worlds Exhibit with my sister, bought new shoe inserts at the Running Store in SLC, bought a new atlas and some Life Is Good mugs from REI, visited my Great Grandma Lloyd in Bountiful, filled my car up with gas that cost less than $3/gallon and sang along with Show-tunes Saturday Night as we drove home.

8 Things I Look Forward to: running a 5k, owning a house with a yard, rafting the Grand Canyon, seeing Antarctica before it all melts away :), hiking, starting my free gym membership next week, walking in the snow, and seeing the ocean again.

8 Things I Love about Fall: Crunching leaves, the smell, cool breezes that make hiking even more fun, the colors, being able to drink hot chocolate again, soccer season, thunder storms and back to school shopping.

8 Things on My Wish List: A new computer that won't stress out when I try to multi-task, new carpet for my front room, enough lumber and time to build my deck, A dog (golden retriever or beagle), new front and back doors, lumber and materials to build my planned bookcases and window seat, cross country skis or snow shoes, and some backpacking gear. 

8 (or 6) People I Tag: Tammy, April, Nicolette, Seleta's unborn child, Natalie (even though I don't know if she has a blog), and my mum, just for kicks :)

Oh, what a beautiful morning!

This morning, in spite of a bright moon in the middle of the sky, multiple street and house lights all around, and a well lit parking lot right next to the track, I saw SO MANY shooting stars while running. I have to admit, it is a bit of a challenge to stay on the track while you are looking at the sky... lol.  It sure made my morning run exciting, always searching for one more. I just missed lots and lots, seeing only streaks of light from the corner of my eye, but I also saw a bunch right where I was looking. At least 28 ;)

Body Worlds

Next weekend my sister and I are planning a trip down to Salt Lake City to visit some of her friends and go to the Body Worlds exhibit at The Leonardo. More info on the exhibit here.

Though the trip was originally my idea, I find that I have mixed feelings about going to the exhibit. On one hand, I am afraid that it will turn out to be something along the lines of a freak show, Ripley's Believe it or Not, or a Wax Works museum - a "lets go gawk at the bodies!" event. Perhaps it is the use of the word exhibit. It seems to make it feel a bit commercialized and in an odd way, de-humanized.

But on the other hand it also looks like it could be an amazing opportunity to learn more about the human body, to gain a deeper appreciation for the delicate workings that compose each one of us.  There is so much that I don't understand, though I am always trying to learn more, and as I am working in a Medical Terminology class this semester, this could be invaluable. I have such a deep and profound respect for the human body and want to gain a better understanding of the miracle that is us.

My only other concern is that perhaps I might get sick. Silly, I know. In spite of my fascination with all things scientific, biological and anatomical, I am a bit squeamish. Yes, I realize that it is sad, and pathetic. I even got sick interpreting a lecture in Health last year (thank heavens I had an intern there who could take over while I got some fresh air!).  I find that so long as I can de-personalize and disassociate with what is going on, I am fine, but once things become personal... I am in trouble. That is where I think I will have trouble, walking the fine line between disassociating myself from the exhibit enough to avoid getting sick, and yet still honoring and respecting the people who donated their bodies, recognizing the inherent humanity in what I am viewing.

Have any of you been to see it? What were your impressions? Is it science and education? Or is it commercialization? If any of you are planning to be in Salt Lake next Saturday, you are certainly welcome to join us and find out with us!

Mac or PC?

So, lately I have been wishing for a new computer. This wish grows stronger and stronger with every problem my current computer develops.  Even though I can't actually afford a new computer at this moment in time, I still like to browse, and plan for the day when I have a few extra dollars to spend... Only problem is, what do I get? Mac? Or PC?

I have never used a Mac. I have absolutely no idea how they work, how they are set up, what I can do with them, or even how to do it. Totally lost. But it looks really neat, and rather intriguing. And I hear good things about them. Plus, I already use Safari full time, and am addicted to iTunes and my iPod.

On the other hand, I am very familiar with the PC. Mine has served me well for the last five years, and I know how to do most of the things I need to with it. I have gotten pretty good at using the various office programs, and worry that things like photoshop won't work on a Mac. I understand the 'filing' system on a PC, and I like not having compatibility issues when I need to transfer files.

I know people who actually have opinions about the Mac/PC debate tend to have very strong opinions, and I would love for you to share them with me, to help me form an opinion for future use.

The name of the game? Fútbol!

All good things must come to an end eventually, and the saying holds true with this year's soccer season. Sadly, we didn't go very far, and there were some truly ugly games interspersed throughout the season, but there were also some wonderful, glorious games that make you excited to be watching the game and remind you why you love it so much. 

I wouldn't say I have developed any kind of soccer mania, but I have learned to actually enjoy the game. Something I can't (honestly) say about any other sport. I even enjoy it enough to actively search for a soccer game on TV when I have control of the remote. Good thing I don't have cable, so that only happens when I visit my parents house, or I might really be hooked on the sport. 

Anyhow, it has been a long season, but I am sad to see it end. Hopefully next year we will make it to state - I think we might have a chance :) Meanwhile, after spending my days in school and my afternoons/evenings (plus some nights) on the soccer field for the last 2-3 months, I think I will enjoy having my afternoons free again. What on earth will I do with myself... ;)

Yoga DVD suggestions?

About 9 years ago I borrowed a yoga DVD from a friend (Giam's Yoga for Weight Loss), and enjoyed it so much that I bought a copy of it for myself, and have been doing it sporadically ever since. Problem is, these days I am getting bored of doing the same dvd every time. You have to admit, 9 years is a long time to stick with one workout, even if I don't do it very often. So lately, even though I miss the good stretching I got from a good yoga workout, I keep avoiding it because of the DVD. Any yoga fans out there with some suggestions about a good Yoga DVD to help me get back to work?

Climb every mountain...

My sister and I went on a wonderful hike yesterday. This was our third time doing this hike, and every time we go a bit farther as we figure things out. The first time we went, we only climbed to the top of the first main hill - not where we had planned to turn back, but it took longer than we had thought, and we needed to turn back before it got dark. Even so, it was quite a workout! That first hill is the hardest part of the whole thing. Though it is reletively short, it feels practically vertical (about a 1000 ft in less than a mile) and somehow we manage to make it up.

Second time we went about twice as far, to the ridge we had been aiming for on our first jaunt into the hills. This time we made it to the top of the hill that had been calling to us all summer - we could see these rocks from my parents back porch, and we had always wanted to climb up to them. Mostly because from there, it also looked like the top of the hill. It wasn't till we got to the 'top' that we realized there was a lot more mountain hiding behind the hill. However, by the time we made it this far, the dog was practically dead (we were too, it was the middle of the summer!) so we decided we were done for the day and headed back for the parents' house and some ice cream.

Yesterday, however, was nice and cool, and we decided that we wouldn't stop till we could look down the other side. And we made it! And then we kept going... it was much fun, and with the nice cool breeze we felt like we could keep going forever. We climbed a good 2000 ft, and probably went 8 miles all together. We even got a few raindrops to come down and keep us company - that felt GOOD! We didn't stop till we started hearing thunder, and after noticing all the lighting struck dead trees in the area we decided that we might be better off turning around. It hurt to stop though, especially when there were more hills left to climb. When we got home I checked out a map of the terrain, and was so sad to find out that we were only about a mile away from the very top of the mountain. Just another half an hour, and we would have climbed our first official mountian... Oh well, that just means that we will have to go back again. Sounds like fun to me :) but for now, I am gonna go hobble into the kitchen and take some ibuprofin.

Run fat girl, run!

Ok, granted I am no longer fat (grin) but having been inspired by my friend Elizabeth's ever increasing running successes (she just finished a triathlon!), I am trying to learn how to run. I have tried to start in the past, but never had much success due to shin splints, or lack of "stick-to-it-iveness." 

Fortunately this time I seem to be off to a better start. About three years ago I bought an elliptical machine and have been working out on that almost daily for the last year and a half, in addition to lots of walking and hiking. About three weeks ago I decided I wanted to actually run (watching the soccer team at conditioning might have been the trigger). So I have been getting out every morning before work and going to the track to work on it, doing running and walking intervals, and trying to increase a bit every day. For the first time in my life I have been able to run without developing shin splints, and am on my way to running a full mile without stopping! 

Hopefully I can avoid overdoing it too much, and burning myself out. I am afraid if I have to stop for an injury or burn out, I won't start back up again, and one of my "life goals" is to run a 5k at least once. I am pretty sure I have been overdoing it the last three weeks, after all, I almost fell asleep at the High School homecoming game last Friday... pretty sad, and my knees are starting to ache a little bit, but it is so hard to see myself progress and not try to push harder. 

So, any advice for a new runner? Hints on how to avoid overkill? Ways to take care of knees? Best running shoes? Best stretches? Oh, and best of all, what is your favorite workout music? I am trying to put together a fun, upbeat, energetic playlist for my ipod to help keep things fun and give me a pace. Any suggestions?

Costa Rica, here I come!

All my life I have wanted to go to Central America. As a kid, I would sit and listen to my mum tell stories about her mission, and admire her iridescent blue Morpho butterfly (I even stole it when I moved out).

At long last, this dream is coming true. Next June the High School is taking a group on a nine day tour of Costa Rica, and I am going with.  I will get to visit Poas Volcano, take a kayaking tour of Lake Arenal, visit the Santa Elena Cloud Forest and see the Carara Biological Reserve, plus lots of other really fun things. 

But, the best part of all is that when everyone else leaves after nine adventure filled days, I get to stay behind for another seven days of fun. All by myself! Very exciting prospect, but just a little freaky too, after all, I really don't speak the language. 

I plan on staying as busy as possible during my extra time there, after all, this is probably a once in a life time opportunity for me, and I want to take full advantage while I can. Hopefully I will even be able to go to the Temple while I am in San Jose, and with luck, maybe I can buy my own Morpho butterfly, and finally return my mum's to her. 

So, has anyone ever been there before? Any suggestions about things that I really should do or see? Any advice for the gringa?

You know you're a nerd when...

silly videos like this make you giggle and want to learn physics. I will be the first to admit to being a nerd, because as bad as all the cheesy dancing and rapping is, I still love it because it makes me think and want to figure out more. If only I understood more of it... oh well.

What a day!

What a glorious Saturday! Thundershowers have kept me smiling all day as I have watched flashes of light play across the sky and felt the thunder rattle my windows. The wet, cool breeze is a treat for a parched swamp-rat like myself. And so much for being productive today, I spent a good chunk of my time just soaking it all in while I sat on my porch listening to the rain pound on the roof, trying to break through... I love autumn storms. They make me happy.

Love this video!

Gotta say that the little girl in here is SO CUTE! Plus, besides loving the song, I love the message that is being shared.

Why I am addicted to my Reel Mower

I just gotta say it. 

My lawnmower is amazing! 

How could it not be? It is the best lawnmower I have ever used, and it is all mine! I bought it a little over a year ago, and ever since, mowing the grass has been fun and relaxing with the added benefit of making me giggle. I guess it's true what they say, simple minds, simple pleasures.

And yes, I do have some justification for my infatuation with this odd machine.

1. Light weight and compact.  Weighing in at ~30 lbs I can pick the thing up with relative ease to move it anywhere I need to. Also, nice and small means it fits on my porch when not in use and doesn't get in the way, a must for a trailer dweller with no other storage space.

2. Environmentally friendly. Per hour of use a gas lawn mower emits 10-12 times as much hydrocarbon as a typical car. On the other hand, my reel mower has zero environmental impact. There is no nasty smelling exhaust, and without the noise pollution that irritates the neighbors I can hear the birds or listen to my ipod while I mow.

3. Good workout.  Not too hard to push, but there is no motor pulling you along, and the longer your grass, the more work required, and it is fabulous for upping your pedometer numbers!

4. Simple.  It came in pieces and I assembled it myself. If I can do it, it has to be pretty easy!

5. Healthier lawn.  Back when my landlord used to cut the grass with a machine, they would practically shave it to the ground, leaving it susceptible to burning, and requiring 4 times more watering to keep it alive - now I can cut it to a healthy level - my lawn has been green all summer, with minimal watering. Plus, clippings get mulched into the lawn :)

6. Good looking.  Ok, on this one maybe I am just weird, but I think it looks awesome. Then again, I also ride a cruiser around town. I just like the vintage look for some things, and this is one.

7. Safer.  No flying rocks or other projectiles. Those things HURT! Now I can wear shorts and sandals when I mow.

8. I don't have to start it.  I hate trying to start up gas mowers, I almost always do funky things to my shoulder, and by time I get it started, I am worn out before the real work starts. With mine, just push and mow.

9. Cheap.  Low purchase price, minimal maintenance costs, plus no need to buy oil and gas.

10. I bought it off of Amazon.  Again, I am probably just odd, but I think that is the funniest part of the whole thing. Honestly, who buys a lawnmower off the internet? Through Amazon? Maybe more people than I think, but even though I bought it over a year ago, the thought still amuses me. 

Yes, I will be the first to admit to being a complete nerd. Who else falls in love with a lawnmower? 

"I am haunted by humans."

"It is just a small story really, about among other things: a girl, some words, an accordionist, some fanatical Germans, a Jewish fist-fighter, and quite a lot of thievery..."

Rarely does a book leave me speechless. The Book Thief is astonishing. It is intriguing, unsettling, elegant and extraordinary.  It is a book that makes me stop, put down the book and just sit, savoring the words.  Images linger, haunting my thoughts long after the the book has been returned to it's shelf. This is a book to read slowly. Zusak's words have substance and weight, they need time to be digested.

There are many books I love. Even more that I like. I collect them. They fill the shelves that line my walls. This book surpasses them. It is one of the few that have stolen their way into my heart. 

Surprise!

I love it when life throws you a little treat. It makes me happy. This morning while I was getting ready for work I got a phone call telling me the student I interpret for wouldn't be in today, and that I could go back to bed, and enjoy my day off! Naturally, that is what I did. This is the first time in four years that I have gotten a surprise day off like this, and I am enjoying it! Of course, I told myself that I would stay productive all day, and I have done some laundry, and a bit of cleaning... but so far, mostly I have been lazy. Perhaps I will go mow my lawn... It seems that no matter what else I do during the day, if I mow my lawn, I feel like my whole day was productive and busy. Then I can be lazy the rest of the day, and not feel guilty :)

Captions! Captions! My kingdom for some captions!

Shakespeare is undeniably one of my favorite authors, even though it takes a good deal of concentration to understand what is actually being said, and a good bit of study to really enjoy it. So when I found out that the English class I am interpreting for this year will be studying a few of Shakespeare’s comedies (Twelfth Night and A Midsummer Nights Dream) I was pleased. So far all they have studied is Romeo & Juliet, and Julius Caesar – certainly not the best way to gain an appreciation of one of the world’s greatest playwrights.

In the past teachers have had students read the play in class, had discussions and tests based on the reading, and then had the students watch the play. All set up to ensure that I didn’t have to do much interpreting of the actual plays (thank heavens!). So far it has worked fairly well, and students seem to at least figure out the gist of the story. Also, fortunately for me there have been captioned or subtitled versions of the plays available thus far, even though I have had to purchase the captioned copies and lend them to the school for classroom use.

However, this year fate has caught up with me, and there are no decent captioned film versions of Twelfth Night available, either at the school or for me to purchase. This year, I am going to have to bite the proverbial bullet and do my best to interpret Shakespeare without frying my brain.

So long, farewell, etc. etc...

I have to admit, in general my life is fairly quiet. Not much happens outside of work and visiting family, unless I decide that I am bored and end up starting a new project. About six weeks ago, things took a turn for the less ordinary. One of my neighbors (I am assuming he is a neighbor, I have never actually met him) knocked on my porch door and practically begged for a bit of help. He told me he had three hungry kittens dumped on his porch and needed someone who could take care of them and find them new homes. Apparently I have some kind of (unwanted) reputation for placing strays. Apparently I am also a sucker with an inability to say no, because I wound up with three malnourished (I could seriously count every bone), sick and injured (but friendly) kittens living in my bathroom.

After several visits to the vet, and lots of time spent forcing antibiotics down throats and into eyes I finally got them healthy enough to get rid of. Turns out that is the most challenging part of all if you don’t want to waste all the effort put into taking care of them by sending them to the pound. But at long last, they are gone! After posting flyers all over town, making several phone calls to various humane societies, and visiting multiple pet stores, plus spending a good bit of time sitting in front of grocery stores – they are gone!! Woo hoo! Now other nice families will get the pleasure of shredded shower curtains and surprise attacks (plus the undeniable cuteness of a snuggly, purring kitten) and I will get some peace and quiet.

Stuck

I have been cursing myself over and over again this last week for my idiotic faith in the ability of the local road workers to finish projects quickly. This spring the city decided that the road in front of my place needed some serious help. I happen to agree, so no complaints there, even though it has made access to my driveway a bit hairy the last few months, and promises to continue to do so for several more months. 

Had I been paying a bit more attention, I might have moved my car to a better location when I noticed them coming close. However, it turns out that while I was busy with school and soccer practice last week, construction advanced itself right into my driveway, effectively restricting any access with a car. This isn't too much of a problem in the normal course of the day. I ride my bike everywhere unless leaving town, and since I leave through the back, I didn't even notice the blockage till I tried to pull out last Friday on my way to a blind date and realized I wouldn't make it (darn!). 

I naively assumed that these people would realize the problems this posed, and try to make it quick. It has been a week now (thank heavens I don't usually have emergencies) and I am starting to realize that I might just be spending my last free weekend stuck at home instead of driving up to Pocatello to do some back to school shopping and visit with the family for the holiday. Not that I have a problem with staying home as such, but I do like to visit my family once in a while, and this is likely to be the last time I will be able to visit for a couple months what with work and soccer games. To top it all off, my sister has the same nice long weekend off, and we were planning to get in some good hiking/playing. Curses!

Oh look...

It's my very first post! Aren't you all so proud of me??